Travis County Commissioners Court
February 23, 2010,
Item 30
>> item number 30 is one of our expo center items, y'all.
it is to consider and take appropriate action on request from lee and Travis County trail riders to use Travis County exposition grounds.
ms.
harris is here.
if you would come forward and have a seat.
mr.
norton brought this item by my office and dropped it off after ms.
harris had tried it with him.
i put together a one-pager based on a telephone conversations with ms.
harris and have a letter from her.
and I tried to set out the key facts.
if you would have a seat there.
apparently this started out as I guess a combined trail riders group from lee and Travis County trail riders.
ms.
harris has been an Austin resident for how many years?
>> fifth year --50 or more.
>> she is a whole lot younger than you would think.
but the group has been doing this 23 years and at the expo center 14-15 years.
they have used the grounds out there without charge because they bring their own water, food refreshments, porta johns, lights, generator, what have you.
she is planning a horse ride or trail ride this year.
>> easter ride.
>> easter right.
this event is for children.
the goal is to get a couple00--couple hundred.
they come from Travis County and surrounding counties.
Travis County kids are invited to go to similar trail rides in surrounding communities.
this is no charge to children but the adults are charged $12 a piece.
the money is used to cover some of the expenses.
and ms.
har eshas used from her personal funds money that is necessary to rent the things that she needs.
she has her own wagon, two mules that pull those wagons.
>> yes.
>> and the way this goes is that the adults ride horses and most of the kids ride on the wagon.
>> I'm hoping to have three wagons this year.
>> three wagons this year, your own plus two more.
>> yes.
>> if you would picture the ec poe sern, the reasonable--expo center, if you look at the north gate, they go through that gate.
the building are on the right.
they sort of camp out on the hill to the left.
so there to the left of the road that goes in there.
y'all don't use the facilities for anything, right?
>> no.
we bring everything.
>> and the facilities are closed.
historically ms.
harris has been given a key to the gate.
because y'all have camped overnight.
>> oh, yes.
>> Friday and Saturday.
what happens, they go on about a ten-mile trail ride that starts and ends at expo center, goes down johnny morris, and alhave an easter egg hunt.
>> egg hunt starts at four, we leave auto 12 --out at 12 and be there for the easter egg hunt.
>> okay.
>> the children that want to ride in the trail ride will have to be there by 12.
>> okay.
in terms of outreach, how do you get notice out to kids and families?
>> oh, fliers.
>> okay.
>> uh-huh, we make fliers.
and by word.
you know, send out fliers and stuff.
try to tell everybody I can.
>> the pictures you have that I provided yesterday are pictures taken at the expo center last year.
>> yes.
>> for this event.
>> uh-huh.
>> to be honest, maybe I overlooked it, during my 20 years with the county, I never knew this event took place.
which is kind of sad to say because we could help you generate more kids, I think.
>> I need more kids, yes.
>> a lot of urban kids really have never seen wagons and mules and horses.
>> some of them don't know the difference between a horse and a mule.
>> right.
>> or mule and donkey.
>> they don't know the difference.
>> I told ms.
hairs --ms.
harris there's a new director at the expore cents and we kind of have new policies in place.
but seems to me that in fairness we ought to accommodate her request this year.
i think we ought do two things.
we ought to go ahead and get those policies in place.
the horse type efforts that are causing issues for us.
i think that until we land on policies, looks like these requests will be coming one at a time.
sort of off agenda request, I think we ought to designate one or two members of the court to make the call for the court until we put new policies in place.
but what you would like to do is for us to let you know what we are willing to do so you can get your fliers out for this year.
>> I have already had calls calling me, asking me, the kids, when is the easter egg hunt.
>> okay.
we also use a license now, ms.
harris.
and was that the point you were about to make?
>> that is correct.
i haven't heard from the client as to whether the group has been required to execute the standard license agreement.
but that is what we would recommend.
>> do you recall executing a license agreement in the past?
>> down in lee county but not here.
see, I was a member of the lee county trail riders ever since '84.
but I leave here and I started having my--live here and started having my easter egg hunt here.
i'm the president of the club now.
and I have just, I was just made this, you know, I still have things I got to work out.
i'm the president now.
and that is why I want to start it here.
>> with mr.
edmonds and ned and the others it was really a handshake.
it was a verbal agreement.
>> yes, oh yes.
yes.
>> I don't think she signed a license in the past.
i think when she went in there since she was not using fa ittle is, we were sort of by different standards.
she goes left by the hill, that is where the easter egg hunt is.
>> yes.
>> and where the kids eat dinner and whatever other entertainmen.
>> yes, a play date for the kids.
we have a play date.
we come in from the ride, we feed them, and then we have the play day and the easter egg hun.
>> okay, and Friday starts at what time?
>> well, oh, Friday evening.
i go out and set up everything, the tents and everything.
and Friday night we camp out.
we have pizzas come--people coming in from out of time.
>> it ends Saturday at what time?
>> well, some of the peoples had come in from out of town, they didn't want to drive back.
so we have stayed out there Saturday night and leave early Sunday morning if somebody wanted to stay, you know.
didn't want to drive back.
and go out and clean up after myself, you know.
>> I think we would be looking at staying overnight Friday and leaving Saturday probably is best.
>> yeah, okay, Saturday.
>> but if I have not heard any complaints about the cleaning up.
you and your people clean up the area that you use before leavin.
>> oh, yes.
oh, yes.
>> how many persons attend this particular event?
have the numbers grown over the years?
how many persons participate?
>> how many people?
>> uh-huh.
>> oh, well, kind of hard to say who is going to come, you know.
but I have heard quite a bit.
some of the pictures that I showed you from houston, san antonio, the club riders, you know.
>> right.
>> and I have had, I be prepared for two, 300 kids.
200 at least.
you know, always give them easter baskets filled with candy and toys.
and that is free of charge.
for the kids.
>> any other questions?
>> Commissioners, I would like to suggest that perhaps we could meet and discuss with ms.
har esand show her the license agreement and point out the terms and then come back to the court with the license agreement and at that time request any deviations from those standard terms and conditions.
there are things like insurance requirements that are part of the standard agreement.
and if the court wishes deviate from those requirements, we would want to bring that to your attention.
>> roger.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, director of facility management department.
i was talking to michael norton about this issue and really the concern was last year that they have a lot of kids and we had an event and concerned michael that we have kind of like an accident on the site.
so I would really trome have some kind of insurance on that.
really the lease of the ground, the portion of the ground is only according to the fees, is only $500 per day.
but we are not asking for that.
you know, on that.
i thick we should --think we should have some kind of insurance in case something happen on the grounds of the expo center.
granted, they are using the hill.
the hill is really some kind of a boundary between the county grounds and the city ground.
that is where they camp right there.
half in the city and half in the county.
but they enter through our gate.
so michael was saying that probably the best deal for us to protect the expo center and have a kind of license agreement in terms that we would like to actually waive the fee and at the same time would like to have an insurance.
that is staff recommendation.
>> okay.
you're not saying an accident happened.
you're saying a dent may happen.
>> right.
>> to company the county out of it, the insurance would provide sufficient protection of an accident.
>> yes.
>> ms.
harris, are you able to chat with our lawyer before you leave?
this is ms.
al drigge, she is not as tough as she looks.
>> the pictures are just lovely.
>> we will take this up later today.
>> the pictures are great.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> let's indicate our intention the give them an opportunity to get together and call this item back up today.
>> thank you.
>> I have a little problem that I need to leave at 11:45 to attend a ceremony that solves two of our --solves two of our judges--involves two of our judges that I'm kind of part of.
it is almost ten o'clock.
ten o'clock now.
30.
consider and take appropriate action on requests from lee and Travis County trail riders to use Travis County exposition center grounds.
ms.
tilneq went to chat with mrs.
.
with -- we pointed out to her the insurance provisions and requirements, also the opportunity to meet with dan mansour our risk manager.
we are in the process right now of assisting ms.
harris with obtaining the insurance that's required.
and she assures us that she will do that.
we did make it clear that the -- that the grant of the license to use the grounds of the expo center and the waiver of the fee would be contingent on the compliance with those insurance obligations.
so it depends on what the court -- how the court wants to move.
if she obtains the insurance and executes the license agreement, then you can delegate authority to -- to sign the license on those terms or we could bring it back to the court.
we have still a couple of weeks before the event take place.
>> I move that we approve it contingent upon insurance.
>> second.
>> so if she comes to us with that, authorize the judge to sign it, go on down the road with it.
the other thing that I will do is I was kind of surprised that more Travis County kids don't participate.
if you don't get out the word to the right people it will be low.
but I think we ought to any of us who knows kids that ought to take advantage of this -- you don't have to stay overnight.
you can go Friday for the afternoon deal or you can go Saturday morning and participate without staying overnight because a lot of the adults I know won't want their kids staying.
not overnight.
but they will go out -- kind of little ag production that kids in urban areas seldom participate in.
>> could I add, since she's been doing this for several years, that we could not have to visit this again next year and maybe grant her a license for -- to do it for three years contingent on insurance as opposed to being back here next year?
>> makes sense to me.
you all would feel comfortable?
>> for longer, let's do that, indicate the same so she can go ahead and start marketing her stuff.
i think that I would be able to turn her on to adults in Travis County with kids who are looking for things like this to do.
if they have advance notice, especially easter egg hunts, free egg, gift baskets, stuff like that.
we ought to be able to help out.
let's indicate our intention to do a five year period if she has insurance.
any more discussion?
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
thank you, ms.
aldridge for working with us on that, mr.
norton and roger el khoury, also.
we have to co-to executive session, ms.
porter.
>> a.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:15 PM
