Draft Minutes
SRCC GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
www.srccatx.org
Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
AGENDA
Sign up or renew your membership at www.srccatx.org. There is a 28-day waiting period before new members can make/second motions or vote. For more information: membership@srccatx.org
1. 7:00 Welcome and Announcements
Welcome, All, and especially to our new members.
Elections will be held in April and we are in need of volunteers for the following positions:
- SRCC Secretary
- Finance Committee Chair
- Schools Committee Chair
- Area Coordinator(s) 4a
- Area Coordinator(s) 3b
- Two individuals serving as Area Coordinator is preferred, with at least one attending Executive Committee Meetings to represent the area.
Presenter, Mary Fealkoff, President (10 min)
- Meeting Called to order at 7:02 pm
- Membership Chair noted that a quorum of members was not present.
- The President provided an update on the NAB Hub, announcing that Ian Dilley from Greenbrier and Stacey Suits from SRCC had been selected as representatives.
- The President announced the formation of the South Austin Neighborhood Safety Alliance (SANZA), which is working to ensure neighborhood safety regarding the hub. They considered inviting SANZA to present at a future general membership meeting in May, potentially alongside a potluck event.
- South Austin Neighborhood Safety Alliance (re navigation hub): https://atxsansa.org/
- The President announced the cancellation of Rowan Vail’s presentation due to ongoing design work and the postponement of the sign ordinance and CiderCade development.
2. 7:10 Approve Minutes from previous General Membership meeting on February 17, 2026. Meeting minutes available at www.srcctax.org
Presenter, Mary Fealkoff, President (5 min)
Minutes approved by unanimous consent.
3. 7:15 Nominations Committee
Presenter, Mary Janeck-Friedman (5 min)
- The Chair of the ad hoc Nominating Committee introduced the members of the committee Mary Friedman (chair), Jeff Kessel, Ruth Casarez, and Theresa Corsentino. The committee has identified key positions to fill: a secretary, finance chair, and area coordinators, particularly for Area 4A, for Area 3B, as well as additional help for Areas 6 and 7.
- The Chair announced that elections would be held at the April 21st General Membership Meeting.
- Gretchen Otto was thanked for her extensive contributions to SRCC and will continues working on the Bylaws Committee. Her term as Schools Chair is ending
- Morgan Moran de Sanchez has agreed to take that position in her place, pending the official vote at the April GM Meeting.
4. 7:20 Spring Newsletter
Presenter, Ruth Casarez, Newsletter Editor (5 min)
The Newsletter Editor provided an update on the spring newsletter, which aims for mid-April completion but is facing delays in article submissions. Additional articles were requested for the newsletter to reach four pages, with a deadline already passed. Contributors were encouraged to submit their drafts promptly. Barbara proposed writing an article on architectural styles in the neighborhood, which the group supported, with plans to include photos and potentially create a series focusing on different architectural styles.
5. 7:25 Roots & Wings Festival Update
Presenter, Ken Burnett, SRCC Co-VP (5 min)
- The Chair of the ad hoc Roots and Wings Festival updated the group planning, outlining a timeline from May to November and announcing that the event host application opens May 1st, with Amani Lupur, the Austin City coordinator, scheduled to speak at upcoming meetings.
- More about the Festival: Roots & Wings
- The Chair explaining that the main event will take place from late October to mid-November at Little Stacy Park, though the venue could potentially change based on volunteer consensus. Some expenses ,like the speaker system ,will be covered by the budget, other items like giveaways may be funded through grant applications. We have already secured resources for an Arborama game: https://www.austintexas.gov/page/arborama-tree-game
6. 7:30 Dissolution of South Central Waterfront Advisory Board
Presenter, Pam Kostas and/or Wendy Todd (5 min)
SRCC’s former representative on SCHWAB presented a detailed update on the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board’s dissolution, explaining that the board had not met for six consecutive months and highlighting issues with the Economic Development Department’s involvement and lack of representation for the area. The group discussed potential solutions, including having South Austin representation on the downtown commission.
For a deeper explanation: SCHWAB Update
information on the Mayor’s action at Audit and Finance Committee:
Mayor’s action regarding SCWAB
7. 7:35 Schuler-Time Insurance developmentPresenter, Gayle Goff, EROC (5 min)
- A Representative from Area 6 provided an update on the Schuler development, noting ongoing negotiations with neighbors and planned meetings with city officials to clarify rules and protect nearby single-family homes. The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for March 24th was postponed and will now take place in April. Details were provided regarding the property’s location and unique characteristics.
- Members shared concerns about recent council decisions regarding high-rise apartment buildings in minority neighborhoods along the Riverside Drive corridor, noting that similar developments were being considered in Montopolis and Blacklands. The discussion highlighted the need for vigilance regarding upcoming developments in the area, particularly in light of upcoming elections and new ETOD (Elevated Transit Oriented Development) overly plans expected to be pass in the fall.
- A guest shared that community engagement for round tow would begin this spring.
- East Riverside Corridor Vision Plan: Info & Sign-up for Updates
8. 7:40 Report from Parks and Recreation Department
Planning for Heritage Oaks Park and creation of a new “pocket park” on Woodland.
Presenters, Greg Montes and Adrienne O’Keefe, PARD (10 min)
- Adrienne O’Keefe and Greg Montes presented community engagement plans for improvements to Heritage Oaks Neighborhood Park and Woodland Pocket Park. They outlined two concepts for each park, including options for flexible fields, dry creek features, nature play areas, and seating arrangements. The team emphasized that the proposed changes would be light-touch improvements, and they encouraged the audience to review the concepts and participate in the public survey, which is open until Sunday the 22nd.
- A member inquired about fencing and picnic tables, which Gregory addressed, explaining the proposed fence placement along Parker and Win Oak. Another member inquired about the potential land acquisition near Heritage Oaks. Gregory and a representative from Area 6 provided information about ongoing efforts to purchase a strip of land currently owned by a defunct LLC. The member from Area 6 explained that this acquisition is important for addressing safety issues and enhancing the park’s usability, particularly in shaded areas.
- Heritage Oaks & Woodland Pocket Park: Park Improvements
- Link to provide input: Park Survey
9. 7:50 Membership Report
Members must pay dues to participate in SRCC business and actions, such as voting and making motions. Try the subscription option for automatic annual renewals. We are delighted to have grown membership considerably over the last year (55 new members over the course of the last year!) and we welcome new members’ participation as Area Coordinators, Committee Chairs and Officers. Also, if you have special technological /graphic expertise, we can put you to work on any number of projects!
Presenter: SRCC Membership, Mary Janecek-Friedman (5 min)
The membership Chair reported an increase of 60+ members since this time a year ago.
10. 8:00 Treasurer’s Report
All reports available upon request: treasurer@srccatx.org
Presenter: Treasurer, Will Andrews (5 min)
The Treasurer was unable to attend the meeting.
11. 8:05 Reports from Standing Committee Chairs
a) Planning and Zoning; b) Historic Preservation; c) Finance; d) Mobility; e) Public Safety; f) Parks and Environment; g) Schools; h) Communications (10 min)
- Planning and Zoning: The Chair reported two positive outcomes: the indefinite postponement of a signage ordinance and a 180-day delay for the CiderCade/Joe’s Crab Shack project, which she noted was vulnerable due to its location on a double floodplain.
- Historic Preservation: The Chair shared news of a historic building at 900 Congress being voted for demolition by the City Council, and announced a historic preservation community event on March 26th at a neighbor’s house on Travis Heights Blvd. A guest to our meeting provided an update on a demolition case at 422 Congress Avenue, explaining that while the property wasn’t historic, the Historic Landmark Commission requested preservation of materials.
- Mobility: The Chair reported on the rescheduled sidewalk dedication ceremony and new traffic calming measures on Travis Heights Boulevard. A member shared approval of the new stop signs at Live Oak and Alta Vista.
- Public Safety: The Chair discussed neighborhood safety and offered magnetic neighborhood watch signs.
- Parks: The Chair provided updates on park improvements, including efforts to protect the Blunn Greenbelt and plans to improve a ball field near Travis Heights Elementary. Members discussed the possibility of using reclaimed water to help irrigate the ball field. Announcements were made about upcoming volunteer events at Blunn Creek Nature Preserve: St. Edward’s (3/28, 8:30-12), West Lake HS (4/1, 9-12) meeting at 900 St. Edward’s Drive
A member asked for details regarding the reclaimed water and another member explained the concept of purple pipes, which involve reclaimed water.
- Travis Heights Reclaimed Water Sign-up for emails: Sign up
- Reclaimed Water Info Session: Info Session
12. 8:15 Reports from Area Coordinators and Group Representatives
a) Area Coordinators; b) TECHS CAT; c) ANC; d) SCC; e) EROC; f) GSRC NPCT; g) SCWAB; h) St. Edward’s (10 min)
No additional updates
The next Executive Committee meeting is April 7, 2026
The next General Membership meeting is April 21, 2026
Q-2 2026 Meetings (Zoom unless otherwise noted):
GM (3rd Tuesday) April 21, May 19 (in person pot-luck), June 16
EC (1st Tuesday) April 7, May 5, June 2
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: contact Tom Groce, SRCC Public Safety Chair at: tgroce71@gmail.com
If you have questions about using the Neighborhood ListServ: https://groups.io/g/SouthRiverAustin
Check crime reports and statistics here:
https://www.krimelabb.com/_basic/view/v_welcome.php
Minutes prepared by Mary Friedman, membership@srccatx.org
Please check www.srccatx.org for updates.
