The Park Operations and Maintenance Agreement (POMA) was signed in January of 2023, formalizing shared responsibilities for Operations, Maintenance, and Programming of Pease Park between Pease Park Conservancy & the City of Austin.
The Conservancy’s Role in Pease Park
The POMA officially recognizes Pease Park Conservancy as the City’s primary partner for the stewardship of Pease Park. The Conservancy is privately funded by individuals, companies, and foundations that value this healthy, sustainable, and welcoming green space for all of Austin. The Conservancy’s responsibilities as outlined in the POMA are:
Operations & Maintenance in Kingsbury Commons: The Conservancy’s Park Operations team is onsite in Kingsbury Commons every day keeping the space clean and welcoming for all park visitors. From cleaning and stocking the restrooms to caring for the garden beds and trees, this team works in concert with the City of Austin to be sure that park visitors and the ecology of the park are well cared for.
Programming in Kingsbury Commons: The Conservancy’s Community Engagement team brings art, learning, wellness, and conservation programming events that are free and open to the public to Pease Park. With a full calendar of diverse events throughout the year, our hope is that all Austinites feel invited and welcomed to Pease Park and can joyfully connect with one another in the outdoors.
Reservable Spaces in Kingsbury Commons: The beautiful spaces within Kingsbury Commons are available to community members to reserve for their celebrations and events, such as weddings, meetings, classes, birthday parties, and more. The Conservancy’s Development team manages the process and logistics involved in reserving these spaces for spectacular events and gatherings.
Conservation & Land Management throughout Pease Park: The Conservancy’s Conservation team leads volunteer projects and works to remove invasive species, install and care for native plants and trees, and complete land management projects as approved by the City throughout the 75 contiguous acres of Pease Park.
The POMA outlines a phased approach for Pease Park Conservancy to take on additional operations and maintenance responsibilities outside of Kingsbury Commons in the future.
The City of Austin’s Role in Pease Park
The City of Austin is the primary responsible party for operations and maintenance of the urban forest, the trails, the creek, and the streets for the entirety of Pease Park, including Kingsbury Commons. Outside of Kingsbury Commons, the City is currently the primary party for all operations and maintenance. The key departments for City operations and maintenance include Parks and Recreation, Watershed Protection, Urban Forestry, Public Works, and Transportation.
POMA Frequently Asked Questions
What is a POMA?
The Park Operations and Maintenance Agreement is a formalized partnership agreement between Pease Park Conservancy and the City of Austin that outlines terms for the phased transition of certain maintenance and operations responsibilities from the Parks and Recreation Department to the Conservancy. The document covers issues such as land management, events, and programming.
Partnerships like this between public agencies and nonprofit organizations can help effectively build, renovate, maintain, and program parks. With PPC taking on added responsibility and investment in Pease Park, this allows PARD to apply public resources to areas of higher need.
Is the Conservancy taking over the park? Is this still a public park?
Pease Park still belongs to the City and to our community. This agreement allows Pease Park Conservancy to bridge the gap between public funding and what the park deserves. The Conservancy has built a team around maintaining and operating Kingsbury Commons, but the City will always be the owner of the space and have operations within it. Pease Park Conservancy will supplement the City’s work throughout the park and will maintain and operate Conservancy-built infrastructure.
How much is the City paying the Conservancy to operate and maintain the park?
There is an annual management fee for Kingsbury Commons, subject to budget appropriation by the City. The Conservancy’s work in the park relieves PARD from much of the costs of maintaining and improving the park so PARD can use that money elsewhere.
How will the POMA impact park usage?
The Conservancy will never fully close Kingsbury Commons to the public. In order to generate revenue, the agreement allows the Conservancy limited opportunities to fence and partially close sections of Kingsbury Commons for its annual fundraising event.
Who do I contact if I see maintenance issues in the park?
In addition to reporting issues to 311, we encourage you to reach out to Pease Park Conservancy at info@peasepark.org with any feedback or concerns about maintenance of Kingsbury Commons. The Conservancy and the City are in continuous communication about work that needs to be done to maintain this space. For issues in Pease Park outside of Kingsbury Commons, please contact 311 and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Who do I contact in cases of emergency or safety concerns in the park?
Please contact 311 for non-dangerous situations (there is also a 311 app you can use to submit concerns) or call 911 if a dangerous situation arises.
Who do I contact for general information or for events?
Please explore this website to learn about free upcoming programming events or volunteer opportunities in Pease Park. Visit the Reservations page to learn more about reserving a space in Kingsbury Commons for your own event or gathering. For temporary concessions, commercial use, and filming requests within Kingsbury Commons, please contact us at info@peasepark.org. For these concessions, commercial use, and filming requests outside of Kingsbury Commons, please contact the City at reservations@austintexas.gov.