A proposal to shift the Amarillo Zoo to nonprofit management advanced Wednesday, Dec. 3, but the city’s Parks and Recreation Board cautioned that major questions must be resolved before the plan returns to the City Council next month.
Board members heard a condensed version of the presentation made earlier to the council by Stephanie Brady, founder and executive director of the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, who is leading the effort to create a separate nonprofit to operate the zoo. After discussion, the board unanimously voted to recommend continuing negotiations on the draft agreement — not an endorsement, but permission to keep the process moving.
Several board members said the proposal felt like it had reached them late and that they needed more time to examine the five-year business plan, staffing projections and long-term financial model. Parks and Recreation Director Michael Kashuba noted the proposal would go to the council regardless, further contributing to the board’s desire for caution…