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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Parks and Human Services - 04/19/2007 City of Kent Parks and Human Services Committee Meeting Minutes April 19, 2007 Call to Order: Debbie Ranniger called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. Council Present: Chair Debbie Ranniger, Debbie Raplee, Ron Harmon sitting in for Bob O’Brien Debbie Ranniger inquired as to whether there were any changes or additions to the agenda. There were none. Item #1: Minutes of March 15, 2007 – Approve Motion: Debbie Raplee moved to approve the minutes of March 15, 2007. Ron Harmon seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Item #2: Proposed King County Parks Levy – Informational Mayor Suzette Cooke presented a summary sheet from King County Executive Ron Sims regarding a parks levy recommendation. There are two companion levies being placed on the August 21, 2007 primary ballot: five cents for King County Parks preservation, restoration and renewal of the existing levy and five cents for an expansion levy. Mayor Cooke also shared that Suburban Cities Association took a position on the two levies last Wednesday. They voted to support the continuation of the existing levy for maintenance of regional parks and trails, but voted to oppose the expansion levy. The reason for their opposition is that King County initially indicated it would look for alternative ways to fund maintenance of its existing facilities and while some changes have been made in how dollars are generated, the need to renew the existing levy indicates that the County has not yet achieved that goal. If it is unable to adequately care for parks currently in its possession, the County will be unable to care for any new parks it hopes to purchase. Debbie Ranniger expressed her concurrence with that opinion and reminded the Committee that four years ago King County offloaded a swimming pool to the City of Kent due to its inability to afford the maintenance. Ron Harmon also concurred with this opinion and advised that recently, various cities have annexed areas of King County, to include the parks within those areas. These cities are now responsible for maintaining those parks as well and are therefore assuming more of the responsibility that previously was held by the County. Committee member, Debbie Raplee, also agreed with these concerns and inquired as to the method by which King County manages its parks, whether exclusively through levies, or whether there is a parks budget that is used in addition to levies. Mayor Cooke responded with her understanding that King County does have a very small budget that maintains a core group of staff, but that most of its costs for maintenance come through levies and a few other revenue generators, such as the ability of private enterprise to purchase advertising within the parks and/or concession sales. While the County has been quite successful in obtaining revenue from these additional sources, it is not able to maintain the level necessary for maintenance without the support of a levy. Due to the informative nature of this agenda item, Council Chair, Debbie Ranniger, inquired as to whether or not Suburban Cities Association expected the Committee to take a position and forward this to City Council for a vote. Mayor Cooke indicated that Suburban Cities Association has already taken a vote and that it would be beneficial to the King County Council if the City of Kent were to take a position. Debbie Raplee decided a motion was in order and Ron Harmon concurred that it should be forwarded on to Council for resolution. Motion: Debbie Raplee moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to adopt a resolution to be presented to King County in support of the five cent maintenance levy for King County Parks, and in opposition of the expansion levy. Ron Harmon seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Item #3: Sole Source Purchase with Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. - Authorize Pete Petersen, Superintendent and General Manager of Riverbend Golf Course shared with the Committee the need for Riverbend to lease 24 additional golf carts. Currently, the golf course has 50 golf carts. During the busy season, or when tournament groups are present, additional carts have to be rented from outside vendors. In the past, NW Yamaha has been able to rent carts at the rate of $25/day; however, they have a very limited fleet so scheduling those carts can be problematic. An additional source used in the past was Scott Alexander; however, he has had to raise his rates from $35/day to $42/day. If Riverbend enters into a lease agreement similar to the one it currently has it will be able to acquire golf carts for 12 months for approximately $17,758/year. That would also allow the golf course to earn extra revenue during busy times. For example, currently if there is a tournament scheduled for 11:00 that requires 40 carts, those carts must be set aside, preventing customers that play prior to 11:00 from renting carts, therefore causing a loss of revenue. Additionally, when carts are rented from an outside vendor, those costs are passed directly to the tournament groups. At $42 per cart Riverbend has been priced us out of some of the tournaments. Based on the last two years, Riverbend currently has budgeted $13,160 for outside cart rentals for this year. Due to the number of tournaments already booked (32 firm dates, 7 pending) the golf course is anticipating almost double that amount. Originally, when approaching Parks Director, Jeff Watling, Riverbend was looking at leasing carts for a five month period at approximately $18,000. NW Yamaha indicated that it would be better to get 24 more carts for a 48 month period because overall the cost would be lower. Councilmember Ron Harmon inquired as to whether or not there was an option to buy at the end of the lease? Pete Petersen responded that typically the golf course goes with an operating lease due to the amount of usage the carts get. Debbie Raplee inquired as to who performs the maintenance if carts are leased? Pete indicated that the carts are covered under warranty for the first two years; however, the golf course typically does the maintenance as maintenance costs are pretty low. Motion: Ron Harmon moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign the four-year agreement with Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. in the amount of $71,032.32 for the lease of 24 golf cars, upon approval by the City Attorney. Debbie Raplee seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Item #4: Riverview Park Art Proposal Agreement - Authorize Cheryl dos Remedios, Visual Arts Coordinator, presented the Committee with a contract between the City of Kent and artists Judith and Daniel Caldwell, on which contract the Mayor’s signature is requested. The contract proposal has already been approved both by a review panel which included Council President, Debbie Ranniger as well as Arts Commissioner Linda Denny, two design professionals and the project manager on this particular park. This project is also part of the 2007 5-year City Art Plan. There are several things that both the selection committee and the Arts Commission appreciated about this artists’ design. First is its link to Riverview Park. The artwork will be bronze inlays in the paving area at the park and each of the bronze inlays will show a bug bubble, depicting the water quality within the Green River. Therefore, it is about the Green River habitat, the salmon and the specific location of Riverview Park and its access to the River. Second, the educational component is appreciated. There exists a huge potential for the Arts Commission to partner with the Kent School District in that this type of bronze artwork is great for having younger students do rubbings of the artwork. Also, as indicated previously, the images depicted relate to the water quality and whether or not a bug is able to live or die when dropped into the water, which includes a scientific element as well. Third, is the high quality of craftsmanship involved. Judith and Daniel Caldwell have spent years developing the ability to make each one of these bronze inlays unique, so instead of a manufacturing process where you get forty of the same item, each of their inlays is unique and displays the diversity in the art. Debbie Ranniger added that the bronze bubbles being inlayed will also be in clusters around the picnic area and then scattered along the pathway leading down toward the river. This brings some movement to the bubbles so that children on a field trip can explore and discover them and also do rubbings, while learning about the different bugs and habitats. Ron Harmon inquired as to whether or not these types of bronze castings will hold up well under foot traffic. Cheryl dos Remedios explained that they hold up extremely well. The Caldwells have done installations of this type nationally and one of their locations happens to be at SeaTac airport. There is a concourse at the airport wherein a variety of bronze fish are inlayed into the floor and of course, that is a very heavily trafficked area. Ron Harmon commented that he has had an opportunity to follow those down the concourse and they have indeed held up well. Cheryl also added that the Caldwell’s studio is local and that they do their own fabrication which allows the quality of the design to pass all the way through the project. Motion: Debbie Raplee moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign the agreement with Judith and Daniel Caldwell for the Riverview Park Art Proposal in the amount of $27,000.00, upon approval by the City Attorney. Ron Harmon seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Item #5 Kent Aquatic & Recreation Facility Contract Amendment - Approve: Lori Hogan, Recreation Superintendent, shared her excitement about the proposed Kent Aquatic & Recreation Facility. She noted that the City of Kent currently has a contract with Barker Rinker Seacat to begin the design process for this facility and to move forward with public input in the hopes that the public will become engaged and supportive, hopefully leading to our own aquatic center within a couple of years. In the process of doing the work, it has become obvious that two items need to be added to the existing contract. Kent Parks & Recreation is asking approval to amend the contract to allow for some site survey work to be done by Dowl Engineering and to provide for a 2,000 person mail survey to be completed by Leisure Vision. This survey will allow the public to provide feedback on the proposed facility and this particular amendment to the contract will fund those two items. Debbie Ranniger advised that this is not part of any King County levy and that the City of Kent will be going out with its own bond issue some time in 2008, at which time the public will have an opportunity to vote. The survey is critical in polling the public to ascertain what things they most want in an aquatics recreation facility and to ensure that we will meet those needs when planning programmatic elements. Ron Harmon inquired as to how many people would be surveyed. Lori Hogan indicated that the survey would be mailed to 2,000 homes, disbursed evenly throughout Kent’s West Hill, Valley and East Hill. In order for the survey to be statistically valid, Leisure Vision needs a return of 400. If there are less than 400 returned, the consultant will follow up with telephone calls. Debbie Raplee informed citizens that there will be a public meeting next Wed at 6:00 at Senior Center. Residents are encouraged to come. Motion: Ron Harmon moved to recommend approving the Kent Aquatic & Recreation Facility contract amendment, upon approval by the City Attorney. Debbie Raplee seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Item #6: 2007 First Quarter Fee-in-Lieu Funds - Accept and Amend Budget Lori Flemm, Superintendent of Parks & Open Space informed the Committee that between January and March 2007, the City of Kent received a total of $224,257.50 from seven developers who paid a fee in lieu of dedicating open space within their single family subdivisions. Ordinance 2975 requires developers to either dedicate 5% of land within the subdivision for open space or pay a fee to the City in lieu of dedicating that open space. Those fees are used on projects identified within the City’s 5-year capital facilities program to either acquire land or to increase the development of existing park land that may be undeveloped. Fees received this quarter were as follows: • Seven Oaks Park Budget: $15,750.00 for Highlands Estate South development • Seven Oaks Park Budget: $21,000.00 for Mulder development • Service Club Park Budget: $51,765.00 for Park View development • East Hill Skate Park Budget: $82,275.00 for Pfaff development • Wilson Playfields Budget: $16,875.00 for Bishop’s Landing development • Turnkey Park Budget: $30,450.00 for Murray development • Tudor Square Park Budget: $6,142.50 for Hutchinson Landing development Motion: Debbie Raplee Moved to recommend accepting $224,257.50 in fee- in-lieu funds for the first quarter of 2007, and authorizing the expenditure of funds in the Seven Oaks Park, Service Club Park, East Hill Skate Park, Wilson Playfields, Turnkey Park and Tudor Square Park budgets. Ron Harmon seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Item #7: Amended Street Tree List -Approve Certified arborists in the City of Kent Street Tree Program are recommending that The Approved Street Tree List be amended to include trees that will thrive in City “rain gardens” and bio-swales. The City of Kent is currently encouraging subdivisions to look at alternative treatment and storm drainage retention measures and bioswales are one option that the city is promoting and encouraging developers to use. Because these areas hold water for percolation into the grounds, the City is asking that trees that will thrive under wet conditions be included. Every five years, City staff review the Approved Street Tree list for trees that are posing problems to the infrastructure, attracting pests and/or are prone to disease and propose revisions for Council’s consideration. There are seven new trees that are proposed for this list. 1. Gray Birch – this is proposed for planting under power lines and grows no higher than 30 feet tall with a width of about 25 feet. 2. Cockspur Hawthorn – this tree has very nice spring flowers and great berries in the fall. It is proposed for planting under power lines and gets to a height of 25 feet with a spread of 25 feet. 3. Sweet Bay Magnolia – this tree is also proposed for under power lines. It only gets to a height of about 20 feet but has a beautiful fragrant white flower in spring. It is typically more spreading and rounded than the other two species. 4. Black Tupelo – this tree has a beautiful red fall color and can be used in situations where no power lines or overhead utility lines exist. 5. Freeman Maple – this tree is more of a rusty red color and gets to be about 40 feet tall with a spread of 30 feet. 6. “Patmore” Green Ash – this tree gets to a height of approximately 60’ in ideal conditions, but will most often reach 40’ -50’ with a spread of 40’. 7. Bald Cypress – this is an evergreen that drops its needles. It thrives in wet conditions and reaches a height of 60’ In addition to the seven new trees proposed, there were some trees already on the existing list which will also thrive in bioswale conditions: the Washington Hawthorn and the American Hornbeam for underneath power lines, and the Armstrong Maple and the American Hophornbeam for areas where power lines do not exist. The last time the street tree list was amended was May 19, 2004. Debbie Ranniger commented that having been a former nursery owner, one of the challenges faced was having communities pick trees that were not readily available and put them on their street tree list. She inquired as to whether or not there was research done prior to choosing these trees to determine their relative availability on the market and whether there has been or will be an effort made to communicate with nurseries in the area about these trees. Lori Flemm responded that the arborists did contact several wholesale nurseries in the area to see if these trees were available and to determine what their stock looked like in the future. Currently these species are readily available; however, it is a concern that as more communities have bioswales within their planner strips, unless nurseries start planning for these trees, they may not be as available as they are today. Once this list is approved, several nurseries have requested it be forwarded to them so that they can keep up with the demand. Motion: Ron Harmon moved to recommend approving the amended Street Tree list. Debbie Raplee seconded and the motion carried 3-0. Lori Flemm also shared that once the list is approved, pictures are placed into notebooks located at the Permit Center counter, the Public Works counter, and the Planning counter, so that as developers come in, they are able to see what trees are on the list, look at the pictures and determine what they’d like in their development. Item #8: Clark Lake Park Wetland Mitigation and Enhancement - Informational Clark Lake Park is located on the East Hill of Kent. The Public Works Department, Environmental Engineering Section is planning to replace a culvert along the upper Meridian Valley Creek at SE 234th Street. As a result of this project there is going to be an unavoidable wetland impact of 94 sq. feet. It’s a very small wetland but still needs to be mitigated for. The Public Works Department has determined that on-site mitigation at the culvert replacement site is not effective, so they are proposing that they mitigate for the wetland in Clark Lake Park. It is in the same drainage basin as their project and is consistent with the master plan that shows wetland enhancement of an existing wetland on the Clark Lake Park site. Therefore, what Public Works is proposing to do is create 400 sq. ft. of wetland and 200 sq. feet of wetland enhancement in an area northwest of Clark Lake and adjacent to the an existing small wetland. The proposed construction schedule would be grading in August 2007 with planting and project completion in October 2007. The Master plan for Clark Lake Park was adopted by the City Council on November 2, 2004. Debbie Ranniger inquired as to whether or not plant material has been selected for use with this project. Lori Flemm indicated that plants have not yet been selected, but only native plants will be used. Debbie Ranniger also asked if the planting in the fall would be a potential Scout or volunteer project. Lori stated that Parks will have a Releaf at Clark Lake Park the second Saturday in October and will be working on the outfall stream once again this year, so it may be that both projects could be completed at the same time. The split rail fence currently located in the park was an Eagle Scout project a few years ago, so it is possible that an Eagle Scout may want to adopt the planting portion of the project. Item #9: Lake Fenwick Park Frisbee Golf Course Expansion - Informational Lake Fenwick Park is located on the West Hill of Kent. In 1999 citizens contacted the Parks Department and proposed construction of a disc golf course. The project was approved and from 1999-2000 volunteers, including members of the Lake Fenwick Disc Golf Association and Boy Scouts cleared and constructed the course, raised funds for materials and baskets, made and installed signs, and planted native trees and shrubs. Lake Fenwick Disc Golf Association adopted the Frisbee golf course and performs the majority of the maintenance including litter pick-up and the addition of gravel to tee boxes. This was an area of the park that saw a lot of misuse over the years and with the installation of the Frisbee golf course a lot of that misuse has disappeared. Lake Fenwick Disc Golf Association has now proposed an expansion of the course, adding new holes and reconfiguring existing holes to obtain a full 18 hole course. Staff has reviewed the layout in the park and supports the proposed layout. There will be no impacts to trees or slopes and the course expansion will lie within the same footprint as the current course. The proposed construction schedule is to start in May 2007 with completion in 2008. Debbie Ranniger inquired as to what exactly Frisbee golf is and how it is played? Lori Flemm explained that there is a wire basket that stands about 4 feet tall. Players throw their disc and attempt to make it into the basket. Just like regular golf, there are different weights and sizes of discs like drivers, irons and putters. Debbie Raplee inquired as to whether or not the course is a par course? Lori indicated that there is a par for each course, and each hole is marked thanks for the work of an Eagle Scout who made the signs. She also shared that there is a player in Kent that is nationally ranked and travels the country playing in tournaments. Item #10: Parks & Open Space Street Tree Program Presentation - Informational Superintendent, Lori Flemm, highlighted the Parks & Open Space Street Tree program in light of Arbor Day, a nationally recognized event which occurred last week. Both Mayor Cooke and Council Chair Debbie Ranniger were present at Arbor Day festivities to receive the fifth annual Tree City USA award. Street trees are defined as any tree located within the right of way. Currently, the Parks Department has 4,690 street trees. The street tree fee-in-lieu program is program wherein the City works with developers of commercial areas as well as subdivisions, but primarily with single family subdivisions. These developers can pay $500 and refrain from putting in street trees at the time the subdivision is developed. After all of the homes have been built out, the City will come in and plant the trees. This prevents anything unhealthy from happening to the trees during construction such as trucks backing into trees, or something else knocking them down. Therefore, the developer pays the City, and the City subsequently plants the trees and waters them for three years. That is one of the reasons the program is so attractive to developers, because it is difficult for them to get around and water these trees for three years. Out of those fee-in-lieu funds, the City hires seasonal staff (4 month staff) to spend their entire eight hour day all summer long traveling throughout the City and watering the street trees. In areas where developers have not cared for the trees, the City has come in and replaced them. The City has also partnered with businesses. Whenever there is a new development proposed from a business, the City arborists will review the landscape plans to determine if trees located behind the sidewalk line are compatible with their proposed landscaping. Another partnership that has been successful with businesses is when there are problem street trees, the City will come in, cut down the tree, the business will pay for a replacement tree and the City does the rest -- removes the tree, grinds the stump, replants the tree and then waters it for three years. One of the problems the City has had with its street trees that it is currently trying to correct is the situation where trees live in narrow areas, there is not enough room for roots to grow and the roots subsequently heave parking lots and sidewalks. There is a sidewalk replacement program in conjunction with Public Works wherein they grind the sidewalk to avoid any tripping hazards and then Parks & Open Space systematically replaces all the street trees. Another issue is that of topping trees when they are underneath overhead utility lines. The Parks Department works with Puget Sound Energy to systematically replace problem trees with trees that do not grow above a height of 25-30 feet. The City also works with businesses to ensure that trees do not block visibility of their signs. Also, trees are pruned on a regular basis to maintain vertical clearance enabling vehicles to drive underneath trees without breaking the limbs. Part of the City’s Street Tree program also has some educational elements. Since 2000 a program has existed wherein the City of Kent works with the Kent School District, private schools and home school students, having children pot native trees or shrubs, care for them for several months, monitor and chart their growth and subsequently learn about the value of native plants. The City also has an urban forestry program. Each year an urban forester is hired to evaluate all of the trees within one of our parks. This individual will look for hazard trees, diversity of species, diversity of age and then determine if there are any trees that are planted too close together. If so, the forest is thinned out and trees are replanted to ensure a diversity of species. This has been done in Salt Air Vista Park, Morrill Meadows Park, Glenn Nelson Park and Clark Lake Park and this year it is being done in West Fenwick Park. West Fenwick was selected due to the number of trees that came down during the December windstorm. As mentioned previously, the City of Kent did receive the Tree City USA award for the fifth year in a row and that award was presented this past Saturday at the Arbor Day celebration at West Fenwick Park. The area was cleared and 88 volunteers came out to help lay down donated cardboard, plant over 200 trees and shrubs and spread wood chips. These wood chips were a product of the Boy Scouts Christmas tree recycling event that is held each year. Debbie Ranniger inquired as to the reason for the use of cardboard. Lori Flemm explained that the cardboard is used to keep any weeds in the ground from coming up and to prevent seeds that blow into chips to take root. The City has found that newspaper as well as cardboard is effective at curbing weed growth and can last up to seven years. Workers have even discovered newspapers that have been on the ground for 3 years that were still legible. Residents are encouraged to try this in their own yards. Debbie Ranniger also inquired about whether or not there were any toxins in newspapers or cardboard that could potentially have a negative impact on soil or plants. Lori Flemm indicated that most newspapers in area have gone to soy-based ink products which are not harmful to plants or soil. Ron Harmon expressed his appreciation for the tip on controlling weeds. Item #11: Monthly What's Happening in Parks - Informational Lori Hogan, Recreation Superintendent shared the following upcoming events: • Saturday, April 21 is the Fishing, Tackle and Equipment Swap Sale at Senior Center from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. • The Willis Street Gateway Dedication (the big corn) will be dedicated on Tuesday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. • There will be a public meeting for the Kent Aquatic and Recreation Center on April 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Senior Center. Residents are encouraged to attend. • Service Club Ballfields and art dedication will be held on Saturday May 5, in conjunction with the youth baseball jamboree. Approximately 100 teams of youth age baseball players from the Kent Parks baseball program will be playing and formal dedication activities will begin at 12 noon. • Cinco de Mayo is Saturday May 5; however, the public celebration being put together by Bustos Media, Le Grande Radio and Club Latino is slated for Sunday, May 6, from 12 noon to 7:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Park & Ride between Smith and James. There will be plenty of entertainment, food and crafts and residents are encouraged to participate. • Three Friends Fishing Hole Park & Artwork will be dedicated on Tuesday May 8 starting at 3:30 p.m. That park is located on South 196th and 58th place. • The Junior Olympics Elementary Track Program in conjunction with the Kent School District (27 out of 29 elementary schools are participating) will be held Saturday, May 12 at the Wilson Playfields with dual meets occurring at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Approximately 2,000 kids are scheduled to participate. • May 12 is the Earth Day Event at the Old Fishing Hole. Earth day is actually this Saturday, April 21 and while there are several volunteer events occurring this weekend, the annual Earth Day event is held at the Old Fishing hole in May. Historically this event is held the Saturday prior to the Fishing Experience so that individuals can participate in cleanup and prepare for the park for the 250-300 children who participate • The Fishing Experience will be held Saturday May 19, from 7:30 am - 12:30 pm. Kent Parks & Recreation partners with the Rotary Club and Trout Unlimited to ensure the success of this event. The pond is stocked in advanced so children are almost certain to catch something. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn to fish with great volunteers assisting. Anyone wishing to participate is encouraged to register so that we are sure to have enough equipment and volunteers. Debbie Ranniger inquired as to how many typically attend this event? Lori Hogan responded that the event usually tops out at approximately 300 children; however, “day of” registrations are taken if there are cancellations. Ron Harmon commended Trout Unlimited for the marvelous job that it does every year. As a member of Rotary, Ron indicated that the Rotary volunteers are typically used as fishing guides, pointing the children to the fish and helping them cast. However, when there are problems with reels or fishing line, children simply get another pole and the Trout Unlimited folks are the ones that fix the problem poles, ensuring that there is always enough equipment to go around. • Dedication of the East Hill Skate Park is scheduled for June 9 at 10:00 a.m.. More information about that dedication will be shared at the May Parks Committee meeting. Debbie Ranniger inquired regarding information she received from the Kiwanis Club regarding a planting this Saturday at East Hill Skate Park. Lori Flemm shared that there are three events scheduled for this Saturday, each in a different area of the City: 1. A church group will be working with Kent Parks at Lake Fenwick Park celebrating Earth Day; 2. Boeing employees will be working along the Green River Trail, specifically at the Boeing rock site; and 3. A multitude of community groups, including service clubs, high school clubs and some Scout groups will be planting trees and shrubs at East Hill Skate Park. All of these events will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until noon or until everything is planted and cleaned up. Lori Hogan shared that these events are listed on the City’s website and in the quarterly brochure, or if residents would like additional information they can call Kent Parks at 253-856-5050. Lori Hogan closed by thanking City Council, and in particular the Parks Committee, for the leadership received in conjunction with the service clubs in creating Service Club Ballfields. It is a beautiful site and has been open and in play for the last few weeks. This past weekend it was the host site for tournaments for 20 different kids’ teams and is already being heavily used by residents. The formal kickoff will come in early May. The meeting was adjourned at 6:10. Respectfully submitted, Debbie Kennedy Debbie Kennedy Secretary, Parks and Human Services Committee