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Home My WebLink AboutCity Council Meeting - Council Workshop - Minutes - 02/19/2019 Approved City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes February 19, 2019 Date: February 19, 2019 Time: 5:00 p.m. Place: Chambers I. CALL TO ORDER Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Dennis Higgins Councilmember Present Les Thomas Councilmember Present Bill Boyce Council President Present Dana Ralph Mayor Present Satwinder Kaur Councilmember Present Brenda Fincher Councilmember Present Toni Troutner Councilmember Present Marli Larimer Councilmember Present II. PRESENTATIONS 1. Riverbend Golf Complex Business Update Parks Director, Julie Parascondola advised that this presentation is to update the Council on the progress of the Riverbend Golf Complex Business Plan and that Riverbend Golf Complex Manager, Pete Peterson will give tonight's presentation. Peterson provided a brief history of the golf complex including information on the: 1982 Purchase of the Par 3 Golf Course and Driving Range 1989 18-hole golf course opened 1995 Remodeled the driving range and min-putt course 2000 Parks Department took over the management and day-to-day operation of the complex 2008 Holes 2-9 remodeled to accommodate levee improvements 2016 Riverbend drilled an irrigation well 2017 Completed first 6-year business plan 2018 City sold par 3 golf course property The Riverbend Golf Complex consists of an 18-hole golf course, driving range, lesson center, merchandise center and restaurant/bar. Peterson advised the Riverbend golf complex has a full-time staff with 177 years of experience at Riverbend in addition to 36-part time and seasonal staff. City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes February 19, 2019 Kent, Washington Page 2 of 5 Programs include being the home course for four local high school golf programs, supports and hosts the First Tee of Greater Seattle and the Douglass Youth Development Junior Golf, supports the Washington State Golf Association and Western Washington Chapter of the PGA, home course for Riverbend men's golf club and Riverbend ladies golf association. Riverbend offers lessons and clinics for women only and offers reduced rates for juniors, millennials, seniors and active military. Innovative marketing includes: “Growing the Game” campaign Tee it Forward tees designed for juniors, beginners and shorter hitters Dynamic pricing structure Doppler Deals - November through February reduced rates based on the percent chance of rain Tuesday morning senior men’s league Preferred player cards Season and monthly golf passes Eagle, Double Eagle and Birdie cards Kids play for FREE - Sunday afternoons with a paying adult Millennial Madness - reduced rates for ages 18-35 during non-peak times Riverbend 2018 Key Accomplishments Managed within and exceeded the Business Plan goals Transitioned the sale of the par 3 property and closure of the Par 3 Golf Course Initiated the Tuesday morning Senior Men's League Initiated the Riverbend Growing the Game Campaign Purchased a new fleet of maintenance equipment Installed state of the art ball machine at driving range Installation of a new point of sale system Over 5,500 volunteer marshal hours Over 7,000,000 range balls were hit Over 63,500 rounds of golf were played Riverbend Golf Complex - 2018 Financials: 2018-2023 Business Plan - Riverbend did not show profit until 2019, dependent upon driving range expansion. Met or exceed key business plan financial goals Significant reactive and proactive cost management, dynamic pricing In 2018 the Golf Enterprise Fund wrote off all past bad debt 59% of cash reserve established to help balance fund differential. Peterson reviewed the 5-Year-round history. Riverbend Golf Complex 2019 Work Plan Highlights: City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes February 19, 2019 Kent, Washington Page 3 of 5 30th Anniversary of the 18-hole golf course New restaurant coming this spring New website coming this spring Expansion of the "Growing the Game Campaign" Pro Shop expansion and remodel project at the 18-hole golf course Renovation of the landscaping around the 18-hole golf course clubhouse and parking Replacement on the on-course restrooms at the 18-hole golf course Driving range expansion and remodel project tentatively scheduled to start in the fall Revision and updating the golf complex business plan Councilmembers expressed their appreciation of the work of Parascondola, Peterson, and their staff in developing and implementing the Riverbend Business plan. 2. Traffic Congestion Senior Long-Range Planner, Hayley Bonsteel advised that the goal of tonight’s presentation on traffic congestion is to arm the councilmembers with the knowledge to help them respond to constituents and make sound decisions on this controversial topic. Bonsteel provided a brief history on the building of the interstate system. Bonsteel indicated that traffic congestion is a significant community concern and reviewed myths and truths regarding congestion. Myth: Traffic is caused by too much growth and we can fix it by building wider roads. The way that we grow is what causes traffic, not that we grow. The truth about this myth is “if you build it, they will come.” Traffic = people making choices. People make the choice to take a trip that they wouldn’t have before. It’s called induced demand - You induce people to use something by building it. Bonsteel provided countless examples of roadways built with the intention to ease congestion, and traffic getting worse every time. The true cause of traffic congestion is car- and truck-dependent land use and infrastructure. As people whose role it is to shape the future of our city, we must take a bigger picture viewpoint and see that we are forcing people to drive because of policy decisions about land uses (what’s allowed to be where) and infrastructure (how are different areas connected). How can we use the facilities we have in the best way? City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes February 19, 2019 Kent, Washington Page 4 of 5 Street Capacity - How can we help the greatest number of people go from A to B safely and efficiently? We can increase the capacity of a street if we focus our investments on modes that get people moving through the system more efficiently. Induced demand also means inducing different modal trips. When viadoom was predicted, people were encouraged by the situation, news, press, etc, to shift their habits - and it worked. Maintenance Costs - We can’t afford to continue our car-dependent pattern anymore. Roadway projects come with an overwhelming cost of maintaining the system. It’s fiscally prudent to ask what the costs are of the choices we’ve made. The result of a system where driving is mandatory - costs us all an incredible amount of money, that we simply don’t have anymore. Public transit travel costs are much lower than automobile costs in urban areas. Walking and biking cost a lot of time and inflict virtually no damage on roads and streets, and take up only a tiny fraction of the road space occupied by vehicles. Bonsteel provided examples of costs to human health, time and mental health, the environment and life safety. Bonsteel indicated we need to: · Prioritize bike/pedestrian/transit projects. These are lower cost and come with a higher benefit · Rapid Ride I is coming to the East Hill and this is a real chance to change things for our East Hill residents, particularly since light rail investments are less likely to work for them · Comp Plan and zoning code amendments. Land use decision making. Note the recent opening up of downtown to light, clean manufacturing for Naden and other opportunities. We need jobs, residents, and services to be collocated · Densify on existing roadway infrastructure to capitalize on prior investment · Where we’ve already widened roads and have good facilities, we should focus growth there. New developments can contribute by filling in sidewalk gaps, making it easier to get to transit. This will be easier when we’ve changed our TIF and concurrency management to support Multimodal LOS, which is being analyzed as part of the TMP process · Densify an existing, roadway infrastructure to capitalize on prior investment · Look for redundancies in our system and shift the priorities to better serve different purposes. Examples: Willis/516 and Meeker 228th and Central Avenue Benson/116th/132nd City Council Workshop Workshop Regular Meeting Minutes February 19, 2019 Kent, Washington Page 5 of 5 By prioritizing truck traffic for decades = rational choice given the tax revenues that made the rest of Kent possible The Challenge is that places built for trucks are difficult to also make welcoming for people. Bonsteel indicated that the industrial valley subarea plan is likely to shift emphasis away from truck-heavy (and people-light) warehousing and distribution. This Due to revenue, number of jobs, quality of jobs. What does this need to succeed? Manufacturing = high quality jobs = needs to attract talented workforce = must be welcoming for people. Cool companies want cool people who want to work in cool places with cool lunch options and happy hour spots. We need to start rethinking the roadway space allocated to truck movement and potentially reclaim some of the vast roadway space in the valley for people. So, what do we do about trucks? De-emphasize truck mobility in our infrastructure planning and plan pedestrian and placemaking improvements in the valley. Bonsteel concluded with indicating we need to think about how to “solve” traffic congestion. There is not one silver bullet: many smaller decisions (and some big ones) can start to turn us in a more responsible, sustainable direction. We need to shift our mindset to facilities bike/ped/transit options - many overlapping benefits for the community in the long term. Meeting ended at 6:37 p.m. Kimberley A. Komoto City Clerk RIVERBEND GOLF COMPLEX 2019 West Meeker St r eet | Kent, WA 98032 Riverbendgolfcomplex.com Riverbend Golf Complex History •1982 the City purchased the Par 3 Golf Course and Driving Range from the owner of Colony Park Apartments •1989 (June) the 18 Hole Golf Course opened for play •1995 the City remodeled the Driving Range and Mini-Putt course •2000 the Parks Department took over the management and day to day operation of the Golf Complex •2008 Holes 2 –9 were remodeled to accommodate levee improvements along the Green River •2016 Riverbend drilled a new irrigation well •2017 Riverbend completed its first 6 Year Business Plan (2018-2023) with the help of Pro’s Consulting •2018 the City sold the Par 3 Golf Course property Riverbend Golf Complex Information •The Riverbend Golf Complex consist of an 18 Hole Golf Course, Driving Range, Lesson Center, Merchandise Center and Restaurant/Bar. o The 18 Hole Golf Course features a relatively flat lay out with five different tee locations ranging from 4,435 yards to 6,663 yards and plays to a par of 72 and has 52 bunkers, 3 lakes and a wetland west of the course o The 18 Hole Golf Course is one of the busiest golf courses in the state with over 60,000 rounds annually o The Driving Range features 32 covered and lit stalls for year around practice (goal to expand to 13-14 more by 2020) o The Lesson Center consists of 6 stalls designed for both private and group lessons o The Merchandise Center features a full line of name brand golf equipment, golf apparel, custom club fitting, re-gripping and club repair services o The restaurant area consists of 6,400 square footage, which includes the main dining and bar area, kitchen, the outdoor patio area and the 2,400-square foot outdoor tent for tournaments and events Riverbend Golf Complex Full Time Staff Lloyd Abraham Maintenance Worker III 35 Years at Riverbend Melanie Manning Golf Financial Supervisor 34 Years with the City of Kent 18 Years at Riverbend Pat Sims Golf Complex Mechanic 31 Years with the City of Kent 14 Years at Riverbend 177 Years of Experience at Riverbend in addition to 36 Part Time and Seasonal Staff Eric Hinrichs Head Professional –18 Hole Golf Course 20 Years at Riverbend Josh Immordino Assistant Golf Professional 13 Years at Riverbend Dave Owen Maintenance Field Supervisor 29 Years at Riverbend Pete Petersen Golf Complex Manager 25 Years at Riverbend Marti O’Neill Head Professional –Driving Range/Merchandise Center 23 Years at Riverbend Riverbend Golf Complex Programs •Riverbend supports and is the home course for four local high school golf programs; Kent Meridian, Thomas Jefferson, Mount Rainier and Seattle Christian. •Riverbend supports and hosts the First Tee of Greater Seattle and the Douglass Youth Development junior golf programs •Riverbend staff conducts three Junior Camps annually; two for kids 5-15 and one for high school age players •Riverbend supports the Washington Junior Golf Association and regularly hosts sub-district tournaments •Riverbend supports the Washington State Golf Association and has hosted their Parent and Child tournament •Riverbend supports the Western Washington Chapter of the PGA and annually hosts their Pro-Junior Tournament •Riverbend is the home course for the Riverbend Men’s Golf Club and the Riverbend Ladies Golf Association with a combined membership of over 400 members •Riverbend offers lessons and clinics for women only, such as Lady’s Night Out •Riverbend offers reduced rates for juniors, millennials, seniors and active military Riverbend Golf Complex Innovative Marketing •Riverbend’s “Growing the Game Campaign” designed increase participation •Tee It Forward tees, designed for juniors, beginners and shorter hitters. •Dynamic Pricing structure which offers reduced rates during non-peak times. •Doppler Deals –November through February reduced rates based on the percent chance of rain •Tuesday Morning Senior Men’s League to offset the closure of the Par 3 Golf Course •Preferred Player’s Cards –Reduced rates for regular customers that play often •Season and Monthly golf passes •Eagle, Double Eagle and Birdie cards –Pre paid rounds of golf at a reduced rate •Growing the Game Tee Times –Daily after 6:00 p.m. during the golf season •Kids Play for FREE –Sunday afternoons with a paying adult •Millennial Madness –Reduced rates for ages 18-35 during non-peak times Riverbend Golf Complex 2018 Key Accomplishments •Managed within and exceeded the Business Plan goals •Transitioned the sale of the Par 3 property and closure of the Par 3 golf course •Initiated the Tuesday morning Senior Men’s League which used to the Par 3 Golf Course to offset the closure of the Par 3 golf course •Initiated the Riverbend “Growing the Game Campaign” to increase participation and offset the closure of the Par 3 golf course •Purchased a new fleet of maintenance equipment •Installation of a new state of the art ball machine at the Driving Range •Installation of a new Point of Sale system and hardware at the 18 Hole golf course and Driving Range •Over 5,500 volunteer marshal hours •Over 7,000,000 range balls were hit at the Driving Range •Over 63,500 rounds of golf were played at the 18 Hole Golf Course, making it one of the most played golf courses in the state of Washington Riverbend Golf Complex –2018 Financials 2017 ACTUAL 2018 BUS PLAN 2018 EST ACTUAL VARIANCE REVENUES / SOURCES $2,527,079 $2,572,624 $2,402,097 ($170,527) EXPENSES / USES $2,827,952 $2,712,129 $2,467,669 ($244,460) NET INCOME / (LOSS)($300,873)($139,505)($65,572)$73,933 •2018 -2023 Business Plan did not show profit until 2019, dependent upon driving range expansion. •Met or Exceed key business plan financial goals. •Significant reactive and proactive cost management, dynamic pricing, etc. •In 2018, the Golf Enterprise Fund wrote off all past bad debt –clean slate. •59% of cash reserve established ($207,317) to help balance fund differential. Remaining 41% to come after Phase II of Marquee on Meeker . Riverbend Golf Complex –5 Yr Round History 62,000 64,000 60,032 66,215 64,506 59,546 63,578 56000 58000 60000 62000 64000 66000 68000 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019-Est Business Plan Actual Riverbend Golf Complex 2019 Work Plan Highlights •30th Anniversary of the 18 Hole Golf Course •New restaurant coming this spring to the golf course, Half Lion Public House •New website coming this spring •Expansion of the our “Growing the Game Campaign” •Pro Shop expansion and remodel project at the 18 Hole Golf Course, scheduled to be completed by early spring •Renovation of the landscaping around the 18 Hole Golf Course clubhouse and parking lot •Replacement of the on-course restrooms at the 18 hole golf course •Driving Range expansion and remodel project tentatively scheduled to start in the fall •Revision and updating the Golf Complex Business Plan TRAFFIC CONGESTION COUNCIL WORKSHOP 02/19/2019 SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY CONCERN MYTHS ABOUT TRAFFIC CONGESTION It’s caused by too much growth We can fix it by building wider roads MYTH #1: CAUSED BY TOO MUCH GROWTH MYTH #2: WE CAN FIX IT BY BUILDING WIDER ROADS TRUTH: MYTH #2: WE CAN FIX IT BY BUILDING WIDER ROADS TRUTH: THE TRUE CAUSE OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION Car-and truck-dependent land use and infrastructure STREET CAPACITY How can we help the greatest number of people go from A to B safely and efficiently? SPACE COMPARISON MAINTENANCE COSTS OTHER COSTS Human Health Time and Mental Health Environment Life Safety OTHER COSTS CDC Data Prioritize bike/ped/transit projects Prioritize bike/ped/transit projects Mix land uses to allow for shorter trips Prioritize bike/ped/transit projects Mix land uses to allow for shorter trips Densify on existing roadway infrastructure to capitalize on prior investment Prioritize bike/ped/transit projects Mix land uses to allow for shorter trips Densify on existing roadway infrastructure to capitalize on prior investment Look for redundancies in our system and shift the priorities to better serve different purposes WHAT ABOUT TRUCK TRAFFIC? Prioritizing truck traffic for decades = rational choice given the tax revenues that made the rest of Kent possible THE CHALLENGE Places built for trucks are difficult to also make welcoming for people (E.g., Amazon employees having difficulty walking to work from bus –have requested crossing improvements) NOT TO SCALE ACTIVITY IN THE VALLEY: CHANGING? Industrial valley subarea plan likely to shift emphasis away from truck-heavy (and people- light) warehousing and distribution ACTIVITY IN THE VALLEY: CHANGING? What does this need to succeed? ACTIVITY IN THE VALLEY: CHANGING? Talented people! SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT TRUCKS? De-emphasize truck mobility in our infrastructure planning Plan pedestrian and placemaking improvements in the valley (more to come) CONCLUSION Induced demand: if you build it, they will come Evolution in thinking about how to “solve” traffic congestion Not one silver bullet; many smaller decisions (and some big ones) can start to turn us in a more responsible, sustainable direction Shifting our mindset to facilitate bike/ped/transit options = many overlapping benefits for the community in the long term