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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Parks and Human Services Committee - 10/20/2016Page 1 CITY OF KENT PARKS AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE Summary Minutes of Regular Meeting October 20, 2016 - 5:00 p.m. Kent City Hall Council Chambers East Kent, Washington PRESENT: Committee Chair Brenda Fincher and Councilmembers Dennis Higgins and Tina Budell ABSENT: None 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 5:08 p.m. with Chair Brenda Fincher presiding. 2. Roll Call All Councilmembers were present. 3. Changes to the Agenda Chair B. Fincher indicated there were no changes to the agenda. 4. Minutes, dated September 15, 2016 - Approve D. Higgins moved to approve the minutes dated September 15, 2016. T. Budell seconded. The motion passed unanimously by a vote of 3-0. 5. 2016 Third Quarter Fee-in-lieu Funds – Recommend Interim Co-director Garin Lee reported that, between July and September 2016, the City of Kent received a total of $5,700.00 from developer Ghenadie Tomescue who voluntarily paid $5,700 of fee in lieu funds to mitigate the development of 2 lots for single-family homes at 4418 South 272nd Street. The $5,700.00 will hold in a reserve account for capital improvements at Lake Fenwick Park. Page 2 T. Budell moved to recommend Council accept $5,700 of fee-in-lieu funds, amend the Community Parks Reinvestment Program budget and authorize the future expenditure of these funds for capital improvements at Lake Fenwick Park. D. Higgins seconded. The motion passed unanimously by a vote of 3-0. 6. 2012 First Quarter Fee-in-lieu Funds Reallocation – Recommend G. Lee explained that on March 5, 2013, City Council accepted $8,175.00 of fee-in- lieu funds from Schneider Homes allocated for expenditure at Springwood Park. Since accepting the funds, projects intended for Springwood Park have been delayed and will not resume before the five-year fund expenditure deadline of February 21, 2017. The city must return the funds if they are not used by that date. Planning and design of high priority park improvements are currently underway, including the replacement of the floating dock at Lake Meridian Park, where these funds can still be used to benefit the city. Staff is suggesting that the funds once dedicated to Springwood Park be reallocated to the Lake Meridian Dock Replacement project. D. Higgins moved to recommend Council reallocate $8,175 of fee-in-lieu funds, amend the Community Parks Reinvestment Program budget and the Lake Meridian Dock budget, and authorize the future expenditure of these funds for capital improvements at Lake Meridian Park. T. Budell seconded. The motion passed unanimously by a vote of 3-0. 7. Kent Creates on web sign - INFO ONLY Cultural Programs Manager Ronda Billerbeck explained that Kent Creates is a web platform for artists, musicians, writers, crafters, illustrators, dancers, photographers, filmmakers, hobbyists, poets and other creative individuals to share their work and encouraging Kent residents to BE the artists. This public art project is part of the Kent Arts Commission’s City Art Plan. Website: Kentcreates.com. After several years of work with the consultant, the soft launch began on September 14 and runs through November 30. The Arts Commission will choose the top five winners to receive a $100.00 stipend funded through the City Art Fund. R. Billerbeck showed the committee how to navigate the web site, how to sign up as an artist and multiple ways to read about the artist, including links to the artist's social accounts. The program is open to artists around the world. Forty-three artists' have submitted creative pieces to the site already. After the soft launch is over and technical difficulties are worked out, the hard launch will be scheduled and advertised. Staff is getting very good feedback from the artists and from the community. Page 3 8. Third Quarter Contributions - INFO ONLY M. Hanson spoke to the donations, in-kind, cash, sponsors and small grants received during the months of July, August and September of 2016 that totaled $25,115.00. D. Higgins thanked the contributors for their generosity. 9. South King County Housing Report – INFO ONLY M. Hansen reported that Kent is in a unique partnership with several other South King County cities, nonprofit agencies, King County Housing Authority, Renton Housing Authority and All Home to fund Joy Scott as the South King County Housing Planner. Joy Scott was hired in January to help these jurisdictions in the realm of tracking housing and homelessness issues. J. Scott explained that the planner position became necessary due to a notable increase in proportional poverty and homelessness in South King County. In January 2016, there was 19% increase overall in unsheltered homelessness across King County and a 52% increase in South King County. Along with this increase came the need to increase human services to serve the residents who are experiencing housing insecurity, instability and homelessness. Six cities participate in SKHHP; Auburn, Burien, Renton, SeaTac, Kent and Tukwila as well as a number of other funders such as The Seattle Foundation, United Way, King County and service providers including Catholic Community Services, King County Housing Authority, Multi Service Center and Valley Cities. These cities decided a strong regional voice was needed to remain competitive for funding and other processes. They also felt it was necessary to have a stronger voice at the legislature and with the county, in terms of how the decisions are being made and who is at the table for those decisions. Handouts this meeting is attached and data is provided on the Housing Consortium website: www.housingconsortium.org/SKHHP Housing Data for King County Cities map shows almost half of the population of Kent is cost burdened. That means they pay more than 30% of their income towards housing costs. J. Scott reported that 501 students were identified as homeless and 165 homeless are unsheltered. (map attached) The Homeless Action Committee meet regularly to collaboratively implement the strategies set out in the SKC Response to Homelessness. The Joint Planners and Developers Workgroup meets bimonthly to work on a more coordinated regional response across cities to housing development and policies impacting safe and healthy housing. Scott presented goals and priorities for 2016; maintain and improve healthy affordable housing, increase funding for affordable housing, address barriers to housing development, provide emergency homeless services, build public awareness Page 4 and address housing and homeless needs, and improve awareness and connections between housing and other key issues. South King County Cities is working on the following on collaborations involving regional meetings on poverty, workforce development service coordination, siting of facilities and gap analysis of homeless services. As well as opportunities including; rental licensing and inspection programs, source of income discrimination protections, tenant relocation assistance, and Comprehensive Plan implementation. For more information, contact: Joy Scott, South King County Housing Planner for South King Housing and Homelessness Partnership / joy@hoiusingconsortium.org / 425-430-6651. D. Higgins thanked Joy for her presentation and asked about services for immigrants with rental problems. J. Scott said there are local agencies that provide assistance language barriers and rental discrimination. M. Hanson said her staff is working on the immigrant affordable housing issue. D. Higgins felt that the sponsoring organizations should continue their support longer than they do for better impact. M. Hanson said some organizations do a better job than others do. T. Budell shared the challenges immigrants face with credit checks and background checks for jobs and renting because they just entered this country and have no history here. M. Hanson talked about the short term and high cost of resettlement and rentals: often leaving many immigrants homeless. M. Hanson is the council's contact for any human service issue. Committee members shared ideas on education and jobs for the homeless. Human Services Planner Lori Guilfoye can provide an update to the committee. The committee voiced their appreciation for Joy Scott's assistance with housing and homelessness in the community. 10. Director’s Report • The 30th Annual Holiday Bizarre is November 4 and 5 at the Senior Center. • The Third Annual Thanksgiving Dinner is at the Community Center at Phoenix Academy on November 18 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Donations for food and clothing are welcome. • Human Services has notified nonprofit agencies of the 2017 and 2018 funding. A parallel Human Services application process is currently underway with other cities and a match of $50,000 from the Seattle Foundation for the first year. The funding conditions are geared toward small, grass roots organizations unsuccessful in receiving the city's mainstream funding. These organizations provide services for the underserved populations; the disabled, Page 5 LGBT, immigrants, and refugees. This is a pilot program to collect data and see how the city can better support those organizations. Letters of Interest are due by October 26 at 4 p.m. Application can be found on the city's web site. • This Saturday is Green Kent Day at Morrill Meadows from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. There is a Green Kent volunteer event for plants at Park Orchard Park to nurture and preserve the plants, as well as remove invasives. The city truly appreciates the volunteers. More information at: KentWA.gov. • The first round of interviews for the Parks Director start Friday, October 28 with six candidates. Public Comment: Kent resident Bill Doolittle suggested changing the name of Pine Tree Park to Pine Tree Woods because the site it is not accessible. In order to reach the site, a person has to trespass on private property, so it's not really a park. 11. Adjournment Committee Chair Fincher adjourned the meeting at 6:16 p.m. Teri Petrole Teri Petrole Parks and Human Services Committee Secretary