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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Parks and Human Services - 02/17/2011 City of Kent Parks and Human Services Committee Meeting Minutes of February 17, 2011 Council Present: Dennis Higgins, Elizabeth Albertson, Les Thomas sat in for Debbie Ranniger. Dennis Higgins chaired the meeting. Call to Order: Dennis Higgins called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m. 1. Minutes of January 20, 2011 - Approve Les Thomas moved to approve the minutes of January 20, 2010. Elizabeth Albertson seconded. The motion passed 3-0. 2. 2010 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report - Approve Dinah Wilson reported that the 2010 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the City of Kent, Washington is an annual report required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on the City’s activities and accomplishments using the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other funds. In 2010, HUD allocated $848,557 in CDBG funds to the City. An additional $821,869 in funds allocated from the City’s General Fund budget was used in conjunction with CDBG funds to provide for a wide range of human services and affordable housing needs. The CAPER includes information on how CDBG funds were used to further the goals and strategies of the Consolidated Plan, what the outcomes were, as well as other activities executed by the City. Elizabeth Albertson spoke of the Mobile Medical van and the Mobile Dental van that provide services throughout the community. Dennis Higgins complimented the thoroughness of the report and a joy to learn what we do with the CDBG funds. He remarked on the current threat to these funds and made a personal plea that these are important funds that are well used by the city and hopes that Congress sees fit to continue these programs. Jeff Watling shared that Mayor Cooke forwarded on to our Federal delegates a letter that was composed by staff that speaks to the investments we have made to the community with these funds. Elizabeth Albertson moved to recommend approving the 2010 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report and authorizing the Mayor to submit the report to the Department of 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 1 Housing and Urban Development. Les Thomas seconded. The motion passed 3-0. 3. 2011 City Art Plan and Five Year Plan - Approve Cheryl dos Remedios explained details of the City Art Plan projects for 2011 and art expenditures planned for 2011-2015, as part of the 5 year plan. The Visual Arts Committee worked with staff to craft the plan which was approved by Kent Arts Commission on November 30, 2010. Cheryl explained that, as outlined in the Art Plan, most of the funding is dedicated towards bringing more public awareness to the public art we currently have. The City was fortunate to receive two grants related to Earthworks that will support numerous projects on the list from last year related to projects that enhance programs to be completed this year. In addition, some planning around park improvement projects is being done. Cheryl detailed the new projects in the City Art Plan: Earthworks Greenway Art Plan. Parks Planning is leading a Master Plan project for the Earthworks Greenway. A Planning Artist would be hired to participate in the Design Team process, identifying opportunities for landscape oriented artwork interventions. Staff agree that integrating art into the greenway was a high priority of future storm water and recreational planning. A focus of the artist’s work will be the relationship between the park and connections to the surrounding community. Cheryl clarified that the money will be used to integrate how artwork would be integrated into the park through a collaborative spirit that was brought to the park initially. Jeff shared that the Earthworks Master Plan was identified in the 2011 budget and the goal is to open up the campus and 1 1/2 mile long greenway and connect East Hill with downtown. The Request for Proposals for will go out in March, with selection by the end of March. Earthworks Bicycle Tour Artwork. Parks Cultural Division is leading a cultural tourism project that provides bicycle access to the Green River Earthworks. Multiple, small-scale sculptures and/or other artistic expressions will be located at key points along the bicycle route to increase public use and help with way-finding. In 2010, the Kent Cultural Division received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to create a bicycle tour that connects four properties that stretch from Tukwila and Renton to show a regional approach. With the closing of the Green River Trail for bicyclists for the next 4-5 years, this tour 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 2 offers an alternative, destination-based route and encourages cultural tourism and highlight these artistic solutions to storm water management. Jeff added that these four sites stretch from Tukwila to Renton to encourage bicycle use. This represents connectivity throughout the valley, along with way-finding stations through downtown. Elizabeth Albertson pointed out the link to the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant the City is using to encourage health, fitness and better connectivity within the City. Panther Lake Fiber Art Program. Fiber arts (fabric, beadwork, knitting) are practiced and appreciated across diverse cultures. This project would create a partnership between community artists and a professional textile artist with the intent of validating artistic traditions and creating entrepreneurial opportunities. With the annexation of Panther Lake, Kent is now home to the three largest King County Housing Projects. This project would take place at Cascade, which has a large immigrant population. The goal would be to bring people together from differing backgrounds in a partnership between the Cultural Division and Housing & Human Services Division. Park Orchard Art Plan. Parks Planning is leading a Master Plan project for Park Orchard Park. A Planning Artist would be hired to participate in the Design Team process, identifying opportunities to connect Park Orchard Elementary to the park. Artist Designed Interpretive Signage. Many of our parks have historic significance, including Van Doren’s and Lake Meridian and this project would inform the community of Kent’s past. Additionally, much of the City Art collection is unmarked. Working with local historians, an artist would be hired to research locations; create a “look and feel” for historic and public art signage; fabricate and install the first phase of signage projects. Youth Training Artwork. Artwork fabricated and installed by Kent youth. Youth to work with professional teaching artist and potentially a local artisan. In 2009, the King County Youth Training program partnered with the Kent Resource Center and Kent Arts Commission to create murals on the East Hill and at Glenn Nelson Park, led by teaching artist Louis Chinn. The program was repeated at Kent Meridian High School in 2010. We plan to repeat this project at a new location in 2011. Portable Collection Purchases. Purchase quality artworks from area artists that enhance the value of the City Portable Art collection. The artworks are exhibited in publicly accessible areas of City facilities. 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 3 Collection Maintenance and Programming. Projects in-progress include outdoor sculpture maintenance and collection repair. This fund may be used for maintaining and providing programming for existing artworks. Community Park Reinvestment Program. The Parks Master Plan is focused on rehabilitation and reinvestment in aging parks. This funding would be available to create “place making” amenities at parks. The amount of $30,700 was previously designated for Clark Lake Park. Development has slowed for a variety of reasons, so the amount is being made available to other parks such as Tudor Square and Seven Oaks as redevelopment moves forward in 2011 and 2012. Earthworks Interpretive & Public Access Program. Provide audio podcasts; provide interpretive signage onsite; provide activities and programs during the National Endowment for the Arts inaugural bike ride. Cheryl commented that Tudor square and Seven Oaks Parks projects are part of the park reinvestment effort to restore aging parks. Funds from projects slowed at Clark Lake Park. Staff is looking at public outreach in both parks. The dollar amounts don’t appear on the original plan, but are listed under previously approved projects in 2010. Les Thomas asked about the Danny Pierce mural that is gone from the building bordering Kent Kherson Park. Cheryl explained that the building is privately owned and the owners didn’t want to pay to refurbish the mural. Staff have been working with the community leaders who are restoring Danny Pierce murals. They are hoping to continue this work and will keep that wall in mind. The new murals are portable. Dennis Higgins added that the city passed an Ordinance in 1985, for a $2 per capital tax to allocate towards the arts. Les Thomas moved to recommend Council approve the 2011 City Art Plan and Five Year Plan. Elizabeth Albertson seconded. The motion passed 3-0. 4. Communities Putting Prevention to Work Grant Budget Amendment - Authorize Jeff Watling reminded the Committee of the $180,000 grant awarded to Kent by the Seattle/King County Health Department under the Community Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant program. Grant funds are designated to complete bicycle pedestrian connectivity planning, analyze options to increase access to healthy food, and implement nutritional standards within City facilities. This amendment reallocates funds that were not used in 2010 and 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 4 carries them over to use in 2011 & 2012. A large public advisory committee will be created to engage the public in this endeavor. Staff is in the process of developing the application process. An information meeting will be scheduled for early March with meetings beginning in April. A public outreach will be created and hosted by the advisory committee and City staff. An internal working group has been created, consisting of staff from Parks, Public Works and Planning. The success of this program is going to be creating a vision of what connectivity looks like, as well as creating some new internal relationships and processes as we integrate that connectivity. Dennis Higgins spoke of the awareness already in the biking community and the interest a citizen shared with him wanting to participate on the advisory committee. Elizabeth Albertson referenced the provision for encouraging more community gardens, access to gardens, and healthy eating habits and those are items discussed at the Council’s two day work sessions in February. Elizabeth Albertson moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign the Budget Amendment to the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Grant Agreement and approve the expenditure of the funds in accordance with the grant agreement. Les Thomas seconded. The motion passed 3-0. 5. 2011 King County ASA Umpires Association Agreement - Authorize Lori Hogan explained that participating teams in the Adult Softball Program annually select their preferred umpires association to provide umpire coverage for league play. Each year up to 180 teams will play in league games covered by the King County ASA Umpires Association. As a result, the 2011 contract will likely exceed $25,000.00 and requires Council approval. All costs for this program are covered by participant fees. Les Thomas moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign the King County ASA Umpires Association Agreement for the 2011 season. Elizabeth Albertson seconded. The motion passed 3-0. 6. 2011 Washington State Slo-Pitch Umpires Association Agreement - Authorize Lori Hogan reported that participating teams in the Adult Softball Program annually select their preferred umpires association to provide umpire coverage for league play. Each year, up to 180 teams will play in league games covered by the Washington State Slo-pitch Umpires Association Agreement. As a result, the 2011 contract will likely exceed $25,000.00 and requires Council approval. All costs for this program are covered by participant fees. 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 5 Elizabeth Albertson moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign the Washington State Slo-pitch Softball Umpires Association Agreement for the 2011 season. Les Thomas seconded. The motion passed 3-0. 7. Director’s Report Resource Center As part of the budget reductions in 2010, the Resource Center was closed. All programs and services were consolidated to the Kent Commons. As a result, $200,000 was reduced from the adopted budget. The primary costs that made up the reduction were the building allocation costs of $111,500 and staffing reductions associated with the consolidation at $85,000. Currently, there is no building cost allocation to the Resource Center. The Facilities Division manages that space as a mothballed facility. The building is heated at a minimum level to protect the asset. It is in no way currently funded/supported as an opened and operational pubic building. In recent months, a variety of interested parties have asked about possible use of the Resource Center. The City needed to decide what to do with the Resource Center. The following options initiated discussion of the center’s future and an opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of each path forward. Given the current fact that no facility costs are allocated to that building, the options are divided into two categories. Category 1: Options that can be pursued within the current budget. Option A: Lease the building to a tenant at market rate. Initiate an RFP process that finds the best sustained tenant that can operate independently of City operational support. Option B: Surplus the building and sell it. Category 2: Options that would require an amendment to the 2011 budget for allocating funds to that building. Option C: Lease the building to a community service oriented tenant. Initiate an RFP that identifies criteria for selecting the highest rate community-based partner. Option D: Operate the building as a Center for multiple community groups to share. Each group having office space, then sharing the program space in a coordinated manner. 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 6 The Committee spoke of the history of the building and reiterated that the City didn’t want to, but chose to shut down the Resource Center building and move staff to Kent Commons because of the budget deficit. That consolidation allowed Parks to preserve other jobs and services and saved the City $200,000 per year. Jeff led discussion on the options. Since a number of groups have contacted the City and are interested in leasing the building, an RFP will advertised sometime in March. 8. Director’s Report Suzanne Vega Outreach The Kent Arts Commission’s “Spotlight Series” hosted a performance by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Suzanne Vega. While here, Ms. Vega presented a very successful educational outreach activity to 38 students and 10 staff at Kent-Meridian High School. The hour-long session focused on creative writing and song-writing, the music business, and how to define and develop your artistic vision and voice. Kudos to Ronda Billerbeck, Manager of Cultural Services for this outreach opportunity and many thanks to the Arts Commission for their support. There were stories shared by participants of how Ms. Vega’s music positively impacted on their lives. Upcoming Events Handsome Little Devils When: Saturday, March 12 Time: 3:00 p.m. Location: Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center Tickets: $18 general, $16 senior, $12 youth Alpin Hong When: Friday, March 18 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center Tickets: $26 general, $24 senior, $20 youth Mr. Hong has scheduled four outreach programs within the Kent School District. Plant the Planet Kent’s award winning youth tree education program begins its 11th year on March 1, and runs for five weeks through March 31. Over 1,900 of the available bare root plants have already been committed. Staff will be visiting 18 schools and assist 2,040 kids in planting their own native tree or shrub (the goal this year is 2,011 plantings). Rebecca Alstrom, President of the Kent Community Foundation attended the meeting and was recognized for their donation of $1,000. The money will be used to support the printing of Plant the Planet instructional pamphlets that are given to each student, along with their seedling. 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 7 2/17/11 Meeting Minutes Page 8 Vision/Strategies Jeff is meeting with all the work groups in the department to share the Vision and Strategies that were developed at the City Council Retreat in early February. Safe Havens Safe Havens, now known as Safe and Sound is open and operating under Sound Mental Health. Supervised visitation for families and kids has been a very important service and staff will find a way through this non-profit agency to further the program. You, Me, We Event The You, Me We event is Friday, February 18, at ShoWare from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It will have an indoor street fair feel with 42 vendors participating. Hats off to Lori Hogan, Julie Stangle and the Youth/Teen staff for putting on this community event. Dennis complimented staff for reaching out and working with the youth community. Les Thomas shared his appreciation of staff working toward park land acquisition in the new Panther Lake annexation area. Dennis Higgins adjourned the meeting at 6:00 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Teri Petrole Council Committee Recorder