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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Parks and Human Services - 10/17/2013 Parks and Human Services Committee KENTW�SNINGTON Meeting Minutes for October 17, 2013 Council Members Present: Chair Debbie Ranniger and Elizabeth Albertson. Councilmember Dana Ralph had an excused absence. Chair Ranniger called the meeting to order at 5: 10 p.m. Item 1: Minutes of September 19, 2013 — Approve MOTION: Committee member Albertson moved to approve the minutes dated September 19, 2013. Chair Ranniger seconded. The motion passed 3- 0, with concurrence from Committee member Dana Ralph. Item 2: 2014 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan — Approve Katherin Johnson, Manager of Housing and Human Services reported that, as an entitlement city, the City of Kent receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds every year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD. To receive this funding, the City is required to submit a Five- Year Consolidated Plan for Housing & Community Development. The City's Consolidated Plan is in effect from 2003-2017. Prior to the beginning of each year of the Consolidated Plan, the City must inform HUD and the community of the specific actions that the City will execute to implement the objectives and strategies of the Consolidated Plan; this is outlined in the 2014 Action Plan. The Action Plan also includes the allocation of estimated resources that will be used to carry out the objectives and strategies, and a description of each program that will receive funds. The City recommended that a major portion of CDBG funds be used to support the City's Home Repair Program. This program serves many low-income, disabled, and senior homeowners in Kent by providing needed repairs. The program also ensures that a portion of Kent's low/moderate-income housing stock is maintained and preserved. On October 3, 2013, the City of Kent published a public notice on its website and informed the community, organizations, and stakeholders that the Draft 2014 CDBG Annual Action Plan was available for review and comment for a period of thirty (30) days. On October 17, 2013, the Human Services Commission held a public hearing for the purpose of taking comments on the 2014 Annual Action Plan. Human Services Commission Recommendations: The Human Services Commission reviewed and approved recommendations for CDBG funding for 2014. The format is different this year because the documents are downloaded from the online site. Johnson reported that the estimate of $914,499.00 may increase or decrease depending upon the final federal appropriations bill Congress passes in the fall. Therefore, the recommended funding includes a contingency plan to address any Page 1 potential changes that may occur when Congress adopts the 2014 budget. The CDBG project accounts for 2014 are impacted by the budget. Funding allocations for 2014: 1. Kent Home Repair Program: $569,424 2. Catholic Community Services - Katherine's House: $10,000 3. Multi Service Center - Housing Stability: $64,175 4. HealthPoint - Healthcare for the Homeless: $10,000 5. Refugee Women's Alliance - Case Management and EMS Assistance: $15,000 6. Refugee Women's Alliance - Senior Meals: $10,000 7. Washing CASH - Kent Micro-enterprise Initiative: $25,000 8. YWCA Anita Vista Transitional Housing: $18,000 9. Emergency Feeding Program - Food for All Around Kent: $10,000 Chair Ranniger asked if there is a way of finding out when the city will know what the funding will be. Johnson said the latest the city has ever received the funding was this year. The contract was received in August and agencies received their first payment in September. She hopes it won't repeat itself, but staff is prepared for that. To the credit of the agencies that provide services to Kent community, the agencies they provided their costs until resources became available. What makes the most sense is using the current number and having a contingency plan. Watling thanked Human Services Planner Dinah Wilson who takes the lead on the city's CDBG projects. MOTION: Committee member Albertson moved to recommend Council approve the proposed Community Development Block Grant 2014 Action Plan, including funding allocations and contingency plans, and authorize the Mayor to execute the appropriate certifications and agreements. Chair Ranniger seconded. The motion passed 3-0, with concurrence from Committee member Dana Ralph. Item 3: 2013 Western States Arts Federation Grant - Accept Superintendent of Recreation and Cultural Programs Lori Hogan reported that the talented staff in the Cultural Division and the Kent Arts Commission received a Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) IM (Independent Music) Tour Grant in the amount of $2,500.00 that was used to support the presentation of The Changing Colors (an acoustic music duo), as part of the Kent Summer Concert Series. The group also led an educational outreach activity at Kent Parks' summer day camp program. MOTION: Committee member Albertson moved to recommend accepting 2013 Western States Arts Federation grant in the amount of $2,500.00 and approving the expenditure of funds in the Kent Arts Commission's budget. Chair Ranniger seconded. The motion passed 3-0, with concurrence from Committee member Dana Ralph. Page 2 Item 4: Recreation and Conservation Office Grant Agreement — Authorize Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Watling introduced Hope Gibson, Manager of Parks Planning and Development. Gibson explained that, as Council knows, the Panther Lake area is quite underserved. In 2010, the city purchased approximately 32 acres at the north end of the city, also known as the Huse property, to become part of the Panther Lake assemblage. The purchase price was $1,500,000. Staff received a $650,000 grant from King County Conservation Futures toward the purchase of the property. Gibson gave kudos to Brian Levenhagen who for applied for a reimbursement grant through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and was awarded $834,725.00 towards the purchase of this property. The grant will pay for half of the purchase price and all qualifying "soft costs" associated with the purchase of the property. Chair Ranniger asked if there was a master plan of the park. Watling responded conceptually yes, but the master plan process has not begun. Currently, there is no funding for park development. When funded, much like the Kent Valley Loop Trail, there will be a lot of public involvement. Gibson confirmed that the contract amount includes demolition of the structures on the property. MOTION: Committee member Albertson moved to recommend accepting the reimbursement funds from the Recreation and Conservation Office for an amount not to exceed $834,725.00, and authorizing the Mayor to sign all necessary documents, subject to terms and conditions acceptable to the City Attorney and Parks Director. Chair Ranniger seconded. The motion passed 3-0, with concurrence from Committee member Dana Ralph. Chair Ranniger would like the city to consider putting a proposal together for budget dollars to launch the process to begin to engage the public so that the public knows what a gem this site is. She'd like to move forward with a master plan in the next couple years and open it in some passive way for public use now. She feels that having a piece of property in an area that is underserved and not being able to use it, doesn't make sense. She wants it to be a budget priority, as well as the small piece of property on 132nd. Gibson said there will be a comprehensive focus on this property as preparation begins for updating the Park Plan. As stated in previous meetings, the city's failing assets need to be addressed, and balancing the needs of the infrastructure and future development is delicate. We are trying to take care of what we've got. Albertson feels that real estate has picked up and REET funding will come back. She feels the city needs to think about how these issues will be addressed. Page 3 Item 5: D. A. Hogan Consultant Agreement for Wilson Playfields - Authorize Watling reported that Wilson Playfields is very close to the end of its useful life. Park Operations has done a great job extending the life of the turf by increasing levels of maintenance. They have kept the field playable and safe, but the wear continues. The anticipated cost of the replacement is over a million dollars. The lack of resources has prevented the city from replacing the turf to this point. However, with the recent state grant and the improved revenue outlook, Parks has put together options for funding this number one priority parks capital project, and it is funding that the city currently has to accomplish this work. This contract, if approved, will procure the needed design and construction observation work necessary for a successful renovation project. D. A. Hogan is a nationally regarded firm specializing in artificial turf construction and replacement design. Wrapped into this agreement is some structural work on various netting and poles, plus a review of the storm water system. Construction is anticipated to commence in late first quarter of 2014. Approval for construction in the form of a bid award will come before City Council in early 2014 before the busy athletic season. MOTION: Committee member Albertson moved to recommend authorizing the Mayor to sign the Consultant Agreement with D. A. Hogan and Associates for $26,450 for the Wilson Sports Field Synthetic Turf Renovation project, subject to final terms and conditions acceptable to the City Attorney and the Parks Director. Chair Ranniger seconded. The motion passed 3-0, with concurrence from Committee member Dana Ralph. Item 6: Kent Valley Loop Trail Update — INFO ONLY Parks Director Watling reminded Council that a couple months ago, staff endeavored into a master planning effort to take a new look at the trails systems in the valley. This stems out of the strategic plan discussions and understanding some of the primary goals of taking care of what we have, how we can maximize our current assets. Also a critical role in how connectivity plays a role in the community. Hope Gibson, Manager of Parks Planning and Development, stated that a few years ago Parks Planning and Development staff entered into an ambitious planning project funded through the CPPW program where connectivity throughout the city was reviewed, both on Right of Way (ROW) and off ROW. Often in cities, the on and off ROW systems are looked at and they don't always come together. Fortunately, the city's Public Works Department reached out further than most cities and they considered the off ROW facilities and then took the planning a step further. One of Page 4 the suggestions from that study was to take a new look at the Green River Trail and the Interurban Trail - particularly since the opportunity presents itself at the south end of the city where these two trails intersect. so they thought what about looking for the opportunity to create a loop experience at the northern end of the city. At that time, a Request for Proposals was advertised and Berger Partnership was contracted to assist us in this goal. Greg Brower, a consultant from Berger Partnership, attended the meeting to update the committee on their progress with this project. Mr. Brower reported that the potential trails studied were the Interurban and the Green River Trail. They looked at what can be done to link those trails together and to develop a loop trail through the city with the recreational user in mind. The first slide in the presentation started with the city's Open Space and trails Plan, featuring the study area down in the valley and the potential of linking the Interurban and Green River Trails with the recreational user in mind. Other slides showed numerous areas that users can enjoy along the trails, from farmland and the golf course, to Boeing Rock. Mr. Brower also spoke to the many challenges with multiple ownership of the Interurban Trail and how that may impact the project. Some of the same images from the presentation were included in the virtual survey that was placed online to seek input from the community. The response from the community was very successful with 275 comments received. When compiled, the online comments became 30 pages, double-sided. Instead of including all of those pages in the presentation, the consultants created a "Wordle," which is a tool they used to generate "word clouds" from text that was provided in the comments. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source document. Results from the survey questions developed into Wordles included: What is your favorite thing about the trail? flat, views, river, paved, Interurban. Have you ever stopped at (fill in the blank): Foster Park, Russell Road, Van Doren's, Three Friends, Riverview. What is your preference for the length of the loop route? Results were from two to thirteen miles. The consultants then took the input and began to strategize on how to connect the Interurban Trail to the Green River Trail at the northern area near Tukwila. However they didn't find a magical route with continuity. They also looked at the 196th section they thought had potential. It has bike lanes and appeals to the commuters and runners, but does not provide a family/recreational experience. As a result of these findings, they wanted to see how they could achieve a loop within the city and not be so concerned with connecting the Interurban and the Green River Trails. That led them to Frager Road, which runs along the other side of the Green River. They decided they could work in a lot of different loops along Frager Road and create multiple experiences for recreational users. From that information, they created the "Kent Valley Loop Trails Project." These loops accommodate all kinds of users because of the multiple lengths of each loop. The user would go down one side of the loop and have the option to cross at numerous locations at existing parks along the Green River and lead them into the downtown core. The loops range from 1.5 to 13 miles, thus providing shorter and longer trail lengths Page 5 and satisfying the various needs of users. The next steps will be to develop the plan for existing facilities and the Valley Floor, Riverview Park, and the Downtown Gateway. Another virtual meeting will be featured online to gather additional feedback from the community. Watling spoke to taking assets that have been here for decades and using the opportunity to re-package these amazing outdoor assets for a greater trail experience that the city can market to the current residents and future businesses. Through the Economic and Development Department, there has been great feedback from businesses. The city's Bicycle Committee has provided useful input and Public Works has been an integral part of this discussion. This plan with multiple loops can provide an awareness of this asset with minimal expense. Chair Ranniger said that this would be a great resource for families to enjoy while in town supporting their kids at local games. This is definitely a benefit for the economic development and the hospitality industry and she likes the variety of the trail lengths. In reference to signage along the loops, Watling compared it to a store directory at the mall, guiding users to the location and showing the length of each loop. Mr. Brower explained that the loop names need to be memorable to the user. As an example of potential signage, for this presentation they gave each loop a local identity, such as; Salmon, Eagle, Frog, Frye, and Tadpole. For user familiarity, they also toyed with the idea of naming the trailheads after existing parks along the loop trail, for example; Van Doren's Loop, 3 Friends Loop, Foster Loop, and Old Fishing Hole Loop. Inspired by subways, the consultants similarly considered using color coding along the trail. There will be further discussion before final decisions are made for the signage. Committee member Albertson felt, given the fact that over 127 languages are spoken in the Kent community, animal markers makes it easy for everyone to understand and remember. In closing, Watling remarked on the timeliness of this project and fulfilling the strategic goal of connectivity. Noting that the Green River has a lot of other priorities, there is an advocacy and prioritization that we need to maintain. There are other agencies that may prioritize vegetation planting above a trail experience. There needs to be a balanced vision, incorporating the human experience. Albertson appreciates the plan because it introduces more people to this open space. Item 7: Third Quarter Report — INFO ONLY Watling reported that parks and public spaces are extremely well used and the beach front at Lake Meridian is a perfect example. The park has a turnstile and counted 91,000 visitors to the lake this summer. Watling complimented the Page 6 lifeguards for providing exceptional service to the 91,000 customers and no major emergencies. Another highlight within the third quarter was Park Operations staff working on irrigation efficiencies. They initiated a pilot centralized irrigation system program at Van Doren's Park. By modernizing the control systems, there will be a significant cost savings. A report will be available by early November that will measure some of the efficiencies. Staff will be present the report to Council at the November Parks Committee meeting. Watling noted several letters from participants who attended summer camp through scholarships. There were 51 campers with full or partial scholarships. Some of the funds came from the annual fund raiser for Camp Waskowitz. One of the letters thanked staff for adjusting the program schedule and menu for so they could honor the religious holiday Ramadan. Watling spoke to in-kind and cash contributions received during the third quarter of 2013, which totaled $27,008.93. Chair Ranniger noticed a recurring theme in the letters from participants. Many of the comments were about becoming more confidence and less shy. Watling referenced some recent writings about "nature deficit disorder" and the positive influence of nature on the mind, body, and soul. Item 8: Director's Report — INFO ONLY Watling thanked Council for their support with public spaces and public programs. He feels Kent is a better place because of the support that Council provides. Committee member Albertson referenced the positive comments from parents and participants involved in youth/teen programs. In particular, testimonials of help with diabetes, behavior improvement, confidence building, feeling stronger, and providing a clean place. She is thankful for being reminded of "why we do this." Chair Ranniger thought it would be a good idea to bring some of the participant quotes to share during the budget process. Chair Debbie Ranniger adjourned the meeting at 6:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Teri Petrole Council Committee Secretary Page 7