City Council Services, Safety & Parks Committee · Monday, January 23, 2023 · City Council Digest

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of November 15, 2022

packet pp.5–6

Open packet at p.5 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 11-15-22 City Council Services, Safety & Parks Page (0000) Committee Minutes CITY OF ISSAQUAH City Council Services, Safety & Parks Committee 6:30 PM Council Chambers, 135 E. November 15, 2022 MINUTES Sunset Way, Issaquah WA

4. AGENDA ITEMS

Amendments to IMC 2.20, Cemetery Code ID 1317

30 min · Tisha Gieser, City Clerk Jeff Watling, Director, Parks and Community Services Randy Darst, Chair, Cemetery Board · packet pp.7–32

Topics: Land Use

Open packet at p.7 ↗

Staff report:

The Administration recommends proceeding with the changes as recommended and returning to the full City Council at the February 6 City Council meeting for adoption of the proposed ordinance.

Arts Grant Recommendations ID 1345

30 min · Amy Dukes, Arts Program Administrator · packet pp.33–49

Topics: Arts & Culture

Previously discussed: Arts Commission · Jan 18, 2023

Open packet at p.33 ↗

Staff report:

Administration recommends allocating the 2023 Arts Grants as proposed by the Arts Commission.

1504 segments

0:03 ↗ welcome everyone I councilmember Martz

0:06 ↗ call the January 23 2023 city council

0:10 ↗ services safety and Parks committee

0:12 ↗ meeting to order

0:14 ↗ there are multiple public comment

0:16 ↗ opportunities at tonight's meeting there

0:19 ↗ is a general public comment opportunity

0:21 ↗ at the beginning of the meeting or you

0:23 ↗ can make comments after the presentation

0:25 ↗ and counsel question and answer period

0:27 ↗ on any of tonight's agenda items

0:29 ↗ members of the public May address

0:31 ↗ council at this time in person or

0:33 ↗ virtually those who signed up in advance

0:35 ↗ to make comments will be called on first

0:37 ↗ if you're joining us virtually and would

0:39 ↗ like to make comments please raise your

0:41 ↗ virtual hand that means if you're on the

0:43 ↗ phone plus press star 3 if you have

0:46 ↗ joined by computer or smartphone please

0:48 ↗ look for a hand icon this varies by

0:50 ↗ device one option may be to go to the

0:53 ↗ participant panel and choose the raise

0:55 ↗ hand icon in the lower right hand corner

0:57 ↗ if you are in the room and did not sign

0:59 ↗ up I will ask for other speakers before

1:01 ↗ closing this portion of the meeting

1:04 ↗ I will wait for a moment to see if

1:06 ↗ anyone wishes to raise their hand

1:10 ↗ clerk has anyone signed up to speak or

1:12 ↗ indicated a desire to speak this evening

1:17 ↗ chair Martz no one has signed up uh on

1:20 ↗ the sign-in sheet to speak

1:24 ↗ all right as a reminder written comments

1:26 ↗ can be submitted at any time to city

1:29 ↗ council at issaquah.gov

1:35 ↗ um with that we will move to

1:39 ↗ uh approval of minutes

1:42 ↗ the minutes for the November 15 2020

1:46 ↗ council meeting is does anyone wish to

1:48 ↗ put forward a motion

1:54 ↗ uh council member D Michelle thank you I

1:57 ↗ I will move that we accept the amendment

2:00 ↗ says presented

2:01 ↗ I will second and I'm glad councilmember

2:04 ↗ D Michelle made the motion and she was

2:06 ↗ actually in attendance at that meeting

2:08 ↗ and I hadn't been put on this board yet

2:10 ↗ or on this committee yet that's true you

2:13 ↗ had not been appointed yes and nice to

2:14 ↗ have you here I'm sure you'll do a good

2:16 ↗ job of replacing uh that Troublemaker

2:19 ↗ Chris Ray

2:22 ↗ uh we have a motion the that is in front

2:25 ↗ of us and has been seconded uh all those

2:27 ↗ in favor say aye aye aye opposed

2:30 ↗ abstentions motion carries through to

2:33 ↗ zero

2:34 ↗ uh next we have uh the first of two

2:38 ↗ agenda items this evening ID one three

2:41 ↗ one seven amendments to IMC

2:44 ↗ 2.20 Cemetery code and this is going to

2:47 ↗ be presented by city clerk geezer

2:50 ↗ and I believe uh director Watling and

2:53 ↗ Randy darst from the cemetery board

2:57 ↗ thank you chair Marts and committee

2:59 ↗ members my name is Tisha Geezer City

3:01 ↗ Clerk and as you mentioned chair I'm

3:03 ↗ also here tonight are Jeff Watling the

3:06 ↗ parks and Community Services director

3:07 ↗ Rick still the parks operations manager

3:10 ↗ Randy darst the cemetery board chair and

3:12 ↗ Barbara wood one of the board members

3:14 ↗ and you'll be hearing from a couple of

3:16 ↗ them later on here but I'll get us

3:18 ↗ started off

3:19 ↗ so tonight we're asking for your

3:22 ↗ recommendation on whether to proceed

3:24 ↗ with changes to IMC 2.20 which

3:27 ↗ establishes the cemetery board and has

3:29 ↗ some Provisions related to the cemetery

3:31 ↗ and the board

3:33 ↗ as a reminder and for the new Committee

3:36 ↗ Member

3:37 ↗ um Jeff and I were here in June 2022 to

3:40 ↗ talk about a larger item the

3:43 ↗ consolidation of boards and commissions

3:44 ↗ at that time we had two uh questions for

3:48 ↗ you one was whether to proceed with the

3:50 ↗ sunset of the cable TV commission you

3:53 ↗ were supportive of that change in the

3:55 ↗ full Council Sunset of that Commission

3:57 ↗ in July of 2022 and the second question

4:00 ↗ was whether to proceed with asking the

4:02 ↗ cemetery board to evaluate their their

4:06 ↗ purpose whether they might consider a

4:09 ↗ consolidation or Sunset of the board or

4:12 ↗ a review and change to their duties and

4:15 ↗ responsibilities and we committed to

4:17 ↗ returning with a recommendation from the

4:19 ↗ cemetery board in the first quarter of

4:21 ↗ 2023.

4:23 ↗ the committee was also supportive of

4:25 ↗ proceeding with that and expressed your

4:28 ↗ care and concern for the cemetery and

4:31 ↗ the history there

4:33 ↗ following the June meeting the cemetery

4:36 ↗ board began talking about their purview

4:40 ↗ evaluating their duties and this

4:42 ↗ occurred from July all the way through

4:45 ↗ December with the board making their

4:48 ↗ final recommendation and looking at the

4:50 ↗ code amendments that you see here

4:51 ↗ tonight at their January meeting

4:55 ↗ with that I'm going to turn it over to

4:56 ↗ Jeff to talk a bit about the proposal

5:07 ↗ thank you clerk Geezer good evening

5:09 ↗ council members Jeff Watling parks and

5:11 ↗ Community Services director

5:12 ↗ um yeah before I go into

5:16 ↗ um key elements of The Proposal I

5:19 ↗ thought I'd just highlight some of the

5:21 ↗ work that was done these past seven

5:22 ↗ months as as Tisha mentioned the

5:25 ↗ cemetery board

5:27 ↗ and hats off to chair darst Rick still

5:31 ↗ our park operations manager who serves

5:34 ↗ as a staff liaison

5:36 ↗ the cemetery board went through a pretty

5:39 ↗ long process of looking at historic

5:40 ↗ roles

5:42 ↗ reviewing some of the work that they've

5:44 ↗ done over the decades literal decades

5:46 ↗ I'm also taking a look at some of the

5:48 ↗ current roles that the cemetery board

5:51 ↗ was doing and then really allowing

5:54 ↗ that work to help clarify really roles

5:59 ↗ that the cemetery board might want to do

6:01 ↗ more of or or really should do this was

6:04 ↗ also really brought into light with you

6:07 ↗ might recall a number of years ago we

6:09 ↗ the city went through a

6:11 ↗ process with flintoffs our operating

6:14 ↗ partner and created our management

6:16 ↗ agreement in 2018 so that management

6:19 ↗ agreement also became really helped us

6:21 ↗ shed light on this work and recognizing

6:24 ↗ as the roles were clarified between the

6:26 ↗ city and flintoffs it really helped to

6:28 ↗ also fit this niche of of what really

6:31 ↗ could and should the role of the

6:33 ↗ cemetery board be

6:36 ↗ it was a very thorough process as I said

6:39 ↗ over the decades this this group has

6:41 ↗ done a lot of work and a tremendous

6:45 ↗ amount of work and and certainly

6:47 ↗ something to be commended I think the

6:49 ↗ first key point of this proposal

6:51 ↗ as we went through the view review we

6:55 ↗ also through the review process had

6:57 ↗ check-ins with Administration it became

6:59 ↗ clear and as you see in the slide the

7:01 ↗ first element of The Proposal was to

7:03 ↗ continue the work of the the cemetery

7:05 ↗ board but do it in a a little more

7:09 ↗ clarified fashion

7:11 ↗ I'll jump into that sorry I went the

7:14 ↗ wrong direction

7:15 ↗ the makeup of

7:18 ↗ um uh the The Proposal

7:20 ↗ um these these five bullet points really

7:22 ↗ I think highlight it along with

7:24 ↗ continuing the role of the cemetery

7:26 ↗ board

7:27 ↗ um the the proposal before you

7:31 ↗ proposes to reduce the minimum number of

7:33 ↗ board meetings required so take that

7:36 ↗ minimum requirement from once every two

7:38 ↗ months to quarterly this isn't

7:40 ↗ necessarily meaning only having four

7:42 ↗ meetings a year but just giving the

7:43 ↗ board that flexibility knowing during

7:45 ↗ peak times of the year there probably

7:47 ↗ will be meeting monthly but but knowing

7:50 ↗ there might be certain times of the year

7:51 ↗ when quarterly will will do

7:54 ↗ uh that second bullet the pink bullet

7:57 ↗ clarifying the role of the cemetery

7:58 ↗ board as advisory and amending the

8:01 ↗ duties and responsibilities you'll see a

8:03 ↗ lot of amendments a lot of proposed

8:05 ↗ amendments that that speak to this

8:07 ↗ um what we really

8:09 ↗ um

8:10 ↗ seek to do with this these proposed

8:13 ↗ changes is really focus their role on

8:16 ↗ monitoring operations of the cemetery

8:19 ↗ that's why again having Rick still our

8:21 ↗ park operations manager is a staff

8:23 ↗ liaison makes so much sense monitoring

8:26 ↗ the cemetery fund that's both revenues

8:28 ↗ and expenditures

8:30 ↗ on a monthly or quarterly basis

8:33 ↗ reviewing annually and and recommending

8:37 ↗ fee changes as necessary

8:40 ↗ um would be a key role of the cemetery

8:42 ↗ board advising on capital projects you

8:45 ↗ might recall as we went through the

8:47 ↗ management agreement with flintos we

8:50 ↗ spent a lot of time talking with U.S

8:52 ↗ Council how do we look at not only

8:54 ↗ near-term needs but long-term needs of

8:56 ↗ the cemetery there are some capital

8:58 ↗ Investments so that cemetery is going to

8:59 ↗ need and so really allowing the cemetery

9:03 ↗ board to help provide that advice and

9:06 ↗ guidance not only on near-term projects

9:08 ↗ as we're doing them but really trying to

9:09 ↗ take a Long View a capital investment

9:12 ↗ needs with that with that public asset

9:14 ↗ within that public asset

9:17 ↗ also a key role is adopting rules for

9:20 ↗ care

9:22 ↗ for standards maintenance standards

9:25 ↗ headstone standards Etc really helping

9:28 ↗ provide advice there and then also

9:31 ↗ really helping the city in monitoring

9:35 ↗ inventory burial types that are offered

9:38 ↗ there at the cemetery

9:40 ↗ um and also if needed looking at either

9:43 ↗ expansion of burial types or expansion

9:46 ↗ of space

9:48 ↗ so that clarification of roles is a

9:50 ↗ really key part of these amendments

9:53 ↗ also in the proposal are the

9:56 ↗ incorporation of the board roles that

9:58 ↗ were found in the management agreement

10:00 ↗ so making sure the management agreement

10:02 ↗ and these proposed bylaws speak to one

10:06 ↗ another and are complementary with one

10:07 ↗ another

10:08 ↗ you'll also hear a little bit further

10:10 ↗ from Tisha about this one the

10:12 ↗ recommendation of removing the cemetery

10:14 ↗ fees from this section from the IMC and

10:18 ↗ formalizing in a fee ordinance that'll

10:21 ↗ be part of perhaps some potential bigger

10:24 ↗ work that we're doing

10:26 ↗ with within the IMC and how we recognize

10:29 ↗ fees

10:31 ↗ also Within These recommendations are as

10:35 ↗ as our City attorney had a chance to

10:37 ↗ review them were addressing some

10:39 ↗ outdated Provisions that were in this

10:41 ↗ old IMC Provisions that are already in

10:45 ↗ Washington state law those Provisions

10:46 ↗ included the annexation of the cemetery

10:50 ↗ restrictions on burials and penalties

10:54 ↗ for for vandalizing at the cemetery and

10:58 ↗ again all of those have Provisions

10:59 ↗ covered in state law and we're a bit

11:02 ↗ redundant so the recommendation was to

11:04 ↗ to remove those so

11:06 ↗ again what's reflect elected tonight it

11:09 ↗ represents a lot of hard work by the

11:12 ↗ cemetery board a lot of self-analysis

11:13 ↗ and and sort of review of of what this

11:16 ↗ board can be moving forward in playing

11:20 ↗ an advisory role in a really really

11:21 ↗ important city asset

11:23 ↗ with that I'm going to invite Cemetery

11:26 ↗ board chair Randy darst to come up and

11:28 ↗ maybe share a few words on not only the

11:30 ↗ process but just insights from the board

11:39 ↗ good evening I'm Randy darst

11:41 ↗ um

11:42 ↗ been on the other on been on the

11:45 ↗ cemetery board for about eight years now

11:48 ↗ um it's near and dear to my heart I have

11:50 ↗ a lot of family and friends

11:51 ↗ um hanging out up there

11:54 ↗ um so you know making sure that it's in

11:57 ↗ good uh you know it's being operated

11:59 ↗ profitably properly fiscally sound it's

12:01 ↗ it's a very it's a important thing to me

12:04 ↗ as it is to our board

12:07 ↗ um I don't have a lot to add to what

12:11 ↗ Jeff said as far as some of the

12:13 ↗ revisions in the process but I do want

12:16 ↗ to acknowledge that what he says and

12:18 ↗ what the staff report says

12:21 ↗ um it's it's a very good job very

12:23 ↗ comprehensive and and really does

12:26 ↗ incorporate the cemetery ports comments

12:29 ↗ concerns recommendations suggestions it

12:32 ↗ was a very collaborative process I think

12:34 ↗ they listened well they're very

12:36 ↗ objective and we the board really

12:39 ↗ appreciates that attention

12:43 ↗ um

12:44 ↗ and we're very pleased that the initial

12:47 ↗ recommendation is to retain the cemetery

12:50 ↗ board and we definitely are on board

12:52 ↗ with um

12:54 ↗ the some of the revisions left the

12:57 ↗ revisions that have been touched on by

12:59 ↗ Jeff to the chapter 2.2 you know it

13:03 ↗ hadn't been really looked at since

13:05 ↗ mid-80s I think so it was time you know

13:08 ↗ things change

13:10 ↗ and we were maybe a little bit reluctant

13:13 ↗ at first you get a little defensive

13:16 ↗ sometimes you know when you know you you

13:19 ↗ you go through a process like this

13:21 ↗ because we really do think that we've

13:22 ↗ done some some really good work in not

13:25 ↗ only the current Cemetery board

13:27 ↗ but you know the cemetery board goes

13:30 ↗ back to 1915 right so we've been around

13:33 ↗ a hundred and I can't even do the math

13:35 ↗ quite a few years

13:38 ↗ um actually it dated back to 1908.

13:41 ↗ you know because the cemetery committee

13:43 ↗ came into existence prior to the city

13:46 ↗ annexing the property into the city in

13:50 ↗ 1915 and so that's when the cemetery

13:52 ↗ board came into existence so because the

13:55 ↗ cemetery was looking so terrible back in

13:58 ↗ 1908 the the citizens of the of Issaquah

14:02 ↗ got together and formed a committee

14:04 ↗ basically and they went around and tried

14:07 ↗ to get people to volunteer donate a

14:10 ↗ dollar you know their their fund was

14:12 ↗ about 34 dollars the last time I looked

14:14 ↗ at it so anyway it's been the cemetery's

14:17 ↗ been near and dear to the the folks in

14:19 ↗ Issaquah for a lot of years

14:22 ↗ um I found it very useful and

14:24 ↗ informative to go through the process I

14:27 ↗ really do appreciate Tisha and and Rick

14:31 ↗ and Jeff facilitating that process for

14:34 ↗ us it's not something that we've done as

14:36 ↗ a board or I've done since I retired

14:38 ↗ eight years ago so it was very helpful

14:40 ↗ to have them on board and and assisting

14:43 ↗ this

14:45 ↗ it was good to look at the

14:46 ↗ responsibilities the roles and the

14:48 ↗ duties and look at the value of the

14:51 ↗ cemetery board is broader over the years

14:53 ↗ in proper operation and maintenance and

14:56 ↗ really the fiscal oversight has been

14:58 ↗ important to as well as you know the

15:00 ↗ growth of the cemetery you know the the

15:03 ↗ cemetery board was instrumental in the

15:05 ↗ 80s for leading the development of

15:09 ↗ Hillside upper Hillside Cemetery that

15:11 ↗ you know it was it was it was one of the

15:13 ↗ bigger projects that they've ever

15:14 ↗ undertaken

15:16 ↗ so I think the board has done some great

15:18 ↗ work over the last 108 years

15:22 ↗ and and we are pleased that the mayor

15:24 ↗ and the administration recognize this

15:25 ↗ and are recommending that the cemetery

15:28 ↗ board be retained it's a place that I'm

15:30 ↗ proud of and I think the community

15:32 ↗ greatly appreciates

15:34 ↗ and so then at our January meeting the

15:36 ↗ board did review the final

15:37 ↗ recommendations

15:39 ↗ from staff and administration and then

15:42 ↗ we also reviewed the final draft of the

15:44 ↗ revised chapter 2.2

15:47 ↗ the proposed revisions and the board

15:50 ↗ then did make a motion and approve the

15:52 ↗ motion to recommend approval of the

15:55 ↗ revised

15:57 ↗ Issaquah municipal code to the mayor and

16:00 ↗ the city council

16:01 ↗ and we the board looks forward to

16:03 ↗ continuing its work and and like Jeff

16:05 ↗ said we do have several projects in the

16:08 ↗ works right now

16:09 ↗ and it takes a lot of time and effort

16:11 ↗ and we're a group of three right now

16:14 ↗ we're hoping to get a few more members

16:17 ↗ come the turn of the the New Year here

16:20 ↗ and we also have a number of projects

16:23 ↗ that we're excited about

16:24 ↗ perhaps pursuing in the future that

16:28 ↗ really need to be done when we have some

16:31 ↗ additional time and and resources so

16:33 ↗ thank you for your support and I'd be

16:35 ↗ happy to answer any questions

16:42 ↗ I we I think we can proceed to the next

16:43 ↗ part of the presentation but thank you

16:48 ↗ all right I just have a few more slides

16:51 ↗ I'll move really quickly through here

16:53 ↗ um so we can't answer any questions you

16:55 ↗ might have so Jeff and Randy went

16:57 ↗ through some of the changes to the

16:59 ↗ duties and responsibilities that were

17:01 ↗ addressed so I'm not going to walk

17:02 ↗ through them individually but they're

17:04 ↗ shown both in the proposed code changes

17:06 ↗ in here on the screen they were trued up

17:09 ↗ a bit with the management agreement and

17:11 ↗ to remove some inconsistencies and

17:14 ↗ redundancies and approval of Warrant

17:16 ↗ review

17:17 ↗ and such

17:21 ↗ um one thing I wanted to touch on

17:22 ↗ briefly that's not shown on the slide

17:24 ↗ here is the cemetery fees so you saw

17:27 ↗ there was an exhibit with uh fees in the

17:30 ↗ packet so the fees there are are our

17:35 ↗ existing fees incorporating a 10

17:38 ↗ increase so the current IMC provides for

17:42 ↗ the mayor to administratively increase

17:44 ↗ the fees based on the CPI annually the

17:48 ↗ cemetery board considered the CPI for

17:53 ↗ June through July which was 10 I believe

17:56 ↗ and recommended that that inflationary

17:59 ↗ increase be incorporated in the fees

18:02 ↗ the mayor they made this recommendation

18:04 ↗ to the mayor who supported their

18:06 ↗ recommendation uh because as Jeff

18:09 ↗ mentioned we have a city-wide goal of

18:12 ↗ moving our fees out of our municipal

18:15 ↗ code and into an annual fee resolution

18:18 ↗ to bring some transparency and

18:19 ↗ coordination of that process we are

18:22 ↗ proposing removing the cemetery fees and

18:25 ↗ instead approving them through the

18:26 ↗ ordinance that will bring forward

18:28 ↗ hopefully at the February 6th meeting

18:30 ↗ that would also adopt these code changes

18:32 ↗ and of course we would like the fees

18:35 ↗ with the inflationary increase approved

18:37 ↗ as part of that process when the fee

18:40 ↗ resolution comes to be later this year

18:42 ↗ or next we'll include the cemetery fees

18:45 ↗ as part of that process so I wanted to

18:48 ↗ speak for that to that for a moment so

18:50 ↗ as far as the options tonight they of

18:52 ↗ course are to recommend the

18:55 ↗ administration's proposal and the

18:57 ↗ cemetery board's proposal to move

18:59 ↗ forward with the proposed revisions but

19:01 ↗ certainly if you have Rec recommended

19:03 ↗ changes or other considerations

19:05 ↗ please feel free to share those you are

19:09 ↗ clear on our recommendation I believe

19:11 ↗ real quickly timing and next steps as

19:15 ↗ Randy alluded to the cemetery board is

19:18 ↗ currently functioning with three board

19:20 ↗ members out of five seats

19:22 ↗ and is lacking any alternates as well so

19:26 ↗ we will certainly be hoping through the

19:28 ↗ boarding commission recruitment process

19:29 ↗ that's about to begin anytime now to be

19:33 ↗ Shoring up the cemetery board

19:36 ↗ as I mentioned we're hoping to bring

19:38 ↗ this ordinance back to the city council

19:41 ↗ at the February 6 meeting and would like

19:42 ↗ your input on whether that can return on

19:44 ↗ consent or regular business the

19:47 ↗ ordinance would be effective in early

19:48 ↗ March and we will be bringing boarding

19:51 ↗ commission confirmation of appointments

19:53 ↗ to the council in mid-april which again

19:56 ↗ will hopefully include a few new

19:57 ↗ Cemetery board members with that here's

20:00 ↗ the direction we're looking for from you

20:03 ↗ tonight and we're all here if you have

20:04 ↗ any questions

20:08 ↗ I have a question

20:11 ↗ um so you talked about a CPI adjusted

20:13 ↗ fee uh does this ordinance I I see

20:16 ↗ there's

20:17 ↗ one uh use of that for this uh 10 but

20:22 ↗ does this does this presuppose automatic

20:25 ↗ increases going forward

20:27 ↗ it does not um the wording in the draft

20:29 ↗ ordinance which I realize is not in your

20:32 ↗ packet tonight we were having the

20:33 ↗ attorney take a look at it and just got

20:35 ↗ the final edits back it would like the

20:37 ↗ IMC it would allow for an

20:40 ↗ administratively approved inflationary

20:42 ↗ increase if recommended but upon

20:44 ↗ recommendation of the cemetery board so

20:45 ↗ it sort of remained status quo okay

20:48 ↗ thank you other questions council member

20:51 ↗ Joe thank you first Mr DARS thank you

20:55 ↗ for your service to our community on the

20:58 ↗ cemetery board

21:00 ↗ I live very close and and to the

21:03 ↗ cemetery and I'm always impressed with

21:06 ↗ first how well it's maintained and

21:08 ↗ second on all the important holidays

21:11 ↗ whether it's Veterans Day or other

21:13 ↗ important holidays the flags are always

21:15 ↗ up by my friends that are up there by

21:18 ↗ their by their headstones so thank you

21:20 ↗ for making that happen I know it's a

21:21 ↗ coordination with some of the Cub Scout

21:24 ↗ Boy Scout Troops et cetera et cetera

21:26 ↗ it's a it's a testament to our community

21:29 ↗ and how we honor those that came before

21:31 ↗ us so I want to First say that

21:34 ↗ um

21:35 ↗ I had a question about the fees

21:37 ↗ themselves

21:38 ↗ oftentimes there's a perception in our

21:41 ↗ community that the fees cover everything

21:43 ↗ that is needed including Capital

21:45 ↗ expenditures et cetera Etc

21:48 ↗ um

21:48 ↗ and so when the fees get increased

21:51 ↗ sometimes people think that well I'm

21:53 ↗ paying for the whole darn thing when I

21:55 ↗ go and pay one fee could you comment on

21:59 ↗ how much the fees cover just in general

22:02 ↗ and how much as a as a kind of a

22:05 ↗ percentage comes from other sources

22:07 ↗ throughout the city

22:09 ↗ foreign

22:16 ↗ again

22:21 ↗ um yeah you know the cemetery fund is

22:23 ↗ actually set up to function very much

22:25 ↗ like an Enterprise fund

22:27 ↗ so the the intention of the cemetery

22:29 ↗ fund is

22:31 ↗ um as we're collecting fees we're not

22:33 ↗ only addressing operational costs but

22:36 ↗ we're also

22:37 ↗ um

22:38 ↗ securing some funds for long-term care

22:43 ↗ um and and as well the capital

22:44 ↗ investment so that's part of our Capital

22:46 ↗ strategy too is taking a look at as

22:48 ↗ revenue is coming in how are we making

22:51 ↗ initial Investments that either add a

22:54 ↗ capacity to call them barium niches Etc

22:56 ↗ but um the cemetery fund is really

22:59 ↗ um as I said set up more like an

23:01 ↗ Enterprise thank you for that I

23:03 ↗ appreciate the information

23:06 ↗ oftentimes the citizens don't know the

23:08 ↗ difference between an Enterprise fund

23:10 ↗ and some of the other funds that we

23:11 ↗ might do for transportation where we're

23:13 ↗ getting funds from the States or other

23:15 ↗ sources so it's good information thank

23:17 ↗ you

23:18 ↗ foreign

23:20 ↗ I will ask you another question and I'm

23:23 ↗ surprised you know I've

23:25 ↗ seen these fees over the years a number

23:27 ↗ of times

23:28 ↗ um I don't remember the estate standard

23:30 ↗ in the estate double and and what is

23:33 ↗ that and they're uh quite a bit more

23:35 ↗ expensive than other uh Cemetery options

23:37 ↗ so can you tell me a little bit more

23:39 ↗ about that

23:40 ↗ sure I don't have those in front of me

23:41 ↗ but I'll do this off of memory so in

23:43 ↗ 2019 we brought the cemetery fees before

23:46 ↗ U.S Council they hadn't been reviewed in

23:48 ↗ a really really long time

23:50 ↗ um You Might Recall at that time those

23:52 ↗ are new fees that were established then

23:54 ↗ in 2019 and so part of

23:57 ↗ um diversifying plot options as we've

24:01 ↗ worked with our managing partner

24:02 ↗ flintoffs we've identified a couple

24:04 ↗ areas of upper Hillside Cemetery where

24:06 ↗ there might be estate lots that could be

24:08 ↗ plots that could be purchased so that

24:11 ↗ was it

24:12 ↗ sorry what does an estate plot mean so

24:14 ↗ what that means is a family could

24:16 ↗ purchase an estate plot that would have

24:19 ↗ access for multiple burial sites within

24:22 ↗ that that plot would be somewhat set

24:24 ↗ aside established through some type of

24:28 ↗ um vegetation area

24:30 ↗ to be basically buying multiple plots

24:32 ↗ got it and so multiple plots and you're

24:35 ↗ saying sort of set aside or separate

24:37 ↗ from them yeah what we've looked at is

24:40 ↗ um sort of the upper you might remember

24:42 ↗ recall a map in 2019 that we were

24:44 ↗ looking at sort of the upper the upper

24:46 ↗ edge of upper Hillside Cemetery so

24:50 ↗ um the the back of this estate plot

24:52 ↗ could be planted with vegetation to give

24:54 ↗ some definition for that plot but also

24:56 ↗ give some natural separation within and

25:00 ↗ screening with the neighbors

25:03 ↗ got it thank you

25:04 ↗ other questions

25:07 ↗ all right

25:11 ↗ Tisha it was that if you closed in

25:15 ↗ there's no further summary of you're

25:18 ↗ just ready for us to deliberate all

25:20 ↗ right well then we have reached a point

25:22 ↗ where we can take public input

25:24 ↗ um do we have uh clerk do we have

25:26 ↗ anybody online indicating that they want

25:28 ↗ to speak

25:32 ↗ chair Martz we have a couple of virtual

25:34 ↗ attendees but no virtual hands raised

25:36 ↗ the virtual hands raised anybody here

25:39 ↗ this evening want to speak to this issue

25:40 ↗ before we deliberate on it

25:43 ↗ anyone wishing to speak third time nope

25:47 ↗ all right so we can deliberate on it

25:51 ↗ what do you think

25:53 ↗ I think this has been well thought out

25:55 ↗ great

25:57 ↗ um contributions from the community at

26:00 ↗ large and our volunteer Cemetery board

26:03 ↗ and I think it's ready to go back to uh

26:06 ↗ council with a recommendation for

26:07 ↗ approval

26:11 ↗ council member to Michelle

26:13 ↗ thanks yes uh I was saying before the

26:16 ↗ meeting started that I was so happy when

26:19 ↗ I read the packet because I was fearful

26:21 ↗ that we had a recommendation to close

26:24 ↗ the cemetery board and I would have been

26:26 ↗ very sad if that had happened this has

26:29 ↗ board has been around since 1915 and

26:34 ↗ um also as mentioned by council member

26:36 ↗ Joe that Cemetery holds so much of

26:39 ↗ Issaquah history and is again a

26:42 ↗ reflection of the esteem that we hold

26:46 ↗ our earlier Generations in so I'm very

26:50 ↗ very pleased that the cemetery board

26:52 ↗ will continue as I was reading through

26:54 ↗ the packet I uh the reason I didn't have

26:57 ↗ any questions is every question I had

27:00 ↗ was answered I was one of the most

27:02 ↗ thorough presentations we've received in

27:05 ↗ a long time and I really appreciate that

27:08 ↗ aspect of it as well and also clearly

27:11 ↗ showed how much much thought and

27:15 ↗ dialogue went into the final final

27:18 ↗ proposal so I was very pleased to see

27:21 ↗ that as well so appreciation to

27:23 ↗ everybody who worked hard on it so I too

27:27 ↗ would would like to approve this

27:30 ↗ recommendation I would love to see the

27:32 ↗ cemetery board continue I would hope

27:34 ↗ that maybe once again I got to got to

27:37 ↗ sit in on one meeting right before the

27:40 ↗ pandemic so perhaps sometime in the

27:43 ↗ future I can come back because I was

27:45 ↗ very impressed with the board work that

27:47 ↗ evening as well so so

27:49 ↗ I uh what is that good Speed Ahead so

27:55 ↗ um and I guess I would ask whether we

27:58 ↗ want to put this on consent or do we

28:01 ↗ want to put this on the regular agenda

28:04 ↗ that would be the question I would have

28:06 ↗ but I I would approve it's moving

28:08 ↗ forward in either case yeah I would like

28:10 ↗ to I would like to take the vote and

28:13 ↗ then once we take the vote um can decide

28:15 ↗ how to route it okay afterwards

28:18 ↗ um I'm going to be supporting this as

28:19 ↗ well you know one of the things that I

28:23 ↗ think is really important about a

28:24 ↗ community is is of course how we treat

28:27 ↗ our citizens when they most need our

28:29 ↗ help and uh you know I've said before

28:32 ↗ you know my mother passed away in 2008

28:35 ↗ and she didn't have a lot and in

28:39 ↗ Minnesota

28:40 ↗ private cemeteries are very expensive

28:42 ↗ but she was lucky enough to live in a

28:44 ↗ community that like Issaquah had a

28:47 ↗ public option that was that was not

28:49 ↗ super expensive and so in the midst of

28:51 ↗ everything else that was going on I

28:54 ↗ didn't have to to you know countenance

28:56 ↗ the idea of spending a whole bunch of

28:58 ↗ money on out of my pocket in a time that

29:00 ↗ was that was so much was so challenging

29:02 ↗ so I love that we can continue to

29:06 ↗ consider this important and uh as long

29:08 ↗ as we have folks who continue to want to

29:10 ↗ serve the city and help maintain this

29:13 ↗ this really important aspect of our

29:15 ↗ community that I'm supportive of of

29:18 ↗ continuing to do that so

29:21 ↗ um I guess I will move

29:23 ↗ um to proceed with changes to IMC 2.20

29:27 ↗ Cemetery board to update the duties and

29:29 ↗ responsibilities of the board and make

29:31 ↗ other changes as recommended by the

29:33 ↗ cemetery Board second

29:36 ↗ any discussion

29:38 ↗ all in favor

29:40 ↗ aye aye opposed abstentions that carries

29:45 ↗ three to zero and now do we want to have

29:47 ↗ it come back on uh consent or did we

29:51 ↗ have a recommendation from the

29:52 ↗ administration

29:54 ↗ City administrator generally if it's

29:56 ↗ unanimous a committee consent is often

29:58 ↗ an option

30:01 ↗ council member Joe personally I think

30:03 ↗ that our

30:05 ↗ council members do a great job reading

30:08 ↗ their packets

30:09 ↗ um and so I believe that it could come

30:12 ↗ back on consent and if people do have

30:14 ↗ questions they would pull it down

30:16 ↗ all right I'm seeing agreement so we're

30:18 ↗ asking that to be uh taken back on

30:21 ↗ consent or brought back to the full

30:22 ↗ Council on consent all right thank you

30:25 ↗ very much uh and thank you um staff and

30:29 ↗ member members of the community that

30:31 ↗ were here for this this evening

30:33 ↗ uh including Randy darst

30:36 ↗ we will now move on to ID one three four

30:39 ↗ five Arts Grant recommendations from our

30:42 ↗ own Amy Dukes arts program administrator

30:46 ↗ welcome

30:48 ↗ foreign

31:08 ↗ hopefully that is the hardest part good

31:10 ↗ evening council members I'm Amy Dukes

31:12 ↗ the arts program administrator for the

31:14 ↗ City of Issaquah and I'm here tonight to

31:17 ↗ present to you the 2023 Arts Grant

31:19 ↗ recommendations via the Arts Commission

31:24 ↗ and so there are some beautiful pictures

31:27 ↗ to accompany just to let you know

31:28 ↗ everything that is pictured in this

31:30 ↗ presentation are things that were

31:31 ↗ supported by the Arts Commission in

31:33 ↗ their funding in 2022.

31:38 ↗ and really here just to get direction

31:40 ↗ from you all about placement to help

31:44 ↗ move forward the allocation of the Arts

31:47 ↗ grants

31:51 ↗ so just to give a quick background of

31:54 ↗ the purpose of the Arts grants every

31:57 ↗ year for decades the Arts commission has

32:00 ↗ opened a open call for applications

32:03 ↗ to help support Community Arts programs

32:06 ↗ for the community for visitors and

32:10 ↗ really to make a vibrant cultural scene

32:12 ↗ in Issaquah I'm really hoping to support

32:16 ↗ things that are providing meaningful

32:18 ↗ Arts engagement really letting people

32:20 ↗ experience something unique I'm really

32:23 ↗ hopeful that they are all of the

32:26 ↗ programs collectively are reaching all

32:28 ↗ types of people every type of Community

32:30 ↗ member that we have age ability and

32:33 ↗ otherwise we really look for for

32:38 ↗ opportunities to support the cultural

32:40 ↗ diversity of the community and things

32:43 ↗ that really help build our creative and

32:45 ↗ vibrant Arts community and then also

32:48 ↗ it's really important we feel that our

32:51 ↗ commission to support our Arts sector

32:54 ↗ and our our artists that make us a qua

32:56 ↗ home and so really looking for for

33:00 ↗ projects that also provide opportunities

33:03 ↗ to keep them sustainable

33:07 ↗ so this year actually in order to sort

33:10 ↗ of clean up things a little bit and make

33:11 ↗ them more clear the Arts grants were

33:14 ↗ divided into categories so that Arts

33:16 ↗ partnership category is really intended

33:19 ↗ to support those Arts organizations that

33:21 ↗ call Issaquah home and we hear time and

33:25 ↗ time again from them that what they

33:26 ↗ really truly need is just general

33:29 ↗ support for for their mission of

33:32 ↗ producing arts for the community and so

33:36 ↗ this this grant realm was the first one

33:39 ↗ that we allowed kind of a general

33:41 ↗ operating Arts support

33:44 ↗ request and that could be up to 10 of

33:46 ↗ their operating budget we are based on

33:49 ↗ some feedback from this first round we

33:51 ↗ are going to adjust that some we

33:53 ↗ actually only have one Arts organization

33:55 ↗ that felt that this was an attractive

33:57 ↗ option for them so I think we do need to

34:00 ↗ adjust you know a lot of our Arts

34:02 ↗ organizations our volunteer only and so

34:05 ↗ their budgets are very small um so we'll

34:08 ↗ be looking at that and then Arts

34:10 ↗ projects this

34:12 ↗ was also new so we maxed those requests

34:16 ↗ at five thousand dollars and really were

34:18 ↗ intended to support requests coming from

34:21 ↗ organizations who didn't do not have

34:23 ↗ Arts as their primary Mission and this

34:26 ↗ is actually the majority of groups that

34:29 ↗ provide Arts programs in Issaquah we

34:31 ↗ have a very small arts and culture

34:33 ↗ organization Community but we have a lot

34:35 ↗ of Civic and other types of

34:37 ↗ organizations that provide an arts

34:39 ↗ program as part of their offerings for

34:43 ↗ example Dia friends of Lake Sammamish

34:46 ↗ and organizations like that so we

34:49 ↗ thought it would be better to have these

34:51 ↗ as Arts projects so we could really see

34:53 ↗ the budget that is specifically tied to

34:57 ↗ that art project and that worked out

34:59 ↗ really well this year

35:01 ↗ and then finally

35:03 ↗ um

35:03 ↗ we also kind of made some significant

35:07 ↗ revisions to the Arts and schools

35:09 ↗ program so the max request for that is

35:11 ↗ twenty five hundred dollars but we are

35:13 ↗ going to moving forward limited to

35:15 ↗ schools that are either in the city

35:17 ↗ limits or who serve a majority of

35:20 ↗ Issaquah residents in their school and

35:23 ↗ that we also are going to move the

35:26 ↗ request time period for that and better

35:28 ↗ align that program with the academic

35:30 ↗ calendar which should really make for a

35:34 ↗ more effective program so you will see

35:37 ↗ in the recommendations a set aside bless

35:39 ↗ you for um for the schools program and

35:43 ↗ we have estimated although we do still

35:46 ↗ need to verify but we have estimated

35:48 ↗ that there are 10 schools within the

35:50 ↗ district that fit that criteria and and

35:54 ↗ so we've set aside enough funding if all

35:56 ↗ of them should request

36:01 ↗ um and so just to give you quickly the

36:03 ↗ criteria that the Arts commission uses

36:05 ↗ so we have three main criteria

36:09 ↗ um and all of the applications were

36:11 ↗ scored based on this criteria public

36:14 ↗ benefit so serving the community in a

36:18 ↗ way that's meaningful and also

36:20 ↗ measurable artistic value that there is

36:24 ↗ a truly artistic component to the

36:26 ↗ project that has a value to our

36:29 ↗ residents and visitors and then the

36:32 ↗ managerial capacity and feasibility we

36:35 ↗ do have the grant program on a

36:38 ↗ reimbursement basis so that does require

36:40 ↗ that the organization is able to front

36:43 ↗ the expense and be reimbursed and also

36:46 ↗ we're trying to make our Contracting

36:49 ↗ process more streamlined and easy but it

36:52 ↗ is a bit of paperwork so we just want to

36:55 ↗ make sure that organizations are able to

36:56 ↗ manage that

36:59 ↗ so with those criteria the Arts

37:02 ↗ commissioners

37:04 ↗ did a fabulous job of evaluating I hope

37:07 ↗ you can read that it's very small

37:09 ↗ evaluating all of the applications and

37:11 ↗ scoring them

37:12 ↗ and then they they uh sort of created a

37:17 ↗ cut off point so anything that scored 11

37:20 ↗ or above out of 15 was recommended for

37:23 ↗ funding so you'll see just a couple did

37:25 ↗ not meet that threshold

37:28 ↗ um so we're still getting uh

37:30 ↗ we're still getting back organizations

37:33 ↗ into the fold and you know we definitely

37:36 ↗ did lose some organizations projects at

37:39 ↗ least maybe not the organization but

37:40 ↗ just their capacity to do an arts

37:42 ↗ project

37:43 ↗ um during these last couple of years so

37:45 ↗ um the load of applications was a little

37:49 ↗ bit lighter than it has been

37:51 ↗ before covid

37:54 ↗ I'm gonna need to put glasses on

37:56 ↗ so the recommendations are 138

38:00 ↗ 380 dollars for the arts project support

38:04 ↗ and the Arts partnership support and

38:08 ↗ then twenty five thousand dollars

38:09 ↗ Holding Out for that program that we'll

38:11 ↗ administer later in the year for a total

38:14 ↗ Grant recommendation of 163

38:17 ↗ 380 dollars

38:22 ↗ and there's just a quick visual of how

38:25 ↗ that breaks out so as you can see the

38:27 ↗ Arts projects category is up is the very

38:30 ↗ is large by quite a margin

38:35 ↗ and just to quickly

38:37 ↗ um let you know how we got here we

38:39 ↗ released the application in November of

38:41 ↗ 22. the deadline was December 9th of

38:44 ↗ 2022. the Arts commission held two Grant

38:47 ↗ review meetings that were well attended

38:49 ↗ by the public on January 9th and

38:51 ↗ actually just last Wednesday on the 18th

38:53 ↗ and then we're here tonight and hopeful

38:56 ↗ to be placed on a council agenda once

38:59 ↗ these Grant recommendations are approved

39:01 ↗ we would move to Contracting all funded

39:05 ↗ projects and organizations do get a site

39:08 ↗ visit by at least one if not more Arts

39:10 ↗ Commissioners we do a data collection

39:15 ↗ um around the metrics that they identify

39:18 ↗ as important to their project and then

39:20 ↗ of course we always like to celebrate

39:21 ↗ and promote their work

39:25 ↗ so again the direction that I'm seeking

39:28 ↗ tonight is just how to move these

39:29 ↗ forward in the process and I do want to

39:31 ↗ acknowledge there are Arts Commissioners

39:34 ↗ on WebEx joining us tonight so Arts

39:38 ↗ commission chair Tracy mahadeo and arts

39:41 ↗ commissioner Bridget agabra and I don't

39:43 ↗ know if they might want to say something

39:47 ↗ I have a question

39:49 ↗ um when you mention about celebrating uh

39:52 ↗ our art how do we how do we done that in

39:55 ↗ past years long ago we would talk a

39:58 ↗ little bit about uh art projects

40:00 ↗ specifically that were being funded but

40:03 ↗ uh nowadays like for our 2022 I saw some

40:06 ↗ some amazing uh painting in there how

40:10 ↗ would I find out more about how yeah so

40:12 ↗ we definitely promote everything

40:15 ↗ um via all of the city's channels we try

40:19 ↗ really hard to promote before the fact

40:21 ↗ so that residents know usually that's

40:24 ↗ via the e-news and most I should note

40:28 ↗ that most things in this recommendation

40:31 ↗ list are free and open to the public

40:34 ↗ um you know there's obviously some

40:35 ↗ exceptions like Village Theater requires

40:38 ↗ a ticket for many of its activities but

40:40 ↗ most of these are just free and open

40:41 ↗ community events so we like to promote

40:44 ↗ them beforehand so people know to

40:45 ↗ participate and then we we will also

40:49 ↗ take pictures when we're there and

40:51 ↗ promote via our social media and and

40:54 ↗ other opportunities so

40:58 ↗ okay so uh social media websites that

41:02 ↗ kind of stuff I was just looking to try

41:04 ↗ to see if I could find things that had

41:05 ↗ been done in in 2022. it's not obvious

41:08 ↗ to me how you how you find I mean we

41:10 ↗ have a section on public art I suppose

41:13 ↗ but that doesn't I mean

41:16 ↗ yeah it's some of those things have been

41:17 ↗ around for a while yes um we do list all

41:21 ↗ the organizations that we Fund

41:24 ↗ in some years past we have provided

41:26 ↗ links to all of the projects and

41:28 ↗ programs that have some challenges

41:30 ↗ sometimes because it does require that

41:31 ↗ they keep the links up on their end too

41:34 ↗ but I'd say it's more Dynamic and that

41:38 ↗ it is more in that social media Realm

41:42 ↗ um okay I mean it just seems like

41:45 ↗ there's an opportunity to

41:47 ↗ um you know sort of celebrate the art

41:49 ↗ and unfortunately you know we live in a

41:52 ↗ universe where not everybody understands

41:54 ↗ art I I you know I think it's an

41:56 ↗ important thing to invest in as a

41:58 ↗ community but I think having some uh

42:01 ↗ ability to show folks what

42:03 ↗ happens in a given year the kinds of

42:05 ↗ things that we fund I think would be

42:07 ↗ important and this this does feel like

42:08 ↗ you could use a little freshening yeah I

42:11 ↗ think that we would like to create more

42:14 ↗ of a report about what's funded and make

42:17 ↗ a more Dynamic digital promotion as well

42:20 ↗ as website and but then I also do know

42:25 ↗ from our funded groups that they really

42:27 ↗ do appreciate the social media

42:29 ↗ promotion and that they get a lot of

42:32 ↗ followers and and new people engaged

42:34 ↗ that way so

42:36 ↗ I just think it's a great way to uh

42:38 ↗ promote the art in the in the community

42:40 ↗ yeah when you like when you say social

42:42 ↗ media like what what kinds of social

42:44 ↗ media are you talking about mostly

42:46 ↗ Instagram

42:48 ↗ um some Facebook but Instagram really

42:50 ↗ seems to be the platform that is most um

42:53 ↗ vibrant for this type of I thought you

42:56 ↗ were going to say that and I don't know

42:57 ↗ how to use Instagram I have to confess I

43:00 ↗ don't want to leave you out so that's

43:02 ↗ important well I just know people are

43:04 ↗ moving into things like Instagram and

43:06 ↗ Tick Tock and all sorts of things that I

43:07 ↗ don't know how to use but that's

43:09 ↗ unfortunate we also have asked in our

43:12 ↗ application for groups to consider

43:15 ↗ cataloging and

43:18 ↗ um and taking video during their

43:20 ↗ projects so that they can share it so

43:22 ↗ some so a lot of times things that are

43:24 ↗ funded were not necessarily

43:26 ↗ um you know the only promoter of so they

43:29 ↗ themselves are also out there

43:31 ↗ promoting them on their end and we do

43:34 ↗ require that they include that the Arts

43:38 ↗ Commission in the City of Issaquah has

43:41 ↗ funded their project so there's a little

43:43 ↗ bit more acknowledgment there too got it

43:46 ↗ but thank you for those recommendations

43:49 ↗ oh City administrator yeah I just wanted

43:52 ↗ to amplify the last Point Amy made you

43:54 ↗ know every uh Patron who comes to a

43:57 ↗ village theater event opens a program

43:59 ↗ and sees brought to you by the City of

44:01 ↗ Issaquah

44:02 ↗ good so I think that those kind of

44:05 ↗ things are very important so people come

44:06 ↗ from outside the community to enjoy

44:08 ↗ events we may not be the producer of the

44:12 ↗ activity but we were listed as sponsors

44:14 ↗ and so I think people make that

44:16 ↗ connection as well good so the thousands

44:18 ↗ I'm not sure how many thousands

44:20 ↗ generally come annually to a village

44:22 ↗ theater event but you feel every time

44:24 ↗ they open a program or you go to their

44:26 ↗ website uh the city logo is prominently

44:29 ↗ displayed so I think that that in of

44:31 ↗ itself is a is an important connection

44:33 ↗ and I'll add to that um because I I just

44:35 ↗ became a subscriber to Village Theater

44:37 ↗ this year that they also give

44:39 ↗ acknowledgment from the stage to the

44:40 ↗ city every performance that I've been to

44:43 ↗ so that's nice I know Seattle

44:44 ↗ Shakespeare when they do the Shakespeare

44:46 ↗ in the park they give a big shout out to

44:48 ↗ Larson so that's one of the reasons that

44:51 ↗ we have site visitors too just to make

44:53 ↗ sure that that's being treated

44:55 ↗ accurately

44:59 ↗ uh council member D Michelle

45:03 ↗ well it is I'm sure you know my concern

45:05 ↗ always is do we have enough money in uh

45:08 ↗ during the budgeting process last year

45:11 ↗ was noted by several council members

45:13 ↗ that the Arts fund is uh diminishing uh

45:17 ↗ because we've had some theaters close it

45:20 ↗ was really a result of the pandemic and

45:23 ↗ the uh you know lack of Arts activities

45:25 ↗ during those two years so

45:28 ↗ um

45:28 ↗ I am going to presume and maybe you can

45:31 ↗ correct me but the two 2500 limit the

45:34 ↗ five thousand dollar limit and so forth

45:35 ↗ I presume we're

45:37 ↗ levels that were Set uh based on the

45:40 ↗ capacity of the Arts fund is that

45:42 ↗ correct and that's correct so yes

45:46 ↗ and so

45:48 ↗ um and so by setting those limits then

45:50 ↗ we don't know what people might have

45:53 ↗ applied for if they had had a an

45:55 ↗ open-ended Grant and so it it uh you and

45:59 ↗ this is not a criticism it's just a

46:02 ↗ concern that we're not capturing maybe

46:06 ↗ what the total need is in the community

46:09 ↗ for Arts programming and also

46:13 ↗ um what we might be able to obtain if we

46:16 ↗ had a more robust Arts fund and and so

46:20 ↗ that's a concern of mine and I'm hoping

46:23 ↗ that we'll be looking at that more

46:25 ↗ intensely in the future that might be a

46:27 ↗ question for the city administrator and

46:30 ↗ not not Amy so

46:34 ↗ absolutely as we said during the budget

46:36 ↗ process for 23-24 the administration

46:40 ↗ doesn't see tying just the revenue from

46:44 ↗ the uh the tax that we collect on the

46:47 ↗ ticket most picture tickets other

46:50 ↗ amusements to this so we'll have another

46:52 ↗ discussion we committed for this cycle

46:55 ↗ to fund it at the level we have been and

46:57 ↗ I think as we move into budget

46:59 ↗ discussions into the future we'll ask

47:01 ↗ the council how far do you want to go

47:03 ↗ I think that's an open question for the

47:06 ↗ council to consider

47:08 ↗ we are currently scheduled to come back

47:11 ↗ to you to have that discussion at our

47:13 ↗ committee

47:14 ↗ um this spring

47:18 ↗ or summer or summer yeah

47:21 ↗ yeah I think as long as we're planning

47:25 ↗ to have that discussion that

47:27 ↗ um

47:28 ↗ um and I you also brought up the

47:29 ↗ reimbursement uh

47:31 ↗ aspect of the grants that we give and

47:34 ↗ and I have some ideas about how we might

47:37 ↗ handle that especially with there's

47:39 ↗ organizations on this list to get grants

47:42 ↗ from this year after year after year and

47:44 ↗ obviously have demonstrated their

47:45 ↗ ability to manage a grant and so I'd

47:48 ↗ like us to look at that and see how we

47:49 ↗ might rethink

47:51 ↗ how we handle those groups that have

47:55 ↗ obviously been providing us with service

47:57 ↗ for quite some time so anyway

48:00 ↗ um you know great job and

48:02 ↗ um those are my concerns maybe not my

48:05 ↗ questions but my concerns about the

48:08 ↗ future of uh Arts here in Issaquah so

48:11 ↗ thanks thanks I appreciate your very

48:14 ↗ thoughtful comments

48:16 ↗ council member Joe thank you chairman

48:19 ↗ um with respect to the question about

48:21 ↗ reporting

48:22 ↗ has there been any consideration of

48:25 ↗ maybe well let me start with this first

48:27 ↗ just in the interest of full disclosure

48:30 ↗ I'm on the board for the garage a teen

48:31 ↗ Cafe so so my colleagues know that and

48:35 ↗ if we need to

48:36 ↗ cut out that piece as a voting piece we

48:39 ↗ can do that et cetera et cetera but to

48:42 ↗ my question has there been any

48:44 ↗ consideration I think that council

48:46 ↗ member D Michelle was on to a point

48:48 ↗ where

48:49 ↗ organizations have been getting funding

48:51 ↗ from us for a number of years and I was

48:54 ↗ wondering in the PDC if you are under a

48:57 ↗ certain dollar amount you're on a short

48:58 ↗ form for reporting whereas if you're

49:01 ↗ over a certain amount you have to do all

49:03 ↗ the reporting and all the all the

49:04 ↗ different

49:05 ↗ um you know full disclosure type things

49:07 ↗ I'm wondering if there might be some

49:10 ↗ consideration of having a short form for

49:13 ↗ organizations that might meet some

49:15 ↗ criteria that we would set so that we

49:18 ↗ know them as an organization we have

49:20 ↗ worked with them and so it'd be easier

49:23 ↗ for those organizations while still

49:25 ↗ adhering to I think that the items that

49:28 ↗ the finance committee want us to have in

49:30 ↗ there for the um issues of an audit and

49:34 ↗ what have you so just throw that out

49:36 ↗ there for consideration by staff and the

49:38 ↗ administration my other question perhaps

49:41 ↗ is for uh City administrator Bob kowitz

49:45 ↗ um

49:46 ↗ I see that the Downtown issca

49:48 ↗ Association is receiving quite a bit of

49:51 ↗ of uh support this year and

49:55 ↗ um

49:56 ↗ do they still have an mou out there that

49:59 ↗ we have not signed with them and are

50:02 ↗ they just two separate buckets of money

50:04 ↗ so that it's it's a apple orange type

50:07 ↗ thing if you could kind of give me a

50:10 ↗ little bit of background there

50:11 ↗ sure

50:12 ↗ um

50:13 ↗ the administration came to the the

50:15 ↗ council during the 2021 budget cycle

50:18 ↗ saying that any funds to be allocated to

50:22 ↗ the downtown Issaquah Association the

50:24 ↗ administration was going to request an

50:25 ↗ mou we spent a year uh negotiating in

50:29 ↗ mou and were unsuccessful so the

50:32 ↗ downtown Issaquah Association received

50:33 ↗ no money from the City of Issaquah

50:35 ↗ during 2022. we continue to discuss an

50:39 ↗ mou for 2023 and have yet to resolve

50:43 ↗ that so that is where that is

50:46 ↗ um I mean as far as the are these

50:48 ↗ different buckets of money

50:50 ↗ um yes and no

50:52 ↗ um the the mou dollars uh were coming

50:55 ↗ through a a pass-through from the real

50:58 ↗ estate transfer tax these are general

51:00 ↗ fund dollars so they are different

51:04 ↗ buckets but still things that the city

51:06 ↗ council allocates through the annual

51:08 ↗ budget process so

51:10 ↗ um

51:10 ↗ I I know that there were additional

51:13 ↗ requests that dma'd that were not funded

51:15 ↗ how many additional there was one one

51:18 ↗ additional request

51:19 ↗ um that was not funded because it felt

51:22 ↗ repetitive to another

51:23 ↗ um project so there that they were the

51:26 ↗ second largest recipient of dollars uh

51:29 ↗ as proposed this evening after Village

51:31 ↗ Theater

51:32 ↗ um you know it's our hope that we can

51:35 ↗ continue to talk with Dia and find

51:38 ↗ Opportunities to to support their

51:39 ↗ efforts

51:41 ↗ would it be within council discretion

51:44 ↗ to ask the administration to consider

51:46 ↗ whether or not one it's legal for us to

51:48 ↗ hold these funds back and if it might be

51:51 ↗ appropriate to hold these funds back

51:52 ↗ until an mou is signed in other words

51:54 ↗ using all of our fiscal elements or or

51:57 ↗ you know tools that we have I think it's

52:00 ↗ important that we have an mou for this

52:02 ↗ organization I think the administration

52:04 ↗ is recommending

52:06 ↗ um you know to just go ahead and let it

52:08 ↗ go through I'd certainly like to hear

52:09 ↗ that

52:11 ↗ um and but first I'll hear your thoughts

52:13 ↗ on on that

52:14 ↗ uh thank you councilmember Joe members

52:16 ↗ of the committee uh downtown Issaquah

52:19 ↗ Association is a separate non-profit if

52:21 ↗ they do not wish to uh abide by any

52:24 ↗ terms and conditions that the city might

52:26 ↗ place on dollars I think that's their

52:28 ↗ business and if they can operate without

52:30 ↗ City support

52:32 ↗ um I mean good for them I think it's

52:35 ↗ important to provide Arts opportunities

52:37 ↗ in the community they have demonstrated

52:39 ↗ the ability to do that and so in this

52:41 ↗ instance with the grants I'm not sure

52:43 ↗ how much that they've received in past

52:45 ↗ years but certainly have received they

52:47 ↗ did receive 32 500 last year so this

52:51 ↗ does represent a small decrease so they

52:53 ↗ they seem to be pretty flush

52:55 ↗ um you know I think the question just is

52:57 ↗ what's the role of the city in that

53:00 ↗ um in that so it's up to the council I

53:02 ↗ don't think there's any law legal issues

53:04 ↗ here I think it's really a policy

53:05 ↗ question if the council wished to

53:08 ↗ withdraw the this funding for idea uh

53:12 ↗ pending an additional mou I mean that's

53:14 ↗ a policy question for the council but at

53:16 ↗ this point that's not what the

53:17 ↗ administration is recommending I I think

53:19 ↗ we feel comfortable moving forward with

53:21 ↗ the Arts dollars I mean it's unfortunate

53:24 ↗ in some respects I think that you know

53:27 ↗ certainly many main streets around

53:28 ↗ America uh benefit from that additional

53:32 ↗ Public Funding if we have one that

53:33 ↗ doesn't have a need for that funding

53:35 ↗ then that's great and you know perhaps

53:37 ↗ in future years we look and see if

53:39 ↗ there's if there's not a need for Arts

53:41 ↗ funding either then that can go to

53:42 ↗ others I think as councilmember D

53:44 ↗ Michelle said there's certainly need and

53:46 ↗ if DIA is not an organization that has

53:48 ↗ that need in future years then there are

53:50 ↗ probably other organizations that'd be

53:52 ↗ happy to submit proposals for those

53:54 ↗ dollars okay

53:56 ↗ um I'm just wondering not for the this

53:59 ↗ forum but if we could put a request into

54:03 ↗ our City attorney to outline the

54:07 ↗ liability dangers that we have by not

54:09 ↗ having an mou in place with the Downtown

54:12 ↗ Association just so

54:14 ↗ um I can be informed and be able to make

54:16 ↗ some some good decisions on this I don't

54:18 ↗ think we need to I'm asking for that

54:20 ↗ before this comes back to council I

54:23 ↗ agree with the account the

54:24 ↗ administration recommendation to go

54:25 ↗ ahead and approve those funds but as per

54:29 ↗ as a council member responsible

54:30 ↗ fiduciary responsibility I'd just like

54:32 ↗ to know that for liability purposes for

54:35 ↗ the city certainly and and let me once

54:37 ↗ again stress that we are not making that

54:40 ↗ General payment so there is no liability

54:43 ↗ there are other agreements so for Dia to

54:45 ↗ receive the dollars that are before you

54:47 ↗ there will be a separate agreement which

54:49 ↗ is reviewed by the City attorney I'm

54:51 ↗ happy to make the requests of the City

54:52 ↗ attorney regardless

54:54 ↗ of your regardless I will ask the City

54:57 ↗ attorney to opine more broadly and if

54:59 ↗ this comes back you'll also have to

55:01 ↗ decide this is a regular consent item uh

55:04 ↗ we'll make sure it comes back

55:05 ↗ great yeah I think I'm just asking for

55:07 ↗ you know

55:08 ↗ do we have liability right now the way

55:10 ↗ we're operating

55:11 ↗ without an mou in place and and just if

55:16 ↗ we're okay and and because we don't have

55:18 ↗ an agreement we don't have any liability

55:19 ↗ I'm just concerned there might be other

55:22 ↗ things that we haven't closely examined

55:24 ↗ it and so again it's not a request for

55:27 ↗ an extensive white paper or anything

55:29 ↗ like that but just so that we as a

55:32 ↗ council are able to understand the

55:36 ↗ liability for the city but I do agree

55:37 ↗ with the the administration

55:39 ↗ recommendation to go ahead with these

55:41 ↗ funds

55:42 ↗ um and I don't think a requirement for

55:45 ↗ an Miu would necessarily be appropriate

55:47 ↗ as it seems that they're from two

55:48 ↗ different buckets so to speak thank you

55:52 ↗ council member G Michelle

55:54 ↗ uh Council memory Joe's comments

55:56 ↗ reminded me that I also needed to say

55:58 ↗ that I am chairman of the board for

56:00 ↗ influence to choice and I had checked

56:03 ↗ with the city attorney earlier

56:06 ↗ um on the same issue of recusing myself

56:08 ↗ from votes and her conclusion was that

56:12 ↗ since I don't receive any personal

56:13 ↗ benefit from the grant that it was okay

56:17 ↗ for me to vote on it and I I would

56:19 ↗ presume that would also apply to council

56:21 ↗ member Joe as well but I do think for

56:23 ↗ transparency that I would like people to

56:26 ↗ know that I'm in that position with

56:27 ↗ influence of choice thank you

56:32 ↗ all right uh I will ask at this point if

56:36 ↗ we do we have any other questions

56:39 ↗ uh is there anything more that you want

56:41 ↗ to present

56:43 ↗ um I have concluded my presentation I

56:45 ↗ just um if the either of the Arts

56:47 ↗ Commissioners who are um joining us

56:49 ↗ would like to say something

56:54 ↗ uh uh oh all right

56:57 ↗ um well do we have any members of the

56:59 ↗ public that wish to speak at this time

57:01 ↗ chair Joe both of our virtual attendees

57:04 ↗ are members of the Arts commission and

57:06 ↗ previous polling of them has indicated

57:08 ↗ that uh neither of them have comments at

57:10 ↗ this time all right right and as we have

57:13 ↗ no members of the public that aren't

57:15 ↗ City staffers I think we can safely go

57:17 ↗ to deliberation of this uh item so

57:23 ↗ council member Joe thank you I'm in full

57:26 ↗ support of the recommended amounts I'm

57:29 ↗ just going to touch on

57:32 ↗ um

57:32 ↗ how the programs are significant to

57:35 ↗ the way that I feel about our community

57:38 ↗ and and I'll just point to the the

57:40 ↗ Veterans Day event that is being funded

57:42 ↗ up at the Highlands I had the pleasure

57:45 ↗ of attending that event this past

57:47 ↗ November and to see the Girl Scouts up

57:52 ↗ there

57:53 ↗ preparing the facility welcoming the

57:56 ↗ veterans that come in making them feel

57:59 ↗ appreciated and at home was just

58:04 ↗ something that that wore in my heart so

58:06 ↗ to speak and I think that for the amount

58:09 ↗ that's in there the return that we get

58:11 ↗ in terms of of both contrib

58:14 ↗ contributions from young people who are

58:16 ↗ going to be adults tied into our

58:18 ↗ community in the future and those

58:19 ↗ veterans that have come back from

58:21 ↗ service wherever in the world they they

58:24 ↗ were called to I think it's just a great

58:26 ↗ Synergy and and helps

58:29 ↗ helps really

58:31 ↗ diversify the the the the community and

58:34 ↗ make us a richer community in there so

58:36 ↗ I'm in full support of the

58:38 ↗ recommendations

58:41 ↗ council member G Michelle

58:43 ↗ thank you uh before I start my remarks I

58:46 ↗ just want to say that I did have the

58:48 ↗ privilege of working with Amy Dukes when

58:51 ↗ I was a member of the Arts commission

58:52 ↗ for years and just want to commend her

58:55 ↗ and say what a very fine administrator

58:57 ↗ you are of the Arts uh

59:00 ↗ the new signs on the Front Street for

59:04 ↗ the creative District are just fantastic

59:06 ↗ so there's always something I catch

59:09 ↗ something I see something and I think in

59:11 ↗ their Amy's fingerprints are all over

59:13 ↗ that so thank you so much for all that

59:15 ↗ you do for the Arts

59:18 ↗ um I too will approve this

59:19 ↗ recommendation and I'm really glad to

59:21 ↗ hear that we're going to have a wider

59:23 ↗ conversation about the Arts I always

59:26 ↗ like to emphasize that our investment in

59:29 ↗ arts is also an investment in Business

59:31 ↗ Development and Tourism and leads to the

59:36 ↗ Vitality of this District of this

59:38 ↗ District of this community and also is a

59:42 ↗ tremendous way for bringing people

59:43 ↗ together

59:44 ↗ from all different kinds of backgrounds

59:47 ↗ and points of view to enjoy the Arts

59:50 ↗ together so it's kind of the glue that

59:53 ↗ holds a lot of our community together

59:55 ↗ and so I always see these Investments as

59:59 ↗ just told vital to our community and I

1:00:03 ↗ was also very pleased to see the wide

1:00:05 ↗ range of grants that are being awarded

1:00:07 ↗ this year so absolutely 100 percent

1:00:10 ↗ approve this moving forward and thank

1:00:13 ↗ you for all your work and the work of

1:00:14 ↗ the Arts commission which I you know

1:00:17 ↗ having gone through it I know how many

1:00:19 ↗ hours go into reviewing all those grand

1:00:21 ↗ Grant applications so thanks to them too

1:00:24 ↗ and please extend our thanks to them

1:00:26 ↗ thank

1:00:28 ↗ and with that I will move that this

1:00:32 ↗ committee uh recommends that the agenda

1:00:36 ↗ build representing the 2023 Arts Grant

1:00:39 ↗ allocation be brought to the city

1:00:40 ↗ council at the February 6 2023 council

1:00:44 ↗ meeting second

1:00:46 ↗ think we've had our conversation I am a

1:00:49 ↗ huge supporter of the Arts and I'm happy

1:00:52 ↗ that we live in a community that can

1:00:55 ↗ make some public investment in the art

1:00:56 ↗ and like I said the part of that part of

1:01:00 ↗ that for me is definitely the education

1:01:02 ↗ out in the community and I would love to

1:01:04 ↗ see if we have opportunities in the

1:01:06 ↗ future to sort of Leverage that and and

1:01:09 ↗ do some Outreach with our community and

1:01:11 ↗ help introduce art into the community

1:01:13 ↗ because not everybody has spent a bunch

1:01:16 ↗ of time with art since they were in you

1:01:18 ↗ know Middle School

1:01:19 ↗ which for some of us was more than a few

1:01:22 ↗ years ago

1:01:23 ↗ so uh no further discussion there for uh

1:01:28 ↗ all in favor say aye aye

1:01:30 ↗ opposed

1:01:32 ↗ abstentions that carries three to zero

1:01:34 ↗ and did the administration have a

1:01:37 ↗ recommendation of whether this came back

1:01:38 ↗ on regular or consent

1:01:41 ↗ I I think if we're able to answer

1:01:43 ↗ councilmember Joe's questions off agenda

1:01:45 ↗ there's probably no reason this can't be

1:01:46 ↗ on consent okay let's send it on consent

1:01:50 ↗ and uh if there are still questions

1:01:52 ↗ people can can address them at that time

1:01:56 ↗ all right I believe that is it for our

1:01:59 ↗ agenda this evening

1:02:01 ↗ um uh hold on a second let me just go to

1:02:04 ↗ let me just double check that and you

1:02:07 ↗ never know if you had any surprises that

1:02:10 ↗ you didn't think of nope are there any

1:02:11 ↗ announcements from any uh committee

1:02:13 ↗ members Just one thought uh as this

1:02:16 ↗ committee has jurisdiction over the uh

1:02:18 ↗ police department and Public Safety uh I

1:02:21 ↗ would just ask we kind of keep an eye on

1:02:24 ↗ the legislative uh items that are going

1:02:26 ↗ through concerning Pursuits and reducing

1:02:29 ↗ the level of making a decision to pursue

1:02:32 ↗ from probable cause down to Reasonable

1:02:34 ↗ Suspicion I think that'll have an impact

1:02:37 ↗ on the safety in our community and some

1:02:39 ↗ of the crime issues that we're seeing at

1:02:42 ↗ some of our big retailers so let's throw

1:02:44 ↗ that out there for monitoring as we go

1:02:46 ↗ forward this year

1:02:49 ↗ anything else

1:02:51 ↗ all right thank you with that we are

1:02:53 ↗ adjourned at 7 33 p.m thank you everyone

1:02:56 ↗ out there at home and have a great

1:02:58 ↗ evening

Approved minutes

Extracted from the next meeting's packet, where this meeting's minutes were approved as a consent-calendar attachment.

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Motions and votes (2)

approve the minutes as presented. Passed 3 – 0. AGENDA ITEMS a) ID 1317 Amendments to IMC 2.20, Cemetery Code After the staff presentation, no one spoke at public comment. Committee comments included the following:  The committee agreed with the staff proposal.  The cemetery holds much history.  …

Moved by CM de Michele ( · seconded by CM Joe)

the full Council for placement on the consent calendar. Passed 3 – 0. ID 1345 Arts Grant Recommendations After the staff presentation, no one spoke at public comment. Committee comments included the following:  The committee agreed with the staff funding recommendations.  Investment in the arts in…

Moved by Chair Marts ( · seconded by CM de Michele) to approve the staff recommendation and forward