Park Board · Monday, August 24, 2020 · City Council Digest

1. CALL TO ORDER

Membership

packet pp.3

Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

Park Board About Staff Liaison Created in 1983, this board provides guidance and Milissa Ching, Operations Analyst direction in meeting the City’s parks and Email recreational needs by advising the Mayor and Parks & Recreation Director on matters relating to the Regular Members planning; acquisition, development; and operation 2022 - Bradley Book of parks, facilities and recreational programs inside 2022 - Ruben Nieto the City limits. 2022 - Jonathan Richardson 2022 - Linda Whitworth Membership 2023 - Chris Kovac The Park Board is comprised of nine regular 2020 - Joe Frauenheim members, with four-year terms; and two 2020 - Carl Riess alternates, with two-year terms. All members are 2021 - Jeremy Noble appointed by the Mayor and subject to 2021 - Danielle Wolfrom Githens confirmation by the City Council. Terms expire April 30 of the year listed. For more information, see Alternate…

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of February 24, 2020

packet pp.5–6

▶ Watch from 3:58 Open packet at p.5 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 02-24-2020 Park Board Minutes Page [0000] 7:00 PM Pickering Room, 1775 12th February 24, 2020 DRAFT MINUTES Avenue NW, Issaquah WA

4. REGULAR BUSINESS

Covid Response and Recovery

Director · 30 min · Jeff Watling, Parks and Community Services · packet pp.7–120

Open packet at p.7 ↗

Staff report:

Parks & Community Services 301 Rainier Blvd. S | P.O. Box 1307 Issaquah, WA 98027 425-837-3300 issaquahwa.gov

Green Issaquah Implementation

Information · 20 min · Jennifer Fink, Park Planner and Project Administrator and Joanna Nelson de Flores, Forterra

Dog Park Update

Director and Jennifer Fink, Park Planner and · 20 min · Jeff Watling, Parks and Community Services

Topics: Parks

5. REPORTS

Chairperson's Report

▶ Watch from 1:33:38

Director's Report

▶ Watch from 1:36:58

2618 segments .txt ↗

0:03 ↗ uh

0:03 ↗ on august 24th our first

0:07 ↗ uh virtual uh park board meeting here

0:10 ↗ we're trying something new and different

0:12 ↗ and so far things are working so we'll

0:14 ↗ keep keep that working

0:18 ↗ due to the virtual format today's

0:20 ↗ meeting i'd like to start by providing

0:22 ↗ some

0:23 ↗ guidelines

0:26 ↗ we have participants here attending by

0:29 ↗ phone and video

0:31 ↗ for all meeting attendees please speak

0:34 ↗ clearly

0:35 ↗ and pause frequently state your name

0:38 ↗ each time before speaking

0:40 ↗ mute your microphone when not speaking

0:43 ↗ for those joining us by video your

0:45 ↗ microphone is muted when it is

0:47 ↗ orange use the call-in information in

0:51 ↗ the meeting invite

0:52 ↗ to call into the meeting if having any

0:54 ↗ technical issues

0:58 ↗ so for starters now we're going to begin

1:00 ↗ to take a roll call

1:02 ↗ and i'll go through all the park board

1:04 ↗ members and

1:06 ↗ as i name you please unmute yourself

1:09 ↗ and indicate here and then go ahead and

1:12 ↗ get back to mute again

1:16 ↗ uh reuben

1:21 ↗ ruben unmute

1:25 ↗ please and say here here

1:28 ↗ thank you carl

1:33 ↗ here uh chris

1:38 ↗ here marlene

1:43 ↗ here jonathan

1:50 ↗ unmute jonathan i'm here

1:54 ↗ and uh linda here

1:59 ↗ and that about covers everybody so thank

2:01 ↗ you for that

2:07 ↗ a little bit more some instructions here

2:10 ↗ um

2:11 ↗ some of this was sent out to you but i

2:13 ↗ wanted to remind everybody

2:15 ↗ i used the chat which is at the bottom

2:18 ↗ if you highlight it's uh

2:22 ↗ third one from the right it looks like

2:25 ↗ uh

2:26 ↗ and in that you can actually just type

2:29 ↗ that you have a question or a comment

2:31 ↗ this is not a place to

2:34 ↗ get lofty with whatever your question or

2:36 ↗ comment is it's only just to

2:38 ↗ alert us uh so that we can call upon

2:41 ↗ you at the appropriate time uh that's

2:45 ↗ probably more appropriate for all the

2:46 ↗ board members

2:48 ↗ because you can actually

2:51 ↗ have a question or comment throughout

2:52 ↗ the meeting i'll talk a little bit

2:54 ↗ further that that doesn't necessarily

2:56 ↗ apply to the public

2:59 ↗ [Music]

3:01 ↗ if you we actually don't have anyone

3:03 ↗ here

3:04 ↗ as board members on the phone so that

3:06 ↗ doesn't really apply

3:08 ↗ to you

3:14 ↗ um with that

3:19 ↗ i wanted to

3:23 ↗ check with everybody to make sure that

3:25 ↗ you have reviewed the minutes from our

3:27 ↗ last

3:28 ↗ formal meeting which was in february if

3:30 ↗ you can believe it i can hardly

3:32 ↗ remember maybe what that meeting was but

3:34 ↗ at least we have

3:36 ↗ a nice narrative here written up from

3:40 ↗ um

3:44 ↗ from melissa so does anybody have any

3:47 ↗ questions or

3:48 ↗ concerns or comments about our last

3:50 ↗ meeting minutes

3:53 ↗ uh if not could i have a motion

3:58 ↗ to approve the minutes in february

4:00 ↗ please

4:06 ↗ make a motion to approve the february

4:08 ↗ meeting minutes

4:09 ↗ thank you linda could i have a second

4:11 ↗ please

4:12 ↗ second

4:16 ↗ and that came from marlene was it yes

4:20 ↗ and uh we're going to do a little

4:24 ↗ review here once around the horn again

4:27 ↗ to actually approve our minutes we need

4:29 ↗ to go through this individually so

4:33 ↗ reuben could you advise if you approve

4:36 ↗ minutes

4:41 ↗ reuben i'm mute i can't okay

4:44 ↗ i approve yes okay thank you reuben

4:48 ↗ carl hey

4:51 ↗ dave uh chris

4:55 ↗ uh i wasn't present for the meeting so i

4:57 ↗ don't know

4:59 ↗ uh did you have a chance to review the

5:01 ↗ minutes uh

5:02 ↗ where okay they look so i guess approved

5:06 ↗ yes okay uh marlene

5:13 ↗ approve jonathan

5:16 ↗ approve linda

5:22 ↗ approved

5:24 ↗ and that covers everybody so meeting uh

5:27 ↗ minutes are approved thank you everyone

5:30 ↗ for that

5:30 ↗ hey brad pardon the interruption i just

5:32 ↗ wanted to note that april

5:34 ↗ craig has joined us as well hi april

5:36 ↗ hello april

5:42 ↗ april do you want to approve the minute

5:44 ↗ since you're here

5:49 ↗ you can unmute and say yes if you did

5:51 ↗ you review the minutes

5:56 ↗ you're done mute

6:06 ↗ we'll go with that

6:10 ↗ okay so we're moving on to um

6:17 ↗ public comments next before i do that i

6:19 ↗ just wanted to let everybody know what

6:21 ↗ our agenda items are this evening

6:24 ↗ we're going to be talking about the

6:25 ↗ covid response

6:27 ↗ and recovery from jeff we're going to

6:29 ↗ have a presentation on green issaquah

6:32 ↗ from jennifer and a presentation on the

6:35 ↗ dog park

6:36 ↗ update uh from jeff and jennifer

6:39 ↗ all three agenda items are informational

6:42 ↗ only

6:42 ↗ so these are kind of the early stage of

6:46 ↗ um these three agenda items and we'll

6:49 ↗ have

6:49 ↗ additional discussion in subsequent

6:52 ↗ meetings

6:54 ↗ uh that being said uh our next portion

6:57 ↗ of this

6:58 ↗ is public comments and i wanted to

7:00 ↗ provide a little bit of guidelines

7:02 ↗ because we do have several people

7:04 ↗ that have called in uh from the

7:06 ↗ community

7:08 ↗ uh sediment citizens comments are an

7:10 ↗ important part of our public process

7:12 ↗ and we take them seriously and factor

7:14 ↗ them into the decisions that we make

7:17 ↗ the members of the public joining us

7:19 ↗ welcome

7:20 ↗ and if you'd like to make comments um

7:24 ↗ you can press star 3

7:27 ↗ on your phone and um

7:32 ↗ that will then notify melissa

7:36 ↗ that you have a comment to make

7:39 ↗ and she can then unmute you for you to

7:42 ↗ then make

7:43 ↗ your comment um

7:47 ↗ if for some reason she's not able to you

7:50 ↗ can actually

7:51 ↗ hit star six which will unmute your

7:55 ↗ phone when it's time for you to make

7:58 ↗ your comment please state your name

8:00 ↗ address relationship to the city uh

8:03 ↗ speak clearly and pause frequently

8:06 ↗ please limit your comments to five

8:08 ↗ minutes and

8:10 ↗ mute your microphone when done although

8:12 ↗ my guess is

8:13 ↗ melissa will probably do that for you

8:19 ↗ and one last thing on this or

8:22 ↗ this evening's meeting we are only going

8:25 ↗ to be accepting comments from the public

8:27 ↗ uh during this open um public comment

8:32 ↗ period and not throughout the meeting uh

8:35 ↗ that does not apply obviously to the

8:37 ↗ board members but to the community

8:40 ↗ it's only open now so so speak

8:44 ↗ now or forever hold your peace i guess

8:46 ↗ is the way

8:47 ↗ we put it so that being said

8:52 ↗ um okay

8:56 ↗ thank you brad jeff would you like to

8:58 ↗ make remarks on the public comments we

9:00 ↗ received via email before

9:02 ↗ we moved to connie she is the only

9:04 ↗ public member who has her hand raised at

9:06 ↗ this time

9:09 ↗ no i think we should go to audience

9:10 ↗ comments that we've received some

9:12 ↗ comments specific to green issaquah

9:14 ↗ so i in the introduction will reference

9:17 ↗ those and we can

9:18 ↗ make sure those are put into the minutes

9:20 ↗ and i'll give a summary of those

9:22 ↗ comments at that time

9:23 ↗ thanks okay excellent so

9:26 ↗ connie i'm going to go ahead and unmute

9:28 ↗ you and you have before for five minutes

9:35 ↗ go ahead okay hi yeah i'm here

9:38 ↗ this is connie marsh and um

9:43 ↗ you have received several emails from me

9:45 ↗ about

9:46 ↗ the green partnership so

9:50 ↗ uh i'm perplexed i just went back and

9:53 ↗ tried to look up the history of the

9:55 ↗ green partnership and what the council

9:57 ↗ guidelines were for what their

9:59 ↗ expectations are

10:01 ↗ and you know i really wasn't able to dig

10:04 ↗ that out so here's

10:07 ↗ the deal for me um

10:10 ↗ an urban forest is a broad based

10:14 ↗ commitment that i think is brilliant and

10:18 ↗ i if i were to be able to vote i would

10:21 ↗ say we need a

10:22 ↗ city-wide plan uh for

10:25 ↗ an urban forest management plan

10:30 ↗ in this situation it seems like this

10:34 ↗ product is it talks a lot about urban

10:36 ↗ forest

10:37 ↗ but it's actually only about city

10:40 ↗ owned parcels that have enough trees

10:45 ↗ on them to be considered

10:48 ↗ uh forested open space

10:51 ↗ and i don't think that we can actually

10:54 ↗ get where we want to go

10:56 ↗ with that minimal of a look

10:59 ↗ so when i asked the question as to where

11:03 ↗ the parks department was headed they

11:06 ↗ were saying that we're really only

11:07 ↗ talking about the

11:08 ↗ city-owned spaces at this point in time

11:12 ↗ so i crafted most of my comments

11:15 ↗ trying to follow in line with what the

11:18 ↗ parks department was expecting

11:21 ↗ after seeing some of the letters from

11:24 ↗ other people i i i

11:28 ↗ felt i must express that i think we can

11:32 ↗ do better and more

11:33 ↗ because if that's all that we bite off

11:36 ↗ we aren't going to get

11:37 ↗ where we want to go because we have this

11:40 ↗ weave

11:41 ↗ of public and private partnership

11:45 ↗ some of it is is school some of it is

11:48 ↗ state some of it is

11:50 ↗ county and then we have these huge

11:52 ↗ masses of homeowners association

11:54 ↗ protected land and then of course we

11:57 ↗ have

11:57 ↗ our our streets and our street trees

12:01 ↗ which in the central iscope plan for

12:03 ↗ example

12:04 ↗ we were required to increase the amount

12:08 ↗ of landscaping

12:09 ↗ in order to offset all of the concrete

12:12 ↗ that we were going to be adding

12:14 ↗ or i should say impervious surface so

12:18 ↗ i would like to understand how we got

12:21 ↗ to this very narrow focus if that was

12:24 ↗ something that the council

12:25 ↗ mandated or if we can change it

12:29 ↗ now to make it something broader

12:32 ↗ if it were broader then what i could see

12:35 ↗ is i could see a

12:36 ↗ phased plan where the parks department

12:39 ↗ had

12:39 ↗ phase one and then the new

12:42 ↗ code changes for the isquad municipal

12:46 ↗ code

12:47 ↗ title 18 could be a phase two

12:50 ↗ to bring in the rules and regulations

12:52 ↗ for private development

12:53 ↗ etc so i guess what i would like to hear

12:56 ↗ is a conversation explaining

13:00 ↗ why we have to be so narrow and why we

13:03 ↗ can't do better

13:06 ↗ then dog park i have no idea because i

13:09 ↗ don't know what they're gonna say

13:11 ↗ and you've heard this before how can i

13:12 ↗ comment and what i know not

13:15 ↗ thank you all right

13:18 ↗ okay thank you connie brad i'm going to

13:20 ↗ unmute you and hand you the

13:22 ↗ thank you connie uh

13:25 ↗ perhaps uh some of your concerns

13:28 ↗ can be um discussed

13:32 ↗ uh here when we talk about uh the green

13:34 ↗ issaquah implementation

13:37 ↗ uh because there's some good thoughts

13:38 ↗ that you've you've had and i think we

13:40 ↗ do want to address it um

13:43 ↗ dog park isn't going to be anything too

13:47 ↗ significant tonight so there'll be

13:48 ↗ plenty more opportunity to comment

13:50 ↗ further on that um

13:54 ↗ was that the only public comment uh that

13:56 ↗ you were aware of melissa

13:59 ↗ yes that's the only hand raised i see at

14:01 ↗ this time

14:02 ↗ is there anybody else that's pulled in

14:04 ↗ from the community that would like to

14:06 ↗ say anything at this time

14:11 ↗ if so please raise your hand now or

14:15 ↗ you'll have to catch us on the next

14:17 ↗ meeting

14:21 ↗ anything melissa okay thank you

14:25 ↗ for all that and uh

14:28 ↗ moving forward we'll start on our first

14:30 ↗ agenda item which is uh

14:32 ↗ jeff is going to talk about uh covid

14:34 ↗ response and

14:35 ↗ recovery take it away jeff

14:39 ↗ all right thanks brad pardon me everyone

14:41 ↗ as i

14:42 ↗ go through the share my screen

14:46 ↗ effort here

14:56 ↗ how's that is the is the power point up

14:59 ↗ right now

15:02 ↗ all right i see brad's head nodding so

15:04 ↗ great okay good really

15:06 ↗ um great to see everybody um

15:10 ↗ um i don't need to go into great context

15:13 ↗ uh as a reminder that uh things have

15:16 ↗ been a little different since february

15:18 ↗ uh we've all certainly been navigating a

15:21 ↗ lot

15:21 ↗ um i hope that you and your your family

15:24 ↗ and your loved ones have

15:26 ↗ um have been navigating this and staying

15:29 ↗ healthy

15:30 ↗ as we've gone through this i wanted to

15:33 ↗ provide all of you in in this first

15:36 ↗ meeting just a bit of an overview of

15:38 ↗ what we as a department have done in

15:39 ↗ particular

15:40 ↗ um our parks and recreational uh parks

15:44 ↗ and recreation functions

15:45 ↗ um just as some context as to what we've

15:48 ↗ been up to these past

15:51 ↗ number of of months um

15:55 ↗ it's been a lot um needless to say the

15:58 ↗ the work plan that which

15:59 ↗ we were uh um mapping out and and

16:02 ↗ planning in january and february

16:04 ↗ uh changed significantly

16:07 ↗ but as we as a department

16:11 ↗ really rose to the occasion

16:16 ↗ we had a number of priorities that i

16:19 ↗ think have stayed

16:21 ↗ consistent throughout these these last

16:23 ↗ six months and will remain consistent as

16:25 ↗ i think we recognize

16:27 ↗ covet recovery is we're really in the

16:29 ↗ long game and and this is something that

16:32 ↗ we're going to be navigating through for

16:34 ↗ for a number of more

16:36 ↗ months the priorities to our approach

16:39 ↗ pretty early on

16:40 ↗ um and like i said that remains so is

16:43 ↗ first and foremost public health health

16:44 ↗ and safety of our community

16:47 ↗ our customers as well as our staff

16:50 ↗ that became really a north star

16:54 ↗ in dealing with facts and what we were

16:57 ↗ hearing from

16:58 ↗ public health in guiding us in those

17:00 ↗ early months early weeks

17:02 ↗ as we were needing to close facilities

17:04 ↗ and close some of our park amenities

17:07 ↗ another priority in our approach was

17:11 ↗ really doing what we can to ensure and

17:13 ↗ educate

17:14 ↗ safe and responsible access to our city

17:17 ↗ parks and trails

17:18 ↗ unlike a a private business a city park

17:22 ↗ doesn't have a front door that you can

17:24 ↗ lock

17:25 ↗ and doesn't have walls and so even as we

17:27 ↗ were closing amenities

17:29 ↗ even as we were doing what we could to

17:32 ↗ make sure people were appropriately do

17:35 ↗ appropriately using these spaces we

17:37 ↗ understood and knew

17:38 ↗ access was going to be there and

17:40 ↗ available and so how do we

17:43 ↗ ensure that access is

17:46 ↗ folks are being as safe and responsible

17:48 ↗ as possible

17:50 ↗ another priority to our approach uh

17:52 ↗ throughout this has been

17:53 ↗ recognizing really the role that our

17:56 ↗ parks and our facilities

17:58 ↗ um and our trails play uh in this

18:00 ↗ community and and supporting community

18:02 ↗ cove

18:03 ↗ recovery and and recognizing uh that

18:05 ↗ very access

18:06 ↗ and that ability to recreate and that

18:08 ↗ ability to

18:10 ↗ have some semblance of normal and

18:12 ↗ connect with nature

18:13 ↗ was uh an interest in term instrumental

18:16 ↗ part of the recovery

18:19 ↗ so certainly been a driving point for us

18:22 ↗ and then the last really i think method

18:27 ↗ and priority to our approach was

18:29 ↗ understanding this

18:31 ↗ desire to have rolling decision points

18:34 ↗ to understand we were going to need be

18:36 ↗ needing to make and continue to make

18:39 ↗ multiple decisions not only through

18:44 ↗ initial closure and response to covid

18:48 ↗ but now as we're in recovery

18:51 ↗ rather than taking a single point of

18:54 ↗ decision

18:55 ↗ understand that we're going to be making

18:57 ↗ multiple decisions

18:58 ↗ month after month in some cases week

19:00 ↗ after week and and that approach

19:02 ↗ really has allowed us to be agile and

19:05 ↗ and allowed ourselves to make informed

19:07 ↗ decisions

19:08 ↗ making those decisions when we have the

19:10 ↗ best

19:11 ↗ information available from public health

19:16 ↗ went the wrong way um this visual is

19:19 ↗ this represents if you've been in any of

19:21 ↗ our parks or on our trails you've seen

19:23 ↗ this

19:23 ↗ you've seen this throughout the city

19:25 ↗ pretty early on

19:27 ↗ as we were closing parks in march and

19:31 ↗ beginning to try and encourage safe and

19:34 ↗ responsible access

19:36 ↗ we worked with communications or with

19:38 ↗ our marketing folks and put

19:39 ↗ these signs together these have been um

19:42 ↗ throughout our system and throughout our

19:44 ↗ trails

19:44 ↗ um and hopefully just a visual reminder

19:47 ↗ to our community

19:49 ↗ uh that hey as you're using these spaces

19:52 ↗ yes go recreate but please

19:53 ↗ keep in mind you're doing it not just

19:56 ↗ for yourself but keep in mind the

19:57 ↗ community at large keep in mind

19:59 ↗ your loved ones at home as you're using

20:03 ↗ this space i would note that uh

20:07 ↗ often times when we put up signs in

20:09 ↗ parks um

20:10 ↗ i think a sign of of

20:13 ↗ um perhaps respect

20:16 ↗ uh for for what we're trying to

20:18 ↗ communicate from the community comes

20:19 ↗ true and how

20:20 ↗ long those signs last i mean how long

20:22 ↗ they stay up and

20:23 ↗ and these signs have certainly had

20:26 ↗ a long life span and so i i think

20:29 ↗ i've have been the community has

20:31 ↗ responded well

20:33 ↗ to using those spaces in april

20:37 ↗ as the city looked at and understood as

20:39 ↗ covid was happening

20:41 ↗ this was going to have an economic

20:42 ↗ impact on our budget

20:44 ↗ the city budget was looking at about two

20:46 ↗ a ten and a half million dollar

20:50 ↗ projected shortfall uh for 2020.

20:53 ↗ that led to some really hard hard

20:56 ↗ decisions city-wide

20:58 ↗ we as a department were

21:01 ↗ given um goals and

21:04 ↗ a need to identify reductions

21:08 ↗ those reductions led to some really

21:09 ↗ really hard decisions

21:12 ↗ that we had to make it resulted in 12

21:16 ↗ and a half of our full-time positions

21:17 ↗ have been reduced

21:19 ↗ or frozen

21:23 ↗ as well we've had a

21:27 ↗ a bit of a limitation on our part-time

21:31 ↗ and seasonal hiring for 2020 that

21:33 ↗ certainly

21:34 ↗ has impacted some of our park operations

21:36 ↗ and maintenance capabilities

21:38 ↗ as well as some of our programming some

21:42 ↗ of the operational impacts

21:44 ↗ that we are navigating through and have

21:46 ↗ been in the near term

21:48 ↗ as we're working through covid but just

21:49 ↗ something i want to quickly note

21:52 ↗ because these are going to be with us

21:53 ↗ long term as we

21:55 ↗ now shift into recovery as we shift into

21:58 ↗ normal operation whatever that is

22:00 ↗ come 2021 we're going to be operating

22:03 ↗ differently

22:04 ↗ with these reduced sizes our park

22:07 ↗ capital projects will be looking

22:08 ↗ at um a revised and a new work plan

22:13 ↗ recognizing the loss of one park planner

22:16 ↗ um chante is no longer with us

22:19 ↗ within our three recreation facilities

22:22 ↗ the community center the pool and the

22:23 ↗ senior

22:24 ↗ senior center all saw on staff

22:27 ↗ reductions

22:28 ↗ so we will be looking at reduced

22:32 ↗ operations

22:33 ↗ within those facilities

22:37 ↗ within our rental group we both we've

22:39 ↗ historically managed both the tibbetts

22:41 ↗ creek manor and the pickering barn

22:43 ↗ with the reduction of staff with our

22:45 ↗ rental group

22:46 ↗ and looking at those operational impacts

22:50 ↗ we will not be reopening

22:53 ↗ the tibbetts creek manor as as we move

22:56 ↗ forward

22:58 ↗ two of our park maintenance positions

23:00 ↗ that were vacant at the time of covid

23:02 ↗ have been frozen and that hiring freeze

23:07 ↗ is scheduled to remain through 2020

23:09 ↗ we'll see what 2021

23:11 ↗ holds but that presents a

23:14 ↗ pretty big impact uh quite a big impact

23:16 ↗ when you look at our

23:17 ↗ our ftes for park maintenance our 10 so

23:20 ↗ those two

23:21 ↗ frozen positions represent a 20

23:23 ↗ reduction

23:24 ↗ uh to our full-time staff within parker

23:27 ↗ operations

23:28 ↗ the plan is that's temporary um as

23:31 ↗ budgets

23:32 ↗ um begin to look better it's certainly

23:35 ↗ my intent our intent our goal to

23:38 ↗ rehire those uh very very important

23:41 ↗ positions

23:42 ↗ in terms of maintaining our park spaces

23:46 ↗ we also had a bit of a reorganization

23:48 ↗ within our parks

23:49 ↗ administration team with the

23:50 ↗ reclassification of our deputy director

23:53 ↗ physician to a recreation manager

23:58 ↗ so again all told a

24:03 ↗ an impact to

24:08 ↗ there we go pardon me uh just an

24:11 ↗ impact to our team um

24:14 ↗ [Music]

24:15 ↗ those types of reductions are

24:18 ↗ many businesses have certainly faced

24:20 ↗ them our

24:22 ↗ our business our operation is no uh is

24:25 ↗ no different

24:26 ↗ and um the loss of those staff or

24:29 ↗ are were is heavy and and has certainly

24:32 ↗ been

24:32 ↗ an impact to the to the team and um

24:36 ↗ to those of us that that remain um

24:39 ↗ as we started to head into may

24:42 ↗ and began to get some guidance from the

24:44 ↗ state in terms

24:46 ↗ of the safe start plan if you remember

24:48 ↗ those phases phase one through four

24:51 ↗ as that began to roll out we recognized

24:54 ↗ and recognized very early on that what

24:57 ↗ reopening looks like for

24:58 ↗ all of our different services and all of

25:00 ↗ our different facilities and parks and

25:02 ↗ amenities

25:04 ↗ we in business terms we sell a lot of

25:06 ↗ different widgets

25:07 ↗ and each of those widgets we're going to

25:10 ↗ have different rules or different

25:13 ↗ periods or phases with which uh we would

25:15 ↗ be reopening them

25:17 ↗ what you have in front of you is a

25:18 ↗ visual tool that

25:20 ↗ we worked on with communications that

25:22 ↗ tried to create a one-page

25:24 ↗ sort of synopsis of of how are we

25:27 ↗ tracking

25:28 ↗ how are we planning how are we

25:31 ↗ communicating to the community what

25:32 ↗ we're planning on

25:34 ↗ operating what we're planning on

25:37 ↗ what's currently open what we're

25:39 ↗ planning on

25:41 ↗ making a future decision on and what

25:43 ↗ have we decided to close

25:46 ↗ what this represents that's in front of

25:48 ↗ you is the update as of august 1st

25:52 ↗ as you'll see in the upper key on the

25:54 ↗ right are the three different

25:56 ↗ colors sort of this green yellow red

25:58 ↗ green being open and and we're providing

26:01 ↗ that service or that

26:02 ↗ amenity uh yellow is that future

26:05 ↗ decision point

26:06 ↗ uh we're not quite sure yet sure yet

26:08 ↗ we're not open we're not closed

26:10 ↗ um and red would be a decision we had to

26:14 ↗ make about a cancellation

26:16 ↗ so this chart uh though

26:19 ↗ you're seeing it as a moment in time

26:21 ↗ really if we if we were to

26:22 ↗ rewind to may you would have seen a lot

26:24 ↗ of yellow

26:25 ↗ and not a lot of green or red and so as

26:27 ↗ this has evolved through the months

26:30 ↗ um you'll see um we've

26:33 ↗ been able to reopen more and and all of

26:35 ↗ those have been with modifications

26:38 ↗ we've also had to to make some

26:40 ↗ cancellations and

26:41 ↗ cancellations of some of our programs um

26:44 ↗ our rentals

26:45 ↗ uh certainly our community events that

26:47 ↗ we had planned this summer

26:48 ↗ uh did not happen but uh this was a

26:52 ↗ tool and a again a visual that um

26:55 ↗ really i think reflects the approach

26:57 ↗ that we took as we talked with our

26:58 ↗ partners

26:59 ↗ um our operating partners for example

27:02 ↗ for the concerts on the green with

27:04 ↗ kiwanis

27:05 ↗ and david harris and the in the

27:07 ↗ soundtechs

27:09 ↗ we didn't make a singular decision of

27:11 ↗ closure we

27:12 ↗ looked at rolling those decisions as we

27:15 ↗ went through the

27:16 ↗ through the summer months again wanting

27:19 ↗ to be smart

27:20 ↗ wanting to be informed as we made those

27:22 ↗ decisions and and certainly as we

27:24 ↗ look back we made very much the right

27:26 ↗ decisions

27:27 ↗ um hard decisions but right decisions

27:30 ↗ and not offering those

27:32 ↗ uh those services um

27:35 ↗ you'll note our park amenities now

27:39 ↗ i would say are all fully open

27:42 ↗ skate park playgrounds picnic shelters

27:46 ↗ restrooms those congregating points that

27:49 ↗ we had closed are now

27:50 ↗ um are now all open um

27:54 ↗ the pool is now open for lap swimming um

27:57 ↗ we've offered summer day camp um

28:00 ↗ as a as a daycare service um in

28:03 ↗ september we will be

28:05 ↗ uh providing i'll speak a little bit

28:07 ↗ more about this but we'll be providing

28:09 ↗ swim lessons as those are now allowed in

28:11 ↗ a very modified

28:12 ↗ safe scaled fashion uh we'll also be

28:15 ↗ providing

28:16 ↗ some daytime

28:19 ↗ daycare and online school support

28:22 ↗ at the community center as we as we roll

28:25 ↗ into

28:28 ↗ september

28:30 ↗ trying to forward this there we go um

28:34 ↗ just a few quick slides with some photos

28:36 ↗ of

28:37 ↗ of what we have been and what we've

28:39 ↗ looked like

28:40 ↗ as i said as we've reopened services

28:42 ↗ they've all looked different

28:43 ↗ we look different we've had to operate

28:45 ↗ them differently and

28:46 ↗ and i can't speak highly um highly

28:50 ↗ enough

28:50 ↗ uh for staff and and the team in

28:53 ↗ this department for their agility for

28:56 ↗ their flexibility

28:58 ↗ for their focus on service and and

29:00 ↗ safety

29:01 ↗ farmers market we typically open in may

29:04 ↗ we did not open until june

29:06 ↗ as we've opened we've worked directly

29:09 ↗ with public health

29:10 ↗ they have been very impressed uh jarrah

29:13 ↗ and rogelle who are in the upper left

29:14 ↗ with the thumbs up have just been

29:17 ↗ dynamic in their work we through the

29:20 ↗ summer of averaged

29:21 ↗ 2000 shoppers

29:24 ↗ a saturday um in a very safe

29:29 ↗ uh controlled environment we're looking

29:31 ↗ at continuing the market through october

29:34 ↗ uh this month we're reaching out we'll

29:35 ↗ be working with the chamber

29:37 ↗ as they've had to modify salmon days

29:39 ↗ that first saturday in

29:41 ↗ october will be a sort of salmon days

29:44 ↗ themed

29:45 ↗ farmers market but again the team really

29:48 ↗ has stepped up

29:49 ↗ vendors have been very happy uh it's

29:51 ↗ been a great example of

29:54 ↗ what our services look like coming out

29:57 ↗ of of covid some other

29:58 ↗ just some visuals some examples of of

30:00 ↗ how we've had to modify programs and

30:02 ↗ services you'll see in the left

30:04 ↗ corner there the senior center

30:07 ↗ throughout this whole process

30:08 ↗ we have been providing lunches to go

30:11 ↗ um ever since we we closed the facility

30:15 ↗ um senior center patrons

30:19 ↗ anyone in fact is is welcome to to come

30:22 ↗ to the senior center and and get a to-go

30:24 ↗ lunch

30:25 ↗ um so other examples through the summer

30:27 ↗ months we've

30:28 ↗ been off been able to offer lego camp um

30:31 ↗ and some of our other camp opportunities

30:33 ↗ within

30:35 ↗ the community center again in a very

30:37 ↗ controlled

30:38 ↗ um scaled back uh fashion

30:43 ↗ a couple other visuals uh the pool um

30:46 ↗ we um boy at beginning of july

30:51 ↗ opened up lap lane reservations at the

30:54 ↗ pool

30:54 ↗ so there was no drop in swim there's no

30:57 ↗ drop in use of the pool you needed to

30:58 ↗ reserve

31:00 ↗ a lap lane and come and recreate and

31:03 ↗ since day one that has been

31:06 ↗ um almost entirely filled um with with

31:09 ↗ reservations and and now as we head into

31:12 ↗ um september like i said we'll be

31:14 ↗ offering some lessons

31:16 ↗ uh throughout the summer months uh a

31:18 ↗ number of our partners

31:20 ↗ aquatic partners swim clubs and others

31:22 ↗ have been renting space

31:24 ↗ um as well um any of our renters and

31:26 ↗ this includes our

31:27 ↗ field rentals um those those users have

31:31 ↗ had to

31:32 ↗ provide for us their public health plan

31:35 ↗ and their safe use plan in terms of how

31:38 ↗ they have been

31:39 ↗ using the facility

31:43 ↗ hard to get a full class in a photo when

31:44 ↗ you're physically distanced but

31:46 ↗ the upper right is our gliders youth

31:50 ↗ cross country program

31:51 ↗ they've been utilizing some of our

31:52 ↗ outdoor space in our parks

31:54 ↗ um the lower right you'll notice

31:56 ↗ recognize the lawn in front of the

31:57 ↗ community center that's cheer camp

32:00 ↗ as it's moved outdoors with face

32:02 ↗ coverings and physically

32:04 ↗ distanced

32:10 ↗ so i recognize this is really really

32:13 ↗ hard to read and i'm not going to go

32:15 ↗ through every capital project you'll

32:16 ↗ recognize

32:17 ↗ this um spreadsheet

32:21 ↗ as our as our part capital project uh

32:23 ↗ sort of major work plan

32:24 ↗ items um i i present this really to just

32:29 ↗ say that

32:30 ↗ uh our capital programs our capital

32:33 ↗ projects have had to be modified too

32:35 ↗ um and uh we will be um

32:38 ↗ updating what you got in june or what

32:41 ↗ you received in june i i sent an email

32:43 ↗ to you

32:44 ↗ um we'll be updating this for the the

32:47 ↗ third quarter and sending you

32:49 ↗ um the recent update as to where we're

32:51 ↗ at with these capital projects both

32:54 ↗ with some of our staff reductions as i

32:56 ↗ mentioned earlier some of our capital

32:58 ↗ budget reductions we've had to modify

33:00 ↗ programs uh some of these projects that

33:02 ↗ we were anticipating

33:04 ↗ uh public engagement we've pushed the

33:06 ↗ pause button on and until we

33:08 ↗ uh really know what that engagement

33:10 ↗ looks like and feel like we can have a

33:12 ↗ level of engagement that

33:14 ↗ um is appropriate for where that project

33:17 ↗ at

33:17 ↗ is at where we're holding off some of

33:20 ↗ those

33:21 ↗ you'll hear to um you'll hear about

33:25 ↗ later on in terms of our wayfinding

33:29 ↗ design work that we're doing with trail

33:31 ↗ signage and wayfinding that's at an

33:33 ↗ important community engagement phase

33:34 ↗ that we've pushed pause until we

33:37 ↗ can define what engagement looks like

33:39 ↗ same with our master planning

33:40 ↗ efforts of the three parks that has been

33:42 ↗ put on on pause until we

33:45 ↗ um can sort of reinvent and

33:48 ↗ and feel like engagement can happen and

33:52 ↗ at the same time feel like the community

33:54 ↗ is ready

33:54 ↗ uh for that type of of engagement that

33:57 ↗ really hasn't felt

33:59 ↗ um like an appropriate time to be

34:02 ↗ delving into that as as the community as

34:04 ↗ we've sort of worked through and

34:06 ↗ navigated through

34:08 ↗ this pandemic together another example

34:11 ↗ hillside park

34:13 ↗ we are in position with that project to

34:16 ↗ do some neighborhood engagement

34:18 ↗ with the squawk mountain community in

34:20 ↗ terms of

34:22 ↗ locating choosing a site for a play area

34:25 ↗ that that was identified in 2014 in that

34:27 ↗ planning effort

34:29 ↗ we want to initiate some engagement

34:32 ↗ later this fall again if uh

34:35 ↗ with public health guidance and and

34:38 ↗ we've

34:38 ↗ if and when we feel like the the

34:40 ↗ pandemic's at a place that

34:42 ↗ that type of engagement is appropriate

34:45 ↗ on the other hand some of our other work

34:46 ↗ plan items have continued

34:48 ↗ we've continued to pursue and submit an

34:51 ↗ application with the state

34:53 ↗ recreation conservation office for uh

34:56 ↗ reimbursement for our bergsma

34:58 ↗ acquisition we've submitted a 2.7

35:00 ↗ million dollar grant request uh

35:02 ↗ to assist with that um acquisition

35:04 ↗ that's

35:05 ↗ that's occurred uh we've also been doing

35:07 ↗ some uh trail repair work and design and

35:10 ↗ collaboration on um the squawk mountain

35:13 ↗ access trail

35:15 ↗ those of you that are familiar with that

35:17 ↗ area kelkari has a

35:20 ↗ phase of their construction that's going

35:22 ↗ on that we're working with the developer

35:24 ↗ and with mountains to sound greenway to

35:26 ↗ do some needed

35:28 ↗ emergency trail repair while um while

35:31 ↗ that

35:31 ↗ uh project is happening and so we uh

35:34 ↗ have that design work at a place that

35:36 ↗ um i feel like we'd be able to complete

35:38 ↗ that complete that trail work this fall

35:40 ↗ so a number of number of projects have

35:43 ↗ been able to continue but again those

35:45 ↗ with

35:47 ↗ really a level of public engagement

35:50 ↗ we've pushed paws on we'll talk a bit

35:53 ↗ about the dog park a little bit

35:54 ↗ further tonight as well uh green

35:57 ↗ issaquah

35:58 ↗ and uh the implementation of that

36:01 ↗ of that program uh

36:05 ↗ last slide real quickly uh moving

36:06 ↗ forward um

36:08 ↗ as i said earlier we're we're not out of

36:10 ↗ this uh

36:11 ↗ we're in the long game and recognize

36:13 ↗ that as a department and so

36:16 ↗ as we're buttoning up summer and looking

36:17 ↗ at fall winter programming and looking

36:19 ↗ at

36:20 ↗ a different type of school year again

36:22 ↗ with online schooling we're making some

36:24 ↗ adjustments and modifications to our

36:26 ↗ program a few examples of that we're

36:31 ↗ delving in as i said earlier to

36:34 ↗ some all-day opportunities for

36:37 ↗ care and and supervision through a

36:39 ↗ program we're calling school house wreck

36:42 ↗ those of you that were saturday morning

36:44 ↗ cartoon watchers back in the day might

36:46 ↗ remember schoolhouse rock this is a

36:47 ↗ little

36:48 ↗ a little different in that staff will

36:51 ↗ provide

36:51 ↗ some um supervision as

36:54 ↗ as students are doing their online

36:56 ↗ schooling and then also

36:58 ↗ some opportunities to to recreate in a

37:00 ↗ in a safe supervised fashion

37:03 ↗ uh we've also last month instituted uh

37:06 ↗ some of our part-time staff that weren't

37:08 ↗ getting hours other places that that

37:10 ↗ we've already had hired we've

37:12 ↗ set them out two by two as park

37:13 ↗ ambassadors throughout our parks

37:15 ↗ on some of our high use areas the skate

37:17 ↗ park for example some trail heads

37:20 ↗ as just another opportunity for folks

37:23 ↗ for us to engage with our users park

37:25 ↗ users to make sure they're

37:27 ↗ again using uh their parks in safe

37:30 ↗ smart ways they have face coverings um

37:33 ↗ our ambassadors have a backpack

37:35 ↗ backpack full of face coverings if folks

37:38 ↗ need them but just wanting to

37:39 ↗ in a positive way encourage uh that

37:43 ↗ physical distancing and and use of face

37:45 ↗ coverings

37:46 ↗ the 2021 budget as we head into fall

37:50 ↗ will obviously be really key in

37:52 ↗ determining what

37:54 ↗ budget and what operations look like

37:56 ↗ next year

37:57 ↗ so we'll keep you as a park board

38:00 ↗ attuned to what's going on in that

38:03 ↗ that arena as i said earlier about

38:06 ↗ capital projects we'll continue to make

38:08 ↗ some adjustments to our outreach efforts

38:11 ↗ and our work plans related to capital

38:12 ↗ projects

38:14 ↗ and then something else we're looking at

38:15 ↗ as we recognize

38:17 ↗ our parks are being used differently and

38:19 ↗ likely are going to be used differently

38:22 ↗ moving forward we're considering what a

38:25 ↗ park survey

38:26 ↗ within the community might look like

38:29 ↗ into this year early next year

38:34 ↗ i lied sorry i have one last slide more

38:37 ↗ of a public service announcement and

38:39 ↗ just a reminder these are some new signs

38:40 ↗ that

38:41 ↗ we have throughout our parks that you

38:43 ↗ might see and just wanting to encourage

38:47 ↗ israel residents let's remember as we

38:50 ↗ put on face coverings as we use our

38:51 ↗ parks as we practice physical distancing

38:54 ↗ i know we might get tired of it but

38:55 ↗ we're doing it not just for ourselves

38:57 ↗ but for the other park users

38:59 ↗ for loved ones at home and for

39:02 ↗ the community as a whole so

39:06 ↗ with that available for any questions

39:08 ↗ comments

39:10 ↗ you might have as board members thanks

39:11 ↗ for letting me go over that

39:17 ↗ thank you for that jeff anybody have any

39:19 ↗ comments or questions

39:21 ↗ before we move on

39:25 ↗ this is marlene can you hear me yes

39:27 ↗ marlene

39:28 ↗ i just wanted to uh thank the entire

39:31 ↗ park staff i know it was a

39:33 ↗ crazy uh spring and summer for all of us

39:36 ↗ and we just

39:37 ↗ appreciate all the work and changes and

39:40 ↗ all the things you did to help us be

39:42 ↗ able to recreate

39:43 ↗ uh safely

39:44 ↗ [Music]

39:47 ↗ thank you marlene you're here i second

39:49 ↗ that

39:53 ↗ any other comments or questions

39:58 ↗ uh with that we'll move on to the next

40:01 ↗ uh

40:01 ↗ item which is going to be the green

40:03 ↗ issaquah implementation

40:05 ↗ and prior to us talking about that

40:08 ↗ jeff's going to share with us a few

40:11 ↗ comments that have come in from the

40:13 ↗ community via email

40:16 ↗ um i don't know that you're going to go

40:18 ↗ through detail on that but at least kind

40:20 ↗ of an overview so

40:21 ↗ go ahead jeff absolutely happy to do

40:24 ↗ that brad thanks

40:25 ↗ um yeah we received

40:28 ↗ two three four five um public comments

40:31 ↗ uh

40:31 ↗ specific to this topic uh those emails

40:34 ↗ will be included

40:35 ↗ um in the minutes um hopefully you've

40:37 ↗ had a chance to to review those

40:40 ↗ um a public comment from connie marsh

40:44 ↗ um connie presented not only her

40:47 ↗ comments but also some suggestions for

40:50 ↗ um draft executive summary

40:53 ↗ um and how we might format that

40:55 ↗ appreciate that connie

40:57 ↗ david kepler provided um some public

41:00 ↗ comments

41:00 ↗ too around the importance of

41:04 ↗ partnering and collaborating and

41:05 ↗ coordinating with our adjoining

41:08 ↗ other public land owners and and

41:10 ↗ recognizing as we look at

41:12 ↗ invasives and and managing and restoring

41:15 ↗ and removing invasives

41:17 ↗ are our properties aren't in isolation

41:19 ↗ but connected with those so

41:21 ↗ appreciate that david uh steve pereira

41:24 ↗ provided some comments as well a number

41:26 ↗ of comments

41:28 ↗ around the importance of tree protection

41:31 ↗ recognizing

41:33 ↗ the beauty that our urban forest

41:36 ↗ and our forested areas provide our

41:38 ↗ community uh

41:40 ↗ some comments around fire threat

41:43 ↗ and what we're doing in terms of being

41:45 ↗ fire wise

41:47 ↗ also some similar comments

41:50 ↗ around ownership of

41:54 ↗ open space and where responsibility of

41:56 ↗ maintenance

41:57 ↗ lies so appreciate those comments

42:00 ↗ um steve janet wall

42:04 ↗ provided comments as well also

42:07 ↗ around invasives and the importance of

42:10 ↗ coordination with

42:12 ↗ other landowners public land owners

42:15 ↗ private

42:16 ↗ land owners second thing

42:19 ↗ david's comments appreciate that janet

42:22 ↗ tom anderson also provided comments

42:26 ↗ providing sort of a second and third

42:29 ↗ in terms of that needed coordination

42:32 ↗ as we're moving forward with the

42:34 ↗ partnership and that coordination with

42:35 ↗ other

42:36 ↗ other landowners and other land

42:38 ↗ stewardship efforts

42:40 ↗ also a comment around the importance of

42:42 ↗ education and educating the community

42:46 ↗ on invasives so

42:47 ↗ [Music]

42:49 ↗ apologize if i i might have butchered

42:52 ↗ the comments but i tried to provide a

42:54 ↗ broad overview

42:56 ↗ for those five public comments

43:02 ↗ and if you don't mind brad i can

43:03 ↗ transition right into an introduction

43:05 ↗ of joanna yeah go ahead

43:08 ↗ okay great um yeah just i i guess a

43:12 ↗ general comment to to say thank you and

43:14 ↗ in many ways those five comments we

43:17 ↗ received were not only very

43:20 ↗ constructive but i think um really

43:23 ↗ consistent

43:24 ↗ in what this program is and what it's

43:27 ↗ it's not and so um as i introduced

43:30 ↗ joanna nelson

43:31 ↗ de flores uh with forterra um

43:35 ↗ maybe just a general background of what

43:37 ↗ our goals were as a city and what this

43:39 ↗ program

43:40 ↗ represents

43:43 ↗ maybe first off what this isn't

43:48 ↗ this is one tool not

43:51 ↗ the entire toolbox in terms of what we

43:54 ↗ as a city and as a community need to do

43:57 ↗ and looking at and i think really

43:58 ↗ meeting our goals for being effective

44:01 ↗ stewards of the entire urban forest

44:04 ↗ entire urban forest being um

44:08 ↗ not only the properties that we own and

44:10 ↗ maintain as a city but

44:12 ↗ again other public land owners private

44:14 ↗ land owners

44:16 ↗ streetscape street trees those areas

44:18 ↗ that again i think the community members

44:20 ↗ so

44:21 ↗ importantly pointed out are part of the

44:23 ↗ urban forest

44:26 ↗ this is a opportunity for us to bring

44:30 ↗ forterra into our

44:33 ↗ portfolio of partners we have so many

44:36 ↗ great partners as a city

44:37 ↗ whether it's mountains to sound greenway

44:39 ↗ whether it's issaquah alps trails club

44:41 ↗ whether it's individual residents who

44:43 ↗ have done so much

44:45 ↗ to help steward and maintain and

44:48 ↗ advocate for open space uh fortera

44:51 ↗ has had a green cities initiative for a

44:53 ↗ number of years now i'll let

44:55 ↗ joanna probably knows what that is and

44:56 ↗ how many green city partners they have

44:58 ↗ i've had the

44:59 ↗ privilege in a prior life professional

45:01 ↗ life uh to partner with

45:04 ↗ the green cities partnership and this is

45:06 ↗ really

45:07 ↗ it at its baseline an opportunity for us

45:11 ↗ to look at another tool another way to

45:16 ↗ better manage um invasives

45:19 ↗ and and the importance of restoration

45:22 ↗ um on our city-owned public land

45:26 ↗ we are we play a different role

45:29 ↗ with that city public land we as a parks

45:31 ↗ department

45:33 ↗ we as a city are responsible to maintain

45:35 ↗ that no one else is coming to our rescue

45:38 ↗ and so this first and foremost is a

45:41 ↗ program really

45:42 ↗ focused on our city properties

45:46 ↗ um that's not to say as we as we launch

45:49 ↗ into um green cities that um it could

45:52 ↗ become something more but

45:54 ↗ um what you see the the draft

45:57 ↗ implementation

45:59 ↗ guide and guidelines that you see before

46:02 ↗ you are really

46:03 ↗ i think a culmination of the research

46:05 ↗ that that we've done the work that we've

46:06 ↗ done

46:07 ↗ since we last updated you and really

46:12 ↗ the template and the foundation for what

46:14 ↗ we want to implement this fall

46:15 ↗ and and joanna can go into that as well

46:17 ↗ in terms of

46:19 ↗ uh this at its core is really an action

46:22 ↗ plan

46:22 ↗ and and really it's an opportunity to

46:24 ↗ recruit

46:25 ↗ and train uh volunteers to multiply our

46:29 ↗ efforts

46:30 ↗ for and formalize our efforts

46:34 ↗ for getting true authentic

46:38 ↗ volunteer support throughout our

46:40 ↗ city-owned open space

46:42 ↗ and park lands that's not to say it

46:44 ↗ could become something more in the

46:46 ↗ future but

46:47 ↗ we felt it was important to take this

46:48 ↗ first bite

46:50 ↗ with the properties and the lands that

46:51 ↗ we're most responsible for and that's

46:54 ↗ the lands that the city of esqua owns so

46:59 ↗ real exciting opportunity again exciting

47:01 ↗ opportunity to bring

47:03 ↗ forterra into this community in an

47:06 ↗ exciting way

47:09 ↗ to get another ore in our boat so to

47:12 ↗ speak

47:12 ↗ uh we've got a lot of work to do and a

47:14 ↗ lot of resources needed to

47:15 ↗ to i think be the the urban forest that

47:18 ↗ we want to be

47:18 ↗ but uh this is uh one opportunity and

47:21 ↗ one piece

47:22 ↗ of that so joanna i'll turn it over to

47:26 ↗ you

47:27 ↗ for uh maybe an overview of the of the

47:29 ↗ program guide itself

47:31 ↗ and what we might expect this this fall

47:35 ↗ yeah thank you um

47:38 ↗ i'm excited to be here because it means

47:40 ↗ we do have a draft

47:42 ↗ guide ready for you all to review um

47:45 ↗ just a quick summary since it's been a

47:47 ↗ while since we last talked i was

47:49 ↗ at the parks board back in november late

47:52 ↗ november

47:52 ↗ last year so overall just this process

47:55 ↗ started in

47:56 ↗ june of last year um where we worked

47:59 ↗ with the parks department to identify

48:01 ↗ and set that criteria of that those park

48:03 ↗ lands those

48:04 ↗ areas that are managed by the parks

48:06 ↗ department as jeff described

48:09 ↗ to identify all of those it was a lot

48:13 ↗ uh we identified about 1700 acres

48:17 ↗ and worked with a forestry consultant to

48:19 ↗ do what we call a rapid assessment that

48:20 ↗ gave us a lot of really good data that

48:22 ↗ it starts to tell a story about what's

48:24 ↗ happening and is across

48:25 ↗ um porsche parks and natural areas and

48:28 ↗ um

48:29 ↗ if you haven't read it yet or gotten to

48:31 ↗ the results yet

48:33 ↗ it's actually really good news um and

48:35 ↗ it's also

48:36 ↗ just um starts to show how important it

48:38 ↗ is to do this program now

48:40 ↗ um you have about 75 percent of your

48:43 ↗ acres

48:44 ↗ are in when it comes to invasive plant

48:47 ↗ species

48:48 ↗ has very low percentage of invasives on

48:52 ↗ it

48:52 ↗ and about 25 percent that have a medium

48:54 ↗ and high and that's

48:55 ↗ um with one exception redmond that's by

48:58 ↗ far

48:59 ↗ the um sort of best results we've seen

49:02 ↗ out of any of the other cities which

49:05 ↗ tells me that

49:07 ↗ um in a snapshot a high level um this is

49:10 ↗ very a doable

49:11 ↗ but also um if if for example this had

49:15 ↗ been postponed

49:16 ↗ another 10 15 years of course all those

49:19 ↗ all the all that would start and the

49:21 ↗ invasive plants would start growing more

49:22 ↗ those

49:23 ↗ that would get more costly so um it's

49:26 ↗ very

49:26 ↗ encouraging um and i think that

49:30 ↗ um that that's that was one of the the

49:33 ↗ pleasant

49:34 ↗ surprises really as we're starting to

49:35 ↗ work in different cities um

49:38 ↗ um similar to also uh we established a

49:40 ↗ green snoqualmie partnership

49:42 ↗ i'm just looking at different types of

49:44 ↗ forest lands that we don't always see in

49:45 ↗ a more

49:46 ↗ highly urbanized area like seatac or

49:49 ↗ seattle um

49:53 ↗ so then we also did some community

49:55 ↗ survey

49:56 ↗ met with some some of the active

49:58 ↗ partners

49:59 ↗ presented to you all to start getting

50:02 ↗ doing that research

50:03 ↗ um and i will just say at this point as

50:05 ↗ you're reading through

50:06 ↗ the plan that's one of the hardest

50:09 ↗ things as an organization come

50:11 ↗ i mean and we don't we don't have the

50:12 ↗ roots that you all have in the city of

50:14 ↗ course because we do this across the

50:16 ↗ puget sound so

50:18 ↗ we rely highly on partners um for

50:20 ↗ example mountainstar greenway and other

50:22 ↗ folks

50:23 ↗ um all of you to help us make sure that

50:25 ↗ we're capturing the important

50:26 ↗ bits of history and background that sort

50:28 ↗ of led up to this moment and i think

50:30 ↗ that's nice to include so

50:31 ↗ if um if there's anything to add in that

50:33 ↗ department that's very very much welcome

50:36 ↗ um and then the guide is

50:40 ↗ um is what we've been working on

50:43 ↗ uh for uh the past

50:47 ↗ six seven months um

50:50 ↗ and parts of this guide do follow us

50:53 ↗ some a pretty standard boilerplate

50:55 ↗ format that we have developed for the

50:57 ↗ other green cities jeff mentioned um

50:59 ↗ we've been doing this for 15 years

51:00 ↗ there's

51:01 ↗ 15 partnerships out there with 14 cities

51:04 ↗ and now snohomish county

51:06 ↗ but each year we you know we add new

51:08 ↗ things we try and improve upon it and

51:10 ↗ um and and and each city is coming at it

51:14 ↗ at a slightly different angle

51:15 ↗ some cities have an urban forest

51:17 ↗ management plan and as jeff described

51:18 ↗ this is one tool in that toolbox

51:21 ↗ some people don't have an urban forest

51:23 ↗ management plan overarching

51:25 ↗ and this is their first step in that

51:26 ↗ direction and so we've seen it go

51:29 ↗ always and in some really small cities

51:32 ↗ that don't have a huge park resource to

51:35 ↗ manage

51:36 ↗ actually we have taken that larger sort

51:38 ↗ of comprehensive look

51:39 ↗ at overall urban forest incorporating

51:42 ↗ you know

51:43 ↗ tree giveaways other kind of resources

51:45 ↗ for managing

51:46 ↗ the overarching um urban forest so

51:50 ↗ um we've seen all different approaches

51:52 ↗ and but i would say this is probably our

51:54 ↗ most

51:54 ↗ more like core traditional program

51:56 ↗ that's focused on worship parks and

51:58 ↗ natural areas

51:59 ↗ um as as it started in seattle

52:02 ↗ 15 years ago um so with the information

52:06 ↗ this guide should

52:08 ↗ really hopefully provide the background

52:10 ↗ the reasons why a green associate

52:11 ↗ partnership is needed

52:13 ↗ but also that context i talked about

52:15 ↗ explain the results of the forest

52:17 ↗ assessment

52:18 ↗ help establish a vision goals for

52:20 ↗ restoring the 1540

52:23 ↗ acres over over a timeline that we've

52:27 ↗ set for 20 years

52:29 ↗ and also outline uh strategies and

52:32 ↗ benchmarks and the resources that we

52:33 ↗ need to get there

52:36 ↗ so the forest assessment

52:40 ↗ and guide are really just setting the

52:42 ↗ stage for the stewardship program

52:44 ↗ which will further expand upon the

52:46 ↗ existing efforts which are already

52:48 ↗ significant in issaquah but we'll be

52:50 ↗ able to

52:50 ↗ expand that across the city and in more

52:53 ↗ more

52:54 ↗ more parks and as um

52:58 ↗ so covet has been a bit of a bit of a

53:00 ↗ setback on

53:01 ↗ sort of the program establishment side

53:03 ↗ obviously it's it's a volunteer

53:05 ↗ community-based um stewardship program

53:07 ↗ one key element to getting that um

53:10 ↗ started is establishing a forest steward

53:13 ↗ program

53:14 ↗ for individuals that are interested in

53:18 ↗ so to speak adopting their park um

53:20 ↗ getting trained if they don't already

53:22 ↗ have that knowledge and skills on how to

53:24 ↗ do forest restoration and best

53:26 ↗ management practices

53:28 ↗ but it's also um and and in the future

53:32 ↗ uh help be a champion for that park and

53:34 ↗ lead

53:35 ↗ um other neighbors other volunteers um

53:37 ↗ other groups

53:39 ↗ and it's really a great way to

53:42 ↗ really cost effectively

53:45 ↗ i think start managing some of these

53:48 ↗ areas

53:49 ↗ and the the forest assessment data helps

53:51 ↗ tell us where we have

53:54 ↗ where we might look at priorities where

53:56 ↗ we have areas that should

53:58 ↗ um get some attention first and where

54:00 ↗ the areas that are actually in

54:01 ↗ relatively good shape

54:03 ↗ so um we do expect to

54:07 ↗ be able to move forward we anticipate

54:09 ↗ getting the four steward program started

54:11 ↗ sometime

54:12 ↗ um in the next couple months so

54:14 ↗ september october

54:15 ↗ um due to covet that will likely be an

54:18 ↗ orientation

54:19 ↗ uh online uh followed up with

54:22 ↗ a site visit in the field and providing

54:25 ↗ any needed

54:26 ↗ training and support depending on

54:29 ↗ what the need is and then those those

54:32 ↗ people can work either individually

54:34 ↗ with their household or family members

54:38 ↗ but for the time being we wouldn't

54:39 ↗ expect until

54:41 ↗ we evaluate uh the risk further

54:44 ↗ of doing public events right now but i

54:46 ↗ know that's something that we're we're

54:48 ↗ talking about and

54:49 ↗ maybe that'll be a category that's added

54:51 ↗ on to that

54:53 ↗ list of different things that parks has

54:54 ↗ and what stage they're in but i know

54:56 ↗ we're assessing it as an overall program

54:58 ↗ as well and many other cities have all

55:00 ↗ their volunteer events on hold right now

55:03 ↗ some have been experienced experimenting

55:04 ↗ with small three to four

55:07 ↗ people volunteer events and so we can

55:08 ↗ start looking at that and we're

55:10 ↗ developing protocols for that as well

55:12 ↗ um so with that um i mean that's going

55:15 ↗ to be the exciting part i think is

55:17 ↗ really this this plan should help guide

55:19 ↗ and um

55:21 ↗ steer the program uh over you know the

55:24 ↗ next 20 years

55:26 ↗ and you know we'll be looking to all of

55:29 ↗ you

55:30 ↗ and partners to help build this and help

55:33 ↗ uh

55:34 ↗ spread the words to folks but based on

55:36 ↗ some of even the initial

55:38 ↗ community survey there's a lot of

55:39 ↗ interest in support and volunteering

55:41 ↗ i'll say that

55:42 ↗ issaquah has a really high forested park

55:45 ↗ per capita um and

55:48 ↗ so you have a large resource to manage

55:51 ↗ it is probably

55:52 ↗ uh we couldn't get the numbers exactly

55:55 ↗ from the canopy cover assessment but i

55:56 ↗ would

55:57 ↗ uh uh the points to like parks being

56:00 ↗ a huge piece of the canopy cover of the

56:03 ↗ 40

56:04 ↗ canopy cover that is if i'm getting that

56:06 ↗ number right off top my head

56:09 ↗ so i mean i think if this is a one of

56:11 ↗ the tools in the toolbox and one of the

56:13 ↗ starting pieces this is a great place to

56:15 ↗ start because i certainly don't want to

56:16 ↗ turn our back to this

56:19 ↗ and have it get worse and since it's a

56:22 ↗ significant contribut

56:23 ↗ contribution to the overall canopy cover

56:26 ↗ in urban forest in issaquah

56:29 ↗ with that um i think that's all i have

56:32 ↗ to share but i'm happy to take any

56:34 ↗ questions or comments from from the

56:36 ↗ parks board members

56:45 ↗ or jeff or jennifer feel free to chime

56:47 ↗ in if i missed anything

56:52 ↗ no joanna that was a great overview

56:54 ↗ really appreciated i i guess i would

56:56 ↗ just

56:56 ↗ emphasize i think what um what you

57:00 ↗ shared about

57:01 ↗ um and sort of what this

57:04 ↗ forest steward program could look like

57:09 ↗ and again from my experience in

57:12 ↗ kent we launched a green kent

57:15 ↗ green cities initiative as we recruit

57:19 ↗ these forest stewards these volunteer

57:21 ↗ stewards imagine if you will

57:22 ↗ if we say um

57:27 ↗ got 20 for stewards right

57:30 ↗ what what we can do with those stewards

57:33 ↗ is

57:34 ↗ um they then become trained we identify

57:37 ↗ um an area of a park

57:40 ↗ an area of our open space that they in

57:43 ↗ essence adopt

57:44 ↗ um we then work with them to support

57:48 ↗ uh their efforts on um

57:52 ↗ thinking in a post-covered world now

57:55 ↗ where we can do volunteer events

57:57 ↗ now imagine these 24 stewards that who

57:59 ↗ are scheduling

58:01 ↗ um multiple volunteer events throughout

58:04 ↗ the year

58:05 ↗ so now rather than the city parks

58:07 ↗ department hosting

58:08 ↗ you know two volunteer restoration or

58:11 ↗ planting events every year

58:13 ↗ now with the stewards and with

58:16 ↗ equipping resourcing partnering with

58:20 ↗ forterra

58:20 ↗ and the city we could now have those 20

58:23 ↗ stewards doing multiple events now

58:25 ↗ suddenly

58:26 ↗ there are dozens of volunteer events

58:31 ↗ that are happening throughout

58:33 ↗ throughout issagua's system so that's

58:36 ↗ just a i guess an example of of

58:38 ↗ the value um of of this

58:41 ↗ program um and again it it's not going

58:44 ↗ to be a program that's going to answer

58:46 ↗ all of our needs address all of our

58:47 ↗ needs but

58:49 ↗ um you know in in my four years here

58:52 ↗ hearing uh the energy the

58:55 ↗ the the excitement the interest in

58:58 ↗ volunteering

58:59 ↗ um in seeing the volunteerism that

59:03 ↗ already exists

59:04 ↗ in this community the passion this

59:05 ↗ community has for its open space

59:08 ↗ and it's its public lands

59:10 ↗ [Music]

59:12 ↗ it really does seem like a a great

59:14 ↗ opportunity and a great addition to

59:16 ↗ our to our resources

59:19 ↗ moving forward

59:23 ↗ questions comments i'll turn it over to

59:25 ↗ you brad

59:27 ↗ actually i have a question for you jeff

59:30 ↗ a couple of them

59:31 ↗ um one being i know that uh

59:34 ↗ it'd certainly be nice for us at some

59:36 ↗ point to have a

59:37 ↗ volunteer coordinator position but i

59:40 ↗ know given

59:41 ↗ budget that that's probably not likely

59:43 ↗ over the next year or

59:45 ↗ longer so in the interim who actually

59:48 ↗ is going to be taking a leadership role

59:51 ↗ from the city

59:52 ↗ to actually oversee all these stewards

59:55 ↗ once they're determined that's a great

59:58 ↗ question

59:59 ↗ so yeah as we've gone through covet as

1:00:01 ↗ we had to freeze those positions

1:00:03 ↗ um as last year a request was made for a

1:00:07 ↗ volunteer coordinator position and we

1:00:09 ↗ weren't in a budget place to approve

1:00:11 ↗ that

1:00:12 ↗ we've been working with joanna and our

1:00:14 ↗ relationship with forterra is going to

1:00:15 ↗ evolve and change a little bit

1:00:17 ↗ and that we will contractually

1:00:20 ↗ ask for tara to do a little bit more so

1:00:22 ↗ they're going to do a little bit more of

1:00:24 ↗ that volunteer coordination

1:00:25 ↗ matt meckler our park operations

1:00:27 ↗ supervisor who would have been

1:00:29 ↗ overseeing a volunteer coordinator

1:00:31 ↗ matt will be working directly with

1:00:33 ↗ forterra

1:00:34 ↗ as we as we launch and head into this so

1:00:37 ↗ we're going to lean a little bit more

1:00:38 ↗ heavily on forterra rather than waiting

1:00:41 ↗ for that volunteer coordinator we

1:00:42 ↗ thought

1:00:43 ↗ let's let's implement and let's do this

1:00:45 ↗ again with the strength of forte's

1:00:48 ↗ experience

1:00:50 ↗ if we get to a point as we grow this and

1:00:52 ↗ have stewards

1:00:54 ↗ and are in a position to have a

1:00:56 ↗ volunteer coordinator then we've already

1:00:58 ↗ got a program

1:00:59 ↗ underway right and we already have

1:01:00 ↗ stewards that we're beginning to

1:01:02 ↗ to um to foster more stewards

1:01:09 ↗ thanks for that my next question kind of

1:01:11 ↗ relates a little bit

1:01:12 ↗ to connie's uh concerns um

1:01:16 ↗ and i don't think she was the only one i

1:01:18 ↗ think some of the other comments come in

1:01:20 ↗ somewhat similar in the sense that

1:01:23 ↗ you know it's really difficult when you

1:01:24 ↗ look at restoration to be looking at

1:01:27 ↗ property lines and everything just ends

1:01:29 ↗ at a property line

1:01:30 ↗ and so i mean i do support

1:01:34 ↗ you know you know how to look at this

1:01:36 ↗ more globally from the city

1:01:39 ↗ i know that's not currently

1:01:42 ↗ in place but do you see a revision

1:01:46 ↗ to you know to expand that or is it

1:01:50 ↗ primarily going to be an educational

1:01:52 ↗ process to involve uh home owners

1:01:55 ↗ associations

1:01:57 ↗ and you know and various other entities

1:02:00 ↗ to

1:02:01 ↗ do it through a partnership

1:02:04 ↗ you know to get you know engagement that

1:02:06 ↗ way um

1:02:08 ↗ what are your thoughts on that

1:02:11 ↗ multiple thoughts first off i i think

1:02:14 ↗ the comments

1:02:14 ↗ from connie and david and others are

1:02:17 ↗ spot on

1:02:18 ↗ that that this is not this can't be an

1:02:20 ↗ ends in itself

1:02:22 ↗ and and i think as staff we would agree

1:02:23 ↗ it's not an ends in itself

1:02:25 ↗ um i would say that um yes absolutely

1:02:29 ↗ are

1:02:30 ↗ as as we manage these acres of open

1:02:34 ↗ space

1:02:35 ↗ and recognize the lands that they're

1:02:38 ↗ adjacent to

1:02:39 ↗ are just in some ways as vulnerable to

1:02:41 ↗ invasives we

1:02:43 ↗ i think already are and will continue to

1:02:45 ↗ do even more so

1:02:46 ↗ be partnering with dnr and king county

1:02:50 ↗ um and the other agencies who who own

1:02:53 ↗ some of those

1:02:54 ↗ uh properties they'll certainly be they

1:02:57 ↗ already are aware

1:02:58 ↗ of um launching the green issaquah

1:03:00 ↗ initiative and and will continue to be

1:03:02 ↗ part of that

1:03:03 ↗ um turning our attention internally also

1:03:06 ↗ to school district

1:03:07 ↗ um the hoas some of those other land

1:03:11 ↗ owners of open space

1:03:12 ↗ um yeah absolutely again this is not an

1:03:15 ↗ ends in itself

1:03:16 ↗ i i think there is opportunity again as

1:03:19 ↗ we take

1:03:20 ↗ as we better take care of what we own

1:03:23 ↗ let's also um

1:03:25 ↗ [Music]

1:03:27 ↗ take those skills and take that work and

1:03:29 ↗ be a better

1:03:31 ↗ partner and a better communicator

1:03:34 ↗ to the hoas to private homeowners

1:03:37 ↗ you know hopefully part of part of this

1:03:39 ↗ effort and what i've certainly seen in

1:03:41 ↗ other cities

1:03:42 ↗ is as we educate the community on

1:03:45 ↗ invasives

1:03:46 ↗ i think it's an opportunity to educate

1:03:48 ↗ not just about our public lands but

1:03:50 ↗ about how you're

1:03:51 ↗ maintaining and managing and what you're

1:03:53 ↗ planting in your own

1:03:54 ↗ um private property and so

1:03:58 ↗ i think that education has has multiple

1:04:02 ↗ benefits

1:04:03 ↗ does that someone answer

1:04:09 ↗ oh that was a tremendous compliment i'm

1:04:12 ↗ sure but you were muted

1:04:16 ↗ it was a tremendous compliment yeah i

1:04:18 ↗ think that covers it i think connie

1:04:20 ↗ would like to see maybe a little bit

1:04:21 ↗ more expansion

1:04:22 ↗ in the plan itself to address that and i

1:04:26 ↗ would concur

1:04:27 ↗ you know i'm not sure exactly that we're

1:04:28 ↗ prepared to

1:04:30 ↗ you know do this on a city-wide basis at

1:04:32 ↗ this point maybe it can

1:04:34 ↗ evolve into that at some point but

1:04:37 ↗ yeah i think i think clearly identifying

1:04:39 ↗ in this in this program guide what it is

1:04:42 ↗ and what it isn't um not as a woe as us

1:04:45 ↗ eeyore kind of thing but by that

1:04:47 ↗ definition understanding what

1:04:50 ↗ what we're doing in this phase and i

1:04:52 ↗ would agree and i i i think as she said

1:04:54 ↗ it

1:04:54 ↗ think of this as as phases

1:04:58 ↗ um in terms of as as we strive for

1:05:00 ↗ broader

1:05:01 ↗ urban forest management and and really

1:05:05 ↗ getting our arms around our urban forest

1:05:07 ↗ this is this is one

1:05:08 ↗ this is one piece of that and how do we

1:05:11 ↗ uh

1:05:12 ↗ maybe build that into this um

1:05:15 ↗ communicate that

1:05:16 ↗ as part of this um

1:05:19 ↗ this program i just make one comment on

1:05:23 ↗ that

1:05:24 ↗ please it is touched on but not you know

1:05:27 ↗ it's

1:05:28 ↗ it's not a huge part of the plan at this

1:05:31 ↗ point but it certainly

1:05:32 ↗ is within the scope um maybe more

1:05:35 ↗ leaning towards the

1:05:36 ↗ education side but also certainly

1:05:37 ↗ providing some sort of

1:05:39 ↗ resources for example right now in

1:05:41 ↗ snoqualmie we're

1:05:42 ↗ we're um for the green snow calming

1:05:45 ↗ partnership um

1:05:46 ↗ very similar situation on the ridge you

1:05:49 ↗ know there's a lot of adjacent property

1:05:50 ↗ owners so they're making

1:05:51 ↗ uh you know some publications to help

1:05:54 ↗ educate homeowners that they can give

1:05:56 ↗ out

1:05:57 ↗ um at events because a lot of them are

1:05:58 ↗ going right back to their homes and

1:06:00 ↗ trying to figure out how to tackle this

1:06:01 ↗ um if you know it's

1:06:05 ↗ it's really kind of the dream that we

1:06:07 ↗ get adjacent property owners on board

1:06:09 ↗ otherwise it's kind of you know you

1:06:11 ↗ can't draw a line

1:06:13 ↗ uh when it comes to iv and blackberry

1:06:15 ↗ and other forest health issues so

1:06:18 ↗ um i think that uh in the newsletters

1:06:21 ↗ all that kind of stuff we're often

1:06:22 ↗ talking about

1:06:23 ↗ once those get launched we're often

1:06:25 ↗ talking about ways that people can

1:06:27 ↗ um also help steward their own lands and

1:06:29 ↗ then connecting people with

1:06:31 ↗ there are some other programs out there

1:06:32 ↗ right now um through wsu extension

1:06:34 ↗ and king conservation district uh

1:06:37 ↗ washington

1:06:38 ↗ plant society um i think there still is

1:06:40 ↗ a need for

1:06:41 ↗ a cohesive you know city-wide message

1:06:43 ↗ around that but

1:06:44 ↗ we can also certainly be linking people

1:06:47 ↗ to some of those resources that are out

1:06:48 ↗ there

1:06:49 ↗ um i think working with hoas is a really

1:06:52 ↗ interesting piece and it i certainly

1:06:54 ↗ will kind of

1:06:54 ↗ use that lens a little bit more as we're

1:06:56 ↗ sort of going through the plan one more

1:06:58 ↗ time

1:06:59 ↗ to think about how this

1:07:02 ↗ program could also be replicable maybe

1:07:04 ↗ hoas have a steward program too

1:07:07 ↗ and it's somehow supported um so

1:07:09 ↗ something to

1:07:10 ↗ to to think about and i appreciate those

1:07:13 ↗ comments

1:07:14 ↗ it's something that we're always talking

1:07:15 ↗ about as well as a program

1:07:19 ↗ yeah i guess i would add something to

1:07:21 ↗ that and that is as the priorities get

1:07:23 ↗ established

1:07:24 ↗ um when there's boots on the ground so

1:07:27 ↗ to speak and work

1:07:28 ↗ is being done that's a really good time

1:07:30 ↗ to establish

1:07:32 ↗ those borders and maybe do some

1:07:35 ↗ additional outreach

1:07:36 ↗ you know along those lines you know at

1:07:39 ↗ that time to actually engage

1:07:41 ↗ homeowners association or whatever um

1:07:43 ↗ you know for a specific project

1:07:45 ↗ you know rather than do it citywide it

1:07:48 ↗ might be

1:07:49 ↗ you know best to do that on individual

1:07:51 ↗ basis you know when projects are

1:07:54 ↗ underway

1:07:56 ↗ the problem with doing it citywide it

1:07:57 ↗ might be five years before you get to

1:08:00 ↗ some other

1:08:00 ↗ area and by that time things have

1:08:03 ↗ changed so i

1:08:04 ↗ i think it makes sense to do that

1:08:05 ↗ outreach when you're actually doing a

1:08:07 ↗ project

1:08:09 ↗ thank you for that

1:08:12 ↗ any other questions and comments about

1:08:15 ↗ this

1:08:16 ↗ section i don't know if jennifer you

1:08:18 ↗ have anything to add

1:08:23 ↗ the only thing i would like to add is i

1:08:24 ↗ did send you um

1:08:26 ↗ kind of instructions for a review and

1:08:29 ↗ some detailed information

1:08:31 ↗ and in order to try and get this

1:08:34 ↗ document

1:08:34 ↗ completed this fall we're hoping to try

1:08:37 ↗ and get comments back by

1:08:38 ↗ end of day on the 31st

1:08:41 ↗ so if you have any questions or

1:08:44 ↗ additional

1:08:45 ↗ comments please forward them to me i

1:08:48 ↗ will make sure they get packaged up and

1:08:49 ↗ over to joanna for

1:08:51 ↗ incorporation into the final draft jen i

1:08:54 ↗ don't want to get ahead of myself here

1:08:56 ↗ but could you comment just a

1:08:57 ↗ tiny little bit on timeline in terms of

1:09:01 ↗ at some point i assume you're wanting

1:09:03 ↗ the board to

1:09:04 ↗ make a recommendation to approve this

1:09:07 ↗ plan

1:09:08 ↗ and you any idea when that might be

1:09:10 ↗ forthcoming

1:09:13 ↗ this plan is going to be a little

1:09:14 ↗ different than some of our others this

1:09:16 ↗ is more of an implementation guide

1:09:19 ↗ it's a living breathing document

1:09:22 ↗ yes there are some goals and vision

1:09:26 ↗ section in there as far as what we want

1:09:29 ↗ this program to be

1:09:31 ↗ but this is really going to be more of a

1:09:33 ↗ field guide

1:09:34 ↗ as to how we can use this information to

1:09:37 ↗ train our park stewards to

1:09:39 ↗ train neighbors you know as we are

1:09:42 ↗ working

1:09:43 ↗ on maintaining our park system

1:09:46 ↗ that we can rip out a few pages and

1:09:49 ↗ focus on a section that they may be

1:09:51 ↗ working on

1:09:52 ↗ and here's the background information

1:09:53 ↗ and some other resources that they may

1:09:55 ↗ be able to include or

1:09:57 ↗ reference as they're doing their work so

1:09:59 ↗ this is really more of a field guide

1:10:01 ↗ and i think jeff wanted to add a little

1:10:03 ↗ something

1:10:04 ↗ to you yeah no well said jen and and

1:10:06 ↗ yeah i just

1:10:07 ↗ i would i would emphasize that as a

1:10:10 ↗ as a program and as a as a program piece

1:10:13 ↗ this is not something that's going to

1:10:15 ↗ necessarily go through an adoption

1:10:17 ↗ process

1:10:18 ↗ implementation of this project and this

1:10:20 ↗ program has been something that council

1:10:22 ↗ has said hey go

1:10:23 ↗ go do so as we're implementing we want

1:10:26 ↗ to make sure

1:10:27 ↗ as we finalize this program piece you

1:10:30 ↗ all have it

1:10:31 ↗ have a touch with it um the stakeholder

1:10:34 ↗ groups that have been involved

1:10:36 ↗ that's why this review is so important

1:10:38 ↗ as we finalize it we'll keep council

1:10:40 ↗ apprised obviously so it's going to be

1:10:41 ↗ more of a

1:10:42 ↗ i guess what you'll see when it comes

1:10:44 ↗ back brad we'd love to bring it back

1:10:46 ↗ but it's really it becomes a

1:10:48 ↗ communication piece

1:10:50 ↗ right as we're launching and heading

1:10:53 ↗ into this

1:10:54 ↗ uh heading into this program good

1:10:58 ↗ thanks for clarifying that i want to

1:11:00 ↗ make sure that

1:11:01 ↗ one more thing is um this just to make

1:11:04 ↗ sure as you're reading through it this

1:11:05 ↗ should be the

1:11:06 ↗ the guide for the program um but if

1:11:09 ↗ someone needed to pick up something and

1:11:11 ↗ figure out how do you get rid of

1:11:12 ↗ blackberry

1:11:13 ↗ we do create a separate um piece that's

1:11:16 ↗ small it's handy it fits in your

1:11:18 ↗ your you know you don't have to thumb

1:11:19 ↗ through 60 70 pages

1:11:22 ↗ and it provides a lot of the detail

1:11:25 ↗ about how

1:11:26 ↗ which is great for homeowners as well um

1:11:28 ↗ so there will be that piece as well that

1:11:30 ↗ doesn't

1:11:30 ↗ go through as much process because it's

1:11:33 ↗ pretty standard

1:11:35 ↗ um for all of the programs but it's it's

1:11:38 ↗ you can i can always send spokes a link

1:11:40 ↗ to an example if people want to know

1:11:41 ↗ that

1:11:42 ↗ thank you joanna i just want to quickly

1:11:46 ↗ add thank you joanna for

1:11:48 ↗ clarifying that um just also wanted to

1:11:51 ↗ add

1:11:52 ↗ uh the reviewers have been the

1:11:53 ↗ stakeholder team

1:11:55 ↗ some staff as well as you the park board

1:11:58 ↗ so they're

1:11:58 ↗ we are getting a lot of eyes on this

1:12:00 ↗ document uh before we put it through its

1:12:03 ↗ final

1:12:03 ↗ phase of revision and when you say staff

1:12:07 ↗ jennifer just to reiterate the good

1:12:08 ↗ thing this is staff from other

1:12:10 ↗ departments as well so as we're reaching

1:12:12 ↗ out to some of our other

1:12:13 ↗ land managers um and and other

1:12:16 ↗ departments within the city

1:12:21 ↗ thank you all any board members have any

1:12:24 ↗ more questions

1:12:29 ↗ anything anybody doing raising hand or

1:12:32 ↗ anything melissa

1:12:34 ↗ okay uh you're done on that i assume

1:12:37 ↗ jeff so let's move on

1:12:39 ↗ uh time for a little dark park update i

1:12:42 ↗ don't know

1:12:42 ↗ uh bye joanna thank you for your help

1:12:45 ↗ thank you

1:12:51 ↗ uh i guess jeff and jan it's uh

1:12:56 ↗ update yeah yeah dog park

1:12:59 ↗ um quick quick update um and then

1:13:02 ↗ uh really i think this is a chance to

1:13:05 ↗ want to share with you an idea and and

1:13:08 ↗ get some

1:13:08 ↗ some thoughts from you so in june um

1:13:12 ↗ uh you might recall and i spoke earlier

1:13:15 ↗ in

1:13:15 ↗ in the covet update that we sent you a

1:13:17 ↗ project update on

1:13:19 ↗ all of our park capital projects that

1:13:22 ↗ included

1:13:23 ↗ the dog park and and the unfortunate

1:13:25 ↗ news that

1:13:26 ↗ the dog park as a project both had a

1:13:28 ↗ budget impact a budgetary impact

1:13:30 ↗ to kovid and some of its general fund

1:13:33 ↗ money

1:13:34 ↗ was lost and then also staff resources

1:13:37 ↗ with the loss of a park planner and

1:13:38 ↗ those two park maintenance positions

1:13:40 ↗ completing that project as planned at

1:13:43 ↗ tibbetts valley park was not going to

1:13:45 ↗ happen

1:13:46 ↗ and it's not going to happen until we

1:13:49 ↗ get some

1:13:50 ↗ some budget back and so if you remember

1:13:53 ↗ as part of that update

1:13:54 ↗ we spoke to not only you but all the the

1:13:57 ↗ dog park groups that we wanted to

1:14:00 ↗ not give up we wanted to explore some

1:14:02 ↗ options

1:14:04 ↗ and so we have been exploring options

1:14:06 ↗ with the mayor's office and what we

1:14:08 ↗ might

1:14:09 ↗ be able to do with the dog park

1:14:13 ↗ how we could address this near-term need

1:14:16 ↗ that i think has existed for

1:14:17 ↗ a long long time you know 10 plus years

1:14:23 ↗ in addressing that near-term need

1:14:26 ↗ also um

1:14:29 ↗ continuing to pursue the long-term

1:14:31 ↗ solution uh

1:14:32 ↗ so almost take this two sort of

1:14:34 ↗ two-stage approach of near-term

1:14:37 ↗ relieve some pressure in the near term

1:14:40 ↗ while we continue to pursue

1:14:42 ↗ um long term and so um

1:14:46 ↗ want to get your thoughts again on on an

1:14:49 ↗ idea that we're putting together we'd

1:14:50 ↗ like to

1:14:51 ↗ to have a host a webex public meeting

1:14:54 ↗ with our dog

1:14:55 ↗ park um advocates and supporters and and

1:14:58 ↗ and users but

1:15:00 ↗ i wanted to sort of run this by you

1:15:01 ↗ before hosting that that meeting and and

1:15:05 ↗ the idea is while we continue to pursue

1:15:09 ↗ a long-term option

1:15:11 ↗ um what would it look like to create a

1:15:14 ↗ series of temporary dog parks

1:15:17 ↗ um uh that we would have throughout the

1:15:20 ↗ park system

1:15:21 ↗ and and what i mean is almost think of

1:15:24 ↗ almost think of this as a tour a series

1:15:27 ↗ of pop-ups

1:15:28 ↗ uh we would identify some spaces within

1:15:31 ↗ our parks

1:15:33 ↗ that would in essence host a temporary

1:15:35 ↗ dog park for

1:15:36 ↗ three months four months

1:15:39 ↗ that dog park would be anywhere from a

1:15:42 ↗ half acre to an acre

1:15:44 ↗ we would use some existing space we

1:15:46 ↗ would do it

1:15:47 ↗ in a way that complements the season

1:15:50 ↗ or other uses uh that are happening

1:15:53 ↗ within those

1:15:54 ↗ those parks um um it's a way that we

1:15:57 ↗ would do this within

1:15:59 ↗ uh in essence it would look like hosting

1:16:02 ↗ a special event

1:16:03 ↗ um at a series of these parks

1:16:06 ↗ uh we would uh again we we would imagine

1:16:09 ↗ this would probably take

1:16:11 ↗ identifying four locations that would

1:16:14 ↗ um um host a site that would make us

1:16:18 ↗ through

1:16:18 ↗ uh a year of of having a dog park within

1:16:22 ↗ our

1:16:24 ↗ within our system we would utilize this

1:16:27 ↗ with fencing that is would be

1:16:29 ↗ not only temporary but portable so it

1:16:32 ↗ would be a

1:16:33 ↗ relatively low capital front end cost

1:16:36 ↗ operationally we would

1:16:38 ↗ um either partner with someone

1:16:41 ↗ um or a combination of our staff and and

1:16:44 ↗ um partnering with someone um take this

1:16:47 ↗ down and set it up

1:16:49 ↗ set it up elsewhere we would imagine

1:16:54 ↗ this sort of pop-up

1:16:57 ↗ dog park tour model

1:17:00 ↗ being something that we would need to

1:17:02 ↗ manage for

1:17:03 ↗ uh probably a couple of years um until

1:17:05 ↗ we

1:17:06 ↗ had a permanent dog park but um you know

1:17:09 ↗ is that uh there's some models out there

1:17:13 ↗ city of bothell is doing something

1:17:14 ↗ similar they've had a two sites that

1:17:16 ↗ they've

1:17:17 ↗ alternated with this idea of a pop-up

1:17:20 ↗ dog park

1:17:20 ↗ so there's some there's some cities we

1:17:23 ↗ can lean on

1:17:24 ↗ um and learn from uh these wouldn't be

1:17:27 ↗ super fancy

1:17:28 ↗ deluxe amazing spaces to start but it

1:17:31 ↗ would least

1:17:32 ↗ be something um i'm going to pause there

1:17:36 ↗ like i said we don't have a lot of the

1:17:38 ↗ details yet but

1:17:39 ↗ it's it's an idea that we're formulating

1:17:42 ↗ um

1:17:43 ↗ it's continues to be a priority of the

1:17:45 ↗ mayor it continues to be a priority for

1:17:47 ↗ us as staff to try and come up with a

1:17:50 ↗ a solution even here in the midst of

1:17:52 ↗ kovids so

1:17:53 ↗ um does that idea even have some merit

1:17:56 ↗ should we should we pursue that with the

1:17:58 ↗ community and even pose that question

1:18:03 ↗ i see hannah brad do you want me to

1:18:06 ↗ carl carl go ahead

1:18:10 ↗ i'm just going to ask you you mentioned

1:18:11 ↗ about having that temporary fence

1:18:13 ↗ what about ground cover would this

1:18:16 ↗ particularly

1:18:16 ↗ be grass only because i don't you're not

1:18:18 ↗ going to put in any special ground

1:18:20 ↗ covering so

1:18:22 ↗ or would you look for specific parts

1:18:23 ↗ with can you guys hear carl i can't i

1:18:26 ↗ can't hear you carl

1:18:28 ↗ couldn't hear you very well carl

1:18:33 ↗ carl if you turn your video off and then

1:18:36 ↗ try speaking it might improve your

1:18:38 ↗ connection slightly go ahead

1:18:46 ↗ and there we go all right yeah i didn't

1:18:49 ↗ ask about you talking about temporary

1:18:50 ↗ fencing

1:18:51 ↗ but what about the ground

1:19:00 ↗ yeah yeah again as we look at locations

1:19:03 ↗ we'd probably be talking about existing

1:19:05 ↗ field space

1:19:06 ↗ so again that's the idea of it being

1:19:08 ↗ temporary

1:19:10 ↗ um three months not something that's

1:19:12 ↗ going to be

1:19:13 ↗ so impactful but we're probably talking

1:19:15 ↗ about

1:19:17 ↗ grass space within our within our parks

1:19:23 ↗ uh i like the idea i think it is

1:19:27 ↗ good to explore what the

1:19:30 ↗ users think about it so having that

1:19:33 ↗ webex meeting would be a good next step

1:19:35 ↗ before

1:19:36 ↗ anything more formal i think in some of

1:19:39 ↗ one of our meetings i mentioned i think

1:19:41 ↗ one of the drivers is going to be cost

1:19:43 ↗ issues because you wouldn't want to

1:19:45 ↗ deplete

1:19:45 ↗ the existing reserve of about a hundred

1:19:48 ↗ grand that we've got

1:19:50 ↗ but if it can be done fairly

1:19:52 ↗ inexpensively

1:19:53 ↗ you know i think it's if the community

1:19:56 ↗ you know likes it

1:19:57 ↗ it's also one of those kind of things if

1:19:59 ↗ it doesn't work out you just don't

1:20:00 ↗ continue it

1:20:01 ↗ other than you know be interesting to

1:20:03 ↗ see what the investment in in

1:20:04 ↗ mobile fencing would be i guess that

1:20:06 ↗ would be the

1:20:08 ↗ big question in my mind yeah and that

1:20:11 ↗ would be some of the work we do before

1:20:13 ↗ this meeting is what would it look like

1:20:15 ↗ how do we keep that initial capital cost

1:20:17 ↗ down and then what does it look like to

1:20:18 ↗ operationalize

1:20:20 ↗ right from an operational cost

1:20:21 ↗ standpoint these

1:20:23 ↗ um moving the moving the circus tent if

1:20:26 ↗ you will

1:20:29 ↗ if i could add real quick my my dog

1:20:32 ↗ apparently

1:20:33 ↗ cares because she just of her own

1:20:35 ↗ volition she knows how to open doors but

1:20:38 ↗ um seems like it makes sense

1:20:41 ↗ existing

1:20:45 ↗ uh we could you know install fence air

1:20:48 ↗ that would still allow construction load

1:20:49 ↗ or could we you know uh

1:20:53 ↗ loop fuel triple and

1:20:56 ↗ some small area that dogs could run on a

1:20:59 ↗ little bit

1:21:01 ↗ is one of the options maybe it's best

1:21:02 ↗ one but a way to

1:21:05 ↗ uh conserve some of the budget

1:21:09 ↗ and and you know get that retain that

1:21:11 ↗ value in it

1:21:12 ↗ that's already there or something like

1:21:13 ↗ that

1:21:16 ↗ you know i appreciate that chris i think

1:21:18 ↗ what i heard you were cutting in and out

1:21:19 ↗ was

1:21:20 ↗ areas that might have some existing

1:21:21 ↗ fencing um

1:21:23 ↗ or ways that we're not having to to

1:21:26 ↗ fence all

1:21:27 ↗ all four corners um i think is what you

1:21:31 ↗ no no what i was suggesting is that

1:21:34 ↗ among the sites we consider

1:21:37 ↗ that we include the existing proposed

1:21:39 ↗ dog

1:21:40 ↗ site

1:21:59 ↗ okay okay all right thank you i hear

1:22:01 ↗ what you're saying

1:22:02 ↗ consider consider that the existing

1:22:05 ↗ planned site as one of the

1:22:07 ↗ the tour stops so to speak

1:22:18 ↗ i think i think no that's okay go ahead

1:22:22 ↗ marlene

1:22:23 ↗ okay i appreciate the creativity and

1:22:26 ↗ thinking outside of the box

1:22:28 ↗ i also get to sit on the um

1:22:31 ↗ covid task force and i think one of the

1:22:33 ↗ things that they're talking a lot about

1:22:34 ↗ is you know how to find different ways

1:22:36 ↗ to engage the communities and i think

1:22:38 ↗ this is a really

1:22:39 ↗ um interesting way to sort of have

1:22:42 ↗ add some excitement and fun and levity

1:22:44 ↗ to um

1:22:46 ↗ you know a real tough time so i think

1:22:47 ↗ you know even considering how do we

1:22:49 ↗ tie this in with those plans so as an

1:22:51 ↗ example

1:22:52 ↗ you know the streetery was very well

1:22:54 ↗ received how do we kind of

1:22:55 ↗ take that momentum and you know push in

1:22:58 ↗ with okay next you know think about

1:22:59 ↗ here's another thing that the city's

1:23:01 ↗ doing

1:23:01 ↗ you know with the community so just

1:23:03 ↗ might be a nice way to continue to show

1:23:05 ↗ one flexibility adaptability and just

1:23:08 ↗ really a community first

1:23:10 ↗ way of doing way of writing the city so

1:23:12 ↗ i think it's a great idea

1:23:16 ↗ appreciate that thought

1:23:21 ↗ any other comments on this one yeah i

1:23:24 ↗ got one

1:23:25 ↗ jeremy can you hear me yep go ahead

1:23:27 ↗ jeremy

1:23:28 ↗ so everybody knows what a supporter of

1:23:30 ↗ the dog park i am

1:23:34 ↗ i personally don't like the idea um

1:23:37 ↗ without knowing more about it a few

1:23:39 ↗ things you know when we

1:23:41 ↗ uh tried to find a space for the dog

1:23:43 ↗ park

1:23:44 ↗ we essentially had to find the most

1:23:46 ↗ obscure space heart you know in the

1:23:48 ↗ community

1:23:49 ↗ nobody ever thought that that space up

1:23:50 ↗ there could have been a dog park

1:23:53 ↗ because there was a lot of people that

1:23:54 ↗ didn't want dogs running around on the

1:23:56 ↗ fields downtown and all over the place

1:23:58 ↗ so i'm not sure

1:24:00 ↗ where these areas are that you're

1:24:01 ↗ referring to so i'd like to know one

1:24:04 ↗ where that would be and then two i mean

1:24:07 ↗ aren't there other important things we

1:24:09 ↗ need to be doing i mean right now you're

1:24:11 ↗ cutting staff you're

1:24:13 ↗ downgrading staff i mean how would you

1:24:16 ↗ who would police it who would maintain

1:24:18 ↗ it who would it just seems like there's

1:24:20 ↗ a lot of other more important things to

1:24:22 ↗ uh

1:24:23 ↗ be doing than moving around a fence

1:24:27 ↗ mobile dog park that's just this is my

1:24:30 ↗ opinion

1:24:33 ↗ jeff you might clarify a little bit

1:24:35 ↗ about what kind of timeline you might be

1:24:37 ↗ forecasting for this to address

1:24:40 ↗ that concern as well as something that

1:24:43 ↗ we had talked about is some of this

1:24:45 ↗ might actually be done outside vendors

1:24:47 ↗ rather than park

1:24:48 ↗ service uh you know which might

1:24:51 ↗ uh you know kind of address jeremy's

1:24:55 ↗ concern that you're pulling parks people

1:24:57 ↗ away from this effort

1:24:58 ↗ and we might not really be doing that if

1:25:00 ↗ you use outside vendors

1:25:03 ↗ yeah no jeremy good good questions right

1:25:06 ↗ uh you know

1:25:07 ↗ the community has made it pretty clear

1:25:09 ↗ and i and i appreciate your uh

1:25:11 ↗ your position on this um there are other

1:25:14 ↗ community members that are

1:25:15 ↗ are equally passionate and equally loud

1:25:18 ↗ and been wanting an off-leash dog area

1:25:20 ↗ like

1:25:20 ↗ pretty much every city around us uh for

1:25:23 ↗ a long long time

1:25:24 ↗ and so um yeah i

1:25:27 ↗ we don't get to define our own

1:25:29 ↗ priorities we really um

1:25:32 ↗ respond to the community um i think your

1:25:35 ↗ question of

1:25:36 ↗ how do we accomplish this how do we move

1:25:39 ↗ that around i

1:25:40 ↗ totally agree with you we are not in a

1:25:42 ↗ place

1:25:43 ↗ we're not staffed to be able to have

1:25:47 ↗ maybe staff do that on their own so as

1:25:49 ↗ we

1:25:50 ↗ again define these spaces as we get a

1:25:52 ↗ sense of what the temporary fencing

1:25:54 ↗ plan looks like as we get an idea of

1:25:57 ↗ what

1:25:58 ↗ time is involved in setting up and

1:26:00 ↗ taking down

1:26:01 ↗ i would be considering a multitude of

1:26:03 ↗ resources and as brad said

1:26:06 ↗ you know is this something that we

1:26:07 ↗ contract out and have a

1:26:09 ↗ have a firm come in and move

1:26:13 ↗ move this fencing from one spot to

1:26:15 ↗ another and some of the temp fencing

1:26:16 ↗ we're looking at

1:26:17 ↗ is really pretty lightweight extremely

1:26:21 ↗ portable

1:26:22 ↗ um those of you that have

1:26:25 ↗ maybe familiar with the sort of the

1:26:27 ↗ agricultural realm

1:26:29 ↗ um there are there's cattle fencing

1:26:32 ↗ there's other fencing that

1:26:35 ↗ is extremely portable um and extremely

1:26:38 ↗ movable

1:26:39 ↗ uh that we'd probably be looking at in

1:26:41 ↗ in uh to some scale like that but

1:26:43 ↗ um you're right i don't i don't think

1:26:45 ↗ we're in a position right now to be the

1:26:48 ↗ uh to have our staff uh doing this um so

1:26:51 ↗ again as we're building

1:26:52 ↗ as we're building this idea as we're

1:26:55 ↗ identifying what the spots are as we're

1:26:57 ↗ identifying how many times we'd have to

1:26:59 ↗ move it in a year

1:27:01 ↗ uh we'll look at what it would look like

1:27:04 ↗ to

1:27:04 ↗ maybe contract out um

1:27:08 ↗ that that moving from a to b but you

1:27:11 ↗ don't have to still

1:27:12 ↗ explore you don't know what locations

1:27:15 ↗ you're referring to

1:27:16 ↗ right uh

1:27:19 ↗ no we don't we don't have those

1:27:20 ↗ finalized i i think one

1:27:22 ↗ some of the sites one of the sites we're

1:27:24 ↗ looking at was went through this

1:27:25 ↗ process right we have an old we have an

1:27:27 ↗ old skatepark site

1:27:29 ↗ uh that now has been cleared

1:27:32 ↗ what would that look like to have

1:27:33 ↗ temporary fencing is that a

1:27:35 ↗ is that a potential site for uh

1:27:38 ↗ for this um we have a lawn area um

1:27:42 ↗ in front of over by pickering barn

1:27:45 ↗ that again would not be a home for a

1:27:48 ↗ long-term permanent dog park but

1:27:50 ↗ um outside of farmers market season are

1:27:53 ↗ there

1:27:54 ↗ three months a year that that could host

1:27:57 ↗ a spot

1:27:59 ↗ we've got a field area at squawk valley

1:28:02 ↗ park

1:28:03 ↗ that really is extremely extremely

1:28:06 ↗ underutilized

1:28:07 ↗ um are there three months out of the

1:28:09 ↗ year that one of those field spaces

1:28:11 ↗ could become a dog park so

1:28:15 ↗ we're still kicking the tires on a

1:28:16 ↗ number of those but again they need to

1:28:18 ↗ be sites that could accommodate

1:28:21 ↗ this type of temporary use but also not

1:28:23 ↗ impact

1:28:24 ↗ the historical use that's

1:28:28 ↗ that's happened and occurred um on those

1:28:31 ↗ sites

1:28:33 ↗ so in some ways that this this idea of

1:28:35 ↗ pop-ups gives us a little bit more

1:28:37 ↗ flexibility than permanent

1:28:39 ↗ but um i think your concern is spot on

1:28:42 ↗ and i would share your concern that

1:28:44 ↗ um as we identify spots that have to be

1:28:47 ↗ spots that

1:28:48 ↗ are complementary to to the other uses

1:28:51 ↗ that have um

1:28:52 ↗ and and will continue to be going on in

1:28:54 ↗ those parks yeah i'm just not about

1:28:56 ↗ spending any money

1:28:57 ↗ when on stuff that you know we're making

1:29:00 ↗ budget cuts all over the place with

1:29:02 ↗ people

1:29:03 ↗ and services and all this stuff and then

1:29:05 ↗ we're thinking about

1:29:06 ↗ potentially doing something that's you

1:29:09 ↗ know i don't know how much it's going to

1:29:10 ↗ cost i guess we'll find out but

1:29:12 ↗ um matching sense well i appreciate that

1:29:16 ↗ i appreciate that you're right it's a

1:29:18 ↗ balancing act um

1:29:20 ↗ you know we're as we're looking at

1:29:21 ↗ capital projects that's true on

1:29:23 ↗ everything and and so i i

1:29:25 ↗ i say this because i i know you're

1:29:27 ↗ certainly a supporter and you're

1:29:29 ↗ well well aware of pad three at central

1:29:31 ↗ park right that's turf that needs to be

1:29:33 ↗ replaced well that's

1:29:35 ↗ that's also in our capital program

1:29:37 ↗ that's in our that's in our plan

1:29:39 ↗ and and is currently in our budget

1:29:40 ↗ request to be to be redone next year and

1:29:43 ↗ so we're

1:29:44 ↗ we're trying to be smart we know we need

1:29:46 ↗ to continue to make investments

1:29:48 ↗ um um so whether it's an investment in a

1:29:51 ↗ some old carpet

1:29:53 ↗ at pad 3 that needs to be replaced for

1:29:55 ↗ synthetic turf or whether it's

1:29:57 ↗ temporary off leash dog parks you know

1:29:59 ↗ we have

1:30:00 ↗ a variety of users we probably have dog

1:30:03 ↗ users that will never set foot on

1:30:05 ↗ that synthetic turf at pad 3 that would

1:30:07 ↗ probably

1:30:08 ↗ wonder why in the heck we're making that

1:30:10 ↗ investment so

1:30:12 ↗ but in fairness i wouldn't be pushing

1:30:13 ↗ for redoing that either

1:30:15 ↗ in the current climate with people

1:30:19 ↗ you know losing their jobs and whatnot

1:30:20 ↗ so yep

1:30:24 ↗ april you have a comment

1:30:27 ↗ i just wanted to i was having the same

1:30:30 ↗ thoughts that

1:30:31 ↗ jeremy expressed um not only just the

1:30:34 ↗ resources

1:30:35 ↗ to make something like this happen but

1:30:38 ↗ then to maintain it

1:30:39 ↗ for we don't know how long once

1:30:43 ↗ we were to start something like this it

1:30:45 ↗ might be difficult to

1:30:47 ↗ backpedal and say actually we need to

1:30:49 ↗ develop resources somewhere else

1:30:51 ↗ and then i think that there could

1:30:53 ↗ potentially be quite a bit

1:30:54 ↗ of um cleanup afterward at these

1:30:57 ↗ different sites depending on how long

1:31:00 ↗ they were in use um so just figuring in

1:31:03 ↗ any restoration because

1:31:05 ↗ then afterwards yep

1:31:09 ↗ all those operational factors we'll have

1:31:11 ↗ to we'll have to

1:31:13 ↗ make sure we identify and you're right

1:31:14 ↗ there would be

1:31:16 ↗ needed restoration work um as this as as

1:31:19 ↗ these move from site to site

1:31:24 ↗ yeah those are all good comments and

1:31:25 ↗ good concerns i

1:31:27 ↗ you know this is just kicking around for

1:31:29 ↗ now i think as jeff mentioned i think

1:31:31 ↗ getting some input from the community

1:31:33 ↗ about what their concerns are and again

1:31:36 ↗ to me cost is a big issue you know

1:31:39 ↗ because if it's burning up a lot of

1:31:41 ↗ money

1:31:41 ↗ it's not worth doing but if it can be

1:31:44 ↗ done

1:31:45 ↗ pretty effectively for low amounts of

1:31:47 ↗ money

1:31:48 ↗ and the community would like to do it

1:31:50 ↗ you know it might make some sense

1:31:53 ↗ because as it stands we could be a

1:31:55 ↗ couple years

1:31:56 ↗ plus before we're back to a point of

1:31:59 ↗ where we were

1:32:00 ↗ trying to develop something at tibbetts

1:32:02 ↗ and i don't know how much the community

1:32:05 ↗ you know wants to wait that long before

1:32:07 ↗ they at least have something

1:32:09 ↗ so i really appreciate the

1:32:12 ↗ the conversation and and and the

1:32:14 ↗ balancing act

1:32:16 ↗ um you're right and i think at the end

1:32:18 ↗ of the day as

1:32:19 ↗ if as as we have this conversation with

1:32:22 ↗ the community that really becomes the

1:32:24 ↗ one of the fundamental questions is is

1:32:26 ↗ it um

1:32:29 ↗ is it worth pursuing or or you're right

1:32:32 ↗ in this current state of covid

1:32:33 ↗ are we better off just saying hey you

1:32:36 ↗ know appreciate the creativity but

1:32:38 ↗ now is not the time let's let's wait a

1:32:40 ↗ year or two

1:32:42 ↗ um and and um we'll see where we are

1:32:45 ↗ economically and see where we are

1:32:47 ↗ in terms of the the permanent dog park

1:32:49 ↗ but at least

1:32:51 ↗ again our our intent our desire is to at

1:32:53 ↗ least

1:32:55 ↗ pursue and demonstrate some creative

1:32:57 ↗ creative options

1:32:59 ↗ so more to come appreciate the

1:33:06 ↗ discussion

1:33:10 ↗ so i'm not seeing any more comments

1:33:13 ↗ coming up on chat here

1:33:14 ↗ no hands are being raised so i guess uh

1:33:17 ↗ that's a wrap on that part of the agenda

1:33:20 ↗ well somebody would like to speak up and

1:33:23 ↗ if not

1:33:25 ↗ i think thank you jeff for that update

1:33:28 ↗ and we'll see what the next steps are in

1:33:32 ↗ terms of moving that forward

1:33:36 ↗ that does our agenda items it looks like

1:33:38 ↗ the chairperson's report which i don't

1:33:40 ↗ have much of anything i only think i

1:33:42 ↗ have one thing

1:33:44 ↗ and as usual i like to look more

1:33:46 ↗ globally sometimes

1:33:48 ↗ um and positive this time around i don't

1:33:52 ↗ know how many people were aware of this

1:33:53 ↗ so i thought i'd at least put it out

1:33:55 ↗ there and i even have a little question

1:33:57 ↗ for jeff and jen in this little comment

1:34:01 ↗ uh last month uh our

1:34:05 ↗ uh congress um passed the great american

1:34:08 ↗ outdoors act

1:34:09 ↗ which is a pretty significant thing i

1:34:12 ↗ don't know how many

1:34:13 ↗ people are aware of it but um within

1:34:16 ↗ that

1:34:16 ↗ um there's a land and water conservation

1:34:20 ↗ fund which does an awful lot of funding

1:34:23 ↗ from the federal government

1:34:25 ↗ across the nation for national parks as

1:34:29 ↗ well as

1:34:30 ↗ public lands and that had been something

1:34:33 ↗ that

1:34:34 ↗ was having to be um endorsed

1:34:37 ↗ uh every year every other year or

1:34:39 ↗ something like that they've now

1:34:41 ↗ actually made that permanent which is a

1:34:42 ↗ huge thing

1:34:44 ↗ and something that's going to be good

1:34:46 ↗ for our public lands

1:34:49 ↗ and in addition they

1:34:52 ↗ inaugurated something called the

1:34:54 ↗ national parks and public land

1:34:56 ↗ legacy restoration fund

1:35:00 ↗ which is something that will be

1:35:02 ↗ outstanding

1:35:03 ↗ for restoration purposes

1:35:07 ↗ there's an awful lot of backlogs in

1:35:10 ↗ national parks and parks throughout the

1:35:12 ↗ nation

1:35:13 ↗ this will help fund that i you know i'm

1:35:15 ↗ really frankly quite impressed with

1:35:18 ↗ how things are in our congress that they

1:35:20 ↗ were actually get disapproved but

1:35:22 ↗ you know many thanks to our senators

1:35:26 ↗ in this state as well as across the

1:35:27 ↗ country and getting that done

1:35:29 ↗ i guess one of my questions from this

1:35:33 ↗ relate to jen and jeff whether you know

1:35:36 ↗ whether or not

1:35:37 ↗ this new public land legacy restoration

1:35:40 ↗ fund will potentially open up

1:35:43 ↗ any grant funding for

1:35:47 ↗ local municipalities

1:35:50 ↗ one of the things i read looks like that

1:35:52 ↗ that might be possible

1:35:54 ↗ do you have any idea yeah

1:35:59 ↗ yeah great question so yeah lwcf land

1:36:01 ↗ water conservation fund is

1:36:03 ↗ um uh it's highly competitive

1:36:06 ↗ but those federal dollars funnel to the

1:36:10 ↗ state

1:36:10 ↗ through rco so the recreation

1:36:12 ↗ conservation office

1:36:14 ↗ so the very that's that that's the

1:36:15 ↗ office that we're applying for the

1:36:17 ↗ bergsma

1:36:18 ↗ acquisition dollars so lwcf

1:36:22 ↗ um funds um funnel through there

1:36:25 ↗ and then cities are um um

1:36:29 ↗ eligible to compete you're competing

1:36:31 ↗ against

1:36:32 ↗ um all other state lands so you're you

1:36:34 ↗ know we're be competing against state

1:36:36 ↗ parks and dnr and whatnot

1:36:38 ↗ but um yeah every now and then and a

1:36:41 ↗ project comes up

1:36:42 ↗ that um where we see an opportunity that

1:36:46 ↗ we could be competitive with lwcf

1:36:48 ↗ um it's it's worthy of an application

1:36:53 ↗ something you always have to be aware of

1:36:55 ↗ is

1:36:56 ↗ um federal federal money isn't free

1:36:59 ↗ um there are um all often many many many

1:37:03 ↗ many strings that go with

1:37:05 ↗ with those uh those dollars so i don't

1:37:08 ↗ mean to

1:37:09 ↗ sound like eeyore but um you know

1:37:12 ↗ strategically

1:37:14 ↗ if we go for lwcf money we'd want it to

1:37:16 ↗ be of a size and scale and a

1:37:18 ↗ significance

1:37:19 ↗ you know you you wouldn't want to chase

1:37:20 ↗ a hundred thousand dollars of lwcf money

1:37:23 ↗ because you would over

1:37:25 ↗ um the life of that grant you'd probably

1:37:27 ↗ be spending

1:37:29 ↗ uh near that uh with all of the uh

1:37:32 ↗ reporting requirements and whatnot for

1:37:34 ↗ the

1:37:34 ↗ the numerous years to come but yep

1:37:37 ↗ it's it's great news uh great news

1:37:40 ↗ nationally i think it's great news for

1:37:42 ↗ the value of public lands both

1:37:44 ↗ local public lands and regional and

1:37:47 ↗ national public lands um that was a

1:37:50 ↗ really good thing

1:37:51 ↗ and it could open up some opportunities

1:37:53 ↗ for us we'll certainly keep our

1:37:55 ↗ our ear to the ground good thank you

1:38:00 ↗ that's all i had uh jeff do you have

1:38:03 ↗ anything more in a director's report

1:38:05 ↗ or have you done your thing i've done

1:38:08 ↗ most my thing you guys have

1:38:09 ↗ certainly heard me enough um one thing

1:38:12 ↗ though that i i wanted to mention one of

1:38:14 ↗ um one of your colleagues

1:38:17 ↗ joe fraunheim as you may know his

1:38:21 ↗ term was scheduled to end earlier this

1:38:24 ↗ year

1:38:25 ↗ as terms have been extended joe has

1:38:28 ↗ not necessarily expressed an interest in

1:38:30 ↗ continuing i'm going to continue to

1:38:32 ↗ reach out to joe and invite him to

1:38:34 ↗ be part of of the board through um

1:38:39 ↗ that extended term because everybody's

1:38:41 ↗ term has extended due to

1:38:43 ↗ due to covid but um i just want to

1:38:46 ↗ recognize joe

1:38:47 ↗ and and rec and understanding that as a

1:38:50 ↗ as a park board member i think he came

1:38:52 ↗ on as an alternate alternate in 2003

1:38:55 ↗ and has been a a park board member for

1:38:57 ↗ 17 years he has seen

1:38:59 ↗ a lot and shepherded a lot and helped to

1:39:02 ↗ steward a lot of work that this

1:39:04 ↗ department has done and so

1:39:06 ↗ um kudos to joe and we we need to find a

1:39:09 ↗ way even if it's virtually to

1:39:11 ↗ um to get him here um or if we can meet

1:39:14 ↗ um collectively between now and february

1:39:17 ↗ i'd love to find a way to certainly

1:39:18 ↗ recognize joe and and the work that he's

1:39:20 ↗ done but

1:39:21 ↗ um i just wanted to call that out and

1:39:24 ↗ make sure you're all aware and

1:39:26 ↗ like at least give joe a collective

1:39:29 ↗ um ovation um in terms of webex

1:39:34 ↗ i agree yeah thank you joe here bravo

1:39:38 ↗ here

1:39:41 ↗ one of these days maybe we'll create a

1:39:44 ↗ senior

1:39:45 ↗ uh platform for for retired

1:39:48 ↗ park board members that can actually be

1:39:52 ↗ used along the line for advice

1:39:56 ↗ emeritus sort of uh yeah all right right

1:39:59 ↗ we got a lot of those departed people

1:40:01 ↗ that would be good to

1:40:02 ↗ you know keep those in the loop somehow

1:40:06 ↗ get it jeff yep

1:40:10 ↗ that's all i got okay other than thank

1:40:12 ↗ you everybody

1:40:14 ↗ um anybody have any questions

1:40:17 ↗ announcements

1:40:18 ↗ new business issues

1:40:22 ↗ not seeing anything well with that being

1:40:26 ↗ said

1:40:26 ↗ i guess this was uh somewhat of a

1:40:28 ↗ success for our first go-around here we

1:40:30 ↗ didn't have any glitches

1:40:32 ↗ not to anything significant anyway so

1:40:35 ↗ appreciate everybody's attendance

1:40:37 ↗ and i guess the big thing is stay safe

1:40:42 ↗ uh keep yourself engaged best you can

1:40:46 ↗ and we'll be seeing everybody again it

1:40:48 ↗ looks like this will be our way here for

1:40:50 ↗ a while uh you have a final you have a

1:40:53 ↗ closing comment

1:40:54 ↗ jeff yeah silly me uh kudos melissa

1:40:58 ↗ thank you for for hosting uh well done

1:41:02 ↗ on the webex world

1:41:05 ↗ yeah this is going to be our platform

1:41:07 ↗ for a while um

1:41:08 ↗ appreciate everyone's flexibility i

1:41:11 ↗ don't know that we're at a point of

1:41:13 ↗ meeting monthly but i certainly see

1:41:17 ↗ need an opportunity to to meet again

1:41:19 ↗ through the fall

1:41:21 ↗ um brad i can work with you and and

1:41:23 ↗ linda on what that

1:41:25 ↗ sort of itinerary looks like and um

1:41:29 ↗ get that out to everybody but um really

1:41:32 ↗ appreciate it thanks everybody stay safe

1:41:36 ↗ thank you everybody we'll see you

1:41:39 ↗ meeting is adjourned

1:42:29 ↗ you

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 (1)

Approve the minutes of February 24, 2020. Approved 9-0 PUBLIC COMMENTS Connie Marsh: Ms. Marsh spoke to the following topics: Green partnership including Urban forest definition, City-wide planning, collaborations, and phased planning. (See also, written emailed comments below) Covid Response and Re…

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