Park Board · Monday, October 27, 2025 · City Council Digest

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Park Board Minutes of September 25th

packet pp.3–6

Topics: Parks

Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

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4. REGULAR BUSINESS

Tibbetts Valley Park Master Planning Process (I)

Robin Spear & Jeff Watling · packet pp.7–17

Topics: Parks

▶ Watch from 18:44 Open packet at p.7 ↗

Staff report:

O C TO B E R 2 7 T H , 2 0 2 5 | PA R K B OA R D Jeff Watling- Director, Parks & Community Services

Issaquah Climate Action Plan Update

Stacey Vynne McKinstry ICAP Update and review of Draft Actions · packet pp.19–43

Topics: Climate

▶ Watch from 1:07:56 Open packet at p.19 ↗

Staff report:

Review proposed Provide update on revisions to natural ICAP progress systems actions

5. REPORTS

Director's Report

▶ Watch from 1:57:07

Chairperson's Report

▶ Watch from 2:02:07

2915 segments .txt ↗

1:27 ↗ I'm not sure.

1:36 ↗ You better

2:00 ↗ get

2:20 ↗ appreciation for what?

2:22 ↗ >> You know what that means?

2:27 ↗ >> Jeff, you know what that means? You

2:29 ↗ don't have that. Next time

2:34 ↗ there won't

2:35 ↗ >> you got a challenge

2:37 ↗ >> deal. Wow. Thank you.

2:53 ↗ >> Okay. How you doing?

2:57 ↗ One more minute.

3:04 ↗ Hey Chris, you can hear us.

3:33 ↗ Everybody wants to sit forward tonight.

3:37 ↗ [laughter]

3:38 ↗ >> Really smart. I know. I'm kind of

3:40 ↗ trying.

3:41 ↗ >> You got to put that in the notes. Please

3:42 ↗ bring [laughter]

3:45 ↗ a little poll closed.

3:57 ↗ Yes, we did. Last at our house last

4:00 ↗ night, we our lawn was covered with

4:03 ↗ hail.

4:04 ↗ >> Hail.

4:07 ↗ That sounds weird. And went outside.

4:09 ↗ It's all white.

4:10 ↗ >> Yeah.

4:33 ↗ We have enough.

4:34 ↗ >> Yep.

4:37 ↗ [clears throat]

4:38 ↗ >> All right. It's uh recording good

4:43 ↗ 701. As chair, I'll call this October

4:46 ↗ 27th, 2025 meeting of this called part

4:50 ↗ one to order. We'll start off with roll

4:53 ↗ call. Ryan Olson present. David Lou

4:56 ↗ present. Katie Bell

5:00 ↗ >> excused.

5:03 ↗ >> Chris Kovac

5:05 ↗ >> present.

5:06 ↗ >> Thank you. Tim Mley

5:08 ↗ >> here.

5:09 ↗ >> Thank you. Hannah Nakovic

5:12 ↗ >> here.

5:13 ↗ >> Thank you.

5:15 ↗ Anna Ren

5:17 ↗ >> present.

5:18 ↗ >> Thank you. James Cushi here. Thanks.

5:24 ↗ Marley Waxi

5:26 ↗ >> here.

5:27 ↗ Paulair

5:32 ↗ >> excused.

5:34 ↗ >> Jeffrey

5:35 ↗ >> excused.

5:39 ↗ >> Thank you.

5:41 ↗ Uh I don't think we have any voting

5:43 ↗ action today.

5:46 ↗ Has everybody had a chance to review the

5:48 ↗ minutes from the last meeting which also

5:49 ↗ included the park tour meeting?

5:56 ↗ You have any corrections or edits?

6:01 ↗ No corrections on behalf of the board.

6:03 ↗ The minutes are approved.

6:06 ↗ Have public comment. I know we had a

6:08 ↗ couple emails. We can address those

6:09 ↗ shortly. I do think we have in person.

6:17 ↗ >> No comments understand

6:24 ↗ is wishing to speak.

6:26 ↗ >> Dave, you ready?

6:27 ↗ >> Comment.

6:30 ↗ >> I'm Dave Wag

6:33 ↗ so that I get

6:34 ↗ >> Why don't you come have a seat right

6:35 ↗ here, David?

6:36 ↗ >> Can I stand?

6:38 ↗ >> You can stand. You can. Yes, absolutely.

6:40 ↗ Glad you're here.

6:41 ↗ >> There are several boards in the city,

6:44 ↗ myself, as you well know, and uh I think

6:48 ↗ it was three years ago that we came in,

6:51 ↗ I think it was 2022,

6:53 ↗ >> right? We saw a little box on the plan.

6:56 ↗ It said relocate monument. That caused

7:00 ↗ all of us, my comrades, to take a little

7:04 ↗ notice about the parkboard. We're not

7:07 ↗ sure if we're going to use and one tank

7:10 ↗ or F-15,

7:12 ↗ but we were going to make sure that you

7:14 ↗ knew that we existed, but we didn't want

7:17 ↗ that monument moved.

7:19 ↗ Um, it was a great night. We sat our

7:23 ↗ side. You promised us with your word

7:27 ↗ that that monument would move and it

7:29 ↗ did. And we're very grateful. And uh

7:33 ↗ we've also

7:35 ↗ cleaned up the monument and got it

7:38 ↗ spruced up and it looks great. I've got

7:40 ↗ a picture of it at night. Um and we're

7:44 ↗ so happy about that. So I suggested to

7:48 ↗ uh John and Bill and Brian that we come

7:53 ↗ over tonight and uh we say thank you for

7:57 ↗ not moving that monument. There's names

8:00 ↗ on that monument that I know personally

8:05 ↗ and those are people who left Isiqua

8:09 ↗ whatever year and never got an

8:12 ↗ opportunity to come home. Skip, never

8:16 ↗ returned. This plane was blown out of

8:19 ↗ the sky. We don't want them forgotten

8:23 ↗ ever. So, um, thank you for not moving

8:26 ↗ that. And uh

8:29 ↗ you have a challenge coin now. So three

8:32 ↗ seed with the bar. You don't have that

8:35 ↗ you bought. [laughter]

8:38 ↗ >> Thanks again.

8:40 ↗ >> And it's been an honor, privilege, and a

8:43 ↗ pleasure to get to know Robin and her

8:46 ↗ wonderful husband and uh work through

8:50 ↗ all that. And just so you know, the

8:53 ↗ decision was made for Boy Scout uh

8:57 ↗ Eagle Scout Project to keep that flag

9:01 ↗ box and we knew it and put it over there

9:06 ↗ because that's where Isqua drops flags.

9:11 ↗ And let me tell you a little numbers.

9:14 ↗ It's been there since 2006.

9:18 ↗ And we VFW have probably, this is a

9:23 ↗ guest of uh

9:27 ↗ retired, that's the correct word, right?

9:30 ↗ Correct. Retired

9:32 ↗ over 8,000 flags in the town that's been

9:37 ↗ there for the city as well. And the

9:39 ↗ parks folks put their flags in that box

9:42 ↗ as well. So, uh, it's one of those

9:46 ↗ little things that you walk by and you

9:48 ↗ forget

9:50 ↗ here. Anyway, I'm going to shut up now.

9:53 ↗ And thank you, Jeff, and thank you, R.

9:56 ↗ And thank you, Park for keeping your

9:59 ↗ word.

10:06 ↗ Can I say a few words just to thank you

10:09 ↗ BFW, thank you so much for your care of

10:12 ↗ that monument. Um, and what you do and

10:15 ↗ what you stand for. Um, I I hope for

10:19 ↗ many many years to come and and I I know

10:21 ↗ the park board, this is deeply

10:23 ↗ meaningful to them that that plaza and

10:25 ↗ now access to that monument is so much

10:27 ↗ more improved. And I think there's more

10:30 ↗ residents that recognize that monument

10:32 ↗ is there like where did that come from?

10:34 ↗ It was always there. And so hopefully

10:37 ↗ it's um that much more accessible for um

10:40 ↗ all the residents of Isiqua for

10:42 ↗ generations to come.

10:44 ↗ >> When BFW donated that to the city of

10:47 ↗ Isiqua in 1947,

10:50 ↗ I was three years old

10:54 ↗ and is still here.

10:55 ↗ >> Yep. and hopefully long after I'm gone

10:58 ↗ be here and then whenever anybody asks

11:02 ↗ who is Elizabeth

11:05 ↗ um Ericson

11:07 ↗ somebody can't say her story

11:12 ↗ so thank you

11:15 ↗ so much

11:29 ↗ Thank you very much.

11:38 ↗ >> That was awesome. Thank you.

11:40 ↗ >> Um

11:42 ↗ I think we got I'm gonna go with Connie

11:45 ↗ and CM online with their hand up.

11:48 ↗ Nailed it.

11:50 ↗ >> [snorts]

11:52 ↗ >> Connie, you with us?

11:56 ↗ >> Connie, can you hear us?

11:58 ↗ >> Connie, do you think

12:06 ↗ she can herself

12:09 ↗ unmute?

12:11 ↗ >> Yeah,

12:16 ↗ we're checking, Connie. If you can't

12:17 ↗ unmute yourself, apologies. We with the

12:20 ↗ teams meeting she should be able to

12:23 ↗ please.

12:33 ↗ [clears throat]

12:37 ↗ I don't know if she has

12:45 ↗ >> just

12:53 ↗ do I make her present. I think you No, I

12:55 ↗ think Connie

12:59 ↗ one more opportunity here. We can maybe

13:01 ↗ circle back.

13:07 ↗ City put anything in the chat if she

13:11 ↗ >> Yeah. Can you type in the chat if you're

13:13 ↗ there?

13:22 ↗ >> And she's gone.

13:24 ↗ >> She just left. She might have

13:27 ↗ connection thing.

13:34 ↗ We'll see if she pops back up.

13:40 ↗ She is

13:42 ↗ >> Tony, we see you're back.

13:44 ↗ >> There we go.

13:46 ↗ >> Hey,

13:46 ↗ >> you all just

13:48 ↗ >> you all just entirely disappeared. It's

13:51 ↗ like all of the sudden you were gone. I

13:53 ↗ could hear you. But anyway, so um Connie

13:56 ↗ Marsh live on Squawk.

13:58 ↗ Uh I'm going to start with

14:02 ↗ the easy one, which is um the city of

14:06 ↗ Isiqua has never done a master plan. We

14:09 ↗ have done master site plans. That's how

14:11 ↗ we've dealt with our larger parks

14:12 ↗ before. And so I am reluctant to have

14:16 ↗ you go into a process that has never

14:18 ↗ existed and we don't know what it is.

14:22 ↗ Like blah. Here we're doing Tibbitz

14:24 ↗ Valley Park. I would uh suggest that

14:27 ↗ what you do is have a meeting or two

14:29 ↗ saying what is a master plan? What are

14:31 ↗ the components that we need to have in a

14:33 ↗ master plan to make sure that the

14:35 ↗ community contract that you are creating

14:38 ↗ actually can uh function in the future

14:41 ↗ once everybody is off the committee and

14:43 ↗ you no longer have the same staff? Um uh

14:46 ↗ because it's very different than the

14:48 ↗ master site plans that you've had in the

14:50 ↗ past. So then step number two is a

14:53 ↗ little more holistic and that is we

14:57 ↗ don't really have anybody in the city of

14:58 ↗ Isiqua who is for the natural

15:00 ↗ environment.

15:02 ↗ What we have is we have a person who's

15:05 ↗ dealing with trees and we have people

15:07 ↗ who are sort of about climate and then

15:09 ↗ we have rules and regulations that are

15:11 ↗ supposed to sort of protect the

15:14 ↗ environment. But when I look at the

15:16 ↗ changes that they want to make in the

15:18 ↗ climate action plan, it's very clear

15:21 ↗ that there's no one who is actually

15:23 ↗ responsible for protecting our

15:25 ↗ environment and the uh moving of code

15:30 ↗ around saying that we actually have our

15:33 ↗ tree plan. Our tree plan does not have

15:36 ↗ implementation

15:38 ↗ rules, regulations or even staffing. So

15:41 ↗ I don't see how we are going to progress

15:44 ↗ on the natural environment without

15:48 ↗ somebody who's responsible. So you would

15:50 ↗ say, wow, I would think the parks

15:52 ↗ department would be the people who are

15:54 ↗ responsible for their end of ensuring

15:56 ↗ that their parks are environmentally

15:59 ↗ protected. But what I find is when the

16:01 ↗ parks department goes through their

16:03 ↗ processes for our natural areas, they

16:07 ↗ act much like a developer in that

16:10 ↗ they're trying to thread the code needle

16:14 ↗ so they get what they want. They don't

16:16 ↗ ask is it right to do this

16:19 ↗ because I don't think it is. They just

16:22 ↗ say well if we look at it just exactly

16:24 ↗ this way then we can do what we want.

16:28 ↗ And this is happening with the dog park.

16:31 ↗ We know that it was a garbage dump

16:32 ↗ because I know the people who used to

16:34 ↗ shovel the garbage in the garbage dump

16:36 ↗ below the dog park. Um that is a stream

16:39 ↗ with the intent that the code was built,

16:43 ↗ but the parks department has pushed

16:45 ↗ heavily to make sure that it is not

16:47 ↗ going to be called a stream because they

16:49 ↗ don't like the buffers that are allowed.

16:51 ↗ The dog poopy water is going to go in

16:54 ↗ curtain drains and then into what

16:56 ↗ they're calling a bioellail. But that

16:58 ↗ bioellail is a vestage

17:01 ↗ of the train that used to run through

17:03 ↗ there and it's basically just

17:07 ↗ filled [clears throat] with reed canary

17:09 ↗ grass etc. And so you know you can you

17:14 ↗ can do it because our storm water plan

17:17 ↗ doesn't address dog parks and dog poop.

17:21 ↗ But should you? No, you should not do

17:23 ↗ that. And so I I am calling conscious

17:28 ↗ conscience

17:29 ↗ to this entire world of what people like

17:33 ↗ about Isiqua, which is our natural

17:36 ↗ environment and saying, should we be

17:38 ↗ doing things that we can sort of do? And

17:43 ↗ that should be the judge when we're

17:45 ↗ looking at our public lands and our

17:47 ↗ parks departments. And I'm going to stop

17:50 ↗ there before I get further in the weeds.

17:53 ↗ And uh have fun. Bye.

17:57 ↗ >> Thank you, Connie. Appreciate it.

18:05 ↗ >> All right. I think that is the end of

18:06 ↗ our public comments.

18:10 ↗ But if I could add one thing, uh we did

18:12 ↗ receive an email. You all received an

18:14 ↗ email uh from Steve Pereira um regarding

18:17 ↗ his some of his comments around both of

18:20 ↗ tonight's topics, the master plan that

18:23 ↗ we'll be talking about um and the um

18:27 ↗ climate action plan. He had some

18:28 ↗ comments as well. So, like we've done

18:30 ↗ previously, we can um add that email to

18:32 ↗ the minutes that you'll for this meeting

18:35 ↗ that you'll approve next month.

18:38 ↗ >> Absolutely. Yes. Thank you for that

18:39 ↗ reminder.

18:41 ↗ Uh and with that we'll move on to

18:44 ↗ regular business. Up first we have the

18:46 ↗ Tibbitz Valley Park master planning

18:49 ↗ process presented by an August 12.

18:52 ↗ >> Yeah, as Laban is preparing to share

18:56 ↗ screen. Look at that. Um I'll give a a

18:59 ↗ quick overview. Thank you so much. Um uh

19:03 ↗ like um we know as we came out of our

19:07 ↗ 2024 park system plan update um a

19:10 ↗ revisioning of Tibbitz Valley Park. Um a

19:13 ↗ master plan update of Tibets Valley Park

19:15 ↗ was your highest priority. Um it was

19:18 ↗ also um a very high priority for city

19:20 ↗ council um in the past two six-year

19:23 ↗ capital improvement plans where they've

19:25 ↗ um identified and and provided some

19:27 ↗ funding uh to to do this planning

19:30 ↗ process. Um uh we thought tonight would

19:33 ↗ be a great opportunity to discuss what a

19:36 ↗ master plan is. Uh talk about uh this

19:39 ↗ process that uh we um are going to map

19:43 ↗ out and want to undertake. You'll notice

19:45 ↗ as Robin gives you overview two very

19:47 ↗ distinct phases of this master plan

19:49 ↗ process. Both are going to be really

19:50 ↗ really important. Um um I won't bury the

19:53 ↗ lead. Robin will go into this more but

19:56 ↗ one is is site feasibility. So

19:58 ↗ feasibility work to understand what's

20:00 ↗ happening environmentally on that site.

20:03 ↗ Um and once we really know that we've

20:05 ↗ done some initial work uh that you'll

20:07 ↗ hear about, but there's some additional

20:08 ↗ work we want to get done. We do that

20:10 ↗ work first and then we go into concept

20:12 ↗ development. um um understanding and and

20:17 ↗ being informed with um uh what's

20:19 ↗ available, what's possible uh for the

20:21 ↗ site. So, uh tonight's intended again as

20:24 ↗ an overview of what this master plan

20:25 ↗ process is going to be. We invite

20:27 ↗ questions um and discussion as we go.

20:30 ↗ >> Thanks, Robin. You're [snorts] welcome.

20:31 ↗ So I have a question just you touched on

20:34 ↗ it just briefly because when I went

20:36 ↗ through this and you you mentioned that

20:37 ↗ it was a it came out of the work we did

20:40 ↗ last year about uh being a high priority

20:43 ↗ from some of the park planning process

20:45 ↗ and that had skipped my mind. My

20:48 ↗ question really was what unmet need does

20:50 ↗ the planning process do? Why are we

20:52 ↗ doing this? And then you know why now?

20:56 ↗ Why are we doing it now? And maybe you

20:57 ↗ just touched on that um because it came

21:00 ↗ out of the work we did last year. Um but

21:03 ↗ could you just say a few more words

21:05 ↗ about you know why and why now?

21:09 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah. Um again I'll be super quick

21:11 ↗ and I think Robin will will go into it a

21:13 ↗ little bit more. Um

21:18 ↗ the central Isqua plan uh is an adopted

21:21 ↗ document that that has identified where

21:24 ↗ is wants to put its density. Right. All

21:26 ↗ cities are required to um um um have a

21:30 ↗ plan for where they're going to add

21:32 ↗ population

21:33 ↗ and um Isiqua adopted the the central

21:37 ↗ Isqua plan. It basically said, "Hey, we

21:39 ↗ want density in the downtown area in the

21:42 ↗ central Isco area. If you look at a map,

21:44 ↗ Tippetsz Valley Park is right on the

21:46 ↗ southern end of that um

21:50 ↗ um central Isco plan. Uh we've known for

21:53 ↗ a couple years now and these are the

21:54 ↗ conversations we've been having is

21:56 ↗ Tibbitz Valley Park has lived a

21:57 ↗ wonderful life. It's a wonderful

21:59 ↗ community park. It's tired. Um its

22:02 ↗ amenities are tired. Um we thought now

22:05 ↗ is a very strategic time and a strategic

22:07 ↗ moment knowing we have a current

22:10 ↗ population that is is wanting to see um

22:14 ↗ uh that park uh reinvested in. Uh we

22:18 ↗ know we need to plan for future growth.

22:20 ↗ Um, we think this is a strategic time to

22:24 ↗ um, cast a new vision for what Tibbitz

22:26 ↗ Valley Park is. The reason we're doing a

22:28 ↗ master plan, the reason we're looking at

22:30 ↗ a a park holistically is we know we're

22:32 ↗ not going to have the capital funding to

22:34 ↗ do it all in one fell swoop. So you you

22:37 ↗ do a master plan to allow for that

22:40 ↗ community vision to stand and and to be

22:43 ↗ important and um even as Connie says to

22:46 ↗ be a contract or here's here's the

22:49 ↗ direction here's the north star that

22:51 ↗ this community would like the park to go

22:52 ↗ and then as capital funding is available

22:55 ↗ um you're doing phases um you might do a

22:59 ↗ couple phases it might be 10 10

23:01 ↗ different phases really depending on

23:02 ↗ what funding looks like so getting that

23:05 ↗ vision getting that big picture vision

23:07 ↗ for this community park knowing its

23:09 ↗ neighborhood is going to change. It's

23:10 ↗ going to be asked to perform in

23:13 ↗ different ways. Um but it's also um has

23:17 ↗ some real ecological and environmental

23:20 ↗ um treasures, some resources on this

23:22 ↗ site that need to be protected. And so

23:24 ↗ let's understand those. Let's be

23:27 ↗ realistic and and pragmatic about how we

23:31 ↗ um how we achieve both.

23:35 ↗ Yes, we have to act like a developer

23:37 ↗ sometimes in the park department, but we

23:38 ↗ don't see ourselves as developers.

23:43 ↗ >> All right. Thank you.

23:43 ↗ >> Yeah,

23:45 ↗ >> we'll [clears throat] dig into the a

23:46 ↗ little bit of that detail more later,

23:48 ↗ but um yeah, so for the past month, Jeff

23:51 ↗ Brook and I have been working on what we

23:53 ↗ call a request for qualifications or an

23:55 ↗ RFQ that we'll send out to the public to

23:58 ↗ get garner interest from consultants

24:01 ↗ that want to be able to do this master

24:03 ↗ planning process. So, this is kind of

24:05 ↗ the first step, but we thought right now

24:06 ↗ it'd be a good idea to walk you through

24:08 ↗ the process, what's going to happen, um,

24:11 ↗ get your feedback if we're starting off

24:12 ↗ on the wrong foot or on the right foot,

24:15 ↗ but to let you know what's going to be

24:17 ↗ coming up next year. So, that'll be

24:18 ↗ going out early November.

24:21 ↗ Um, just a quick schedule for that. Uh,

24:24 ↗ we hope to have interviews by January

24:26 ↗ and under contract then by late January,

24:29 ↗ early February. So, we're hoping to

24:31 ↗ start a whole process early, very early

24:33 ↗ next year. Uh, we anticipate six to nine

24:36 ↗ months. Um, again, that depends on how

24:40 ↗ detailed our feasibility is going to be

24:42 ↗ and then our public outreach, what that

24:44 ↗ strategy is going to be. So, but first,

24:47 ↗ I kind of want to give you a history of

24:50 ↗ Tibbitz Valley Park. Um, one thing that

24:53 ↗ we want to be very conscious of now and

24:55 ↗ in the future as we go through the

24:57 ↗ process is that before even pioneers and

25:00 ↗ early early settlers were there, of

25:02 ↗ course, the Native Americans were there.

25:04 ↗ So, we want to pay homage to and be

25:07 ↗ respectful um that they have been here

25:10 ↗ since time in memorial and they very

25:13 ↗ much relied on this site and the

25:15 ↗ landscape uh for fishing, for hunting,

25:18 ↗ for gathering and for trade. And that

25:21 ↗ isn't something that just happened in

25:22 ↗ the past. They're also interested in

25:25 ↗ that in the future now. Um it's very

25:27 ↗ much a part of their cultural is very

25:29 ↗ significant to them. And because the

25:31 ↗ creek does tie in to Lake Samish, it's

25:33 ↗ even more significant significant

25:35 ↗ because of the fish potential uh coming

25:37 ↗ up the creek. Um but as we move in to

25:42 ↗ the late 1800s and early 1900s

25:46 ↗ uh settlement from the pioneers started

25:48 ↗ happening and the landscape started to

25:50 ↗ be transformed. Um it's still used or it

25:53 ↗ was used as early travel connections uh

25:56 ↗ mainly between the mining communities of

25:59 ↗ Newcastle in Reton which you can still

26:01 ↗ see SR900. You can still see that

26:04 ↗ connection today. Um, it became a real

26:06 ↗ key for north to south connection,

26:09 ↗ particularly from Lake Smash, uh, down

26:11 ↗ to southern Nisagwa. And as you can

26:14 ↗ tell, this this picture is from 1936.

26:17 ↗ Uh, it's probably the oldest aerial that

26:19 ↗ we have available, but you can tell that

26:22 ↗ there were agricultural activities that

26:24 ↗ grew with a population. Um, and the site

26:27 ↗ was more than likely farmed and utilized

26:29 ↗ for food. Um, we can assume that

26:31 ↗ probably hops were on the site. that was

26:33 ↗ a big agricultural crop in the area. Um

26:36 ↗ and then today the site remains as a

26:39 ↗ crossroad between Reton and the northern

26:41 ↗ portion of Isiqua. Um we have a very

26:44 ↗ large we still have a very large

26:46 ↗ environmental benefit with the creek and

26:48 ↗ the riparian area and the wildlife

26:50 ↗ that's capable across the site and also

26:53 ↗ now we have the recreation benefit also

26:56 ↗ the different programming elements

26:58 ↗ there. That kind of leads into my second

27:00 ↗ slide. So, this is what it looks like

27:03 ↗ today. We have five baseball softball

27:05 ↗ fields, uh, one playground with a

27:07 ↗ shelter, two parking areas, a skate

27:10 ↗ park, which I think is the most current

27:13 ↗ element that was added in, uh, four

27:16 ↗ tennis and pickle ball courts, the manor

27:18 ↗ of course, a barn that we use for

27:20 ↗ maintenance and operations, uh, several

27:23 ↗ walking paths, and of course our natural

27:25 ↗ features that are significant on the

27:27 ↗ site, the Tibet Creek, all the

27:29 ↗ vegetation. Um, we have a little bit of

27:32 ↗ slope on the southeastern side and of

27:35 ↗ course a graperian buffer there. So, a

27:37 ↗ lot of elements going on right now, a

27:39 ↗ lot of elements living together, but we

27:41 ↗ want to be able to harmonize those

27:43 ↗ better in the master plan.

27:48 ↗ So, next kind of to answer your

27:49 ↗ question, Tim, why does it matter that

27:52 ↗ we do a master plan? and master plans

27:54 ↗ are very common in several different

27:57 ↗ cities and and uh counties. It's a

28:00 ↗ typical form of developing a design, a

28:04 ↗ conceptual design that you can take

28:06 ↗ forward. Again, if we end up switching

28:09 ↗ staff, um that still remains that

28:11 ↗ guiding document that the community

28:13 ↗ developed. So, it's kind of solidifies

28:16 ↗ that idea more no matter who's here. So,

28:20 ↗ and just to reiterate, master plans are

28:22 ↗ guiding documents. They are not

28:25 ↗ construction documents. Uh they are

28:27 ↗ high-level conceptual plans

28:30 ↗ again based on community feedback,

28:33 ↗ community input um and the needs for the

28:36 ↗ community. So, some elements mostly the

28:38 ↗ programming elements will remain.

28:40 ↗ locations may switch a little bit, but I

28:43 ↗ feel if we do a really in-depth

28:45 ↗ feasibility study, we'll have a really

28:46 ↗ good idea of where those elements can

28:48 ↗ be. Um, this master planning process,

28:52 ↗ like I said, is going to be comprised of

28:54 ↗ two phases. We'll have our feasibility

28:56 ↗ study first and I like to do that first

28:59 ↗ and get a really good idea of the

29:01 ↗ capabilities of the site and then we'll

29:03 ↗ once we have that done we'll move into

29:05 ↗ concept development where we we'll be uh

29:08 ↗ preparing the plans and doing more

29:10 ↗ public outreach.

29:12 ↗ Uh this helps us develop that balance

29:14 ↗ between recreation access and ecology

29:16 ↗ which we talked a lot about last year

29:19 ↗ during the park system plan update

29:21 ↗ especially our goals and policies and

29:23 ↗ our core values. So this is going to be

29:26 ↗ a litmus test for those and and see how

29:28 ↗ well we can do that. It'll help ensure

29:31 ↗ responsible use of the public land and

29:33 ↗ public funds. It encourages and

29:36 ↗ reinforces reinforces sustainable design

29:39 ↗ and the protection of natural features.

29:41 ↗ You know like like Connie said, we do

29:42 ↗ want to protect the habitat areas, the

29:45 ↗ creeks and improve them where we can. Um

29:49 ↗ this will introduce phasing to help

29:50 ↗ alleviate funding challenges. Uh this is

29:53 ↗ a very large site so you can anticipate

29:55 ↗ that it'll be a significant investment.

30:00 ↗ Um and it's absolutely necessary for

30:02 ↗ grant funding again which we'll more

30:04 ↗ than likely have to go out for to help

30:07 ↗ implement the all the phases. So we

30:09 ↗ can't get out grant funding without the

30:11 ↗ master plan.

30:14 ↗ Okay. What is being studied? So the two

30:17 ↗ different phases the feasibility study

30:19 ↗ phase. So, we want to look at our

30:22 ↗ foundation and context analysis would be

30:24 ↗ our boundary, the basics. Let's look at

30:26 ↗ our boundary. What easements are there?

30:28 ↗ Uh what restrictions do we have on the

30:30 ↗ site? That's kind of the core basic that

30:33 ↗ you start with. Then we're going to be

30:34 ↗ looking at site characteristics, the

30:37 ↗ topography, the vegetation.

30:40 ↗ Um that's going to tell us a lot about

30:42 ↗ what what is capable and what's not

30:44 ↗ capable, what do we have to mitigate

30:46 ↗ for. Uh we'll look at existing

30:47 ↗ facilities

30:49 ↗ uh such as utilities. What utilities are

30:52 ↗ available either in the surrounding

30:54 ↗ streets or um on the site itself because

30:57 ↗ that can again help either exasperate or

31:00 ↗ or help us funding wise. Uh operations

31:03 ↗ and maintenance. A plan isn't successful

31:06 ↗ really unless we can operate maintain it

31:09 ↗ to the level that we want to to our

31:11 ↗ level of service. uh social aspects.

31:13 ↗ We'll be looking at social connectivity

31:16 ↗ uh connectivity within the park,

31:18 ↗ connectivity to the surrounding uh

31:20 ↗ neighborhoods and beyond to make sure

31:23 ↗ that we're meeting that need. Again,

31:25 ↗ that's a creeks to peaks connection. We

31:27 ↗ want to make sure this park is well

31:28 ↗ connected. Uh then we need to look at

31:32 ↗ because we do have environmental

31:33 ↗ concerns, city, state, federal codes and

31:36 ↗ regulations. I want to have a really

31:38 ↗ good idea before we go into any

31:41 ↗ construction. and then by the end of the

31:42 ↗ master planning process um what agencies

31:45 ↗ that we'll need to uh permit for which I

31:49 ↗ think is really critical because that

31:50 ↗ really impacts our time frame

31:54 ↗ once we finish that and and during that

31:56 ↗ process we'll also be going out for um

31:59 ↗ public engagement and public feedback.

32:01 ↗ So we're not going to be doing this in a

32:03 ↗ silo but we'll definitely be coming back

32:06 ↗ and forth for for more interest. The

32:09 ↗ second phase would be the conceptual

32:11 ↗ plan phase which is kind of the fun

32:14 ↗ phase in a way. Uh once we have that

32:17 ↗ feasibility study we want to come in

32:19 ↗ with a very transparent

32:22 ↗ um study basically and mapping. So um we

32:28 ↗ are kind of diving into pie in the sky

32:30 ↗ ideas that just the the site isn't

32:32 ↗ capable of holding. Um we'll look at

32:35 ↗ program de and development based on

32:37 ↗ feedback and needs. So that's what

32:39 ↗ everybody kind of the fun part what

32:42 ↗ elements what recreation elements what

32:45 ↗ pathways connections um definitely

32:48 ↗ circulation and connectivity

32:50 ↗ uh environmental and sustainability will

32:53 ↗ be a big portion of that then we'll once

32:55 ↗ we have those layer those on we'll look

32:57 ↗ at moving into the concept plan and

32:59 ↗ develop so it's very iterative it's back

33:01 ↗ and forth and back and forth but by the

33:04 ↗ end of the process um we'll go probably

33:06 ↗ from three plans or ideas down to one

33:09 ↗ preferred plan. And then we want to

33:12 ↗ definitely look at phasing and order of

33:14 ↗ magnitude costs because that's going to

33:16 ↗ help us determine what step we need to

33:18 ↗ go through first.

33:20 ↗ >> It's okay.

33:21 ↗ >> Yeah.

33:22 ↗ >> Questions. First of all, a couple years

33:24 ↗ ago when we had that Toronto money and

33:26 ↗ we were trying to decide where to spend

33:28 ↗ it, this was one of the areas that we

33:30 ↗ looked at and there were several

33:31 ↗ proposals about what to do there along

33:34 ↗ with several other areas and we so will

33:37 ↗ that be used as a basis or at least a

33:40 ↗ starting point for you know what we're

33:43 ↗ going to do there or will it be starting

33:45 ↗ from scratch? the uh I believe the

33:48 ↗ tranch of money you're referring to is

33:50 ↗ the ARPA money the federal

33:52 ↗ >> the money the money that went into the

33:54 ↗ uh

33:54 ↗ >> pedestrian park

33:56 ↗ veteran center and all that but there

33:58 ↗ were sever this was one of the finalists

34:01 ↗ along with that and there were some

34:03 ↗ suggestions and ideas about how we might

34:05 ↗ spend the money there which seems like a

34:07 ↗ good starting point because we kind of

34:09 ↗ mapped out what needed to be done or

34:10 ↗ could be done

34:12 ↗ >> you know I see what you're saying yes I

34:14 ↗ think it ideas that have then uh

34:17 ↗ discussed for Tibets Valley Park will

34:19 ↗ certainly be part of that. They will

34:21 ↗ they will be a baseline for some of that

34:25 ↗ um public engagement around conceptual

34:27 ↗ phase development. We won't just start

34:30 ↗ from scratch. Hey, we've talked to the

34:32 ↗ community before. We've talked to the

34:33 ↗ park before. Here's some elements that

34:35 ↗ have been discussed.

34:38 ↗ >> Okay.

34:39 ↗ >> I think we even had concepts at one

34:41 ↗ point and that wasn't for the ARPA. That

34:42 ↗ was even before that.

34:43 ↗ >> That was prior to AR, right? That was

34:47 ↗ >> take way back.

34:49 ↗ >> Yes. Yes. In 2019, you're right. Yeah.

34:52 ↗ And some of that some of that concept

34:54 ↗ development will will also be sort of

34:57 ↗ brought forward. I think again the site

35:00 ↗ feasibility is going to be really really

35:01 ↗ important because that is uh again not

35:05 ↗ wasn't necessarily fully done as those

35:08 ↗ concepts were created. So, um,

35:10 ↗ [clears throat]

35:12 ↗ >> we've done some of that, you know, so

35:13 ↗ we're not starting from scratch.

35:15 ↗ >> Exactly. Exactly.

35:17 ↗ >> Yeah.

35:18 ↗ >> And my second question or comment that

35:21 ↗ is not in here. One of the really cool

35:23 ↗ things about Tibbitz is the osprey nest.

35:26 ↗ >> Like you've been down there with the

35:27 ↗ young ospreys squawking and caring. It's

35:31 ↗ it's cool. So, I mean, I think it's

35:33 ↗ worth mentioning somewhere along line

35:35 ↗ that you're going to try to preserve

35:37 ↗ natural elements such as the osprey

35:39 ↗ nest. Uh, and I'm also wondering, does

35:42 ↗ that present any kind of regulatory

35:46 ↗ hurdle to doing [clears throat]

35:48 ↗ development there? I don't know if

35:50 ↗ ospreys are protected or what have you,

35:52 ↗ but you've got a a wellestablished nest

35:55 ↗ there that's been there for many years.

35:57 ↗ Is that something that has to be taken

35:58 ↗ in consideration?

36:00 ↗ >> Absolut Yeah. Yeah, that is clearly a

36:03 ↗ sight characteristic. Yes, it's a

36:05 ↗ natural nest and an unnatural asset.

36:08 ↗ [snorts] It's on it's on a light. It's

36:10 ↗ on a light pole. So So we will we will

36:13 ↗ that is that Yeah. And the platform is

36:16 ↗ intentionally put there so it it can it

36:18 ↗ can coexist and not interfere with the

36:20 ↗ lights and so um absolutely that is an

36:23 ↗ element that'll be part of um part of

36:26 ↗ this work.

36:27 ↗ >> Yeah. Because I'd hate to see that get

36:28 ↗ disrupted.

36:30 ↗ Great. Great point.

36:36 ↗ >> Hi, Hannah.

36:38 ↗ >> Hey guys, I have a question kind of um

36:41 ↗ about the planning process in general.

36:44 ↗ Um and I'm sorry if this is kind of an

36:46 ↗ ignorant question, but um this master

36:49 ↗ plan I understand is you know supposed

36:52 ↗ to help us for many many years. Um given

36:56 ↗ how long it takes Ray to um complete and

37:00 ↗ implement this master plan again

37:02 ↗ assuming this is going to take um an

37:05 ↗ extended period of time I was just

37:07 ↗ wondering how do you ensure that it's

37:08 ↗ adaptable right there's is there some

37:11 ↗ kind of framework in play

37:14 ↗ >> in place to like revisit it or to adjust

37:16 ↗ it as community needs change um or even

37:20 ↗ as like the environment kind of changes

37:22 ↗ right we saw with the um bomb cyclone,

37:27 ↗ right? Like we we have these

37:28 ↗ environmental changes that are happening

37:30 ↗ too. So, is this plan adaptable and um

37:34 ↗ is there a way for us to revisit it even

37:36 ↗ after it's been accepted?

37:39 ↗ >> Okay.

37:40 ↗ >> Yeah, I think it's a great question. I

37:42 ↗ think it's a great example of resiliency

37:44 ↗ and sustainability we want to put into

37:46 ↗ the plan. So

37:48 ↗ yes, [clears throat] again I you know I

37:51 ↗ Robin said it well when she said this is

37:53 ↗ intended as a guiding document, right? I

37:55 ↗ think I refer to as a north star. It's

37:58 ↗ it

38:00 ↗ it's not intended to be an absolute

38:02 ↗ because of the very questions you

38:04 ↗ raised. I mean it it's intended to um

38:09 ↗ certainly um not just be h you know

38:12 ↗ willy-nilly but it it it has to be

38:15 ↗ understood that um actual design actual

38:21 ↗ um

38:22 ↗ actual the the work done in any given

38:25 ↗ phase will will likely have a degree of

38:28 ↗ of community engagement involved in it.

38:30 ↗ so that um you're you're really drilling

38:33 ↗ into some of the details uh that might

38:36 ↗ be missing or might be spoken to or

38:39 ↗ ideas are spoken to in the master plan.

38:41 ↗ Um but um um yeah, it's not meant to be

38:45 ↗ so finite that we're trying to um

38:49 ↗ we're trying to build a park in 2026

38:53 ↗ for a phase that might be done in 20

38:57 ↗ 36

38:58 ↗ um without pausing and saying, "Hey

39:00 ↗ community, in 2036, does this still ring

39:03 ↗ true? What elements might need to be

39:05 ↗ shifted?" So um trying to cast a broad

39:08 ↗ vision. If that broad vision is so

39:11 ↗ successful and um there's a funding

39:16 ↗ strategy and benevolent donors that give

39:19 ↗ enough money that it can all be

39:21 ↗ constructed in 2028, then great, right?

39:24 ↗ It's intended to be adaptable that way,

39:26 ↗ too. Um but um um yeah, it's it's maybe

39:32 ↗ slightly different. As Connie says, if

39:34 ↗ if master plans of a park of this size

39:36 ↗ are different than what's been done

39:38 ↗ before, um this does represent something

39:41 ↗ a little bit different. But I I can tell

39:43 ↗ you within the park profession and

39:46 ↗ within many municipalities and counties,

39:49 ↗ um as as Robin has said, this is a best

39:52 ↗ practice is to um something this big

39:56 ↗ at least understand the big picture

39:58 ↗ while and then um even if you're doing

40:00 ↗ minor improvements, you're doing minor

40:02 ↗ improvements that are working towards

40:05 ↗ the the bigger goal.

40:08 ↗ on a second.

40:09 ↗ >> So Hannah, does that

40:11 ↗ >> great question. Um, yes, it's meant to

40:14 ↗ have some um adaptability to it.

40:19 ↗ >> That really helped. Yeah, thank you for

40:21 ↗ further giving me context and like kind

40:24 ↗ of understanding what this master plan

40:26 ↗ is. It sounds like it's meant to

40:28 ↗ inherently be flexible. So that's

40:30 ↗ fantastic.

40:34 ↗ >> Can I add one more thought? flexible

40:36 ↗ with some degree of limits, right? That

40:39 ↗ if suddenly Tibbitz Valley Park was

40:42 ↗ wanting to become a gosh um

40:47 ↗ the municipal dump, we don't have one,

40:49 ↗ but I'm just going to make it up, right?

40:50 ↗ Or some completely different that's

40:55 ↗ there's a there's a limit to what that

40:57 ↗ flexibility is. Or hey, we want to plop

41:00 ↗ a building now in the middle of Tivitz

41:02 ↗ Valley Park.

41:03 ↗ um

41:05 ↗ you we want to build some guard rails

41:07 ↗ around this this master plan. Um

41:10 ↗ ultimately something that's recommended

41:12 ↗ by you. We would we're preparing to to

41:16 ↗ to assume this master plan goes to city

41:19 ↗ council for adoption. So there's a

41:20 ↗ resolution or ordinance that builds some

41:22 ↗ of those hey this is it's flexible to a

41:25 ↗ limit but it's um also rigid to try and

41:28 ↗ make sure this remains a a community

41:31 ↗ asset a community park uh that this that

41:35 ↗ the residents want.

41:37 ↗ >> Just a quick follow to that. Um, is it

41:40 ↗ typical in these kinds of like when

41:43 ↗ you're working with, you know, a

41:45 ↗ consulting firm

41:47 ↗ putting a plan like this together, would

41:50 ↗ it be typical to have some kind of to

41:52 ↗ your point like

41:54 ↗ uh, you know, change management process

41:57 ↗ or like decision protocol or like you

42:00 ↗ know just something like those

42:01 ↗ guardrails. Would that be something that

42:03 ↗ would be, you know, typical to that a

42:07 ↗ consulting company might put in with the

42:10 ↗ services that they

42:12 ↗ >> Good question. I don't know. I I don't

42:14 ↗ know that there's a typical I don't know

42:15 ↗ that the consulting firm does that. I

42:17 ↗ think we as a city do that, right?

42:19 ↗ That's like your work as residents, our

42:22 ↗ work as staff working for you that as

42:25 ↗ this goes to council,

42:27 ↗ hey, here's, you know,

42:28 ↗ >> there's some kind of

42:29 ↗ >> here's here's the right here's the

42:31 ↗ limits or here's the

42:33 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah.

42:35 ↗ >> And that's where we can lean on the

42:36 ↗ zoning as well. The zoning really does

42:38 ↗ restrict just about what we can get to

42:40 ↗ there.

42:41 ↗ >> So, we there are others that exist

42:44 ↗ already. Yeah.

42:49 ↗ Okay, another benefit is is how will

42:52 ↗ community input help shape the plan? And

42:55 ↗ first we're going to start off with our

42:58 ↗ reinforcing our 2024 park system update

43:01 ↗ plan specifically our goals and

43:02 ↗ policies. Um this is reiterated quite a

43:05 ↗ bit as you all know you were part of

43:07 ↗ that. Um and we we're looking to uh the

43:11 ↗ comprehensive plan also as our baseline

43:13 ↗ as well as the previous master plan and

43:16 ↗ all the other work that was done. Um

43:19 ↗ site feasibility study and community

43:21 ↗ input will really shape the master plan

43:24 ↗ together. Again, we want to come in as

43:26 ↗ transparent as possible with a

43:28 ↗ feasibility plan letting people know

43:30 ↗ what what our opportunities and

43:33 ↗ constraints are on the site because

43:34 ↗ that's really going to direct us a lot

43:36 ↗ about what we can and can't do. Um, we

43:39 ↗ really want to hear how residents are

43:40 ↗ currently using the park right now. What

43:43 ↗ do they like? What do they not like?

43:45 ↗ What features would they like in the

43:46 ↗ future? Um, and what concerns they have.

43:49 ↗ Again, we're hearing a lot about

43:51 ↗ environmental concerns about

43:53 ↗ preservation and protection. So, that's

43:55 ↗ something we're definitely going to be

43:57 ↗ incorporating. Uh, we'll have surveys,

43:59 ↗ we'll have open houses, workshops,

44:02 ↗ online mapping. We really want this to

44:04 ↗ be a robust process. Uh we want to make

44:07 ↗ sure as many of our 40,000

44:10 ↗ residents um can be heard and they have

44:12 ↗ a say in what we're going to be

44:14 ↗ developing.

44:16 ↗ >> Yeah,

44:16 ↗ >> there was a lot of feedback given the

44:19 ↗ last on this in particular. So we'll

44:21 ↗ start to Tim's point. We'll start with

44:23 ↗ that. Right.

44:24 ↗ >> Yep.

44:25 ↗ >> So the plan.

44:26 ↗ >> Yep. Right. supply

44:28 ↗ >> and because of all the potential

44:31 ↗ development that's been going on, we

44:32 ↗ want to factor that in and see if we can

44:35 ↗ hit any um disadvantaged community or

44:38 ↗ any communities that we didn't hit

44:39 ↗ before that we know we need more.

44:41 ↗ >> Yeah, there's a couple there's a a

44:43 ↗ couple multifamily projects that are

44:46 ↗ planned and in in permitting uh that are

44:49 ↗ going to be across the street. So it's

44:52 ↗ taking what we've heard and having Yeah.

44:56 ↗ >> We know this input will inform tradeoffs

44:58 ↗ for TVP. Um we know we have a lot of

45:01 ↗ competing interests there. So we want to

45:04 ↗ hear from the community what priorities

45:06 ↗ are, what we want to move forward, what

45:08 ↗ we want to protect, what we want to

45:10 ↗ integrate together because there really

45:12 ↗ is a lot that we can do to start

45:13 ↗ integrating and um really enhance

45:16 ↗ habitat there while still making it

45:18 ↗ functional. There's a lot of new

45:20 ↗ technologies out there that we want to

45:22 ↗ investigate and see what's feasible uh

45:24 ↗ and what we can afford to.

45:29 ↗ >> Okay. So, this I just put together kind

45:31 ↗ of an iterative process um of what we

45:34 ↗ can do for community outreach. Um and

45:36 ↗ I'd love your feedback at the end uh if

45:39 ↗ if we need to do something different or

45:42 ↗ what you have found has worked in the

45:44 ↗ past or worked with a past master plan.

45:46 ↗ Um, first off, definitely a kickoff and

45:49 ↗ a project introduction to the community.

45:52 ↗ Uh, much like we're doing right here.

45:54 ↗ You know, what are we doing, why are we

45:55 ↗ doing it, what is our process going to

45:58 ↗ be, um, schedule, what the workflow and

46:01 ↗ our milestones are going to be. So, we

46:04 ↗ want to remain flexible in that process

46:07 ↗ to see if we need to hit something else

46:09 ↗ or do something else or kind of switch

46:11 ↗ gears depending on what is and isn't

46:13 ↗ working. Okay, we do want to have focus

46:16 ↗ groups and meetings. Um, again, a lot of

46:18 ↗ competing interests. So, we want to make

46:20 ↗ sure we hear from all the groups, user

46:22 ↗ groups that use currently use the park

46:25 ↗ and would like to use the park along as

46:27 ↗ individuals. Uh, definitely kids, you

46:30 ↗ know, kids can help shape a lot of the

46:32 ↗ home. Uh, seniors, we have a large

46:35 ↗ senior community uh with more coming up.

46:38 ↗ So, we want to make sure that we're

46:40 ↗ providing enough uh activities, outdoor

46:42 ↗ activities that will meet their needs.

46:44 ↗ Um, and again, disadvantage birds. We'll

46:47 ↗ have online meetings and surveys, of

46:50 ↗ course. Um, we've done some online

46:51 ↗ meetings before. Uh, the survey was very

46:54 ↗ su successful for the our system plan

46:57 ↗ update. We'd like to do that again um

47:00 ↗ again and be as transparent with our

47:03 ↗ graphics and our mapping to help people

47:05 ↗ understand the process and understand um

47:09 ↗ how they can provide input. Uh boards,

47:12 ↗ commissions, and council meetings uh

47:14 ↗ will definitely be coming back to you

47:16 ↗ several times during the process

47:19 ↗ um as well as other boards

47:22 ↗ [clears throat] um and commissions and

47:24 ↗ of course accounting meetings. So lots

47:26 ↗ of other not only public outreach but we

47:29 ↗ can have public input during those

47:30 ↗ meetings as well and again it's an

47:33 ↗ iterative process. We'll be pulling from

47:35 ↗ all those meetings and those should help

47:38 ↗ us set all the priorities.

47:40 ↗ >> One quick add Robin you know given the

47:42 ↗ scale of this project I know in the last

47:44 ↗ couple years we've had some success

47:45 ↗ creating ad hoc committees within the

47:47 ↗ park board. might be a a project that

47:50 ↗ would be a really good candidate to have

47:51 ↗ an ad hoc group. Um they can work a

47:53 ↗ little more frequently and then you all

47:55 ↗ are part of coming back and telling the

47:57 ↗ full hardcore what's been going on. So

48:00 ↗ something for us to think about,

48:01 ↗ >> right?

48:04 ↗ >> And just basically this is a typical way

48:06 ↗ that I've done my master planning

48:08 ↗ processes and that I've other seen other

48:10 ↗ cities and counties do their process.

48:13 ↗ But so again, this is all based on uh

48:15 ↗ community feedback during the engagement

48:17 ↗ process. But we'll start off um after

48:22 ↗ that introduction meeting, we'll get

48:24 ↗ some ideas rolling. We'll come back to

48:26 ↗ the community with what we call

48:28 ↗ conceptual plans. Three to five. Usually

48:31 ↗ you start with bubble diagrams, the big

48:33 ↗ ideas, big locations. And again, that

48:35 ↗ feasibility study is going to help us

48:38 ↗ move those around. um where we'd like to

48:40 ↗ locate programming elements. What

48:42 ↗ programming elements do we want? So it

48:45 ↗ you start off with a lot of ideas and

48:47 ↗ start narrowing it down as you work

48:49 ↗ through the process. Uh the next would

48:51 ↗ be preliminary plans, two to three

48:54 ↗ plans. Um and again it depends on how

48:57 ↗ much feedback, how much consensus, what

48:59 ↗ our priorities are. Um, typically you

49:02 ↗ come back with two plans there and then

49:05 ↗ after that uh we move into the preferred

49:09 ↗ plan which is usually one plan that has

49:11 ↗ all the preferred elements. It's not the

49:13 ↗ final but it's your one of your final

49:16 ↗ chances to give feedback on what you

49:19 ↗ like and what you don't like in the

49:20 ↗ plan. [clears throat] And then we'll

49:22 ↗ come back for a final master plan which

49:25 ↗ is the entire it's the feasibility

49:26 ↗ study. is our conceptual plans all

49:29 ↗ pulled together in one report. So you

49:31 ↗ can see how the entire process informed

49:34 ↗ our final concept plan.

49:39 ↗ And this is just a general timeline that

49:41 ↗ we were looking at. So first we'll start

49:44 ↗ off with the RFQ the request for

49:46 ↗ qualifications to bring in a consultant.

49:49 ↗ We'll do our feasibility study uh 7 to n

49:53 ↗ months. I mean this is a very large very

49:55 ↗ complex site. So I want to give it a

49:58 ↗ little more time to get as much

49:59 ↗ information as we can. Uh we'll start

50:01 ↗ the master planning process which is um

50:04 ↗ design and community outreach. And again

50:07 ↗ some of these may overlap and inform

50:09 ↗ each other and go back and forth. Uh

50:11 ↗ next we'll move into the plan the

50:13 ↗ preliminary concepts a few months for

50:16 ↗ that. Um and again knowing our meetings

50:20 ↗ and everything we have to attend and

50:23 ↗ time frames that schedule's going to

50:24 ↗ shift and move a little bit. Uh after

50:27 ↗ the preliminary we'll come into

50:29 ↗ preferred concepts then our final

50:32 ↗ concept which is our final master plan

50:35 ↗ report and then go to council for

50:40 ↗ so roughly 12 to 18 months for the whole

50:45 ↗ process. And again, that's going to flex

50:47 ↗ depending on if we want additional ad

50:49 ↗ hoc roots or we feel like we need to go

50:52 ↗ out to the the community to get more

50:54 ↗ feedback and information.

50:57 ↗ >> Big effort.

50:58 ↗ >> Yeah, huge effort.

51:01 ↗ So, questions we had for you. Um, what

51:04 ↗ are the board's expectations for the

51:07 ↗ master planning process now that we've

51:08 ↗ walked through a little bit of that? And

51:11 ↗ what does success look like to you for

51:14 ↗ the master plan?

51:18 ↗ I have a question. So,

51:22 ↗ this has to do with what does it look

51:24 ↗ like to you because I'd like to know

51:25 ↗ what your vision is in terms of the

51:27 ↗ final uh plan. There's going to be

51:30 ↗ multiple elements, right? There's

51:33 ↗ different things. And would the final

51:36 ↗ plan be such that it's prioritized that

51:40 ↗ we need to do this first, then do this,

51:42 ↗ and then do this. But what if there's

51:44 ↗ only money to do number three right now?

51:48 ↗ Do we save the money until we get enough

51:51 ↗ to do number one? Or is see what I'm

51:53 ↗ getting at? You know, do you do the

51:55 ↗ elements peace meal or do you try to do

51:58 ↗ them sequentially depending on the

52:00 ↗ priority they are given in the plan or

52:03 ↗ or how does that work? You know,

52:07 ↗ >> Yeah.

52:07 ↗ >> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly.

52:09 ↗ >> Yeah. You might have to do A before you

52:11 ↗ can do B, right? So, it's a great

52:14 ↗ question, Tim, but it's hard to answer.

52:15 ↗ I I don't know that it can be that

52:18 ↗ prescriptive. I I think I've certainly

52:20 ↗ found in my experience sometimes for the

52:22 ↗ want of doing something in the exact

52:25 ↗ order,

52:26 ↗ um you may not be able to get to step

52:29 ↗ four and five because step one is so

52:31 ↗ much money and it's taking a long time

52:34 ↗ to get there, right? And so I um I think

52:39 ↗ as we go through this process, as we

52:41 ↗ hear your priorities, as we hear the

52:43 ↗ community's priorities, I think we'll

52:45 ↗ get an understanding of what is truly

52:48 ↗ most important. Um as we get an idea of

52:52 ↗ the the cost estimate, cost estimates

52:55 ↗ and start to put dollar numbers to

52:56 ↗ those. Um we're hopeful that um

53:01 ↗ conversation helps to inform that. You

53:04 ↗ know what I mean? and and again um

53:08 ↗ having a a you know we don't know what

53:11 ↗ we don't know. We're going to know more

53:13 ↗ as we get to the end of this. There

53:15 ↗ might still be levels we don't entirely

53:17 ↗ know, right? Hey, how's what's the

53:19 ↗ funding strategy? How's the funding

53:20 ↗ going to come together? Um that um we'll

53:24 ↗ just have to see when we get to that

53:26 ↗ point. So that's a a pretty loose

53:28 ↗ non-answer other than I I don't think we

53:31 ↗ want to be so trying to be so

53:33 ↗ prescriptive because that could be

53:35 ↗ really limiting.

53:36 ↗ >> Yeah. So the decisions on where to put a

53:38 ↗ trunch of money will have to be made at

53:40 ↗ the time the tunch of money is

53:41 ↗ available. Uh

53:43 ↗ >> correct. How much money is it? How much

53:45 ↗ money is it and where is that

53:47 ↗ >> best where could that be best invested

53:50 ↗ in this

53:51 ↗ >> in this

53:53 ↗ vision that the community put together?

53:56 ↗ having a

53:58 ↗ something that's sort of written in a

53:59 ↗ very rigid fashion. We have to do this

54:02 ↗ first and then

54:04 ↗ >> and during the process we may find we

54:06 ↗ want to go and do a constructibility

54:08 ↗ review to see what makes sense. If we're

54:10 ↗ doing phase one, do we do the utilities

54:13 ↗ for phase two at that time to save the

54:15 ↗ money so we don't have to go dig up

54:17 ↗ phase one? Things like that I think

54:19 ↗ would be pretty helpful to do too.

54:20 ↗ >> Okay,

54:21 ↗ >> that'll give us a better idea.

54:23 ↗ Dan, did you have a comment question?

54:26 ↗ >> Yeah, kind of related to what's being

54:29 ↗ discussed. Um, Robin, you said that the

54:33 ↗ concept and the execution are going to

54:36 ↗ be separate things and the master plan

54:39 ↗ kind of details things at a high level

54:42 ↗ um without necessarily

54:46 ↗ concerning itself with the details of

54:48 ↗ the execution. Um

54:52 ↗ would there be the potential to kind of

54:54 ↗ revise the concept as

54:58 ↗ material issues arise? Um for example

55:01 ↗ related to funding or whatever is being

55:03 ↗ discussed like

55:05 ↗ Jeeoff you're saying there's all these

55:06 ↗ unknown unknowns but as those unknowns

55:08 ↗ become known

55:11 ↗ does that affect the master plan or feed

55:15 ↗ back into it?

55:17 ↗ Certainly what I what I've seen done

55:19 ↗ before is you can do an amendment to the

55:21 ↗ master plan as well. If it's a

55:23 ↗ significant enough change, we can look

55:26 ↗ at that. But usually during the design

55:28 ↗ process, you are going to get into the

55:31 ↗ details more much more as you're moving

55:34 ↗ into construction documents about what

55:35 ↗ is feasible and what isn't feasible. And

55:37 ↗ again, funding plays a large portion

55:40 ↗ plays into that quite a bit. Um that may

55:43 ↗ scale us back, that may move us forward

55:45 ↗ a lot more. We just we don't know yet.

55:48 ↗ But this will help us kind of stick our

55:51 ↗ toe in the water and take a temperature

55:53 ↗ of what we're capable of doing.

55:55 ↗ >> Yeah. Another thing.

55:57 ↗ Go ahead, Diana. Sorry. Go ahead.

56:00 ↗ >> Oh. Um, is there any possibility for

56:03 ↗ elements of the master plan to be funded

56:07 ↗ by money that's not part of the parks

56:10 ↗ budget? And I'm thinking of like

56:14 ↗ transportation budget for bike paths and

56:17 ↗ stuff like that or is that not a

56:19 ↗ consideration?

56:21 ↗ >> Well, it's it it's very much a

56:22 ↗ consideration. And I mean as we put a

56:24 ↗ funding strategy together, if there is,

56:28 ↗ you know, storm water work that we want

56:29 ↗ to do um with the creek and other thing,

56:32 ↗ we will work with our stormwater

56:34 ↗ partners and see storm storm water grant

56:36 ↗ funding. If there is, as you said, you

56:39 ↗ know, safe routes to schools funding and

56:42 ↗ we could show that wow, a pathway

56:44 ↗ through the park um getting people to

56:47 ↗ the middle school or getting students to

56:49 ↗ the middle schools easier. you know,

56:51 ↗ we're going to we're going to seek

56:53 ↗ funding that aligns with the amenity or

56:56 ↗ the the type of work that's being done

56:58 ↗ in the park. Um, absolutely.

57:01 ↗ >> And we've already started to have high

57:03 ↗ level discussions with the other

57:04 ↗ departments, letting them know this is

57:06 ↗ coming up, what can we coordinate

57:08 ↗ together, what do you guys have coming

57:09 ↗ up?

57:10 ↗ >> Yeah. And seeing how we can collaborate

57:12 ↗ on some of those ideas, which is great.

57:15 ↗ and Jane.

57:16 ↗ >> Um I was gonna take a stab at least from

57:19 ↗ my perspective on the first question.

57:21 ↗ Sure.

57:23 ↗ I I think for me um a lot of what you've

57:27 ↗ been talking about is is great in terms

57:31 ↗ of transparency, gathering community

57:33 ↗ feedback. Um, you know, I think for me,

57:37 ↗ I was when we did that field trip to

57:40 ↗ Tibets Valley Park, I've I've lived in

57:45 ↗ Isqua for it's going to be 20 years next

57:49 ↗ February. No, sorry. Yeah, 20 years next

57:52 ↗ uh September. And I didn't even know it

57:55 ↗ was there. And so that was the first

57:58 ↗ time I I even was aware that there

58:00 ↗ wasn't a disco park. And so I think as

58:04 ↗ we in the community feedback gathering

58:06 ↗ process, I'd love for

58:09 ↗ you know more pe I'd love for it to be I

58:13 ↗ I I kind of seek some uh concentric

58:16 ↗ circles in my mind like starting with

58:19 ↗ Tibbitz Valley Park and really make sure

58:21 ↗ we give people in the immediate area

58:25 ↗ like chance after chance after chance to

58:27 ↗ give feedback. But I'd also love to see

58:30 ↗ it, you know, I know we want to get

58:31 ↗ feedback broadly, but like I'd love to

58:34 ↗ see PE I live in Oldtown now, you know,

58:37 ↗ I'd love for people in Oldtown like me

58:39 ↗ who, you know, didn't get the email that

58:41 ↗ there's a Valley Park to be like, "Oh,

58:44 ↗ wow. There's this park here."

58:45 ↗ >> And, you know, so for just the

58:47 ↗ visibility of the park to

58:49 ↗ >> Yeah. There's an education element to

58:51 ↗ the outreach as well. Did you know that

58:52 ↗ this is an important

58:55 ↗ work, you know? Um, so anyway, so for

58:59 ↗ me, that's that's what I would say. And

59:01 ↗ then success for I I would um

59:05 ↗ uh part of what I I mean I'm a new board

59:08 ↗ member, so but part of what I love about

59:10 ↗ this has been about being on this board

59:12 ↗ has been that you all have given us the

59:16 ↗ context to contribute successfully to

59:21 ↗ the topic at hand. So I think like that

59:25 ↗ for me makes me feel a lot more

59:28 ↗ confident to contribute well to this

59:33 ↗ >> team and to this effort. So you know

59:36 ↗ that's a yes and keep

59:39 ↗ doing it. So

59:41 ↗ >> deal my um comment might be somewhat

59:45 ↗ related and that's that you guys are the

59:47 ↗ experts. So I I agree with we need

59:49 ↗ community feedback of course but you

59:51 ↗ guys know how the system works in total

59:54 ↗ and not just tibbit. So an expectation I

59:57 ↗ have for this planning is that we keep

59:58 ↗ in mind the total system and what the

1:00:01 ↗ needs of the system is. So I'll use

1:00:02 ↗ baseball as an example,

1:00:04 ↗ >> right? Like we might have people come in

1:00:06 ↗ who never play baseball or don't know it

1:00:08 ↗ exists or whatever, but it's very

1:00:10 ↗ important to that that park.

1:00:12 ↗ >> So we need to make sure that we and we

1:00:14 ↗ know like hey we're maybe getting rid of

1:00:16 ↗ some of the fields up in

1:00:18 ↗ you know, high look, you know, at the at

1:00:20 ↗ Central Park and, you know, this field

1:00:22 ↗ is too big and this only fits 9 to 13

1:00:24 ↗ year olds. Like the community is not

1:00:26 ↗ necessarily going to know that in the

1:00:28 ↗ depth that I expect the park team to

1:00:30 ↗ know that. And so for me, my expectation

1:00:32 ↗ is obviously community feedback is super

1:00:34 ↗ important, but that you guys are the

1:00:36 ↗ experts and that we have very strong

1:00:39 ↗ parameters on the

1:00:41 ↗ >> uses for the space. Oh,

1:00:44 ↗ >> really appreciate that, Barlene. and and

1:00:46 ↗ you you've you comment has encapsulated

1:00:49 ↗ why the park strategic plan and the park

1:00:51 ↗ system plan update are so important to

1:00:54 ↗ to understand the entirety the goals of

1:00:56 ↗ the whole system. So as we start to do

1:00:58 ↗ planning for a specific park that

1:01:01 ↗ context really really matters. Hey if we

1:01:03 ↗ do this or we don't do this here

1:01:06 ↗ what's going to happen systemwide.

1:01:08 ↗ >> Yeah like five fields to three people

1:01:12 ↗ but maybe we'll do that. what does that

1:01:14 ↗ look like and where are we going to get

1:01:16 ↗ >> those fields or how are we managing that

1:01:18 ↗ would be a big part of what I'll be

1:01:20 ↗ looking for over the course of the year

1:01:21 ↗ and then I'm just super excited

1:01:23 ↗ obviously because

1:01:24 ↗ >> you guys haven't been teach since 2018

1:01:26 ↗ so here we go again

1:01:30 ↗ >> and piggy back on that maybe just a

1:01:32 ↗ little bit the same exact specifics but

1:01:35 ↗ just said in a different way is like as

1:01:37 ↗ you're outlining what this master plan

1:01:40 ↗ could be is you know thinking about or

1:01:44 ↗ putting to paper for other people to see

1:01:46 ↗ the, you know, currently there's this

1:01:48 ↗ many programmed activities at this field

1:01:51 ↗ these times of the year. If we have a

1:01:53 ↗ plan that has this, this is how many

1:01:55 ↗ activities you can have. Opportunities

1:01:57 ↗ for revenue is here. Opportunities for

1:01:59 ↗ revenue is here and and seeing those

1:02:01 ↗ laid out. Um, I think the only other

1:02:04 ↗ thing I' I'd ask potentially for the

1:02:06 ↗ master plan, um, is if there's a

1:02:09 ↗ secondary strategy that involves any

1:02:11 ↗ potential expansion or

1:02:16 ↗ >> if that happens, what phase 2047

1:02:20 ↗ when you get like

1:02:25 ↗ >> that's a really good

1:02:28 ↗ >> and just to pick up on what's been

1:02:30 ↗ shared, I think what I'm hearing is

1:02:32 ↗ what's important to me. Success looks

1:02:34 ↗ like to me with specific what are the

1:02:36 ↗ smart goals, right? You know, something

1:02:38 ↗ that's very clear so someone can look at

1:02:41 ↗ it and pick it up and I'm not saying you

1:02:42 ↗ would, but it's going to be nice. No,

1:02:44 ↗ it's going to be, you know, X, Y, and Z.

1:02:48 ↗ >> Yeah. And so have it planned out so that

1:02:51 ↗ it's very clear what what was identified

1:02:55 ↗ as a need, what the remedies are going

1:02:57 ↗ to be. You know, this is what we're

1:02:59 ↗ going to do. um rather than something

1:03:03 ↗ that's a little softer.

1:03:04 ↗ >> Y

1:03:05 ↗ >> all really really good feedback. Really

1:03:07 ↗ good feedback. Thank you. Um I think an

1:03:10 ↗ example of that of trying to measure an

1:03:13 ↗ outcome is we've heard this in various

1:03:15 ↗ forms here with all of you and the

1:03:18 ↗ community feedback. Tibbitz Valley Park

1:03:21 ↗ right now is it's lived a great life.

1:03:23 ↗ It's a really important park. Um, but on

1:03:27 ↗ a day that there's not scheduled

1:03:29 ↗ activities, the park doesn't perform

1:03:31 ↗ very well. The park the park performs

1:03:34 ↗ really well when it has a lot of

1:03:36 ↗ scheduled activities. And we've heard

1:03:38 ↗ and think about that, you know, as more

1:03:41 ↗ residential comes around this park. A

1:03:44 ↗ true community park is good at both. A

1:03:47 ↗ true community park is vibrant when

1:03:50 ↗ there's

1:03:51 ↗ unscheduled activities and it's just

1:03:53 ↗ being used for drop in and also it can

1:03:56 ↗ it can handle scheduled activities. So,

1:03:59 ↗ I think a a metric or a measurement that

1:04:01 ↗ we're going to want to look at as we're

1:04:02 ↗ engaging with the community and

1:04:05 ↗ something we've already heard, again,

1:04:06 ↗ we're we're not starting at zero is,

1:04:09 ↗ right? How do we measure unscheduled

1:04:12 ↗ vibrancy, right? How do how do we

1:04:14 ↗ measure that, hey, this is a park we're

1:04:16 ↗ wanting to feel like it's it has use and

1:04:19 ↗ energy um on a on a cold November day

1:04:23 ↗ when there's no baseball games.

1:04:27 ↗ And that's

1:04:28 ↗ That's a community park that's

1:04:30 ↗ performing really really well, right?

1:04:32 ↗ Because it it can do both. Can do both

1:04:35 ↗ things. So,

1:04:36 ↗ >> to clarify, when you say performing

1:04:38 ↗ well, is that is that what you're

1:04:40 ↗ talking about? Use and use when

1:04:44 ↗ >> Exactly. Exactly. Right. Right.

1:04:46 ↗ Performing. It's serving the community.

1:04:48 ↗ It's serving a a a degree of needs and

1:04:53 ↗ daily uses that man, when there's x

1:04:56 ↗ number of games scheduled, the park's

1:04:59 ↗ again handling that. But when there's

1:05:01 ↗ nothing scheduled,

1:05:03 ↗ there's not just two people in the park,

1:05:06 ↗ right? There's it's it's doing more

1:05:11 ↗ >> as a as a community park because it's

1:05:13 ↗ this classification of park as a

1:05:16 ↗ community park. It's it's meant it's

1:05:18 ↗ expected to do more than an open space

1:05:22 ↗ parcel,

1:05:24 ↗ but some space if it has full slate ball

1:05:27 ↗ games scheduled Saturday and Sunday,

1:05:31 ↗ isn't it appropriate to give the space a

1:05:33 ↗ breather, you know, to try to have it

1:05:36 ↗ have it acknowledge that there'll be

1:05:38 ↗ times when there's gaps when it's not

1:05:39 ↗ being used heavily to basically give the

1:05:42 ↗ land a breather, you know, so there's

1:05:44 ↗ not that constant use. Well said, Tim.

1:05:47 ↗ No, I I think we're saying the same

1:05:48 ↗ thing. When I say perform, it's not

1:05:50 ↗ we're not burdening it with schedule.

1:05:53 ↗ We're we're giving it we're giving it

1:05:56 ↗ reprieve, but when it when it has

1:05:58 ↗ reprieve, it's not going from zero to

1:06:00 ↗ 100. It's not going from, you know, a

1:06:03 ↗ quiet day at Tibbitz Valley Park right

1:06:05 ↗ now is very few people. You know what it

1:06:09 ↗ would look like if a quiet day was still

1:06:13 ↗ a couple hundred people that were coming

1:06:15 ↗ to use a vibrant play area and a really

1:06:19 ↗ cool loop trail and um an educational

1:06:24 ↗ um kiosk and boardwalk or lookout over

1:06:27 ↗ to Creek, right? You know, um so it's

1:06:31 ↗ it's it's quiet community park use, but

1:06:34 ↗ it's still it has energy.

1:06:38 ↗ I'm sorry. I'm probably diving way too

1:06:40 ↗ into details, but

1:06:40 ↗ >> I love that. I think a place to like

1:06:42 ↗ that I think of when I think of Central

1:06:45 ↗ Park

1:06:47 ↗ >> as busy as I'll get out when it's

1:06:48 ↗ scheduled, but it's also really busy.

1:06:50 ↗ >> It's a good

1:06:51 ↗ >> just generally. So like if you're kind

1:06:53 ↗ of looking or want to see like that's a

1:06:55 ↗ place where if you go on like a Saturday

1:06:57 ↗ afternoon even like it's partially

1:06:58 ↗ raining like there's kids out there

1:07:00 ↗ playing there's people running you know

1:07:03 ↗ like there's a lot of just stuff

1:07:04 ↗ happening there and that we're going to

1:07:06 ↗ have as much if not more density

1:07:09 ↗ >> right coming.

1:07:10 ↗ >> Yeah. Both are community both are

1:07:11 ↗ classified as community parks. But

1:07:13 ↗ that's a good

1:07:15 ↗ that part's always busy whether it's

1:07:17 ↗ scheduled or not

1:07:21 ↗ >> and that's why this site this site

1:07:23 ↗ feasibility is so important um because

1:07:26 ↗ we really need to understand what and

1:07:28 ↗ I'll be honest I think Tivis Valley Park

1:07:31 ↗ has has really important natural

1:07:34 ↗ environment u natural resource things

1:07:37 ↗ happening on this site that we have to

1:07:39 ↗ steward that's a little different than

1:07:41 ↗ Central Park and So, you know, that site

1:07:44 ↗ work is important. You know, a community

1:07:46 ↗ park needs to fit the canvas that it's

1:07:49 ↗ it's in, right? And so, um, yeah, all of

1:07:54 ↗ these are really really important goals

1:07:56 ↗ and um

1:07:59 ↗ it's it there's no way around it. We're

1:08:01 ↗ going to be we're going to be threading

1:08:03 ↗ a needle and um you know site um site

1:08:09 ↗ work like this is um it takes time and

1:08:13 ↗ it takes thought and we're going to hear

1:08:15 ↗ different opinions and we're going to

1:08:16 ↗ we're going to

1:08:18 ↗ um hear and listen to those different

1:08:21 ↗ opinions. Um if if we've learned

1:08:23 ↗ anything from Hillside Park, um as

1:08:25 ↗ you've gone through that process,

1:08:26 ↗ hopefully you realize the the goal our

1:08:30 ↗ goal as staff is to not create winners

1:08:32 ↗ and losers. Our goal as staff is to hear

1:08:35 ↗ some really divergent opinions and work

1:08:38 ↗ towards a public space that um that

1:08:43 ↗ tries to do multiple things and fit the

1:08:47 ↗ site. Tibbitz is going to be that

1:08:51 ↗ as well.

1:08:52 ↗ So, here we go. Buckle up.

1:08:58 ↗ >> Did you have any other questions? I know

1:09:00 ↗ we had three other bullet points, but

1:09:02 ↗ any questions on the feasibility or

1:09:04 ↗ conceptual plan phase?

1:09:06 ↗ >> Where did the comments about astroturf

1:09:08 ↗ come from that came up about? Was it one

1:09:13 ↗ of the [clears throat]

1:09:14 ↗ bright ends? Somebody was talking about

1:09:15 ↗ I don't want to, you know, we shouldn't

1:09:17 ↗ be putting astrotur

1:09:19 ↗ it's I didn't see that anywhere. Where

1:09:21 ↗ did that come from?

1:09:22 ↗ >> Oh, it's it's been discussed at Valley

1:09:24 ↗ Park. It's it's was discussed before I

1:09:26 ↗ arrived in 2016. It's been it's been

1:09:29 ↗ discussed in my time here. I think as

1:09:32 ↗ we've talked athletic fields um

1:09:35 ↗ we've talked about that balance of hey

1:09:39 ↗ when you're as land constrained as we

1:09:40 ↗ are as a city how do we do we build a

1:09:43 ↗ ton of grass fields or do we concentrate

1:09:46 ↗ and have multi-use synthetic turf

1:09:48 ↗ fields. So the idea of synthetic turf is

1:09:51 ↗ has been talked about at Tippets Valley

1:09:53 ↗ Park and nothing has been decided or

1:09:56 ↗ definitive. Um, yeah, Steve, I think,

1:09:59 ↗ wrote that in his in his public comment,

1:10:01 ↗ his email. And we're going to hear that.

1:10:03 ↗ We're going to, you know, that it's

1:10:04 ↗ going to be another example of um

1:10:10 ↗ what are the trade-offs, what are the

1:10:11 ↗ pros and cons, and again, what's

1:10:12 ↗ feasible. That feasibility study is

1:10:14 ↗ really, really important. Understanding

1:10:16 ↗ the hydraology that's happening

1:10:19 ↗ throughout that site will help us, hey,

1:10:21 ↗ as we consider synthetic turf, here's

1:10:23 ↗ what we're going to need to do to make

1:10:25 ↗ synthetic turf happen. It's previously

1:10:27 ↗ been talked about. That's why I didn't

1:10:29 ↗ remember that. I had heard it.

1:10:32 ↗ >> Yeah. [clears throat]

1:10:37 ↗ >> Right. So [clears throat]

1:10:40 ↗ this back to the first question too and

1:10:42 ↗ kind of about um you know your guidance

1:10:45 ↗ to us to

1:10:51 ↗ I I'm I could you can table me if this

1:10:56 ↗ is if this isn't the right one for but I

1:10:58 ↗ I I would love some guidance as we're

1:11:03 ↗ gathering back and even just like the

1:11:05 ↗ two emails that we got this

1:11:10 ↗ is is the protocol to set him up to kind

1:11:13 ↗ of say thank you for the feedback if

1:11:16 ↗ there's

1:11:18 ↗ like

1:11:20 ↗ I I I guess I need some guidance about

1:11:22 ↗ what to do when they hear feedback that

1:11:26 ↗ is just either coming from left field or

1:11:28 ↗ somebody is like saying up and down is

1:11:32 ↗ down is you know up is down and down is

1:11:34 ↗ up. You know what I'm saying? like how

1:11:36 ↗ how do we

1:11:40 ↗ >> Yeah, J, you know what I'm saying? No, I

1:11:42 ↗ think I know what you're asking. I say

1:11:43 ↗ that's a much that's probably a much

1:11:44 ↗ longer conversation than I have tonight.

1:11:47 ↗ So, um,

1:11:48 ↗ >> but I guess dur in as we go through this

1:11:51 ↗ guidance like that would you don't have

1:11:53 ↗ to answer it tonight, but I mean like

1:11:55 ↗ guidance like that would help me because

1:11:59 ↗ like you know

1:12:01 ↗ >> real quickly I think all public all

1:12:03 ↗ public feedback is important and is

1:12:06 ↗ valued and I I don't hear you're saying

1:12:08 ↗ it's not. Um um you're going to we're

1:12:11 ↗ going to hear a lot much like we heard a

1:12:13 ↗ lot from Hillside Park as a advisory

1:12:16 ↗ board. You're not asked to um go that

1:12:20 ↗ alone,

1:12:21 ↗ >> right? We really are again as an

1:12:23 ↗ advisory group to the mayor um and to

1:12:26 ↗ council um it's our job to work with you

1:12:29 ↗ all and and do this together and and

1:12:32 ↗ navigate this together. So

1:12:35 ↗ >> I don't know if

1:12:37 ↗ anybody else had a parks board

1:12:39 ↗ discussion on email. That's what you're

1:12:40 ↗ talking about.

1:12:43 ↗ >> That too, right?

1:12:44 ↗ >> It's it's not as well. It just is more

1:12:46 ↗ like, you know, we just live it feels

1:12:48 ↗ like sometimes we live in an age of

1:12:51 ↗ misinformation

1:12:53 ↗ and as we're

1:12:56 ↗ like I I don't know if

1:13:00 ↗ you know I I I as we go through this I

1:13:02 ↗ could just use some guidance about like

1:13:07 ↗ I don't want to say to resident what are

1:13:09 ↗ YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT'S NOT YOU KNOW

1:13:11 ↗ WHAT I mean but I know myself enough

1:13:14 ↗ say Yeah, [laughter]

1:13:17 ↗ >> good. You got it.

1:13:19 ↗ >> Looking at time. I think we Thank you.

1:13:22 ↗ This has really been been very very

1:13:24 ↗ helpful. Um again, we'd love to hear,

1:13:27 ↗ you know, any other closing thoughts or

1:13:28 ↗ comments. Want to give ample time for um

1:13:31 ↗ our next our next topic as well.

1:13:34 ↗ >> Okay. Thank you. That's a robust

1:13:37 ↗ conversation. Excited to see next steps

1:13:39 ↗ on that. Our second piece of regular

1:13:41 ↗ business is the ISPA climate action

1:13:44 ↗ plans update. Stacy McKinst

1:14:02 ↗ >> Happy to have Stacy here. Welcome Stacy.

1:14:04 ↗ >> Thank you for making time for me

1:14:06 ↗ tonight. Uh Stacy Vin McKin Street. I am

1:14:08 ↗ the sustainability manager with the

1:14:10 ↗ city. So we sit within the uh executive

1:14:13 ↗ department.

1:14:15 ↗ Um so tonight I'm just going to give you

1:14:17 ↗ an update on our climate action plan. It

1:14:20 ↗ is nearing five years old um which is

1:14:23 ↗ when it was visioned it would be

1:14:25 ↗ updated. Um and we've been going through

1:14:27 ↗ a process over the last several months

1:14:29 ↗ that will continue up through next

1:14:31 ↗ spring in order to update that. Uh this

1:14:34 ↗ is our first touch point with you. I

1:14:36 ↗ think we'll probably plan on coming back

1:14:38 ↗ in early 26 to focus in on a couple

1:14:41 ↗ specific areas.

1:14:44 ↗ Um, so tonight really the intention is

1:14:47 ↗ to make you aware of the process that

1:14:49 ↗ we're going through to update the plan

1:14:51 ↗ and then to have that very initial

1:14:53 ↗ conversation around some early feedback

1:14:55 ↗ we received on the natural systems

1:14:58 ↗ actions.

1:15:00 ↗ So tonight I'll just walk through kind

1:15:02 ↗ of our progress to date um how we're

1:15:05 ↗ approaching the update um the

1:15:08 ↗ recommendations that we got from a

1:15:09 ↗ committee and I'll explain how those

1:15:11 ↗ committees were formed. Luckily we have

1:15:13 ↗ two members of the committee here um and

1:15:16 ↗ then really want to open it up for

1:15:17 ↗ conversation around a few topics related

1:15:20 ↗ um uh to the update. I have a limited

1:15:23 ↗ set of questions for you all tonight.

1:15:26 ↗ So, first as a bit of background, just

1:15:28 ↗ wanted to talk to you about the climate

1:15:30 ↗ action plan since we don't come here

1:15:32 ↗ regularly. I know we've had a couple

1:15:34 ↗ joint meetings with the environmental

1:15:35 ↗ board, but I don't think any of those

1:15:37 ↗ have been focused on the plan. Um, this

1:15:39 ↗ is what I spend most of my time doing.

1:15:42 ↗ Um, so it was adopted in December of 21

1:15:45 ↗ and we are well underway in

1:15:47 ↗ implementation.

1:15:49 ↗ Um the plan sets targets and identifies

1:15:52 ↗ actions for both reducing greenhouse gas

1:15:54 ↗ emissions as well as preparing for the

1:15:57 ↗ impacts of climate change. We have six

1:16:00 ↗ what we call focus areas within the

1:16:02 ↗ plan. Those are things like uh buildings

1:16:04 ↗ and energy um natural systems and water

1:16:07 ↗ resources, land use and transportation.

1:16:10 ↗ Um and we have been working to implement

1:16:13 ↗ actions within all of those areas over

1:16:16 ↗ the last few years.

1:16:18 ↗ um we are a small team is myself, one

1:16:22 ↗ other full-time staff person and then we

1:16:24 ↗ do bring on fellows or interns um

1:16:28 ↗ throughout the year. Um but then of

1:16:30 ↗ course we work across all the

1:16:32 ↗ departments at the city to really

1:16:34 ↗ implement this work as well as with a

1:16:37 ↗ number of community partners.

1:16:39 ↗ So, in terms of how we're doing so far,

1:16:42 ↗ um we're actually making great progress

1:16:44 ↗ in terms of implementing the actions as

1:16:46 ↗ written in the plan. We have about 90%

1:16:49 ↗ of the actions we are moving forward.

1:16:52 ↗ They're either done um they're well

1:16:55 ↗ underway, moving forward as expected or

1:16:59 ↗ they're underway, maybe with some really

1:17:01 ↗ minor delays or hiccups, but moving

1:17:03 ↗ forward.

1:17:04 ↗ We have a number of both internal

1:17:07 ↗ programs within our own city operations

1:17:09 ↗ as well as community based program

1:17:12 ↗ programs underway. Uh so for example um

1:17:16 ↗ within city operations we just finished

1:17:19 ↗ installation of 19 EV chargers. So I'm

1:17:22 ↗ actually right in the back of this

1:17:23 ↗ building. Um transition a number of city

1:17:26 ↗ vehicles CDBs

1:17:28 ↗ and I've been working with our

1:17:29 ↗ facilities teams on a bunch of building

1:17:31 ↗ upgrades. And then at the community

1:17:33 ↗ level, we run programs such as a heat

1:17:36 ↗ pump program um for households with low

1:17:39 ↗ income as well as just the market rate

1:17:41 ↗ program. We run solar campaigns. Um and

1:17:45 ↗ then we work with our commercial

1:17:46 ↗ buildings to help them meet energy

1:17:48 ↗ efficiency standards.

1:17:51 ↗ Um we've also been very successful with

1:17:53 ↗ grants there. Um you are not living and

1:17:56 ↗ breathing this every day. Um there is uh

1:17:59 ↗ the state's climate commitment act uh

1:18:02 ↗ through which is essentially a cap and

1:18:04 ↗ trade program. Um that program generates

1:18:07 ↗ a lot of revenue and a lot of that is

1:18:08 ↗ distributed through grants. So we've

1:18:10 ↗ been very successful in securing a

1:18:12 ↗ number of those grants.

1:18:14 ↗ So that's kind of all the good news. Um,

1:18:17 ↗ but one of the things we're noticing as

1:18:19 ↗ we implement the plan is while we have

1:18:22 ↗ so many actions underway, a lot of great

1:18:24 ↗ programs and projects, we're actually

1:18:26 ↗ falling short of a lot of our bigger

1:18:28 ↗ targets. So, in terms of reducing our

1:18:31 ↗ overall gas emissions, um, as one of the

1:18:35 ↗ examples,

1:18:36 ↗ um, for natural systems, our target is

1:18:40 ↗ around our 55% tree canopy. Talk about

1:18:44 ↗ that in just a minute. Um, so as we go

1:18:47 ↗ into this plan update, we know a couple

1:18:50 ↗ areas that we want to focus on. One is

1:18:52 ↗ really to hone in on buildings and the

1:18:54 ↗ other is transportation. Those are our

1:18:56 ↗ biggest emission contributors.

1:19:03 ↗ So in terms of updating our plan, um,

1:19:07 ↗ the isolate action plan, we call the

1:19:09 ↗ IAP. Um, we have experience over the

1:19:12 ↗ last four years. We kind of know what's

1:19:14 ↗ working. We know it's working in other

1:19:16 ↗ jurisdictions. We know it's not working.

1:19:19 ↗ Um we know that some of the actions were

1:19:22 ↗ um real specific projects that we just

1:19:25 ↗ still don't feel like are the best use

1:19:26 ↗ of our time. Um so we're applying that

1:19:29 ↗ experience into thinking about how we

1:19:31 ↗ update a number of those actions.

1:19:34 ↗ We also knew there were a couple areas

1:19:36 ↗ we really wanted to hone in on. Um our

1:19:39 ↗ transportation and land use area. A lot

1:19:42 ↗ of those actions actually related to

1:19:44 ↗ updating the city's land use plan which

1:19:48 ↗ was uh completed a couple years ago. A

1:19:50 ↗ major over completed and then the other

1:19:54 ↗ area was natural systems. Our target in

1:19:57 ↗ that area is around tree canopy.

1:20:01 ↗ I don't think there are any actions in

1:20:03 ↗ there that actually directly relate to

1:20:05 ↗ increasing our tree canopy. And so we

1:20:07 ↗ wanted to really hear from experts

1:20:10 ↗ around how do we create some new action

1:20:12 ↗ that um actually have an impact on um

1:20:16 ↗ helping us make progress towards that

1:20:18 ↗ target.

1:20:19 ↗ Um and then the last area was um there's

1:20:23 ↗ a number of jurisdictions around us that

1:20:25 ↗ are either in the process of updating

1:20:27 ↗ their plans or recently completed. So

1:20:29 ↗ there's a lot of work we can um learn

1:20:32 ↗ from in those neighboring jurisdictions.

1:20:36 ↗ Um [clears throat] so tonight what we'll

1:20:38 ↗ hone in on are those natural systems um

1:20:41 ↗ the actions within the natural systems

1:20:44 ↗ focus area. Um as I mentioned we have a

1:20:46 ↗ target in that area 55% tree canopy by

1:20:51 ↗ 2035 we are at 51% I think that's 20 19

1:20:57 ↗ data maybe our last study. Um, and as

1:21:01 ↗ mentioned, most of the actions within

1:21:03 ↗ that area don't relate to increasing

1:21:06 ↗ tree canopy. So, we really want to make

1:21:07 ↗ sure there's a stronger connection

1:21:10 ↗ there.

1:21:13 ↗ Um, so diving in a little bit to the

1:21:15 ↗ committee approach. um in those areas I

1:21:19 ↗ mentioned, natural systems and then land

1:21:21 ↗ use and transportation because we wanted

1:21:24 ↗ a deeper dive into those areas of the

1:21:26 ↗ plans, we decided to form committees

1:21:30 ↗ that were made up of board and

1:21:31 ↗ commission members um staff

1:21:33 ↗ representatives and then the snowy tribe

1:21:36 ↗ also participated in the natural systems

1:21:38 ↗ work group or committee. Um the

1:21:40 ↗ committee talked about their goals and

1:21:43 ↗ objectives um for updating the plan. uh

1:21:46 ↗ talked a bit about current status of the

1:21:48 ↗ actions. They looked at content from uh

1:21:52 ↗ jurisdictions that our consultant pulled

1:21:54 ↗ together and then provided some

1:21:56 ↗ recommendations. This was done very

1:21:59 ↗ quickly in two meetings essentially over

1:22:02 ↗ just a few hours. Um this is a snapshot

1:22:05 ↗ of the committee members. Um we were

1:22:07 ↗ really lucky to have three parkour

1:22:09 ↗ members. So David, Ryan, and then Martha

1:22:12 ↗ participated. Um, and I'll have David

1:22:14 ↗ and Brian jump in here in just a minute.

1:22:21 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:22:23 ↗ [laughter]

1:22:24 ↗ >> So, just wanted to briefly summarize

1:22:28 ↗ high picture some of the feedback we

1:22:30 ↗ heard from a committee and then we'll

1:22:31 ↗ dive in deeper. Um, so one of the first

1:22:34 ↗ topics they talked about and really

1:22:36 ↗ started to hone in on was the potential

1:22:38 ↗ to actually revise our tree canopy goal

1:22:42 ↗ or target for the climate plan. That's

1:22:44 ↗ probably one of the only targets that

1:22:46 ↗ we're looking at revising.

1:22:49 ↗ um they felt that that 55% tree canopy

1:22:52 ↗ target might not be feasible and instead

1:22:56 ↗ um we should develop something that was

1:22:59 ↗ around no net loss and maybe having the

1:23:01 ↗ 55% target as a stretch goal. Um we

1:23:05 ↗ probably won't dig into that too much

1:23:07 ↗ tonight. We still need to have some

1:23:09 ↗ additional staff conversations, but if

1:23:12 ↗ you all have initial feedback reactions

1:23:14 ↗ tonight, we can definitely capture those

1:23:16 ↗ and be back probably in early 26 to to

1:23:20 ↗ dive in deeper.

1:23:21 ↗ >> So, I have a I have a question about

1:23:23 ↗ that and it's

1:23:25 ↗ high levels almost philosophical. Uh,

1:23:28 ↗ but considering our climate,

1:23:31 ↗ >> um, increasing tree canopy

1:23:36 ↗ at first glance, of course, sounds

1:23:37 ↗ wonderful, and I'm all for the trees,

1:23:39 ↗ but it also increases fuel.

1:23:41 ↗ And we're starting to see more and more

1:23:44 ↗ discussion about fires reaching west

1:23:46 ↗ side of the Cascades and communities

1:23:49 ↗ such as North Bend, Isqua, other places

1:23:52 ↗ being vulnerable because of the trees.

1:23:56 ↗ How do you balance that in?

1:23:57 ↗ >> Yeah, that's a great question. I'll let

1:24:00 ↗ Jeff [clears throat] has thoughts here.

1:24:01 ↗ So, that was quite an extensive

1:24:02 ↗ discussion with the environmental board

1:24:04 ↗ when we were talking about the tree code

1:24:06 ↗ update, which I'm assuming this group

1:24:08 ↗ may have touched on maybe.

1:24:12 ↗ Yeah.

1:24:12 ↗ >> Yeah. So that there um I think what we

1:24:16 ↗ what Dan really talked about was tree

1:24:18 ↗ canopy in the right places. And I think

1:24:20 ↗ the tree code allows for um those

1:24:22 ↗ allowances for safe places or safe

1:24:26 ↗ defense around the home, but that we

1:24:29 ↗ could look at areas around the city that

1:24:31 ↗ might not um increase vulnerability to

1:24:34 ↗ wildfire, but would still be beneficial

1:24:37 ↗ in terms of the cooling and all the

1:24:39 ↗ other benefits that the trees provide.

1:24:42 ↗ Um, I know Dan and team have also been

1:24:44 ↗ looking into um, trees and other

1:24:47 ↗ vegetation that might be more resilient

1:24:49 ↗ to wildfire and help increase the

1:24:51 ↗ community's resilience to wildfire, too.

1:24:54 ↗ But I don't know if there's other

1:24:56 ↗ >> No, I would just say I think it's a

1:24:58 ↗ great it's another really really

1:24:59 ↗ important factor when thinking about

1:25:02 ↗ what is an appropriate

1:25:05 ↗ canopy goal. Um, and and as Stacy said,

1:25:08 ↗ I think there's a lot more work in terms

1:25:10 ↗ of all right, is is a revision due and

1:25:14 ↗ because there's some really important

1:25:15 ↗ factors we need to think of, but

1:25:17 ↗ wildfire

1:25:19 ↗ um risk is is certainly one of them. Um,

1:25:23 ↗ so we certainly look forward to being

1:25:25 ↗ part of that conversation. I, you know,

1:25:29 ↗ I think as as Dan Hint has come and you

1:25:31 ↗ you've met Dan, our urban forest

1:25:33 ↗ supervisor, he's come a couple of times.

1:25:35 ↗ he works really really closely uh with

1:25:38 ↗ Stacy and team and will be a big part of

1:25:40 ↗ that conversation. Um even as we're

1:25:43 ↗ adding maybe tangible goals to the IAP,

1:25:47 ↗ we we're doing a lot of tree work. We're

1:25:49 ↗ doing a lot of tree planting. We're

1:25:50 ↗ doing a lot of programs that may make

1:25:53 ↗ sense to at least inform that that IAP

1:25:57 ↗ and even understand at at sustaining at

1:26:00 ↗ 51%.

1:26:02 ↗ um there's a lot of tree work that needs

1:26:04 ↗ to be done um constantly, right? Um and

1:26:09 ↗ um yeah, so I just I think it'll be a

1:26:11 ↗ really really good discussion not only

1:26:13 ↗ of a percentage goal, but even some

1:26:16 ↗ degree of mapping or proximity or

1:26:19 ↗ understanding um where

1:26:23 ↗ does canopy growth make sense? where

1:26:25 ↗ does um limiting canopy um that's maybe

1:26:29 ↗ not the right way to put it but um a lot

1:26:32 ↗ of important factors.

1:26:33 ↗ >> Yeah. And does this do you have

1:26:36 ↗ responsibility for like the requirements

1:26:39 ↗ for homeowners to have x number of trees

1:26:41 ↗ like on their property because I know

1:26:43 ↗ like what if I wanted to take out a big

1:26:45 ↗ tree on my property if I wanted to

1:26:47 ↗ ostensively create defensible space

1:26:50 ↗ >> they would say no you know you can't

1:26:52 ↗ take out those trees you need to have

1:26:53 ↗ this many trees on your property not

1:26:55 ↗ that I would want to right now but

1:26:58 ↗ there's almost a shift in

1:27:01 ↗ focus or thinking that needs to happen

1:27:04 ↗ if somebody

1:27:07 ↗ as environment continues to change.

1:27:09 ↗ >> So that's the regulatory that's

1:27:11 ↗ community planning and development. That

1:27:12 ↗ was the that's the tree code.

1:27:14 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:27:14 ↗ >> In the city code. So the tree code

1:27:16 ↗ update that just happened trying to

1:27:18 ↗ factor in those

1:27:21 ↗ pressures, concerns, realities as well.

1:27:23 ↗ >> Yep. Yeah. Um, and I I believe they did

1:27:27 ↗ allow some allowance for um for

1:27:31 ↗ wildfire, what trees that would be

1:27:33 ↗ considered as hazardous for wildfire,

1:27:35 ↗ but that tree code will be revisited

1:27:36 ↗ again in 26. And I think that'll be one

1:27:39 ↗ of the big topics. But I think that's a

1:27:41 ↗ great note even in whether or not we

1:27:44 ↗ change the tree canopy, making sure

1:27:46 ↗ we're being really explicitly talking

1:27:49 ↗ about those issues and concerns and

1:27:52 ↗ canopy in the right places.

1:27:55 ↗ and the briefly.

1:27:57 ↗ >> Thank you.

1:27:57 ↗ >> Okay.

1:27:58 ↗ >> Yeah. Great.

1:27:59 ↗ >> Um just a couple other things that were

1:28:02 ↗ emphasized by the committee. Uh they

1:28:05 ↗ talked about drought preparedness, uh

1:28:07 ↗ surface water conservation, native

1:28:09 ↗ vegetation.

1:28:11 ↗ Um there was a strong emphasis on

1:28:13 ↗ expanding education efforts,

1:28:16 ↗ environmental education efforts. Um

1:28:19 ↗ particularly around native plant

1:28:20 ↗ landscaping too. There were ideas around

1:28:23 ↗ looking at blue carbon as a source for

1:28:26 ↗ carbon accounting and wetland related

1:28:28 ↗ planning. Um

1:28:31 ↗ really wanted to see improved

1:28:33 ↗ partnerships with schools and

1:28:34 ↗ underserved [clears throat] communities.

1:28:37 ↗ Um there were conversations around

1:28:39 ↗ invasive species removal to help

1:28:41 ↗ increase resilience in our forest.

1:28:44 ↗ Um and a lot of support for continuing

1:28:47 ↗ to work on urban forestry. Um and again

1:28:51 ↗ just really emphasizing those

1:28:52 ↗ partnerships to expand our efforts. So

1:28:54 ↗ that's very high level about what they

1:28:57 ↗ talked about and see Brian and David if

1:28:59 ↗ you had other

1:29:00 ↗ >> just perceptions coming out of the

1:29:02 ↗ committee meetings highle takeaways. It

1:29:05 ↗ these meetings were in April and June.

1:29:06 ↗ So it was quite [laughter] a long time.

1:29:09 ↗ >> Yeah. The the one thing I would say that

1:29:12 ↗ I really liked about it was the makeup

1:29:14 ↗ of the committee was great you know in

1:29:16 ↗ terms of so many different people

1:29:18 ↗ represented even having you know some of

1:29:19 ↗ the native tribe folks um but also just

1:29:22 ↗ the process that you went through so I

1:29:24 ↗ think this we could also learn as we're

1:29:25 ↗ going to Tippets Valley Park it's not

1:29:27 ↗ just sending out a survey and trying to

1:29:29 ↗ digest and put intelligence around it.

1:29:31 ↗ was okay, why do you think that? Why?

1:29:33 ↗ Like just asking why why why getting

1:29:35 ↗ down to the actual nitty-gritty of what

1:29:37 ↗ should we change about this or or why do

1:29:39 ↗ you think that way? So, um being able to

1:29:41 ↗ kind of dive in and have those I think

1:29:43 ↗ it was like three-hour meetings, but

1:29:45 ↗ yeah, it was it was helpful and to see

1:29:47 ↗ other people's perspective like yes that

1:29:49 ↗ I fully agree with what they're saying

1:29:50 ↗ and that's the true root of the problem,

1:29:52 ↗ right? Um so, yeah, that's what I really

1:29:54 ↗ appreciated about sort of how we did it.

1:29:56 ↗ The process was was great. But and I

1:29:59 ↗ think you know some of the takeaways I

1:30:01 ↗ had and one you know I'm on this called

1:30:05 ↗ park board but I'm not an

1:30:06 ↗ environmentalist or a uh climate action

1:30:09 ↗ person and so it was great to like sit

1:30:11 ↗ in there and hear all those different

1:30:13 ↗ like crazy thought but but bringing

1:30:15 ↗ together that piece and we've sat here

1:30:16 ↗ and talked about canopy cover three four

1:30:18 ↗ five times now and healthy vegetation.

1:30:21 ↗ what does a healthy forest look like and

1:30:23 ↗ what is it when you're underbrush versus

1:30:27 ↗ like what it's supposed to be from

1:30:28 ↗ what's native or um there's a lot of

1:30:30 ↗ stuff that I personally learn that I'm

1:30:34 ↗ excited [clears throat] to even come

1:30:35 ↗ back and talk to some of these things of

1:30:36 ↗ like the

1:30:38 ↗ you know how you lower the temperature

1:30:40 ↗ of the city versus various things you're

1:30:42 ↗ doing or I think they call them rain

1:30:44 ↗ gardens like just different ways you can

1:30:48 ↗ um even as you're talking about thing

1:30:51 ↗ getting buildings and planning and and

1:30:54 ↗ how you can find ways to potentially not

1:30:57 ↗ lose the canopy but find ways to

1:30:59 ↗ maintain your canopy but through other

1:31:02 ↗ means that are you know Dan's talking

1:31:04 ↗ about be a 15 foot tree with certain

1:31:06 ↗ things certain things various things

1:31:08 ↗ like that but I I thought it was really

1:31:10 ↗ cool uh to be a part of and um

1:31:14 ↗ I I came with a lot more questions than

1:31:17 ↗ I had um

1:31:20 ↗ answers to this mind's gonna blow.

1:31:25 ↗ [laughter]

1:31:25 ↗ >> It was a hard group to compare to like

1:31:28 ↗ the transportation group. There was a

1:31:29 ↗ lot of transportation experts. Natural

1:31:31 ↗ systems is so much so you had park

1:31:34 ↗ people there. You had forest people, you

1:31:36 ↗ had our conservation, uh storm water. So

1:31:41 ↗ it was um there was a lot to cover

1:31:45 ↗ our world

1:31:46 ↗ >> public realm and public land doing

1:31:49 ↗ >> needing to do so much.

1:31:50 ↗ >> Yeah,

1:31:51 ↗ >> absolutely needing

1:31:53 ↗ >> um so that is kind of where I wanted to

1:31:56 ↗ go next. So, there's three areas um

1:31:59 ↗ wanted to touch on tonight. And again,

1:32:00 ↗ I'm hoping this is kind of the first

1:32:03 ↗ touch point to get some general

1:32:04 ↗ reactions and then we would come back

1:32:07 ↗ possibly to hone in on that target as

1:32:09 ↗ well as any policy questions. Um but

1:32:12 ↗ wanted to hear from you all the park

1:32:14 ↗ board perspective

1:32:16 ↗ um any reactions to what you heard from

1:32:19 ↗ the very high level output of the

1:32:21 ↗ committee meetings. um or just your

1:32:24 ↗ general feedback around priorities, the

1:32:27 ↗ types of actions you want to make sure

1:32:28 ↗ we are retaining or incorporating into

1:32:31 ↗ the plan with this update. Um we have a

1:32:34 ↗ few specific ideas that were proposed as

1:32:39 ↗ kind of new for the climate plan

1:32:40 ↗ although some of them may live in other

1:32:43 ↗ plans. So we wanted to talk through

1:32:44 ↗ those for a few minutes. And then um the

1:32:48 ↗ last topic was around redundancy and I

1:32:51 ↗ put urban forest management plan but

1:32:53 ↗ there actually could be some redundancy

1:32:54 ↗ with the park plan especially if some of

1:32:57 ↗ the new actions are considered and kind

1:33:00 ↗ of this question of what do we do if an

1:33:02 ↗ action exists in two different plans? Is

1:33:05 ↗ that okay? Do we need to have um some

1:33:09 ↗ kind of balance there? But I can talk

1:33:10 ↗ through that a little bit more in a few

1:33:12 ↗ minutes. Um, so the last two meetings

1:33:16 ↗ where I've done this, we've actually

1:33:17 ↗ broken out into groups, but we did

1:33:19 ↗ decide we didn't have enough time to do

1:33:20 ↗ that tonight and it's a small enough

1:33:22 ↗ group. So just um move into a group

1:33:26 ↗ conversation, but the first topic was

1:33:29 ↗ really just around general feedback.

1:33:31 ↗ Were there things that you heard from

1:33:32 ↗ the highle summary of the committee

1:33:34 ↗ meeting that really struck you want to

1:33:36 ↗ make sure that we're capturing in the

1:33:38 ↗ plan update? um are there other

1:33:41 ↗ priorities that you have around the work

1:33:43 ↗ this board is doing that intersect with

1:33:46 ↗ climate action and resilience um that

1:33:48 ↗ you want to make sure we're

1:33:49 ↗ incorporating? So just any kind of

1:33:51 ↗ initial takeaways or as um Tim was

1:33:54 ↗ mentioning too kind of concerns around

1:33:55 ↗ wildfire and that increased canopy

1:33:59 ↗ to the next slide just

1:34:03 ↗ [laughter]

1:34:06 ↗ yeah so just want to open it up to any

1:34:08 ↗ general feedback then we'll move into

1:34:10 ↗ some of the more specific questions

1:34:12 ↗ thoughts around priorities

1:34:15 ↗ concerns

1:34:17 ↗ I'm glad to hear um the focus on or the

1:34:22 ↗ action item again on

1:34:24 ↗ just invasive species. Um, that's been

1:34:28 ↗ something as I wander around the parks,

1:34:31 ↗ it's always feeling like I'm protecting

1:34:33 ↗ my dog from [laughter]

1:34:35 ↗ those things.

1:34:41 ↗ >> What are some of the

1:34:45 ↗ I don't have a top in mind.

1:34:49 ↗ um the for the um

1:34:53 ↗ greenhouse gas emissions, what were some

1:34:55 ↗ of the other um

1:34:58 ↗ kind of actionable pieces of that plan?

1:35:01 ↗ I know you mentioned the EVs and the 19

1:35:04 ↗ chargers and stuff like that.

1:35:05 ↗ >> Yeah, that's a good question. So, a lot

1:35:07 ↗ of the other areas there's um it's

1:35:11 ↗ mostly on kind of mitigation mitigating

1:35:14 ↗ our emission. So that's easier to talk

1:35:16 ↗ about. Okay. Transportation, building.

1:35:19 ↗ So there's reducing energy use, changing

1:35:21 ↗ the type of energy use we're getting for

1:35:23 ↗ our buildings. Transportation, there's

1:35:25 ↗ actions around changing how we get

1:35:27 ↗ around town using lower emitting

1:35:29 ↗ options. Um, when we get to natural

1:35:32 ↗ systems,

1:35:34 ↗ that's where we've kind of struggled of

1:35:35 ↗ what belongs in the climate plan and

1:35:38 ↗ what might belong in other ways. So I

1:35:41 ↗ think we can either think of natural

1:35:42 ↗ systems in two ways. One is where we are

1:35:46 ↗ supporting those systems or expanding

1:35:48 ↗ those systems to exist because they are

1:35:51 ↗ um sequestering carbon and they're

1:35:53 ↗ helping take in carbon um h tree canopy

1:35:57 ↗ but they can also

1:36:00 ↗ um similar to tree canopy be providing

1:36:02 ↗ kind of resilience for our community. So

1:36:04 ↗ they might be helping with cooling and

1:36:06 ↗ shading um absorbing extra stream flow

1:36:10 ↗ and water for example.

1:36:13 ↗ Um, another area, and this might be

1:36:16 ↗ going beyond your question, but another

1:36:18 ↗ area around natural systems we've been

1:36:20 ↗ thinking about is, um, how do we

1:36:25 ↗ protect, and this gets a little bit to

1:36:27 ↗ Conniey's comment, um, and some topics

1:36:30 ↗ that were discussed with the

1:36:31 ↗ environmental board for the

1:36:32 ↗ comprehensive plan update, is how do we

1:36:35 ↗ expand what we mean by community to mean

1:36:39 ↗ wildlife and the natural environment and

1:36:42 ↗ ensuring ing that expanded definition of

1:36:44 ↗ community is resilient in the face of

1:36:47 ↗ climate change. So how can we

1:36:49 ↗ incorporate in actions um that ensure

1:36:53 ↗ our salmon are resilient to a climate a

1:36:55 ↗ changing climate or came up in one of

1:36:58 ↗ our discussions um with a committee

1:37:01 ↗ where we were talking about dark sky

1:37:02 ↗ ordinance making sure the birds and uh

1:37:06 ↗ the bugs are also resilient in the face

1:37:09 ↗ of a changing climate. So natural

1:37:11 ↗ systems is a little trickier where um

1:37:15 ↗ the other areas of the plant can install

1:37:18 ↗ EV chargers. We can um track transit use

1:37:22 ↗ and like that

1:37:25 ↗ >> track trail connectivity.

1:37:26 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:37:27 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:37:28 ↗ >> Multimodal ways to get around town.

1:37:30 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:37:32 ↗ So, something you just barely mentioned

1:37:34 ↗ and I'm wondering if it's more

1:37:37 ↗ uh mentioned more in the plan in general

1:37:39 ↗ is about water. Um because we live in an

1:37:43 ↗ area that has mostly abundant water as

1:37:48 ↗ we saw this weekend, but [laughter]

1:37:52 ↗ but we have real dry spells now. They

1:37:55 ↗ didn't used to be as dry for as long as

1:37:57 ↗ they are now.

1:37:59 ↗ And so during those dry spells,

1:38:02 ↗ anything, you know, what do you what do

1:38:03 ↗ you do? Are are you planting things that

1:38:05 ↗ are going to have to be watered, you

1:38:07 ↗ know, and use more water when it really

1:38:09 ↗ gets hot and dry, or are you doing

1:38:11 ↗ things that will actually in the long

1:38:13 ↗ run conserve? Um,

1:38:17 ↗ and I don't know the answer and how it

1:38:18 ↗ all balances in, but I didn't hear a lot

1:38:20 ↗ of

1:38:22 ↗ mention of that. And I think it's an

1:38:24 ↗ important aspect.

1:38:26 ↗ You know, one of the things we've we've

1:38:27 ↗ discussed and Stacy, please jump in as

1:38:30 ↗ well, but you know, the placement and

1:38:32 ↗ use of drought tolerant vegetation

1:38:35 ↗ throughout the park system, right? We

1:38:37 ↗ we've set a goal this year alone. It'll

1:38:39 ↗ be interesting to see how close our

1:38:41 ↗ metrics get at the end of the year, but

1:38:42 ↗ we want to we we've set out to reduce

1:38:45 ↗ irrigation use in the park system from

1:38:49 ↗ 25 to 26 um by a pretty significant

1:38:53 ↗ percent. And so I I I think we've

1:38:55 ↗ accomplished it. Um but it'll be great

1:38:57 ↗ to measure that and see. Um so

1:39:02 ↗ um yeah, what we plant, where we plant,

1:39:05 ↗ how we plant, maybe, you know, do we do

1:39:09 ↗ some different things with some of these

1:39:10 ↗ planting beds? Um all of that are uh

1:39:13 ↗ certainly important to us operationally.

1:39:15 ↗ And I it feels like the committee and

1:39:18 ↗ the IAP u there could be some

1:39:21 ↗ measurable, you know, metrics about

1:39:24 ↗ that. And I I for one think there's

1:39:27 ↗ value when multiple plans are talking

1:39:30 ↗ about the same thing um and referencing

1:39:34 ↗ the other right not talking as if hey

1:39:37 ↗ this is the only place this

1:39:38 ↗ recommendation is and it's an edict and

1:39:40 ↗ it has to look exactly like this but hey

1:39:42 ↗ this is a goal and priority within the

1:39:44 ↗ park system plan that is also a goal and

1:39:47 ↗ priority within the the IAP I think that

1:39:50 ↗ you know where you have complimentary

1:39:53 ↗ plans and reference referencing one

1:39:54 ↗ another. I I don't see that as a

1:39:56 ↗ conflict. I see that as that's that's

1:40:01 ↗ governance. That's local government.

1:40:02 ↗ Local governance is is balancing

1:40:05 ↗ competing values and trade-offs and

1:40:08 ↗ priorities.

1:40:10 ↗ >> Yeah. And I think to the water

1:40:11 ↗ conservation that did um come up quite a

1:40:14 ↗ bit on that committee. I may not have

1:40:16 ↗ emphasized it in the summary, but

1:40:17 ↗ hopefully if folks um were able to look

1:40:20 ↗ at attachment a copies of there was

1:40:23 ↗ quite a bit on um water conservation,

1:40:26 ↗ drought tolerant things.

1:40:28 ↗ >> Um so I think that will definitely be

1:40:30 ↗ something we emphasize more because it's

1:40:32 ↗ both a resilience factor, making sure

1:40:35 ↗ those places can withstand either really

1:40:38 ↗ wet times or really dry times, but it's

1:40:40 ↗ also mitigation where we're saving water

1:40:43 ↗ for drought times. we're saving that

1:40:45 ↗ energy use from all of the um um for

1:40:49 ↗ watering um and things like that. So, I

1:40:52 ↗ think yeah, those are solutions that

1:40:55 ↗ we'll probably see more of in this next.

1:40:57 ↗ Yeah, that's

1:41:02 ↗ >> Oh, yeah. We talked a lot about

1:41:04 ↗ expanding community gardens.

1:41:05 ↗ >> Oh, yes. So, we can do we would it be

1:41:08 ↗ easier just to jump? We can go into the

1:41:10 ↗ next one and feel free to if you have

1:41:12 ↗ other thoughts. No, it's probably a

1:41:14 ↗ little easier to dive in and respond to

1:41:16 ↗ something that bigger question, but

1:41:18 ↗ these were a few of the new actions.

1:41:22 ↗ These are I will say these are would be

1:41:24 ↗ new for the IAP. Some of these exist in

1:41:27 ↗ the urban forest management plan, the

1:41:28 ↗ park strategic plan. So, um but we would

1:41:32 ↗ think about how to shape them. So

1:41:34 ↗ they're complimentary or kind of have

1:41:35 ↗ the climate lens, but we [snorts] could

1:41:38 ↗ um just walk through these and get

1:41:40 ↗ initial reactions. Um so community

1:41:45 ↗ gardens, there was discussion around

1:41:46 ↗ that. My um request if this did move

1:41:50 ↗ forward to the committee was thinking

1:41:52 ↗ about the climate lens of that. Is that

1:41:55 ↗ kind of a community resilience piece by

1:41:57 ↗ creating more local food or what's the

1:42:00 ↗ kind of climate piece? Um I would say

1:42:02 ↗ that actually across all of these and

1:42:04 ↗ then similar for invasive there's a lot

1:42:06 ↗ of talk around invasive plants but just

1:42:09 ↗ thinking of it what is that climate lens

1:42:11 ↗ if we are creating actions like these um

1:42:14 ↗ but yes would love to get reactions

1:42:16 ↗ around um from the group on considering

1:42:20 ↗ these for the climate plan

1:42:22 ↗ [clears throat] update

1:42:24 ↗ you can start at the top thoughts around

1:42:26 ↗ community gardens

1:42:31 ↗ I don't know how can you refresh your

1:42:34 ↗ memory.

1:42:37 ↗ [laughter]

1:42:37 ↗ >> Yeah. The park strategic plan.

1:42:39 ↗ >> Yeah. You know, we've talked about, you

1:42:41 ↗ know, within the park strategic plan

1:42:43 ↗ goals for activating our public spaces.

1:42:46 ↗ Um um specifically, you know, where we

1:42:50 ↗ can find opportunities to um increase

1:42:53 ↗ our community garden program. Right now

1:42:55 ↗ we have a community garden um at

1:42:58 ↗ Confluence Park. Um uh so um this would

1:43:03 ↗ be very complimentary in that in that

1:43:06 ↗ regard. Um and compliments to um what I

1:43:10 ↗ was

1:43:12 ↗ pardon me for my soap boxing earlier,

1:43:14 ↗ but you know taking a community park or

1:43:16 ↗ a neighborhood park and

1:43:19 ↗ creating space that's not so reliant on

1:43:21 ↗ a scheduled game. A community garden is

1:43:23 ↗ a great example,

1:43:25 ↗ >> right? Where where it's activated,

1:43:28 ↗ people are coming and going. There's not

1:43:30 ↗ a flow on a schedule. Um um so

1:43:35 ↗ >> certainly an element community.

1:43:37 ↗ >> Say it again. How is it?

1:43:39 ↗ >> Yeah. Like is it busy? Is it full?

1:43:42 ↗ >> Plots are always full and we have a wait

1:43:44 ↗ list. So, so I mean even in terms of

1:43:46 ↗ interest in the community, it's it's

1:43:48 ↗ evident that finding somewhere else in

1:43:51 ↗ the valley, you know, where a community

1:43:53 ↗ garden is is put is really really

1:43:56 ↗ important, right? Um um are we doing it

1:44:00 ↗ if we're doing it on natural soil,

1:44:02 ↗ what's the soil condition of that park

1:44:04 ↗ in that space? Um um and also just

1:44:08 ↗ location in terms of

1:44:12 ↗ complimentary to the to the rest of the

1:44:14 ↗ park. Is it a space that community uh

1:44:17 ↗ plot renters are feeling comfortable in?

1:44:21 ↗ And um but yeah, it's certainly very

1:44:25 ↗ complimentary to to things we've talked

1:44:27 ↗ about. Um

1:44:30 ↗ provenence to the system, park system.

1:44:33 ↗ >> Do you have a question comment?

1:44:36 ↗ Oh, me?

1:44:38 ↗ >> Yeah. Um, I I think I've commented on it

1:44:40 ↗ before. I'm super in favor of the

1:44:42 ↗ community gardens. I have a large garden

1:44:44 ↗ at home myself, and I still like walking

1:44:46 ↗ by Confluence Park to see what everyone

1:44:48 ↗ else has done. Um, I've heard from other

1:44:50 ↗ members of the community that they

1:44:53 ↗ either, you know, like wish they could

1:44:55 ↗ get a plot. I I guess there's a wait

1:44:57 ↗ list or um that even if they're not

1:45:00 ↗ gardening themselves, they like seeing

1:45:02 ↗ the gardens that everyone has put up. So

1:45:05 ↗ I I love this idea.

1:45:08 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:45:08 ↗ >> Great.

1:45:09 ↗ >> Thanks, Diana.

1:45:10 ↗ >> Yeah. And that's when we can work with

1:45:12 ↗ Ramen and the parks team to kind of

1:45:14 ↗ align with what's in the park plan and

1:45:16 ↗ then in the IAP have kind of the more

1:45:19 ↗ climate lens around that.

1:45:21 ↗ >> What does this do for climate? Right. So

1:45:23 ↗ you're right. There's a social there's a

1:45:25 ↗ social benefit that

1:45:27 ↗ >> you know and that's the beautiful thing

1:45:29 ↗ about some of these and why I think

1:45:30 ↗ having them in multiple plans is really

1:45:32 ↗ important because it might be coming the

1:45:35 ↗ primary benefit and one plan might be

1:45:37 ↗ different but speaking to um multiple

1:45:41 ↗ primary benefits and is is really

1:45:44 ↗ important that there should be a a

1:45:45 ↗ climate reason you're doing something

1:45:47 ↗ but there's also a social um community

1:45:51 ↗ building um reason you consider

1:45:53 ↗ community gardens as well.

1:45:55 ↗ >> Is there much

1:45:57 ↗ benefit to a community garden from a

1:45:59 ↗ climate lens other than using this plot

1:46:01 ↗ or something else that you've deemed

1:46:04 ↗ important?

1:46:05 ↗ >> Yeah, I think we can talk about the

1:46:06 ↗ resilience aspect and access to local

1:46:09 ↗ food is discussed a lot through

1:46:12 ↗ community um or through the climate

1:46:14 ↗ lens, but also um kind of the shorter

1:46:17 ↗ distance that that food's traveling

1:46:20 ↗ as well.

1:46:22 ↗ >> Yeah. And I also think community gardens

1:46:24 ↗ are a great thing, especially if we have

1:46:26 ↗ a waiting list. Um, and it, you know, so

1:46:30 ↗ there's community interest,

1:46:33 ↗ it's social,

1:46:35 ↗ it's, you know, like all the other side

1:46:38 ↗ benefits of getting your food locally

1:46:40 ↗ and not having to drive and it doesn't

1:46:41 ↗ be transported and all of it. I think

1:46:44 ↗ it's a

1:46:46 ↗ we should try to meet the uh community

1:46:48 ↗ interest and need there.

1:46:53 ↗ All right, sounds like strong support

1:46:55 ↗ for that. Um, invasive plant mapping and

1:46:58 ↗ removal. A lot of discussion on this

1:47:01 ↗ too. Dan was in the committee. So,

1:47:04 ↗ [laughter]

1:47:05 ↗ um,

1:47:05 ↗ >> Dan Dan

1:47:06 ↗ >> Dan, so we did speak to he was preaching

1:47:09 ↗ greenqua.

1:47:10 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah. Um,

1:47:12 ↗ >> so there are actions within the urban

1:47:15 ↗ forest management plan specific to

1:47:17 ↗ invasive mapping and removal. One thing

1:47:20 ↗ we talked about with the committee um

1:47:22 ↗ again is if we were to include this in

1:47:24 ↗ the climate plan focusing on that

1:47:26 ↗ climate lens. So this would probably be

1:47:28 ↗ around resilience and ensuring our um

1:47:33 ↗ natural areas are more resilience to the

1:47:35 ↗ resilient to the impact of climate

1:47:37 ↗ change through the removal of invasives

1:47:39 ↗ as an example though.

1:47:42 ↗ >> But yes, would love um if there's other

1:47:45 ↗ thoughts around this one as a priority

1:47:47 ↗ for the park. Did you guys discuss um

1:47:50 ↗ anything to help own homeowners

1:47:53 ↗ understand what's invasive or to help

1:47:55 ↗ them mitigate? I'm just curious if it

1:47:56 ↗ came up at all.

1:47:57 ↗ >> That's a good question. I'm not sure.

1:47:59 ↗ I'll double check back on our committee

1:48:01 ↗ notes unless it's in that attachment a

1:48:03 ↗ but I'll check on that. Is that

1:48:04 ↗ something you'd want to

1:48:06 ↗ >> Yeah, I think it just be like Well,

1:48:07 ↗ speaking of somebody whose previous

1:48:08 ↗ owner is planting that like ivy

1:48:11 ↗ everywhere,

1:48:13 ↗ [laughter]

1:48:14 ↗ >> you

1:48:15 ↗ exactly like chokes out my tree like

1:48:18 ↗ it'd be nice to like especially for like

1:48:21 ↗ here's what to look for, here's what to

1:48:22 ↗ do about it. like I don't know

1:48:24 ↗ [clears throat] there's

1:48:25 ↗ >> I'll make sure that's incorporated in

1:48:27 ↗ >> and that could be a great way that again

1:48:29 ↗ I know I camp is looking at climate lens

1:48:32 ↗ but you know you know ample climate

1:48:35 ↗ benefits to invasive plant removal and

1:48:38 ↗ plant and and management in the public

1:48:40 ↗ space but also private space and maybe

1:48:42 ↗ the IAP can

1:48:45 ↗ speak to private um

1:48:48 ↗ >> a little bit more but but hey you know

1:48:51 ↗ here's what's happening in the public

1:48:52 ↗ realm and efforts that you can help and

1:48:55 ↗ why it's important why it's important to

1:48:57 ↗ a canopy cover goal,

1:48:59 ↗ >> right? [clears throat]

1:49:00 ↗ You can't achieve we can't sustain a

1:49:02 ↗ canopy cover goal without really

1:49:05 ↗ thinking of um invasive management,

1:49:09 ↗ invasive removal that is quick to choke

1:49:12 ↗ out canopy. Yeah, Diana.

1:49:17 ↗ >> Yeah. So when I think about invasive

1:49:22 ↗ species in like a climate context, um we

1:49:26 ↗ often see

1:49:29 ↗ we often see like the abundance of these

1:49:31 ↗ invasive species as a symptom of climate

1:49:33 ↗ change, right? Like species that are

1:49:36 ↗ further south um making their incursion

1:49:39 ↗ into more northern latitudes or native

1:49:42 ↗ species being displaced into more

1:49:44 ↗ northern latitudes at higher elevations.

1:49:47 ↗ So, um, what's the plan, I guess, to

1:49:51 ↗ kind of

1:49:53 ↗ address these root causes where native

1:49:55 ↗ species may not be thriving and may be

1:49:57 ↗ displaced by invasive species, where

1:50:00 ↗ they're not getting the conditions to

1:50:01 ↗ thrive.

1:50:03 ↗ >> Yeah, that's a great question. I don't

1:50:05 ↗ know if this will fully answer it and

1:50:06 ↗ probably Dan um hence would be the one

1:50:09 ↗ but he has been looking at um species

1:50:13 ↗ migration and through the update of kind

1:50:16 ↗ of preferred tree list and preferred

1:50:18 ↗ species list looking at what um species

1:50:22 ↗ will best survive under the changing

1:50:24 ↗ climate. So that is something that is

1:50:27 ↗ being considered is maybe it's

1:50:30 ↗ redefining kind of what becomes um

1:50:33 ↗ native versus an invasive which um might

1:50:37 ↗ be impacting the goals towards our tree

1:50:40 ↗ canopy for example. But there is there

1:50:42 ↗ are a lot of discussions in the climate

1:50:45 ↗ and forestry world about kind of

1:50:46 ↗ changing um how we're defining kind of

1:50:49 ↗ which species will best survive here

1:50:52 ↗ based on that changing climate. That's a

1:50:54 ↗ great question in great question in

1:50:57 ↗ common Diana. I in some ways I think it

1:50:59 ↗ it blends it blends action two and

1:51:02 ↗ action three, right? How do we you know

1:51:05 ↗ due to that you know new new types of

1:51:08 ↗ invasives are thriving because of

1:51:10 ↗ climate change. How are you know one way

1:51:12 ↗ to prevent that is how are we

1:51:14 ↗ proactively planting or thinking of what

1:51:17 ↗ is native or the native migration

1:51:21 ↗ >> um to to get ahead of that. Yeah, it

1:51:26 ↗ combat it proactively.

1:51:28 ↗ >> I believe that was addressed in the

1:51:30 ↗ urban forest management plan, but I'll

1:51:31 ↗ double check and we could do some cross

1:51:33 ↗ reference in the IAP to that as we're

1:51:36 ↗ talking about invasives in the tree

1:51:38 ↗ canopy.

1:51:42 ↗ >> Um right, I know about 12 minutes.

1:51:47 ↗ >> Um we have talked a bit about

1:51:48 ↗ redundance. So um yeah the next one I am

1:51:52 ↗ interested on there was discussion

1:51:55 ↗ around having a policy for city um

1:52:00 ↗ landscaping to be uh for only native and

1:52:04 ↗ drought tolerant. We do have a citywide

1:52:07 ↗ code

1:52:09 ↗ >> um around that. So I think this was to

1:52:11 ↗ kind of go a step further and have the

1:52:14 ↗ city be um more of a leader in that

1:52:18 ↗ piece. I don't know if there's anything

1:52:21 ↗ missed that was addressed in the park

1:52:23 ↗ plan, but this is something we could

1:52:24 ↗ explore if we saw this as a priority. I

1:52:27 ↗ know um had some discussion with Robin

1:52:30 ↗ about just wanting to be cautious of

1:52:32 ↗ what we're um we are setting in policy

1:52:37 ↗ for the types of landscaping because

1:52:39 ↗ we'll need to have some flexibility.

1:52:42 ↗ Yeah, I think it I think it it it

1:52:45 ↗ warrants more discussion in terms of

1:52:47 ↗ how, you know, how do we look at a

1:52:49 ↗ policy that can be operationalized and

1:52:51 ↗ and meet again the competing not

1:52:56 ↗ competing the just the the multitude of

1:52:58 ↗ goals that this community has for its

1:53:01 ↗ park system. Um, and

1:53:05 ↗ like I said, you know, we're we're

1:53:08 ↗ instituting we're we're we're we were we

1:53:10 ↗ set a goal to institute some irrigation

1:53:12 ↗ reductions um this year. So, it's it's

1:53:15 ↗ certainly a priority to us, but

1:53:19 ↗ sometimes landscaping these types of

1:53:21 ↗ policies can if they don't really think

1:53:24 ↗ through the operational lens as well can

1:53:26 ↗ become um

1:53:29 ↗ the pendulum can swing too far. Um and

1:53:33 ↗ oh wow, here comes an unintended

1:53:35 ↗ consequence.

1:53:38 ↗ >> I think that if um the environmental

1:53:40 ↗ board is recommending moving something

1:53:44 ↗ forward around that, we would bring that

1:53:46 ↗ back to this group to make sure that we

1:53:47 ↗ have the the input from both boards

1:53:50 ↗ moving to our questions.

1:53:53 ↗ Um the other one um I think I referenced

1:53:56 ↗ a little bit earlier was there was

1:53:59 ↗ desire from some members of the

1:54:00 ↗ committee to look at dark sky

1:54:02 ↗ ordinances. The city did incorporate um

1:54:05 ↗ quite a bit around dark sky objectives

1:54:08 ↗ into the land use plan update. Um I

1:54:12 ↗ think here the intent was for protecting

1:54:15 ↗ migratory species um in particular and

1:54:20 ↗ so wanted to one thing I had mentioned

1:54:23 ↗ earlier was around um we're considering

1:54:26 ↗ some expansion of what we mean by

1:54:28 ↗ community um that would

1:54:32 ↗ enable these types of actions to be

1:54:35 ↗ incorporated in terms of community

1:54:38 ↗ resilience for our broader

1:54:41 ↗ wildlife community along with human um

1:54:44 ↗ community um and ensuring that those

1:54:47 ↗ other species can withstand more of the

1:54:50 ↗ impacts of climate change. So that's

1:54:51 ↗ kind of where we would consider these

1:54:53 ↗ types of

1:54:54 ↗ >> questions. How do we think about

1:54:56 ↗ impacting where we have lights?

1:55:00 ↗ I think that's that's a great question

1:55:02 ↗ and leads to what

1:55:05 ↗ >> I was going to say.

1:55:06 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:55:06 ↗ >> Yeah. You know, this is again competing,

1:55:09 ↗ you know, public spaces from a SEPTA

1:55:14 ↗ sept, a sort of crime prevention through

1:55:17 ↗ design uh approach to public spaces.

1:55:20 ↗ People want to feel safe. They want to

1:55:22 ↗ feel they're they're going to go to

1:55:25 ↗ public spaces where they feel safe. And

1:55:27 ↗ so, you know, where lighting is

1:55:30 ↗ important, but we'd want to make sure an

1:55:33 ↗ ordinance

1:55:34 ↗ um understands the the goals of how that

1:55:38 ↗ public space is used, whether through,

1:55:40 ↗ you know, pedestrian lighting, ballfield

1:55:42 ↗ lighting, right? you know, and and

1:55:45 ↗ understanding that balance of um you

1:55:48 ↗ know, I bring up ball fields is again

1:55:50 ↗ this reality of as a really land

1:55:52 ↗ constrained city, um lighting athletic

1:55:56 ↗ fields allows us to

1:56:00 ↗ build less ball fields,

1:56:02 ↗ >> right? So, um you know, that's where

1:56:06 ↗ it's great. These conversations are

1:56:07 ↗ really, really important. So we're

1:56:09 ↗ looking at both community perspective

1:56:11 ↗ but even operational perspective um you

1:56:15 ↗ know h how are Yeah.

1:56:17 ↗ >> I would say that what makes me the most

1:56:19 ↗ nervous as a board member of all of

1:56:21 ↗ these.

1:56:22 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:56:25 ↗ So, ordinances I've seen there's, you

1:56:27 ↗ know, making sure all lights are

1:56:29 ↗ shielded, all lights are,

1:56:31 ↗ >> which we do have that.

1:56:32 ↗ >> Yeah, that that's currently in uh that's

1:56:35 ↗ currently a requirement in the recent

1:56:38 ↗ title 18 update. So,

1:56:41 ↗ >> yeah,

1:56:42 ↗ >> we too as staff will want Yeah,

1:56:45 ↗ >> I don't think we should have anything. I

1:56:47 ↗ just don't want to over

1:56:50 ↗ >> That's why we need to hear from multiple

1:56:52 ↗ boards and commissions and staff. We

1:56:55 ↗ compile all them. But um

1:56:59 ↗ do we

1:57:01 ↗ Are you all on time? Do you want me to

1:57:03 ↗ start though?

1:57:04 ↗ >> Um how long your director report?

1:57:06 ↗ [laughter]

1:57:07 ↗ >> I'm not no director's report tonight.

1:57:12 ↗ [laughter]

1:57:13 ↗ >> Great. Um why don't we go through these

1:57:15 ↗ last two and then kind of summarize the

1:57:17 ↗ redundancy conversation. I think Jeff's

1:57:19 ↗ had some good input um little input from

1:57:23 ↗ others. So um other priorities we heard

1:57:26 ↗ from a committee for new actions around

1:57:28 ↗ native plant and pollinator gardens. Um

1:57:32 ↗ again I was encouraging what's the

1:57:35 ↗ climate lens here. I think this was kind

1:57:37 ↗ of a climate resilience increasing

1:57:40 ↗ habitat for um species that could be

1:57:43 ↗ more impacted um from some of

1:57:45 ↗ [clears throat] the impacts we're seeing

1:57:46 ↗ from climate change. Um I don't know if

1:57:49 ↗ this has come up in park board

1:57:50 ↗ discussion in terms of

1:57:53 ↗ >> specific pollin pollinator gardens. It

1:57:56 ↗ hasn't been a native topic but

1:57:59 ↗ absolutely absolutely

1:58:03 ↗ >> something Dan and I have been starting

1:58:05 ↗ to talk about.

1:58:06 ↗ >> Okay.

1:58:06 ↗ >> To increase that habitat

1:58:09 ↗ in new parts.

1:58:10 ↗ Are there enough native pollinators that

1:58:14 ↗ you don't think you can just use native

1:58:16 ↗ pollinators to put where you want

1:58:19 ↗ pollinator gardeners?

1:58:21 ↗ >> That's a great question. Yeah, I think

1:58:22 ↗ so. And I think of um I don't know if

1:58:25 ↗ it's technically a pollinator garden,

1:58:27 ↗ but that garden next to the community um

1:58:31 ↗ uh garden at confluence

1:58:34 ↗ >> um has all the fl or at least seasonally

1:58:37 ↗ has the flower. That's kind of what I

1:58:38 ↗ think was maybe here was having more of

1:58:41 ↗ those spaces around the

1:58:46 ↗ >> um and then the last one uh maybe a

1:58:50 ↗ little outside of the park board realm

1:58:52 ↗ but um maybe not. Uh the the group did

1:58:56 ↗ talk about improving stream health

1:58:58 ↗ through reducing pollutants. Um

1:59:03 ↗ I there you could draw a climate lines

1:59:06 ↗ here. Um but just wanted to it's a

1:59:10 ↗ little bit maybe more of a stretch than

1:59:12 ↗ some of the actions would be considering

1:59:14 ↗ in the plan. Um but wanted to see how

1:59:16 ↗ much that is a priority of the park

1:59:19 ↗ board if that comes up in your

1:59:20 ↗ discussions. Um in terms of just looking

1:59:24 ↗ at um stream health,

1:59:27 ↗ >> I don't think we've looked at it so much

1:59:28 ↗ as a pollution reduction as we talked

1:59:30 ↗ about stream health terms of Azure

1:59:34 ↗ as we've been like you just look at like

1:59:37 ↗ the history of confluence all the way

1:59:39 ↗ from that stream the next like 500 feet

1:59:41 ↗ and everything's been worked on slowly

1:59:42 ↗ ever since. I think we've talked more

1:59:44 ↗ about it in like that sense as you're as

1:59:46 ↗ you're redesigning, rebuilding,

1:59:48 ↗ repairing

1:59:50 ↗ is looking to improve riparian stuff,

1:59:53 ↗ stream health, but I not necessarily

1:59:56 ↗ through the climate lens, but more of a

2:00:00 ↗ health of the stream, which is, you

2:00:01 ↗ know, I mean, you can

2:00:03 ↗ >> Yeah,

2:00:04 ↗ >> I think another Yeah, I think this is

2:00:06 ↗ complimentary and

2:00:09 ↗ in the multiple benefits

2:00:13 ↗ of improving stream health, right? A

2:00:15 ↗ lots of the goals and policies within

2:00:17 ↗ the park system plan talk about

2:00:19 ↗ strategic acquisitions along Creek Side,

2:00:22 ↗ right? The value of um you preservation

2:00:25 ↗ of those um

2:00:29 ↗ for multiple purposes in multiple, you

2:00:31 ↗ know, riparian health, but also

2:00:32 ↗ recreational corridors, right? So, um I

2:00:37 ↗ love the idea of multiple plans speaking

2:00:39 ↗ to a goal but then saying, "Hey, this

2:00:41 ↗ goal is important for this reason,

2:00:43 ↗ right?

2:00:44 ↗ >> For this reason, for this, it's for

2:00:46 ↗ climate and for social. It's it's for

2:00:49 ↗ transportation because it right if we're

2:00:51 ↗ giving alternate ways for people to get

2:00:54 ↗ around town, but doing it in a way that

2:00:56 ↗ reduces burdens and and improves the

2:00:59 ↗ riperian area. So I I think we have we

2:01:04 ↗ haven't talked about it through a

2:01:05 ↗ climate lens, but we've certainly talked

2:01:06 ↗ about um the value of those corridors um

2:01:11 ↗ and their health, their environmental

2:01:13 ↗ health,

2:01:16 ↗ >> right? Um well, why I think we can

2:01:20 ↗ probably skip over redundancy. um heard

2:01:25 ↗ a lot from Jeff Hoger to see, but I

2:01:28 ↗ think that's consistent though um with

2:01:30 ↗ what we've been starting to hear in the

2:01:32 ↗ conversations we're having. Um well, the

2:01:35 ↗ issue we were dealing with is that there

2:01:38 ↗ is at least one action in the plan,

2:01:40 ↗ potentially more if we look at some of

2:01:42 ↗ the new actions that the language is

2:01:45 ↗ slightly different than what exists in

2:01:47 ↗ other plans. And so trying to figure

2:01:49 ↗ out, well, which action are you

2:01:51 ↗ reporting on? what if it changes

2:01:52 ↗ significantly in a plan, which plan kind

2:01:55 ↗ of has priority? Um, a lot of the

2:01:57 ↗ feedback that we've heard that I think

2:01:59 ↗ Jeff was emphasizing tonight is

2:02:02 ↗ redundancy is good. Um, we want to see

2:02:05 ↗ these actions in other plans, but

2:02:07 ↗ probably what we will how we'll approach

2:02:10 ↗ them in the IAP is making sure it is

2:02:12 ↗ that climate lens in the action. Um,

2:02:15 ↗ where right now it's just kind of

2:02:17 ↗ slightly different wording in the

2:02:19 ↗ language. Um, but if there is anything

2:02:22 ↗ that we're looking at removing or

2:02:24 ↗ changing significantly that overlaps

2:02:27 ↗ with um the work that park board does,

2:02:29 ↗ we'll make sure to inform you of that.

2:02:33 ↗ Um so in terms of next steps um what we

2:02:39 ↗ are doing is taking the input that we're

2:02:41 ↗ getting from you all and other boards

2:02:43 ↗ and commissions. We'll be um using that

2:02:47 ↗ to revise and propose revisions uh that

2:02:50 ↗ will be going through the environmental

2:02:52 ↗ board. And then um I think what I'll

2:02:55 ↗ probably do is work with Robin and Jeff

2:02:57 ↗ and Santi to come back in early 26 where

2:03:01 ↗ we can dive a little bit deeper into the

2:03:03 ↗ canopy target and discuss any proposed

2:03:06 ↗ revisions to that. And then if there are

2:03:08 ↗ any policy related actions that overlap

2:03:11 ↗ with your work, we'll really want to

2:03:13 ↗ make sure to get feedback on those

2:03:15 ↗ before we take anything through to

2:03:17 ↗ council so that they can weigh the input

2:03:20 ↗ from the different boards and

2:03:22 ↗ commissions.

2:03:23 ↗ >> That's a great idea. Coming back, Stacy,

2:03:25 ↗ if I can add, you know, I a conversation

2:03:29 ↗ like um it's an important one like

2:03:31 ↗ canopy cover could be a great candidate

2:03:34 ↗ for a joint meeting. Yes. Yes, park

2:03:36 ↗ board environmental board and again for

2:03:39 ↗ these really important perspectives of

2:03:41 ↗ residents to talk through all the all

2:03:44 ↗ these key variables to be thinking of

2:03:46 ↗ canopy cover could be really healthy

2:03:48 ↗ discussion.

2:03:52 ↗ Um

2:03:54 ↗ well that is it and I would say too if

2:03:57 ↗ you have any feedback on um the

2:04:00 ↗ attachment that was much deeper dive

2:04:03 ↗ into the committee recommendations some

2:04:05 ↗ staff reflection feel free to email me

2:04:08 ↗ send it to Robin she can forward it to

2:04:10 ↗ me. Um but yeah we're continuing to take

2:04:12 ↗ update as we move through this process.

2:04:15 ↗ um we'll be starting to go to council

2:04:18 ↗ probably late spring so we still have

2:04:20 ↗ quite

2:04:22 ↗ but thank you great feedback tonight

2:04:24 ↗ really appreciate all

2:04:26 ↗ >> thank you for sharing

2:04:31 ↗ >> um with that we'll go to the director's

2:04:33 ↗ report which been reported that there is

2:04:35 ↗ none

2:04:35 ↗ >> a lot a lot going on one report Hanti um

2:04:40 ↗ is coming back she'll be back on Monday

2:04:42 ↗ next Monday so look forward and I know

2:04:44 ↗ Looks forward to jumping back into park

2:04:46 ↗ board and seeing you all at the November

2:04:48 ↗ meeting.

2:04:50 ↗ >> Very cool. Uh chairperson report. I just

2:04:52 ↗ have a couple things. Uh just to get on

2:04:55 ↗ a a quick tangent is tomorrow's the last

2:04:57 ↗ day to sign up for your free tree. Uh

2:05:00 ↗ and then if you do get a free tree, Dan

2:05:03 ↗ will be teaching you how to plant it and

2:05:04 ↗ take care of it on Saturday the 1st at

2:05:07 ↗ Confluence Park. Then my high horse for

2:05:09 ↗ the day is get out and vote on Tuesday.

2:05:12 ↗ There is a lot of things going on in our

2:05:14 ↗ community. There are a lot of people uh

2:05:16 ↗ positions and bills and sponsored things

2:05:19 ↗ up for your vote. And no matter how you

2:05:22 ↗ vote, just please get out and vote.

2:05:24 ↗ >> And does anybody have anything else

2:05:27 ↗ they'd like to cover? Yes.

2:05:28 ↗ >> Have people been to the um intersection

2:05:32 ↗ of Gilman and Rainy Trail? Is all done?

2:05:35 ↗ >> Yes. Does anyone seeing the orange?

2:05:37 ↗ >> It looks great, right?

2:05:39 ↗ >> Yeah.

2:05:39 ↗ >> I just want to say that looks good. It

2:05:41 ↗ was fun to plan that. Fun to see it come

2:05:43 ↗ and get executed. It's a fun one because

2:05:44 ↗ it was fast.

2:05:47 ↗ >> Talked about [laughter] it and executed

2:05:49 ↗ like

2:05:49 ↗ >> it's there. And that's that's chapter

2:05:52 ↗ one. Chapter two is going to be we're

2:05:53 ↗ still working with public works and

2:05:55 ↗ timing the we're going to have colored.

2:05:56 ↗ We're gonna have striped crossings

2:05:59 ↗ >> as well. Yeah. For the hallway. Yeah.

2:06:03 ↗ >> Yeah. And just a little kudos, despite

2:06:06 ↗ all the rain we had this weekend, the

2:06:09 ↗ drainage system at Hillside Park worked

2:06:11 ↗ really well.

2:06:13 ↗ >> Good. Good to know.

2:06:14 ↗ >> That was a good test.

2:06:19 ↗ >> The test

2:06:22 ↗ good.

2:06:24 ↗ >> Um, excellent. I know we don't have

2:06:26 ↗ youth representative as well. Um, maybe

2:06:29 ↗ we'll look forward to that in the

2:06:31 ↗ future. And then um the next meeting as

2:06:34 ↗ you noted is November 24th and we will

2:06:37 ↗ not have a December meeting with you. So

2:06:40 ↗ unless anyone has anything further

2:06:43 ↗ online

2:06:45 ↗ the discussion on both topics tonight

2:06:48 ↗ is

2:06:55 ↗ >> a few teams that I didn't get called

2:06:57 ↗ away into the council meeting. So so far

2:07:00 ↗ so good.

2:07:09 ↗ This is the person.

2:07:13 ↗ >> Yeah.

2:07:18 ↗ Thanks,

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