All right at 630 PM, I'm going to call this meeting to order a Seattle parks and rec, technologists, and affirms the indigenous coast village as the original caretakers of our waters and landscape nurturing sheet today's parkland, we audited our legacy, gratitude and appreciation and we'll say,
part of their knowledge and stewardship as enduring treasures to promote me welfare. welfare
Cultivate inclusive expressions in nature and recreation and commit to Atlanta acknowledgement for each ensuing generation.
Uh, without acknowledgement I'd like to kick off some introduction. So I'll go in and start over here with Michelle. Uh.
Secrets kind of spent a while since we did this.
It's just this Stanford Mays commissioner district 7.
Justin, we got coach or district 1, Marlin Herrera Co chair.
And get engaged commissioner, Amy broadcast districts.
Uh, we can go to the staff next. Oh, see on the practice recreation.
Parks and recreation and AP.
A superintendent great for the rest of the staff will go to introducing their own agenda items.
1st thing up is we need to approve the meeting minutes. Maybe 27th May 11th as well as the agenda for today. June the 8 is there a motion on the floor motion to approve.
So, all in favor, aye, any opposed.
The motion passes, uh, Paula, I'd like to give it to you a public comment.
Great.
Making sure everybody has chairs. You've got a great path today. Um.
1st step we have Peter. I do not see him.
Online yet, um.
Oh, this.
Okay, go ahead. Okay.
You're going to have 2 minutes, but a timer on. As soon as you start.
Can you hear me here?
I take it you can hear me. Okay good.
Well, my name is Peter bicycle, and I'm a homeowner Seattle, and I'm making public comments regarding the 13 find it fix it problems. We reported back in October of 2022.
You heard me before, including my concerns, the was not covered in a 6 year plan for capital improvements.
And I was told the time my concerns required by the maintenance budget.
Since the time Sandy Albertson and Sean herbie's have done it for you as reported problems.
I finally talked to Sandy on Monday, June 7th to get an update because neither Sean, or I were getting any information from her.
Sandy did not want to share the news at the current estimate to make the necessary repairs is 1Million dollars.
And she only has 300 K or budget for work this year.
And dissatisfied with the length of time is taken to get even the funder project started considering we were review was done back in March.
Sean, and I reviewed these back in February and Sandy included a survey in March is now 8 months since this whole thing was started. And when 1 repairs are completed.
There is no sense of urgency. I'm also to satisfy the lack of coordinate response from top to bottom and Seattle parks and recreation these issues, and currently legal liability for the city of Seattle.
For being the best funded parks department in the country, it seems that more money could and should be allocated to making these repairs before. Someone gets seriously hurt.
Due to surface quality issues. In my opinion, the part board commissioner needs to direct the Seattle parks and recreation to organize a coordinated meeting. It crosses the layers of management and the matrix organization to come up with a comprehensive plan for these problems.
We reported back in October 2022. thousand and twenty two
I need the full text to Paul. It put in a minute so he.
Don't have to write these by hand, thank you.
All right Thank you.
Uh, next step, I have, you.
Oh, but you don't see.
Okay.
In a quote, if you are calling in, would you please hit star 9 to raise your hand?
Okay, I do not believe that the demos in the room.
Okay, great. Uh, that's all we have for public on it. Thank you.
Thank you all with that. I'd like to hand it over to AP with the report.
Thank you so much commissioners. Good evening. I don't know is Mr. still on the phone.
He is in the lobby or in the attendees room yes.
Okay, uh, I see you, sir. I just want to acknowledge your, um.
Talking points that you shared with us, and I believe.
Um, you have sent in some emails as well, so.
What I'd like to do is have our newly appointed deputy superintendent.
Of capital and planning Mike review that information and then reach out to, you.
No, later than Tuesday of next week. So thank you so much for sharing that information with me.
And our department, and we will definitely follow up with you.
Moving into our superintendents report.
Say, if we have that coming up on screen.
Excellent. So just want to kick off, uh.
Wishing everyone's sort of a happy summer here, Pre summer as we.
Look ahead to this exciting time of year. Um, as we know this is the 1 time.
Of year that Seattle waits for the entire year, and it's coming now the glorious summer and it's when we really shine and when our public uses our parks more than ever so, summer is definitely.
Uh, beckoning, and it's just around the corner, but many programs and events have already started, including the opening of 2 beaches at Madrona and West, green lake, 11 spray parks,
the fire pits at and golden gardens.
And later this month, 4 more beaches will open up as well as 2, outdoor pools and 20 waiting pools will open.
Just want to comment quickly if, uh, you may have all seen an article and I'm not sure if we discussed this at our last meeting. But some members of the public rightfully.
Wrote in and asked the Seattle parks department.
You know, why didn't you open up the spray pole a spray parks earlier, or some of the water features earlier when you knew it was so warm and we explained that all of our pools, including our spray parks. Um.
Are unfortunately not able to be turned on, um, but the, uh, click of a switch.
That they go through an extensive time period of reopening and schedules and.
They have a lot of Pre maintenance and a lot of health standards that need to be brought up to code to ensure that they are properly opened. However, I just want to let the commissioners and any of the public listening know that we as a department.
And a city are actively monitoring what weather in Seattle may look like in the future and weather and.
And when everyone to know that we're already forming discussions, if we need to move up or adjust any of our traditional seasonal schedules and prep schedules.
We certainly will do that so that we can.
Provide the best service as possible, um, also really proud to announce and hopefully commissioners you've heard, or have read online that Seattle.
As ranked number, believe, it's number 9, but it says number 8 here, but I'll take them great. Maybe it is 8. and this, it is 8 because I say H is great.
This year's listing of, uh, national.
Index score of park systems throughout the nation and every year we wait for the trust for public land to complete its work and its evaluation and do its annual publication and indexing
of park systems, according to 5 categories access.
Investment amenities, acreage and equity and out of all of the parks throughout all 50 states, uh, Seattle move from number 9 to number 8.
so I just want to acknowledge that, um, give much thanks to our commissioners to our staff.
To our electeds, and most importantly to our public who invest in our parks time and time again, and we're really, really proud of this ranking and we know you are all proud of that as well. So park prod Seattle on that.
Um, I want to give a special congratulations to Mr Philippe name.
And the board of recreation and parks commissioners who just graduated from the University of Washington, he received his bachelor of arts degree in business administration with honors, which we all know. Surprise to us. Phil.
And he's also finishing his term as the get engaged member of the board as he introduced himself.
Which is a program designed to involve young people in the city words and commissions. But he's, he's recently agreed to serve as a permanent commissioner.
And this appointment is subject to the approval of the city council and which our department will be advocating for with full forever. But they'll we just wanted to.
Technology and thank you, and the time that I've known you, you and so gracious and welcoming as well as really engaged in your work here on the board of commissioners, and we appreciate your service,
and we're so delighted that you want to continue with us and so congratulations on your.
Well, deserved graduation with honor's distinction. Yeah.
And I always want to move to another topic, um, on a little bit more of a somber note, but of import to address here tonight. And I want to share with the commissioners.
Some information about some recent shootings that have occurred, um, near or app, or in very close proximity to our park sites. You may have seen these in the news likely have heard about them.
And this is a a huge spike happening. Very quickly.
Back to back in the past 16 weeks, or in, in recent weeks, there have been over 16 incidences just in the last 4 weeks.
And this is alarming and concerning on many levels. And it's concerning 1 from public safety.
Point it's also concerning to our staff who work in the field every day.
We are working very closely with our law enforcement partners and the police, these incidences of violence seem to be targeted at specific individuals. So.
Although tragic is not alarming in the sense that there is a just random sense of crime occurring. Um.
In public parks, nonetheless, as I mentioned, we take this.
Very seriously, we're working with our Department's safety office and emergency management unit.
As well, as specific individuals and agencies across the city.
To address and look at.
This recent outpouring of crime and doing a number of adjustments that are within our power. So, sometimes we may adjust park hours if necessary.
We might beef up security at certain locations where necessary, or reach out again, to our police department and other partners to assist us if they are seeing crime trends,
or have other information that is perhaps telling of crime that may occur. We expect this to be a very warm summer and we know.
People are out and about we want the public to feel safe. So we're convening a couple of of get togethers with our own staff to discuss this and we are looking at ways holistically to better improve.
Um, safety in the park as, you know, we are just on the verge of relaunching, our park ranger program, who will be deployed and focused on key areas in the downtown core.
They are not piece officers and want to make that very clear.
Um, however they will be trained and have the ability to look for crime to have direct communications with the police department with the fire department.
And also to be extra eyes in our parks to support our concierges, our ambassadors as well as our staff.
Um, to provide more of an activated presence with in downtown parks, and that's really important and 1 key and strategy.
To, um, trying to keep as safe as welcoming and safe as possible.
So I did want to acknowledge that because it is alarming and it's definitely something that is at the highest level of our priority as a department right now.
Next slide. Okay. Um, discussing, um, operations.
So 1 of our key branches here, uh, the 1, Seattle day of service was fantastic.
Occurred on Saturday may 20th, which is the annual call by the mayor's office for volunteers to come out and to roll up their sleeves in the city of Seattle and work alongside. alongside
All of us, and here you can see a great group of volunteers at our Walter, only playfield in West Seattle and many of the service sites we're at.
Seattle parks were volunteers literally across the street epic, picked up a litter removed weeds. They spread March.
Um, and just a few stats to share with you all, um, during this, when Seattle day of service, our crews supported more than 800 volunteers at dozens of sites.
There were, in fact, so many volunteers over at the arboretum that, um, they reached capacity and had too many volunteers. volunteers
More than 75 staff members were involved, volunteer spread more than 250 yards of March.
Which is a lot of March and district staff collected bags of litter at more than 125 locations and you can see on this slide. Some examples of the work that our crews did. Um, and that they do throughout the city every day.
So, we're just also highlighting for you, some positive news and. some positive news and
Paddle stadium, Bleacher repair. These are some before and after shots of bleachers repair that occurred at the West Seattle stadium, and just want to give kudos to our maintenance.
Uh, labor, Rudy Carrasco for this work, um, putting his pride and sweat and work into making this better for people who are observing. Um.
Sporting activities, and then we also this beautiful planting at volunteer park 1 of our.
Uh, most charest city parks, uh, our landscape crew recently planted a beautiful array of annuals in the flower beds at volunteer park, and it's really shining and looking. Lovely. So, just wanted to.
Acknowledge some of the good work going on in our operations division.
Planning capital development the Kubota gardens new restroom building is open. Da.
Uh, this comfort station, which you can see here in this picture, came out quite nice. Um, aesthetically pleasing matches the serenity of the garden in a nice way in a complementary way.
And, uh, they are now fully opened I want to give.
A shout out to our project manager or test out there and optimist construction.
Uh, community partners from the community computer.
Cambodia, excuse me, got that wrong again Kubota garden foundation, which applied for the grant funding and our Southeast grounds maintenance crew.
For developing a plan to secure the restrooms and clean them twice daily. The Seattle Times had high praise for competitive gardens in a recent editorial. And I encourage you all.
To go out and visit this lovely, um, Jen of a garden in the southern part of our city.
Next the 2024 parks and open space plan, you might have remember at our last meeting all of our from our, uh,
planning capital and development team was talking to you about that emerging plan and the last of 3 community input meetings were held last night June 7th to help us develop the 2000. us develop the two thousand and
24 parks and open space plan, but we are still seeking community engagement and comment through our online engagement hub.
Which for anyone listening is engage dot Seattle parks and rec.
Dot com, every 6 years, Seattle parks and recreation updates the park and open space plan to align acquisition and capital development programs to meet the agenda and needs of our growing and dynamic city.
And we look forward to bringing you more information about this in the fall commissioner.
For your input and review, so some good work going on there with the community.
And now I get to brag on some of the upcoming events that are going on again, as I mentioned this summer, this is very exciting, a time to get out and to celebrate and, um, to enjoy this amazing city that we get to call home.
Uh, 1st, I want to acknowledge it's June so happy pride. It's pride month.
As most of, you know, June is prime month across the nation and in Seattle, and it's a time to celebrate our community this month culminates in the pride parade, which will occur on Sunday, June, 25th,
beginning at 11 0, a m in Westlake park and Seattle parks. And recreation. and recreation
Is once again proud to March and host afloat in the parade um, which are recreation division looks forward to every year and does a lot of hard work getting ready for that.
So we hope you can come out and March support wave and joy.
And just be an excellent ambassador of this amazing time in our city. Bicycle weekends are back on the designate weekends along, like, Washington Boulevard. Uh, we talked about that earlier in the year and.
They're finally happening now, 10. 0 am Saturdays to 60 P. M. Sunday. Um.
Starting June, 17th, 18th, and June 24th, 25th for this month. And then we'll continue throughout the summer and that's just an amazing and beloved time. And people get to actually just.
Participate in recreation on the street near, like, Washington and have more room to spread out and to enjoy that beautiful part of our city.
I'm excited for June 13th, which is the much anticipated and long waited city hall park, Grand reopening celebration.
All of you are invited to join us if you can make it, it will commence at 10 0. A. M. There'll be some community celebrations and a press conference going on. And, uh, the park looks amazing.
If you haven't seen it recently, the lawn, the trees, the new benches really want to give.
A lot of thanks and praise to our parks maintenance and environment teams are downtown activation.
And park ranger staff are pulling together with our city and county partners to make this program.
Really thrive Monica Hagen and our division has been working tremendously hard on the reopening plans.
Deputy superintendents, Andy Shafer and Mike and our entire team have been laser focused to deliver this much.
Opening to the community and to the city and of course, this is not just a 1 day event. It's a plan and a strategy.
Um, to activate a downtown park much like we did.
I Cal Anderson and other strategies and so.
It's an integral part of the mayor's vision for reactivating downtown Seattle as a whole, and we will have planned activities and support, uh, food and concessions and other.
Um, ambassador programs throughout the year, and we're very excited about that. Um, on June 19th is the cities holiday juneteenth, um, which, uh, celebrates the, uh, end of slavery.
And I wanted to mention that many Seattle parks and recreation facilities will be closed as this is an official holiday.
In observance of juneteenth, including community centers, and indoor swimming pools, and you can check out our website for a list of the affected sites. Some sites will still be open.
And it's an important day as I mentioned, it's was officially launched in 2022 and we're celebrating. two and we're celebrating
The 2nd, annual juneteenth celebration in the city of Seattle, and we have an amazing event planned on June 19 from 11 0 to 6. 0. P. M.
Everybody in the community is welcome to come out to Seward park and this is a drop in event family oriented for city employees.
Uh, general public there will be music poetry games for kids, food, trucks, vendors, dance performances.
As well, as the amazing and beautiful steward park, so just wanted to acknowledge, um, some of these great things that are going on, um, this summer.
And with that, that completes the superintendent's report for June.
Thank you so much Thank you before we get the questions. Um, I'd like to ask commissioners through the hall to introduce yourself.
Thank you Marlin. I came in a bit late Andre historical hall. My pronounce she hers and I am a relatively recent commissioner joined in March in my day job.
I work as the chief of staff for our safety department at sound transit and otherwise I am quite given invested in the.
Uh, arts community, so thanks very much. Thank you, Andrea. Uh, with the superintendent report, my colleagues have any questions or comments.
Uh, well, 1st, thank you, thank you for the shout out and.
I just what I say, I walked by city hall part, um, just over this weekend, the space looks fantastic. So kudos to everyone on the team for.
Anyone else have any comments questions about the superintendent important.
Now, we're going to move to the next. Oh, sorry. All right. Go ahead. Yeah, thanks. Um, I was also similarly, um, I.
Didn't realize that the city hall park was coming online so soon and I was curious of kind of who were this were their stakeholder activities in involved and, you know,
I just chatted a colleague who works with our security agents our contract security agents. I was like, do we know that this is opening? Like, are we ready.
Um, so, yeah, what what how do we involve businesses and other stakeholders in the area in, in that opening.
Yeah, absolutely. Great question. We've, um.
There's a couple of different groups that have been working. 1st, there's a city wide, uh, what we call an so.
Many city departments work and come together around a specific issue. And so city hallmark has 1 that.
Uh, with our transportation and our security and our police and, um, downtown activation, and then.
Feeding into that is our community group, so we've been working.
Over a year with the pioneer square alliance.
Team our Seattle parks foundation, um, other local nearby residents and, and, um, community groups.
And there were some other areas that opened down near the revised and revitalized chief club.
And that core of of residents and businesses that will.
We also want to be involved in this park so we've been receiving input for them. So we're really excited about it. And, um, the fence is finally coming down and the park will be reopened. So very, very positive. Thank you.
Thanks.
Great question, Andrea Thank you. And thank you. And for everyone on the team, I mean, summer is a very exciting time and while we're busy playing you all are busy working hard and we really appreciate it.
Um, with that, and throw it back to AP for the little award presentation.
Oh, oh.
Amy, yeah, if you want to introduce next year. Oh, okay.
Oh, was I muted? I apologize. Yes, absolutely. At this point, I'm going to, um.
Uh, kick off our johnsy little award presentation and, um.
In the room should be Daisy um, our recreation director. Jessica, too. Are you there? Yeah, Daisy Daisy kind of a little bit more about this.
I'm going to hand over the presentation, but I'm going to introduce Daisy and some of our award recipients. So on behalf of the entire Seattle parks and recreation department, I'm thrilled to announce.
Together with Daisy and, uh, that recreation leader, buck Buchanan.
Is the 2000 is a recipient of the John little spirit award.
johnsy little senior just so everyone knows was a member of the board of park commissioners from 1990.
1997, and was well known for his support of an advocacy for, you.
His motto was in order to improve the life of all people, you must improve the life of young people.
The spirit award is given annually to a Seattle parks and recreation employee who exemplifies this commitment to helping youth.
Buck Buchanan certainly demonstrates this dedication every day, both in his role as a recreation leader, and in his personal life special thanks to the family of John C little senior who helped create the award in memory.
Of John, including the selection criteria of the award to reflect the contributions and character of Mr.
little this is the 20 of time this award has been given the names of the previous winners are listed on the plaque just outside the boardroom. So, you can take a look before you head home tonight and at this time.
Uh, my honor and pleasure to turn over the presentation to Daisy director of recreation.
Thank you AP and 1st of all. Let's.
Before I go into my spiel a round of applause, but.
I get the pleasure to present you the actual award, and I do want to share a few comments before I head over and give it to you. Um, but I do want to leave with everyone in this room. Just understanding just how.
Proceed this award is just in general for the rec division. It encompasses.
The essential work we do, and for anyone to be a recipient of this award is just a very humbling moment. And but I don't know anyone else at this moment. Who's well deserved of it.
Everyone knows anyone who's in youth and team development work. This is a 24 7 job.
This isn't just a recreational position job that you hold it high point or any of our community centers.
This is what you do, this is why you are here.
And and your nomination, it explains how you've been doing this work for over 20 years.
Through parcel recreation as a foster parent as an basketball coach for boys and girls.
And using that platform to really amplify the greatness.
And I just want people in this room to understand.
The beautiful essence of this person and so I want to just take this time to walk over.
Give you the award and again, if everyone in this room is, you can tell family and friends here.
To just display this incredible moment and I'm.
This is how grateful I am for you to be here. If you're part of the rec division and all that all the work that you do, just for the teams and using the community.
So that would be.
Yeah, it didn't.
Do you, uh.
So say something or something.
Good evening every month 1st I'd like to say, thank you to.
Uh, Mr DS and everyone that's involved and we been selected.
Save this for, like, 2 days.
With the honor and pleasure to be this yet recipient of the.
Seeing this spirit of war, after all the formula on the war lifted the list of the previous winners that felt extremely proud to be.
Part of such a special group, uh.
A little about myself, I'm working at the city of Seattle and the, and the girls club.
I saw so many children from low income family. They had dreams going to call it.
No, me to change that 3. a lot of them are, but somehow not a lot with me today.
So, I started travel back what program for young ladies, which is so perfect, helping them get exposure, feedback, college coaches around the country.
In order to achieve the dream, but.
But, uh, coaching, I also became a foster parent to some of the young people that did not have the support.
The stability in of the team that to achieve their dreams.
I'm going to call it just being successful in life without doing anything illegal.
You want it to right away so I understand some of the obstacles that missed a little and everyone else had a.
Go through would help me, but my Co founder collateral. See it a lot.
Uh, I was raised up my parents.
So, we go down with people. Yeah. Giving them a hand to get up.
That's why I try to do with each and every 1 of these young ladies and gentlemen that I do.
With today that's again, I'd like to say, thank you to everyone to see of the day.
Thank you all for this opt in or.
I cannot be proud to be recipient of 2023 sphere. Okay.
We are going to like, we always do for the story we're going to.
Round 2 pictures are funny, and then we have some little snacks out there, and we can have a little bit of social time and then we'll come back and regroup and about.
10 minutes or so for the rest of our meeting. That's okay. That's good.
I need to get it all.
Welcome back from recess. It's an excellent television show. Um, the next step on the agenda is for all product development. Fun. I'll turn it over to you. Ap, to introduce the next topic.
Excellent Thank you so much commissioners and again congratulations to buck.
And his family for that prestigious award next up is the equitable park development fund presentation and excited to be joined by my colleagues. Kim Baldwin, who is the.
Planning and capital development for our parks department as well as our subject matter experts Smith and Rachel banner who are strategic advisors.
So the Seattle parks and recreation department created the equitable park development fund to provide match funding.
For large scale community proposals, the fund is supported in part by the Seattle park district, and in the 1st, 6 year cycle of the park district, it was called the major projects challenge fund.
Although the original version of the fund was successful in supporting community projects. There were significant gaps and engaging and advancing projects in underserved communities.
S PR convened a task force to study some of the structural challenges and barriers to equitable access.
And recommended reforms to distribute the funds more equitably through a new program funded in cycle. 2 of the park district.
Which is also a great point about.
The park district cycles, they're an opportunity for us as a department and a city to learn.
What is working where we can improve and continuously be evolving towards success?
So s, s, PR staff will be here tonight to present the plan proposal to, you.
And the potential next steps, now, I understand that you received the staff briefing paper on this topic earlier this week.
And so tonight we're asking board members if you're comfortable doing so.
To review comment and potentially endorse the staff recommendations on the proposed new name for the program, the establishment of a board sub committee, and the award cycle framework.
But again to talk more about that and the options, and in more detail.
Is my pleasure to introduce Kim Baldwin and our staff from PCD Thank you Kim.
Did you great to be here tonight Thank you. Everyone.
All powerful.
I don't did I get the PowerPoint from sent to me.
Well, we do have a PowerPoint, so maybe we can find that, but in the interim, let's go ahead and start sharing.
So we are really excited to be here and I'm going to have you had the privilege to share this information with you tonight. I know that you've had the briefing paper to provide.
Background um, hmm.
Rachel, and Juan are really our leads for this program and I know that I talked with them earlier they're really excited to meet everyone tonight. I really get an understanding of who folks are on the board and to start building.
Some of those relationships that are content experts, and they will be able to answer a lot of the questions.
So that you may have provided more information.
So, moving forward with all the PowerPoint, I will just go ahead and share some information with you.
So, we have, um.
We have goals and affirmations that go along with the work that we are doing and we'd like to break ground ourselves in those tools. And although we know that in the work that we do be.
And that equity on a regular basis, but with the secondary marketing budget really gives us the opportunity to go right to the communication necessarily. So so beautiful about it. And she really serve community and work with them.
So, the presentation talks about limits high level framework, we probably want to talk kind of high level tonight and we will come back to you at a later date and share a lot of the details of the detailed in the process that we go through.
How we will solicit information and ideas from the community on the different criteria that will be set up and we will bring that detail to add a feature time.
We want to share that. We have some definitions for the work within some of the.
The work that we're doing, um, we'd like to say that we're working back on my community based on, because for my community, but really the people that are going to help us to lead this process, it's a positive way to repair to all of the communities. Okay.
So, you're bringing it up there.
Might take a 2nd, so I'll get there. Okay.
But we have our problem like communities and that's a term that you will be hearing throughout the next 6 years.
Um, so maybe I'll just give us a moment of people don't mind to come up.
She made the presentation a little bit more meaningful.
Starting at the back.
That was quick.
Is your 1st.
All right, great. Thank you.
So this is our definition and goal, and there won't be this out to you, but if you, um, take a moment while I'm speaking to go through it, that would be fabulous because it helps to run with the work and to explain why we're here tonight.
Maybe picking the ones for the next slide.
So we'll be talking about a little bit of background, and I know that a lot of people here do have clear understanding. But would you like to kind of reiterate how we came to this point with this new party, though?
We had 3 recommendations, which may be referenced.
The 1st 1 is to provide the, uh, we're recommending the renaming the program to the, our community fund and you'll, you'll hear us say that tonight. So that you can hear and maybe see how it feels.
And we hope that that was a term and the new name.
Recommendation number 2 is the establishment of a subcommittee within the larger board and recommendation 3 is creating 2 different tiers for the awards.
Next workspace. Okay. All right. So I talked a little bit about online communities already, but this slide shows the different.
The different groups that would be the spotlight database.
It also talks about priority areas and the geographic, um, geographic areas, broadly zip code or a neighborhood where the communities within which he's frontline communities are.
That's slide. Please. Okay, so we have some foundational statements. Um.
So the park park community, potentially partners with frontline convenience to enhance access and to improve all parts and facilities in neighborhoods where there's a history of racial disparities.
And the lack of access to all the degrees spaces, there's also.
Um, our environmental heart, and we proposed doing this.
Work through these 3 tenants of, you know.
Including expanding inclusive access to our parts to foster the health and wellness and healthy environments, closing gaps to access within our,
within our parks and our facilities and to center efforts and partnership and transparency is really important.
To build trust is really important to.
Build ongoing longterm relationships and that is part of what we're going to do with this program.
Hey.
So, next we'll share a little bit of the background.
So, as you can see, you've probably seen the map on the left, the member companies, which shows red lining within city of Seattle, back in the 930 s.
And then on the right hand side, there's the more recent map that shows the potential for displacement but the city.
There's a direct correlation between 2 and the idea behind this slide is that there has been farm and there are many historical practices that have brought about that harm that negatively impact on the communities over the
years.
This is the fact that this program will help to, um, to better.
The 2019 report of mine, the state of park access, access and Seattle,
and a few of the highlights so that rather than a need for or if there's a need for increased physical access and safety to all of our parts. of our parts
Let's talk about our processes being complex and needing to be explained more and obligation expanded upon.
And just a simple desire for more environmental programs and save access degrees spaces.
That's the other place there were a number of conversations that she has already had with, um, with.
Internally with an, with other departments that are implementing similar programs, or.
Elements of similar aspects and some of the things that we heard about parts that are strengths positives is that parks and recreation, both many projects and equity priority areas. So that's something that we are doing.
We embed equity in our capital projects, which I think, um.
The court has seen as to come through in the process to get to where we are.
You consider the needs of engagement and maybe more funding and supportive staff. We have a lot of staff that are really take the work to heart. And I think that shows that people say that.
Next slide, there's but, you know what the positive aspects that are on those areas for improvement. So there are some areas that we do need improvement.
Spending that long, long range planning will really help us to be proactive and help us to be there. And have the capacity work on. Like you said, for all of the city.
When projects come to us, and we can be proactive instead of always instead of the reverse when that sometimes happens.
We need to increase our inclusiveness for our engagement and our outreach processes and.
Really start to communicate our processes better so people can become more engaged if they understand how the processes work and where they can plug into.
To that work, um, we need to build trust and emphasize resistance and then increase our capacity to expand these programs and, um, sitting in the room.
We have 2 new people who are either get to this program. So that is increasing our capacity to support the groups.
Which is really fabulous.
Next slide so this slide is, um, shares a little bit about kind of what AP was referring to with the, um, major projects challenged fund.
Feedback was received on a challenge part back in 2019, 2020.
And that feedback really led to this new developing the fund.
And it really told us that we need to focus on areas that have a history disparity as well as remaining up into all communities.
We need to remove that match requirement because that is just too much too high increase funding to do more.
For various size projects, and including, you know, more staff or more capacity. Once again.
All right next to the 3 recommendations.
So, the 1st recommendation is to rename to the current community. Unity capital was very intentional, right?
So the property government fund that's turning a low here and say, and it has a meeting for.
Internally, so we kind of use that term as community members. Long is a little complex. It's, it's just it requires an acronym and it's similar to another phone that's out there.
And we also wanted to be have a need. That is easy to translate understood when it was translated.
There are some ideas that were brought forward on community members.
There was a pillow and.
Verizon to the top that we really want you to to consider.
Next slide please. Okay.
So, recommendation number 2 is the establishment of all the sub committee, and we feel the.
There's a need for this,
and the need is just to build that kind of a have a smaller group to build a closer relationship with and to really be kind of liaison back and forth for more streamline communication feedback.
And so we want to hear your opinion on that here. What.
Your thoughts are, we put together an idea of what that might look like but this can change in conversation now for your time and kind of piloting it and trying it out.
So the thought right now is that the subcommittee commitment would be approximately 14 to 20 hours per cycles for 2 years cycle.
And could it be, you know, maybe 4 members, 2 and 3 could be 5.
Uh, for throw it up for the subcommittee would help us to.
To review proposals that come in, approve scoring and the application process and.
Participate in some of those virtual meetings to have some notes, here's some of those conversations and then to help help shortlist and really divide the list of.
Final projects that are moving forward.
And then the full board would have to move with just love. Of course.
And that commitment that would be making those final recommendations and then there's also opportunity um.
For them to kind of help understand, the process is going evaluate program. What are you seeing? That could be better? What are some of the ideas that you want to provide?
So food for thought.
I'm moving on.
And, of course, our communities have a large part in this.
Nothing really serve as our leaders and our experts and our community liaisons and our community champions.
We're gonna hopefully they will encourage community members to, you know, go for this, you know, this is a funding that you can get. This is really great. Do it and really kind of be, you know.
Tell us out by making some of those connections with engagement as well.
Supporting projects and then also given us feedback comfortability. How's the program.
Okay, next slide recommendation number 3 is to provide 2 tiers or words.
So this shows tier 1 or tier 2 tier 1 is the best smaller tier that we learned the lesson Andre, and we need to provide an opportunity for for smaller projects to be supported and move forward.
Those projects would be approximately 150,000 or less.
They had approximately 20% of the funds would go to that.
And within a 2 year cycle, 2024 to 2025.
Cumulatively, they would add up to approximately a 1Million dollars.
Tier 2, which would be majority of the remainder of the ponds. So it'd be 150,000, which is still kind of in that smaller range 1 and a half 1Million. That would keep them typically to 4,000,000.
A portion of that funding would also be for capacity.
Awards to really help community with the work and and support them in ways that are part of the, the project.
Right. Next slide. Please this slide goes over our 6 year budget.
Which I won't spend a lot of time on the engineer, quite familiar with it, but the top park community funds, if any was chosen.
Those are the funding allocations over the 6 year cycle show an escalation for each year.
As we know support for 48Million, there are reserve concept were identified initially.
That will be going to new Garfield lot project as well as building play area Marcus in her park.
And then there's a community response for allocation, which will be.
Um, so that.
Provided at the discretion of the deputy superintendent, and that would be to really address in Virginia issues and to be able to be.
Next slide so if this was showing.
Kind of where we then where we are, and then our next steps planning and design.
It's complete the planning and ideation of the program.
We're completing the 2nd tier, which is the framework and right now we're presenting to the board and then throughout this summer.
Comparison where we want to establish that subcommittee so that's kind of our.
Big goals if that is an idea that is promoted.
Accept it, we want to really kind of keep on that right away and work with you to understand how that might happen, how we can support them.
And then you're looking at your criteria and development of the process, and representing all of that detailed information to our.
Now, moving to executive team approval city council presentation.
And then the most exciting part, the public investment, and sharing this with the community. Really? Launching of this program.
All right next slide please and here for us. Um, so now we are in that, um.
Questions thoughts, ideas and so.
For this person, so okay, awesome.
Great presentation. Thanks for being. So thorough and showing up today. 2 questions. I guess. I'll just start with the 1st 1 is tell me a little bit more about how you broke these down into project tiers 1 and 2, right?
I mean, they're very specific numbers. Like, what kind of data or examples brought you to that conclusion that.
Here's a good break point for these costs. Yeah. So all of the stuff sooner or later today. So, yeah, so, as I mentioned briefly, when we have a little break, uh, manage requested for his program, which was a partnership between.
Um, so that's part of the wire still doing small projects. That's specifically what the program there, but for okay. Yeah. Um, for projects.
So I'm doing that. I know that was a big person to do some of the similar practices for budgeting and what the good from your question choice. So that's where that number came from.
And then, Damian ratio plan out divided to kind of see, like, how many parts we can deep within cycle and things like that. I think also too. But the capital, the tier 2.
Some ways, um.
Cargo supervisor might as no, those are already capitalized by 5Million dollars for those types of projects. So we will, uh, we will like to support of that size. We don't we can't do super, you know, large projects, because we don't have, you know, a lot of money.
Every cycle, we at least do these, like, mid tier type of projects. Um. um
So, and she gave you a sense of, like, what 1.5 or 1Million is like that would give you maybe, uh.
Decent size play area, right on.
And then you're 150, it's like, say, furnishings are like a barbecue area something a little bit smaller.
Um, that might be easier to implement a lot more rapidly than something like that area.
Yeah, and that totally makes sense I'm just trying to get my mind around what is the 150 K look like out there? Right? Um, you know, when we talk about Garfield, Super block, I've been kind of following that for quite a while.
Then you think about well, 1.5Million to that project is kind of a smaller piece, because that's such a big project. So, you know, interested to see how that kind of pans. see how that kind of pans
There's no match requirement and I guess we'll figure this out what the rankings and the scoring and criteria and whatnot, but if someone can show up and say, hey, it's a big project but we're coming up with this amount of classes that then raise their score. Because the.
You know, they have more capacity, be able to select themselves. We just need that extra push to get them over that hump. So, um, I appreciate you feeling that question. Um.
The 2nd, 1 I had was kind of in regards to a.
Locations of these projects now. Um, maybe an educational moment for me, but we'll talk about I equity priority zones and indexes or whatnot. I think we have 4 different zones.
Are we kind of.
We, as an kind of following those particular zones as well and talk about arteries or do are we doing a whole different kind of categorization of prior years? Yeah, we'll definitely looking at the, um.
Equity songs that are bookmark to the city and utilizing that information to help guide with the criteria that.
Is develop to select projects we'll take note into consideration so.
I was just saying, like, the social media definitely have an opportunity to weigh in on what does that priority areas look like. So, if you're interested in that in diving into that question and providing feedback.
Be a good opportunity. So, um, and definitely have started pulling out what metrics.
Would look like, and I think the distinguished from a city metric parks.
Needs to incorporate what does open space look like in that equation. Some of those are the kinds of things that we make.
Sounds good. Cool. Thanks. And just, for a matter of record, I'm going to control the hand's going up and right now we're talking about the overall questions about the policy and then we get to individual motions if we get to that point.
And then, when do we make a motion, you know, there's going to be a motion on the floor a 2nd, it's also room for discussion before we vote. If you have any.
Specific questions about recommendations propose I suggest you hold them just order, but Andre had her hand off next and Josh had a question.
All right, thanks for the coaching and cut me off if it's not the appropriate time 1st of all very exciting. A little bit of feedback I really appreciate the use of the old red lining map to inform some of the decision making.
It's just really smart. It tells the story that's for sure. That impacts today.
Also appreciate the breaking out of the communities that specifically listing black people and indigenous communities. People get a bit too comfortable for me with bipap.
So, I really appreciate calling out the calling out a specific communities, and also transformation of the value that the name that you wanted to select, you wanted it to be easily translatable.
So easily relatable to kind of feedback pieces and then again, Marlin stop me if it's not the right time with goals around increasing engagement increasing includes inclusiveness building trust.
How do we know we're successful what are kind of, before and after metrics in the implementation of this program. So we can Pat ourselves on the back of the year and then a 2nd piece for consideration.
I love the establishment of the subcommittee and I'm 1 in there the way their tasks or their responsibilities.
They're outlined, I'm wondering if there's an opportunity to drill down to another level of a group that activates for a short period that is involved in the project selection process.
And the intentionality with that group is they be community members that are in.
Invested of course, in the success of the outcomes, so stakeholders and maybe there's an opportunity as well to compensate them in some very sideways way.
We find ways to compensate community members that contribute or provide feedback on our projects and sound transit. So, you know, in that similar kind of public organization, hard Brock and a hard place.
But is there an opportunity to create an additional tier that involves community members and compensates them in the process of providing feedback, or selecting these projects? So, thanks very much for the presentation and the opportunity to provide some feedback.
Thank you. Yeah. Do you have excellence? Thank you for that feedback. I appreciate that. And that's really kind of what we're looking for right now. That's really the stage that we are headed to.
The other that I put 1, but to help form.
The details process forward, you mentioned metrics and that's something that we're also looking at right now. How are we going to judge our our.
Progress our success 1 of the things that we can look at, who will help determine.
How well, we're doing, you know, we mentioned your team, we mentioned the community communities and then internally judging ourselves and making sure that we are living up to the promises that we're making the goals that we're setting.
So, we might not have specifics to share to answer tonight, but we think.
You for sharing that we're hearing it and we are looking towards defining them as well.
So thank you, thank you Josh.
Yeah, thank you again. This is really exciting. Sort of.
A big part of my day job too is, you know, considering all these and so 1 question and then a couple just.
Considerations what is a community, but.
Funding process, so typically, like, with a lot of like, grant program that they make that my experience with working with the city, it's very much.
There's so much power that's held within staffing that the community doesn't really have to say. So so it's like, okay, we get your input and then you're not going to be a part of this process later on and we can make the final decisions and we can tweak it to what we need to do.
And we don't have to communicate that we layer process. We really want to make it very intentional.
We incorporate community within every day. Is it possible through the process and I've got from my data collection and work with community. That suggests submit ideas from. Everybody. Say, like, handhold and recommendations interpretations, needed or anything like that.
I said, develop these into more full fledged proposals. And then work with them.
You haven't mentioned about having to have a committee that is made by community members. That's not where we would like, as well as to be able to have a say so community members have a say on what products is selected.
So, that's where we're talking about community letters really giving them power back to the community and not always having this top down approach.
Uh, no, I mean, that that played into sort of what I was gonna say is, like, really critical things that think about, which is.
You know, a lot of times there's a tendency to sort of just.
You know, tell people what they need instead of really listening to what the community.
Once like, you're getting a playground, it's like, well, what they really want is a new.
Small restaurant, whatever, um.
I think that the next sort of consideration.
It's like, you know, that's good to getting you to sort of like an intervention on day 1 but like, how, how do you then.
Foster stewardship, or like a sense of community ownership over these new.
Elements right. Is something really important and the last thing.
I think the community led funding process. I think funding is the word that threw me off.
I think there's a different word there that hits them exactly what you said because.
Finding what I said, like, he asked me for, like, 20 bucks here. I get it. You said exactly what I wanted to hear. So if if community, like, funding shows up and sort of.
Any sort of written documentation I personally would just sort of maybe reconsider it. Okay. Terminology choice. Thank you.
So, sorry, just a quick response to your comment. Um, and take 1, Rachel, looking to you as the Garfield Super blocked is that an example to me? And my project.
Well, they kind of started their own funding. They start collecting all this funding so they got the momentum rolling what they needed to take. All of them help us out here because this is your asset.
Plus we have a little bit of a shortcut and help us out here. So I think.
I mean, I miss characterizing that, um, so I think that that would be probably the.
A clinical example, like project, they got all these people involved, donating services and experiences in time they brought all this money to get all this money and now they just need us to play ball because not their asset, right?
Well, yes, yeah, and I would say that some of the project will be smaller. Like, a lot of companies don't have all those layers right? Right, right, right. Community the funding will help. So.
Bring out ideas that community has, it felt like they've even been able to share that. Right. Um, and we can help.
Uh, take that really initial idea and start.
And follow it down the line so that we can get community engaged and get places more activated and people more excited about participating and.
Because there are tons of groups that can be just as organized as that. And then it could be other smaller groups like advisory councils and recreation centers and say, hey, we really want this particular done. And that's where they kind of fall into the tiers.
And what level of support they need everything has to be right sized like Goldilocks. Right? I think that that's kind of what.
I'm assuming this is what we're trying to hit here is being technical with how to support neighborhoods, but also understanding people show up with different levels of.
Um, complexity, or maybe they're already Pre organized and they have all this funding behind them already and some folks are just saying, hey, our whole community was this, but we have nothing on a piece of paper.
So, depending on what the need is, we just looking at time, um, Amy, it's essentially an envelope and then I also want to get some comments and we are.
We're running a little bit. I usually do have to make solutions as well, but this is a big discussion. So this is an internal discussion that we should. This is amazing. It's great. I appreciate also the, um.
Comments about involving community members at a bigger level, and maybe future stores or enhancing the current stories ongoing stories. Not just our services. I think my question is what.
What is the main thing you might be working for from the subcommittee members here?
Presumably, not that neighborhood of expertise. So what is it that this small group should really.
That works very capable of so.
That's already do and here's this 1.
I think I think part of that is like, just like, alignment with, like, the bigger goals that you save this whole kind of process through and pass on the historic information. So, part of it is.
Is that how long we wanna? We wanna understand to.
What do you want how you want to be involved from what your priorities are?
As well and California, so, um.
To help or not.
It's kind of a given tick and maybe that's not a great answer right now, but it's, I think is kind of a place to start something that.
Yeah, and also, I mean, you know, like the board, they have to get the final recommendations to the students and it's lead by speaker 1 include you guys to all sit in that process and.
I mean, you already know it can be very difficult to present to the board, so it makes it easier for us to have a direct communication and do a relationship with you guys as well.
I think overall, it would be great to have a subcommittee or a board work with community members because we also looking at this program as a city engagement, specific engagement opportunity.
And these people that were recommended, maybe want to be a part of the 4th Sunday, and this could be that, you know, instantly to work with the government. So, I think having that type of role.
It's something that we want with you guys and so in a collaboration.
Well, fun staff. Well, thank you for your presentation and the very, very, very exciting.
Work here really similar question.
Except I'm curious to hear your thoughts on, like, what you're looking for out of the full board. I, I understand that.
Part of that is envision to be, you know, evaluation and a follow up is the idea for us to.
Facilitate community outreach or.
Curious what we can contribute as a board. Well, we, we would love any help. We will provide only now limited volunteers. And, um, so of course, um, we want to be realistic.
Um, but providing.
Staffing sounding board and feedback, and just kind of watching over and sharing that input I think is part of what the full board can provide as far as, like,
actually going out to community and others. 1 of the slides share. There's a kind of a mention of.
Potentially being part of her to engage with it, if that's something that you would launch or taken. That's great. Um.
But I don't think having those responsibilities.
Maybe realistic, right with all the work that you want to do, but on the shelf.
And this reference it, but just to remind you guys that.
The interval agreement between the city, and the Seattle part district sets out a few different roles for, you.
1 is to make recommendations on the funding packages, which you did last year, another 1 is to make recommendations to the superintendent of the community. So I think that's what they're trying to.
Help figure out how to have you involved if it's a subcommittee with additional community members, whatever that looks like they're open, I think, to how he wants to be involved with that. But there's a specific role of the.
Of the board to make that recommendation to the superintendent.
Thank you for yourself or.
Thank you again. That's a great clarifying questions. I have a quick question, the community response plan.
So, let's say you don't use in 2024 you don't use the 307.
Doesn't carry over to the next next year the following year and the 2nd question is.
What type of improvement would you anticipate.
Where it says a responsive community improvement.
So so, yes, pending carry over the 6 year cycle wise.
The commercial the 2nd question um, I mean, an example of the response, we're in a improvement.
You know, if we were, um.
To receive a call or a community for a potentially.
Having this great idea and, um, it's something that we can be responsive to on the short term is a big, long process and it would give us the ability to kind of addressing merchant needs.
Sometimes there are emergencies adjacent to existing projects. Yeah, because I've got a community involved and it might be something we're not going to cover. Um.
So, I think part of the also though there may be some feasibility work that funding could be used for kind of vet some of the ideas and the community can't necessarily get all those ideas is not their area of expertise.
So, can you just some fun to sit there and make sure.
Then an idea is going to work before it actually becomes a project. So it kind of has an openness to address those emerging issues. So, that makes sense. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
So, yeah, so my 1st of all, thank you. I think I'm the only 1 remaining.
Who did the major project challenge and, um, you know, it was well intentioned and we're learning we're getting that this is just so exciting to see it happen and I'm confident that we're going to make mistakes, but it's important to learn from them. Right?
But my question is, it seems a lot of the presentation of language is very far exclusive and arc centric. Um, is there opportunity for recreation?
Because in the past we funded and South Park community center, Amy, tennis center, countless equity focus recreation programs.
I know everyone at this table knows that there are disparities and community needs within the recreation side of things as well. So, that's my question. Is this parks only or is recreation? I don't think that programming.
No.
That's not, um, as a capital fund, but anything happening in the community center will.
Playground all of that could be. Yeah, so that's just my slight comment. And I might offer that and if we ever make when we make a motion about a name change is to perhaps who's the word part?
The sales force rep community email, we're going to do we always coordinate with preparation so we can understand what their programming needs are and for some 30 stores are in order to.
You know, build, um, facilities to support your program or whatever. So it said fine coordination collaboration. Sure. Just want to make sure that that doesn't get missed.
Um, and then with that, I do want to take a temperature check on the board.
Uh, can I get a thumbs up sideways or thumbs down if you're ready to close on these.
3 measures, so, uh, and again, how are you feeling right now? Would you be ready to vote on these 3 recommendations?
Maybe just move forward. Oh, moving forward or, um, I mean, an option is the table for the next meeting. We need more time to chew on it.
I see some thumbs up there.
All right, so then, let's go ahead. And can you just, we don't need to share it I see the PowerPoint in the 3 recommendations. I think they're a little different than what I have. I will, I will, I will. Oh, nevermind, Justin got it to me.
I'll pull them up. Okay, cool. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
So, the 1st, 1 is the recommendation for to rename the equitable park development fund to the park community fund.
Is there a motion for 4? Yeah.
Yeah, uh, there's a second third, um, is there any discussion.
Right. Got it.
All right um, and all in favor. All right. Okay.
And he post the motion passes.
The next recommendation is to establish a subcommittee of this board.
Is there a motion on the floor motion? 2nd.
Any discussion all in favor.
Hi, Eddie oppose the motion passes.
And the final recommendation is to establish the tiers for awards is their motion on the floor.
All in favor aye, any opposed.
And the, the motion passes.
Um, thank you so much for your time.
Anticipated Thank you very much. I appreciate the approval on all 3 of the recommendations. Yeah, for my colleagues here, I'd like to say that we do have a follow up meeting just a 9 staff.
Um, to determine the subcommittee structure, and I believe Michelle will be doing some outreach as well, but.
Well, probably afterwards, but yes. Okay. Cool. Sounds good.
We talked about it with the current district, um, performance there's a couple months ago. So.
The wants to be on what, pretty cool more to come by everyone on screen. All right.
Um, so this, we have an equally juicy topic coming up next, which is the off leash area study report.
8 P, would you like to introduce the next topic? Absolutely. And I want to I think they just left, but I wanted to just let you know, that. That's an amazing team right there.
Um, who presented the last report and they really believe in the cause and they're the right people to be.
Leading the community funds, so really proud of them and their hard work that they've done on that yes. Off leash steady area. So, uh, the topic that keeps on giving.
And tonight, we're going to be I'm going to be joined by my colleagues, Daniel lofty.
Uh, who is our community engagement advisor David, beta, our senior landscape architect and calling Campbell from our planning and development team specialists.
And the purpose of tonight's topic is to finally with excitement share with you our findings from the 2020. thousand and twenty
3 off this area,
what we call and the vernacular which assessed and studied more than 30 sites across Parker and recreation facilities to determine their suitability to become a potential off leash area,
uh, dog park in the future.
This is part of the park and recreations Department's coordinated effort to expand access to amenities where residents can safely exercise and socialize their dogs or some rumors that they're more dogs in
Seattle than children. I don't know if that's completely accurate but none.
Unless there are cherished for babies by many Seattle lights. So the current cycle of the Seattle parks district provides funding for the construction of 2 brand new and the design of a 3rd.
And for any additional offley sherry, as the department will need to request more funding in the future. But for now and we'll have a little bit more discussion about what goes into the.
We are laser focused on meeting the mandates of the next branch of cycle. 2 funding this presentation marks. The start of the departments, outreach and engagement on the study.
An online survey will be going live, starting tomorrow, June 9th for the community to jump in and weigh in to help capture. capture
The feedback and will remain open through the end of July there will also be in person engagement opportunities this summer. That will be announced soon.
And so this briefing is an opportunity for our staff to share with you the hard work that they've been doing.
Uh, to meet this important desire and mandate of our community and our funding and to get your thoughts and feedback on this important topic. So, at this time, it's my pleasure to hand over the presentation to Danielle.
David and Colin.
Thank you so much superintendent for that introduction. Hello commissioners. My name is done you on both fee. I'm a community engagement advisor. Um, as a superintendent mentioned.
I you give him his pronouns. I'm joined today by my colleagues calling Campbell.
And David, who you will hear more and a little more from, and a little bit Thank you for this opportunity to present on our office area. Expansion.
Steady before we begin, I wanted to check with the chair to see how much time we have for this presentation.
Uh, take all the time that was allotted to you I think we are. Yeah Yeah.
Yeah, uh, we have it cutting off at 810 we can do until 820 and we can make all new business shorter.
Okay, perfect Thank you so much for the flexibility. Um.
So, as some of you may know, Seattle has been a pioneer, um, among cities in the U. S and establishing a fish areas.
Um, and we'll go a little more into the history of that, but of course, as proud as we are about the system that we've developed so far.
Uh, we also recognize the increasing need for areas where folks can take their dogs to safely exercise and socialize them.
And, of course, this expansion study is an example of our strategic efforts in ex, in expanding the footprint of office areas, or dog parks.
You're welcome to use doc. 1st, you don't have to use the official off which areas from past.
Um, has been, uh, just, it's, that's where my brain goes. So, um, I'm very proud to be here with my colleagues to present, uh, to you on this. Um, and with that next slide, please.
So, just quickly the agenda of our presentation, I will begin with the history of the Seattle office area program, and we will cover.
Uh, the current status of the program, uh, we will, of course, the bulk of this presentation dedicated to an overview.
Of the office area, expansion study, and we will finish our presentation by talking a little bit about next steps and our plans for public.
Uh, engagement and outreach next slide.
So, our story begins in 997 when the Seattle city council created, the 1st, created our office area system for city council resolution, and provided guidance for the selection of sites for future fish area development.
future fish area development
Um, the next kind of major step, uh, in the process was the 2017 people, dogs and parks, strategic plan.
Uh, which was developed to primarily focus on the on maintenance needs and recommendations of our existing office area system.
But it also provided additional guidance for selecting sites for future office area development although we did not have specific sites that are recommended for, uh, for development.
And this plan was formally adopted by city council in 2017. thousand and seventeen
As was mentioned, and as I'm sure many of you have noticed over the past few years, we have seen an exponential growth in the number of Docs in Seattle, just like many other cities have and of course, anecdotally,
we hear that the pandemic was.
Kind of an accelerator and so it was mentioned to be a rumor earlier on, but according to census data, we can confirm that there are, in fact, as of 2021,
more dogs in the city than children and that just so we wanted to include that just. to include that just
To kind of show you, um, give you a sense of kind of the scale of of the work here. Um, and then the, and the growing need for off of these areas.
And as the superintendent mentioned, the current cycle of the Metropolitan park district provides funding for the construction of 2, new office areas as well as designing a 3rd.
And the purpose of this study was to determine suitable sites for new office areas where we can.
And use this investment, so next slide please.
This is that same history more or less just visualized as you can see uh, at the top we have the different steps over the past 2 and a half decades, starting with the pilot sites in 19 established in 1997. thousand nine hundred and ninety seven
Um, to today, in 2023, when we are sharing the findings of the office area, expansion study.
With you, um, and of course, after this step is when we will enter the public outreach, and after that planning design, and, uh, all the different steps that we normally go through for any park park development project.
Um, and at the bottom, you can see the names of the, uh.
In different office areas that we've been able to develop over the past 2 and a half decades and.
Uh, just the different channels that they were.
Develop, uh, next slide please.
And I believe this is when yes, so I'm going to ask my colleague Colin to take over from here. I'll mute myself.
Thanks so much everybody, my name is calling Campbell. I'm a planning and development specialist in the planning capital development vision of I've been working on this study.
I'm just going to walk you through a little bit of the official site selection criteria that we have in our policy right now, and that we're using.
For the, for the feasibility study of these sites that we looked at.
So the 1st, 4 of those are, I believe we're detailed in 2017 people, Docs and parks plan, and those are to not conflict with existing park uses in a way that creates safety issues. creates safety issues
For this, we're generally thinking of things like pea patches or picnic areas that could cause conflicts as well as, um.
Play areas and play fields where we may want to be sure that off these dogs aren't running around.
The next is not to be located in a park that is a designated Seattle landmark, or be listed on the state or federal register of Historic places. Um, so this is also just an attempt to preserve.
You know, some of our, our most special Central Park spaces that are within our within our city, the next is not to be located in a natural area or areas under active restoration, or an environmentally critical area.
Um, a lot of those, uh, are protective wildlife habits um.
Waterways steep slopes, um, that that may cause issues for for development. And then the last is have preliminary approval from the site owner. If it's not on parks land.
In this case, all sites that we have looked at, as a part of this study are on land. That's currently.
Owned and operated by Seattle parks and recreation. Some of the other items that also came up in site selection or geographic need. Um, we will look in a 2nd, what our current system looks like.
As well, as sites that are in development, and so we are really hoping to serve areas where we're seeing demand for this kind of infrastructure.
But also to make sure that we're serving areas that are not currently closely located, um, sites must be accessible or a plan must be created to make it accessible. So, those are.
Also considerations that we have looked into sites must not have significant vegetation in large trees.
We know that can cause damage and are not a conducive environment for, uh, for large vegetation. And so, in order to protect those assets, um, that is exciting. Criteria.
Proposed sites must be at least 50 feet away from other property lines. We don't want to potentially cloud or disruptive use to be next to residential areas or or neighbors flat sites.
Hills can be very difficult to build on and maintain. We have.
Some active projects that are dealing with erosion that's happening in some of our office areas. And then the last is consideration for access to parking or accessibility to public transportation. Um, this really depends on what the site looks like.
And what our office sherry is built to serve. Um, but if we're expecting folks.
Be coming from outside the neighborhood we want to make sure that the site's accessible and it's not going to cause disruptions, um, for the folks that live in that area.
Thank you next slide. Please. Um, so this is just a map that shows you a quick look at what our current office area system looks like.
Um, the green circles are a 1 mile.
Radius around the sites, um, we don't currently have a service area expected for those sites, but this is just to give you a rough idea of where.
They are near to this, of course, doesn't take into consideration.
Waterways or impassable hills or highways, and they kind of barrier that we might have throughout the city. Um, so we have those sites in green that are existing. And then there are also 3 sites.
That are currently in development, uh, various stages of design, and those are at Smith park.
Um, the South Park community center, and then also at the Georgetown.
Um, and then you can also see where we don't currently have off the shares available.
And the next slide please, um, and then this shows that same map overlaid with, uh, in red, the sites that were considered as a part of the study, um, those are 32 sites,
and every Council district around the city. Um, they came to us through community, or. or
Um, analysis, um, counsel member requests and, uh, our own analysis as well as some recommendations from our office sharing partners with cola and the Magnussen, awfully shared group.
So, um, we've kind of tried to look at. Where are we getting requests?
As well, as kind of trying to, uh.
Think about that geographic equity and then the last point that I will say, I think as Danielle, and may have said there is currently funding to fully design and construct 2 office areas in this current, uh,
park district budget.
Our budget directive to say that 1 of the sites will be in West Seattle and the other will be somewhere else in the city. So we are also considering.
Along those lines, um, and I think with that, we can go to the next level, and we'll hand it off to David.
Awesome. Thank you. Colin, thank you. Don y'all. My name is David. I'm a senior landscape architected parks, and I'm with the planning and capital development branch. I've been the design lead for the Seattle parks office area, maintenance program since.
2017, when I started at at parks, and I'm also the design lead for the Georgetown Flume awfully share your project, which is going to be the park systems, newest, standalone office area.
And that's scheduled to to go to construction later this year, and should open to the public next year. So. next year so
Our group thinks about dogs quite a bit, and I just wanted to reintroduce myself and, um, next slide please.
So this was a matrix that we created and.
The specific details are a little hard to tell, but I'll describe them to you. Um, so you don't have to squint too much, um, on the left hand side are those same criteria that Colin just described.
That were, uh, established by the city council in 1097 and along the top are all the various sites that we visited and, um, documented. So we wanted to try to make a.
A quick snapshot that showed the breadth of the analysis in 1 sort of graphic. Um, and you can just sort of at a glance. See, um.
You know, which, which we tried to give a score. So we went with sort of a green color, meaning, uh, this is this could work. Well, this could be feasible for an office area. A lighter green is, um, you know, some concerns a little bit.
A lighter pink color is.
We need to have some real conversations about this and then the kind of red is a, um.
A, a really hard challenge or a very expensive.
Fix, um, and so this was a way of us getting from the, the list of 32, and from a city wide.
View of this problem down to a list that was more manageable where we are now. So, uh, next slide please.
And, uh, that's just a description of sort of where we have been and where we are now, uh, next slide please.
So this is the, the same Matrix, except only with the sites that are, we're calling the preferred site. So.
In total there are 9 and, um.
There are, uh, sort of pros and cons with each of these sites and we're going to spend I'm going to spend a couple minutes going through these. Um, I know we're short on time, but I just wanted to brief the board on.
The methodology that we've used to, um, sort of create this to create these decisions and also just the high level pros and cons of what we've seen at each of these sites. What we think is exciting.
And then some challenges that we still think need to be solved but what we're saying at this point, is that these 9 sites.
We believe are feasible for the construction of a, of an office area. Um.
Next slide please, uh, this is a map showing those 9.
Locations, uh, as well as the kind of 3, um.
Awfully shares that are currently planned and so it gives you a kind of a sense of.
Where the existing gaps are, and where the, um, sites that we've looked at, that we think are are feasible, these preferred sites that we're calling them where they land, uh, geographically within the city, relative to the existing, awfully shared system.
Uh, next slide please and this is just a kind of a quick due diligence that we'll run through. There's.
A total of 9 sites, as I've mentioned, um, each of these 9 sites, we included 2 slides. 1 is a.
Kind of a plan view that shows the, uh, site adjacency.
So that the sites that we've looked at, and then what are, um, what are, uh, adjacent to those sites what, um, elements within the park are kind of next to these sites because that's a really important consideration, which Colin mentioned. We don't want to.
Create a situation where there's unneeded conflict between dogs and.
Um, children and your player is or, you know, PE, patches.
Things like that. Um, so we try to be really considerate of the existing use and which is part of what's been challenging about this process because.
Much of our park spaces is programmed and really loved and so.
Um, it's, it's going to take creativity to, um, to get this, you know, to, to get these implemented, but we feel really confident about where we're at. Um, next slide please.
So the 1st site is Lincoln Park, it's in West Seattle and there's a, this area came to us a suggestion from.
Uh, some members of the community, there's kind of a large lawn open space. That's, um.
Doesn't have any major trees, which, and it's flat, which is great. It's also kind of tucked into the park so we don't have concerns about noise, um, you know, bothering neighbors, anything like that.
Um, the big challenge to note here is that the nearest parking area is about 850 feet away. So, knowing that this is a destination part. a destination part
People come from all this city. We think that that's an asset to this as a potential office area.
But, um, parking is, you know, kind of far away, it would be an experience, you park and kind of walk through the trails to get to this site, which could be quite nice. But is also a bit of a challenge. Um, next slide will show the.
Next slide please and that just shows kind of a boots on the ground. And this is what it looks like currently when you're standing out there big open lawn.
Uh, the grass is pretty warm that's usually my sign of, um, this is being used as an office area already. Um, so that's not a uncommon thing to see nowadays. Um, next slide please.
This sight is the West Seattle stadium farther, North and West Seattle.
And there's this kind of interesting pocket of land that is a sort of like a flat plateau that is, um, just up the slope west of the kind of, uh, of the actual golf course, and just south of the stadium itself.
Um, this is a really interesting site, another 1 that came to us from, um, the members of the community.
Um, this is kind of another destination. However, the, the biggest challenge we see here is parking being really, really tough during events and traffic being tough during events. So.
The site seems really great. Uh, but, uh, the parking aspect is is a challenge so.
Uh, next slide, we'll show the boots on the ground of the West Seattle golf. Course.
And then I'll move through these quite quickly. So, next slide. Please. Uh, this is the East queen playground a very interesting site. It's kind of split and half with.
Uses there's a, a sort of upper Platz out to the West and a lower plateaus to the right.
Upper plateau has a lot of programs to use. It's got a couple of different players. It's got a comfort station, which is what we call our, our bathroom facilities. Um, and it's got a wading pool.
And what's interesting here is that there's a, a lower area that.
Isn't as a program, there's not as much stuff going on there. It's also already fenced. It's flat.
However, there could be concerns with so it's an interesting site. We think it has potential. There could be concerns with.
Neighborhood programming, if that's being used for, uh.
Um, practices by members of the community, we've heard that that that might be the case. So that is a.
Um, something that would need to be figured out uh, it's also another site where there's no parking. So, um.
This would mostly serve pedestrians of which there are quite a few in this area. So, uh, next slide we'll show you the kind of boots on the ground of what that looks like.
Sort of an empty field that is used for practices and then the, the plateau, the upper plateaus to the right off screen um, next slide.
Thanks so much so, this is the discovery part North parking lot.
I spent a lot of time here. Uh, I love hiking here.
And I've, uh, to those familiar with it, there's a kind of a, a big open launch space, just to the west of the North parking lot.
Um, it's this is.
Another flat site, um, another site that I, every time I visit, I see a lot of office dogs kind of using it already. Um.
But, it's, it's, uh, tucked into some really.
Interesting like environmentally critical areas. However, this isn't actually in an environmentally critical area, but there are a lot of sensitive. Um.
Ecosystems within discovery part. So, this would have to be really careful of how we were managing, um, run off and.
Uh, being really just sensitive to the land, um, next. Uh, yeah, so next slide please.
And this is just another view of what it looks like boots on the ground and then I'll keep going.
This is the Ravenna park, um, and revenge quite a huge park, but there's an area in the South eastern part of Havana. Um.
That's just north of the waiting pool area, and the play area to folks who are familiar with it. Um, another kind of mostly flat site. Not a ton of programmatic elements. Um.
Another challenge though, not not a ton of parking so, um.
Oh, well visited site a well of site. A lot of dogs here already. Um.
But again, a challenge with parking, so that's the, the con there next slide please.
Uh, and that's what it looks like and we'll keep going.
This is the view ridge playfield a huge site. Um.
That's got quite a few elements already. Uh, but there is some leftover space that isn't.
Currently, uh, it's just sort of open lawn. It's not being.
Used for like a sports activity there's no pavements.
And it's, it's quite a nice state. Um, this site is pretty close to the Magnus and awfully Sharia, which is a really visited site. Um.
I think it's W, we're about a mile and a half so they certainly would draw folks from this immediate neighborhood. But I think, um, people in this neighborhood are perhaps used to driving to Madison. So, the, the, perhaps the 1 downside to here is.
Um, would it get as much use? It's a really good site when it get as much used.
Given that it's so close to Madison, uh, next slide and That'll show what it looks like.
And then we'll keep going just for the interest of time.
This is Paul barnette. It's in the central district. It's a.
Another great park with a lot of stuff in it. Um, but it's got an an open lawn space to the North.
That's we believe could make a nice, awfully Sharia.
It is the challenge I think on this site would be that.
It's specifically designed with, um, it's a long is the arterial to the West and there are.
A few entrances you can, you can only enter the park at a couple different spots, because they're burns preventing you from entering. So.
Um, we have some thoughts about, you know, if people enter the park with their dogs, are there conflicts at those entrances something that would have to be mitigated, or figured out? Um.
And so that's the challenge there. Next slide. I'll show you what it looks like.
And that's what it looks like. And next slide please.
This is a fellow playground in South East Seattle. There's a kind of a PoC this is another 2 sort of 2 terrorist park to the West is an upper terraces to the right of the park is kind of a lower Tara.
So, this site is really nicely separated from all the other activities in the park.
Again, there's not a huge amount of programmatic activity that's happening in this particular quadrant.
Another 1, where it's really tough to get a parking spot. So that is the big challenge there. Um, but we think this is a really intriguing.
And we'll go to the next slide and it'll show you what it looks like. And that's the space that we're talking about. Uh, and then we will go to the next 1 and it should be the last site.
This is the right in play fields.
You're probably sensing a theme that a lot of these parks are pretty big and have a lot of stuff going on, but there are pockets that, um.
There isn't as much going on so this particular site there is actually an existing sand volleyball courts.
Um, and we think that it could be moved within the park, um, to free up space.
In this particular area, another really nice flat site, um, which we like, because, uh.
Awfully serious surfacing standard is gravel and gravel likes to run downhill during erosion. So we flat sites and other nice flat 1. um.
And, yeah, let's see, that's but another 1 where there's not like a huge amount of parking but and that's that's just kind of a common theme for many of our parts and the next slide should just be boots on the kind of what that looks like.
And that's the space and, um.
The next 1 is going to be a next step, and I'm going to kick it back to Danielle for this 1.
Thank you, David. Thank you. Call in. Yeah, just quickly. Next steps. So, as was mentioned earlier, there will be an online survey as well as a dedicated webpage for the office shared expansion study. That will go live.
So, please visit our website, follow us on social media to.
So that's, you know, when it's been posted, we are also planning in person, engagement opportunities for this summary to inform the community answer questions that will be and we'll be announcing the dates and locations for the soon.
And once we, once the survey has closed at the end of July, and we have collected and synthesize the public.
Input we will that input will help us determine which of these sites should be prioritized.
And after that, we will still have further engagement with nearby residents of the selected site. So that we can.
Have a more focused localized discussion with them.
And I believe that brings us to the end of our presentation. Thank you so much for the time. I know we're overtime. So I was thought there, um.
See, if you have any questions or comments.
Yeah, thank you so much for all your work.
Um, for hand it over to my commissioners, I just want to say I was here in 2017 during the planning process.
And hundreds of blogs packed rooms for the hallway so I want to warn you everything you say can will be used against you in the quarter. Okay. Well, aware. Yeah. Yeah.
With, uh, um, I'd like to open the floor for any questions or comments from my colleagues.
Yeah, it just thanks so much. This is really interesting and they seem like all really excellent and interesting sites, um, to what degree might you prioritize the perks that really need activation? Because they might be getting a use this not compatible.
And can those go to the top of the list here that are already built into your criteria?
That's a good question where we're definitely open to considering activation as a, as a.
As 1 of the factors in determining which sites should be prioritized 1 thing I will, I will mention and this is a point I often clarify for the community, which is that yes while office shares are considered a form of activation,
they, it, it has a little bit more lead time so, for the project for the.
To be designed, and for the community engagement process, and so because we have to build and structure our infrastructure, it takes a little bit longer. So it may not in some of these cases of these parks. It may not be the.
Immediate activation, um, that can support the part, but it could certainly be a factor thinking more long term.
Yeah, I would follow up quickly with, um, the, the.
Challenge, um, oftentimes is, is like, from an engineering perspective. Um, we've got to be really careful about where these are cited. Um.
Historically, and we've had a lot of lessons learned from our existing system.
Um, the, a lot of the existing office shares are less than ideal in terms of maintenance, in terms of, um.
The impact that they've had on the land that they occupy and so.
We are very, very focused on.
Um, respecting the land kind of 1st, and letting that be our charter and.
So, it's, uh, if opportunities come up to activate, you know, sites that are.
Needing activation. That's great but it's, it's, um.
I, I would say that that's not our primary focus.
Um, to answer the question.
Thank you, thank you and wonderful presentation.
I had a couple questions and great to hear that there's a community process at a certain point where community members will be able to weigh in, on, on those plans.
I was curious to see how or what the process was for accounting for, on certain sites. You noted that there were practices happening or the site with a tennis court.
What's the process for accounting for the displacement that might happen? And then.
The final question, kind of a silly 1 is there a process for doing a dry run with dogs to see if there's not some other element on the site that isn't conducive to dogs?
So, we make this huge investment and then a bunch of dogs come and none of them like to go there. Their owners don't take them there.
They're just not happy there for some reason.
Yeah, great questions. So, 1st, we have had, you know, since we announced the launch of this study.
About a month or so ago we've, we've had community members reach out to us. Some of them as specifically with sports leagues or programs that have.
Practices on those at those sites and we definitely want to hear from them.
And in the survey that we'll be releasing 1 of the specific questions, that will be that we're hoping the community will give us feedback on is how How's that site already being used that we may not be aware of there may be community uses.
Their passive or active, um, but that would be exactly the type of feedback we're hoping for. So that as we're considering which sites to prioritize, were they available funding? Um.
We want to make sure that we avoid any conflicts of use and if there are any existing complex that we have an opportunity to talk.
To the community about it um, so that.
Has been happening a little bit, and I anticipate more of that feedback, uh, coming to us, um, as the survey goes live and we do our in person engagements.
Um, and sorry, can you remind me of your 2nd question?
It was, like, dry running with dogs. I'm not a dog owner, but I could imagine that there could be natural elements or community elements noise a factory. I don't know what nearby that aside is just not conducive to dogs.
They're not happy there. And if we do all this investment open the park dogs come.
They stop coming because there's something on site that's just not conducive. Like, do we do we test the sites with dogs?
So that's a that's an excellent question. And there what your question reminds me of is reminds me of are all the lessons that we've learned over the years about kind of.
What sites are amenable to dog behavior? You know, whether that's the officer itself as well as whats surrounding it. So.
We are hoping that we can capture that and the feedback that we received through the survey as well, uh, in terms of testing the testing, the site, um.
It's, it may be a little challenging because what that reminds me of is of a pop up fish area, which.
Technically doable if you just put up some temporary fencing.
Um, but that's still won't be exactly what.
If there was an area there, it would not so the environment will look a little different. So kind of having that pop up, may not give us exactly the type of.
It's a lot of information we need.
We're hoping maybe, as, you know, now that the sites the recommended sites are published that maybe folks will take a moment to walk the site with their dog.
On each, of course, for now and let us know let us know what what that experience is like.
If I can just add 1 more thing to your 1st.
Question we've also been working with our.
Internal SDR, scheduling team to talk with them about how they are currently scheduling some of these sites and how we might be able to address that moving forward or find alternate arrangements. If that's possible.
Thank you I do have a 1 comment and 1 question the 1st, 1 is a note of gratitude. I really appreciate all the work. You do I know. This is a very hot topic in our city. Lots of politics was a technical questions, and just very limited funding and very high demand.
So that ties to my next question.
Especially thinking about, you know, the disparities and the equity angles, all this, um, have we tried looking at, uh, partnerships with other organizations, data, use other folks as land, or perhaps get 3rd party funding?
Has that been happening?
Um, yes, so just 1 point of clarification, which is that this office area, expansion study, specifically focused on existing parks and facilities.
And and the main reason for that is, you know, in a way, we see that as low hanging fruit. This is what is these are the properties that are available to us. And it would take the least amount of work comparatively to turn them into office areas. But, of course.
There are other channels through which these areas can be developed. Uh, I'll point to the Georgetown bloom, which is a partnership between 3 city agencies, parks and Seattle city light. Of course.
There's a little bit of a little bit more bureaucracy involved in getting that type of partnership off the ground. But, um, the Georgetown has been a great example.
For me to witness, and not just developing off these areas. But as example, as an example as thought right next to that site is also developing a portion of their trail that connects Georgetown to South Park. So, yes, we are.
Fully open to that you also mentioned private.
Uh, public partnerships, we also remain open to that and and we'll be pursuing those in the coming years.
Wonderful Thank you so much. Um, with that I want to, thank everyone is going to be eating with us the public and the staff with 12 hour days.
Is there anything else for the code of the order come from this board?
Hearing none meeting adjourned. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.