Loading...
2021-02-03 Youth Commission MinutesPage 1.1.1 Youth Commission Meeting Minutes, 2/3/2021 Commission Members Present: Chair Owen Lee Treasurer Sydney Pearson Hunter DeLeon Secretary Brook Roberts Grace Kamila Co -Chair Jacob Sawyer Finn Paynich Brooke Rinehimer Audrey Lim Aaron Nateephaisan Commission Members Absent: Zane Marulitua Finn Paynich Staff Present: Casey Colley Shannon Burley Councilmembers Present: Laura Johnson CALL TO ORDER Chair Owen Lee called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm over Zoom. Hunter read the land acknowledgment statement. PROS PLAN UPDATE The PROS (Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces) plan is a 6-year guide and strategic plan for managing and enhancing parks, open space, trails, and recreation opportunities in Edmonds. It's a strategy guide built on a heavy public process, where the community is engaged throughout the entire process and that the public influences the priorities of this project. The majority of parks -related grants are dependent on this plan. Shannon is requesting that the Youth Commissioners think of things they want to see in Edmonds' parks, recreation, and cultural services in the future to help guide this plan. Firstly, it analyzes and measures progress and strategic focus based on the gap analysis. Outlines how we measure our goals and objectives, how we can get there, where we can receive the funding to reach our goals and implementation strategies. Questions relating to strengths, how the community can be served, and where efforts should be focused make up the primary focus. The development of the PROS plan begins by selecting a strategic partner (consultant) who guides staff throughout the process. The project kicks off, then an inventory is taken within the entire department relating to what we have, what we want, and how we get there. Community engagement is ramped up during this period of the update. Virtual events tend to get more engagement from citizens; there is optimism about the current state of affairs. Goals and strategies come out from the engagement, then the plan is drafted, from which it is adopted as a Page 1.1.2 final plan with certain changes. We are beginning it now due to the amount of time it takes to complete the plan, with the deadline being in 2022. It is done every six years. Done in 2008, 2014, updated in 2016, and it is time for the 2022 plan. Some cities integrate it in their comprehensive plans, but Edmonds does not. There are four sections of the plan, which are outlined below. 1. System Needs: looking at the existing system, habitats, and community needs. The habitat analysis looks at our environment and its concerns for residential species. Community needs focus on the accessibility of parks to residents to ensure equity among all residents. 2. System Concept, Goals, & Objectives: collaboration with community partners, seeing how we can utilize our existing spaces, recreation programs and activities, cultural services, maintenance, and habitat conservation. Ensuring safe access for people and creatures. a. Goal 1: Lead collaborative efforts to fulfill the community's needs for parks, recreation, and cultural services b. Goal 2: Provide an interconnected park system that offers a wide variety of year-round recreation opportunities and experiences in harmony with Edmonds' cultural identity and the natural environment. c. Goal 3: Preserve and expand opportunities for public access and enjoyment of the shoreline in Edmonds. d. Goal 4: Preserve and provide access to natural resource lands for habitat conservation, recreation, and environmental education. e. Goal 5: Provide recreation opportunities and experiences to promote a healthy, active, and engaged community year-round. f. Goal 6: Provide arts and cultural opportunities and experiences to promote an engaged and vibrant community. g. Goal 7: Provide high quality and efficient level of maintenance for all parks and related public assets in Edmonds. 3. Action Plan: recommended projects and initiatives, with prioritization of goals. 4. Funding Plan: capital projects, operational impacts, funding strategy, and sources, timeline. Focus areas include systems and facilities, recreation programs, parkland acquisition, maintenance, equity, and access. Special focus on equity/access. The PROS Plan Advisory group will need a representative from multiple commissions; the Youth Commission will need to select a representative to serve on the PROS Plan Advisory group. Then, feedback will be gathered to curate a final plan. Questions & Comments: Facilities at Yost Park have suffered from erosion and more run-down, causing closures. Page 1.1.3 ➢ There's not a lot of picnic seating in the Downtown area. The suggestion would be to create more seating areas for people from out of town to come and enjoy what Edmonds has to offer. City Resolution recognizes Indigenous People's Day, perhaps taking this to the next step by providing cultural events relating to it. More partnership with indigenous communities, we have to work beyond recognition Applies to other recognitions as well. Incorporating native plants that attract native insects and butterflies to create a sense of beauty. ➢ Are there any plans to develop in areas near and above City Park? o Currently, the city has no land acquisition strategy, but would like one. It determines priorities for acquiring land and encompasses questions relating to purpose and strategy. Currently being worked on and will be put forth soon. No plans to acquire any land other than the marsh. o Often approached for donations or putting the city as wills, another way to acquire land. Huge shortage of space within Civic Park. Any updates on plans being done? o Parking not included in the plan as it is to accommodate major events (recreation). Currently working with partners such as churches, old Woodway High School, and ECA to develop parking plans for such events. Does the city have an established program for helping trails (such as within Yost Park)? o City used to have one, pre-COVID, every other weekend with hundreds of people. Now able to get back people in groups of five. Massive usage of parks over the past year, and as we pull out of COVID, more volunteers will be needed to help maintain the parks and trails. Does the city have any land or resources along the Highway 99 corridor that are viable for Parks and Recreational use? If not, any ideas to increase access to residents of that corridor? o No, not right now. However, the plan is to make the next 6 year PROS plan focused on this. Have been going through county GIS to identify vacant lots to have conversations with owners about having a park in those lots. Recently was targeting a vacant lot behind Burlington Coat Factory, but is at the point where Parks & Rec is able to look for new land. City code allows for more open spaces (not large parks) with more housing complexes. Could include community centers. Lake Ballinger has always been a good opportunity to work with any open lots, considering the waterfront and lake that would be available for residents. Building off of the community center, there used to be community centers at the Old Woodway High School. Was this even a program and if so, does this no longer exist? o No fixed program that isn't school -district related, although the city can rent space to foster these centers. Many students on the corridor who are looking for a large open space tend to go to school -owned land which is closed during non -school hours. Essentially, only open space Page 1.1.4 access. Perhaps working with the school district to open these areas during non -school hours to increase access to open spaces? It's inconvenient to see fallen trees in the Yost Park trails for runners, so getting teams and volunteer teams to get the situation under control would be helpful. ➢ Appealing to senior citizens through partnerships with the Waterfront Center to make the Parks more accessible for that specific age group is crucial. ➢ Another piece of land to look into would be the empty lot next to Edmonds Lutheran Church on 236th Street SW. Please send an email to Shannon for any comments or feedback to turn over to Consultants over the next two weeks. Also email Shannon and Casey about being a representative for the PROS Plan Advisory group if you are interested. Many more open houses and discussion -type events to come about this plan! City especially values youth input. III. REVIEW DRAFT OF PRONOUNS PRESENTATION Reviewed the presentation about the pronouns request to Council. ➢ Short bullet points on the slide will be expanded upon by the presenter of that slide. Request for pronouns on biographies on the city website does not have a timeline as it is dependent on the completion of the updated city website. Will need to remove the requested completion date of January 1st, 2021. It's important to realize that the Mayor fully supports this, but he only has power over city staff and can tell them at any point to include their pronouns. On the other hand, Council has power over city boards and commissions, which is why we're presenting to them for them to request that commissioners and board members include pronouns. Focus presentation on what we want Council to do. We must also say "recommended", instead of "required". It has been determined that the Diversity Committee will present the slides to Council. Will need to have the final presentation done and sent to Casey by February 16th in order to add it to the agenda packet for one of Council's meetings. It's important for everyone to be at the meeting so Council can see the support we have from the other Youth Commissioners. IV. INSTAGRAM CODE OF CONDUCT To facilitate respectful discussions on our newly created Instagram account, a code of conduct was drafted by Owen and the Social Media Committee. There are protections in place on how we review and respond to DMs and comments; what accounts we can repost from without Commission approval; what/when to archive posts; who to follow; and our LinkTree website. Adding the WA State Legislature Youth Advisory Council's account (@washingtonlyac) to the list of pre -approved accounts that we can repost from as they post about many great events that would be beneficial for youth to attend. Notify Shannon and Casey if there is any hate speech or racial slurs posted on the Youth Commission account comments sections. Page 1.1.5 Parks & Rec Department and Public Information Officer could benefit from seeing this code of conduct, please send Shannon to forward to them. V. COMMITTEE UPDATES No restrictions on committee meetings or making records on the meetings because the committees have less than a quorum of the Commission needed to make decisions. ➢ Youth & Government Committee (Audrey): discussed future projects, but focused on finalizing a draft email to Council about RCV and introducing it with hopes to pass a resolution in support of it to further efforts at the State Legislature and pass the Local Options Bill which would allow jurisdictions to adopt it. Diversity & Equity Committee (Grace): received a DM from someone on Instagram wanting to come to a meeting to talk about supporting individuals with disabilities, giving shoutouts to black -owned businesses each week on Instagram, focusing on LGBTQ groups and ensuring support and protections for them. Also thought of reaching out to BSUs, Rainbow Warriors, at EWHS for input and feedback. Environmental Protection Committee (Brooke): started brainstorming things that the committee can focus on, possibility of running a recycling drive for objects that people don't know could be recycled, but for now, running an informational campaign on social media (Instagram). Mental Health Committee (Grace): focusing on POC and LGBTQ groups who struggle with mental health, collaboration with Mindy and Human Services Program, working with a Councilmember to draft a proclamation recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month in May, promoting existing resources for free and confidential support, running events where people can learn first aid suicide prevention, and putting the wecare.edmondswa.gov into the LinkTree on the Instagram account. VI. FINAL COMMENTS Casey: Contacted by Puget Sound Regional Council to present at a Youth Commission meeting. Casey will email them for more information. Additionally, Mindy Woods sent info about events on setting boundaries in relationships, perhaps something that would be useful for the Mental Health Committee to take a look at. ➢ Shannon: The Youth Commission is doing a great job. She's so proud and is eager for more people to learn about our work. She thanked us for our input on the PROS plan. Laura: She appreciates the opportunity to work with the Youth Commission. She looks forward to the presentation that will be presented to Council. VII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Owen Lee adjourned the meeting at 7:30 pm.