Licton Springs Community Council

LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Meeting Date/Time: March 16, 2022, 6:30 P.M.

These meeting minutes were approved at the April 2022 meeting.

Attendance Notes

• Directors Present: Melanie Davies, Bekah Gautrowski, Lindsey Webb, Liz Kearns, Mike Cuadra, Kathleen Braden
• General Members Present: Dianne Trani, Janice Holkup, Donna Wahbeh

Welcome & Introductions

• Melanie started the meeting and welcomed everyone at 6:33. Attendees introduced themselves.

Approval of Minutes & Treasurer’s Report

• There was a motion to approve the minutes from the February 16 meeting. The motion passed. There was a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report. The motion passed.

Community Council Board Nominations

• Melanie’s and Liz’s terms end next month. Mike moved to nominate them for another term. Bekah seconded the motion. The motion will be voted on at the April meeting.
• Bekah gave a summary of the by-laws related to board nominations and officer elections. Open positions can be filled any time.

Licton Springs Park Work Parties

• Liz talked about work parties in Licton Springs Park and shared a flyer. Work parties are the second Saturday of every month from 10am to 1pm, rain or shine. Neighbors can meet work party leaders at the comfort station at the park at 97th and Ashworth.
• Lindsey shared a few notes from Jenny Frankl with the City of Seattle’s Adopt-A-Street program. The city is planning on hosting a ‘One Seattle Day of Service’ on Sat, May 21. This will be a citywide call to action around beautification and cleanup. She suggested synergy with the work parties in the park, but the dates don’t coincide.
• Adopt-A-Street is hosting their annual spring clean, where they support volunteers in doing one-time cleanups. They will provide supplies related to trash cleanup. Matt Gautrowski is going to fill out the form to register for a Licton Springs cleanup event.

Music in the Park

• Lindsey reported that LSCC was not chosen for Arts in the Park funding from the City of Seattle. 68 projects applied and there was not enough funding to go around. LSCC is still interested in moving forward in hosting an event in August. Rob from Boundless Northwest is interested in collaborating. A couple of attendees suggested other funding sources, including donations from local businesses and contributions from neighbors.
• Janice Holkup asked about outreach to Clear Sky Native Youth Council for musical acts. Lindsey confirmed that including an indigenous musical act is a priority for the event.

Community Outreach for Neighborhood Events

• LSCC Contacts: Melanie created a spreadsheet with names and contact information for frequent contacts of LSCC. Bekah requested a column for notes so that we can keep track of who was contacted, when, and by whom.
• Board of Directors communication: Lindsey outlined a proposal for a process for communicating with and booking guest speakers for LSCC meetings. The primary contact for the potential guest speaker should do the initial outreach and copy Lindsey on the email. Once the guest speaker confirms, the primary contact will be responsible for sending them the Zoom information and agenda.
• Lindsey also requested that when directors communicate via email, to make sure that each general topic has its own email thread. This will keep email communication clearer and less intimidating to wade through.
• Upcoming guest speakers: At the time of the meeting, guest speakers for the next few meetings are as follows: April - Aurora Reimagined Coalition, May - [Potentially] someone from the North Precinct or SPD, June - City Attorney Ann Davison and Bellwether Housing.
• The group discussed moving Bellwether to July instead of having two major guest speakers in May. Lindsey will reach out to Bellwether.
• Mike is the primary contact for LSCC with Ann Davison’s office. He suggested asking the community what they would like to hear from her so we can get questions to her office in advance and keep things running smoothly at the event. Lindsey will do a Google form and share via email and social media as a way to collect questions. This will go out on May 4 with a May 25 deadline for submissions. Mike will send questions to Ann Davison’s office on June 1, two weeks before the meeting.
• There was a discussion about how to host the meeting so that it doesn’t become an open/rowdy discussion. Bekah suggested hosting it in a webinar format. She volunteered to moderate the discussion.

Adjournment

• Melanie adjourned the meeting at 7:30 pm.

Minutes by Lindsey Webb, Secretary

Next meeting: April 20

Licton Springs Community Council Monthly Treasurer Report

03/01/2022 through 03/31/2022

NOTES:

• Ending balance include $10.00 held in PayPal account
• We received an email from Fred Meyer on 4/28/2020 of a $0.44 donation, but this has not reached our Verity account and will not until it reaches $25.00

LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Meeting Date/Time: February 16, 2022, 6:30 P.M.

These meeting minutes were approved at the March 2022 meeting.

Attendance Notes

• Directors Present: Melanie Davies, Bekah Gautrowski, Bob Blade, Lindsey Webb, Liz Kearns, Mike Cuadra, Kathleen Braden
• General Members Present: Mary Katka, Ellen Beck, Kevin Sheets, Janice Holkup, Matt Gautreau, Johnna Reitz, Brooke Jolitz
• Other Visitors Present: Oliver Bazinet, Senior Planner, City of Seattle; Osbaldo Hernandez, Community Engagement Coordinator, City of Seattle

Welcome and Introductions

• Melanie started the meeting and welcomed everyone at 6:32. Attendees introduced themselves.

Hearing from Neighbors & Guests

• Oliver Bazinet gave an update on the City of Seattle’s plans to rebuild the comfort station at Licton Springs Park.
• A senior architect is working on a permit package for demolition, which should be submitted this week. There will be an appointment for permit intake within 8-12 weeks, maybe sooner.
• The city will partially demolish the restroom portion and leave the storage room in the back. The facility is in an environmentally critical area and if it’s fully demolished, the city may not be able to build it again where it is.
• Demo work will hopefully happen in May or June, potentially sooner.
• Parks & Rec has identified funding for planning and design of a replacement. Non-gender specific restrooms and specialized locking mechanisms will be part of the project. The full project will probably take a couple of years.
• Mike asked about a budget for art. Oliver said that 1% for art funding is usually for new projects but this project may have access to Parks & Rec funding for art. Community would hopefully be involved in selection.
• Meeting attendees shared thoughts on priorities for the project, including accessibility and safety (for children especially), acknowledgment of the significance of the site to Native American communities, storage of tools used by volunteers who help maintain the park, and durable trash cans.
• Anyone with questions/comment can direct them to Oliver at [email protected]
• Osbaldo Hernandez came to reconnect with the group and provide a couple of updates.
• Mayor Harrell is changing the way his administration does outreach and community engagement. Osbaldo will let us know when plans are final.
• There will be new programs with public safety in mind.
• Osbaldo has been working with the Aurora Reimagined Coalition, SDOT, and King County Metro on preparing for the study on north Aurora.
• Melanie was interested in how the new mayor will be reaching out to diverse communities and helping neighborhood associations do that as well. None of the previous planning has reached the community. Osbaldo will keep us updated.
• Lindsey encouraged everyone to complete the City of Seattle’s survey about recreation and community gathering space needs in the neighborhood. Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AuroraLictonSprings

Approval of Minutes & Treasurer's Report

• There was a motion to approve the minutes from the January 19 meeting. The motion passed.
• Lindsey noted incorrect dates on the Treasurer’s report. There was a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report with revisions. The motion passed.

By-Laws Committee

• Bekah gave an overview of the by-laws committee’s process in proposing revisions and explained the goals of today’s discussion and vote.
• Kathleen asked whether adoption would change the elections coming up this spring. Bekah said the revised by-laws won’t change that. There was a discussion about straightening out director terms.
• Melanie moved to approve the proposed by-laws. Bob seconded the motion. All board members voted for the motion as well as LSCC members Janice, Kevin, Brooke, and Mary. The motion passed.
• In response to a follow-up question from Mike, Bekah said that there is no legal requirement to have dues. Additionally, we are allowed to change our by-laws as we see fit and we do not need to file them with the state.

Other Issues

• After the last meeting, Kathleen drafted a letter reconnecting with Councilmember Debra Juarez following her election as President of the City Council but didn’t get approval. There was a discussion about the letter she drafted. She finalized it and emailed it to Councilmember Juarez’s office.
• Lindsey asked Mike if it’s possible to have a representative from the North Precinct at the May meeting. Mike will reach out to ask about availability.
• Bekah noted that the March meeting is the one where director nominations will happen, so everyone should bring a friend who’s interested in getting involved.
• There was a short discussion about the history of efforts to build a community center in Licton Springs. Melanie talked about ALUV’s work on this prior to the pandemic.

Adjournment

• Melanie adjourned the meeting at 7:34pm.

Minutes by Lindsey Webb, Secretary

Next meeting March 16

Licton Springs Community Council Monthly Treasurer Report

02/01/2022 through 02/28/2022

NOTES:

• Ending balance reflects $10.00 in PayPal account.
• We received an email from Fred Meyer on 4/28/2020 of a $0.44 donation, but this has not reached or Verity account and will not until it reaches $25.00

LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Meeting Date/Time: 01 19 2022, 6:30 P.M.

These meeting minutes were approved at the February 2022 meeting.

Attendance Notes

• Directors Present: Melanie Davies, Mike Cuadra, Bekah Gautrowski, Lindsey Webb, Kathleen Braden, Liz Kearns
• General Members Present: Janice Holkup, Lisa Hayward, Marci Scofield, Lynn Gabrieli, Carmen
• Other Visitors Present: Tracy Cramer, Litter Abatement & Illegal Dumping Enforcement Manager at City of Seattle; Melissa Taylor, 46th District Representative candidate; Jason Hennessy, Senior Associate at BERK Consulting, Inc.

Welcome, Introductions, and Hearing from Neighbors

• Melanie started the meeting and welcomed everyone at 6:35. Attendees introduced themselves.
• Tracy Cramer showed attendees the current litter route in Licton Springs and asked for suggestions on changes to the route, which several attendees provided.
  • Melanie asked for an update on the needle boxes and cleanup program. Traci said Michael Eckers is now heading up that program. The program still does needle trainings and gives out needle boxes. Traci noted that the Adopt-a-Street program also distributes needle boxes.
  • Anyone with questions about these programs can contact Tracy at [email protected] or text/call 206.643.3682.
• Jason Hennessy’s firm, BERK Consulting, Inc. has been engaged by the City of Seattle to help with a feasibility study for community gathering spaces at Aurora Licton Village.
  • BERK is looking at space availability and will be doing some community engagement to ask for input on space needs.
  • The survey should be available soon. Lindsey said LSCC would be happy to use our communications channels to distribute the survey to the neighborhood.
  • Attendees gave Jason suggestions on local organizations to reach out to.
  • BERK is hoping to have their report available by the end of March.

Approval of Minutes from November 17, 2021 and Treasurer’s Report

• Bekah noted a change to her response to Evelyn’s question about a planned psychiatric hospital. It is a private company, not Bellwether housing, constructing the facility.
• The amended minutes and treasurer’s report were approved.

North Precinct Update

• Mike Cuadra shared a few points from the most recent North Precinct Meeting. First, if anyone in the neighborhood has seen an occurrence where there was a police presence, they can file a records request with the city and learn about what was going on. [Seattle Police Department Records Request Center: https://spd-seattle.mycusthelp.com/webapp/_rs/(S(j0m2yt1iwvxx3mms5cokkpov))/supporthome.aspx?sSessionID=6718311829IIUYBMFBJVTJERYNERYZASMHPZHEMX&lp=3
• Mike noted that in general, crime is down in the North Precinct. However, certain types of crime like vehicle theft and aggravated assault are up. Fentanyl use is still a problem. Citywide, crime is up. Mike said that the North Precinct meetings are different than they used to be because there are certain crimes the department is not responding to as much because of funding issues and limited resources.

Letter of Congratulations to Councilmember Juarez

• Kathleen suggested the council send a brief letter of congratulations to Councilmember Juarez for being elected president of Seattle City Council. There was a discussion about ethical issues involved and whether this could be seen as LSCC endorsing a candidate. Directors shared various views on this. Ultimately Melanie made a motion to allow Kathleen to draft a letter with a low-key expression of congratulations, but with the bigger goal of reminding Councilmember Juarez that the council is still here and letting her know what we have been doing. Lindsey seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Kathleen will send a draft around by email to directors.

Arts in the Park Application

• Lindsey submitted an application in December for $2600 in Arts in the Park funding for a neighborhood concert in Licton Springs Park. We should find out whether we will receive the funding in early February.

By-Laws Committee Update

• Bekah gave a short presentation on the status of the LSCC by-laws update that included a summary of by-laws and what they do, major and minor changes to the LSCC by-laws by the by-laws committee, and a timeline review. Janice asked what the boundaries are for membership in LSCC. They are Northgate Way to the north, Aurora to the west, 85th to the south, and I-5 to the east. Residents within these boundaries are eligible to be members of LSCC. Kathleen asked if the definition of members changes if we drop the dues requirement/option. Bekah is going to look into this to double check that we can do this.
• Bekah will send the draft updated by-laws to the directors via email to review and suggest any changes in advance of a planned vote at the February meeting. Lindsey will send out the by-laws to our email list two weeks in advance of the February meeting for review.
• Melanie made a motion to vote on the updated by-laws at the next meeting. Liz seconded the motion. The motion passed.

Minutes by Lindsey Webb, Secretary

Next meeting February 16

Licton Springs Community Council Monthly Treasurer Report

01/01/2022 through 01/31/2022

NOTES:

• Ending balance reflects $10.00 held in PayPal account
• We received an email from Fred Meyer on 4/28/2020 of a $0.44 donation, but this has not reached our Verity account and will not until it reaches $25.00.

LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Meeting Date/Time: 11 17 2021, 6:30 P.M.

These meeting minutes were approved at the January 20222 meeting.

Attendance Notes

• Directors Present: Melanie Davies, Mike Cuadra, Bekah Gautrowski, Bob Blade, Lindsey Webb, Kathleen Braden, Liz Kearns
• General Members Present: Shaun Vinyard, Kevin Sheets, Diego Gabrieli, Evelyn Lemon, Ellen Beck, Moses, Dianne Trani, Janice Holkup

Welcome, Introductions, and Hearing from Neighbors

• Melanie started the meeting and welcomed everyone at 6:35. Attendees introduced themselves.
• Shaun Vinyard moved to Licton Springs from Wedgwood and wants to get more familiar with issues in the Licton Springs neighborhood.
• Evelyn Lemon asked whether a psychiatric hospital is being built in the neighborhood? Bekah shared that a private company is building a senior inpatient and family center. Melanie shared that there is supportive services and housing at 96th and Aurora. Shaun shared that UW is building an inpatient psychiatric hospital currently and thinks it will be a great addition to mental health care in the greater Seattle area.
• Janice Holkup noted that apartments are going to be demolished across from the playfield near the school.

Licton Springs Park

• In her capacity as park steward at Licton Springs Park, Liz gave an update on the park. 300 plants were recently delivered and the volunteer team can use all the help they can get in placing/planting them. There are work parties going on every month. [LW note: those meetings are noted on the calendar on the LSCC website].
• Regarding the comfort station (restrooms), Liz said there was an insurance investigator there one day when she was at the park and a Seattle Parks & Recreation employee unlocked the fence. Both said the fire was the result of arson. The city’s insurance was for $200,000 and that may end up being the cost to rebuild.
• Liz asked the insurance investigator and the Parks & Rec employee if they could save anything from the building. However, the fire was so intense that it compromised the integrity of the metal so the answer was no. Liz said it would be nice to be able to store tools in the new structure but for $200,000 it might be difficult.
• Melanie suggested that Parks & Rec staff may be looking for additional funds for the structure. She volunteered to write a letter to Parks (with Liz’s help) outlining how the facility has been used and what we would like. Mike said it never hurts to get letters of support, and maybe it would be a good avenue to get tribal support. Kathleen talked about the Muckleshoot tribe’s charitable fund and how the council could apply for $5,000 from that fund for educational signage for when the facility gets rebuilt.

Halloween Recap

• Bekah said the Halloween decorating raffle and neighborhood map were very well received across the neighborhood and there were many participants. The digital map was viewed 2,776 times. There was a motion to approve $45 from the LSCC account to cover part of the raffle prize that were not donated. The motion passed.

North Precinct Meeting

• Mike Cuadra gave a summary of the last North Precinct meeting. Nicole Macri of the Downtown Emergency Service Center talked about emergency services. DESC recently purchased two hotels to provide permanent supportive housing services. Lindsey asked about whethere P2P meth had ever been discussed at these meetings and whether it’s been part of the homelessness issue in Seattle. Mike said it has been discussed and it is a problem here.

Arts in the Park Funding

• Lindsey talked about the open funding opportunity for Arts in the Park funding and suggested partnering with Boundless NW on an event next summer. She said she would submit an application for funding for a neighborhood concert and would get in touch with Rob from Boundless NW to discuss.

Art Selection Committee

• LSCC has the opportunity to nominate someone on the art selection committee for the fire station on Meridian. There was a motion to nominate Bekah Gautrowski and the motion passed.

By-Laws Committee

• There was a discussion about how the council forms the agenda and how that should be reflected in the by-laws. Directors also discussed allowing a consent agenda (there was wide approval) and what constitutes appropriate notice for upcoming meetings.

Minutes by Lindsey Webb, Secretary

Next meeting January 19

Licton Springs Community Council Monthly Treasurer Report

10/21/2021 through 11/17/2021

NOTES:

Ending balance reflects $10.00 held in PayPal account We received an email from Fred Meyer on 4/28/2020 of a $0.44 donation, but this has not reached our Verity account and will not until it reaches $25.00.)