Meeting Notes - October 3, 2002

Kirkland Teen Center

Laura Lee Pritt called the meeting to order and provided agendas and information sheets.
  
Our first guest was Bob Sternoff, representing the Kirkland Park Board.  Bob spoke about the upcoming park bond on the November ballot -- the first such bond  to come before Kirkland voters in 12 years.  Funding is needed for purchase of  Juanita Beach Park and creation of a  master plan; purchase of the Houghton Watershed property, the last open green space in town of this size; and park property on Rose Hill.  The bond is for approximately 8 million dollars, which would amount to $52 on a property assessed at $300,000.  Read an Eastside Journal article on the bond measure here.


Kari Page, Kirkland's Neighborhood Services Coordinator, presented the Neighborhood Connections Program.  $25,000 is available for projects selected by the Moss Bay Neighborhood Association.  Several steps are involved in this process --  first, orange cards have been distributed to the neighborhood for submitting ideas for using this money.  At our next meeting, Nov. 5th, there will be a workshop to discuss these ideas.  Kirkland's neighborhood services team was on hand to answer questions.


Kari presented a slide show detailing the Connections Program.  The steps in the process were explained, from the mailing in of  suggestions, to the final action plan being drawn up.  


Laura Lee Pritt showed a video and  led a discussion on the Community Conversations Program.  A spirited discussion followed in response the the "three questions" posed in regard to this process.  Traffic led the list of dislikes about Kirkland at present time, while charming small town ambience was one of the most liked aspects of town.  We discussed how Kirkland might change over the next 20 years.  City Councilperson Mary Alyce Burleigh was on hand to answer questions.   For more information on this program, visit the city web site: http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/kirkland2022/


Laura Lee Pritt discussed the 2003 matching grant money.  Our neighborhood needs to come up with ideas to get matching grant money -- up to $3500 -- available to us.  A trash can and sidewalk at the north end of Brink Park was one suggestion.  Other suggestions are needed.  We can match money by providing labor, which is valued at $14 per hour, to complete the projects.


Laura Lee also talked about the Transit Center.  The choice has been narrowed down to three sites for the center and the city needs to decide soon which one it will be, or could lose the center and the large amount of money that would be put into it.  Read an Eastside Journal article on the Transit Center here.


Ellen McMahon, Kirkland's Neighborhood Traffic Coordinator, updated us on the parking committee.  A plan is being drawn up, and should be ready in a few weeks, by a firm that was hired to study the downtown parking mess.  The goal is to have 20% of the city's parking stalls available at any one time.  


The meeting was adjourned. Our next meeting will be Dec. 5, 7PM at the Kirkland Library Meeting Room.