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LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL Minutes
of Board Meeting: Directors Present: Liz Kearns, Jerry Owens, Yvonne Zoretic, Debra Willendorf, Wanda Fullner, Bert Bradley, and Ellen Beck. Board Representatives Present: Ken Thompson (North Precinct Representative), Jan Brucker (Greater Licton Arts Council), and Wally Fosmore (North Seattle Community College). Visitors: Eleanor Mason (Department of Parks and Recreation), Jean Wirch, Morgan Dutton (TREEmendous Seattle), Chris LaPointe (TREEmendous Seattle), and Ann Hirschi (Urban Forestry, Department of Parks and Recreation). President Liz Kearns called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m., welcoming everyone. We then went around the table and all present introduced themselves. Minutes: The June 20, 2001 meeting minutes were approved as presented. Treasurer’s Report: Debra Willendorf submitted a written Treasurer’s report showing LSCC having a balance of $1,100.63 as of July 17, 2001. She also provided us with the finalized LSCC 2001 Approved Budget. Debra noted that checks would need to be ordered. The monies for these would come from the General Fund. Cost-cutting and money-raising were discussed briefly. Liz noted that we could consider not having a band at our September picnic in the future, as the band was a big expense ($400.00). We could not, however, ask for donations at our picnic. Larry’s Market wants to give back to the community by providing food and servers for the picnic and are opposed to money being collected. It was pointed out that the picnic was an event where we traditionally gain new members, which is very good. NEW BUSINESS: Licton Springs Park – Vegetation. Ann Hirschi, Urban Forester with the Department of Parks and Recreation, next spoke to us about the vegetation plan for the Park. Ann, who has a background in architecture, said she had gradually become interested in what was outside of buildings! She told us that the Vegetation Management Plan is close to being finalized. She described the vegetation in the Park and said that invasives were competing with other plants in Licton Springs Park, one of the few real wetlands in the City. Phil Renfrow has done a wetlands study that the Parks Department is taking into account. Ann outlined methods that will be used in Licton Springs Park: placing woody debris to hinder invasives and let new plantings take hold; nurse logs which will be planted with cedar or huckleberry plants to help these take hold (the logs will be submerged and secured) and will eventually deteriorate, adding to the richness of the soil; and the use of hummock plantings. They will also be trying various methods of weed control. Ann Hirschi said that the Parks Department has had conversations with and will be working with Earth Corps and SPU (hopefully SPU would have monies to spend on the watershed – perhaps in the range of $50,000.00/year for three years), and will continue to work with TREEmendous. The work at the Park is to start this fall with weeding, planting, and mulching. Parks is also talking to the Conservation Corps and is hopeful they will get contributions of manpower from them, as well, of course, members of the community. Additionally, Ann said they hoped to get funding for an additional studies of the iron spring and mineral spring at the Park Eleanor Mason, Seattle Parks Department, Project Manager for bridge replacement at Licton Springs Park, said that SPU now knows that they will not be expanding drainage around Licton Springs Park. The Densmore Drainage Study has concluded that 33 acres are needed in the north end, and so they will look elsewhere. Liz Kearns acknowledged the contributions of TREEmendous at Licton Springs Park. They have had work parties at the Park every month. Liz also mentioned receiving a postcard from King County about “WaterWorks” funds. She said that she would get more information about this source of funding. Liz said that she was very interested in pursuing funding sources for the pond. She said that she would talk to neighbors around the Park, as there are certainly community members interested in helping keep the pond “healthy.” The pond needs cleaning out, dredging, and perhaps the artificial bottom needs to be removed. Ann Hirschi mentioned that there is a new “Adopt a Creek” Program. She said that she would get us information on this program. Liz mentioned that the Licton Springs Community Picnic will be September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. She extended an invitation to our guests to attend our picnic. A new special event this year will be a presentation by an 11-year old girl from our neighborhood. She will read from a book by Emily Inez Denny which describes a time in Licton Springs when Emily and her family were frightened by a mother bear with cubs and had to climb up a tree to reach safety! The young lady will be dressed in period similar clothing, which Liz and the girl’s mother are making after conferring with folks at MOHAI. TREEmendous will also have a work party at the Park that day. This is a good coincidence because it will make people more aware of the work being done in the Park. Liz asked if they could have an informational flyer and Morgan Dutton indicated that would be possible. Licton Springs Park – Bridges. Liz next presented a support letter written by Wanda Fullner for the work the Parks Department is doing in connection with bridges. Eleanor Mason explained that the support letter was needed for a submission being made to an internal fund to support existing projects that have been under-funded. It is necessary to evidence community support for the project. The support letter and signing page were passed around the table for review and signing. It was explained that the support letter and page of supporting signatures was more than adequate because the letter was fulfilling a technicality. Secondly, a letter regarding re-naming of North Seattle Park was passed around for review and signature by those favoring re-naming the Park “Mineral Springs Park.” TREEmendous Seattle. Morgan Dutton described the proposal they are submitting to Natural Resource Stewardship Network for funding of the “Outdoor Native Ecology Studies Program.” They are proposing to partner with students at American Indian Heritage School, Garfield High School, Nova Alternative High School, and with North Seattle Community College, and the University of Washington, providing training in urban ecology and ecological restoration. Other partners in this program would be the Seattle Parks Department, Earth Corps, Sheldon and Associates, University of Washington College of Forest Resources, Friends of Frink Park, and, hopefully the Licton Springs Community Council. We agreed to write a letter in support of the program, which Jerry Owens, Yvonne Zoretic, Debra Willendorf, and Ellen will sign on behalf of the Board. Morgan said that TREEmendous also hoped to do a demonstration garden at North Seattle Community College, if the College was desirous of this, informational signage, and an instruction book created. She said that SPU funds would be used as a match, plus volunteer hours. She said the goal in the work being done at Licton Springs Park is to get the Park to the point where it can be self-sustaining. OLD BUSINESS: Licton Springs Community Picnic. Liz announced that she will have flyers printed up to advertise the picnic. She will drop off copies of the flyer to each Board member and asks that we pass these out on our streets. She also said that people could help by coming early to the picnic. Pilling’s Pond Small and Simple. The Small and Simple Application has been submitted. Wanda Fullner said that the Committee had learned that one fourth of what goes through the pipe and through Pilling’s Pond is untreated runoff. North Seattle Community College. Wally Fosmore provided us with copies of the North Seattle Community College Major Institution Master Plans Annual Status Report – July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000. Wally pointed out that the logical group to review this Report (and future reports) is the Licton Springs Community Council. He asked that we go through the Report and let him know if we had any questions or comments. Intermediate Capacity Transit – Meeting Report. Jan Brucker and Jerry Owens reported on a recent transit meeting they had attended. This transit group is separate from the monorail group. It is a group which is looking at nine routes and studying three different modes – elevated, streetcars, and bus rapid transit. The plan is to use existing right-of-ways and not widen streets. The cost per mile for the different types of transportation is: $40-50 Million for trolleys, streetcars, $70-80 Million for elevated transit (trains, monorails), and $13 Million for buses. Jerry said that he had forwarded a schedule of meetings to us via e-mail. Bert Bradley and Jerry Owens agreed to coordinate a Transit Community Meeting. Wilson-Pacific Small and Simple. Jan Brucker reported on the Small and Simple Application. She explained that the Seattle School District would prefer to wait until this fall to move forward, because at that time they would know what kind of programs would be going on at the site. Jan stressed that it was important to keep talking with the School District. A discussion followed regarding dealing with School District personnel. Jan said that it was important to send a letter to Superintendent Olchefske and Ken Bounds regarding the ball fields and landscaping. She felt the public meetings organized by the School District did not adequately address the concerns of the community or solicit the opinions of the community, but were more “instructional” meetings. Jan said that discussions were continuing about Wilson-Pacific wherein the community was not being included. Artificial turf is continuing to be discussed, even though we were told that there was only funding to put in natural turf. The meeting was adjourned at 9:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ellen M.
Beck Welcome
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