LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Minutes of Community Meeting, March 21, 2012

NSCC Conference Room B2311

Directors Present: Liz Kearns, Jerry Owens, Debra Willendorf, Kay Mesirow, Tom Meyer, and Ellen Beck.

Board Representatives Present: Ken Thompson (Liaison to North Precinct).

Visitors: Jean Wirch, Melanie Davies, Cheryl Klinker (Thornton Creek Watershed Oversight Committee), Jan Brucker, and Margaret Bartley.

President Liz Kearns called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. There were introductions around the table.

Minutes. The February 15, 2012 minutes were approved as amended.

Treasurer’s Report. Treasurer Debra Willendorf presented Treasurer’s Report for January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. Our beginning balance in January 2011 was $2,662.02. Our 2011 deposits included the deposit of a $450.00 refund from the IRS, and the transfer of our Federation account totaling $2,028.02, among others. The ending balance was $5,221.98. Debra also gave us the Treasurer’s Report for January 1, 2012 through March 20, 2012. The LSCC ending balance is $5,306.98. Discussion followed.

The Treasurer’s Reports were approved as presented.

Debra reported that the banking had been moved to Verity Credit Union. Discussion followed.

Debra raised the fact the Bylaws state that checks must be co-signed by the Treasurer, and the President or Vice President. Debra said that she has always signed checks without anyone co-signing them. Discussion followed. Debra will send language for amending the Bylaws to Kay to place in the E-Currents.

Debra also stated that it concerned her that no one ever looks at the bank statements. She said this was something that should be done, whoever the treasurer is. It was moved and seconded and passed unanimously that henceforth the bank statement will be reviewed each month.

OLD BUSINESS.

P-Patch Update. There was discussion about Christian Rusby, who suffered a severe head injury in a bicycle accident on College Way. He is at Harborview and news about Christian can be obtained from the Care Pages website. He is going to be needing rehabilitation and perhaps will be moved to Foss Home or some other facility.¹

Diane Meeks, a student at North, has been filling in for Christian in the Sustainability Office. The grant fell to her to complete. Liz volunteered to assist, among others, and the grant application was submitted on time. The P-Patch Trust, a 501(c)(3) entity, is fulfilling the physical sponsorship required for the grant.

Liz said that she would attend the P-Patch meetings and e-mail her notes to us and keep us informed.

NEW BUSINESS.

LSCC Elections. Liz announced that directors with terms expiring are Tom Meyer, Ellen Beck, and herself. They were nominated to continue serving. Also, nominated were Jan Brucker and Melanie Davies. Elections for directors will take place at our April meeting.

Nominations for Board President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will take place at our April 18^th meeting. Officers will be elected at the May meeting.

Jan Brucker announced that she wished to host a Licton Springs brainstorming session at her home in the upcoming weeks. Calendars were consulted and the gathering will take place on Saturday, April 21, 2012, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Jan’s address is 8830 Wallingford Avenue North. The goal is to get people involved in our community and to come up with projects on all levels.

Possible projects include: Book sales/exchanges, neighborhood garage sale. We also should revisit our neighborhood plan.

North Precinct Wetlands. Cheryl Klinker, who chairs the Thornton Creek Watershed Oversight Council, gave us the history of the organization. She told us they are acting under a five year action agenda. The TCWOC meets every other month at the conference room at St. Matthew’s Parish, 1230 N.E. 127^th Street (next meeting, Wednesday, March 28^th) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Cheryl next gave us information about the North Precinct wetlands. The goal is to help protect the Precinct wetland. She told us that there was a meeting about the North Precinct wetland last May where Dr. Sarah Cooke gave a presentation to explain what has happening and give the latest updates. The wetlands there are part of the head waters of Thornton Creek. SPU tried to control the water flow. Chris May from SPU had installed a weir five to seven years ago, eliminating the old control system. He left SPU in the latest budget crunch.

Three meetings back Dr. Cooke reported that someone had punched a hole in the weir, so water drained out of the pond. Cheryl said that everything was taken out of the pond. A new planting Plan was presented to Fleets and Facilities. Thornton Creek Alliance was also present at the meeting. The weir was repaired by SPU. Cheryl requested a meeting with Finance Administration’s Nancy Bloss-Stacey. Cheryl was in favor of replanting with native plants. Nancy Bloss-Stacey was open to that. They were open to volunteers working at the wetlands, but there were security issues.

At a subsequent meeting attended by Nancy, Cheryl, and SPI, more ideas about types of plants were discussed. In the end, some plants were taken from Cheryl’s plan and some from SPU’s plan. Setting a work party still had clearance issues. It was decided that the best time to plant was in the fall.

TCWOC asked Nancy Bloss-Stacey to remove the Japanese knot weed.

TCWOC became upset that not enough was being done. So, Cheryl contacted Nancy and subsequently, Nancy began backing off. Cheryl hasn’t given up and plans to call Nancy in the fall.

Cheryl said she had been at the Northwest District Council meeting when Richard Conlin said that the North Precinct might be closed and “we can have the full wetland back.”

She called Tim Burgess about the North Precinct (because he’s on the Finance Committee). He reported that:

1. Expansion on the existing site was possible;

2. There are complaints the present site is too far north;

3. Possibility of splitting up North/South or East/West;

4. Shut the present site and move to a more centrally located site; or

5. Combine with the University Station and UW Police Department.

She noted that if this gets done in less than ten years, she will be surprised.

Liz thanked Cheryl for coming and updating us on the North Precinct wetland.

Wetland East Side of I-5. Melanie Davies asked about a “wetland” on the east side of I5 across from the Transit Station. She thought they were planning to put support columns in that area.

Sound Transit Meeting. Melanie attended the Sound Transit meeting. She told us that Sound Transit is proposing putting in a 500 car garage structure. The lot on the west side of the Transit Center will be used for staging, thereby eliminating a lot of parking spaces.

Margaret Bartley suggested that shuttle buses could be used to bring passengers to the Transit Center from a parking area farther away. This is something she has seen done in Europe. A shuttle bus could go on a 15 minute loop, bring riders to the Transit Center.

Free Ride Zone Downtown. Margaret also told us the Free Ride Zone downtown is being eliminated in September.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ellen M. Beck, Secretary

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