Seattle Park District Board Meeting 11/25/19

So let's do a, this is the Seattle Park District Board, call to order.

Today is November 25th.

Seattle Park District Board will come to order.

It's 519. I'm Deborah Juarez, President of the Board.

Roll call, please.

Board Member Bagshaw.

Here.

Gonzalez.

Here.

Harrell.

Here.

Herbold.

Here.

Mosqueda.

O'Brien.

Pacheco.

Here.

So Wong.

And President Juarez.

Here.

Five present.

Thank you.

Move on to approval of the agenda.

If there's no objection, the agenda will be.

Six present.

Oh, six.

All right.

Thank you.

That's why you're my wingman.

Okay.

Approval of the agenda.

If there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

I'm going to go briefly through the chair's report.

I think you all should have in front of you an orchid sheet of paper as well.

We'll be referring to that in a little bit.

Last week we received a briefing and a presentation on the 2019 Park District activities and financials by Superintendent Agare and Tracy Ratcliffe, our Council Central staff.

This was followed by a public hearing to accept comments on revenue sources for the 2020 operating budget.

The city authorized the first six-year spending plan in 2014, which encompasses the years 2015 to 2020, with an estimated millage rate as the property tax rate.

Per the interlocal agreement, the district board will annually review and approve a final Seattle Park district budget.

This is to accommodate the fact that council will not know the actual property tax value in the coming years.

Ever since the year 2014, we have held a public hearing and a vote on final appropriations mid-November, parallel to the city budget process and a timeline as required by state law and city law.

Each annual budget makes final appropriations sufficient to fund our spending plan.

I understand the spending plan for 2020 is about $53 million.

Our next six-year spending plan, 2021 to 2026, will begin its official process next year.

Today we have one presentation followed by five pieces of legislation related to the 2020 budget.

I understand Tracy will walk us through the agenda items two to six with the presentation.

Following the presentation will be a discussion and I will lead us to a vote on each item.

on each one once the board is ready.

There are five resolutions, and very briefly, I had, thank you, Nagin, prepared for us what I would call the orchid, kind of like a cheat sheet.

What it is, it's a condensed version of the PowerPoint, and what each resolution will be doing, resolution 30, is the budget adoption.

Resolution 31 authorizes collection of property taxes.

Resolution 32 sets the tax rate.

Resolution 33 is the supplemental appropriation and Resolution 34 establishes board meeting dates.

You should all have that in front of you.

So therefore, see legislation before us does authorize us to collect more revenue in 2020 to match the spending plan of 53 million for 2020. The rate that will be charged to the individual property owner is actually estimated to be 21 cents per 1,000 assessed value, which is exactly the rate charged in 2019. Therefore, the 2020 budget remains unchanged except for the receipt of unanticipated interest earnings that will cover the park district's portion of the annual wage increase included in the proposed city labor agreements, as was covered during the discussions of Seattle Parks and Recreation 2020 proposed budget changes.

That is the completion of the chair's report.

And now I will go to approval of the minutes.

The minutes of the November 18th, 2019 Seattle Park District Board meeting have been reviewed.

If there is no objection, the minutes will be signed.

Hearing no objections, the minutes will be signed.

We'll go to public comment.

I understand we have nobody for public comment.

So let me sign this.

And it's signed.

No one has signed it for public comment.

Public comment is closed.

We'll go right to our presentation.

Go ahead and Jody, please read item number one into the record.

Agenda item one, discussion of the mayor's proposed 2020 park district budget.

Go ahead and introduce yourselves and let's kick this off.

Sure.

Jesus Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Donny Grabowski, Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Tracy Rassliff, Council of Central Staff.

Nikki Incomcar, Council Member Juarez's staff.

So as you stated, President White, we are going to do a very brief overview of our 2020 budget, followed by several resolutions that we would ask your support in.

So Donnie Grabowski actually is going to go over the presentation for the 2020 budget.

Okay, so the first slide.

The Park District funding, which was approved by voters in 2015, supplements the Seattle Parks and Recreation budget.

In 2020, the Park District budget is $54 million and represents 21% of the total budget, which is $262 million.

Of the total $54 million in the 2020 proposed park district budget, and just a quick correction that 2019 should be 2020, $28 million or 52% is for operating initiatives and $26 million or 48% is for capital.

Okay, the next slide represents a snapshot of the entire budget for Seattle Parks budget for 2020. Our budget again is 262 million and it's comprised of the park district, general fund and other funds such as the park fund where we receive fees and revenues.

and other capital funds such as REIT, Central Waterfront Improvement Fund, and 2013 King County Levy Funds.

In 2020, as you can see on the slide, the Park District's share of the total is 21%, which is 16% operating and 29% capital.

This slide drills down further on the 2020 Park District's capital budget, which totals $25.6 million in 2020. As you can see, Fix It First is the largest category, funded at $17.5 million, or 68% of the total.

And again, this category includes major maintenance and the Asset Management Initiative.

Building for the future is the second largest category funded at 7.8 million or about 31% of the total and this category includes developing land bank sites and the major projects challenge fund.

Maintaining parks and facilities is the smallest category at 338,000 or 1% and that includes pea patch rejuvenation and off-leash dog areas.

On the operating side, programs for people is the largest category, 38% of the 28.4 million total.

It includes improving customer service at community centers, annual scholarships, putting arts in the parks, get moving, and programs for older adults.

Maintaining parks and facilities is 7.8 million, or 27% of the total.

It includes preventative maintenance, the third shift, and landscaping tree work.

Building for the future is 5.1 million or 18% of the total, and it includes development and maintenance of newly developed land bank sites.

And fix it first is 4.7 million or 17%, and this includes saving our city forests, aquarium, zoo maintenance, and our asset management work order system, otherwise known as AMWOL.

Okay, moving on to the actual legislation.

If you have no questions about the presentation, we'll go ahead and move right through the pieces of legislation.

So Resolution 30 would adopt the 2020 Park District budget of $54.1 million.

Okay.

So we'll just go through each.

Are we going to do the whole presentation, then do each resolution, or how would you want to do that?

I just started the resolution.

Sorry, that was resolution 30. Sorry.

I'm sorry.

Moving on to agenda item two, I believe it is.

Yes, I need that read into the record.

Yes.

Okay, so we're done?

Item two, resolution 30, a resolution adopting the 2020 Seattle Park District budget.

Okay.

Sorry, you got ahead of me.

It's okay.

Okay, so that is resolution number 30. I move to adopt resolution 30. Second.

I have a second, are there any comments?

All those in favor of resolution, say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, no.

Ayes have it, the resolution passes and I will sign it.

Let's move on to the second one.

I'm gonna read that into the record or are you gonna go through the presentation?

Agenda item three, resolution 31, a resolution authorizing the levy of regular property taxes by the Seattle Park District for collection in 2020, representing an increase above the regular property taxes levied for collection in 2019.

This one does exactly what the title says, authorizes the collection of the property tax of $53.3 million or 2.4% increase from the 2019. Thank you, Tracy.

Move to adopt Resolution 31. Second.

We have a second.

Are there any comments?

All those in favor say aye.

Those opposed say no, the ayes have it, the resolution passes and I will sign it.

Let's move on resolution number 32 into the record.

Agenda item 4, resolution 32, a resolution relating to the levy of property taxes, fixing the rates and or amounts of taxes to be levied and levying the same upon all taxable property both real and personal in the Seattle Park District to finance the activities of the district for the year beginning January 2020.

And this resolution would impose an estimated tax rate of 21 cents per $1,000.

That will generate $53.3 million, which is an increase of about $1.2 million over the 2019 parks levy budget.

Okay, thank you.

I move to adopt resolution 32. Second.

We have a second.

Are there any comments?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed.

Ayes have it.

Resolution passes.

Let's move on to resolution number 33.

Agenda item 5, resolution 33. A resolution amending the 2019 budget by increasing appropriations.

So this resolution does two things.

One, it appropriates some accrued Park District interest earnings that will pay the Park District's portion of the Seattle Parks and Rec's 2019 annual wage inflation, estimated cost of $564,000.

And it also makes a budget neutral transfer within two Park District capital budget summary levels to enable a concept design for the new park on the Battery Street tunnel portal site.

Thank you, Tracy.

I move to adopt resolution number 33. There's a second.

Are there any comments?

All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed?

No.

The ayes have it.

The resolution passes.

And let's move on to resolution number 34.

Agenda item 6, resolution 34, resolution setting the Seattle Park District Board regular meeting dates for 2020.

So the resolution does set the dates for the Park District, a date of June, of October, and then November, similar time in the November for the final adoption.

We did, I just want to, as a note, in response to some concerns that have been raised by some of the public comments at the last meeting about the timing of that public hearing, We actually have now moved the public hearing next year to October so that it is in advance, well in advance of when you actually would take final vote on the park budget district budget so that people have a chance to provide comment a little bit in advance of when you actually vote.

Thank you, Tracy, and thank you for doing that, because that was some of the concerns and complaints we got that we were doing this budget in the middle, or we were doing this work in the middle of budget, which wasn't giving people opportunity to come and respond on this, and particularly for next year with the six-year plan.

Okay, I move to adopt Resolution 34. Second.

There is a motion and a second.

Are there any comments?

All those in favor, say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, say no.

The ayes have it.

Resolution 34 passes, and I'll sign it.

Anything else?

And that is it.

Great.

Okay.

With that, everybody, thank you.

Oh, should we also note that Council Member Ryan showed up?

Thank you for that.

And with that, we're adjourned.

Thank you.

Didn't mean to be so casual.