Everett Council of Neighborhoods

Council of Neighborhoods Meeting Minutes Oct 23, 2017 Meeting was called to order at 4:05pm. Agenda and minutes of the previous meeting were approved. Attendance: Carol Jensen, Greg Campbell, Tina Hokanson, Colleen Kain, Sister Mohammed, Liz Vogeli, Elly Smith, GeorgaDee MacLeod, Stephanie Prothero, Art Olson, Jim Prissel, Victor Harris, Linden Kimbrough, Rodney Shimogawa, Dennis Dudder, Jim Grieco, Ethel McNeal, Vanessa Randall, Teresa Schultz Staff and Guests: Councilmember Franklin, Eileen Simmons, Sabina Popa, Officer Kevin Davis, Jaimee Hudson, Wendy McClure Citizen Comments: JT Dray – JT is the transportation chair for 38th District Democrats. The 38th LD group has invited Secretary of Education, who is making an official visit to Everett at PUD. JT commented that he liked Monte Cristo at PUD building, ran like clockwork. Speaking about Everett Transit – Everett Transit is planning for the next 20 years for Everett Transit. ST2 will reach to Lynnwood in 6.5 years, and CT will have excess capacity. They plan to provide local service to people of Snohomish County, one bus every 15 min. That was not included in 20 yr plan from Everett Transit, and he feels Everett should consider county transit services in their planning effort. Mary’s Place – hosting special evening with singing, performance, Nov 2nd, Music Project in Everett Mall, 4:30- 7:30pm, entertainment for the community. Introductions - New representatives for Westmont/Holly Liz Vogeli and Sister Mohammed and the other representatives introduced themselves. Council member Cassie Franklin was also in attendance. Mayor Stephanson: Mayor was unable to attend. City Council Liaison: Council President Judy Tuohy – She expressed thanks for Monte Cristo Awards event, it went well and was fun to participate in the ceremony. Marian Krell’s former house was one of the recipient homes at the awards event. Everett Essentials is going well, and Judy suggested inviting them to come to Council of Neighborhoods meeting. Had Council retreat, which focused on housing, parks and transit. All staff did great job presenting. Info very interesting. Mayor will present service awards on Wed Nov 1 at Floral Hall. Busy agenda with Mayor presenting budget soon. City and Community Reports: Everett Library – Eileen Simmons invited the reps to a retirement event in her honor on Monday, Oct 30, from 4-6 pm at Main Library auditorium. She reviewed the status of the Evergreen branch expansion and showed floor plan, parking and landscaping plans for new branch of the library. The Pegasus book mobile will be in lobby of new section of branch. New street signage on Evergreen Way will be more visible and help people find the branch more easily. An art installation using 1% for public art funds will be created by Christine Clark Portland artist. Start date for construction is a bit later, and they won’t be able to set up a temporary library facility. Patrons are encouraged to use bus service to main branch. Closure roughly April to late October. Grand opening, Nov 2018 is target date. New director is Abigail Cooley from Baltimore. Also Eileen announced that Bookend Coffee is closing shop, and that Tabby’s Coffee will be new vendor. Everett Transit – Sabina Popa described outreach work for the long range plan and community surveys. Everett Transit hired a consulting firm to develop plan and gather input. Anticipated growth of 60,000 people in Everett by 2035. Plan looks out to year 2040 and the projected growth. Currently provide 2 million trips on 11 routes plus paratransit. Survey respondents – 423 surveys turned in – most people wanted to keep focus on local services, greater coverage and greater frequency. Executive summary available on line has more detail. Two focuses were priorities among riders and non- riders – frequency and coverage were priorities. Sabina showed slides with route frequency now and in future and coverage options. Attending neighborhood meetings, on line open house until Oct 30. North Broadway Transit improvement project – delayed until next year – construction by end of next year. Bulbs (sidewalk extensions) will be built along Broadway corridor, to improve the stops, including adding shelters at some stops. Greg Campbell commented on concern that people will try passing the bus, bulbs will delay traffic, cause more congestion. Sabina responded that they are working with traffic engineering, bus “dwell time” is 30 seconds, with about 2 minutes delay for access for those using wheelchairs. Everett Police – COET – Community Outreach and Enforcement Team – Officer Kevin Davis – He described the COET pilot program begun two years earlier, with Mayor’s focus on addressing street issues, including drug issues and homelessness. Clearly not arresting our way out of problem, so city looked at other cities, decided to create a new approach. COET is comprised of Officer Yarkut, and social worker Kaitlyn Dowd, with Officer Davis. They go into homeless encampments, offer resources to people, including medical, mental health services, links to Apple Health, to access services. COET is not part of patrol, so not responding to 911 calls, they have time to respond to people and take time to assist people start to end. In July and August, made 430 contacts throughout city, on avg 50-70 new contacts a month. Last August the team was fully staffed, one year into the program. Outreach and Enforcement both – citing people when needed, or take to jail, or Safe Streets work-crew program. Officer Davis also described the CHART program – several partners (hospital, courts, mental health, housing, non profits, city staff) meet every week, respond and prioritize list of top 20 people who need assistance. Segment on KING 5 special report by Jake Wittenberg shows some of the work. Also on YouTube – Jake’s Takes. 7 minutes long. The COET team would like to come out to neighborhood meetings. Question about length of time to get into services and barriers. Social worker helps people getting into services and removes barriers, especially since they are familiar with the paperwork. Question about whether there is increase in opioid use. ACT team, and Snohomish County Regional Task Force active on drug issues. Keeping numbers and stats and clients help with IDing other issues. Question about giving to pan handlers or not – Give to shelters and services in the area instead. There are a lot of options including “feeds” and shelters. Sharing clothing, items, money, etc by finding a resource in the City is best. Stats: 15-20% of population are mentally ill, some self medicate, but not all. 2-3% choose the lifestyle, but the rest have suffered from trauma. Question - how many pairs of social workers/officers at the city? Hiring a second one now, hoping to have them up and running soon. Also hiring 2 more officers, to help with follow-up enforcement. Question on options for feeds, shelters, clothing, etc. in south Everett? Feeds – yes. Shelters - not many except maybe cold weather. Housing, yes. Question on days working. Officers/social workers work M-F in alternating shifts. Question on no trespassing signs under I5 and elsewhere. Get referrals for areas where there are encampments and businesses. Issue a letter with intent to prosecute and no trespassing letters. Under bridge, land is City property, DOT and tow-yard, put up signs together to help with enforcement. Question on any neighborhoods where there is no COET activity? No, they go everywhere, every neighborhood. Any wooded areas, any business where people sleep, parks, etc. Question on if business or church reporting activity on their property. Yes, COET works with many churches and businesses to help with that. They can come up for referrals, can help get properties a letter to prosecute and get no trespassing signs to help with enforcement. Teamwork: School partnership/Diversity Outreach: Westmont/Holly working with parents at Evergreen Middle to assist with anti-bullying program. Would be great to see Mukilteo School District to the table. Islamic Resources by Mail can help with finding resources. Northwest had Whittier students come to the meeting to talk about what going to 6th grade camp means to them and pitched their fundraisers. Madison Elementary has a PTA board now and is planning a fall/harvest festival District starting a community truancy program and is looking for volunteers – a last intervention step program. Does not meet regularly, more as-needed. HSG read a letter from school district asking to speak at meetings to talk about their challenges and successes. Continues to volunteer with math and reading tutors. Also went to PTSA meeting at Evergreen. for people to sign up and pitched their neighborhood efforts as well. School District visiting lots of meetings. Announcements: Boys and Girls Club Thanksgiving Dinner – free event for community members. Neighborhood Reports: Westmont/Holly: 20 people, police report, no council liaison, Library staff Mindy Van Wingen from Northwest Room presented on Casino Road history. View Ridge Madison – 12 people, no police report, no liaison, Coyote and bobcat sightings in neighborhood. Forterra to talk about Green Everett in Forest Park. Halloween on Oct 31 at Praise Chapel - needs volunteers. New Madison principal Amanda Anderson attended. Valley View – no police report, liaison was present, Public Relations Director from WSU presented on new building, program and plans, report on Commons. Twin Creeks/Cascade View – Candidate forum, 18 people including speakers, 2 speakers – Paul Kaftanski from City spoke on Parks and Community Services programs, Transit spoke on 20 year plan, no police report, no liaison present. Also had neighborhood elections. Bayside – 17 people, police report, Transit spoke, EVCC update from John Olson, school liaison present, no council liaison, excited about Are You Afraid of the Park, two new people stepped up to secretary and treasury in elections. South Forest Park – 3 people met to chat, that is all. Riverside – 25-30 people, police report, Barbara Ogard, “the bat lady”, spoke on bats, recommended speaker, no council liaison. Port Gardner – 30 people, police report, presentation from Forterra on Urban Forests, Lisa Labovitch presented from Northwest Room on roots of Port Gardner neighborhood, liaison present. Pinehurst – no speaker, no liaison, police report, also spoke on Crime Mapping and video surveillance on homes. Volunteers planted flowers at neighborhood church, spoke on mini grants. Had radio check on Oct 14, checked cache, planning emergency drill at next meeting. Still no signs on posts. Northwest – Met at Whittier School – principal Tony Wentworth presented info, council liaison not present, but Councilmember Roberts attended. Transit spoke on 20 year plan, Public Works spoke on rain gardens, rebate program, and green gardens, Grand Avenue Park Bridge and north Everett sewer replacement work. Lowell – 10 people attended, 2 new people came (connected from Lowell Days), working on Map Your Neighborhood, can also help get Block Watch started, no police report, no council liaison. HSG – 15 people attended. No liaison, no police report. Held ice cream social instead of speaker to try to get new people and discuss upcoming topics for meetings, 1 new person (Everett Essentials participant) wants to get involved in HSG social media and website and now has 15 new neighbors added,. Evergreen – Did not meet, switching meeting locations. Will be meeting in November. Delta – Reorganizing. Had 20 people, and police report. Discussed vision and what they want to do, looking into how they can get involved and improve the community somehow. Liaison attended. Top 5 Items to report: 1. Mayor will present budget on November 1 at city council meeting 2. Eileen Simmons is retiring. Reception is Oct 30 at library 4-6pm 3. Evergreen branch expansion plans delayed, reopening Nov 2018 target date 4. Everett Transit 20 year long range plan. Submit Comments 5. Everett Police COET program available to speak at meetings Meeting adjourned at 6:00pm. Next meeting on Nov 27, 2017 Minutes prepared by Wendy McClure and Jaimee Hudson