Friends of Marymoor Park

October 27th, 2004 Meeting Summary

-- see also the September 2004 meeting summary

• Christina Merten, from the MCGA, is proposing Chinook Book sales as a way to raise money
• Chinook Book is a "Coupon Book for Healthy Living" with over 250 coupons
• Book sells for $20, and selling group can keep up to $10.  Chinook Books supplies books to organizations on consignment (no money up front), and the organization then resells to their members.
• The more books an organization sells, the more money the organization receives of the proceeds (ranging from $6.50/book for low volume up to $10/book for sales over 200 books).  Therefore, it could be a good deal for the organizations within FOMP to band together to sell books.  Christina proposed a joint sales table near the dog area.  Norah is offering to waive the normal fund-raiser fees the county charges assuming that FOMP and its organizations are willing to do this together and to target the proceeds to Marymoor.
• Greg would like to contact other FOMP organizations to see if they would also like to take part.
• A simple form will set up the process.  A typical fundraiser last 2-4 weeks.  However, to allow multiple groups to schedule their own sales times, the arrangement could be to have FOMP's fundraiser run for several months (perhaps until the end of the year).

• Jack MacKinnon - MCGA has completed its 2nd year with higher fees, and first year with MCGA assuming full management responsibilities.
• There were 104 gardeners in 2002.  In 2003, the first year with higher rates, there were only 71 gardeners and 137 plots.  In 2004, with all management turned over to MCGA, there were 70 gardeners and 151 plots.
• Various fees, including about $2500 water and $750 in plot fees, combine to total more than $4000.  They need at least 60 gardeners to survive.
• MCGA needs ways to get the word out to attract new gardeners.  (Make sure web site has "Community Garden" - remove link)
• MCGA donated 2381 lbs to HopeLink in 2003, and 2727 lbs. in 2004.

• CIP has $4.5M of 2004 Realestate Excise tax money unexpectedly available.  Parks proposes using this for conversion of "all weather" fields to FieldTurf-type fields.  Maintenance costs would be dramatically reduced (no watering, less lining, no grading).
• Revenue could probably be increased by about 1/3 because of increased demand and availability of the fields.
• Proposal is currently before KC Council.  For Parks, this is a huge $$$ project.
• This would preempt LWYSA's plans for the area.  However, those plans have been in flux, at least in part due to LWYSA's internal problems
• Four fields would be replaced, but in a configuration that would allow expansion (LWYSA wanted 7 fields).
• New, more efficient lights would NOT be part of the plan, as far as Norah knew.
• Redmond has 5 turf fields (including Grass Lawn and Pergola)
• Nov. 22nd council meeting is likely time for a vote.
• Design work will begin as soon as approved.
• Fees would NOT be increased, though there may be peak/off peak differential rates rather than charging different organizations (youth vs. adult vs. tournament) different fees.

• Interpretive Trail Lake Platform Repair - completed
• ADA parking lot improvements - began today
• Interpretive Trail adoption - ELWAS and SODA will be meeting in early November. A proposal to Parks will follow.
• Development Criteria - no update (Michael Hobbs suggested FOMP should send a letter to new head of KCParks, Suzanne Little, to indicate that we would really like this process to be completed)
• R/C Field Re-orientation - Parks and MAR/C is in the process of shifting the field orientation to make room for the new shop project (now in the permit stage with Redmond) that would be located at the NE corner of the park.  New areas have been graded and seeded to allow the correct grass area for a new runway.
• Restroom Construction - 2 weeks ahead of schedule.  Will be done before Christmas. These are the restrooms near the tennis courts.
• Parks would like to have a parking fine for failure to pay, starting around January.  (Norah also mentioned that the parking meter at Marymoor West was moved to another lot that was receiving higher use.  At least a collection box will be put in place at Marymoor West as a replacement).
• Rowing Club Facility - Sammamish Rowing Association is currently moving ahead with permitting, but the City of Redmond Park Board is supporting some form of rowing facility at Idlewood, so that may set new plans into motion that would limit the work done at Marymoor West.
• Barbara raised questions about the Hearing Examiner's report on the DNS in conjunction with those permits.  She had concerns that the report says the bollards are removable to allow vehicle access for boat launching.  This is not, and will not, be true.  She also had concerns about fire/emergency access (which is currently being a problem with parking blocking the road).  She also had questions about the wetland classifications involved.

The next meeting will be November 17, 2004.
NOTE: For November only, we will meet on the third Wednesday.
There will probably not be a meeting in December.

These notes were made by the webmaster, Michael Hobbs, and they do not constitute an official record of the meeting.  They may have inaccuracies and omissions.  If anyone has any complaints about the content of these notes, they should direct them to Michael Hobbs at fomp@marymoor.org, and he will endeavor to correct them.