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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAP 2013-07-22 Item 2D.1 - Update - Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) PlanCity of Tukwila Jim Haggerton, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Haggerton Community Affairs and Parks Committee FROM: Rick Still, Parks and Recreation Director BY: Dave Johnson, Recreation Superintendent DATE: July 17, 2013 SUBJECT: PROS Plan Update ISSUE Staff update for Community Affairs and Parks Committee on the status of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan. BACKGROUND The City is working to update the PROS Plan and has hired a consultant, MIG, to complete this work. DISCUSSION Since the contract for services was initiated in March, there has been considerable work done, primarily in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project. The main bulk of the work to date has been the following elements of the community outreach and engagement piece: Community Survey A Community Survey gave all interested parties a voice in the planning process. Available in written and on -line format between April 30 and July 8, the open- access survey collected community input about community desires, initial priorities and important park and recreation activities. Invitations to participate in the survey were communicated in a variety of ways to the community. All told, there was excellent participation in the survey with a total of 331 completed questionnaires, including 81 paper versions (many from the Teen Late Night program and Senior Lunch). Community Workshop (May 22, 2013) The Community Workshop was an open public meeting designed to encourage community conversation on a range of topics. Following a presentation and overview of the planning process, participants broke into smaller groups where they discussed key challenges, opportunities and needs facing the park, recreation and open space system. The Workshop was promoted in such places as the City's website, local schools, advertisement in the Tukwila Reporter, invitations to Business Community and Apartment Manager's, and more. Exhibit A is a summary of the Community Workshop. Community Leader Focus Group (May 29, 2013) A Community Leader Focus Group was held to identify individual and collective viewpoints on the strengths, opportunities, and the desired future of Tukwila's parks, recreation facilities, recreation programming, and open space resources. The invitees for the focus group were stakeholders in the Parks and Recreation system and included, but were not limited to representatives of such groups as BECU, Cascade Bicycle Club, Community Schools Collaboration, King County Library System, Little League, Youth Soccer, Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWA), Somali Community Services Coalition, Starfire, Teens for Tukwila, Tukwila Food Pantry, and more. Exhibit B is a summary of the Community Leader Focus Group. 19 20 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 Education Expert Interviews (May — June 2013) To create a plan that meets the needs of Tukwila's diverse community, the PROS planning process included many opportunities for public input, participation, and engagement. One strategy for input gathering included interviews with Education Experts from the Tukwila School District. The consultant conducted key informant interviews with representatives of the Tukwila School District. The interview protocol was designed to solicit school district staff perspectives on the current parks and recreation services; additional programming and /or parks that should be planned for; feedback on how the Department operates including how it can be a more effective partner, and the needs of the community that aren't being met. Exhibit C is a summary of the Education Expert Interviews. Moving Listening Sessions (June 1, 2013) An inclusive process that attracts diverse community input is critical to developing a plan that meets the needs of the community now and in the future. Many members of linguistic minority communities have participated in community workshops as part of the City's recent strategic planning process, as well as planning for the development at Tukwila Village. One of the most unique and interesting outreach efforts came through the Moving Listening Sessions. Instead of a workshop format, we gathered information on community priorities and concerns through a moving listening session. The objectives were to engage members of the linguistic minority communities in conversation about recreation and play in the neighborhood, including Cascade View Park; identify obstacles to the City's parks and recreation facilities and program; identify community needs and preferences as they relate to the City's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space systems; and identify priorities for improvements in recreation spaces and programming. Four Moving and Listening sessions were held on June 1 and each session paired staff with an interpreter and 4 -7 members of a linguistic minority community (Somalian, Nepali, Chin /Burmese, and Tigrinya /Amharic). Interpreters were arranged through the ReWA and Dynamic Languages. City staff were provided with focus group protocol and coached on information needs and questions to ensure similar information. The focus groups were conducted as the group walked from the ReWA offices to Cascade View Community Park, and continued at the Park. Immediately after the focus group, staff and interpreters discussed what they heard and checked for mutual understanding. Exhibit D is a summary of the Moving Listening Sessions. Extended Outreach (May — July 2013) We also went out to where the people are with information about the PROS Plan at 4 events throughout the City. This outreach was conducted at a Teen Late Night event (May 3), Backyard Wildlife Festival (May 11), Senior Lunch Program (July 2), and was on display in the TCC Lobby for 3 weeks in June. In addition to the Community Outreach and Engagement, the consultant has prepared draft versions of the Existing Recreation Resources Summary, Recreation Program Inventory Matrix, and Facility Inventory — all of which are at the review stage. C:IDocuments and Settingslchristy.TUKWILA\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files \Content.Outlook \FOTTAFSUIPROS Plan Update Memo.doc INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 WHAT'S NEXT? The next steps in the process include the following: 1. Processing the survey results 2. Needs Assessment — The Needs Assessment will represent the larger community, based on targeted outreach with different language -based groups, at venues throughout Tukwila and with city and community leaders, area businesses, schools and non - profits and other interested citizens of the city. Outcomes from this phase will result in the Needs Assessment Summary Report which will include mapping of park, recreation and open space service areas and gaps to provide a visual assessment of community needs. 3. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting #2 - TBD 4. City Council Update — A review of public input and analysis to date - TBD FINANCIAL IMPACT None RECOMMENDATION Information only ATTACHMENTS Exhibit A: Community Workshop Summary Exhibit B: Community Leader Focus Group Summary Exhibit C: Education Expert Interview Summary Exhibit D: Moving Listening Session Summary C:IDocuments and Settings\christy.TUKWILA \Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files \Content.Outlook \FOTTAFSUIPROS Plan Update Memo.doc 21 22 TUKWILA PARKS & RECREATION GOOD HEAL HY FUN Exhibit A Tukwila Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Community Workshop May 22, 2013 SUMMARY BACKGROUND The City of Tukwila is updating its Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan to guide the future of the City's parks and recreation system. The Community Workshop is an open public meeting in the situation assessment phase of the project. The meeting design supports community conversation on: • Issues related to the City's parks, recreation programming, facilities, and open space. • Which parks and facilities attendees use and how they use them. • Barriers to accessing and /or using parks, recreation and open space amenities (including geographic, pedestrian access, transit, cultural or other material or perceived obstacles) • The activities people would like to do in parks. • The desired role of the City's parks, recreation, and open space amenities in the future of the community. This document presents a summary of the Community Workshop event and resulting community input. The Community Workshop was held at the Tukwila Community Center on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, from 6 to 8 pm. The Workshop was open to the entire community, and attendees were invited to drop in for as much or little time as they wanted. 6:00 PARTICIPANTS ARRIVE AND SIGN IN As participants arrived and signed in, they were directed to participate in some interactive activities, including interacting with a "graffiti board" on which they could illustrate their favorite parks, recreation, and open space activities. 6:10 OPENING AND WELCOME Dave Johnson, City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation, greeted attendees and thanked them for attending. Dave also provided background on the PROS Planning process and schedule. July 10, 2013 1 23 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY 6:15 OVERVIEW OF WORKSHOP PLAN Dawn Couch, BERK, provided an overview of the workshop plan, reminding participants of the interactive activities available (dotting a map of their favorite Tukwila parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces and a "graffiti board" where they could illustrate or dot their favorite activities to do in Tukwila's parks, recreation facilities, and open space). Dawn then explained the small group discussion portion of the workshop. 6:20 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION Dawn Couch broke the group into three small groups of between four and six. Each group selected a volunteer reporter /recorder, charged with leading the group discussion and recording the main points of the discussion. What do you like most about the City's parks, recreation amenities, and open space? • Tukwila has a variety of parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces throughout the city. o We have good quality and many parks and open spaces. o There are parks of all sizes and uses. o The parks we have are dispersed throughout the city. • Parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces are clean, well - maintained, and aesthetically pleasing. o Our parks are clean and well maintained. o The parks and facilities are beautiful. o The Tukwila Community Center is beautiful, well maintained, and has a lot of amenities. o Our parks and facilities are well kept and clean. July 10, 2013 2 24 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY • Various park amenities allow for a variety of uses that suite all audiences. o The spray park is really a cool amenity and very well used and loved. o There are a wide variety of activities at our parks. o We provide a lot of options —and try to have something for everyone. If we realize that there is a population that isn't being served, then we try to find a way to serve them. o The River Trail is a unique resource and really fun! • The easy access, from all directions, of the golf course makes it a great resource. • People feel safe in our parks and they contribute to improving public safety, because people have something to do. What barriers do you and other members of the community face in accessing and using these City amenities? • Mobility of Tukwila's community members and the lack accessibility of parks and other facilities is a challenge. o There is limited public transportation to, from, and near many of our parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces. o We need our facilities to be more accessible; new transit routes and pedestrian /bike access would help with this. • Income and ability to pay for fee - for - service programs is a barrier for many communities. o The need of the Parks Department to maintain revenue generation limits opportunities for some, especially the low income. o Many of our services are costly, which limits how many slots for each the department can provide and who can access those slots. o We have limited funds for providing scholarships to people, so some low- income people are underserved by our fee based programs. • Some community members do not feel comfortable with or aren't interested in program offerings. o We need to explore the community to find accessible instructional class topics for diverse communities that do not feel comfortable with or aren't interested in /served by current class topics. o We need to make more community members comfortable taking classes through the Parks and Recreation Department; right now many community members are barred from participating because they don't feel comfortable or feel they don't have the skills to take a class. o There are a lot of cultural barriers to exercise and valuing physical activity that we don't know enough about yet. • There is a lack of information about parks and recreational offerings, in some communities. o Some community members, especially new ones, don't know where our parks are. July 10, 2013 3 25 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY o The Recreation brochure is primarily sent to residents and not delivered too many businesses. o Park signage is only written in English. • There is a lack of access to the water and water - related programming. o There is limited access to the river —we need more hand launches for kayaks and small boats. We also need to maintain the river's edge, to limit blackberry bush growth. o We need to provide better access to swim lessons— particularly adult ones. • We need to embrace the nontraditional sports that are becoming more popular in this area — lacrosse comes to mind. • The functions of the Community Center are limited, even though the facility is suited for and could be serving broader purposes. What roles do the City's parks, recreation programming, and facilities play in the Tukwila Community? What role should they play? • Parks are community centers. o The parks we have are organizing centers for the community. o Many of our parks and recreation facilities accommodate parties and things, making them a celebration area. o Our facilities are community gathering places. o The parks and community center build a sense of community and are the most visible representation of our community — specifically communicating our City's values and commitments. o Our community facilities provide the social interaction that keeps our neighborhoods strong and healthy. • Parks Department facilities are a nexus between the City and its staff, and community members. • The Parks Department also builds relationships within the city — especially between community members and City staff and the City as an institution. • Our parks should provide opportunities for community engagement with the City and City staff. • Parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces directly serve our most vulnerable and highest need populations. o Parks and other facilities are often a safe haven for the vulnerable in our community — especially kids, seniors, and the homeless. This includes care services that provide structure and safety for people who might not have that at home. o We need to provide more free and low cost programming —the City should make a commitment to not letting money be a barrier to access to Parks and Recreation programs. • The Parks and Recreation Department serves public health functions, and brings health and wellness services to our communities. July 10, 2013 4 26 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY o The Parks and Recreation Department should involve the community in health and wellness activities, taking a role in improving the community's health. o Parks should play a role in dealing with the current health and obesity crisis and making our community a healthier place. • Parks and Recreation's services are often educational and provide exposure to topics outside of the common core. o Our open spaces allow for nature exploration, environmental education, and stewardship in an otherwise urban environment. o Our Arts Commission should promote the Parks and Recreation department's arts activities. o The Parks Department provides a lot of skill building and educational programming. • The Parks and Recreation department is a great place to centralize disaster recovery efforts —its facilities definitely are the first place people would go in case of emergency. 6:45 SHARE BACK Led by their group appointed reporter /recorder, each of the three groups shared a summary of the key points from their group discussion. Group One • Our community members value that we have great amenities that are clean, safe, well- maintained, and varied. They also like that these options are open and never too crowded. • We think some key barriers are in communication and public knowledge of all of our facilities and programs. • There is limited access to water resources like the river but we need more water safety if we open those opportunities up. • It is important to note that Parks facilities are safe, structured resources for our most vulnerable (children, seniors, and low- income) and that in this way, the Parks and Recreation Department serves human services and community needs for these groups. This (human services) might be an opportunity to partner. Group Two • There is a new for community awareness of parks and recreation facilities and services. • We should make an effort to fill voids (like in the Riverton area and on Cascade Hill) in the park system We should continue to make our facilities more accessible and work with transportation officials to provide more transportation options to and from them. Group Three • We wanted to note that we have great parks that are a source of community pride. • We could make our parks more effective for serving the community if we provided more translated signage and advertising. This would also help us bring in some of the groups we are trying to target. July 10, 2013 5 27 28 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY • We need to help provide community voice to our leaders, not just about the value of parks and recreation facilities and services, but also about the needs of the communities that we interact with—most of whom do not have an established voice with community leaders. 7:15 THANK YOU As the meeting adjourned, Dawn Couch reminded attendees to add to the interactive activities on their way out. She also provided opportunities to address specific questions and feedback to her and the meeting team. July 10, 2013 6 TUKWILA PARKS & RECREATION GOO() HEALTHY FUN Exhibit B Tukwila Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Community Leader Focus Group May 29, 2013 SUMMARY BACKGROUND & SUMMARY DESCRIPTION As part of the City of Tukwila's efforts to gather broad and inclusive feedback to inform an update of its Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan, the City held a community leader focus group to identify individual and collective viewpoints on the strengths, opportunities, and desired future of Tukwila's parks, recreation facilities, recreation programming, and open space resources. The main objectives of the community leader focus group were to: • Identify strengths of Tukwila's Parks & Recreation system. • Identify community needs and how those needs may be changing. • Discuss how Tukwila's parks, recreation facilities, programming and natural amenities can best meet community needs and preferences. The Community Leader Focus Group was held at the Tukwila Community Center on Wednesday, May 29' 2013, from 4 to 6 pm. Community leaders were identified by the City of Tukwila's Parks and Recreation Department program staff and invited to participate. BERK designed and facilitated the focus group. In this summary, participant' ideas, perspectives and comments are presented according to theme and discussion question, rather than the order in which they were originally shared. Comments are not attributed to individual speakers. ATTENDEES • Sean Albert, Parks Commission and Land Steward • Mike Arizona, BECU • Scott Elston, Tukwila Skyway Soccer Club • John Forsyth, Showalter Middle School • Nicole Grubbs, Westfield Shopping Center • Mike Hansen, Sabey Corp. • Chuck Parrish , Former Parks Commissioner • Todd Pietzsch, BECU • Alice Russell, Parks Commission • Deborah Salas, Community Schools Collaboration • Donald Scanlon, Parks Commission • John Sheller, King County Library System • Mitch Stone, PacWest Little League • Joe Tice, Tukwila Pantry July 10, 2013 1 29 DISCUSSION What are the strengths of the Tukwila's parks, recreation facilities, recreation programming, and open space amenities? • The community center is a quality, well -used community gathering place. o Our Community Center building is amazing and award winning. It has great parking lot designs (Southcenter could use that!). The run off from the building goes into swales and trees. o We use the Community Center a lot: from a business prospective, we use it every year for scholarship foundation lunch. We have used it for last six or seven years. Others use it for fundraising events, lunches, and dinners. o Meetings and signups are easy to do here —and it's expected that they will be here in the community. o The city appointed library board and the rotary meets here (or did). This is excellent because it is transparent for other community members. o It is great that kids can walk here (to the community center). o The Community Center is great as a place for meeting. o The Community Center is a focal point, one thing you identify Tukwila with. It is a place for the community to get together. • Tukwila has some well- attended events that are a draw. o We work with the Parks team and to the Dr. Seuss event each year – attendance is close to 1,000 people. o The wildlife fair was here about a week ago, about 2,000 people attended. • Tukwila has unique parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces amenities. o My family comes down for the spray park; there really isn't anything of this quality nearby us. It is a unique feature of Tukwila. o Parks are a big draw for not only youth of this community but others. o Having Starfire in the community is great. We start lots of the kids there for indoor soccer leagues and then move them through the system. Starfire always gives financial support for the youth programs. o Tukwila has a great variety with picnic shelters, playfields, habitat, etc. • The connectivity and functionality of the river trail is an asset. o The path is a huge strength. Having a trail is great! o The trail gets used a lot for walking and running. I use it all the time. o The Duwamish has a bad reputation as a river but the trail is pretty nice. • Parks and Recreation Department staff members are responsive to the community and committed to Tukwila. July 10, 2013 2 30 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY o Whether or not they live here, there's a strong commitment to Tukwila. They work their tails off. The City has also done a great job at retaining staff people. o 10 -15 years ago the Parks Department met with kids at the high school and asked what they wanted to change. I feel like they have done a great job at getting things going that the kids are interested in. But how safe is it for the kids to walk home at midnight on a Friday? o They're accessible and responsive, one can get responses quickly. o The staff people have a can do attitude. We work with Darren and Nate a lot. They always have ideas on how to pull things together, are always positive, and never say no. Not just Nate — I get that positive attitude from everyone. It must be the culture on Tukwila Parks and Recreation department. o Some of the long time staffers were kids here. This was their first jobs for some of them — they've been here a long time. That has built a strong sense of community. o I spoke to a youth recently who said that some of the staff are absolutely amazing — Nate, Darren. o The staff have done a great job networking and finding partners in the community. Expertise in that brings a lot to the table. Rotary does Thanksgiving lunch — if it weren't for the staff here, that wouldn't happen. All groups rely on the staff to help them out. I think they do a great job, bring in all kinds of businesses and clubs and groups here. They'll get you involved one way or another. o I was at the Forterra breakfast this morning and am so proud of the relationships with the City and Duwamish Hill. • The golf course is well - positioned, geographically, and accessible to novice golfers. o People will drop off kids at soccer and go play golf. o I heard it's a good golf course to learn on • Summer camps and basketball are the biggest draws for kids. Some are local kids, but others are parents that work in the community but don't live here. • I do use the senior programs, they vary across the region. There's a hiking program, lunches, etc. I'm very pleased with what they do here. If something is lacking, I'm not aware of it. Also they are very reasonably priced. There's been a big push within the City for these programs to be self- sustaining, but the Idea is that these are subsidized so that they are affordable. • Happy, healthy kids perform better in schools. What needs or preferences of the community are not being met? • Embrace the community's diversity and make programs and facilities more accessible for its myriad linguistic and cultural groups. o A lot are having a hard time with language and they have their young kids interpreting. You deal with it using a lot of patience, making sure the child understands basic English, so that they can easily interpret. You're not there to take advantage, that's the perception. A lot are refugees, and were just sort of dropped here. They're trying to figure it all out. o There are cultural issues, stigmas with other cultures, divisions within cultures. July 10, 2013 3 31 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY o The mall has it figured out, there are all kinds of people there! The mall use the language line, but the stores don't really need it. It's hard to tell what a lot of people are doing [at the mall], but it is there is lots of diversity. o You can use what we call "tour guides" — one quasi - English speaker brings in a group and points things out. We work with them. We have a paid subscription to language line, and ask them to help us. Some cultures don't even have a library. They have pretty distinct needs: immigration, law, computer access, etc. Make use of the schools, they have key people they can turn to for communication. We provide a space for people to come and watch Americans. They can hang out without doing anything. There are low barriers to participation. Passive participation is an option with the Culturefest. o We used to have a vibrant outreach program. Some things we learned: first, never say you speak for the community. We used to bring in various groups and all the conversation would be in the target language. If you didn't speak it, you had an interpreter that could interpret for you in English. We'd do a presentation first, an orientation, and then we'd allow more of an open conversation, instead of a facilitated -type. [The participants] would all yell and talk and in the end come up with an agreement, often not at all on the topic you needed. • Engage the community in staffing the Tukwila's Parks and Recreation department, and providing service delivery to the community. o Budgets are tight everywhere, but we have a huge resource of youth here. There are many without jobs. It would be great if there were summer jobs programs. Seniors need their lawns mowed, jobs done; there are lots of youth that could do all that. Not sure where funding comes from, but that could be done through the Parks Program. I think this would give them a sense of ownership in their community. o We try and encourage kids to apply for the summer camp jobs; we have probably five or six who actually do it. We are trying to get more of the diverse kids to do it. o We need to make things accessible and available. When we started the food bank, it was all middle class white people. Now it's a diverse community — making them feel comfortable, allowing them to just participate and then not ask them to do a lot. Let them slowly take ownership. No one wants to take over. o We should provide more opportunity to participate and volunteer. • Leverage the excellent parks to improve Tukwila's image regionally. o Starfire is a point of community pride. o Starfire does a lot for the community in allowing the kids opportunity to be in that park and through its after school programs. o Starfire has really successfully marketed itself as a regional soccer facility. • Make the Community Center inviting for children from all backgrounds. o The Community Center is a focal point, what you identify Tukwila with. But what we heard in the Strategic Plan was people on the other side of the Tukwila can't get here. o For the most part, kids on other (East) side of Highway 99 are minorities and isolated from this center. o This facility is seen more as an adult facility, because most of the groups that use it are adult driven. A lot of the youth don't come down this far. July 10, 2013 4 32 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY o There is a perception that the community center is not for minority children— more middle class, not something that's for lower income families. Not the first time I've heard that, but heard it again a few days ago. • Provide safe, direct access to the river for all community members, including children. o We need to open up the river a little more. It is a tidal river, which has slowly been canaled. The shoreline has been ignored and made it so you can't get there. There is no connection to the river. o We miss out on great educational opportunity like the salmon run, which goes right through the City. o The river is an underutilized asset. o We set up boat access, it has been a five year project. We partnered with Forterra, a partnership which is ongoing. We are trying to get more businesses to join us. We have had a few others help fund us. We need more help — a lot of the volunteers had no idea it was there. o Part of the fun run was to plant trees at the end, in an effort to get the community involved. Not sure how successful it will be. o It is a jewel, still another thing that could be included in parks that isn't inclusive of the kids. Right now there is no place for them. They have no experience with it —how many of them will kayak? • Get people to services as well as locate programs and services where the people are. o [Taking services to the neighborhoods and bringing users to the community center] needs to be combined, otherwise you will end up with a community of smaller communities with a 'you stay over there and we will stay over here' attitude. o Over the last summer, when there was one event [at the community center] there was not as many kids when they did the same event in different areas. You saw a lot more kids and integration. o When I'm around the High School and Middle School area, there are always kids playing soccer on the fields. Technically they're trespassing — it's funny because they aren't hurting anything and it's not enforced. Either the signs need to come down and the gate removed, or there needs to be another place where the kids can go and be and not be in the wrong place, even though it is technically there for them. o They're organizing enough to play soccer, so why kick them off? Where do they go? • I think we need to maintain centralized service and programming because otherwise there won't be fair service (or the perception that service isn't fair). • That community (around Cascade View) needs to be uplifted and safer. Do you have any concerns about the City's parks, recreation facilities, recreation programing, or open space? • Access for those most in need. o Transportation is the biggest issue, to get kids safely to any events in the City. It is simply lacking. July 10, 2013 5 33 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY o It's true, there's no access for kids from low income families with working parents. They can't get here. They don't want to get on the bus, it is scary for kids. We need to make sure they have a same way to get here when they do not have any transportation. o The Parks Commission had sent a letter to the mayor requesting more bus service – most bus routes run north south, need east west. When light rail came in, they got rid of some routes, so there is tension between these two issues. o There is not adequate access; kids with low- income families or working parents can't get here. They don't want to get on the bus. It is scary for kids; we want to make sure they have a safe way to get here. Right now they have transportation. • Infrastructure for people using transit, pedestrian, and bicycle modes is lacking. o Those crosswalks on Highway 99 are the most terrible design —you can't see those lights on a rainy date. o I have to ride or walk to the Rainier Beach stop – I don't ride across the bridge. It's a very dangerous road with no sidewalks and no shoulder. o Not great for kids to ride bikes. Lots of neighborhoods without sidewalks. o There is a walking path from Samara Apartments to Cascade View, that's why we put the food bank where it is, because one third of our clients walk to us. It is really dramatic how many don't have access to vehicles. o By the Foster Library, I am impressed by the amount of walking people do. Some cities spend so much money trying to create walkable communities to encourage walking, but here the walking is already happening. We just need to make it safer. o The Foster area is a tough place to walk to, but the kids want to go there and play. • The golf course uses a lot of resources, but is not optimized for its best use. o It's subsidized. It's getting $500,000 /yr. [there was some disagreement here]. There will be no purchase of parkland if [the golf course] is using park funds. I've heard 94% of the customers are from outside of Tukwila. It's not being used by the community here, so it shouldn't be subsidized. Nothing will change here in the short term. Does the golf course qualify as open space? Or is it like the creek? Not a park, but a green belt. What is open space? o The golf course should market itself as a regional golf facility– when there's bad traffic, go play golf. o One of our best open spaces that we never use is the golf course. Even if you're not a citizen you get a cheap rate. Would love to see it used for other things. You could have all kinds of great things there – not JUST the golf course. Could be used for all kinds of things. Should use it for more of the population. o We do all our business events on bigger courses. Foster is not a big course. To make it better, it must be bigger. • There is a disconnect between neighborhoods and specific cultural communities; these pockets need to coalesce around Tukwila as a whole. July 10, 2013 6 34 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY o We are a community of 31 languages, from 70 cultures. As a volunteer, this is the most exciting part. Seeing the diversity in your own backyard. We need parks department staff to find the leadership in those groups and introduce themselves. The school district has been hosting different conversations to talk about different cultures. This expands into the city as a whole; people need to feel like they belong. We all live in the same neighborhood. o It is ironic that groups we're targeting are not represented today [in the community leader focus group]. o A lot of the new community members were leaders at home, but they don't feel like they are in that position now. o As a diverse community, we have little pockets. But we need to start an overall community, that isn't just based on culture. One thought is with the use of parklands, we can encourage one group or another to sponsor a fair. Encourage groups to mingle that way. • We don't know if senior's needs are being met. o We haven't talked much about the senior program — is it meeting the needs? JoAnne is always commenting the community center is the only place seniors can do anything. They come from all over the place. o Some seniors aren't able to get here or don't know that there are programs here. • There is a need for partnership, understanding, and cooperation between the Tukwila School District and Parks and Recreation Department. o The constraints to partnering are around the programming — schools are facilities, you just need to figure out joint use. The constraint is the lack of programming. o There is a long standing problem that both groups have between them, but they need to sit and talk about it. o People should be receptive to how making the parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces in the city more useful. o The incoming superintendent wants to create a productive relationship, to pull it all together. She wants the school district and city to come together a couple of times a year. o It would be a better use of resources if the Parks and Recreation department did more programs at the schools. It is certainly something they could do. There are elementary schools in all the neighborhoods, and they are very accessible. o Strikes me as you have some special groups that aren't pulling together to maximize their resources. Wouldn't it be great if it was required that all kids had to learn to swim? Same with little league and schools, that way they become lifetime users? Maximize those tax -paid resources, how do we do that in a way that it is not divisive. Seems to me that if soccer is the primary interest in the community then Starfire, little leagues, and schools could be good partners in that. o [The Library] used to have issues with kids and drugs after school. We had a lot of animosity between the library and schools. We started to meet quarterly and now have a unified approach. School relationships make it all run much more smoothly. July 10, 2013 7 35 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY • There are more people who work and leave than residents. So it is hard for people to invest time in parks and open space. There will never be enough dollars. I would like to see more of a push for employers to be involved, and getting employees involved on company time. Those are huge untapped resources. Otherwise they leave and focus on where they live. • We live in an amazing area to be outside to take advantage of everything in the region. But it is hard to get people further from this facility involved. Where would you like to see Tukwila's Parks & Recreation System focus over the next five years? Changes to Existing Facilities • Improve and capitalize on the partnership between the City of Tukwila and the Tukwila School District. o Always use assets wisely. Every community has a school — it's the one public space that's always there. I think that you have nice schools and fields, and should expand programming and use the spaces there where kids come. Work out plans to have ongoing programs around the school. Those are expensive buildings that aren't being used more than %Z the hours the entire year. Get more programs out to kids in the neighborhoods. o School Districts are really hard to work with. They charge for all kinds of stuff, but if they're willing why not use them. o There are schools where there have been facilities set up for both city use and school use. There are community rooms /facilities on school grounds. No need to create new infrastructure, use current assets. Much easier to add a gym or something as a joint use. Managed in a way that it's used in a respectful way so that it's both a district and school asset. o Want to see the school district and City resolve their issues and make this happen. o We used to have issues with the kids, drugs, etc. So the Library and Schools started to meet quarterly and now have a unified approach. School relationships to make it all run much more smoothly. • There's a lot of caring in this community. Focus on inclusion and cultural identity. How do you take that perception and make it better? Make them feel like they are more accepted? • Take the negative and turn it into a positive. • Open up golf course to Frisbee, soccer, etc. It needs to attract more people. New facilities • Growth and development of Parks and Recreation facilities, especially in areas where there are gaps in service. o There is a problem with people being underserved in terms of open space along the Pacific Highway corridor. It is a big population with limited facilities, so we need to add more facilities and services. There are facilities there that could be used. o The property behind Showalter is owned by City and should be developed for its best use. July 10, 2013 8 36 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMUNITY LEADER FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY o I would love to see some sort of youth facility in the Cascade neighborhood. A long time ago, we talked about doing something at Foster Library. We do stuff at the schools, but they close at a certain time. Just having a recreation space that's open late would help a lot more. Maybe a gym or center on that end of town. o Would like to see something done about the soccer use, some sort of improvement to the parks -owned land behind Showalter. o The more open space we have the better, once it's gone it's gone. You don't tear down buildings for parks. o The turf field owned by the school district —In the summer you can drive by at any time and there are no less than 70 -90 kids out there. As a soccer guy, it's cool, but the youth only know one thing. Kids are coming from places where soccer is super popular. Is it our value to offer them other opportunities in addition to soccer? Right now that is all they know. They need something they can expand into. These kids are all low income —mom and dad work, so they're out there all day. What do you do with these kids in the summer? They are the kids of the community. • Focus has been on youth, but parks and open space are for all users. We need to talk about everyone— biking and walking trails would really help everyone. • Wouldn't it be great if it was required that all kids had to learn to swim? • There's been some discussion about a disc golf course at a park; appeal was that that's an activity that all ages would be able to participate in and it's very inexpensive. • Would like to do low cost things. There's an anti -tax attitude, so much so that we can't get things funded anymore. Create a Parks District to pay for these things. • Programming to get people out and about in the region. • I want to see parks more wildlife friendly – get rid of grass and use native species. I also want to see better use of parks along the river. July 10, 2013 9 37 38 TUKWILA PARKS & RECREATION GOOD HEALTHY FUN Exhibit C Tukwila Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Education Expert Interviews SUMMARY BACKGROUND The City of Tukwila is updating its Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan to guide the future of the City's parks and recreation system. To create a plan that meets the needs of Tukwila's diverse community, the PROS planning process included many opportunities for public input, participation, and engagement. One of the inputs selected for this process is data gathered through interviews with Education Experts from the Tukwila School District. This document presents a summary of key informant interviews conducted with representatives of the Tukwila School District. BERK staff conducted the interviews, either in person or by phone. The interview protocol was designed to solicit school district staff perspectives on the following topics: • The City's current parks and recreation services; • Any additional programming and /or parks that should be planned for • Feedback on how the Parks and Recreation Department operates including how it can be a more effective partner, and • Needs of the community that aren't being met. INTERVIEWS • Guled Ali, Refugee Impact Strategic Advisor, Tukwila School District Administration • Brett Christopher, Principal, Showalter Middle School • Kathleen Gantz, Parent Involvement Coordinator, Tukwila School District Administration • J.D. Hill, Athletics, Activities, & Transportation Director, Tukwila School District Administration • Anne Marie Littleton, Social Worker, Cascade View Elementary School • Nina "Will" Williams, ELL & Student Services, Tukwila School District Administration July 10, 2013 1 39 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY STRENGTHS An objective of the Education Expert Interviews was to hear what educators feel are the core strengths of Tukwila Parks, Recreation, and Open Space facilities and programs as well as the department's relationships with partners and stakeholders. Core strengths that educators mentioned throughout the interviews were: • Services and programs for youth are great and well received. o Afterschool programs for teens, which provide structure, safe space, and help keep kids and teens off the streets at night are great. Teen Late Night, in particular was described as "an awesome place to be. They are getting around 150 kids a night and it is a quality program. Another interviewee notes "it isn't too far from where people live, and they have so much energy" and "I hear good things about it from the kids —it's like the cool thing to do. The kids have a good time and they provide transportation." o The teen room at the community center is a great asset for kids and teens, and allows them to connect with Parks and Recreation in a safe, but self- directed way. o "The summer sack lunch program is really important to the community, and I know that we are keeping kids from going hungry." Another interviewee notes "What they are doing at Cascade View is awesome, if that can be built up. Keep doing that and more of it!" • Tukwila has quality recreation facilities. o The pool has been refurbished and is starting to provide more offerings for kids. o The community center is a great asset —it really helps connect children and families to Tukwila's local government. It is also a community nexus. A lot of the community knows about it —but not everybody. o Our facilities are wonderful; they are high quality, clean, accessible, and well- maintained. • There is diverse and responsive programming. o The Parks Department has embraced diverse programming —like music lessons —that aren't traditional parks and recreation offerings, but which have grown their active constituency. o One interviewee noted that, "the pool and community center are really meeting needs by having women's only swims and workouts." o The Parks and Recreation Department is really responsive to the community and easy to talk to. People trust the staff. • The Parks and Recreation Department has cooperative staff with heart. o Parks and Recreation Department staff members are focused on building relationships and helping engage the people they come into contact with. o One Education Expert said, "Tukwila Community Center has quality staff, who really believe in what they do; they have a lot of ideas." o The fact that [the staff] are trying to talk to the community is a strength. One interviewee said, "five years ago I only knew Stacy and Evie [from the human services department], now I know a lot of the Parks & Recreation staff. The fact that the City is trying to collaborate with the community is a good thing." o The Parks and Recreation Department is really introspective and self- aware; interviewees appreciate that they are frequently reevaluating community needs. They are always evolving. July 10, 2013 2 40 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY o "Recreation coordinators are great partners!" Another interviewee provides a similar sentiment: "I've never had anything but positive experiences, they are a great caliber of people— sweet, professional, and kind —I've enjoyed everyone I have worked with in the community." CONSTRAINTS & WEAKNESSES When prompted, Education Expert interviewees offered insight into what they feel are the primary constraints and weakness of the Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department and its parks, recreation, and open space facilities and programs. • Community language and awareness barriers and the City's outreach strategies o We need to put some effort into providing information and advertising in more than one language, and having more translators and interpreters at events. o We need to build relationships with our Burmese and Nepali communities. . There are partners who could help us with culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach —the Parks and Recreation Department hasn't taken advantage of this yet. o One Education Expert said, "You have a community meeting at the community center, but your community can't get there. Your community is extremely impoverished; you are demonstrating you really don't want feedback. I am constantly explaining to families how to get to the community center." ▪ The schools have had to work hard at getting feedback. "We use word of mouth, you can use print but many families are illiterate, so we have to put out a huge effort". Robocalls work well and have increased turnout. Somali speakers prefer to hear the message, rather than read it. You must also keep in mind whether or not they can walk there —most [families] do not have transportation. o [Referring to the Tukwila Community Center] "Not everyone knows about it, they learn things through word of mouth. It is important they everyone knows about the community center and that everyone can benefit from it. [How would you recommend the City reach people ?] "Emailing the different organizations that know the communities, like ReWA and SCSC, they can translate and send messages to as many people as possible and word will get out pretty quickly." o The city [staff] is not diverse at all —the people who work with the City do not reflect the community at all. To build good relationships they need to establish those positions. They should establish community liaisons. Getting an invitation for a one -time event doesn't' build relationships. [The City get applicants from across the region, and they have to assess candidates based on their skills] People from Tukwila should get priority. You can't have the same expectations for a new immigrant as everyone else, if you do they will never have a chance. o People think they give input to the City with no follow up —there is an opportunity for improvement here. July 10, 2013 3 41 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY • Lack of transportation and access are barriers to using parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces. o One interviewee said, "I think mobility is a key issue, which makes affordable transportation a key need. Many of our facilities are too long of a walk." Others mentioned that it would be great to co- locate programs in schools and other buildings near Tukwila's transit centers, Southcenter Boulevard, Highway 99, 144th by the Foster Apartment complexes, and key cultural community centers. o Transportation is a problem —kids can't get to the community center. It is too far to walk, making it a constraint. • Costs are a barrier to the parts of the community that have the most to gain from access to parks and recreation programming. o Starfire is expensive to rent —more than other regional rentals like Highline Stadium, so people go outside of Tukwila to use field turf areas. o "A challenge to the before and after school care is that it does not accept DSHS vouchers. That eliminates families that are most in need." [What is the obstacle ?] "Being licensed, but they can get licensed if they want to. They are a City —they could get it done if they wanted to. No one wants to go through the required paperwork that you have to yearly to be licensed." • The relation between the City of Tukwila and the Tukwila School District is seen as an obstacle. o "Different leaders [at the District] came through with different visions of what a partnership looks like. The relationship between the City and the School District became unstable —to increase access to services and programs we need to get back to what is best for kids and families." [What's the problem ?] We share facilities and grounds; we are teaming on ball fields, etc. We just need to build the partnership back up. [How ?] "Look into best practices— figure out the focus, the mission — students, community and family, and inclusiveness...What will offer the best experience to the diverse communities ?" o [What can be done to improve the relationship ?] Just forget the past 5 years, come back to the table, and do what's best for kids. We're all here to help this community be a place kids are safe from all our adult issues. COMMUNITY NEEDS Education experts encounter community needs on a daily basis. To best insure the City's parks recreation, facilities and programming best meet community needs now and in the future, interviewers queried what community needs were unmet and how the communities' needs may change in the next five years. • Tukwila community's need is characterized by dramatic and quick community change o [What is unique about the community's needs ?] The speed in which development came —it just landed on the people here. It is now time to think about cultural competence. It is never done — it is an ongoing effort. Open dialogue encourage more conversation from both sides, we just need a structured environment to have those conversations. o The city is very dynamic and growing —it is also varying a lot, so we must be responsive to that. o More people are coming —the City is growing more and more diverse each year. Finding apartments is getting difficult. July 10, 2013 4 42 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY • Health and nutrition information, particularly for parents o Health and fitness benchmarks are not being met in many communities. o The Tukwila community needs to put a greater focus on health and nutrition —which could be enhanced through recreation programming focused on fitness and other programs focused on healthy living (like healthy cooking classes). o I am hearing things form the community —they want help with healthy eating habits. How to have healthy eating habits —we need to show them what works. o Health literacy is an area of community need. o Exercise is not an accessible concept for cultural communities; we need to make it so. o We need some gardening programs because Burmese and Bhutanese communities like gardening, and this might be a great gateway for engaging these communities. They have some gardens along the church. • Services for children who are often put into the position of being adults o It is really a challenge in that in some of the cultural communities, kids are the adults in their homes and they are put into a position of leadership that they aren't ready for. They sometimes have to miss school to help their parents. We have to help involve parents. [What would you recommend ?] I'm not sure how this is done...lt would take a special person to run, someone who reaches parents and kids, but kids at that age don't want their parents around. o [What do the youth want ?] Relationships, trust. I am always looking for opportunities, to find fun things to build relationships. You'd think we'd have everything in the big city, the truth is everything costs and a lot of kids are looking for things to do. o People don't like to admit it, but there are gangs here. We need education and intervention.[What kind of gangs ?] The same old things — Bloods, Crips, Latino gangs. They are all in Tukwila. • Transportation resources and enhanced connectivity and walkability within the Tukwila community, especially between parks, recreation facilities, open spaces and residences. o We need shuttling to and from programs, especially late at night. o We need more walkable routes and connectivity to and from parks and facilities. o Rather than move kids from here to there, bring the programs up here to the kids. • Services and programs for children, and especially at risk children. o We need a Boys & Girls type program. For impoverished people there can be no fees associated. There is an opportunity to partner with Community Schools Collaboration. Their program is free and a lot kids benefit. The only kids who are benefiting from the City's programs are those who don't qualify for government benefits. o Many of programs are fee - based, so we need more free programs and scholarships for the children and families in our community who can't afford to pay. o A lot of our youth crave leadership and more traditional relationships with adults where they have trust and structure. Children also want to learn. July 10, 2013 5 43 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY o Think about afterschool care differently; open it up to more kids. Currently [the school] provides afterschool services from 3 – 5 that includes all staff to run academic groups and homework help. The City staff can supplement to open it up to all kids. No fees, with snack, and a wide range of activities based on student needs. o We need more pre - school services. We have ECAEP that can take 25 kids in the morning and 25 kids in the afternoon. Families work so hard to get into that program, which is based on a point system. Early education is grossly underserved here —tons and tons of families are turned away. There are no DSHS providers in the area —it is really difficult to find. People are relying on family, friend, and neighbor care, which is very sub -par. There is a real opportunity to make a difference here. • Places for children and youth to play in their neighborhood o I would love to see more playgrounds with play equipment for young children. o More playgrounds with play equipment for kids at all the parks. Now we have some big parks with only one slide or two swings. We especially need equipment for three to seven year olds. o Kids need open spaces where they can play, when they live in apartment complexes. Some of the areas where we need more parks are near Cascade Community Park (which is over capacity), Thorndike, and 42nd Hill. o I see a lot of open spaces (empty lots) near 144th S and 146th S. There is an opportunity for some public /private development for the community. You could set up as soccer fields, bike loops, or regular playground equipment. • Employment opportunities, in general and for youth o Offering summer jobs is important because it prevents youth crime and gives kids something to do. This is also a great thing for workforce development. This is something the City can expand. The City is not going out of its way to hire students from different backgrounds. [What age group are you taking about ?] Ages 15 – 21, it will give them some job experience, some income and professional development...help to build their resume. o [What are the most important community needs in the African communities ?] Summer jobs. • Swimming, particularly for Muslim women o Not too many people [in the Somali community] know how to swim. The Mosque is interested in helping children learn to swim. It is important that women have access to the pool —it can work if they have women staff at women only times. Swimming is very important for women. It can help keep them healthy, and they can show their kids that you have to make an effort to be healthy. Otherwise, obesity can happen over time. • Educational programs for adults and seniors that enhance their quality of life and that of their family. o We are seeing a lot of health issues in the cycle of poverty especially with needing to encourage fitness in refugee /immigrant communities, and needing to prevent long -term illnesses and obesity related disease. o We need more education for adults and seniors. o Parent involvement is a community need —it would really be great to have some classes for parents and children to do as families. July 10, 2013 6 44 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY o [in the Somali community] Recreational opportunities for older men —they don't feel comfortable working out alongside women. o You are providing recreational programs for seniors —[the schools] could really use the volunteers to help in the classrooms. It would give a chance for youth to connect to seniors. Cascade View could be an opportunity for a very interesting volunteering program for seniors. o Seniors get a little left out because Tukwila has such a focus on families. Seniors are an important community to serve, though. • Other needs o We need to collect and leverage our community data — thinking about areas where we could share this burden as partners. o We need to build community hubs at these parks and facilities. o Now that the pool is refurbished, it would be a good time to build water safety and swimming lesson programs for children and diverse communities that don't have experience around the water. PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE The Education Experts were asked for ideas and preferences for Tukwila's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space facilities and programs over the next five years. Themes across education experts' responses include: • A focus on health and fitness. o I definitely think that health and fitness is an important end goal for Parks and Recreation over the next five years. • Enhanced outreach and service to Tukwila's diverse and historically underserved communities. o We need to provide more outreach and awareness for citizens, and new residents, so that they know what resources are available to them. o Building partnerships with nonprofits would help the department target communities through key leaders and build constituencies in specific communities (including underserved communities). o Building City of Tukwila's capacity and cultural competencies, to have more cultural understanding and awareness. • Continue to focus on Tukwila's children, regardless of income or ability to pay. o Have more youth programs that are free or scholarship eligible. o We need to prepare to serve more children —our youth base is growing! o I would like to see our Big Brothers, Big Sisters program come back. • Build relationships and trust with community members, including by engaging a variety of people in Parks Department service delivery. o We need more community members to know who staff members are, and build relationships and trust with them. o The City staff needs to be more diverse and Tukwila residents should get priority for those spots. July 10, 2013 7 45 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION EXPERT INTERVIEWS SUMMARY o The city should engage more volunteers to help with classes and bring fresh faces to programs and activities. • Build co- located programs outside of the community center and closer to high need areas in Tukwila. • Build a dog park. • I would like to see more mission -based leadership focused on serving students, families, and the community. • Parks and Recreation serves some public safety goals — especially in the prevention of gangs and violence. July 10, 2013 46 8 Exhibit D T lJ I('\'VI LA. Tukwila Parks, Recreation PARKS & RECREATION and Open Space Plan GOOD HEALTHY rUN Moving Listening Sessions SUMMARY BACKGROUND The City of Tukwila is updating its Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan to guide the future of the City's parks and recreation system. To create a plan that meets the needs of Tukwila's diverse community, the PROS planning process will include many opportunities for public input, participation, and engagement. An inclusive process that attracts diverse community input is critical to developing a plan that meets the needs of the community now and in the future. Many members of linguistic minority communities have participated in community workshops as part of the City's recent strategic planning process, as well as planning for the development at Tukwila Village. Instead of a similar workshop- format, we will gather information on community priorities and concerns through a moving listening session with a staff member, an interpreter, and several community members. The moving listening sessions will generate similar information as focus group, but will be tied directly to the park spaces and individuals' specific experiences. The objectives of the session are: • Engage members of the linguistic minority communities in conversation about recreation and play in the neighborhood, including Cascade View Park. • Identify obstacles, both material and perceived, to the City's parks and recreation facilities and program. • Identify community needs and preferences as they relate to the City's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space systems. • Identify priorities for improvements in recreation spaces and programming. Description and Summary Four Moving and Listening session were held on Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 10 -12 pm. The Moving Listening Sessions paired City of Tukwila staff with an interpreter and 4 -7 members of a linguistic minority community. Interpreters were arranged through the Refugee Woman's Alliance and Dynamic Languages. City staff were provide a focus group protocol and coached on information needs and questions to ensure similar information. The focus groups were conducted as the party walked between the ReWA offices and Cascade View Park, the route map is shown in Exhibit 1. Immediately after the focus group, staff and interpreters discussed what they heard and checked for mutual understanding. The staff and interpreter discussion was recorded and transcribed. The summary presents input by theme and discussion topic. July 10, 2013 1 47 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY Exhibit 1 Moving Listening Session Route Map 8I74) t 34th St 61 h st In 6 ' S 1381S Sr ,. In, . .. - . — fltv5,t0 I S 138 SI :55'''18 51 i 88,8881 s 5 5 In . ca 31301.5t ,12f,...; 31. 14;531 28 11. 'I 'Tr' 55 II. 5 s 5 5 a ,p ) .4.. P- t114. n tt 6; 11 141 M 9 1441si I tl 3> ' "1* S 14415 ,, s,. , s14,.4 ft tt I46th SC 5 k 31I /.;1i P13-88 HSI Spruce 148th 5 14441 St '057] s 1 lii 111141 111 In s?6, ,tts, ts .6.15245Si .54th Is S I 5411n SI a. In in 1 148th St 754 144581 144th St 148t4 1154 Sr 1.8208 St "3 .3... 11111 ft,J • • Sot 5 • 5,6 • • 11000 ft I200 m '11 111 /6 16644 St 5 64 ttt •• 8 15855 s 5e 52013 0 IgIn Mn p dsts 52013 le - Tets ..85. PARTICIPANTS The City conducted four Moving Listening sessions, each focused on a specific linguistic minority. They included: Language Parks and Recreation Staff Member Interpreter Number of Community Participants Somalian Nepali Chin, Burmese Tigrinya, Amharic Float Randy Engle Stephanie Gardner Tim Carpentier Dawn Couch, BERK Dave Johnson Abdirahman Hashi Lila Alan Clifford Chankim Afeworki Ghebreiyesus 6 9 7 6 July 10, 2013 48 2 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY SUMMARY What do you like about this park and others in the community? • Nepali, Somali, and Burmese participants appreciate the clean -up of the "jungle area" (where there was dense vegetation on the hillside of the park) and want to see it maintained. They were complementary about the change. Staff described it as a "work in progress ". • The Somali participants have very positive reviews of the parks. They have been in the community a long time and good networks. They sometimes have celebrations at Starfire and sometimes have celebrations at the community center because the community organizes. • Participants note how much families use the park —the park is beloved by the community. • Though older people of the various communities do not mix that often, the park is a place that everyone uses, and the children and mix. Participants note the importance of both having the opportunity to gather as a group, and the opportunity to mix with other groups in a non - threatening way. Parents gather and share the news with members of their own ethnic community while the children do what children do in the middle [a staff member notes that this is the dynamic he often observes in the park]. • Participants like the open mountains and the park is a lush area to come to. Green space is very important to them. • Participants like this place, love this park, and are very comfortable coming there, especially in the daytime. If no, what prevents you from using this park and others in the community? What would make you use it more? • Personal safety and security is a primary barrier to park usage for some participants. o People generally feel safe at the park, but there are some issues there, too. The Somali and Eritrean participants felt safe in the park. o The biggest issues are safety at the park and walking around in the neighborhood (between park and ReWa) The Nepali community has recently experienced harassment, theft, and people trying to take money. Some women in the community have been mugged, their jewelry has been ripped from them in broad daylight. These experiences of being threatened in the neighborhood has made the community uncomfortable with being out in public, including in the parks. The muggings have happened to younger people, so the older people feel that they themselves must be even more vulnerable and are afraid to go out. o While they love the park in the daytime, nighttime can be intimidating. • Participants describe gang members and people brandishing guns taking over the park at night. The park users call the police, and when the police come the threats always run up the hill and never get caught. The parks users were realistic and understand that the police can't always come right away, and when they do the threat is rarely resolved, it just chases the threats off temporarily. . There is lots of gang activity and drug dealing within the parks. Local youth seem to be part of the problem, immigrants believe they are seen as an easy mark. • Park users are intimidated by people asking for money and cigarettes at the bus stop. July 10, 2013 3 49 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY o Burmese participants' questions seemed centered around security. They feel more security is necessary, including things like security cameras. o Community members don't always know how to get help if something happens. • Transportation to and from parks and trails outside the neighborhood is a challenge o Many people do not have transportation between parks. o Walking to and from is sometimes not an option because of the public safety concerns. o Many parks and facilities are far removed from the cultural communities. o When it's summer, it's hard because they want the kids to get out and about but transportation is a big issue; no shuttles that are easy for them to use. • Awareness of resources and events are an obstacle to using them o While some of the participants had "heard" of the community center, none had actually ever used it. Some described it as a myth— something they everyone has heard about but no one has seen. ▪ Somali participants who knew where the Community Center was, thought it was too difficult to get to. ▪ The Burmese participants had never heard of it. It is particularly difficult to access for new arrivals. o Some community events don't have a lot of relevance to their community. For example, some community members don't really celebrate public safety services in an American way —so a touch a truck event doesn't mean anything to them. [Once it was explained exactly what the event was about, they thought their kids would probably love to attend]. o The Eritrean participants who like jogging did not know there were running trails available in Tukwila. They thought if they knew where they were and how to get to them, that they would enjoy using them for jogging. o When asked if they use any other park, the Eritrean participants' response was "what other parks? Where are these parks? Do you have a list of parks to give us ?" —this speaks to the lack of awareness of the recreation amenities in the City. Even with a translated list, participants would be disinclined to go out and explore the parks on their own. However, if a tour could be organized for a group of 10 or so, they would share the information broadly throughout the community. No one would go on their own to a place unfamiliar with everyone in the community. There could be an opportunity to do parks tours for community groups and group leaders. There is also some confusion about which open areas are parks, or are for private use. • For newly arrived groups, navigating the cultural diversity in the community and park is somewhat of an obstacle. o Participants value that it is a public park, and believe it is good all cultural groups use it. However, for some who are trying to navigate American culture, having to navigate all the cultures is intimidating. • Fees are an obstacle for some user groups. July 10, 2013 4 50 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY • In the summer months there are lots of activities and opportunities for recreation and exercise, but there are not many opportunities the other 9 -10 months of the year when the weather is bad. If yes, what activities do you or your family enjoy in this park? How do you get here? • Celebrating and gathering with other community members. o Communities have lots of events in the summer, but there is often not enough room for them to celebrate /host them. o They go to SeaTac a lot since there is more space for them there. • Non - traditional sports and soccer. o Badminton and table tennis are popular sports. o Participants like Starfire, but need them to provide discounts because there are a lot of people in their groups. o Many cultural communities need soccer facilities that are closer to them. Many youth play soccer on the school properties, but they are not technically allowed to do so. The communities are trying to navigate the community and the resources, but it is very complicated. They have tried to organize informal tournaments, but learned they couldn't reserve the grounds —an in fact weren't supposed to use them. . Participants want to be able to use soccer fields and we need to let them know they can use the fields in the City, that it's affordable and can be reserved. o The Burmese community likes to play a traditional game with woven ball. • Health and fitness activities. o Cultural communities are much more focused on fitness and exercise than the city thinks. o Many participants like to jog and feel there is a real focus on group jogging in their communities. For many, there was a social aspect to jobbing —so they prefer to jog where they are likely to see their other co- ethnics jogging. For that reason, they always go to Foster Higher. • Activities that they can participate in groups. o People like to spend time together, as a community. Many of the participants mentioned a desire to do things in community or family groups. o Particpants stressed that in their cultures they want to do things as groups – can they sign up all in a group instead of as individuals? People are disinclined to sign up for activities, or sign their children, up for activities as individuals. o Is there a standardized process or way that Tukwila could help them with organizing group events or group registration for classes? o The ethnic communities need time and opportunities to spend time together as a community, so places they can gather are very important. o Participants would like to do a soccer tournament to get all the people in their communities and other neighborhoods together. July 10, 2013 5 51 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY What activities would you like to do but can't? • Soccer is the most popular activity o Both the Napoli and Somali participants mentioned soccer as a desirable, popular activity. o The Cascade View Park, the closest park to the community isn't well set up for soccer. You do get people practicing footwork, but it doesn't have the space for playing soccer. o Starfire is somewhat far away —many people can't access it. • There is interest in non - traditional sports, especially those that don't have school sponsored counterparts, like badminton and table tennis. o Kids create their own games since they don't have facilities for doing the games they want to play, like table tennis or badminton. o Many children played table tennis and badminton back home, and don't have a place to play here. o Volleyball is a popular sport in Eritrea, table tennis and foosball are also popular. • Gardening is an activity that many would like to participate in, if there was community space to do so. o It's a big deal for them to use back at home, so they would like to do it here. o Pea - patches would be something they're interested in, perhaps not year around but in the warmer months. There are lots of open spaces on Highway 99 that have been vacant for a long time, that could fill this need o The trouble with Tukwila's pea -patch is that it is far away from would -be users. • Space for traditional, cultural celebrations and gatherings. o The park needs a larger, more usable covered area. . The small covered area that does exist is not big enough for gathering under, and there is no sitting area. It is not a shelter that meets their needs. • The Nepali participants said they needed a shelter they can use year around, so that they can come outdoors all times of the year. They have a love of being outdoors, being outside of the apartment space. • In Nepali culture, mourners need outdoor space to honor their dead. They need a place they can gather every day for 13 –16 days when a family member passes. It needs to be big enough to accommodate children and immediate family members, and something that they can reserve for an hour a day during the 13 -16 day mourning period. o Current options for large gatherings are expensive, such as Starfire and school properties. . The local Somali community is very large, and there are not a lot of options (especially low - cost options) for venues in which to gather and celebrate traditional holidays. For example, July 1 is Somali Unification Day and they need a place to gather. It is good for the community. o People need space to be together as a cultural group. o Often this space would be used for very close family members, so not a huge amount of space but enough that would be covered for a big family; maybe with picnic tables for 10 -12 people. July 10, 2013 6 52 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY o It is important to find indoor opportunities for adults to gather, too. Maybe like an open community room. • More open space for amateur and non - organized soccer and sporting use. o Many children are used to playing pick -up soccer on plain open space. o It is hard and expensive to plan and make a reservation; people would like to be able to just go play. o Right now there is no place to play pick -up soccer but they would really like to. Often the park is so crowded that you can't really play. o Everyone likes playing soccer at Starfire, but they need some sort of discount because there are a lot of people trying to use it and it is expensive. • Open space, with amenities like benches and covered areas, for being outdoors year- round. o Green space and more open space for passive use would be nice. o There are no shelters at the park; there is not a place you could gather and sit at. o Parks need more benches, because people don't want to sit on the concrete. Especially around the swing area, or areas where people are supervising their children. People are watching their kids here for hours sometimes. o Participants would like to have a space they could user year- round; there's a real love of the outdoors. • There is a need for more swings. They get very crowded. If you were able to change one thing about the parks or community spaces what would it be? • For Cascade View park, lighting is a significant issue. o The Somali participants feel the lights that are here are not bright enough. They look nice but are a decorative item, not a security item. • Play equipment is not sufficient to meet the needs. o People fight over the swings, there are not enough of them. We looked around to where we might put more swings, but swings need a pretty big fall area. That is what takes up so much room. There are only a couple of flat areas, or you would have to dig into that hill. • More information, especially information in their languages, that will help them navigate parks and tell them what they can and can't use. o People don't know what they can and can't use, so they are uncomfortable going to unfamiliar parks. o A park and information center would be a big help — people don't want to look ignorant and don't want to have to ask for help, so they sometimes avoid those situations. They would access this information passively. o They don't see people at parks sometimes, and don't know who can go where or do what at parks, so it can be confusing to use those facilities. • Parks should be equipped with clean, drinkable water fountains. o There are no water fountains at some of the parks. July 10, 2013 7 53 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY o There is no water source; this can be an incredible expense for people (buying and hauling water bottles). o Often a water fountain either doesn't work or isn't clean. • People don't want to be around smoking, and don't want their children around smoke. • Some participants couldn't think of anything they would change. Is there anything else the City can do to improve the neighborhood environment for encouraging wellness? • Provide linguistically appropriate tours, tutorials on use, and information about parks. o It would be ideal if we could get linguistically- appropriate information to them so they can share it amongst themselves. o Park tours would be a good way to get information out about the parks system, and they would be easy to expand to community groups. o People are really interested in knowing about the parks, but they don't necessarily want to go to them on their own. • Keep the dialogue with linguistic minority communities going. o Somali people have a lot of centers nearby, which could provide an inlet. o Some attendees would be willing to work as community ambassadors. o It would be a good idea to work with the school at the Mosque and set up a time to meet with members. o Using common agencies is the best way to connect with the community. o It might be possible to get some volunteer translators to help distribute a survey to gather information. o Parks and Recreation staff could attend a practice session at the soccer fields and meet with the community there. o Parks and Recreation staff should speak with the people who are using the facilities. o There should be specific outreach out to seniors from these linguistic communities. o Parks and Recreation staff should let people they reach out to for information know well in advance of when you want to meet with them, so that they can plan on what they want to talk about. o Many participants were very interested in how they could work to improve the park and community conditions in the neighborhood Other Community Concerns In addition to the questions queried by city staff, community members also mentioned other areas of concern not directly related to the City's parks. These include: • Parking during Ramadan is very limited in the City of Tukwila. o It is an issue for this area, Ramadan brings sometimes up to 1,000 people to the parks, but they have nowhere to park. July 10, 2013 8 54 TUKWILA PROS PLAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH MOVING LISTENING SESSIONS SUMMARY o In the evening, some of the local merchants will allow them to use their spaces, but during the day time there is really nowhere to park. o Ramadan is a 30 -day event and parking is probably more of a constraint sometimes than others are, but you know when it going to happen so the City could help plan for it. There are empty lots along Tukwila International Boulevard that can be used for parking needed for the community to attend Ramadan events at the mosque. • Participants shared many concerns and questions about neighborhood conditions. Community members are very interested in improving their neighborhoods, but often do not know how to address their concerns about neighborhood conditions. o Participants wondered about the empty houses and properties in the neighborhood. They believe the empty properties attract crime. o The Colonial Garden Apartments are in need of maintenance and attention from the owners. It sounds like the owners don't follow up with needed repairs. They say that the Samara Apartments owners are a lot more responsive. The residents at Colonial Garden Apartments have had a lot of legitimate maintenance concerns, including problems with toilets. o No one deals with garbage or maintenance and repairs in many neighborhoods. o [from an interpreter] there is an opportunity to involve the community in maintaining the park, it is their park. There is more opportunity with women, not so much the boys, they boys are always messy. The women can teach the boys about respect for the park. • The Burmese participants asked for a school bus to stop at Samara Apartments. July 10, 2013 9 55