2020/09/16 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

September 16, 2020 Due to the uncertainties created by the pandemic, we're building some flexibility into our work plans, and focusing our efforts on public art and empowering artists. You may have seen new murals popping up -we expect more to come. We're also moving forward with public art installations on Broadway and Hoyt. We may not know when we'll be able to host large events again in our city, but we are looking ahead to that day and have been working with the governor's office to create guidelines for safely hosting events. We're also in the planning stages for Sorticulture and the Wendt and Mayor's Arts Awards, and exploring alternative ways to provide those experiences if we cannot convene them in person. This budget also proposes new funding that will allow our cultural arts commission to partner with the city on either a cultural event or art project to commemorate this challenging year and help our community heal. In addition to having a vibrant arts scene, having beautiful parks and amenities also makes a city a wonderful place to live. Our parks have been a much-needed haven during this pandemic and are one of the few city amenities that's remained open throughout this time. Some of our high-touch areas like playgrounds and picnic areas are still closed, but our trails, sports courts, and boat launches are open. And our golf courses have been thriving, reporting record-breaking number of rounds and revenue. Our 2021 budget will focus on continued protection of our green spaces.To ensure our 774 acres of park property and our 45 parks are well cared for and in excellent shape, I am proposing the addition of one maintenance project coordinator position and to repurpose a portion of our parks seasonal dollars to fund six more entry-level maintenance positions. Next year also includes funding to complete the Emma Yule park, adjacent to the new YMCA on Colby, as well as upgrade our playgrounds at Thornton A. Sullivan and Howarth Parks. I'm also very excited for our plans to start work on the Silver Lake trail, which I'd hoped to do this year, but work was paused by the pandemic. This project will move forward in 2021 and create a connected recreational route all around the lake.