THIS IS AN ARCHIVED NEWS STORY FROM 2020 AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ARTICLE MAY NO LONGER APPLY. FOR THE LATEST COMMUNITY NEWS CLICK HERE.
The Newcastle City Council roundups offer a digest of notable items for those who can't make it to the regular meetings. View the meeting agenda packet here and watch the meeting video here. View past City Council roundups at newcastlewa.gov/councilrecaps.
COUNCIL AUTHORIZES GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR LAKE BOREN, DELEO WALL PROJECTS
The Newcastle City Council authorized staff to apply for Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grants that would support expansion of Lake Boren Park and assist efforts to save the DeLeo Wall from logging.
In an unanimous vote, the Council gave their blessing to pursue an RCO grant that could go toward acquisition of the Dalpay property, thus preserving the DeLeo Wall as permanent open space. If successful, this grant, along with others the City has received with the help of King County, would eliminate the need for City funding to go toward the property purchase. In other words, the funds to pay for this project would come from alternate funding sources (i.e. grants), not the City budget.
The City will also apply for an RCO grant to support the first project to come out of the Lake Boren Park Master Plan. The south shore expansion project would open up and develop underutilized areas of the park with the construction of a wetland boardwalk trail and a shoreline viewing area. The City applied for this award during the previous grant cycle and just missed the ranked cut-off point to receive funding. The project is now shovel-ready this time around, which staff hopes will contribute to a higher ranking.
If successful, grants will be awarded in July 2021.
GENERAL UPDATES
— Mayor Newing recognized the City’s Public Works Department with a proclamation honoring National Public Works Week.
— Read City Manager Wyman’s Report for news on Comcast’s response to internet reliability issues, a project to construct handrails on a staircase connecting the Olympus/Vineyard neighborhoods and the Newcastle Cares Essentials Drive.
— Toward the end of the meeting, the City Council moved to closed executive session to discuss matters related to potential litigation and legal risk.
The Newcastle City Council wants to hear from you! Members of the public are invited to share thoughts during public hearings or two open public comment periods at meetings. Regular meetings of the City Council occur on the first and third Tuesdays of each month starting at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. You can also email your thoughts to Councilmembers at [email protected].