Come 2020, there could be a new walking path in Pioneer Park, new bells on city street lights at Christmas and/or new water fountains in Sequim parks, thanks to you.
Leaders with the City of Sequim want to bring you in on the budgeting process with their new effort The People’s Project. The participatory budgeting process gives residents and visitors the opportunity to provide input on the city’s 2020 budget by voting on proposed projects from May 3-4 and May 6-7 at the Sequim Civic Center and Sequim Irrigation Festival.
“We think this increases trust and the visibility of being an effective government,” said Sue Hagener, Sequim administrative services direc-tor at the March 25 Sequim city council meeting. “Hopefully, this will be a whole lot of fun for the community and engage the public at a hyper-local level.”
Voters will decide how to spend up to $150,000 in the 2020 budget as part of The People’s Project, city staff said.
Tentative projects include:
• 12 Bigbelly automated trash and recycling stations, $130,000
• Pioneer Park walking path, $76,000
• 9 Water stations in city parks, $62,800
• 50 new holiday bells for city street poles, $50,600
• 7 Pet waste stations, $5,500
Anyone can vote at the Sequim Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St. at four times:
• 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 3,
• 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Civic Center and Family Fun Day on Washington Street
• 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, May 6-7
Displays of the projects will be exhibited in the Civic Center and voters will be given coupons to vote. Depending on where you live, votes will be weighted with city residents receiving three counts, Olympic Peninsula residents two counts and visitors one count.
The event will host light refreshments for participants.
One potential installation for “The People’s Project” includes purchasing 50 new Christmas bells to place along Washington Street and replace aging bells from 1981. Photo courtesy of the City of Sequim
Background
Community members originally brainstormed 100 projects at a neighborhood visioning meeting in September 2017 with some of the projects selected for The People’s Project, Hagener said.
She said they eliminated projects on private property and larger projects, such as completing the Simdars interchange on US Highway 101, and projects that required regular maintenance.
“We wanted this to be a project the community could really wrap its arms around,” Hagener said.
City staff plan for this to become an annual event where community members contribute annually.
At the voting events, participants can fill out a “Dare to Dream” card to make suggestions for future projects.
For more information on the projects, visit the City of Sequim at sequimwa.gov or call 360-683-4139.
More on projects
• Bigbelly automated trash and recycling stations
City staff said they could place 13 trash and recycling stations that use solar power to compact trash and recyclables and send alerts when overflowing. For the $130,000 cost, it’d require $100,000 for materials, $30,000 for project administration.
• Pioneer Park Walking Path
If chosen, city staff would provide an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trail through Pioneer Memorial Park at 387 E. Washington St. It’d be 6 feet wide and 860 linear feet long connecting park features. For its $76,000 cost, construction is estimated at $53,500 and $22,500 for project administration.
If voters like to walk, they may opt for a new walking path inside Pioneer Memorial Park as part of the voting process for The People’s Project.
• Park water stations
This project would include installing nine water bottle refilling stations with a drinking fountain and pet water station in city parks. City staff tentatively would place five water stations in Carrie Blake Community Park and one each in Pioneer Memorial Park, Margaret Kirner Park, Seal Street Park and Gerhardt Park. The estimated total cost would be $62,800 with $39,300 for construction, $14,500 for administration and $9,000 for installation.
• Holiday Bells
City staff propose purchasing 50 new 8-and-a-half foot bells for Christmastime to place on street poles. They’d replace 28 existing bells the city has used since 1981. Of the estimated $50,600 cost, $35,000 would go to materials, $11,600 to project administration and $4,000 to installation.
• Project pet waste stations
If chosen, city staff could add seven additional pet waste stations with plastic bags and a garbage can near neighborhood kiosks on Brackett Road, West Sequim Bay Road, Blake Avenue, Miller Road, Third Avenue, North Sequim Avenue and Port Williams Road. With a total cost of $5,500, the breakdown includes $3,600 for materials, $600 for installation and $1,300 for project administration.
Margaret Kirner Park and the City of Sequim’s other parks could tentatively host new water bottle refilling stations, if voters choose the option during “The People’s Project.” People can vote May 3-4 and May 6-7 at the Sequim Civic Center for their favorite projects. Photo courtesy of the City of Sequim
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
