HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/2020 07 Letter Requesting Inclusion of Miller Park in Proposed Budget to Gov. Inslee 't..an,gtntj ka
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 7.
For Meeting of: November 17, 2020
ITEM TITLE: Consideration of a letter to Governor Inslee requesting inclusion of
Miller Park upgrades funding in proposed budget
SUBMITTED BY: Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
A coalition of community members has joined with the City to request funding be included in
Washington State Governor Jay I nslee's 2021-2022 budget proposal to be used to upgrade
Yakima's Miller Park. The Council is being asked to approve the letter. If approved by the
Council, the letter would be delivered to the governor's office.
ITEM BUDGETED: NA
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Neighborhood and Community Building
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve proposed letter to Governor I nslee
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
Letter to o rn r In l re: Miller Park it prc went 11/5/2020 r Me c
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November 18th, 2020
Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Dear Governor Inslee,
The Yakima City Council encourages you to join the grassroots effort being led by committed
Yakima community members to restore and enhance historic Miller Park by including funding for
significant upgrades to the park in your 2021-2022 state budget proposal.
Miller Park has a long and rich history. It has served as a central gathering place for Northeast
Yakima families and friends for nearly a century. It has hosted picnics and concerts, basketball
games and reunions, and so much more. It has been a play space for kids and is home to
recreation facilities and a community center. Miller Park has been and remains a key element
of life in Northeast Yakima.
However, as Yakima has aged, so has Miller Park. The facilities and amenities in the park are
subpar. Resources needed for improvements are scarce and Miller Park is no longer able to
meet the needs of the area.
Those realities sparked an enthusiastic response from a core group of community members
who have launched a local fundraising effort to spur much-needed updates to the park. A new
pavilion, a covered performance stage, a new playground, resurfaced basketball courts with
new lighting, restrooms, tables and benches, and walking paths are all part of the vision for a
renewed and rejuvenated Miller Park.
Funds donated locally will help make Miller Park better, but additional support is needed to
realize the full vision for Yakima's first designated neighborhood park.
On behalf of the entire Yakima City Council, I urge the inclusion of funding in your 2021-2022
state budget proposal for the Miller Park Improvement Project to ensure that it continues to
serve as the core of Northeast Yakima for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Mayor Patricia Byers
Yakima
2015
1994