I’ve had some very meaningful conversations over the last month with residents and neighborhood leaders in and around Magnuson Park, city officials, and Solid Ground Administrators about changes they want to see in their community – changes that are even more important following the tragic death of Charleena Lyles. Through these conversations, we’ve outlined a set of strategies to realize a safer community offering more positive and healthy opportunities.
That list is a long one, including community center space renovation, better lighting in the park, increased transit access, and significantly better healthy food access. Many of these needs I will address through our budget process in the fall. However, the second quarter supplemental budget (currently being discussed in the Affordable Housing, Neighborhoods & Finance Committee) represents an opportunity to re-prioritize existing funds and use them to help support some short-term needs of those living in the park.
One priority I heard loud and clear from everyone with whom I spoke was the need for more engaging programming for youth and adults at Magnuson Park Community Center. We need to fund a staff member dedicated to creating positive mental and physical health programming and to connecting users with the many nonprofit programs that already exist in the park.
I plan to bring an amendment forward at the August 2nd AHNF committee meeting to use city funds to support programming and staffing at the community center. And I have called on different departments and agencies to address needs as well: the Department of Parks and Recreation is exploring modifications to enhance lighting in Magnuson, our Human Services Department is looking into helping Solid Ground provide more on-site support at Brettler Family Place, and Metro is making changes to provide bus service to the park on evenings and weekends.
It is deeply important to me to work with my colleagues to see these critical near term changes implemented by the start of the school year to support the residents and our community.