City Councilmember Lisa Herbold detailed the current District 1 budget priorities in her newsletter to constituents.

District 1 Budget Priorities

Adding three inspectors to the Vacant Building Monitoring Program 
Since 2013 complaints related to vacant buildings have increased by 64 percent. The proposal would provide resources in SDCI for the Code Compliance division to enhance the existing Vacant Building Monitoring Program. The enhanced program would add a. buildings in the development pipeline, b. buildings that SFD and/or SPD are monitoring, and c. buildings that have had three or more violations within a 36 day period to the monitoring list and those buildings will be monitored monthly by the three new inspectors.

Funding for Community Learning Center at Concord International Elementary School 
This is to provide bridge funding for a before & after-school program for at risk students; to replace funding when the YMCA decided to end the program.

South Park Public Safety Coordinator
This is to continue the community-driven work begun  during the 2016 budget, when Council created the South Park Task Force, which recommended a bilingual, community resident for position. Last year’s budget funded the position, which was not maintained in the Mayor’s proposed 2019/2020 budget.

Funding to allow Colman Pool stay open for an additional 4 weekends a year. The price has been reduced to $40,000 which will be offset by the revenue generated from fees paid to attend to pool.

Trail Access on SW Brandon Street
The Parks Department has indicated they can do this work next year and will incorporate it into their current budget allocation. This will allow the Parks Department to begin the community planning and outreach process for trail access on SW Brandon Street.

Highland Park Way SW/SW Holden Street Roundabout project and CIP entry
This would establish the project in the SDOT’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). In coming months WSDOT is expected to announce awards for a grant SDOT has applied for.

35th Avenue SW and CIP addition 
This would add road paving for 35th Avenue SW between Morgan and Roxbury to the SDOT CIP.

South Park Playfield
This will add a new CIP project to reserve already committed $1.8 million in funding in the Parks and Recreation CIP.

District 1 Planning report for Westwood/Highland Park, Avalon/Admiral, and Delridge neighborhoods in 2019 and 2020.

Adding and funding an additional Animal Control Officer, to be funded with pet licensing fees.

Move Levy spending plan   SDOT is presenting a revised spending plan because of the inability to move forward on the current plan because of too rosy estimates of costs to deliver proects and increased labor and construction costs.  This action would require Council’s to approve SDOT’s revised spending plan scheduled for presentation to the Council by December 1.  This approval will be necessary before SDOT can implement the new plan.