A summary of the minutes from the Nov. 7 meeting. The next meeting is Dec. 5, 7 p.m., at the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue headquarters fire station, 26642 Miller Bay Road NE, Kingston.

New Business
On behalf of other downtown Kingston businesses and landlords, Paul Pluska, owner of J’aime Les Crepes on the Kingston waterfront, brought a concern to share with KCAC committee members.

One of the main goals of local business is to try to get locals to come into town to frequent business. Summer months create a lot of the revenue for businesses to help compensate for lower winter traffic. Recently, proposals have been submitted for portable concession stands on Port property. This is causing considerable local concern.

Local businesses are hoping that something can be written into the design standards to deter this type of business proposal; if it starts, it doesn’t seem there would be an end.

Walt Elliott explained that several months ago, the Port was approached about putting a donut booth into an open parking space. Design standards indicate that stands of 200 feet or less are acceptable. The question is, do we want to allow temporary food wagons in the urban village core? The only thing addressed in use tables now is produce stands.

The Port has asked the potential vendor to go to the county to see what is allowed and then present this information. There does need to be clarification on the issue. Paul questioned why it would be difficult for the Port to deny this type of use of a parking space. If it gets started and if it continues, summer revenue for Kingston businesses would be lost and, over time, significant revenue would be lost. Local business would be unable to sustain themselves of they were forced to compete with temporary summer food wagons who have nothing invested.

Paul represents four businesses and a few landlords, most from the downtown area. A letter has already been sent to Commissioner Gelder, who heard the concern immediately and will be attending the next Port meeting. Locals will put out petitions if necessary. This is not a design standard issue; it is a property use code issue. Do we want a prohibition on portable stands? How would this affect the Farmers Market? Betsy Cooper volunteered to look into this more. This issue will be discussed further next month.

Subcommittee reports
Parks & Open Space — Walt Elliott
REI will be coming to Silverdale in fall 2013 and intends to award two $10,000 grants in the area by the end of 2012. The objective is trail development and maintenance in the heritage parks. The recipient will need to be a 501-(c)3 organization. The North Kitsap Trails Association will be looking into it.

Commissioner Gelder met with the Suquamish Tribe regarding the White Horse trail maintenance. They are currently doing trail cleaning. There are initial ideas about trail user parking at the north end of White Horse trail when clubhouse work has been completed.

Signs have been posted at the Village Green Park notifying all that use is limited to daylight hours. There have been signs of vandalism. The county will likely not continue to empty the trash receptacle at Arness Park. They have proposed that the Village Green empty the receptacle in exchange for being allowed to dump Village Green and Arness trash into the dumpster at the community center. We are looking into this.

Community reports
Kiwanis — Ken Hanson
Kiwanis hosted more than 150 children at the annual Halloween Carnival. The Key Club, IGA, Albertsons, Kitsap Credit Union and Borrowed Kitchen Bakery donated.

On Nov. 17, the Kiwanis held its Apple Cup Food Drive at IGA and Albertsons. The Kiwanis monthly evening meeting is changing to the fourth Thursday of the month beginning in January.

Chamber of Commerce — Sandy Scott
There will be a Chamber fundraiser in February; it will be a Mardi Gras theme and will be held in Port Gamble. More details to come.

Kingston Stakeholders — Dan Martin
Stakeholders have agreed to a community signs committee to evaluate existing Kingston information signs and maps. Signs being looked at include the sign entering Kingston from the ferry, the sign on Ohio to downpoints, the sign and map across from the Main Street Ale House and the sign entering Kingston from the west on Route 104. They will report results to the Kingston Chamber Board of Directors. The Chamber will then add a line item to their budget for maintenance purposes.

The sign and map that was located at the Kingston Community Center for decades has been removed due to several citizen complaints to the Kitsap County Parks Department. In addition, there is a plan to add a “Welcome to Kingston-North Kitsap” mural on the CenturyLink building. Susan Rodgers has been pursuing this project for more than two years. The corporation has agreed to allow the project under their guidance, because the existing painted mural is looking well worn. They also reserve the right to take it down whenever they wish. Brad Pugh is designing 14 to 16 panels (die bond). CenturyLink wants its logo to be artistically included somewhere on the display.

Village Green Foundation — Dave Wetter
We hope to leverage excitement about the construction of the senior housing apartments very soon, both by beginning the design phase of the community center and launching the public phase of the capital campaign. Individuals, local businesses and community groups have pledged nearly $550,000 to the project.

There has been some vandalism at the picnic pavilion — so far, just light fixtures stolen — that is going to become a material concern for the MPD budget if it’s not stopped. The plan is to limit access to the park after dusk unless and until there is legitimate activity there; ask the Sheriff’s Department for help enforcing the policy; and enlist the support of neighbors in calling the MPD Google Voice number if they see anything suspicious there: (360) 930-9242. The MPD will in turn notify the sheriff. Betsy asked if they’d considered using motion-activated “critter cams” to catch those vandalizing the property.

The pea-patch garden’s deer fence is nearly done, and it looks great. The funding came from several individual donations and a couple of grants secured primarily by Jane Mack and Bobbi Wodtli. It provides the impetus for supporters to take the organizational steps needed to begin gardening in the spring.

Open comment/General announcements
It was agreed that KCAC would send a letter to the school district about the potential of closing Gordon Elementary School. In the context of the Master Plan, it would be beneficial to keep the school open; it’s part of the county growth plan with regard to the UGA. Trails connect the three schools, and the district identified it as a multi-school campus when construction of a new high school was proposed.