This column is provided by Village Green Foundation Executive Director Nick Jewett and Village Green Metropolitan Park District Board President Bobbie Moore.

The steps taken since our last report in the Community News were small but meaningful:

Library reaffirms partnership

Kitsap Regional Library management and the Village Green Foundation are reaffirming our joint commitment to building a new library in the replacement multipurpose community center at the Village Green.

Ideas generated in the foundation’s most recent meetings with KRL representatives included building a smaller library than the 7,500-square-foot facility originally planned; having the building share an entryway with the other community center spaces; and coordinating grant-writing expertise between the KRL Foundation and the Village Green Foundation.

Site work begins

We’ve begun site engineering work by contracting to have soils testing done. These costs will likely be shared with Shelter Resources, Inc., who, in partnership with Martha & Mary, will be developing the affordable senior housing complex at the Village Green.

You may recall reading last month that SRI/Martha & Mary has signed a purchase agreement for the housing property. Their partnership has also cleared the first hurdle to qualify for tax credits as a significant piece of their funding picture.

Grant writers wanted

Boys & Girls Club: We’re coordinating our grant-writing efforts with those of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, the umbrella organization for the Kingston club.

Speaking of grants, please let VGF know (see below for contact information) whether you’d like to participate in a three-hour workshop about writing grants for this project, on March 10 at 1 p.m. in Kingston. Let us know whether you’re available.

Park district passes budget

The commissioners passed a budget on Feb. 15 totaling $40,000. These represent park maintenance fees that VGF has been incurring; administrative costs such as legal and insurance; contingencies that allow for unknown costs that might be incurred should the MPD agree to take ownership of the Village Green property from the county; and a line item for cost of the first commissioner position election in November.

A resolution was passed to secure Suquamish attorney Thornton Percival as legal representative for the district.