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Tenino introduces new contracted city planner; parks director outlines grants, quarry pool plans and revenue ideas
Summary
Contract planner Kirsten Peterson of SCJ Alliance introduced herself to the council; Parks Specialist Jessica reviewed activity registration revenue ($35,946 net), several grant applications (including a $500,000 RCO request and a $10,000 heritage grant), and preliminary restroom and pool plans for the quarry site.
Kirsten Peterson, a planning manager with SCJ Alliance, introduced herself at the Oct. 8 Tenino council meeting as the city's new contracted city planner and said she will assist with the comp plan and planning commission work. "So yeah, I am here to just introduce myself as a new City Planner," Peterson said.
Parks Specialist Jessica presented a parks operations and revenue report that showed $5,053,752 processed through the Sportsmen registration platform this year and $35,946 in net revenue after refunds and processing fees. "So $35,946 is our revenue at the end of the day through sportsmen," she told the council. Jessica described several revenue-generation ideas for the quarry pool and Quarry Lakeside Garden — including private rentals, pavilion and campground event packages, seasonal "adult night" programming, concessions and small weddings — and urged pursuing grant funding for planned restroom and trail projects.
Grant activity highlighted by parks staff included a $10,000 Thurston County Heritage Grant application to reroof the Ticknor Schoolhouse, an RCO grant application for a $500,000 field renovation (Field #2) with no cash match required, an RCO Youth Athletic Facilities application for about $40,000 (ranked No. 3 in the round, with an approximate local match), and an RCO local parks request for $500,000 to fund campground restroom improvements and phase 1 of a trailhead for the Norseman property. Jessica said one local conservancy (Angela J. Bowen Conservancy Foundation) has offered match support for a portion of the larger request.
She also presented preliminary restroom schematics for the quarry pool project and said having shovel-ready plans should strengthen funding applications. The parks team noted the health department has provided provisional approvals that allow limited operation of the pool while capital improvements are pursued.
Operational items: Jessica reported the Historical Society will contract Ruth to open the museum on Saturdays to reduce volunteer gaps, confirmed she reduced her hours to part-time at a local church while retaining parks duties, and said a recent rental at the Quarry House forfeited its deposit after leaving a large mess.
What happens next: Staff will continue pursuing grant rounds, finalize restroom and facility plans for funding submittals, and return to the council with project-specific funding requests and timelines as awards or match decisions require.
