AN ORDINANCE authorizing an agreement with the Arboretum Foundation for support of the Seattle Japanese Garden.
Please read the report. The Report of the Park Seattle Center Libraries and Gender Pay Equity Committee Agenda Item 15 Council Bill 118 595 Authorizing an agreement with the Operating Foundation for support of the Seattle Japanese Guardian, the committee recommends that the bill pass with an abstention from Councilmember Harrell. Councilmember Bagshaw. Thank you very much. I will be addressing this since our former colleagues, Councilmember Rasmussen and Councilmember Gordon, are not here today to do so. This particular legislation proposes a mechanism for us to ensure the financial sustainability of the Japanese garden, and the legislation proposes the transfer of the fundraising responsibilities for the Japanese garden from ARC. That's her Association for Recreation Council to the Arboretum Foundation. The Arboretum Arboretum Foundation will assume responsibilities, as it does already for the Greater Arboretum. And all of you know that the Japanese garden is in the heart of the arboretum. So the foundation's duties, should we approve this will include fundraising, membership, program management, volunteer recruitment and event management, as well as fundraising and public outreach. The transfer of the duties is supported by a number of organizations, which I will speak to in just a moment. We also have heard some opposition from a few individuals, but what we are hearing from the Arboretum Foundation, the Parks Department, ask the Japanese Garden Advisory Board. And last week, I received a letter from Tony Omar Eguchi, who is president of the Seattle Tea Ceremony Association, that they are recommending that we proceed with this. The foundation will create a Japanese garden committee with a dozen members to address the multiple needs of the garden. The Arboretum found out a foundation has staff and board members that have demonstrated interest in and involvement with the Japanese culture. And you heard from several of them today, including Diana Doshi, who is here to speak to us, and Roger Williams. Also, Terry Holmes was here as a former board of Park Commission. So I'm going to just briefly talked about the basic obligations of the Arboretum Foundation, which will be to replace ARC as the primary support organization to recognize Seattle Parks and Recreation. That's our Parks Department. As the owner and operator of the Seattle Japanese Garden, for the garden to continue to work with the Parks Department to raise funds, recruit volunteers and so on. We will also support implementation through the Arboretum for designated events, coordinate and train volunteers, and to expand and implement the Japanese Garden Membership Program. There will be much more, but this is the basic outline. The committee recommended that we proceed, and as a new board member and Vice Chair of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee, I recommend that we approve this as well. Thank you, Councilmember Bagshaw. Are there any other comments on Council Bill 118595. I'll just make some comments. I'll reiterate the comments I made during the committee where I abstained, and that is that I think the goal, the goals are noble. And what we're trying to do, we're trying to have a premier Seattle Japanese garden. And it seems as though if you look at Portland as the model of one of the best in the country, that they seem to develop a core competency, a certain organization that strictly focuses on that kind of entity as opposed to it being part of a larger portfolio. And while I think the Arboretum Foundation is an outstanding organization, my concerns was whether the Parks Department had looked at other options or what those options were, and I didn't think that they presented any other options other than sort of moving forward. The Arboretum Foundation. I am going to support this legislation, but I would ask that the the new chair continue to really sort of do a deep dove on what other possibilities might be, what support the Arboretum Foundation may be. You may recall during the committee discussion, I asked the question whether the sale Japanese garden will be a standalone five one C3 in ten or 15 years or what the plans are there. And there was somewhat of a rich conversation, sort of mixed signals there and what may make sense down the road. But certainly as an interim step, this is what the department is at least suggesting. So I will support it, but I think a lot of work still needs to be done. So having said that, are there any other comments on this bill? Be noted. Please call the role on the passage of the Bill. Burgess by Gonzalez Herbold Johnson Suarez O'Brien. All right, so I beg Shar President Harrell. I. Nine in favor and unopposed. The bill passes and chair will sign it. Next we have one, two, three, four, six appointments, I believe. And and can you read all six into the record at once, please?