Residents urge Activity Center upgrades: kitchen, ADA access and modernization

Several public commenters and councilmembers said the Activity Center should be a top candidate for CDBG or SSP funding to expand community services. Diane Hildebrant asked explicitly for "getting the kitchen back in the Activity Center, and also making the Activity Center ADA compliant. She suggests that the ramp is great, but once they get to the doors, they can’t open them." Councilmembers and Manager Harvey discussed whether the project could be scoped as a single kitchen repair or a broader modernization that includes ADA‑compliant doors, bathrooms, parking and accessibility improvements.

SEAGO staff and council members noted that the state special projects fund can pay for planning and engineering for larger multi‑year projects and that CDBG planning/design caps exist (about 20% on planning). Mayor Johann R. Wallace emphasized using SSP for scoping and engineering so a later CDBG implementation application would be shovel‑ready. No formal project decision or funding award was made at the hearing; the council asked staff to include the Activity Center modernization on the compiled project list for later resolution and application.