Parks Board Meeting - Bellevue, March 23, 2026

The March Parks and Community Services Board meeting was called to order on March 23, 2026, with a quorum present. The agenda and February 2026 meeting minutes were approved unanimously. The meeting featured public comments, board communications, and a detailed presentation on the City of Bellevue's Diversity Advantage Plan 2035, which outlines equity objectives and key equity indicators for the next decade.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda for the March 23, 2026 meeting was approved unanimously.
• The minutes from the February 2026 regular meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Alex Zimmerman (pre-registered speaker) criticized the city for not showing faces of meeting attendees, claiming a violation of free speech and referencing prior legal cases. He questioned why 150,000 people cannot speak more than 30 minutes, and stated he is a Jew who supports Israel and Donald Trump. He was asked to stop when his comments exceeded allowed topics.
• Hizzor (online) expressed disgust at Zimmerman's comments, stated such hate speech has no place at a parks commission, and thanked the board for their service. He suggested Zimmerman be banned for six months.

Discussion Items

• Director's Report (Shelley McVeigh, Deputy Director/Acting Director):

  • Summer activity guide and summer day camp guides are out.
  • Registration opens March 30 (residents) and April 6 (non-residents) at noon.
  • Crossroads Community Center will host a summer camp open house on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering one-on-one support for financial assistance and translation services.
  • Bellevue Youth Link’s Unity Through Diversity event is April 3, 6–8 p.m., at City Hall (free, pre-registration required).
  • Dahlia tuber sale at Bellevue Botanical Garden on March 20, March Mania Plant Sale on March 22, and sheep shearing event on April 25.

• Board Communications:

  • Paul: Reported moderate attendance at Inspiration Playground, empty during rain.
  • Eileen: Shared experience with indoor kite flying at Crossroads Community Center, noting health benefits (balance, motor skills) and gratitude from participants.
  • Eric: Met with HR regarding homeless camp program; requested information on how parks and park rangers coordinate with police and human services for upcoming warmer months when homeless activity increases.
  • Elizabeth: Expressed gratitude for freedom of speech, despite hearing distasteful opinions. She shared observations from a trip to Silicon Valley where restored natural areas near train stations supported wildlife, and encouraged similar connectivity in Bellevue.
  • Marian: Mentioned visiting Woodlawn Park, noted Earth Day event at Wilburton Park on April 18 (corrected from April 17), and applications for Bellevue’s Essentials (civic engagement program) are open.

• Diversity Advantage Plan 2035 Presentation (Sarah Boyle, citywide DEI administrator; Doug Rayford, Parks DEI administrator):

  • The plan updates the 2014 Diversity Advantage Plan, adopted by council in December 2025.
  • Contains 41 equity objectives aligned with council strategic targets, covering both external services and internal operations.
  • Bellevue demographics: Over 60% of residents identify as non-White, 40% born outside U.S., about half speak a language other than English at home, 10% have a disability, and 17% of adults in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma metro area identify as LGBTQ.
  • Previous challenges: Inconsistent departmental DEI plans, no central tracking, lack of metrics. New approach includes short-term equity plans (STEPs), key equity indicators (KEIs), centralized dashboards, and regular review.
  • Over 100 STEP activities and over 100 KEIs developed across departments.
  • Example KEI: Disaggregating park access by neighborhood reveals Factoria only has 10% of households within a 1/3-mile walk of a park/trail (versus citywide average of ~73%).
  • Parks-specific examples: Creating accessible park spaces through inclusive design; using feedback data to improve recreational programming and reduce barriers (e.g., increasing scholarship funds, training, translation services).
  • Paul questioned how the dashboard will convey narrative to avoid purely data-driven presentation; Sarah explained literal narratives will provide context and scope of influence. Paul urged consideration of rapidly urbanizing areas in metrics.
  • Eileen asked about community input timing; Sarah noted 41 objectives were developed from over 1,000 pieces of community feedback in 2023, with ongoing annual public forums. Examples of resulting actions: community court program (launched July 2023), new citywide community engagement team, budget equity toolkit, increased recreation scholarship funding.
  • Ryan (staff) noted the presentation helps level-set as the board will soon tackle budget recommendations and the Parks and Open Space System Plan update.

Key Outcomes

• The board received the Diversity Advantage Plan 2035 presentation and will have follow-up discussions during future plan updates.
• The next meeting (April 2026) will focus on reviewing the capital improvement program budget.
• The chair confirmed the meeting date is April 15, 2026.
• No formal votes were taken beyond consent items.
• The meeting adjourned after all agenda items were completed.