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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014
City Council debates ShoWare Center debt, loan BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
Debt seems to be one certainty about Kent’s ShoWare Center but now the City Council must determine whether part of that
debt should be considered a loan or a subsidy. Council members debated for more than an hour at a Tuesday workshop the ramifications to call $18.5 million of city payments to the Public Facilities District
(PFD) debt service a loan or a subsidy. The city set up the PFD through the state to help build the $84.5 million city-owned arena. “It’s a fairly complicated issue,” Council President Dana Ralph said. “The bookkeeping outcome
is if it’s a debt it needs to reported as such in our budget and if it’s money that will not be paid back to the city’s general fund then it needs to be reported as such.” The council couldn’t agree on what to do so the discussion
will continue at the council’s Operations Committee meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Depending what that committee decides, the issue could go to the [ more SHOWARE page 4 ]
City might partner with YMCA to build facility in Kent BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
WINTERFEST Don Dinsmore guides Santa on his pedicab sleigh along Ramsay Way during Kent Winterfest last Saturday. Mayor Suzette Cooke, left, dressed as Rudolph, Miss Cornucopia Mithula Rarmal, right, and reindeer-clad City Councilmembers escorted Dinsmore and Santa to their destination –
the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Town Square Plaza. The Kent Lions and Foundation, an all-volunteer civic organization, funded the free community event. Story, more photos page 2. ROSS COYLE, Kent Reporter
A potential partnership between the YMCA of Greater Seattle and the city of Kent could lead to construction of a YMCA facility in Kent. City officials are considering a possible donation of park property on the East Hill to help speed up the process to get a new pool and recreational facility in town. “The city has been in conversation with the YMCA for probably about four years now as we try to solve our future aquatic center needs,” City Parks Director Jeff Watling said at a City Council workshop last month. “They are a nonprofit agency that has an interest in serving the East Hill of Kent.” The YMCA needs about 4 or 5 acres to build a facility, Watling said. “A specific park site/location has not been finalized,” Watling said in an email. “We continue to explore this option and possible [ more YMCA page 4 ]
School board members laud outgoing superintendent’s accomplishments BY ROSS COYLE rcoyle@kentreporter.com
Vargas
As Superintendent Edward Lee Vargas steps down from his position, he’ll
have left some powerful marks on the Kent School District. Vargas is considered responsible for the creation of pivotal programs in the school district such as PASA (Parent
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Academy for Student Achievement) and iGrad (Individualized Graduation and Diploma). He’s credited with making the district more transparent. At the same time, Vargas has weath-
ered several controversies, including the teachers’ strike in 2009 and most recently a union complaint against [ more VARGAS page 8 ]
2014
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