Picture provided to the Tri-City Herald by the city of Richland

Dear Chris,

Welcome to Richland. I’m not going to hash over the parting words of our last parks director, Laura Hester, but I can tell you that she wasn’t happy when she stomped out the door. Instead, I’m going to outline what you need to know to get off to a good start.

Keep the bathrooms open and supplied with toilet paper.

Keep the bathrooms open and supplied with toilet paper to avoid emails like these from Deputy City Manager Joe Shiessl, your predecessor who will be your boss.

“Is there an operational challenge to solve,” Schiessl asked Hester one time,

“Here to help,” on another occasion.

On July 3, 2023, Schiessl wrote Hester in an email that former Kennewick City Councilmember Bob Parks had complained to Richland City Manager Jon Amundson that the bathrooms at Leslie Grove Park were locked on June 30, the Columbia Point bathrooms were locked all day on July 1 without portable toilets, and the Howard Amon bathrooms were locked and the portable toilet holding tank was beyond capacity and there was no toilet paper.

The Observer obtained the emails through the Washington Public Records Act.

Parks told the Observer in a telephone interview that he often fishes in the Columbia River and uses the bathrooms in those locations.

According to Parks, when he talked to the city manager, Amundson mentioned vandalism problems with the bathrooms.

“I don’t think that’s a good reason to lock them,” Parks told the Observer.

Know the VIPs

Know your VIPs. A local tribe tops the list but there are others.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) have treaty rights to the Richland shoreline since 1855. Don’t mess with any of it without their permission.

“Early and Often” is how Andrew Strobel, director of planning for the Puyallup Tribe, suggested jurisdictions consult with local tribes about matters that affect them.

If that doesn’t happen, I guarantee you will take the fall.

Try not to make sad people sadder by denying them a memorial bench at Leslie Groves Park

After retired Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg, now a Port of Kennewick commissioner, (see VIPs above) went to bat for a widow to get a memorial bench at Leslie Grove Park for a former Richland councilmember, Amundson wrote Hester, “Let’s discuss the email below. I’d like to learn more about the memorial bench program. How did we determine no more benches could be installed? What alternatives are there? I was also approached by someone at a different Rotary Club who was quite saddened to hear they could not purchase a bench.”

Hester replied, “We have compiled a list of available spaces in many other parks, but most callers ask to purchase a bench along the river. We don’t want to over-saturate the walkway with benches, but I understand this program has been popular. Joe, do you have additional spaces you were looking at that I’m unaware of? I would appreciate any insight you have.”

If you have any questions, the bench map is here and bench locations are available.

Two of about 50 benches and swings between Newcomer Street and
Saint Street in Leslie Groves Park.

A small tree at Craighill Park but no bench.

Be careful introducing anything new.

Be careful about introducing anything new. Hester said she had commissioned 50 pieces of public art during her career and had some new ideas for Richland art. Schiessl offered suggestions.

On June 27, 2023, before Hester was to give a presentation to the city council on public art, Schiessl wrote, “I’d like to help make sure the presentation lands successfully, and to that end, may I suggest that we update the PowerPoint presentation to include local mural examples? Uptown murals are a project that the city designed and funded and they are popular in the community. There is also a great mural commissioned by Port of Kennewick at the Columbia Wine Village, too. Use of local examples in the presentation will help build on existing community support and momentum.”

Hester responded, “I will take out the r2d2 art and add some local art. I do want to bring my experience to the table. The Focus will be the art representing Richland, but this is also my opportunity to bring my expertise to the table in guiding towards picking art that will better represents the local area and the City of Richland.”

Prepare to be micromanaged.

/\    /\   /\   /\  (see above)

Watch out, residents have different opinions.

Nothing demonstrates Richland’s different opinions on the parks than these emails.

“One of the delights of long sections of Leslie Groves Park is the ability to walk along the path and hear the birds, and even occasionally to spot wildlife like porcupines,” one resident wrote Shiessl.

Another resident wrote about the same park, “I also find it irresponsible to actively encourage habitat in an urban park. I deeply dread the day when one of those visiting dogs happens upon one of the porcupines that have been frequenting the neighborhood recently.”

Good luck Chris!

Randy Slovic, Editor

Tri-Cities Observer

Correction: Ken Hohenberg retired as Kennewick police chief not the sheriff as previously reported. The Observer regrets the error.