Among the points of discussion during a joint meeting of the Covington City Council and the Kent School Board:

• School district officials, concerned about pedstrian safety for students, wanted to work with the city on sidewalks or walking paths for youngsters to traverse when heading to school. City manager Derek Matheson said that’s on Covington’s to-do list.

“As development goes in, we do require developers to help mitigate for traffic impacts,” Matheson said. “We’re going to become more aggressive in seeking out (state funding for projects). We’re going to try and cobble that together and work one project at a time.”

Mayor Margaret Harto said sidewalk safety “needs to be a shared effort.”

• “We can learn from you when it comes to graffiti,” Harto said, referring to the district’s efforts to stop graffiti. The council is considering new ordinances to deter tagging and vandalism at places like Covington Aquatic Center.

District security officers survey every building in the morning before school starts, and the district has a graffiti removal and window repair team that is on call to take care of vandalism so that it’s gone well before the first bell rings each morning. District officials have found if no one sees it, the vandals realize it’s not worth the effort and fewer incidents occur.

• Board member Bill Boyce said the two groups ought to meet regularly to discuss mutual interests.

“There are things we talked about that are three or four years out, but there are other things we can start looking at right away,” Boyce said. “My goal would be that this won’t be the only time we meet. If I had my way, we’d meet twice a year, at the beginning of the school year and at the end.”

Harto said a relationship with the school district “is good for us. As our community grows, there’s going to be a significant impact.”

Staff writer Kris Hill can be reached at (425) 432-1209 (extension 5054) and khill@reporternewspapers.com