City of Lakewood

October 22, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Make a Difference Day: The Youth Council will be coordinating events and projects for Make a Difference Day which will be celebrated on Saturday, October 23rd. The Kick-Off event will feature a food drive for the Emergency Food Network and will be held at City Hall in the Council Chamber with refreshments at 8:00am, the program will begin at 8:30 with a welcoming speech by Mayor Doug Richardson. Participants will leave for their project sites at 8:50 and the projects will begin at 9:00. The projects this year include: removing invasive plants, beautifying the entrance area and replacing markers in the cemetery at Fort Steilacoom Park, continued rehabilitation of the abandoned Flett Creek blueberry farm, graffiti removal and painting at Springbrook Park and pumpkin decorating at the Lakewood Fire Department pumpkin patch. Join us in celebrating this national day of community service.
• 100 Best Communities Celebrations: The City of Lakewood celebrated winning the prestigious honor of 100 Best Communities for Young People for the fourth time on October 18th. Over 80 community partners were in attendance as Jordan LaPier, Senior Director of 100 Best Communities, presented the 100 Best trophy to Lakewood's Promise Chair Tony Robinson and Mayor Richardson at a reception in the Rotunda at Clover Park Technical College. Following the reception, Lakewood's Youth Council hosted a celebration and meeting in Council Chambers attended by over 200 adults and youth. Governor Gregoire sent a proclamation announcing October 18th as "Lakewood - one of America's 100 Best Communities for Youth Day in Washington State." Winning the 100 Best Award reflects Lakewood's true commitment of ensuring youth have access to the five promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Effective Education, and Opportunities to Help Others. To learn more about this award or Lakewood's Promise go to www.Lakewoodspromise.us
• CSRT staffs booth at CPTC Health and Wellness Fair: CSRT staffed a booth at the 2010 Clover Park Technical College Health and Wellness Fair on October 19th. CSRT provided information on safety, crime prevention and emergency/disaster preparedness to students and staff in attendance. The fair had representatives from various community agencies and businesses that provided useful information on wellness, health and safety issues.
• Neiditz installed as ICMA regional vice president: Lakewood's city manager was formally installed on October 20th to start a 3-year term as West Coast regional vice-president of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), at its annual conference in San Jose, attended by about 2,500 members from around the nation and other countries. He was assigned to the Committee on Professional Conduct, which reviews ethics cases concerning members. ICMA has been the preeminent association of professional city managers for almost 100 years, with over 6,000 members.
• Woodbrook Late Nite: This popular school-based program originated during the Weed & Seed grant era and has been sustained by volunteers and city staff with little or no funds and is held on the first and third Friday nights from 6:00-9:00pm. Our largest attendance of 65 students attended the first Late Nite of the year on October 1st. Open gym with basketball, volleyball, dodge ball and other games and a meal-type snack are the highlights of the program. Open to Woodbrook students only, this program provides a fun, safe environment where they feel welcome and can enjoy recreational activities. Registration is required through the school office. Potential volunteers are welcome to contact Dennis Higashiyama at (253) 983-7835.
• Woodbrook Business Park - Phase 3 Transportation Improvements - Grant Application - Currently Ranked 1st: Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) informed the City of Lakewood that its application for 150th Street corridor improvements associated with the Woodbrook Business Park has been selected to move on to the next part of the process. City staff will be making a presentation to the PSRC Economic Development District (EDD) Board on, November 3rd. This project is currently ranked 1st in the region - with PSRC staff scoring as follows:
  • City of Lakewood's Woodbrook Business Park Phase 3 Transportation Improvements (83.3/100)
  • City of Bremerton's Downtown Streetscape Promenade and Retail Corridor (80.3/100)
  • City of Bellevue's NE 4th Street Extension (70.8/100)
  • City of Duvall's Big Rock Road Sewer Improvement (63/100)
  Following the presentation, the projects will be re-ranked by the EDD Board and recommendations made to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for fullest consideration for grant dollars. The grant request is $500,000 with a total project cost of $1 million.
• Park Lodge Elementary - Walk to School Event: To celebrate the completion of the sidewalk improvements around Park Lodge Elementary and October as "Walk to School Month," the City of Lakewood and Clover Park School District will be hosting a walk-to-school event on Thursday, October 28, from 7 AM - 8 AM. This event will cap a week-long educational effort by the City, School District, and Lakewood Fire District to encourage kids to walk for both health and environmental benefits. Several volunteers from the School District, City, and Police Department will be there for safety and encouragement along the walk route which starts at City Hall and continues along Main Street and Gravelly Lake Drive to the school.
• WSAMA Fall Conference: City Attorney Heidi Wachter, Assistant City Attorneys Anita Booker-Hay and Mike Savage, Associate City Attorney Matt Kaser and Paralegal/Rule 6 Clerk Ann-Marie Evans attended the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys Fall Conference October 13-15. At the conference Mr. Kaser presented a session entitled the Nuts & Bolts of RALJ's & Writs and Mr. Savage facilitated the Lightning Round. Ms. Wachter currently serves as the Immediate Past President on the WSAMA Board of Directors
• Truck and Tractor Day: On Saturday, October 16th, the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department hosted the 5th Annual Truck and Tractor Day where over 350 children and their families were able to enjoy climbing through trucks and tractors at Fort Steilacoom Park. The event also included a hay ride tour around Waughop Lake, a Pumpkin Patch where children picked out and decorated a pumpkin, face painting, jump house, games and raffles and two different monster mash fun runs. The weather and Mother Nature helped out to create an amazing autumn day at the park. This event was free to all.