Weekly Info Bulletins

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 2/26/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 26 February 2010 16:02

February 26, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Lakewood Refuse Garbage Collection Rates: Lakewood Refuse garbage collection service rates will increase by 1.783% for residential and commercial service effective March 1st. For a typical residence with weekly 65 gallon Toter garbage/recycling service, the increase correlates to $0.50 per month. The increase is in accordance with terms and provisions of the City's contract with Lakewood Refuse which allows for automatic adjustments for yearly changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and/or change, if any, in landfill disposal fee. This year's rate increases are reflective of both a CPI and a dump fee increase.
City Staff hold Permitting Construction Seminar for Korean community: Members of the community development department will be conducting a permitting construction seminar on February 26th with members of the Lakewood Korean community. The seminar is being co-sponsored by My Service Mind, a local non-profit organization. My Service Mind will have translators on hand.
"State of the City" briefings: The city manager was the guest speaker at the Lakewood Knights Lions meeting on February 23rd and at the Gyro Group in Lakewood on February 16th. The subject was the City's year-end report and the status of City priority projects.
Police thank Community for their support: The Lakewood Police Department is teaming with Clear Channel Outdoor to thank the community for their support following November's tragic police deaths, including raising more than $2.1 million for the officers' families. The thank you messages are being provided free of charge by Clear Channel Outdoor. The company is donating two traditional billboards and space on four digital billboards in Lakewood and Kent.
- Steilacoom Blvd and Gravelly Lake Dr.116th St. S and Spanaway Loop Rd.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 2/19/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 19 February 2010 16:48

February 19, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Lakewood city manager elected ICMA West Coast Regional VP: The International City Management Association (ICMA) office in Washington DC announced this week the election results for its new executive board. Andrew Neiditz was elected to a three-year term as West Coast Regional Vice President. There were 1,706 ballots received; ICMA has about 4,800 full (voting) members and total membership of about 9,000. Neiditz had been nominated by the board of the Washington State association (WCMA), of which he had been president two years ago. ICMA is the professional and educational organization for chief appointed managers and administrators in local governments around the world. Since 1914, ICMA has provided technical and management assistance, training, and educational resources to its members and the local government community.
WSDOT meets with city staff regarding Pt Defiance Bypass Project: The WSDOT secretary's chief of staff, the WSDOT regional administrator, and their senior Rail staff met this week with the Lakewood city manager and senior city staff regarding the Amtrak proposal. Discussion centered on next steps for improved public education and outreach, as well as the upcoming role of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to review the crossings to be impacted by the proposed Amtrak service. UTC has authority over all crossings, and the City's concern about mitigation (to include grade-separation where appropriate) would be addressed by UTC. The City expressed its opposition to the project as it's currently proposed.
Pacific Highway/Ponders temporary closure on March 1st: Public Works delivered letters this week to about 55 business and property owners in the Pac Highway/Ponders area regarding the full two-week closure of the railroad overpass just north of Gravelly Lake Drive, starting on March 1st. The only alternative would have been to partially close the bridge for 4-5 weeks, with one open lane and 24-hour flagging (with a few days of full closure). The Fire Department and a number of businesses agreed that a shorter-term full closure was preferable to the lengthier delays. Detour signage and maps will be posted, and access to all businesses will be available from the Bridgeport end of the road.
Senior Activity Center celebrated Valentine's Day with a Red Hot party: The room was filled on February 11th with over 60 people dressed in red and pink for the festive occasion. The Lakewood Senior Activity Center celebrated with friends, enjoyed heart-healthy snacks and had the opportunity to listen to an excellent presentation by Bob Riler from Pierce County Aging and Long Term Care. The afternoon was filled with entertainment, good friends and great food.
EDB Strategic Planning: The plan for financial support of the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board (EDB) over the next five years is underway, and the city manager participated in a survey meeting this week to assess the organization's performance for its public sector partners as well as our future requirements for recruitment, business retention, and marketing. Site selectors, investors, corporate real estate executives, and the companies they represent use the EDB for expertise and resources as they review business options in the Pierce County area. The EDB is a private-public partnership, with support from public agencies including the Port of Tacoma, Pierce County, and the cities of Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Gig Harbor, Fife, and Lakewood.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 2/5/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 05 February 2010 15:10

February 5, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Police Accreditation On-Site evaluation: Two assessors from CALEA (the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) conducted an "on-site" review of the Lakewood Police Department over three days last week. The assessors were command staff officers from the police departments in Culpeper VA and the Oakland CA Housing Authority, who had experience conducting numerous evaluations of law enforcement agencies around the nation. The assessors met with over 40 members of the department, toured facilities and the community, and conducted "ride-alongs" in addition to a public hearing. The assessors concluded their site visit with a very positive informal statement of LPD's compliance with about 460 standards that are required for accreditation. Formal reports will follow, and CALEA will award successful candidate agencies who have achieved compliance at their Dallas conference in March. If awarded with accreditation, LPD will be the first agency in Pierce County to achieve that status, and one of only a handful in Washington State.
Public Works in line for new road improvement grants: The City is eligible for a portion of about $16.7 million in new fully-funded federal grants for the Pierce County area. Lakewood's projects include Traffic Signal Upgrade ITS-Phase I ($1,000,000), Overlay of Bridgeport Way - Cirque to Steilacoom Blvd ($2.4 million), and Overlay of Steilacoom Blvd - S Tacoma Way to Farwest ($4 million). The awards are subject to final prioritization of the Pierce County Regional Council (PCRC) at their general assembly on February 18th.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services staff retreat: The staff of the newly-restructured department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services conducted a staff retreat at the Hope Center on February 5th. The purpose of the retreat was to further develop staff working relationships, assimilate the human services program into the department, and to establish action plans for the year ahead. The department includes parks maintenance, recreation services, and the senior activity center, in addition to human services.
Sound Transit to work on railroad crossing improvements: Sound Transit's contractor will be working on storm drainage systems at the railroad crossings at 100th, 108th, and Bridgeport later this month as part of the Tacoma-Lakewood Sounder commuter rail service project. This will necessitate lane closures during night hours at all three crossings later this month.
Boys & Girls Club CEO introduction: The city manager attended a reception in Lakewood on February 4th to welcome Mark Starnes, the newly appointed chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Tacoma/Pierce County. The City has partnered with the agency on the construction of the Hope Center, adjacent to Lakeview elementary school.
Public Service theme of talks to groups of students: The City's transportation engineering manager, Desiree Winkler, and lieutenant of criminal investigations, Heidi Hoffman, joined Mayor Richardson, Councilmember Whalen, and the city manager in speaking engagements on February 3rd at St. Frances Cabrini School. Each grade level was subjected to a short speech about the role of city government and the basis for public service in the community.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 2/12/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 12 February 2010 16:35

February 12, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Emergency Shelter Training Offered: The Lakewood Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department along with support from the Lakewood Police Department offered emergency shelter training on Saturday, January 30th at Lakewood City Hall. Forty-five people interested in learning how they can support their community during a disaster attended. Topics included an overview of the City’s emergency management system, how the sheltering program works and personal preparedness. Participants were able to tour the mobile shelter support trailer and listen to presentations by representatives of the Washington Community Chaplain Corps, Pierce County Animal Response Team and the Lakewood Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The City’s Emergency Sheltering Program has been developed over the past three years and was called into action during the January 2009 floods. Additional trainings will be offered throughout 2010. Volunteers are encouraged to contact the City at (253) 983-7758, if they’re interested in supporting emergency sheltering efforts.
Council Members attend the AWC Elected Officials Essentials Workshop: Council Members Mary Moss, Mike Brandstetter and Jason Whalen attended the Association of Washington Cities Elected Officials Essentials Workshop on February 12th and 13th in Tacoma. The 1 ½ day workshop gives newly elected officials a strong foundation for starting office and also serves a refresher for current officials who want to sharpen their leadership skills.
Tillicum Youth & Family Center visit: The city manager joined other interested citizens in a site visit and open house at the new youth “drop-in” center on February 9th, at the site of the former “Wander In” Tavern in Tillicum. The facility has been operational since last September, and hosts about 35 young people on a daily basis. The program assists with school work and other life skills training, and is providing an important link in a neighborhood somewhat isolated from other community programs. The program is sponsored by the Tacoma area Youth for Christ agency.
City manager is speaker at Lakewood Rotary: The city manager presented a “state of the city” update to the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Lakewood on February 12th, with about 100 members in attendance.
City staff attends New Year New You Safety Fair: CSO Gail Conelly attended a “New Year New You” safety fair at St. Clare Hospital, for hospital employees. There were 16 vendors and approximately 200 attendees. Information on vehicle prowls, motor vehicles thefts, identity theft and child passenger safety was provided.
City staff attends Operation Child ID Event: CSO Conelly attended an Operation Child ID event sponsored by the Criminal Justice Club at Pierce College on February 9th. The event was attended by 50 children and their parents. The parents were provided with an ID kit for each child, containing fingerprint cards, DNA samples, video interviews of their children, and bite impressions for each child. This is an annual event that provides a great service to parents in our community.
Council participates in Annual Chamber of Commerce Chili Cook-Off: The Lakewood Chamber’s Annual Chili Cook-Off and Auction took place at the Great American Casino on February 4th. There were 12 teams competing to see who could make the best chili. Although “Team Chili Hall” did their best, the St. Clare Hospital team was chosen the winner. Proceeds from the auction that followed the Cook-Off will be used for the “Business Students of the Year” Scholarship fund.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 1/29/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 29 January 2010 11:45

January 29, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Staff conducts one night count of homeless in Lakewood: Kim Dodds, our Human Services Coordinator, worked in collaboration with the Lakewood Area Shelter Association to perform the One Night Count of homeless individuals in Lakewood on January 28th. The team went door-to-door throughout Lakewood area motels identifying individuals who have no permanent residence. Over 100 individuals self-reported that they were homeless during this process. Individuals living in motels and on the streets of Lakewood will be combined with others currently living in shelters and in transitional housing to develop a total count of homelessness in Pierce County.
HB 2873 regarding house-banked social card game businesses: Councilmember Jason Whelan testified this week at the House Labor and Commerce committee in support of a bill that would authorize cities to limit the card game businesses (mini-casinos) to current number of businesses in the city. The proposed legislation is also supported by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).
AWC Cities Legislative Action Conference: Lakewood participated along with over 300 other representatives from cities around the State in the annual meeting of AWC (Association of Washington Cities) in Olympia on January 27th to interact with State officials and legislators, and to discuss the State budget and the implications for local government. Speakers included the Governor, legislative leaders from both parties, and several key department heads.
Public Records 101: The City Manager welcomed over 300 members of the Washington Association of Public Records Officers (WAPRO) at the McGavick Center on January 26 attending a training session on the Public Records Act and electronic records management. Members representing public agencies from cities, counties, State agencies, utility and transit districts, law enforcement, housing authorities and health agencies throughout the State attended this all-day training. City Clerk Alice Bush, WAPRO's President-Elect and Matt Kaser, Associate Attorney participated in presenting this all-day event. Also in attendance were Administrative Assistant Tes Ongoco, Paralegal Rebecca Hendricks and Assistant City Attorney Mike Savage.
City attorneys involved in state-wide issues: Assistant City Attorney Matt Kaser, on behalf of the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys (WSAMA), through the amicus committee, recently co-authored, with Ramsey Ramerman, City of Everett, and Peter Ruffatto, City of Bellingham, a briefing on public disclosure issues to Division II of the Court of Appeals for the State of Washington in Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney's Guild v. Kitsap County v. The Kitsap Sun Newspaper. Last week members of the Legal Department served on planning committees for the upcoming WSAMA Spring Conference. Assistant City Attorney Anita Booker-Hay sits on the Criminal Topics Committee and City Attorney Heidi Wachter and Assistant City Attorney Mike Savage sit on the Civil Topics committee. Heidi Wachter is President of WSAMA.
Everett PD and Roadhouse Grill present City with check: On January 25th, the Everett PD and the Roadhouse Grill presented Chief Farrar with a check for $13,400 along with additional checks from individual citizens who attended the Roadhouse Grill fundraiser back in December. Everett PD's mascot, Colby the Crime Prevention Dog, greeted everyone with a high-five as they came out to the lobby and was happy to pose for a group shot. The contribution is intended for the special fund established for the children of our four fallen officers.

City of Lakewood