Weekly Info Bulletins

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 6/26/09

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 26 June 2009 10:06

June 26, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Association of Washington Cities Annual Meeting: Council Members Finnigan and Neary, the city manager, and communications director Jeff Brewster attended the AWC's annual conference in Spokane this week with 400 participants representing cities around the state. Key speakers included Rogers Weed, the newly-appointed director of the State's new Department of Commerce (formerly CTED). Work sessions covered numerous subjects ranging from fiscal planning to positioning for economic recovery, public safety, leadership and economic development. Councilmember Neary was a presenter on Citizen Communication, and the city manager participated in the selection and appointment of the new AWC CEO, Mike McCarty.
SummerFEST 2009: The 2009 SummerFest was a success in all aspects. Attendance was up, with approximate numbers leaning around 10,000. The Kids Zone which included a rock climbing wall and air supported inflatable's had just over 800 kids participate. The two stages of entertainment had crowds throughout the day. A new addition this year came from the Tacoma Company of Army Recruiters, who put on a Fitness Expo for people of all ages. The marketing team for the Army also brought various sports teams from around the area to conduct youth clinics and sign autographs for the children. Teams included: Seahawks, Sounders, Rainiers, Storm and Seagals. This was a great addition for the kids. The event finished off Saturday with an outdoor movie. On Sunday there was an Army Strong 5k Father's Day Run that attracted over 200 participants.
Lakewood Police Dept hosts Narcotics Investigation training course: Lakewood Police hosted a Mid-Level Narcotics Investigation training course this week. The curriculum included intelligence gathering techniques, the structure of drug organizations, informant control and management, as well as other more law enforcement sensitive subjects. As the hosting agency, we received 5 free slots saving the department about $1,000. The new police facility allows for a much improved emphasis on training and development.
Police Marine Services attends CJTC Course: The entire Marine Services Unit (MSU) attended and completed a 24-hour Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC) course in Boating under the Influence (BUI) detection and arrests. The course was sponsored by the Washington State Parks and held in Puyallup on June 10-12.
Gang presentation to Lakewood 1st Lions: Officer Crommes gave a Gang Presentation for the 1st Lions Club on June with about 25 people in attendance.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 6/19/09

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 19 June 2009 15:50

June 19, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Don't miss SummerFEST '09! This event will be held Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st at Fort Steilacoom Park. Festivities on Saturday begin at noon and end with the showing of The Express on the big screen presented by Comcast! Saturday activities include live music on two stages, over 100 food, arts and craft and service vendors, Army Strong Fitness Expo, Partners for Parks Car Show, a Kidz Zone inflatable area, Clinics by the Seahawks, Rainiers, Sounders, Storm, and Seagals, Game Matrix, pony rides, a super slide, a soccer tournament, r/c boat races and much more! Sunday activities will begin at 8:30 with registration for the Father's Day 5K Fun Run - race time is at 10:00 a.m. From 9:00 a.m. - Noon you can enjoy the Army Strong Fitness Expo complete with Boot Camp fitness sessions, fitness competitions, basketball toss, body fat measurements and thunderbirds hockey Inflatable. For more information, please visit us at www.lakewoodsummerfest.com
City Staff and School District Discuss Neighborhood School Park Pilot Project: Last week, City of Lakewood and Clover Park School District staff met with neighbors surrounding Lake Louise Elementary School to discuss the neighborhood school park pilot project. Staff reviewed the history of the project, site selection criteria, project timeline, site improvements and how to participate in a neighborhood block watch program. Construction of a new playground structure and swings, ¼ mile walking trail, access improvements and other site amenities is anticipated the week of July 13-17, 2009.
Countywide federal grant funding approved for street projects: At the June 18th Pierce County Regional Council meeting, the PCRC approved their Transportation Coordinating Committee's recommended project list for Countywide federal grant funding. Included in the approved list are two Lakewood projects: Bridgeport Way improvement from Steilacoom Blvd to 83rd St ($750,000 grant award) and 100th St improvement from Gravelly Lake Dr to 59th Ave ($867,000 grant award). Final approval rests with Puget Sound Regional Council which shouldn't be an issue.
LPD attends Undercover Operations Training: Detective Ryan Larson completed a week's worth of training with the FBI, in a class called Undercover Operation. This training on the east coast is at no cost to the City.
LPD staff gives presentation to NARPM: CSO Mike Miller was invited on June 17th to address a meeting of the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) regarding personal safety of property managers and staff; Crime Free Housing; and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design concepts (CPTED). The attendees were all professional property managers or owners, and they appreciated the examples used from actual events here in the Lakewood apartment community.
CABC Leadership Forum: On June 16th, Mayor Richardson, the city manager and city attorney conducted a "leadership forum" for all interested Citizens Advisory Board and Committee (CABC) members and supporting City staff. Twenty-two CABC members participated and received refresher training on open government requirements, the conduct of public meetings, and what it means to be a good board member. The forum also identified the respective roles of CABCs, the Council, and the staff. City staff support fourteen boards and committees; twelve of these advise the Council on policies and/or recommended City priorities. The two exceptions are the Civil Service Commission and the Lakewood Sister Cities Association.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 6/5/09

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 05 June 2009 16:03

June 5, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Homicide of armored car driver: The Lakewood Police Department, with the support of other agencies, did an outstanding job of responding to the senseless crime at Wal-Mart this week, and working with County prosecutors to resolve it. Representatives of the Loomis Company and Wal-Mart expressed their profound appreciation for the effective coordination and response.
Building and Development Update: Total new construction valuation for the month of May 2009, was $1,901,511. Total new construction valuation from January through May 2009 was $34,595,593. Given the state of the economy, Lakewood's permit valuation has remained relatively healthy. Carl's Junior, a nationally recognized fast food chain received its building permit to begin construction of a new restaurant, located at the corner of Gravelly Lake Drive SW and Main Street SW. Red Robin, also located in the Towne Center, received its final occupancy permit. Red Robin will open "officially" on July 5th, and is in the process of training employees.
City manager meets with Pierce County management team: The Lakewood city manager was invited to do a presentation at the monthly meeting of the Pierce County Executive's management team on June 3rd, and outlined the City's priorities and potential areas of collaboration with the County.
Street Chip Seal Program to start soon: The City's 2009 street chip seal program, which involves 14+ miles of local access streets, will begin later this month depending on the weather. It encompasses those local streets within northeastern quadrant of the city; more specifically, those local access streets bounded to the north by 83rd St, to the west by S Tacoma Way, to the east by Interstate 5 and to the south by 96th St. SW. It will also include a section of 94th St SW (dead end Street) located on the west side of S. Tacoma Way SW. The work should only take a week to complete and there will be some access inconveniences to the abutting properties during the chip sealing process. Additionally, the annual street re-striping work commences next week, depending on the weather.
Clover Park School District Follow Up on "Innovation, Involvement, and Improved Student Achievement": On June 10th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Lakes High School, the superintendent and staff will present a progress report and updates to the discussion points identified at the jointly-sponsored workshop (and viewing of the film "Flunked") at City Hall in February.
City presents to Tillicum/Woodbrook Neighborhood Association: The Public Works and Community Development departments presented information to the Tillicum-Woodbrook Neighborhood Association at its June 4th meeting. Transportation division manager Desiree Winkler provided an update to residents on the sewer project during the first week of construction, and addressed questions regarding traffic control, removal of mature trees, and street reconstruction. Community Development director Dave Bugher and senior planner Deborah Johnson provided an overview of the Tillicum Neighborhood Plan.
City Prosecution Update: The City's Legal Department had a busy May trial term with some trials carrying over into the next period. In two cases, defendants were charged with driving while under the influence (DUI) of or affected by alcohol; one of the drivers operated a motor vehicle at more than twice the legal limit while the other refused to provide a BAC breath sample. Both defendants were convicted. A third defendant entered a guilty plea to a charge of violation of a protection order and received a six-month jail sentence.
Use of Domestic Violence Kiosk in City Hall: There are 10 kiosks located throughout Pierce County where victims of domestic violence can petition for a protection order from the Pierce County Superior Court, and one of these kiosks is located in Lakewood City Hall. Between January and May 2009, there have been 482 protection order petitions made from kiosks located in Pierce County, with 118 of those petitions being made at Lakewood City Hall, making ours the second most utilized kiosk in the County.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 6/12/09

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 12 June 2009 01:00

June 12, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Police versus Fire Basketball: The LPD vs. LFD Charity Game was a close game (with Fire winning in overtime), and an overall success with $5,000+ raised for the LPIG Charity Fund and LFD Life Safety Charity Fund.
Update on sewer pre-treatment review: Senior staff from Pierce County Public Works & Utilities met on June 8th with the city manager and senior City staff from Lakewood Community Development and Public Works to discuss strategies for closer coordination and expediting the sewer pretreatment component of building permitting process. A review of recent development projects indicated that 30 or 38 minor permits were "fast-tracked" with a 3-day turnaround. The asst city manager/development will develop protocols for enhanced coordination between the City's building official and the County to ensure further efficiencies.
AWC CEO Selection: The city manager participated this week with the executive committee of AWC (Association of Washington Cities) in the interview process for 5 finalists for the new CEO position. The goal is to finalize the appointment of the CEO at the upcoming AWC conference on June 23rd in Spokane. AWC represents all 281 cities and towns in Washington State at both the state and federal legislative levels and with training and insurance services.
Safety Fair at Hope Center: CSO Kevin Pressel, with the assistance of the rest of the COPS unit, organized a Safety Fair at the HOPE center on June 3rd, and over 200 kids attended the 4-hour event. Kids got to meet Police Officers, Firefighters, and Animal Control, and they got to spray each other with water from the fire truck, sit in the police cars, the SWAT armored vehicle, and the MSU watercraft. Other participants included Lakewood Fire, Boys and Girls Club, PC Dept of Emergency Management, and the Law Enforcement Support Agency.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 5/29/09

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 29 May 2009 14:59

May 29, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Tillicum/Woodbrook Sewer Extension Ground Breaking: The City conducted a ground breaking ceremony for the first phase of the City's $17million project on Thursday, May 28th in Tillicum. Northwest Cascade Inc. is the general contractor and will begin work shortly. The event was well attended with City and County officials as well as State and Federal representatives. The project is a partnership among a number of gov't entities and the community, with the City of Lakewood playing the lead.
Auto Theft Task Force Grants Awarded: The Police Department has been awarded funds in two Task Force grants for 2009-2010. $500,000 is coming from Washington Auto Theft Prevention Agency, providing a second year of funding for a multi-jurisdictional auto theft team. Funds will provide equipment, training and services connected to the suppression, intervention and prosecution of auto theft and related crimes for LPD, Tacoma PD, Puyallup PD, Fife PD, Pierce County Sheriff, Pierce County Prosecutor and Pierce Transit.
Federal Gang Funds Awarded: The Pierce County Regional Gang Task Force, headed up by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department applied for recovery funds from the stimulus package and was awarded $741,407. Of that, $200,752 will come to the Lakewood Police Department to staff positions on the Regional Gang Task Force for 12 months. Tacoma Police will receive $190,720, Fife PD will receive $67,500 and Pierce County Sheriff's Department will receive $282,435 which includes funding a crime analyst position.
Sound Transit's D to M Street Project Update: The city manager met with Sound Transit's CEO and the Tacoma city manager to review the 30% cost estimate progress on the D to M Street commuter rail project, which must be completed before Sounder service to Lakewood can commence. The project is "on track", with alignment issues having been resolved, and project engineering is underway to minimize the increased project costs. The total project cost is about $150 million. The M Street to Lakewood upgrade project is underway with completion scheduled for 2011. Rail service should start 2012.
Public Works booth at Woodbrook Middle School Garage Sale: On May 30th Public Works will be staffing a booth at the Woodbrook Middle 7th grade Garage Sale event on Saturday May 30th which will be held in the school's lunch room from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Staff will be there to answer any questions regarding the Tillicum/Woodbrook Sewer project and to educate both students and parents as to the safety issues associated with the construction site.
PSE to Replace Existing Gas Mains: PSE will once again be replacing more of its existing gas mains this summer. The following info provides the streets affected as well as PSE's tentative work schedule.
- Replace gas main on Lake City Blvd from Veterans Dr to the end of road south of 130th St SW: replace main on Dolly Madison St SW - from Lake City Blvd SW to Naomilawn Dr SW; continue south on Naomilawn Dr to Folsom St SW; continue west on Folsom St SW to 2nd (approx 4,143 ft) 6/08 - 7/2
- Replace approximately 1,895 ft of 2" ST gas main with 2" PE IP gas main along 92nd St SW between Hipkins RD SW and Elwood Dr SW. 6/22 - 7/17
- Replace approximately 3,400 ft of 2" WI, 2" STW, 2" PE and 1-1/4" STW with 4" PE IP gas main along Gravelly Lake Dr SW between Washington Blvd SW and North St SW. 7/20 - 9/11
- Retire existing 4" ST IP main and install 6" PE IP gas main on Bridgeport Way SW. between 111th St SW and 116th St SW (approx 1,930 ft) 7/27 - 8/28
Lakewood 101 Postponed: The City of Lakewood was planning to conduct "Lakewood 101" on June 3rd. In light of low enrollment figures, the City will cancel this session but reschedule it at some point in the future. The staff will maintain a roster of those that have signed up for the June 3rd class in order to inform them of the new date. The City regrets any inconvenience for those that signed up.