City of Lakewood

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 7/6/07

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Thursday, 05 July 2007 17:00

• City of Gimhae, South Korea Visit: 15 officials from Gimhae, South Korea visited Lakewood this week (July 2-5) to sign a “friendship agreement” with the City of Lakewood. The delegation participated in a ground breaking ceremony at City Hall (the planting of a Ginkgo Tree); Mayor Claudia Thomas hosted the event. The delegation was also treated to a reception by the Clover Park Technical College, a dinner at Thornewood Castle and a tour of Lakewold Gardens. They also visited Seattle and Mount Rainier and were treated to an All-American day in the Town of Steilacoom courtesy of Mayor Ron Lucas through an Independence Day parade and fireworks over the Puget Sound. The intent of Lakewood’s Sister Cities Association is to generate educational and cultural awareness and stimulate trade and tourism.
• Waughop Lake treatment: A City contractor, Northwest Aquatic Ecosystems, will begin testing the use of calcium hydroxide to control algae on Waughop Lake in Fort Steilacoom Park next week. The treatment is intended to work as follows: calcium hydroxide binds phosphorus together and settles on the bottom of the lake; without phosphorus to feed on, algae cannot not grow and multiply into a toxic algae bloom. The work plan calls for treating the lake once a week for three weeks. As this is an experimental treatment, the work plan could change depending on the data the contractor gathers over the project duration. Signs have been posted around the lake notifying the public that this work will take place soon. Funding for this project ($50,000) was included in the current state budget at the request of Senator Mike Carroll. Lakewood resident Don Russell deserves credit for pursuing State funding through Sen. Carroll.
• Building Permit Activity: New construction valuation for June, 2007 totaled $3,261,287. For the fist six months of 2007, new construction valuation totaled $26,819,686. The following summarizes building and land use permits applied for and issued from January through June:
• Building permits applied for: 937 Building permits issued: 795
• Land use permits applied for: 228 Land use permits issued: 113
• Community Meeting: Saint Frances Cabrini School/108th St. Community Meeting on Tuesday, July 10th at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Lakewood City Hall to discuss traffic and pedestrian safety and related issues.
• Summer School Traffic Enforcement: The Lakewood Police Department began summer school traffic enforcement on July 1st, consistent with the first session of summer school. The City issued a press release on this matter and will continue to increase public awareness in cooperation with the CPSD.
• KAPAG/LPD Summer Camp: The 2007 Korean American Police Advisory Group summer camp, hosted at City Hall, Saturday, June 30th was a huge success. Over 75 Korean-American youth attended - our largest crowd yet.
• Fireworks Enforcement: LPD put six additional patrols on the road for fireworks enforcement July 4th. Initial reports suggest that while Independence Day is still the busiest day of the year for LPD, citizens were cooperative and the number of serious calls appeared lower than in past years. Lakewood Police will present a detailed report at the next Study Session.
• Training: Evidence Custodian Meeks attended a Leaf Marijuana Identification school in Shelton. Officers Wurts and Vahle attended a 1 day seminar on Shooting Range Development in Seattle. Administrative Supervisor Landskov attended a Census Grant Workshop at Clover Park Tech. Total training costs = $250.
• Temporary Road Closure: The City will close Lakewood Drive SW from Steilacoom Boulevard to the Fleet Creek crossing to the north for pavement repair and overlay between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, July 16th through July 27th. The temporary closures will allow local access only. During construction, a detour will be in place utilizing Bridgeport Way SW. (See Below)
  

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 6/15/07

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Thursday, 14 June 2007 17:00

• C.O.P.S. (Come Out & Play Sports):  The Lakewood African-American Police Advisory Committee (LAAPAC) and the Lakewood Police Department are hosting our annual C.O.P.S. (Come Out & Play Sports) at Oakwood Elementary School on Saturday, June 16^th. This event is one of the major events we sponsor to foster positive interactions between youth in the community and the Police. Teenagers will be paired with police officers to form teams for Soccer, Frisbee Football, 3 on 3 Basketball, Volleyball, Chess, and others.   The event begins at 11 am and will run until 4 pm.  Respect, Trust, and Positive Interaction are being promoted with this event. Call Mrs. JoEthel Smith at (253) 584-4673 or email Julius Brown at juice@alliancenw.com for more information

• AWC Annual Conference in Tacoma: Mayor Thomas, Councilmembers McGovern and Neary, and the city manager attended the Association of Washington Cities annual conference this week, with about 500 in attendance from cities around the State. Governor Gregoire was a keynote speaker, and her theme was the improving partnership between local and state government. Numerous workshops covered topics ranging from economic development to the new streamlined sales tax program, and from private-public partnerships to infrastructure funding.

• CABC Training Session: The City conducted a training session this week for leaders of the City’s Citizen Advisory Boards/Committees (CABC’s). The workshop included reference to the Open Meetings Act, the Public Records Act, and the City’s Ethics Code. Specific emphasis was offered on parliamentary process, the role of the charier, and tools for consensus building.

• Offender Re-entry Program: Further discussions took place over the last two weeks between the City of Lakewood, Tacoma, and Pierce County regarding participation in the newly enacted bill for a coordinated approach between Department of Corrections and local governments regarding placement of offenders. The County’s Law and Justice Council may well become the vehicle for program oversight, and the City of Lakewood is pursuing active involvement.

• Police Officer Graduates the Academy:  Officer Mike McGettigan graduated from the 19- week Basic Law Enforcement Academy on June 14^th, and he begins his field training on June 18^th.  He is the first entry level recruit hired since 2004. 

• Puget Sound Energy Projects: PSE gas just recently submitted for right-of- way permits for 3 major projects within the City’s downtown core area.  This includes replacing their existing system with new 2 thru 4 inch diameter gas lines.  Portions of their replacements coincide with our proposed street improvement projects. The total replacement footage they are proposing to do is over 33,000 linear feet (6.25 miles).  The major of streets impacted include Gravelly Lake Drive from 112^th St to Bridgeport Way, Bridgeport Way from 111^th St to 83^rd St, and Steilacoom Blvd from Meadow to Fairlawn.  Their project involves the replacement of their old steel pipe system which PSE is focusing on eliminating from their system. The City noted a similar need for our Tillicum/ALG sewer project, and PSE may come back with a reduced scope change for these 3 projects in light of the sewer project.  However, since the City has near term improvement projects on GLD from 112^th St to Bridgeport Way (2008 asphalt overlay) and on Bridgeport Way from 59^th Ave to 83^rd (reconstruct with sidewalks between 59^th and Steilacoom in 2007, and between Steilacoom and 83^rd in 2008), their final project will still be significant. 

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 6/22/07

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Thursday, 21 June 2007 17:00

• Hill Ward Community Meeting: Options will be considered at the next community meeting on Tuesday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. This will be the follow-up to the community meeting held in April where participants visited the Hill Ward site, learned about its history and shared information, issues and ideas regarding the site after demolition.
• Kiwanis Park Climbing Rocks: Members of the Clover Park Rotary Club installed climbing rocks at Kiwanis Park on Saturday, June 16th. Kiwanis Park is located at the corner of Bridgeport Way and Fairlawn Drive. The new climbing rocks and other site amenities, valued at $15,000, were a welcome addition to this neighborhood park. Besides the Rotary Rocks, we also have the First Lions Skate Park at this site.
• Wind Storm Tree Debris: Following the December 14th wind storm, there were 61 sites throughout the city where the abutting property owners were inappropriately piling their tree debris within the road right of way fronting their property. After our first notice advising them that this was in violation of city code and that they needed to have the debris removed by a certain date, we were down to 13 sites that needed additional follow-up enforcement. After further follow-up, we are now down to two sites for which both have requested and received additional time to complete their clean up. It appears that we will have achieved 100% compliance at minimal City expense or citizen ill will.
• Pierce County Courts Liaison Meeting: Judge Heller and Court Services Director Kathy Westerdahl attended a Piece County Courts Liaison Meeting this week with other area Courts regarding persons cited with Driving While License Suspended (DWLS), which continues to be a major issue taking up a lot of public resources. Participating courts agreed to work together in a cooperative spirit to address how best to reduce the amount of unlicensed drivers on our roads, and future networking meetings will be held.
• Spring Alive with 5 & 5 Campaign: It is mid-point through the Spring Alive with 5 & 5 campaign of the City’s wellness program, and the City’s team has collectively participated in 114,329 minutes of physical activity in the past five weeks. Our mid-point goal was 69,400 minutes and we have surpassed that goal.
• Fireworks Enforcement Preparation: Our public awareness Fireworks Safety tri-fold brochure has been updated to include the changes in the ordinance approved by Council last fall. It is posted on the City website and will be liberally distributed to block watches, neighborhood associations and civic groups. This year a tri-fold Fireworks Safety flier will be also distributed in neighborhoods that had a high volume of fireworks complaints in 2006. Copies of the flyer will also be available at fire stations, the police station, City Hall and the Library. An electronic copy will be sent to the Suburban Times and the News Tribune as well. In-service fireworks enforcement training will be held for all LPD patrol officers. Supplemental special fireworks enforcement teams will be out on July 3rd, 4th and 5th. – two additional cars on the 3rd and 5th, and 6 additional cars on the 4th.
• Korean American Youth Police Adventure Camp: LPD and Korean American Police Advisory Group (KAPAG) are running a Korean-American Youth Police Adventure Camp for the third time again this year on Saturday, June 30th at City Hall. In 2005, over 50 junior and senior high school kids attended this program; in 2006 70 attended; and in 2007 so far, 72 kids have already registered and we expect over 80. This is the only youth camp for the Korean Community run by a law enforcement agency in Washington State. This year’s camp is formatted for 11 hours of instructions and activities. The training curriculum includes criminal law, traffic safety, conducting low risk and high risk vehicle stops, preventing street racing and road rage, K-9 and SWAT demonstrations, crime scene investigations, gang and drug awareness training and workshops, calling 911, and an LPD Police Explorer Program recruiting presentation.
• Senior Center Father’s Day Men’s Breakfast: The Lakewood Senior Activity Center hosted a Father’s Day Men’s Breakfast last week. It was a success with over 32 men attending, who enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast made especially in their honor.
• Governor's Task Force on Offender Reentry: Chief Saunders has been nominated by the Washington Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs (WASPC) to serve on the Governor's Task Force on Offender Reentry.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 6/8/07

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Thursday, 07 June 2007 17:00

• WASPC Motorcycle Safety Sub-Committee: Chief Saunders presented an overview of the Lakewood Motorcycle Safety Awareness campaign to the Traffic Safety Committee of the Washington Association of Sheriff’s and Police Chiefs last week. The campaign is jointly sponsored by Fort Lewis, McChord and LPD and was initiated at the request of Deputy Mayor Arbeeny. It will become an annual spring/summer initiative. It involves increasing awareness of principles for safe motorcycle operation, emphasizing the need for the appropriate state motorcycle endorsement on the driver license, encouraging registration for beginning and advanced motorcycle operator training courses offered locally, and recruiting new riders to join in a voluntary “mentoring” program offered by more experienced riders. We have connected with motorcycle dealers, businesses offering motorcycle operators training, and local motorcycle clubs to assist our campaign. We have established booths at Fort Lewis, Madigan and McChord safety fairs and will host a major road rally safety booth at Summerfest on June 23rd. The WASPC Traffic Safety Commission supported our efforts and noted the motorcycle collision related deaths were the only category of traffic fatalities that have increased in recent years. They voted to establish a sub-committee to assess what more could be done state-wide to improve motorcycle safety.
• Youth Council: The Youth Council participated as a team at the Lakewood Relay for Life held last weekend. The team met their goal, raising over $1,000 for the American Cancer Society in their final event of their year of service. Several members will be returning to form the nucleus of the 2007–08 Youth Council and will provide strong leadership for the group. Graduating seniors from the current Youth Council will be attending Gonzaga University, University of Washington and Cal Lutheran University.
• American Lake Park Pay Station: The pay station at the American Lake Park boat launch has been reinstalled. The station was removed earlier this year after it had been vandalized and in anticipation of construction. The fee for launching a boat is $10. Annual passes can be purchased at Lakewood City Hall. Annual passes are $80 for Lakewood residents and $125 for non residents, with identification required. Fees support maintenance and future development of the site.
• Adult Coed Soccer: Sunday, June 3rd marked the start of Lakewood Parks & Recreation’s second Adult Coed Soccer League. Leagues are expanding and we now have about 60 adults staying active at Fort Steilacoom Park on Sunday afternoons.
• Youth & Adult Tennis: Lakewood Parks & Recreation’s Spring tennis lessons are now taking place Saturday mornings at the Clover Park High School courts. 18 students between the ages of 3 and 43 are learning the game from Instructor Amy Markhoff who is ranked 1st and 2nd in the nation in doubles and singles respectively.
• Public Works Project Bidding: The Public Works Department will be soliciting for bids for two projects on June 12th. . The first is the construction of 86th St Sidewalk Improvements (north side only) from Bridgeport Way to Lochburn Middle School, partly fund by a grant from the Safety near Schools federal grant program. The second project is for asphalt pavement patching over the next two years titled “2007-2008 On-Call Pavement Patching”, and is a part of our normal street maintenance work.
• LPD Patrol: Units responded to a reported burglary that just occurred, and a neighbor followed the suspects to a bus stop at Vernon and Washington. The suspects were located and contacted, and subsequently identified by witnesses. Ten suspects were arrested. Long story short, the suspects went to the victim residence where the female from their group was supposed to fight a female living at the address. One of the males went to the front door to contact the female to tell her to come outside for the fight, and discovered the front door was unsecured with nobody inside. A free-for-all ensued, with numerous subjects wandering through the house vandalizing and stealing. Detective Westby was called out to assist with the numerous interviews. Some crack cocaine and most of the stolen property was recovered. Most of the suspects were Tacoma Gangsters (GD’s). All 10 were transported and booked at RH and PCJ.
• DUI Restitution Program: Lakewood Police Officers and the City’s Legal staff are ready to implement the new DUI Restitution Program. As authorized by RCW, this program will allow the city to recover up to $1,000 of the expenses associated with the response to a DUI incident. It’s estimated that the city could recover between $47,500 (60% recover rate) and $79,180 (100% recovery rate) based on 2005 convictions. The funds recovered will support between 24 and 40 more DUI emphasis patrols per year. Increased emphasis would also likely increase DUI convictions and associated civil recoveries, thus further increasing the number of potential emphasis patrols.