Weekly Info Bulletins

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 11/19/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 19 November 2010 14:38

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

City staffmember honored at Tacoma Regional Convention and Visitor's Bureau Symposium: Melody Perrussel of the City's economic development staff was honored at the Tacoma Regional Convention and Visitor's Bureau's (TRCVB) Tourism Matters Symposium on November 17th with the "Pierce County Tourism Community Unity" award. She was nominated for her excellent work with the Lodging Tax recipients and working with the various tourism partners to aid Lakewood's exposure to grow tourism in Lakewood and Pierce County. TRCVB is launching a new program called "Undercover Tourism" that is designed to help people throughout our region to discover tourism "gems" and destinations all in short distances from home. Further information is available at www.traveltacoma.com
Veterans Recognition and Welcome Reception for 4th Stryker Brigade: Colonel John Norris, commander of the 4-2 Stryker Brigade, gave a presentation highlighting the "Raider" Brigade's historical deployment to Iraq during the council meeting on November 15th. The 4-2, which has a Community Connector relationship with Lakewood, was the last Stryker brigade to leave Operation Iraqi Freedom. A group of local scouts were on hand at the council meeting to observe and to interact with soldiers from Lakewood's adopted brigade. The items donated to the City by the brigade will be posted in city hall, such as the "Phase Line Lakewood" sign that had been posted at the border between Iraq and Kuwait. The City also paid tribute to local veterans; photos of the reception can be viewed under "latest news" at www.cityoflakewood.us. Colonel Norris was also the featured speaker at the Lakewood Rotary Club on November 12th.
Towne Center properties coordination: As a follow up to a previous meeting last year, the city manager and senior economic development staff met with the managers of the properties in the Lakewood Towne Center to discuss issues of mutual concern. The agenda included updates on the various properties, needs and opportunities, security, parking, and shopping carts. Of particular interest was the report on the effectiveness of increased security, and the response to groups of young people loitering, especially with the upcoming holiday shopping season. There are 14 distinct properties of which seven were represented at the meeting.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 11/12/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 12 November 2010 11:51

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

Sister City group from China visits Lakewood: A group from Danzhou, in the province of Hainan in China, representing our sister city, visited Lakewood on November 8-9. Their visit included a tour of city hall and discussion with the city manager, as well as a social visit with the mayor and several councilmembers. The group included the vice mayor and the secretary-general of the Danzhou Municipal People's Government, as well as the deputy director of its foreign and overseas Chinese affairs office, and also the general manager of the Danzhou Urban Construction & Investment Company.
City Hosts Public Disclosure Training: Legal, City Clerk and Information Systems staff hosted the City of Sumner staff to demonstrate Lakewood's public disclosure requests (PDRs) for the tracking, monitoring and disposition of PDRs. The web-based application was designed and created in-house by Lakewood staff. It is the department's intent to make this available through the state municipal clerks association (WMCA), and we have already conducted a demonstration to a state agency.
Staff attends Growth Management Act Conference: CSRT Legal Advisor Mike Savage attended the 19th Annual Growth Management Act Conference sponsored by Law Seminars International in Seattle November 3-4. The program marked the 20th anniversary of the Washington State Growth Management Act and focused on recent GMA goals, recent developments and projection for the growth management regulatory environment in the future. The conference was timely because Senior Planner Deborah Johnson is currently working on amending Lakewood's Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Maps of the City and Title 18A of the Lakewood Municipal Code.
City staff briefs Secretary of Transportation: Senior planner Dan Penrose conducted a briefing of WSDOT senior staff and the state's Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond this week in Olympia. The subject of the briefing was the JBLM Growth Coordination Plan, funded by the DoD's Office of Economic Adjustment, and its analysis of I-5 traffic congestion issues.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 10/22/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 22 October 2010 01:00

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.

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

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 29 October 2010 11:47

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

State Auditor presents clean 2009 audit report: The State Auditor's office conducted an exit conference on October 27th with the city manager and staff from Finance. Four areas had been audited for accountability, including the municipal court, parks & recreation, hotel/motel tax, and brokered natural gas litigation. In addition, there were four grant areas examined, including Public Works & Economic Development facilities, federal Dept of Justice grants, highway planning & construction, and Dept of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment; the report found compliance with federal grant requirements. The audit summary indicated that the City had complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures. The report indicated no significant difficulties or disagreements, and there were no audit findings or management letters.
Police Dept hosts Internal Affairs Investigations course: LPD hosted a 2-day Internal Affairs Investigations course October 28-29, focusing on best practices, social media, and in-car videos among other issues. Law enforcement agencies from all over Pierce and King Counties participated.
City staff completes Community Emergency Response Team Training: On October 22, the following City employees completed CERT training: Alice Bush, Dawn Avcular, Karen Devereaux, Livia Colombini, Nadine Mitsch, Randy Richards, Scott Williams, Tesa Zanotelli, and Suzi Riley. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and the program educates people about disaster preparedness, fire safety and suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and team organization. CERT members receive 20 hours of training; including classroom instruction, tabletop exercises, and active drills.
City staff participates in Oakbrook Elementary Annual Fall Festival: Neighborhood Patrol Officers Brian Wurts and Eric Bell and CSRT member Sandra Stauffer participated in the annual Fall Festival at Oakbrook Elementary on October 22. The officers showed the children their patrol cars and answered questions while the staff timed the children with a radar gun as they threw a softball. Over 100 children and their parents attended the event.
LPD Memorial near completion: The LPD Memorial for our fallen officers is progressing quickly and is currently expected to be completed ahead of schedule.
City staff attends Annual Pumpkin Patch: On Saturday, October 23, CSRT member Gail Conelly attended the 14th Annual Pumpkin Patch, sponsored by the Lakewood Fire Department. There were multiple vendors sponsoring booths such as fishing games, bean bag games, helmet sales, and give-a-ways. There were approximately 2,500 people in attendance. Free pumpkins were available in the pumpkin patch, and kids also had the opportunity to climb through the "Smoke House", shoot water from a fire hose, and climb through fire engines and SWAT vehicles. The Pierce County Child Passenger Safety Team also conducted a free car seat check, checking 25 car seats and giving away 5 car seats to ensure the children left safer than they arrived.
CSRT and Neighborhood Patrol visits St. Frances Cabrini pre-school class: On October 28, 2010 CSRT member Dawn McGinnis and Neighborhood Patrol Officer Darcy Olsen visited St. Frances Cabrini to talk with their pre-school about what police officers do while they are at work. They spoke to the children about keeping people safe, making good choices, and that police officers are "their friend". Additionally, the officer stressed the importance of eating healthy food, exercising, and education in becoming a police officer. The children asked a lot of questions, and were given police badges, stickers, color books & crayons, and LPD Frisbees, and also enjoyed a tour of the patrol car.
Park Lodge Elementary - Walk to School Event: Over 60 students, parents, and staff of Park Lodge Elementary braved the weather on Thursday, October 28 to celebrate and "break-in" the newly-constructed sidewalk improvements around their school. Deputy Mayor Anderson, Principal Eric Richards and staff from Clover Park School District, Lakewood Fire District, Lakewood Police, and Lakewood Public Works were there to provide encouragement and safety. All of this was made possible by a Washington State Safe Routes to Schools grant. Starbucks donated coffee and scones.
City staff briefs County Council on JBLM Growth Coordination Plan: Dan Penrose conducted a briefing on the draft growth coordination plan regarding the impacts of Joint Base Lewis McChord to a study session of the Pierce County Council on October 25th. The federal DoD/OEA-funded plan is near its final stages and has been administered by the City of Lakewood, with support and involvement by regional entities in both Pierce and Thurston counties. The plan is focused on transportation and I-5 congestion issues, in addition to schools, social services, and other quality of life issues related to our military population.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 10/15/10

Details: Category: Weekly Info Bulletins; Published on Friday, 15 October 2010 14:29

October 15, 2010
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

Ground broken for Fallen Officer Memorial: Ground was officially broken on October 13th at the Lakewood Police Department for the Fallen Officer Memorial which is scheduled to be unveiled on November 29th, the one year anniversary of the death of our four fallen officers. The project will be completed with the generous donation of time, money, and supplies by ART Rasmussen Architecture, Porter Brothers Construction, and Quiring Monuments, as well as others.
Police attend opening of new "Real Time Crime Center": Lieutenant's Alwine and Lawler traveled to New York City this week to visit the New York Police Department's (NYPD) new $11 million Crime Center which is located adjacent to the Emergency Operations Center in Police Headquarters. The center will conduct rapid analysis of homicides and shootings citywide beginning July 18. The Real Time Center will track all crime and responses to it, providing a real-time picture of police resources and their availability throughout the city. This will be an important management and crime-fighting resource. The Lakewood Police Department was invited to participate in this invaluable opportunity by LESA and all expenses were included in the invitation.
Assistant Police Chief speaks at Tacoma Pierce County Chaplains Luncheon: Assistant Chief Mike Zaro spoke at the Tacoma Pierce County Chaplains Luncheon on Saturday October 9th. This annual luncheon is for all Chaplains in the Tacoma-Pierce County area and is held to celebrate those people who donate so much of their time and effort to help us and to help those who we meet during their darkest hours- our chaplains. Their services are an invaluable asset to every department and it was an honor to stand and personally thank them for all they do.
Legal Staff makes presentation to Pierce Transit Police Officers: On October 7, Assistant City Attorney Anita Booker-Hay made a presentation to Pierce Transit Police Officers. The presentation included tips about report writing, in court testimony and a criminal law update.
4th Stryker Brigade "Raiders" Uncasing Ceremony: The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, City Manager and Staff attended the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Uncasing Ceremony on Thursday, October 7 on Watkins Field at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). The 4th Stryker Brigade was deployed from August 2009 to August 2010 to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the Brigade's second deployment to Iraq. During the Redeployment Ceremony, the brigade uncased their colors, signifying the completion of its deployment and its return to JBLM.
U.S. Army Col John Norris speaks at Coffee with the Mayor: At the October 8 Coffee with the Mayor, Col. Norris, Commander of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, gave a presentation on the 4th Brigade's mission in Iraq. The presentation was very informative. About 30 people attended.
CSRT attends North Lakewood Neighborhood Association Meeting: CSRT members CSO Gail Conelly and CEO Doug Price attended the North Lakewood (LD06) Neighborhood Association meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the Oakbrook Elementary School Library. Sgt Thom Stewart with the LPD Special Assault Unit gave a presentation on domestic violence in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There were also four political candidates available to introduce themselves as well as answer questions about their thoughts on the various initiatives on the ballot. There were approximately 27 residents in attendance, to include several exchange students from Costa Rica, Indonesia, Pakistan, and India, who were learning about how our local government works.
Healthy Worksite Summit: Cheryl Thompson, Dawn Avcular, Rebecca Hendricks and Tammi Dove attended the 24th Annual Healthy Worksite Summit in Bellevue on October 12-13. Dawn Avcular was awarded the AWC Certificate of Wellness Leadership. CWL candidates must complete 30 CWL credits, pass a culminating exam, and report about their use of wellness promotion skills in the workplace.
Annual Washington Association of Public Records Officers Conference: At the annual Washington Association of Public Records Officers (WAPRO) conference hosted by Lakewood, Associate City Attorney Matt Kaser was a speaker on the Law Enforcement Records panel, and Ann-Marie Evans, paralegal was in attendance