City of Lakewood

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 10/16/09

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Friday, 16 October 2009 16:25

October 16, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Harry Todd Park Dock Improvements: The docks at Harry Todd Park were originally installed back in the early 1970's by Pierce County as part of the park improvements when they purchased the property. Other than routine maintenance the docks remained the same for the next 35 years. In 2006, the City of Lakewood completed much needed upgrades/repairs to the aging dock system in an effort to extend its life. Floats that were beyond repair were removed and the remaining floats received concrete repairs, new wood whalers and through rods (connectors). Additional funds were allocated in the 2009 capital budget to sustain the dock system at Harry Todd Park. The weight of the handrail has proven to be too heavy for the old dock system, causing stress damage to the inside corners as well making the dock lean. Last week park staff removed the railings which stabilized the docks. Further repairs will occur in the next few weeks. Both the north and south gangways will be replaced with new long life commercial grade gangways that will be much more stable and safer for park visitors. The damage to the inside corners will be repaired and additional bracing will be installed to help prevent damage in the future. There is a section in the center of the dock that has suffered irreparable damage from continuous wave action and as a result will be removed creating two L shaped docks (instead of the familiar U shape). A floating swim rope, similar to the one used at American Lake Park will be used in the new opening to protect swimmers during the summer months. This opening will also allow rescue boats into the area in the event of a water emergency. Additional swim ladders will be added to both docks to help swimmers safely exit the water. All of these repairs should help the dock system survive the winter storms and be safe and ready for spring and summer use.
• Business License Checks: The Community Development Department performed a business license check on four (4) businesses on October 9th, with the assistance of the Police Department, the State Liquor Control Board, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and the State Department of Labor and Industries. The inspections were performed in the evening hours because the targeted businesses do not operate during the day. Each involved agency inspected the business with regard to their specific duties and responsibilities. One business was declared "Unsafe to Enter" due to the amount and severity of code violations identified by the inspection team.
• Ribbon cutting at Lake Louise School Park: The Mayor, city manager, and parks & recreation director participated in the formal dedication and ribbon-cutting at Lake Louse Elementary School for Lakewood's newest neighborhood park and playground on October 12th. The "school-park" is a joint effort between the City and the Clover Park School District, and was funded by $150,000 from the City and is situated on School District property. The intent is to further the City's goal of a neighborhood park within a half mile of all residents. The school principal, the superintendent of schools, and two school board members also participated in the special event, and students assisted in the actual "cutting of the ribbon" to open the playground.
• Port of Tacoma community leaders meeting: The city manager participated in a community leaders briefing hosted by the executive director of the Port of Tacoma on October 16th. The agenda included roundtable discussion about trade and the economy and impacts on the Port, transportation and freight mobility issues (including the Point Defiance bypass railroad route), and Port support to the military bases.
• Building Permit Update: For September 2009, the Community Development department issued building permits totaling $1,278,312 in new construction valuation. Total for the year is $50,732,243. To date, the City has issued 1,142 building permits. This same time last year, the City had issued 1,296 building permits. Based on these figures, the number of permits has dropped by about 14%. There are some significant development projects pending. One of these may come online before the end of the year and another is scheduled for the spring of 2010.
• Pierce Transit System Re-design project: The city manager met with the Pierce Transit CEO on October 15th to review the transportation system's role in Lakewood and to provide input on the City's economic redevelopment priorities. The discussion was part of the overall Pierce Transit "system re-design" project, a strategic planning exercise to update the agency's mission and direction. There was also discussion about the agency's administrative headquarters and operations base in Lakewood.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 10/2/2009

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Friday, 02 October 2009 15:23

October 2, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Abatement Expenditures Tracked: The Community Development and Finance Departments have been working together to track summary abatement expenditures. The following table has been prepared which shows expenditures from 2007 through August 2009. The numbers are not an exact accounting. The data was hard to track given that it involves working with another public agency in sorting out property taxes, liens, etc. Expenditures include direct abatement expenses as well as general expenses for equipment and supplies. Revenues include repayment of abatement liens established prior to the constitution of the 2007 revolving abatement fund account.

	2007	2008	2009 (as of August 2009)	Cumulative Totals
Budget Appropriation	250,000	220,049	177,121	647,170
Abatement Expenditures	-72,190	-76,488	-29,213	-177,891
Kenyan Disend	0	0	-11,456	-11,456
Principal	39,598	28,078	2,663	70,339
Interest on liens	2,641	5,482	267	8,390
Yearly Totals	220,049	177,121	139,382	536,552

The number of summary abatements initiated, beginning in 2006 and running through August, 2009, total 71. During that timeframe, 40 abatements have been completed. Twenty nine abatements (73%) were performed by the property owners. The remainder, 11, or 27% were performed by the City.

• Police receive Federal Grant Equipment: Lakewood PD received an additional 15 sets of SECTOR equipment bringing the total number to 18 from WASPC on a Federal pass-through grant. The equipment consists of a scanner and a printer. The hand scanner, which is similar to the scanner a cashier would use to scan large items at checkout, uses a laser to scan information from bar codes on drivers’ licenses and vehicle registration forms. The printer is a small computer printer designed for use in a vehicle. SECTOR simultaneously transmits ticket or collision data to other agencies. The court, supervisor, DOL, and WSDOT get electronic ticket – or collision report – data and the officer can produce hard copies of ticket or collision reports in their car at the scene.
• Human Resources Director attends Washington Public Employer Labor Relations Association Conference: Human Resources Director Debi Young attended the Washington Public Employer Labor Relations Association (WAPELRA) Fall Conference in Bremerton last week of which she is on the Board of Directors. Staffmembers Mary Pandrea and Stori Sanders also participated in the training, which focused on Values in the Workplace, Workplace Violence, Conducting Workplace Investigations, Four Day Work Weeks and Workplace Revenge. Out of the 85 attendees, Debi’s name was drawn for a free registration ($650 value) to the national conference next spring.
• CSO’s staff YMCA Community Open House: CSO’s Conelly, Miller, Pressel and Stauffer staffed a booth at the YMCA Community Open House on September 26. The CSO’s handed out stickers and coloring books to children and crime prevention information to adults. The event was attended by approximately 200 people.
• Safety Day at Lowe’s: CSO Conelly provided information and Child ID kits to parents, and assisted the kids in building their fire engines at the “Safety Day” at Lowe’s. There were 31 kids in attendance, along with assorted parents and grandparents. Lakewood Fire provided an engine company for entertainment.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 10/9/2009

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Friday, 09 October 2009 15:12

October 9, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Ponders Project --Pac Hwy Phase IV (Bridgeport Way to Gravelly Lake Drive): Public Works went out to bid this week for the construction of the Pacific Highway/Ponders realignment project. The call for bids will run for 3 weeks with the opening date set for October 27th. The project includes changing the number of lanes from 5 to 3 for a significant portion of the project length as well as shifting the centerline of the road towards the freeway side of the right of way. This shifting occurs primarily through that section lying south-west of the Clover Creek bridge crossing. The project also includes installing curb and gutter, concrete sidewalks, street lighting, new street pavement, bike lanes, and landscaped planter strips. There will be updated drainage system with water quality treatment and added capacity to serve certain drainage-restricted fronting properties. The landscaping will include the SW corner of the Bridgeport Way intersection.
• State Auditor’s Entrance Conference: The official meeting starting this year’s audit of the City took place this week, with the Audit team predicting a fairly fast turnaround of the annual review. Special attention will be paid to firearms inventory, the new police evidence room and procedures, camera enforcement accounting, and review of federal funds for transportation and Community Development Block Grant.
• Legal Dept Open House promotes domestic violence awareness: On October 6th, the staff in the City Attorney’s office hosted an open house for interested parties to increase awareness about the realities of domestic valence in our community and the City’s effort to respond.
• H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Information: Citizens who want to learn more about preventing or vaccinating against the H1N1 flu virus and/or the seasonal flu are encouraged to visit the Pierce County Health Department’s website http://www.tpchd.org/index.php and also to consider taking the “Flu IQ” quiz: http://www.tpchd.org/news.php?id=454. Both of these links can be accessed from the City’s website under “Latest News and Events” at www.cityoflakewood.us.
• City presents OEA update to RAMP: Dan Penrose, senior planner and project coordinator for the OEA planning grant, provided a briefing this week to RAMP (the Regional Access Mobility Partnership), chaired by the County Executive and the executive director of the Port of Tacoma. The group of about 30 was updated on the OEA process, and in particular the Interstate 5 traffic operations model and alternatives analysis.
• LPD presents at Bar Association conference: Lakewood PD’s Forensic Services Manager, Detective Bryan Johnson, was invited to present on the topic of forensic investigations at the Annual Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Conference, which was attended by over 150 attorneys representing all areas of criminal and civil law.
• Animal Control officers attend the Animal Care and Control Conference: Lakewood officers attended the Pacific Northwest Animal Care and Control Conference last week, and attended lectures and workshops on Cock Fighting, Sheltering strategies in regards to Pit Bull adoptions, and Chemical Capture. Both Lakewood officers were certified in Chemical Capture. They also attended a workshop on the newest animal laws in regards to chaining dogs outside and the percentages of serious dog bites with these dogs, the percentages of dog bites by un-neutered dogs, and new Potentially Dangerous and Dangerous Dogs Laws.
• New automated police training system: Lakewood PD was just awarded a Federal Grant for $82,499 to purchase a video simulator system to train our officers in use of force scenarios. The system is an interactive video trainer that allows the officers to encounter over 900 situations which require various responses. The video changes based on what the officer does and the input given by the instructor. The situation may require force options from verbal commands, to taser application, to lethal force. It is laser based and the system also includes firearms training software that will reduce the number of live rounds needed for officer training, reducing the amount spent on ammunition.
• LPD participates in emergency simulation at South Hill: Metro SWAT, along with Tacoma PD, Pierce County Sheriff and their two bomb squads conducted a large-scale Emergency Management exercise at the South Hill Mall on October 8th.
• Lakewood officer participates in Alabama sergeant assessment: LT Alex Kasuske was invited to Birmingham, Alabama, to serve as an assessor for Jefferson County, joining 39 assessors from around the US who are participating in assessing 318 candidates for the Sergeant promotional process.
• Budget Workshop Information: In lieu of its study session, the City Council will conduct its next budget workshop at 7pm on Monday, October 12th at the Lakewood Police Department’s training room (9401 Lakewood Drive SW). Budget workshops will alternate between the council chambers and the police station. Citizens are encouraged to visit www.cityoflakewood.us to download the entire budget workshop schedule as well as the city manager’s overview and other key budget documents.

City Managers Weekly Info Bulletin 9/25/2009

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Friday, 25 September 2009 15:15

September 25, 2009
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Sound Transit at Lakewood United. Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl was the speaker at the Lakewood United meeting on September 24th, hosted by Councilmember (and Sound Transit boardmember) Claudia Thomas. Ms. Earl reported that rail service to Lakewood is on track to start in the summer of 2012 with construction beginning in spring 2010. The primary challenge will be the construction of the D to M Street phase, which is a 1.2 mile stretch in Tacoma that is projected to cost $161 million and will likely be a mix of “post and beam” construction and berms to create grade separation with other traffic. When rail service begins, approximately 18 trains a day will come through Lakewood – nine during the morning commute and nine in the afternoon commute. By 2018 that will increase to 13 and 13 respectively. The Sounder’s speed will average between 35-45 MPH through Lakewood.
• Community Open House at Wards Lake: The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board hosted a community open house on September 22nd at Wards Lake Park. The purpose of the open house was to provide an opportunity for neighbors and interested parties to visit the site and share their issues and ideas with City staff and the city manager. Approximately 20 neighbors attended the meeting. Most visit the park on a daily basis, and were very appreciative of the park and the opportunity to participate in the process. The City purchased land adjacent to the park last year and will be facilitating a more detailed community planning process later this year.
• “Preserving Our Heritage” Video The City Council-appointed Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board (LHAB) oversaw production of an excellent and well received 18-minute video on Lakewood historical preservation efforts. The video can be found at http://www.vimeo.com/6744332 and will also be posted to the front page of the City’s website under “Latest News and Events.”
• Street construction update:
  • The Lakewood Water District will be performing a water main crossing at 112th and South Tacoma Way over a 3-night period starting Friday, September 23 – and continuing Monday, September 28 and 29th (possibly).
  • PSE Gas Main Replacement – Pavement grind and overlay – Bridgeport Way – 116th to 111th: The paving contractor for PSE will be performing night work from Monday, September 28 through Wednesday, September 30 to complete the pavement grinding and inlay. On Bridgeport Way between 116th and 111th in the outside NB lane.
  • Bridgeport Way – 59th to Steilacoom – complete sidewalk, striping, and landscaping.
  • Gravelly Lake Drive – Nyanza to Bridgeport Way – interconnect conduit placement, sidewalk, striping (possibly).