City of Lakewood

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

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Thursday, 10 November 2011 14:27

November 11, 2011
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Clean Audit of the City by the State Auditor’s Office:  City staff met with the State Auditor’s staff in an “exit conference” on November 10th, to review the results of the audit of the City for 2010.  The “clean” audit has no findings or management letters, and the State Auditor’s officers commented on the much improved status of Lakewood’s financial reporting and procedures. One discussion exit item reflected on the importance of the City’s upcoming cost allocation system to substantiate interfund charges and transfers.

• LPD Chaplain awarded 2011 Chaplain of the Year Award:  Chaplain Alvie Robbins was awarded the 2011 Chaplain of the Year Award at the Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplains Award Ceremony on October 29th, “in recognition and appreciation of your dedicated and committed service on behalf of the members of the Lakewood Police Department and greater Pierce County Community.” 

• South Sound 911 funding measure approved:  The city manager and the deputy county executive met on November 9th to acknowledge the successful ballot measure results for funding the new South Sound 911 emergency communications system, and to enable the City of Fife to join the agency. The steering committee will meet next week to develop implementation plans.

• ICMA Board meets in Oklahoma City:  The executive board of the Int’l City Management Association (ICMA) met on November 3-4, hosted by the city manager of Oklahoma City.  The City provided a tour of their newly-developed urban renewal areas, as well as the memorial to the 1995 bombing of the federal building there.  The focus of the board meeting was on future trends in the profession as well as ethics issues and training. The Lakewood city manager is the ICMA regional vice president representing the West Coast, and also serves on the Committee on Professional Conduct.

• Youth Council Member selected to be Daffodil Princess:  Youth Council member Cinthia Illan-Vazquez has been selected as this year’s Clover Park Daffodil Princess. She is the current chair of the Youth Council and has been the Junior Class Vice-President, the National Honor Society President and the Senior Enlisted Advisor for her JROTC class. She is an outstanding student maintaining a B+ average at both CPHS and through Running Start at Pierce College.
 

City of Lakewood Receives $5.7 Million Grant from Department of Defense

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Category: Press Releases

Published on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 16:08

The City of Lakewood received a $5.7 million grant from the Department of Defense to improve traffic circulation at Madigan Army Medical Center. Lakewood was one of eight successful applicants spread across the country that received a portion of the $300 million allocated by Congress for competition for transportation projects to improve access to military medical facilities affected by the most recent Base Realignment and Closure Commission round.

Lakewood City Manager Andrew Neiditz said “this is a major step forward in the community’s support of JBLM. We are proud of the regional leadership role that Lakewood has played to help make this happen.”

Colonel Thomas Brittain, Joint Base Garrison Commander also noted that regional cooperation was critical in receiving the funding, and was complimentary of Lakewood in the process. Colonel Brittain stated “we're grateful to everyone involved, and to the city of Lakewood in particular, for their efforts to obtain DOD's approval for this important project. Joint Base Lewis-McChord has worked very closely with local, regional and state agencies to plan improvements to transportation infrastructure around the base. This project, when completed, will provide safer, smoother access to the joint base near Madigan Army Medical Center, improving access to this critical health care facility for beneficiaries while enhancing the flow of traffic in the area around the interchange. We look forward to continued cooperation with our neighbors as we confront shared challenges in our area."

The project relieves specific access and circulation issues that impede the provision of care at Madigan Army Medical Center. The improvements will alleviate congestion issues to Madigan throughout multiple peak hours of the morning, mid-day, and evening.

Safety is of paramount concern to WSDOT, JBLM, and the surrounding communities. This specific project proposal provides additional capacity for those accessing Madigan and significantly improves public safety by reducing congestion on the ramps to the I-5.

During a typical weekday the proposed project reduces the amount of total vehicular delay for the Berkeley Street corridor by over 662 hours.

Of the 1.4 million annual visitors to Madigan it is estimated that up to 50% or 700,000 patients, visitors, and patient care workers utilize the Berkeley Street interchange to access the facility. The existing Berkeley Street interchange at Freedom Bridge is a two-lane structure with one lane on-and-off ramps that do not provide sufficient capacity to meet demands especially during peak hours (morning, mid-day, and evening).

The agencies and service providers throughout the region were strongly behind this project. The South Sound Military & Communities Partnership Steering Committee at their meeting on September 30, 2011 unanimously approved the grant proposal submittal.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 11/4/2011

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Friday, 04 November 2011 16:35

November 4, 2011
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• City of Lakewood Receives $5.7 Million Grant from Department of Defense: Lakewood received a $5.7 million grant from the Department of Defense to improve traffic circulation at Madigan Army Medical Center. Lakewood was one of eight successful applicants in the country that received a portion of the $300 million allocated by Congress for competition for transportation projects to improve access to military medical facilities affected by the most recent Base Realignment and Closure Commission round. Safety is of paramount concern to WSDOT, JBLM, and the surrounding communities. The project proposal provides additional capacity for those accessing Madigan and significantly improves public safety by reducing congestion on the ramps to I-5. The existing Berkeley Street interchange at Freedom Bridge is a two-lane structure with a one lane on-and-off ramp that do not provide sufficient capacity to meet demands especially during peak hours (morning, mid-day, and evening). The agencies and service providers throughout the region were strongly behind this project. The South Sound Military & Communities Partnership Steering Committee at their meeting on September 30, 2011 unanimously approved the grant proposal.
• Black Bear Safely Captured in Lakewood: A black bear was safely captured around 9:30 a.m. today after Fish and Wildlife agents shot it with a tranquilizer dart. The bear was seen running around Tyee Park Elementary School and jumping over fences before being captured in the Clover Creek area between the train trestle and Bridgeport Way. Fish and Wildlife reported that the bear was about 3-4 years old, 230-27 pounds and healthy. The bear will be examined by a veterinarian before being released in the wild.
• City’s grant funded Bridgeport Way Street Improvement Project Underway: As part of the City’s grant funded Bridgeport Way (75^th St to Leach Creek crossing) street improvement project, the City is currently constructing new retaining walls along Bridgeport Way in the area of Flanegan Road. The retaining wall work is necessary in order to widen Bridgeport Way to accommodate four thru lanes, a bike lane on each side, a continuous left turn lane and sidewalks. In order to fit this road section between the residences on both sides of the this section of Bridgeport Way and make it safe, the northerly 60 to 70 feet of the existing west side concrete retaining wall must be removed and replaced with a different configuration. This approach was the least costly and assures the safety of both the Bridgeport Way and Flanegan Street users. Work on removing this portion of the existing concrete retaining wall should commence in approximately one week.
• Truck and Tractor Day: Truck and Tractor Day – an annual fun and free family event -- took place under beautiful blue autumn skies on Saturday, October 29^th. Vehicles on display included tow trucks, fire engines, military humvees, infantry carriers, garbage trucks and our own everyday work trucks from Public Works and Parks Maintenance. The estimated crowd of nearly 1,000 attendees made this one of our most successful Track & Tractor days. Youth Council members assisted in all facets of the event, and were particularly helpful staffing the Pumpkin Patch – where many happy children were seen leaving the Truck &Tractor Day with decorated pumpkins and big smiles. Special thanks to the Recreation & Parks Maintenance divisions for organizing this successful event.
• Lakewood Senior Activity Center Celebrates Halloween “Mad Hatter” Style: About 70 older adults celebrated a “Mad Hatter” Halloween at the Lakewood Senior Activity Center in “Alice in Wonderland” style. The event featured good friends, great food and “White Rabbits” for hosts. The group enjoyed listening to stories that were spooky and humorous at the same time. Pierce County Department of Emergency Management participated in the celebration by presenting their “Take Winter by Storm” program, which covered the basics for winter weather preparation. The information was underscored in handouts, and included a bonus flashing beacon for the older adults. Not only did everybody have a great time in “Wonderland”, they learned safety tips as well.
• Human Services Relocates Displaced Female: Human Services worked with the West Pierce Fire Department to assist with the relocation of a single woman displaced after a fire on Saturday afternoon. The City’s Emergency Assistance for Displaced Residents (EADR) grant funds, managed by Human Services, allowed the female to be temporarily housed in a motel until permanent relocation is secured. Working with a local non-profit, Living Access Support Alliance (LASA), the individual was guided to Northwest Furniture where essential housing items including a new bed and mattress were provided.
• CSRT Participates in West Pierce Fire & Rescues Pumpkin Patch: CSRT staff, along with the Pierce County Child Passenger Safety Team, participated in West Pierce Fire & Rescue’s annual Pumpkin Patch on October 22, 2011 at Station 2. Approximately 1,000 people attended the event. There were 30 car seats checked for safety, and 6 seats were provided to ensure that the children went home safer than they arrived. CSRT staff had a booth inside and provided information about child passenger safety, along with brochures providing crime prevention information to the attendees.
• CSRT Participates in Pierce County Housing Authority (PCHA) Meeting: CRST staff participated in a monthly meeting of apartment managers and the Pierce County Housing Authority on October, 25, 2011. The group discussed PCHA’s successful partnership with the Lakewood Police Department and strategies for developing the same partnerships with other jurisdictions. PCHA adheres to rigorous screening criterion to promote safe, affordable housing for low-income residents. The meeting also addressed safety issues and the importance of engaging residents to create healthy communities.
• LPD Provides Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Training to Clover Park Technical College: LPD staff recently conducted a series totaling 12-hours of RAD training. This class was sponsored by Clover Park Technical College and held on campus. It was attended by CPTC staff, students and other women from the community. Instructors from Tacoma Community College also assisted with the training.
• City Staff attends Puget Sound Region Mass Transit Workshop: Lt. Steve Mauer represented the City of Lakewood at the Puget Sound Region Mass Transit Workshop held on October 27^th. This workshop was sponsored by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and held at the Criminal Justice Training Commission facility in Burien. The workshop focused on three different scenarios that involved different levels of threat to the transit system, in this case, involving trains. The goal was to look for gaps in the ability for agencies to respond to these types of incidents.

City Manager's Weekly Info Bulletin 9/28/2011

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Category: Weekly Info Bulletins

Published on Monday, 31 October 2011 09:47

October 28, 2011
WEEKLY INFO BULLETIN
To: Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Andrew Neiditz, City Manager

• Truck and Tractor Day on Saturday: The City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will host the 6th annual Truck and Tractor Day at Fort Steilacoom Park on Saturday October 29th. This is a free event for children of all ages to enjoy, with free pumpkin decorating, hayrides and truck and tractors to climb in. Each child will receive a free construction hat (while supplies last). The event begins at 3pm and ends at 6pm. Families can also enjoy a moonlit hayride from 6pm to 10pm for only $1.
• Marcus Walker Way sign dedicated: Friends and family of Marcus Walker, the late director of the Lakewood Playhouse, gathered outside the theater on Friday evening, October 28th, to watch the newly installed street sign entitled “Marcus Walker Way” unveiled by Mrs. Lauren Walker. The mayor and city manager made comments about the significant contributions made by Marcus Walker to the arts in the Lakewood community. The tribute coincided with his birthday celebration and a weekend of activities at the Lakewood Playhouse.
• Planning Advisory Board will hold public hearing on Shoreline Master Planning: The Planning Advisory Board (PAB) will be holding a public hearing on November 9th at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers to take public testimony and consider proposed updates/amendments to the Shoreline Master Program. Their decision will be forwarded to the City Council as a recommendation for action by the Washington State Department of Ecology. More information is available for the public at the following link:
  /news-and-events/904-shoreline-master-plan-updates.html .
• Youth Council member recognized: Clover Park High School student and Youth Council member Ga-Young Jin was recognized on October 21st by the Lakewood Rotary Club as Student of the Month. Ga-Young is #1 in her class with a 4.0 GPA, has been class president every year at Clover Park, and has played varsity tennis for four years running. She is National Honor Society Vice President, and President of the Key Club. Ga-Young plans on pursuing a career in medicine, and has applied for admission to several universities.
• Make a Difference Day: The Youth Council organized and coordinated events throughout the City in celebration of Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 22nd; it was the 9th year that they have hosted the event in Lakewood. Project sites included the historic Western State Hospital Cemetery on the grounds of Fort Steilacoom Park; the Caring for Kids warehouse; the West Pierce Fire and Rescue Pumpkin Patch at Fire Station 21; and a beautification project at Tyee Park Elementary School. Approximately 125 volunteers participated in the event including the Key Club of Clover Park High School, and Cub Scout pack #53.