Highlights from the weekly report (April 17) from City of Lakewood Manager, Andrew Neiditz to the Mayor and Council Members:
- US Census coordination: The city manager and staff met with the U. S. Census Bureau’s partnership specialist this week to prepare for the upcoming census. Lakewood will play an active role in supporting the census since the importance of an accurate count is related to federal funding and grant eligibility. The formation of a “complete count committee” is recommended to assist with the outreach to various groups in the community. The transient nature of Lakewood’s population will make the census process challenging.
- Police Station dedication: The ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the City’s new police station went smoothly on April 15th, with several hundred citizens present. The 40,000 SF, $12.7 million facility was completed on budget and on schedule. The Police Department is in the transition process and the building will be open for business on Monday, April 20th.
- Parks & Recreation director is Lakewood United speaker: Mary Dodsworth, department director, updated the group on April 16th regarding the Hill Ward restoration project, the blueberry farm, the Lake Louise “school park”, and the proposed fishing pier at American Lake Park. The grand opening of the boat launch at American Lake Park is scheduled for May 16th.
- Delinquent business licenses: Community Development staff began business checks this week with the intent to check each business in the City for a current business license. 126 businesses were contacted this week and 43 of those were not in compliance; they were issued warning notices to purchase a current license within seven days to preclude criminal citations. The inspections will continue until all businesses in the City have been brought into compliance.
- City’s Wellness Program recognized at AWC Employee Health Academy: Lakewood was one of 34 Washington cities and towns recognized by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) for its workplace health program. Dawn Avcular, Lakewood’s wellness coordinator, and committee member Rebecca Hendricks received recognition for Lakewood’s Wellness Program at the association’s 24th annual AWC Employee Health Academy in Richland.
- Bridgeport gas main project status: On April 20th (Monday night), PSE’s contractor will once again be grinding off the outside south-bound lane area on Bridgeport Way from Steilacoom Blvd northerly to 250 or 300 feet as part of the pavement restoration work associated with their gas main replacement project that occurred several years back. They will be back in the next night to repave the area.
- City’s Flett Creek Blueberry Farm WASL Week: Freshmen from Clover Park High School worked at the blueberry farm on April 13th and 14th moving wood chips, removing invasive plants and laying out weed fabric as part of a service learning project. The freshmen were available to help due to WASL Week since they did not have to take any tests. Three senior students organized the work as part of their senior projects. They organized the transportation, the scheduling and supervised the youth with the assistance of their teachers. Nearly 100 students over the two days made a significant impact to the farm by filling-in the paths which are currently underwater. This is the second year that students from Clover Park High School have assisted with the blueberry farm during WASL Week.
- Wards Lake Park demolition: The demolition of the house on recently-acquired City park property at Wards Lake has been completed. The chosen contractor was the lowest bidder, but provided added value to the job. Due to the proximity to the lake, the demolition was conducted carefully to minimize impacts to the environment. Additionally, the house was not torn down, but carefully dismantled for maximum material recovery and recycling. While the recovered building materials had no resale value, many were reusable. The contractor donated building materials to Habitat For Humanity, a small church, and a local man who is rebuilding after his house burned down.
- Abatement update: The abatement demolition of a house in the center of Lakewood has been completed. The house was an extensive complex of unpermitted and substandard additions which, in recent years, brought gang activity, drug dealing, and, reportedly, dog-fighting to the neighborhood. Abatement actions were also initiated against five properties, involving extreme neglect, dilapidated and apparently abandoned properties, and one property that had been a public nuisance for several years, due to hoarding, and was recently damaged and made uninhabitable by a recent fire. Property owners have already responded in two of these cases and expressed their commitment to correct the problems quickly. Additionally, property owners, lenders, and others have recently stepped forward to take action to correct a number of other public nuisance and dangerous building properties, including several properties that have been public nuisances and subject of enforcement actions for a number of years.
- Police participate in Tunnel of Hope: CSO’s Kevin Pressel and Sandi Stauffer along with Officers Karen Herritt, Charles Porsche, and Pete Johnson participated in the “Tunnel of Hope” at Oakwood Elementary School on April 14th. They greeted the students as they arrived at school and encouraged them to do their best on the upcoming WASL test. The event was sponsored by the Hope Center.
- City staff supports Phoenix Housing Network breakfast: Human Services staff supported the Phoenix Housing Network on April 16th by serving at their Spring Breakfast Fundraiser. All funds raised from the breakfast support PHN’s pre-employment and mental health services, and will help to replace aging and worn beds used by families in their shelter program. Phoenix Housing Network is funded in part with the 1% general services funding dedicated to support human services to the citizens of Lakewood. Phoenix Housing Network provided emergency and transitional housing to 13 Lakewood families in 2008 and is currently housing 5 families in their transitional housing program for 2009. PHN will more than double their capacity to house Lakewood families with the addition of Guadalupe Vista, a 4-story, 50 unit apartment building that will house 38 PHN homeless families, and is scheduled to open in fall 2009.