Highlights from the weekly report (September 18) from City of Lakewood Manager, Andrew Neiditz to the Mayor and Council Members:
- Municipal Court takes Online and Telephone Payments: On September 1st, the Lakewood Municipal Court started taking online and telephone payments through Official Payments. This payment agency is used for many courts in Washington State, and has received good reviews from courts and users. The online and telephone payment option will allow for more efficient processing of payments received by the court. The Court expects to see an increase in payments by offering a quick and convenient payment portal for court clientele.
- City manager at annual ICMA conference: The city manager participated in the 95th annual conference of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) September 13-16 in Montreal, joining 2,188 colleagues from around the country as well as international. To defray the impact to the City’s budget, Neiditz paid his own transportation, airfare, and per diem meal expenses. Conference sessions included fiscal accountability in public safety, performance management systems, community engagement, sustainable development, and Peter Block’s Community, The Structure of Belonging. Neiditz was nominated last month by the city managers association of Washington State (WCCMA) as a candidate for ICMA West Coast regional Vice President, and was interviewed by the ICMA nominating committee at the national conference this week.
- Lakewold Gardens Community Kids Day: NPO Johnson and CSO Stauffer staffed a booth at the annual Community Kids Day at Lakewold Gardens on September 12th. CSO Stauffer handed out police stickers and safety information while NPO Johnson gave tours of his patrol vehicle. The event was attended by 252 children and 150 adults.
- County-wide DUI Emphasis results: The results are in from the recent “Drive Hammered, Get Nailed” enforcement campaign conducted for three weeks ending September 7th. In Pierce County, 361 motorists were stopped and arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), and statewide, law enforcement officers arrested 2,818 drivers for DUI. In Pierce County, Lakewood PD participated with 14 other police agencies in the extra emphasis patrols, with the support of the Tacoma/Pierce County DUI Task Force, and funded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. During 2008, impaired drivers killed nearly half of the 522 people who died on Washington’s roadways, which does represent a decrease of 22 fatalities compared to the previous five-year average.
- TPCHD issues toxic Algae Advisory for Steilacoom Lake: The Tacoma Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) has issued the following toxic Algae Advisory for Steilacoom Lake: There currently is a toxic algae bloom in Steilacoom Lake. A toxic algae bloom is easily identified by an unusual color or appearance to the water. Usually a bloom makes the lake surface green, giving the appearance of pea soup or green paint, but sometimes the bloom is a different color, such as brown or red. The algae are the small dots in the water. Wind and weather conditions can greatly change the amount and location of algae in the lake. To help you make decisions about recreational use of the lake, the health department recommends you follow these precautions:
- Keep children and pets away from areas that have a heavy concentration of algae
- Do not swim, wade, water-ski, or fish in areas that have a heavy concentration of algae
- Swallowing lake water containing algae or prolonged skin contact with the algae may result in illness, such as muscle weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or nausea. If you know or believe someone may have swallowed water containing large amounts of algae, it is extremely important to seek immediate medical attention.
- The risk to pets is much greater than the risk to people, both due to the smaller body sizes of pets and to a pet being more likely to drink water containing a heavy concentration of algae. If a pet does ingest a large amount of algae and is showing signs such as vomiting, lethargy, disorientation, or seizures, it should be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible.