1. Landscape Maintenance Update – The Residential and Commercial Owners Associations, in conjunction with the City of DuPont, have put together an irrigation plan in an attempt to salvage the plants and trees in the medians along Center Drive.
Beginning Wednesday, August 7th, the medians between Interstate 5 and Haskell Street began receiving water. The plan is to irrigate nightly for 5 nights and then reduce the frequency to one to two nights a week. This should be enough water to sustain the plant materials until the rains come and still keep costs down.
We will begin moving up Center Drive, towards Steilacoom-DuPont Road with the intent of irrigating the medians that have the best chance of survival. There is a potential for significant tree loss further up Center Drive, and the Associations will not be irrigating plant material that is likely not to survive. The Associations are working with their landscape company, Total Grounds Management, to assess the damage and prioritize the irrigation.
In addition, the Associations will be begin irrigation of the City parks along McNeil Street, at Garry Oaks and Jensen Avenues. The water will be concentrated on the shrubs in order to avoid plant loss; however, at this time it does not make sense to begin irrigating the dormant turf.
The Associations will keep their members updated as this process continues.
2. Business License Requirements
As part of our continuous process improvements, we are ensuring that businesses, specifically independent contractors, are meeting all necessary requirements to do business with the City. One of the requirements is that the business is licensed with Washington State and has a valid City of DuPont business license. Our goal is to obtain 100% compliance in this area. Letters are being sent to all independent contractors doing business with the City explaining the requirements and providing a deadline for compliance. Additional checks and balances are also being put in place as part of the City’s contracting and payment processes.
3. Sign Code Amendment Public Hearing
The Planning Agency will hold a public hearing on August 12, 2013 at 7:00 PM to take testimony and make a recommendation on an application from Duke Realty to amend the DuPont Municipal Code, Chapter 25.116, regarding signs. The Public Hearing Notice, Staff Report and Exhibits are available at City Hall and on the City’s website.
4. Sequalitchew Creek Watershed Restoration Meeting
There will be a public meeting to discuss the draft Sequalitchew Creek/Edmond Marsh Restoration Plan on Tuesday, August 27th from 5:00 – 6:45 PM at DuPont City Hall. This meeting will review the watershed restoration planning process, review the draft conceptual plan, and hear public comments. Materials on the restoration planning process are on the City’s website.
5. Upcoming Meetings – Week of August 12th – 16th
- Planning Agency Meeting
Monday, August 12th at 7:00 PM - City Council Meeting
Tuesday, August 13th at 7:00 PM - Tourism Board Meeting
Wednesday, August 14th at 9:30 AM
6. Council Agenda Items – August 13th
- Presentation: Sequalitchew Creek/Edmond Marsh Restoration Plan Update
- Consent Agenda Items: Claims Vouchers; Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) Grant Submission Authorization
* Council Agenda Packet is available on the City’s website.
7. Red Flag Warning
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Puget Sound lowlands. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. Thunderstorms are expected to develop, with potential for lightening that could cause multiple fire starts, over the Cascades and Eastern Olympic Mountains each afternoon and evening beginning Friday, August 9th through Sunday, August 11th. Some of the storms and lightening could move into the Puget Sound area and southwest interior lowlands as well, the NWS said, including areas in Pierce and King Counties below 1500 feet. Watch for gusty and erratic winds with any thunderstorm. In DuPont, the forecast for Friday evening is mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms, and Saturday is a 30 percent chance of showers with mostly cloudy conditions and a high around 79 degrees.
8. Political Campaign Signs
Election season often prompts questions and concerns about placement of political signs. A sign permit is not required if the political campaign sign is located on private property or on the planting strip between the sidewalk and the street when the planting strip is immediately adjacent to the sign owner’s property. Signs shall not be larger six square feet in size; may be no taller than three feet if placed in the landscape strip; and may be up to seven feet tall if located at least ten feet behind the front property line. Signs may not be placed on private property without the permission of the property owner.
Signs must be removed within five working days following an election, except signs of a candidate who is successful in a primary election which may remain until the final election. Signs remaining five working days following an election are subject to removal. Signs are not allowed on public streets (other than noted above), public parks, roundabouts, and other City properties. Additional information is located in DuPont Municipal Code 25.116.110(X).
9. City Seeking EMS Volunteers
The DuPont Fire Department is currently accepting applications for motivated and career-minded EMS volunteers to help staff the Aid Car, assisting with patient care and transport. The reserves will be EMT’s who will supplement our career staff and help enable the fire engine to stay in DuPont and staffed during transport situations. Currently there are fewer private ambulance transport units available to the citizens in DuPont due to growing demand in other areas of the county which absorbs the use of Rural Metro and AMR. Volunteers need to be Washington State certified EMT’s who will work a minimum of three 12 or 24 hour shifts per month. Reserve EMT’s are volunteers who will be supplied with uniforms. A small stipend is available. They will not participate in suppression activities due to the high cost of uniforms, equipment and training. For more information, please contact the Fire Station at (253) 964-8414.
10. Police Citizen’s Academy
The Police Department is hosting a Police Citizen’s Academy beginning in September and is accepting applications at this time. The Academy will run for 10 weeks on Thursday evenings beginning September 12th from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Graduation will be held on November 14th. This is a great opportunity to learn how your Police Department operates and to meet our Police Chief and police officers. Applications are available on the City’s website or at the Police Department (1780 Civic Drive). For additional information visit the City’s website, or contact Police Chief Bob Sheehan at (253) 964-7060 or Bob.Sheehan@SouthSound911.org.
11. Steilacoom Town-Wide Power Outage
Due to planned upgrades to the transmission system, an 8-hour power outage for the Town of Steilacoom has been scheduled for Monday, August 19th from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. For additional information, contact Steilacoom Public Works Director Mark Burlingame at (253) 581-1912.
12. Parks & Recreation
Please call (253) 912-5245 or go to the City’s website at www.ci.dupont.wa.us for registration information, questions on Parks & Recreation activities, or for volunteer opportunities. Want to know more? Like us on Facebook at “City of DuPont Parks, Recreation & Tourism”.
- Movie in the Park & Teen Taco Night – Join us Friday, August 16th for Northwest Landing ROA’s Movie in the Park. The featured show will be “Napoleon Dynamite”, rated PG. The show begins at dusk (approximately 8:30 PM) at Clocktower Park. Come early to enjoy a taco bar sponsored by our local Youth Council beginning at 7:30 PM. Tacos are $2 and all proceeds go towards Youth Council supported projects this fall. This is a youth-driven event. Northwest Landing and the City of DuPont strive to encourage volunteerism at a young age. Be sure to bring a chair and a blanket, as summer evenings tend to cool off!
- Youth Soccer – Fall soccer practice schedules are now available on the City’s website. Families are encouraged to check the website and communicate with their coaches for updated information.
- 2nd Annual Golf Tournament – Parks & Recreation is hosting their 2nd Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, August 23rd at The Home Course. The tournament begins at 8:30 AM with a shotgun start. The fee to participate is $75 which includes 18 holes of golf, prizes and a BBQ lunch. Individual and team competitions will be awarded. Grab a foursome and join the fun! Registration forms are available on the City’s website.
- Junior Golf Camp – Parks & Recreation has partnered with The Home Course to offer a Summer Junior Golf Camp. The camp runs August 20th – August 22nd from 9:00 AM – Noon for ages 8-17. The camp is instructed by PGA Professional Brent Hathaway and will include fundamentals on chipping, putting and driving. The camp cost is $85. Registration forms are available on the City’s website.
- Summer Camp Info – Be sure to check out our summer camp programs for all ages at www.dupontwa.gov. Camps include art, karate and golf. Camps are strategically scheduled to occur throughout the summer. There is a special summer camp information table set up at City Hall with registration information available. We hope your kids can join the fun!
Visit our website for information on other programs and events including Karate, Yoga, Track, Kidz Love Soccer, and more!
13. DuPont Museum Open House
Immerse yourself in history at the DuPont Museum Open House on Saturday, August 24th from 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM. Come to DuPont’s Historic Village for an old-fashioned ice cream social, fiddlin’ music by the Tune Tamers, and tours of the DuPont Museum and a former DuPont Company town home. A special workshop “Shake Up the Family Tree – How to Write about the Nuts and Nuggets in your Family History” will be presented by Dorothy Wilhelm with special guest Val Dumond. There is a $5 fee for the workshop which includes materials and a ticket to the ice cream social. The Museum is located at 207 Barksdale Avenue. For more information, please contact Dorothy Wilhelm at (253) 582-4565 or Dorothy@itsnevertoolate.com.
14. Hudson Bay Day & Salmon BBQ
Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 25th for Hudson Bay Day and Salmon BBQ at the DuPont Fire Department, across the street from the original 1843 Hudson Bay Fort Nisqually Site. This free event is being held from Noon – 4:00 PM and features live music, kids activities, historical demonstrations, reenactors, a tribal blessing and more! Historian Drew Crooks will take guided tours to the original 1843 Fort site and visitors can view Ezra Meeker’s covered wagon and talk with Buffalo Soldiers. There will be a salmon BBQ on-site with adult meals at $15 and kids for $5. Hot dog meals will also be available.
The Hudson Bay Day is proudly sponsored by the DuPont Historical Society and the DuPont Tourism Board. The 1843 Fort Nisqually site is open to the public courtesy of the Archeology Conservancy. For more information call DuPont Museum Coordinator Linda Cumberbatch at (253) 964-2399 or (253) 882-5942 or visitwww.dupontmuseum.com.
15. Steilacoom Farmers’ Market & Concert Series
The Steilacoom Farmers’ Market will run each Wednesday through August 28th. The market is open from 3:00 – 7:00 PM and runs in conjunction with the Steilacoom Concerts in the Park which start at 6:30 PM each Wednesday. Fresh produce, flowers, cheese, baked goods (including gluten-free) and a variety of specialty foods and crafts will be offered. For weekly “fresh finds at the market” updates please follow the market on Facebook or join the mailing list atwww.steilacoomfarmersmarket.
The next concert of the series will be on Wednesday, August 14th and will feature Joey Jewel and The Swinging Orchestra (Sinatra in The Sands). The concerts are held at Pioneer Park, 1700 Commercial Street. In the event of inclement weather the alternate location is the Steilacoom Community Center, 2301 Worthington Street. No alcoholic beverages are allowed. The series is sponsored by the Town of Steilacoom and the MTC Group. For more concert information please call (253) 581-1076.
16. Boots2Work Military Career Fair
Attention all military family members! WorkForce Central and the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club invite you to join them for the Boots2Work Military Career Fair at Cheney Stadium from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Wednesday, August 28th. Stay for the tailgate party and baseball game that follow. There are free Tacoma Rainiers tickets and food vouchers for the first 500 Career Fair participants.
This Military-only Career Fair has activities, workshops and presentations to help you land the perfect job! They are anticipating over 60 exhibitors and 1000 job seekers attending. A variety of industries will be represented including manufacturing, trade transportation logistics, financial services, healthcare, information technology, government, and retail. This event is free for active duty and retired military and spouse job seekers. Cheney Stadium is located at 2502 S. Tyler Street in Tacoma. To register, go to www.thebusinessconnection.net/