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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-12 Hazelnut Newsletter - Volume 38 No. 2T AzELNuT A City of Tukwila publication for our residential and business communities VOLUME 38, NUMBER 2 FALL/WINTER 2018 You're invited to a Public Safety Plan Saturday, November 17 from 10:OOAM to 12:00 NOON at the offices of Water District 125/ Valley View Sewer District 3460 South 148th Street, Tukwila See design images for the new buildings Get a status update on each facility Learn more about the Public Safety Plan Enjoy some coffee and refreshments as you ask questions & get answers! Components of the Public Safety Plan forge ahead Implementation of Tukwila's modified Public Safety Plan continues to move for- ward. The Plan includes construction of two new fire stations, a Justice Center and Public Works facility. Fire Station #51 Progress is being made on all of the Plan's projects, and Fire Station 51- located in Tukwila's urban center - leads the pack. The design of the replacement Fire Station 51 is currently in the "construction documents" phase, meaning that the building design phase is more than 60% complete. Located at the intersection of Southcen- ter Parkway and South 180th, the City expects to break ground on the project in early 2019 and move into the facility in early 2020. Tukwila Justice Center Progress also continues on the Justice Center, a combined Police/Municipal Court/ Emergency Operations facility to be located on Tukwila International Boulevard. The City is pleased to have come to agreement with all of the businesses located on the site. Business owners were provided financial assistance, help identifying other properties, permit credits and other technical assistance. The City hopes these businesses will relocate in Tukwila where they can remain valued and integral members of this community. Another significant development on this project was the recent demolition of a long -vacant and derelict building on the Justice Center site. Shown below is a conceptual rendering of the facility, which provides the gen- eral idea of the building's form, mass and character. Public Works Facility Development of the combined Public Works facility is making headway. The City recently went through a public process, selecting an architect to provide master planning services. Additionally, Tukwila continues working with the property own- ers to identify mutually acceptable terms for property acquisition by the City. City of Tukwila PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN Cities like Tukwila step up their game in responding to issues SeeClickFix is a web and mobile application used for report- ing issues that need attention to local governments, including Tukwila. On September 18 and 19, the City of Tukwila hosted the SeeClickFix Summer Workshop at the Tukwila Community Center. Attendees came from as close as SeaTac, and as far away as Topeka, Kansas. Just this month, the cities of Sam- mamish, Washington and Sandpoint, Idaho both celebrated go- ing live with SeeClickFix. In my welcome to SeeClickFix staff and workshop attendees, I spoke about the time be- fore we launched our app - Tukwila Works - on the SeeClickFix platform. Resi- dents had complained that issues went into the City but didn't come back out again, thus leaving the users unsure if their is- sue was being resolved. Now we have a feedback loop that keeps residents in -the -know and engaged. In 2016, the average number of days Energy assistance is available for eligible PSE customers Puget Sound Energy (PSE), in part- nership with the federal Low -Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LI- HEAP), provides financial assistance to eligible low-income households to help pay their heating bills. Funds are now available to PSE customers. To qualify, customers must be low-income and cannot have been assisted with LIHEAP funds within the last 12 months. Please call 253-517-2263 to schedule an appointment through the 24-hour auto- mated phone system. You can also schedule your appointment on- line at MSCHelps.org. to acknowledge an issue was 3.29. We had set a 3-day goal for acknowledgement; now in 2018, it averages 1.13 days. Similarly, the average number of days to close an issue in 2016 was 40.08, and now it is 9.67 days. Since the launch of Tukwila Works in mid-2016, 2,659 issues have been reported, mostly via smart phone. At this workshop, City of Tukwila staff from Police, Public Works, Code Enforcement, and Community Services and Engagement participated on a panel discussing how we handle difficult is- sues such as homeless encampments. Other workshop topics included new platform features, increasing community adop- tion of SeeClickFix, best practices learned from other commu- nities, and more. See something that needs fixing? Tukwila's residents, business- es and guests can report issues via the Apple or Android apps, as well as on the City's website, TukwilaWA.gov/TukwilaWorks. The City looks forward to hearing from you! Zi--446,7_, Allan Ekberg, Mayor Seniors get around with Hyde Shuttle from Sound Generations Have you given up driving? Is taking the bus difficult? Do you need a ride for local er- rands? The Sound Generations Hyde Shuttles can help! Hyde Shuttles provides door-to-door van service for older adults and adults with dis- abilities throughout the Tukwila/SeaTac communities. Friendly, specially -trained driv- ers transport riders to hot meal programs, medical appointments, senior centers, gro- cery stores and other local destinations. For those who have difficulty getting around, the service provides an opportunity to socialize and stay active within their communi- ties. Trained drivers provide riders with personalized transportation to their appoint- ments and activities. Who is eligible to ride Hyde Shuttles? • Seniors aged 55 and older • People of all ages with disabilities There are no forms to complete - just sign up over the phone. Call 206-727-6262 to schedule a ride. Scheduling hours are 8:00AM-4:30PM, Monday through Friday. 2 THE HAZELNUT 70,0 o Examining the City of Tukwila's 6 2019/2020 biennial budget process On Monday, October 1, 2018 Mayor Ekberg de- livered - '�i his proposed budget to the City Coun- cil. The Council is currently reviewing and i (''\ deliberating on the Mayor's proposal and will eventually adopt a final budget by the end of the year. The City is again commit- ted to developing a fiscally -sound, balanced budget for 2019 and 2020. As is true of many jurisdictions, Tukwila is projected to experience a misalign- ment of revenues and expenditures in the coming biennium. Sales tax - which makes up 1/3 of the City's revenue - has flattened, and revenue growth is not keeping pace with the cost of ongoing expenditures. Additionally, the State funding of sales tax mitigation, established to compensate cities like Tukwila that were hard-hit by the change to destination -based sales tax, will end by 2020. Tukwila's Police and Fire Departments were directed to identify 1.5% in budget reductions, and the remaining departments produced 3% reductions in their budgets. Also, implementation of Priority -Based Budgeting has begun, which enables the City to examine programs and provide transparency to the process. Along with these reductions, the Administration is currently exploring new rev- enue options in order to maintain a high level of servicesforthe City's residents, businesses and guests. As with other City business, all budget deliberations will occur in public meet- ings. The Council meets every Monday (except for fifth Mondays) at 7:00PM in Council Chambers at City Hall. The Council Finance Committee meets on the first and third Tuesdays each month at 5:30 in the Hazelnut Conference Room at City Hall (next to the east entrance). At least one Council workshop on the budget is expected, if not more. All meetings are posted on the City's online calendar at TukwilaWA.gov/events. Tukwila's response to homelessness Homelessness and affordable housing are major issues in our region that continue to grow in size and complexity. Some esti- mates indicate that more than 1,000 people move to the Puget Sound region each week. Skyrocketing housing prices caused by the competition for scarce housing resources propels many people southward seeking more affordable housing. Because of this trend, we are seeing Tukwila housing prices rise and housing turnover occur more frequently. Tukwila, like its neighbors throughout the region, has also seen a corresponding rise in homelessness. Many homeless people are working, but simply cannot afford housing. Others are of- ten suffering from myriad serious issues such as job loss, low wages, negative credit, domestic violence victimization, mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. Homelessness is a com- plex social issue, with mental health and addiction only a part of the problem. The City has been responding to the issues of homelessness and affordable housing for many years in a variety of ways. The Human Services Division provides $180,000 per year to fund regional prevention, intervention, outreach and housing pro - Firefighters sport attire in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month Firefighter Roy Whitcut, Firefighter Joel Perry, Captain Ryan Berg, Firefighter Matt Houchens October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Tukwila Fire Department crews had the option to wear their pink TFD T-shirts to sup- port this important cause. Within two hours of the call going out to the Department from the Tukwila Fire Chief Jay Wittwer, he received this photo. TFD crews were seen around town, at training events and responding to calls while wearing their Breast Cancer Awareness T-shirts. grams that serve Tukwila residents. These services include em- ployment programs, shelters and transitional housing (includ- ing three houses owned by the City), legal assistance, mental health and substance abuse services, medical and dental care, and one-time financial assistance for eviction prevention. Tukwila has partnered with Tent City 3, Best Starts for Kids, Ri- verton Park United Methodist Church, King County Minor Home Repair Program, Tukwila School District staff, Tukwila Commu- nity Center, Weekend SnackPack Program and Mary's Place, to help Tukwila residents stay here and thrive here. Tukwila's Police Department has a robust Community Police Team (CPT) that actively monitors and reaches out to people experiencing homelessness in our community. Members of the CPT have started a Homeless Task Force that includes Police, Human Ser- vices, Fire and other sub-regional/regional community provid- ers to address the issue. The City continually strives to live up to its vision - The City of Opportunity, the Community of Choice - for all its residents. Tukwila's departments will continue to partner with other agencies in addressing affordable housing and homelessness. 10 NCL °ti;} One sunny weekend in mid -September, the Southcenter District in the Tukwila Ur- 3 ban Center was the place to be! On Sat- urday, September 15, the City hosted the Seattle Sounders FC Rave Green Run 5K race. Around 800 runners enjoyed the race on our city's beautiful trails, circling the Starfire Sports campus and finishing up at Southcenter for the Finish Line Festival. This was also a charitable endeavor, with proceeds benefiting the RAVE Foundation, which serves to inspire youth and strengthen communities by removing barriers to participation in soccer. They do great work! On both Saturday and Sunday - same weekend - the new Hotel In- terurban served as host location for the 2018 RenCon. If you were in the area that weekend, you probably noticed the attendees walking around in amazing hand-crafted costumes. RenCon is a growing re- gional convention focusing on comic books, super heroes, science, costumes, pop culture and more. We were thrilled to have this event in Tukwila for the first time ever, drawing around 3,500 attendees. Vendors were located on multiple floors and the 28 panels made good use of the hotel's many conference spaces. The weekend -long celebration of all things nerdy ended with an awards ceremony at the mall's AMC theatre and a VIP party at Tukwila's own Virtual Sports. First concert of the 2018-2019 season R•,ER Two performances: Saturday, October 20 - 7:30PM Sunday, October 21- 3:OOPM Foster Performing Arts Center 4242 South 144th Street, Tukwila Highlighting quintessential American composers from the 20th century, and music that explores the first impressions of the American experience through the lens of the European musical tradition. The Rainier Symphony provides quality performances to South County communities, keeping classical music alive, affordable and accessible. Mtn ppor UERt] Tu ° i la7�ii I am also proud to say that the City helped fund both events through its lodging tax fund, which comes from a 1% charge on most overnight stays in Tukwila. We use these funds to help promote and build a strong day- and night - visitor economy as we aim to be a premiere shopping, din- ing and entertainment destination. The Rave Green Run and RenCon are both examples of the kind of exciting and fresh events we would like to see happen in Tukwila. Other events funded by lodging tax this year include the ongo- ing Southcenter District 50th Anniversary celebration, the Queen Pin Classic drag bowling event at Acme Bowl, and the Museum of Flight's upcoming Veterans Day ceremony. Events like these offer an opportunity to energize neigh- borhoods and show off all that we have to offer in the City of Tukwila. The City considers applications from nonprofits and public agencies for lodging tax on a rolling basis and we are looking for 2019 events! Applications go to the City, then are reviewed and approved by both the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and the City Council. For more infor- mation about the lodging tax program, contact the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Chair, Councilmember Kathy Hou- gardy, at 206-571-0007, or the City's Business Relationship Manager Brandon Miles at 206-431-3684. XCEKFTh or 11I1tKICfllh11 BernsteinOverture to Candide Copland Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes Buckaroo Holiday Corral Nocturne Saturday Night Waltz Hoe -Down Barber First Essay for Orchestra Dvorak Symphony No. 9, From the New World The City of Tukwila Arts Commission is a sponsor of the Rainier Symphony I4 THE HAZELNUT Tukwila City Council Actions April -September 2018 Established new regulations related to trees and urban forestry (Ord. 2570) Adopted a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Policy and a Local Hiring Policy for construction projects associated with the Public Safety Plan (Res. 1929) Updated Fire and Parks impact fees (Ords2571 &2572) Authorized City of Opportunity scholarships to six local students Accepted CDBG funding for Minor Home Repair Program Named the bridge at Foster Golf Links the "Joe and Hazel Aliment Bridge" (Res. 1932) Awarded a bid to Icon Materials for the 2018 Overlay & Repair Program Adopted the Municipal Arts Plan (Res. 1934) Authorized the recovery of costs associated with responding to hazardous materials incidents (Ord. 2576) Approved revised funding strategy for the Public Safety Plan Opposed the separation of migrating children from their families (Res. 1937) Adopted Six -Year Transportation Improvement Program (Res. 1938) Adopted residential development standards and design guidelines for the Tukwila South Overlay zone (Ord. 2580) Updated the 2012 Strategic Plan (Res. 1941) Established regulations for Accessory Dwelling Units (Ord. 2581) Adopted franchise agreements with New Cingular/AT&T and M o b i l i t i e, L L C (Ords. 2583 & 2584) Established sewer connection requirements for "the Loop" (Ord. 2585) Revised the commercial parking tax rate (Ord. 2586) Prohibit City employees from inquiring into immigration status or enforcing federal immigration laws except during the course of criminal investigations (Ord. 2587) Appointments Congratulations to the following community members who were confirmed to Boards and Commissions between April and September. Tukwila appreciates and thanks you for your volun- teer service to our community! • Sharon Baker-Myklebust • Noe Rodriguez • Miesa Berry • BridgetteAgpaoa Ryder • Jim Davis • Tosh Sharp • Joe Duffie • Becky Smith • Dan Lee • David Traub • Ashley Messmer • Asia Wen • Nerissa Metully • Mike West • Ben Oliver For additional information about any of these actions, please call 206-433-8993 Surface Water billing changes Beginning in 2019, City of Tukwila storm water bills will be included on property tax statements mailed by King County. The City has contracted with King County for provision of the storm water billing and collection services to create a more stream- lined process. This move will also free up Tukwila staff time to concentrate efforts on other critical tasks and projects. The City joins seventeen other King County entities in using these billing services, including the cities of Bothell, Burien, Covington, Federal Way, Kirkland, Maple Valley, SeaTac and Woodinville. Some specialized properties - such as condominium com- plexes and State-owned highways - will continue to be billed by the City. The City will also adopt King County's definitions for "senior" and "low-income," which has the potential to positively impact more households in Tukwila. The house- hold low-income threshold for King County is currently $40,000 as opposed to the City's $32,000. The defined senior age for King County is 61, while the City's is 62. Should you have any questions about this change, please contact Tukwila Finance Director Peggy McCarthy at 206-433-1838 or Peggy.McCarthy@TukwilaWA.gov. King County Sexual Assault Resource Center Please contact KCSARC if you have experienced sexual assault and need support, or if you want more information about sexual violence. 24-hour Resource Line 1-888-99VOICE (1-888-998-6423) Online at KCSARC.org/gethelp 2018 high school intern program again benefits both students and City In the second year of its program, the City of Tukwila hosted 10 interns this year as a way to expose young people to gov- ernment service and potential careers. It's also a great way for departments to have extra hands during the summer and for students to get real -world work experience. This year's cohort brought many skills and abilities to the City. In fact, between the ten of them, they speak nine languages other than English. Applications for the 2019 summer internship program will open in March. The 2019 summer internship program dates are ten- tatively scheduled for July 8 through August 30, 2019. Department of Community Development - Leary Labanlic graduated from Foster High School in June, where he was on the Honor Roll each year, and received the Scholar Ath- lete Award each year as well. He is currently attending the UW School of Architecture. Leary helped the Department update address- es, and worked on his own project to bring attention to and re- vitalize Tukwila Pond Park. Finance - Kristina Te worked in the Finance Department this spring. She graduated in June with her high school diploma and herAs- sociates Degree in Business from Highline Col- lege, and is currently at University of Washing- ton. Kristina helped as a back-up for the front counter and did other projects, including help- ing provide documents for the State financial audit. Fire Department - Travis Boyd graduated from Foster High School in June. While in high school, he completed the Fire and Emergency Services Program at the Puget Sound Skills Center in Burien, looking toward a career in the fire service (hopefully in Tukwila). Travis helped the Fire Department with their conver- sion to Telestaff, an online scheduling system. He attended training, meetings, and went on many fire and aid calls in the community. Human Resources - Donna Te is a sophomore at Foster High School, involved with the Asian Student Association, Future Business Leaders ofAmerica, UW's Making Connections Program and UW's Girls Who Code. She is an Honor Roll student and a Scholar Athlete. Donna learned about HR safety policies and procedures, how work injury claims are filed, and helped with records manage- ment in the HR Department. Mayor's Office - Najma Hashi is a senior who's attending Tukwila's Raisbeck Aviation High School. Rizza Sanoy is a sophomore at Foster High School, where she has played varsity tennis, as well as bas- ketball and cross country. During their internships, Najma and Rizza worked with City Administration, the City Clerks Office, Economic Development, City Council staff, and Community Services and Engagement within the Mayor's Office. They cre- ated posters, observed court proceedings, assisted with Coun- cil agenda packets and records management, updated Human Services resource listings, and much more. Parks and Recreation - Paulina Viskova be- gan her high school career at Raisbeck Avia- tion High School, and has begun Running Start with Green River. Paulina shadowed all roles in Parks & Rec, which included budget discus- sions; senior, teen and kids programs, park and golf course maintenance, and helping with events like the See You in The Park Events and Touch -a -Truck. Police Department - Jamieson Aldrich at- tends Foster High School, where he is on the track team, and tutors students at Showalter Middle School. Jamieson worked with the Community Policing Team and went on many ride-alongs. After analyzing data on jaywalk- ing from the TIB Light Rail Station across 154th, he recommended installing a taller fence to reduce in- stances of people crossing the street illegally. Public Works - Nigel Veach graduated from Garfield High School in June, was a National Merit Scholar, and will major in Mechanical Engineering at Duke. Nigel helped manage a road construction project this summer, and also helped map pedestrian trip hazards and street lights that need to be upgraded to LED. Technology and Innovation Services - Ryan Mathew is an honor roll student at Foster High School, and a scholar athlete participating in cross country, basketball, and track. This sum- mer, Ryan helped to process and respond to IT Helpdesk Tickets, and created many electron- ic forms to replace old paper -based processes. Ryan is staying on as an intern through the school year. Want to know more about the High School Intern Program? Please contact Community Engagement Manager Mia Navarro at 206-454-7564, orMia.Navarro@TukwilaWA.gov 6 THE HAZELNUT Taking care of Tukwila's tree canopy After careful consideration involving its business and resi- dential communities, Tukwila has adopted new tree protec- tions for both single-family neighborhoods and commercial areas. The contributions that trees make to the environ- ment and our quality of life are often overlooked. Protecting the existing tree canopy - and even increasing it - can provide benefits in many ways. For instance, trees help to combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, and they act as natural air filters. Next time you take a breath of that fresh Pacific Northwest air, thank a tree! Trees can also improve the City's water quality by intercept- ing rainfall before it hits the ground, decreasing the storm water runoff. This helps to maintain a healthy environment for our aquatic wildlife by lessening the amount of pollut- ants entering our streams and rivers. It also saves the City and its residents money by reducing the need for develop- ment and maintenance of storm water treatment facilities. On top of the numerous environmental benefits, trees pro- vide direct and instantaneous benefits to people. Maintain- ing healthy trees can increase property values and reduce home heating/cooling costs, and are proven to help reduce stress. Spending just five minutes among trees can reduce both blood pressure and muscle tension. Think twice and give us a call to find out more about permit- ting requirements before cutting down a tree! If you have any questions, please contact Meredith Sampson in the De- partment of Community Development at 206-431-3661 or email Meredith.Sampson@TukwilaWA.gov. Decreases stress Increases property values Sequesters carbon Improves wildlife health . Decreases storm water runoff Interested in environmental issues? Under Washington State's Shoreline Management Act there are specific rules for activities and buildings within 200 feet of the Green River. Tukwila is conducting a periodic review of its Shore- line Master Program (SM P) to ensure that it is current with chang- es in law and is consistent with other Tukwila plans and regula- tions. You can sign up to get updates by sending an email to Shoreline@TukwilaWA.gov We are also making some required changes to our rules for criti- cal areas such as wetlands, streams and steep slopes. You can sign up to get updates about critical areas update at CriticalAreas@TukwilaWA.gov Amnesty period offered for registering your mother-in-law apartment (accessory dwelling unit) Do you have an existing mother-in-law apartment or backyard cot- tage, also called an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)? Tukwila has changed its regulations, and registration with the City is now re- quired. If your ADU was built without permits or before you owned the property, there is a one-year amnesty period through June 2019 to get a courtesy inspection from the Building Department and make any safety repairs needed by code. During that time, owners can come forward to register their ADUs under more flexible zoning rules, including: Exceeding the permitted height for a detached ADU Exceeding the permitted area for an attached or detached ADU, up to 1,200 square feet Not providing a second parking space for a two -bedroom ADU Roof pitch of less than 5:12 Location of the ADU on the lot Owner occupancy, providing at least 1 parking space per ADU, and meeting the mini- mum lot size for a detached ADU would not be waived. For more information regard- ing Accessory Dwelling Units, please contact Lindsay Brown by calling 206-433-7166, or email Lindsay.Brown@TukwilaWA.gov, or go online to TukwilaWA.gov/wp-content/uploads/ DCD-Planning-Accessory-Dwelling-Units.pdf. ) ) ) FALL/WINTER 2018 7 CITY DIRECTORY TUKWILA CITY HALL 6200 Southcenter Boulevard Hours: Monday -Friday, 8:30Am-5:00Pm Telephone: 206-433-1800 Fax number: 206-433-1833 E-mail: Tukwila@TukwilaWA.gov Website: www.TukwilaWA.gov MAYOR Allan Ekberg 206-433-1850 TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL Verna Seal, President. 206-492-4819 Dennis Robertson 206-242-6373 Kathy Hougardy 206-571-0007 De'Sean Quinn 206-331-5939 Kate Kruller 206-678-7885 Thomas McLeod 206-492-4821 Zak Idan 206-889-0743 Laurel Humphrey, Analyst 206-433-8993 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS 7:00Pm in Council Chambers Regular Meetings 1st/3rd Mondays Work Meetings 2nd/4th Mondays CITY OFFICES Mayor's Office Administration Offices 206-433-1850 David Cline, CityAdministrator206-433-1851 City Clerk's Office 206-433-1800 Economic Development 206-433-1832 Municipal Court 206-433-1840 Administrative Services Rachel Bianchi, Dep. City Admin. 206-454-7566 Human Resources - Personnel206-433-1831 City Job Line 206-433-1828 Human Services 206-433-7181 Community Engagement 206-454-7564 Community Development Dept. Jack Pace, Director 206-431-3670 Code Enforcement 206-431-3682 Finance Department Peggy McCarthy, Director 206-433-1835 Fire Department, Emergency Management Jay Wittwer, Chief 206-575-4404 Technology Services Department Joseph Todd, Director 206-454-7575 Parks/Recreation Department Rick Still, Director 206-767-2342 Police Department Bruce Linton, Chief 206-433-7175 Public Works Department Henry Hash, Director 206-433-0179 Emergency Fire, Police 911 TUKWILA COMMUNITY CENTER 12424 - 42nd Avenue South Recreation Division 206-768-2822 Senior Center/Services 206-767-2323 FOSTER GOLF LINKS 13500 Interurban Avenue South Pro Shop 206-242-4221 THE HAZELNUT Newsletter is published twice a year by the City of Tukwila, and written by City staff. Produced by the Office of Community Services and Engagement. THE HAZELNUT City of Tukwila 6200 Southcenter Blvd. Tukwila, WA 98188 Postmaster: If named addressee has moved, deliver to current resident. To help us correct addresses or eliminate duplicates, please call 206-454-7573. PRESORT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO.12698 Welcome to autumn. Let's talk leaves... ... on the road Wet, slippery leaves make driving hazardous. Slow down when driving on leaves, especially around turns. Leave plenty of emergency stopping room. If the temperature drops below freezing, the wet leaves will freeze, making driving even more dangerous. Leaves littering the road can obscure painted lane markings, bumps or potholes, and other road hazards. Never drive through a raked leaf pile - it's an inviting place for a child (or pet) to burrow, jump or hide. ... around your car Keep your windshield clear to avoid wet leaves getting stuck under the wiper blades. Don't park over a pile of dry leaves to avoid a possible fire hazard from the exhaust system or catalytic converter. ...at your home a) Clean your gutters frequently. Leaf -clogged gutters (and downspouts) can create major damage by sending water into your home or breaking loose due to water weight. To avoid creating a falling hazard for pedestrians, keep your driveway and walkways clear of fallen leaves. If you use a leaf blower, dress properly in clothing that covers your skin to prevent injury. Wear appropriate eye protection, gloves and sturdy shoes as well. Think safety as you perform home chores. Use a sturdy, steady ladder for climbing. 100. Don't overexert when raking or lifting. ''