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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-03 Hazelnut Newsletter - Volume 8 No. 1HAZflNCT Volume 8 Number 1 GARY VAN DUSEN, MAYOR March 1987 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS CITY OF TUKWILA by Gary VanDusen, Mayor The state of the City is good. I am pleased with our efforts to make Tukwila an exellent city in which to live, work and do business. While the state of the city is good in comparison with other cit- ies in the state, I feel that we have a great deal yet to do in making Tukwila excel- lent. Therefore, we will continue our ef- forts to improve every aspect of the City in 1987. State of the City The city has a sound tax base, a new infrastructure system and a strong local economy. The city is able to maintain and deliver a fairly high level of service to our citizens. A high percentage of our budget is de- voted to infrastructure improvements such as streets, water, sewer and other projects. We are fortunate to be able to undertake such an extensive Capital Im- provement Plan. Many cities are strug- gling to maintain what they have, let alone replace it or build something new. We have also developed a new long-range computerized financial plan- ning model. This model allows us to look at a variety of capital and operational needs in light of various financial alterna- tives. The local economy has been good to the City this past year. Our tax base has keep strong; it is fairly well diversified and has allowed us to address many of our critical infrastructure and service needs. The image and identity of the City con- tinues to improve. More and more local businesses are choosing "Tukwila" as their identification. Tukwila's stature with other governmental bodies and the private sector continues to increase. We are increasingly viewed as "progressive" and "professional". Many other jurisdic- tions have inquired about various City op- erations this past year. Our increased participation in regional affairs has brought us regional attention and recog- nition. (Continued on back page) Old Foster Golf Course cable suspension bridge used for 60 years. FOSTER GOLF COURSE CHANGES During this past year local citizens have observed a lot of activity at the City's Foster Golf Course. The large 8 -foot diameter METRO sewer pipeline has been installed and restoration work has begun. This spring and summer all of the areas of the golf course that were disturbed will be rebuilt. In addition to the restoration work, numerous improvements will also be made. A new restroom will be built to serve golfers near the 10th green. About 100 additional parking stalls will be con- structed along Interurban Avenue and by the clubhouse. A site for a new main- tenance building will be prepared with construction occurring in 1988. A new concrete bridge has been built over the Green River; the old cable suspension bridge has been removed. Between the 18th fairway and Interurban Avenue near the street, a sidewalk and bicycle path will be built. Adjacent to Interurban Ave- nue and the 56th Avenue bridge will be constructed a small riverside park. Funding for all work is from golf course revenues and from a negotiated settlement with METRO for building the pipeline through the golf course. MUSIC IN THE CHAMBER Back by popular demand, the City of Tukwila Arts Commission will continue its "Music in the Chamber" series, begin- ning March 17th with the "Main Attrac- tion". Performances will be held on the third Tuesday of each month during March -May and September -December. Music will be- gin at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The Commission's tentative schedule for the first three months includes: March 17 Main Attraction April 21 Pennillion May 19 Magical Strings A complete list of performers will be published in the next Hazelnut. If you have a suggestion, please call Lynn Devoir at 243-5198. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The City Council has established a five - member Library Advisory Board. Four members of this Board are to be Tukwila Citizens, and the fifth a high school stu- dent. Each citizen member will serve two years, the student member one year. The Board shall recommend programs for library service; assist in planning, scheduling, and participating in special programs or projects; and conduct an an- nual review of the Library Agreement with King County. Our branch of the King County Library is used by many people. Please get in- volved and volunteer for the Library Board. For further information call the City Clerk's office at 433-1800. CITY OF TUKWILA BUSINESS NUMBERS City Hall Information 433-1800 Mayor Van Dusen 433-1805 City Administrator 433-1832 City Clerk 433-1830 Finance Dept 433-1838 Fire Department 575-4404 Planning Dept 433-1849 Building Official 433-1852 Police Department 433-1808 Public Works 433-1850 Recreation Dept. 433-1843 YOU AND YOUR CITY COUNCIL This year the Tukwila City Council will take on a new look to make Coun- cilmembers more accessible to you, the citizens. In late February the Council will trim its committee system from six com- mittees to four. The committees will cover transporta- tion, utilities, finance, personnel, parks, public safety and community issues. Meeting times and dates can be found by calling the office of the City Clerk at 433-1800. Our City Council meeting agendas al- ways include an item near the beginning of the meeting to hear from citizens on any issue not listed on that evening's agenda. This is a good time to share your comments and concerns about City serv- ices. Council meetings are held the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. Committee of the Whole meetings are informal Council meetings held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Another procedure we'll try is to give these meetings the feel of an old-fashioned roundtable work session where we roll up our sleeves and work on particular issues we see as vital to our community. Citizens are always welcome to join in the work or simply to observe the meetings. Some of the issues we expect to deal with this year are: improving our traffic problems by both building and planning for future street and road improvements; building the water reservoir on the North Hill; annexations; recreation services; and finding ways to finance major transporta- tion and utility projects in the coming years. Council President Wendy Morgan has designated Councilmembers to represent the Council in issues of far-reaching im- portance to the City. Council experts on the following subjects can answer ques- tions, may hold special meetings on these subjects, and may invite experts to Com- mittee of the Whole work sessions to help the Council deal with these issues: SUBJECT Annexation Affirmative Action Transportation Networking Community Center Future Finance Concerns COUNCILMEMBER Charlie Simpson Joe Duffie Mabel Harris Marilyn Stoknes Jim McKenna Informed citizens working with an in- formed Council can be a powerful force in shaping a healthy future for Tukwila. Please join us as we look forward to a most productive year. Explorers observe fire fighting techniques. Explorers practice while Advisor Craig Byron watches. FIRE SERVICE RECOGNITION DAYS The Tukwila Fire Department will be hosting "Fire Service Recognition Days" at the Southcenter Shopping Center again this year. The show will be held over the weekend of May 9. May 8, 9, and 10 will be full of demon - stations, participatory displays, fire - trucks, stage shows, information booths, and our famous "Hazard House". Go through the full-sized mobile home and identify common fire hazards. This mo- bile "Hazard House" is very unique to the fire service! So mark your calendars now for that weekend. Bring young and old alike; there will be a good time, as well as an education, for all who come. In our last show we had 43 different agencies parti- cipating. INTRODUCING THE TUKWILA FIRE EXPLORERS The Tukwila Fire Explorers are a dedi- cated group of young men and women between the ages of fourteen and twenty, who `explore' fire service as a possible ca- reer. Post 51, sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America and the Tukwila Fire Depart- ment, is made up of students from local high schools. Upon being accepted as a member of the Post, the explorer embarks on a four -to -six-month probation period in which he/she is expected to learn infor- mation about the Explorer Post, the Fire Department, and the City of Tukwila. On completion of probation the explorer may start more in-depth training. There are three levels of training that the explorer can achieve. Upon comple- tion of Level Two training, the explorer is allowed to participate in the Post's Ride -Along program, where the explorer responds to emergencies with the Fire Department. The explorers are prohibited from dangerous duty, but provide assis- tance to firefighters and civilians in other ways. Explorers are also required to ac- quire first aid and CPR certification within one year of joining the Post. In addition to training, the explorers participate in community service work, public awareness shows (through both the Post and the Fire Department), trips, tours of the different fire protection facili- ties in the area, and actual Fire Depart- ment drills (practice house burns, mock fires, fire -fighting tactics and many more). Aside from fire -fighting skills and train- ing, the explorers get valuable experience in leadership, business -management skills, self-reliance, and responsibility .. . and it's FUN! The explorers are dedicated to excel- lence. The Post has received the Boy Scouts of America's "National Quality Unit Award" for the past two years. Anyone interested in becoming a Fire Explorer may contact Firefighters Byron, Ewing, or Beckman, the explorer advis- ors. Or come to one of the explorer meet- ings held in the fire station at 444 An- dover Park East, any Wednesday from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Bee Leroux, Tukwila senior and her student, Shannon Rodenberg from Showalter Middle School. STUDENTS AND SENIORS EXCHANGE ACTIVITY The Tukwila Parks and Recreation De- partment's Senior Adults Program re- cently participated in an exchange of activity with a class called "Preparing for Adolescence" from Showalter Middle School. In early December the students, 7th grade boys and girls, spent a day at the Community Center, one-on-one with sen- iors. The seniors shared a bit of the past, the students asked questions, and all shared in activities such as crafts, pool, foosball, and shuffleboard. The following week the seniors were off to school at Showalter. They were greeted by the stu- dents and treated to a superb lunch and a tour of the school. The program reached its highlight when each senior received a personal Christmas card from the students. Tukwila Parks and Recreation would like to thank the staff and students at Sho- walter Middle School for sharing this ex- perience with the seniors. TUKWILA ARTS COMMISSION The Tukwila Arts Commission had a very busy 1986. During the year they initiated the "Mu- sic in the Chamber" series and had five performances. The Commission had the good fortune to work with Savings Bank of Puget Sound and Doubletree Plaza for the first "Peanut Butter and Jam" outdoor concert series. Both of those programs are scheduled again for 1987. The Commission purchased a water- color by Rick Beeler, and had a cedar wall mural designed by North Coast artist Greg Holfax installed near the entrance to the Police Department. The Commission meets the first Wednesday of every month at City Hall at 6:30 p.m. and welcomes attendance from the community. For more information, call Lynn De- vior, 243-5198. METRO COMPLETES EFFLUENT TRANSFER SYSTEM PIPELINE THROUGH THE CITY OF TUKWILA The METRO Effluent Transfer System 96 -inch diameter pipeline has been in- stalled through the City of Tukwila. The pipeline was constructed by two contrac- tors, Tri-State-Ohbayashi of Bellevue, Washington, and Frank Coluccio Con- struction Company of Seattle, Washing- ton. The pipeline consisted of two rail- road crossings, one undercrossing of the Duwamish River, a 2,353 -foot tunnel un- der I-5, and the remainder in open -trench construction. The total length of the pipeline inside the City is 10,065 lineal feet. Coordinating the project for the City of Tukwila was the Public Works Director Byron G. Sneva, and for METRO, Resident Engineer Ray Falkner. Restoration and mitigation work is continuing, and completion will depend on final negotiations with METRO and weather conditions. Mayor VanDusen visits volunteer workers at the Hot Lunch Program. HOT LUNCH PROGRAM ESTABLISHED December 1986 marked the beginning of a new Hot Lunch Program for the sen- ior adults of Tukwila. The service has been very successful and will continue. The program is sponsored by the Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department and King County Senior Services. Each Tuesday and Wednesday at noon a complete meal is being served to people 55 years and older for $ 1.50. The average daily attendance has been around 30 and seems to be increasing each month. Before and after lunch activities and programs are planned, such as pinochle, bridge, oil painting, movies, speakers and free blood pressure checks. Two special programs offered were a Christmas party featuring Stan Boreson and a magic show by the Fantasy Man Tom Gallo! Tom Kilburg, newly appointed Crime Preven- tion Officer. February 3, 1987 Dear Community Member: The crime prevention program of the Tukwila Police Department has long been an important and integral part of our community service. During the past three years, Pat Lowery has served as our Crime Prevention Coordinator. Pat has retired af- ter ten years as a City employee and we will all miss his expertise. We have taken this opportunity to re-emphasize our crime prevention pro- gram in both the residential and business community. We will be working very hard to gain active participation from all of you so that we can insure Tukwila will remain a safe and secure place to live and do business. It is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to introduce our new Crime Prevention Officer. Many of you already know Tom Kilburg, who is a life-long resi- dent of our area and a graduate of Foster High School. Tom lives in Tukwila and has been an officer in our department for fifteen years. He has served as a patrol of- ficer and detective during those years. Tom is a graduate of the National Crime Prevention Institute through the Univer- sity of Louisville. Tom assumed his new position on February 1st and is looking forward to his new duties. Please feel free to contact him with any questions or concerns you may have. He can be reached at 433-1811. Donald G. Pierce Chief of Police TUKWILA: EXCELLENCE IN ACTION HE HAZELNUT PUBLISHED QUARTERLY By the City of Tukwila 6200 Southcenter Boulevard Tukwila, Washington 98188 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAI D TUKWILA, WA. PERMIT NO. 12698 Because 45% of our local revenues come from sales tax, there has been some interest in further diversifying our tax base. I believe our reliance on this financ- ing mechanism is safe from changes by the legislature for the near term. Projec- tions for retail sales remain strong, so I see no need to further diversify our base. If a major recession or total overhaul of our state tax system becomes imminent, we should consider, at the time, all of our options for diversification. The Road Ahead Comprehensive plans guide policy decisions of the City in land use and serv- ice delivery to the citizens. While many plans are already adopted, they are con- tinually being updated. New plans are also being proposed. Input from the com- munity is all important and I encourage a great deal of citizen participation in our planning process. We are continually evaluating our ad- ministrative effectiveness. This year we will review our Public Works and the general City Hall organization. We also need to determine acceptable service lev- els and key performance measures. We want to better track our service and per- formance and be able to evaluate it. The Administration and the City Coun- cil need to refine our governmental proc- ess by developing a joint mission statement and establishing strategic goals. A number of regional issues which bear watching include light rail transit planning, Puget Sound water quality con- trol, regional water supply, King County Charter review, secondary treatment plants, Green River Valley transportation plan and King County 2000. The Admin- istration is actively participating (through committee membership or program re- view) and monitoring of all three issues for the benefit of our community and the region. The City has received a petition to an- nex Fire District No. 1, an area extending from Allentown to Boeing Field. This ma- jor annexation will need to be reviewed very carefully in view of our ability to provide service to the new area. The im- pacts of the potential annexation of exist- ing City structures could require changes. The greater Sea -Tac vicinity is also consid- ering an annexation to the City of Tuk- wila. The impact of the potential annexation is overwhelming, possibly making our citizen population 25,000 to 30,000. A proposed new community center needs to be considered in conjunction with other needed community facilities. Because of the magnitude of this project and related cost, I am proposing a bond election be proposed to the voters for their ultimate decision next fall. We must develop sound transportation policies. We need to focus more attention on our transportation planning process. Thoughtful attention will need to be paid to the way we set priorities and finance these improvements. We must move rap- idly ahead on Minkler to break up the su- per block. We must quickly address those other transportation projects that will have positive impact on traffic flows. Transportation is vital to the economic vi- ability of our City. We need to increase our community crime prevention efforts to assure that life and property is safely protected. Given the size and scope of mayoral re- sponsibilities today in Tukwila, it is be- coming more difficult to fulfill the required stewardship and do justice to the citizenry on a part-time basis. This would be a problem in a city of our size and complexity no matter who held the posi- tion. Serious consideration needs to be given to setting a salary that will permit full-time attention to mayoral responsibil- ities. This is an election year and it offers an excellent opportunity for the City to address this issue before the next elec- tion. I am pleased with the progress we have made and the prospects for the future. In summary, I envision a 1987 that will in- clude increased citizen involvement and participation, a re -emphasis of basic com- munity values, the development of sound plans for the future, and needed capital improvements that will add a measure to each citizen's quality of life. I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your mayor and thank you for your continued support. A copy of the full text of this address can be obtained from the City Clerk. At work on the 57th Avenue Street program. 57TH AVENUE, 149TH STREET TO RESERVOIR STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT The construction of improvements in 57th Avenue began in early December 1986. The contractor for this project is Sheldrup Construction of Kirkland, Washington. The improvements include 310 feet of paving, curb and gutter, side- walks, sanitary sewers, storm detention pipe, utilities undergrounding, rockeries, and two 15 -foot high retaining walls. Project completion will depend on weather conditions and resolution of un- anticipated construction conflicts. NEW SEWER LIFT STATION GOES ON-LINE The new Sewer Lift Station, replacing the existing lift station which was operat- ing at capacity, went on-line at the end of January 1987. This new 3,000,000 gallons -per -day sewage pumping facility was designed by R. W. Beck and Associ- ates of Seattle, to meet the needs of the south central business district of Tukwila today, with additional capacity to allow for more intense development and expan- sion of the City in the future. The George Sollitt Corporation of Seattle constructed the facility. Coordinating the project for the City of Tukwila was Phil Fraser, Senior Engineer of Public Works, and Brad Ein- feld of R. W. Beck and Associates.