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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-01 Hazelnut Newsletter - Volume 3 No. 1Ti PUBLISHED QUARTERLY LUT thc CITY Of TutjW11a Volume 3, Number 1 Edgar D. Bauch, Mayor JANUARY 1979 STATE OF THE CITY At the beginning of 1979 it is wise to look back at 1978 and then look ahead to what 1979 promises to bring. I can say without equivocation that 1978 has been a good year for the City of Tukwila. The highlight of the year was the dedication of the new city hall. While Mayor Edgar D. Bauch the installation of the exterior land- scaping is still underway, the moving in problems have been solved and the city staff is settled in, ar tter able to render service to the residents and busi- nE immunity. If you have not had an opportunity to visit this new facility I want to extend a personal invitation to you to do so. Come in any afternoon, ask for the Mayor and I'll give you a personal tour. The many meeting rooms of the building are available for the use of the public. Call City Clerk, Maxine Anderson to schedule a room to fit your needs. Another major highlight of the year was the purchase and activation of the Tukwila Southgate Community Center. Through the cooperation of the Southcentral School District and the City the vacated Southgate Elementary School was kept open for public use. The ever expanding recreation pro- gram of the City is now centered here. The senior citizens program has been expanded to five days a week and the par- ticipation is high. The City continued the operation of the mini -bus from the residential areas to Southcenter two days a week. A new teen-age social program has been established at the Center and is growing beyond expectations. You can get the details about the teen and senior programs in the quarterly bulletins put out by the recreation department. With the vacation of the old city hall, which most of you know was the former elementary school, planning has started on the establishment of a library in cooperation with the King County Library System. This library will be func- tioning in 1979. The Tukwila Historical Society has already started using part of the building. are was a slight set back in our schedule to continue the residential street upgrade program. The increased construc- tion activity going on in the Puget Sound area has made small scale construction projects difficult to keep on schedule and within the budget. The 1978 program will be added to the 1979 program and construction is expected to start early in the spring. 1 Mayor's Message The completion of the first phase of the reconstruction of Southcenter Blvd. was accomplished this year. This recon- struction which included curbs, sidewalks, and under - grounding will be continued to Interurban Avenue in 1979. The utility undergrounding program did stay on schedule and more areas of the City saw telephone poles blocking their view for the last time. All utility lines should be under - grounded in the rest of the City in 1979 except those streets which form the City limits. On these streets the City lacks the authority to underground utilities for homes on the King County side of the street. The City took possession of the Foster Golf Course in May of 1978. An agreement was made with the Golf Management Corporation to manage the course for us. Plans are being made to make changes to the clubhouse and playing course to better serve the public. There were many shouts of joy from the business people and their employees when the new traffic signal was placed in operation at Andover Park West and South 180th Street. This signal will help the movement of a high volume of vehic- ular and pedestrian traffic. Those of you who had occasion to travel the streets of the business district during the Christmas season know that we have a serious transportation problem in the City. I asked the City Council and they concurred for funds to conduct a traffic study of the business area and the streets leading into it. This study has already started with the taking of traffic counts at the major intersections. An additional traffic signal has been funded for the highest priority intersection. Construction activity has been high in both the business and residental sections of the City. Perhaps you have been watching the first mid -rise office building taking shape in the south end of the City. When completed this building will be occupied by the Boeing Company. The Boeing Engineering and Construction Company also occupied the new nine building office complex south of the lake in July of 1978. The Boeing Company now occupies fifteen different facilities in the City and is a major employer. In conclusion I want to state that the City is healthy, grow- ing, and changing. It is my hope that the change is for the bet- terment of all the residential and business citizens. Your par- ticipation and interest in our City government is the key to positive change. I invite and encourage all our citizens to join us in this effort. Property Tax 17% Trust Reserves 34% Sources of Revenue Depicted in the graph above are the sources of revenue for the city in the coming year. A large portion of the 34% in trust reserves is represented by water/sewer bond reserves, land acquisition, golf course improvements, sewer fund opera- tions and current fund expenses. The total revenue estimate for 1979 is $7,627,278. Sales Tax 23% A VIF OF THE 1979 BUDGET Fee, Licenses & Permits 4% Grants 6r State Shared Revenue 3% Fine & Forfeitures 1% Revenue Sharing 1% Misc. 2% Utility Charges 8% Interest on Investments 1% Revenue Sharing 2% GO Bonds 6% Land & Building 3% Golf Course 2% Water/Sewer Revenue Bonds Refunding Sources utner Water/Sewer of Expenditure Revenue Bonds A breakdown of expenses by the city for 1979 is depicted above. 40% of the estimated expenditures are related to current fund activities. This amounts to an estimated $3,016,186. The current fund comprises the operating expenses for city activity for the coming year. Mayor, Council, Boards & Commissions City Clerk & Courts Current Fund Expenditures Depicted above are the projected expenses by department of current fund revenues for 1979. Current funds include employee salaries, equipment maintenance and operating funds. As shown, 48% of the anticipated expenditures are dedicated to Public Safety programs administered through police and fire departments. City Attorney w 2-e'. 2 CC(WJJ tOW CMiolat,Jn Gary VanDusen . 243-6743 L.C."Bud" Bohrer 243-7679 Mabel Harris . . 242-5359 George Hill . . 244-2785 Reid Johanson . 24° Dan Saul . . 244. Dwayne "Skip" Traynor 243-.od3 Edgar Bauch, Mayor . 243-0774 City Council Meetings 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole . . 2nd & 4th Mondays 7:00 p.m. —Gary VanDusen— Another year has passed and the city council can reflect back on 1978 as a year during which many of the council's past objectives were accomplished. But, if the council were to sit and think only of the past, what would happen to our future? Well fortunately the council has given some thought to our future in Tukwila, with both short and long rangegoals in mind. A brief orientation at some of these goals, which were brainstormed and debated in a work meeting last Fall, are presented for your information. Some of the council's goals, like wanting to improve the image of Tukwila as a city, are purely philosophical in nature. Other goals like the continuance of the street and un- dergrounding program, are simply implementing the 1979 budget. A few goals deal with city employees and ways to increase their productivity. One way addressed involves updating the city shops for maximum utilization of that important facility and the work the employees do there. Several goals are oriented towards improving the a- ment of pedestrians and motorists. We hope to see tri, im- provement of the trail systems, to expand accessibility from the hill areas to the valley floor. As we become more aware of the need to walk, we become more aware that people must have a place to walk—something neglected in our business areas. The council hopes to rectify this with sidewalks for pedestrians. An increasing and especially prevalent problem in Tukwila is automobile traffic. A traffic analysis will be made in the business district in an attempt to mitigate some of the traffic problems confronting our motorists. The council will be looking into a capital improvement program for the Tukwila -Foster golf course. The buildings and grounds both need extensive improvements. Over a period of time the council hopes to make this one of the finest facilities around. The Interurban Avenue corridor will be addressed, hope- fully making that important part of Tukwila intoa boulevard with many enhancing qualities for businesses, pedestrians, and people that live in the area. Several areas surrounding the city are interested in an- nexation to Tukwila. The goal of the council is to accept all applications and treat them openly and fairly for possibleac- ceptance into the city. One of the goals the council has, but never has put down on paper or in the minutes, is keeping Tukwila a solvent rity. We must constantly protect our tax base, and spend i true projected revenues. Hopefully, this brief outline of some of the goals of the council has made you aware that the council is looking to the future. Many goals will be formulated over the next year, but the council needs YOUR input constantly in order to meet YOUR needs, the Tukwila citizen. CITY OF TUKWILA (\ PLANNING DIVISION City planners. Who are they? A good question. Planners love to tell others they're planners, oftentimes for no other reason than to watch the reaction. Dead silence is the most popular reaction and it means they're either not interested or they're momentarily awestruck. (Planners pre- fer to believe the latter.) The rookie realtor usually accuses, "My instructors warned me about you. You're the `No' guys" Of all responses, though, the most amusing is, "Oh, what do you plant?" It kinda turns the joke around. There are probably more misconceptions floating around about planners than there are planners with misconcep- tions. Nevertheless, Tukwila planners are real people with ears, eyes, and egos, and what they do is really not so eso- teric, enigmatic, or honorific. Hopefully this short article'will shed some light. Tukwila's Planning Division shares a seat with the Build- ing and Recreation Divisions within the Office of Community Development. Responsibilities of the Planning Division are basically split into two programs: current and long-range planning. Current planning involves the administration of zoning, subdivision, shoreline, and other land use related ord' tees, while long-range planning involves advanced stu- nd policy development and implementation. A sampling of the Division's present projects include the Interurban Corridor Study, scenic easement study, Green River Basin Program and zoning ordinance revision. Fred Satterstrom has been division supervisor since the Planning Division was created in 1976 and has been with the City since 1974. Fred has attended the University of Wash- ington and Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. and earned a B.A. degree in Geography in 1970. He has worked as an urban planner for about 7 years with the cities of Kent, Des Moines, and Tukwila. Roger Blaylock assumed the duties of the Assistant Plan- ner for the City in August of 1978. Roger came to the city after working as a planner for Clal lam and Franklin counties. He received a B.A. degree in Geography from Oregon State University and is currently working toward an M.P.A. degree at Seattle University. —Continued at top of next column— REMINDER TO BUSINESSES Every business, whether new to the City of Tukwila or not, is required to have a 1979 business license. Licenseapplica- tions have been mailed to all businesses shown on our records. If you did not receive an application you can pick one uo at 6200 Southcenter Blvd. or have one sent to you by calf 1-33-1800. The fee for the license is $25.00 if the app . on is received by the City Clerk's Office before January 31, 1979. The following schedule shall apply for license renewal and new license applications received after January 31:30 - 60 days past due -$30 fee for current year 60 - 90 days past due -$35 fee for current year 90 -120 days past due -$40 fee for current year 120-150 days past due -$50 fee for current year 3 Pictured above are Jon Potter, Audrey Ko, Roger Blaylock and Fred Satterstrom. Audrey Ko and Jon Potter are currently part-time plan- ning interns. Audrey is a 4th year student in Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington who provides graphic illustration services for the Planning Division. Jon earned a B.A. degree in Urban Planning from the University of Washington in 1975 and has work experience with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments in Medford, Oregon and the Puget Sound Council of Governments in Seattle. Jon is involved with research and special projects. —Chief TUKWILA'S AID CAR Hubert Crawley— During the last three months of 1978, members of the Tukwila Fire Department built the Department's new aid unit. The 1978 carry -van was converted at a total cost of approximately $12,000. The same unit purchased from a dealer would cost more than $32,000. By working the project of conversion into the normal schedule of operation, the Fire Fighters were able to save the taxpayers of the City of Tukwila more than $20,000. The project headed up by Fire Fighter Dave Hansen has been recognized all over the county as a quality project. Assisting Fire Fighter Hansen were Fire Fighters Steve Kohler, Dave Green, Lt. Gary Sacha and Lt. Les Flue. The Unit contains all the necessary life support equip- ment allowed to be carried under the classification of AID CAR. This unit is the primary response vehicle in life threat- ening emergencies. Without this unit the paramedic system could not operate. It is up to the local Fire Department aid units to arrive on scene and start treatment within four minutes. Without this four minute time frame the treatment rendered by the medic units in advanced life support would be far less effective. Victim* CRIME WATCH —Pat Lowery— _ Crime Prevention Director PLANNING HOME REPAIRS? The home repair business is like any other. A few bad apples have given the whole industry a bad name. For the most part, contractors are craftsmen who take pride in their work. Due to the bad apples, however, we must be cautious when having work done. Before contracting for home improvements, do the fol- lowing: • Call your Better Business Bureau to check out con- tractor's reputation. • Check with the home -improvement credit manager of your bank on his financial stability. • If it is a major job, get at least three bids. • Look for a contractor who has done other local work of a similar nature to your planned improvement, visit and talk to the homeowners involved. • Be wary of companies that insist you pay40%or more in advance. Ten or 15% should be plenty. • Put a holdback clause on the contract. A holdback clause is a stipulation that you don't have to pay the final 10 or 20% until 30 days after the job is com- pleted. It gives you some leverage if the job has been done improperly. • Make sure your contractor has property damage lia- bility insurance and workmens compensation. Don't be fooled, look out for: • The "left over material" pitch—A man in work cloth- ing will approach you and say that he just finished a job down the street and has just enough material left over to do the same job for you. No reputable con- tractor will over order so much on a job that there is enough left over for a whole second job. • The out-of-state license plate—Many crooks will stay one step ahead of the law by moving from state to state. Make sure that any contractor who works for you has a permanent residence or office in your area. • The quick estimate—Legitimate contractors will give you a detailed written estimate of the cost of labor and material. The man who gives you a quick estimate after a few moments of thought is usually out for a quick buck. • The high pressure tactic—The contractor will tell you that he has to know immediately whether you want him to do the job or not. The good contractor will give you all the time you want to make a decision. • List of references —If the contractor cannot give you the names of at least two satisfied customers, be very cautious. ABOVE ALL ELSE—BE AWARE—ASK QUESTIONS— REQUIRE DOCUMENTATION. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE UPDATING THE BUSINESS INDEX FILE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. TUK- WILA BUSINESS FIRMS WILL BE CONTACTED AND REQUESTED TO SUPPLY THE NAMES AND TELE- PHONE NUMBERS OF THREE COMPANY OFFICERS FOR EMERGENCY CONTACT. 4 SUPER C, 2S - SUPER KIDS Tukwila Police Officer, Gary Fox hands out Sonics cards. SUPER YOU AND SUPER TUKWILA POLICE OFFICERS = SUPER SONICS CRIME PREVENTION TIPS ®°°® �0®® PRESENTED BY ARD THE KIWAN 5 KWUlA POLICE The newspapers are full of negative stories about kids and cops; the Tukwila Police Department is doing its part to pro- mote a form of positive contact. In a crime prevention program started last month, the Officers are handing out bubblegum-type cards of the Seat- tle Supersonics. The cards are pictures of the Sonics on one side and Crime Prevention -Good Citizenship tips on the other. All anyone has to do to get a card is approach a Tukwila Officer and ask for one. The aim of the program is for people, children in particular, to come up and talk to the Policemen and for the Officers to meet and talk to them. The idea of handing out the cards originated in Portland. Pat Lowery, Tukwila's Crime Prevention Director, was responsible for introducing the program in this state. P' present time, Tukwila and Bellevue are the only cities pa, pating, but other Valley -area cities may soon begin. The project in Tukwila is being funded by the Southcenter Kiwanis. If the Basketball cards are as big a hit as anticipat- ed, there soon may be cards of other Seattle sports teams. A NEW LIFESTYLE IN TUKWILA —Wendy Morgan— Wendy Morgan is a recent resident in the City of Tukwila and a member of a growing part of our community—a condo- minium owner. In the following article Ms. Morgan describes some of the unique features of condominium living. A new way of life has come to Tukwila with the conversion of apartments to condominiums and the construction of new condominium units. Within the past two years, some 400 condominium units have become available. The style of living for condominium owners is quite dif- ferent from that of renters, even though the buildings may appear similarly constructed. State law requires condomin- iums to have filed both declarations and bylaws which state how the condominium community will be governed. A homeowners' association is formed in accordance with the bylaws to look after the quality of life in the condominium community. This includes plans for building maintenance, rules and regulations for living, and schedules of improve- ments for the grounds and common area. Owners pay a monthly assessment to the associatio. cover costs for the above. The association provides an accounting of funds spent to each owner. All in all, condominiums provide a structured organiza- tion for multi -family dwellings that assures a fine quality of life for condominium owners and the Tukwila community around them. TUKWILA TRAILORS Pictured at right is Robin Downey, student intern with the City of Tukwila. The Tukwila Trailors, a women's hikinggroup, would like to invite all women to join their weekly hikes. Sponsored by the Tukwila Recreation Department, these brave ladies go rain or shine so you should dress accordingly. Please meet at the Tukwila Community Center at 9:00 a.m. Hikes for the Jan. 24 Feb. 1 Feb. 5 Feb. 13 Feb. 21 Mar. 1 New Year include: North Lake Washington Blvd. South Lake Washington Blvd. Meadowdale Beach Port Townsend Carkeek Park; Interurban Trail -South from 180th Next planning meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on March 2 at Tukwila Community Center. Annual Spring Lunch will be held on April 13. For further details, please contact Carol Bish, 243-5198. 1 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The editors of the Hazelnut welcome comments from readers, both on the newspaper and on views or ques- tions about our City government. All letters will be answered, and if space permits, be published in the Hazelnut. We have been provided with an inquiry from a citizen concerning the lack of mail pickup boxes (Blue boxes) in the area of 65th and Southcenter Blvd. With the residential ' commercial population increasing in this area, it was ,;4,rthat a mail pick-up box is needed to serve the area. In order to qualify fora pickup box, a survey by the Postmaster is required. The City may initiate the request for such a sur- vey and will do so if it is determined that the citizenry desires this service. Requests for the installation of mail pickup boxes in Tukwila should be directed to the Mayor's office at 433-1800. 5 NEWS FROM THE CLUBHOUSE Foster Municipal Golf Links, which is owned by the City of Tukwila has had a few changes made by its operators, Golf Management Inc. Carpet has been laid in the restaurant along with a new paint job. This was just a beginning for Golf Mgt., Inc. and the City of Tukwila, as they have extensive changes in the planning stages for complete remodeling of the interior and exterior of the clubhouse. In addition to this there are improvements planned for the golf course. The operating hours of the golf course are 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. weekdays and 6:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on weekends. Even in this weather the "hard nose" golfer is on the tee almost before sunrise. To him it doesn't matter if it's rain or shine. In mid morning things get slow and there is no prob- lem getting a starting time. Foster is relatively short and flat, but isa challenge to golf- ers of all ability with its tough and demanding par threes. For a most enjoyable round drop by sometime, the pro shop staff will be more than glad to accomodate you. While at Foster be sure to check out the restaurant facili- ties where some of the best food in the area is served. The restaurant is open 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. weekdays and 6:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on weekends. Foster does a tremen- dous lunch business which speaks highly of its food and menu. The menu features two lunch specials daily along with a soup of the day. With the good and always improving facilities and the pleasant staff to assist you we are sure your trip to Foster Municipal Golf Links will be a most enjoyable one. CABLE TV COMPLAINTS The City of Tukwila has contracted with 3H -MC, a manage- ment consultant firm specializing in cable communications, to monitor and answer complaints from cable television sub- scribers who live within the City. If you have cable television and have any complaints or inquiries that cannot or have not been answered by Teleprompter, Inc. you should refer them to Mr. James Hurd of 3H -MC, 3830 - 33rd S.W., Seattle, 98126, telephone number 935-3291. SUPER SPRING SPECIAL COMING We're Teaming up! The writers of the Hazelnut and the Recreation Brochure are combining forces and publications to provide the City of Tukwila residents and friends with a SUPER SPRING SPECIAL. This combination issue will include all the information usually found in the Hazelnut, like in -city news, employee profiles, tips on crime prevention, etc. and all the latest classes, activities, and general facts from the Recreation Department's Spring 1979 Recreation Program. Look for our "Super Spring Special" in April. gm am um al En OM OM 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111f1111I/1111111111111111111111111II111IIIIIIi11/ 1II1fI111II1II11111i111IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIfI111111111111Illllull TNI IJK L UT PUBLISHED QUARTERLY by fine City of Tulwila 14475 - 59th Avenue South Tukwila, Washington 98067 Written by City employees Edited by John McFarland & Deanna I Ilman Printed by j '' Printing Control Services, Inc. ►utluuullullllW1I1l1IIIIlu11uul1llll111IIII1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111U11f111111I111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 PARK AND RECREATION HAPPENINGS —Don Williams— Much has been happening in Tukwila parks and recreation programs over the past four months. A potpourri of additions and changes continue to improve our services. One of the more noticeable changes is the construction of five "foot -trails" in and around residential areas of Tukwila. A private firm, Vanco Recreation Incorporated, began in October to clear the trail areas, build stairs, provide drain- age and install trail signs to complete the trails. By the first of February all trails will be completed and ready to use and enjoy. A map identifying the location of the five new and four old foot trails will be provided in the next Hazelnut. For im- mediate information, however, call the City Hall at 433-1843. Another park improvement project is the completion of the Christensen Greenbelt Park bicycle path, fitness trail and picnic areas between Strander Boulevard and south to South 180th Street. A centrex jogging trail was complete in the summer of 1977, however, additional improvements were delayed until September of 1978. The City received a $20,292 State grant to assist with the construction while the City added to this another $28,000 to complete all aspects of the proposed project. Work should be completed by mid February. The jogging and bicycle trails run parallel and are 6400 feet in length, and when combined with the fitness trail sta- tions should provide one of the finest recreation exercise trails in the Seattle -King County area. Each fitness station will have a sign with instructions and if appropriate, equip- ment, to assist a person in combining jogging and various exercises. In addition to the bicycle path and fitness stations, pas- sive areas have also been added. Picnic tables and benches have been placed in grassy areas to encourage public use of the greenbelt which parallels the Green River the trail's entire length. On any given day, cold or not, one can see joggers, strollers, picnickers, and bicyclers along the trail enjoying this unique, but welcomed park. 6 Not only do parks change, but people do too! Robin Downey, a student intern, has joined the recreation staff for ten weeks to gain some practical experience to help earn her a college degree in recreation from Central Washington University. Robin will learn through practical experience by helping to organize and conduct various recreation activities during the winter session. Welcome Robin! Much of Robin's time will be spent at the Tukwila Com- munity Center. The South Central School District sold the Southgate elementary school building to the City of Tukwila this past September. Since then, many local citizens have enjoyed the many activities and enlarged programs. Helping the recreation staff to provide the many activities at the center are several volunteers. Several more are need- ed! The senior citizen program has a need for sever: In- teers. Please call Carol Bish, 243-5198, to discuss' you can contribute to the programs. Another staffing change is the promotion of Carol Bish and Dave Robbins to full-time positions. When the City Coun- cil passed the Mayor's 1979 budget these two positions, which had been part-time, were made full-time. Carol has been hired as the Senior Specialist and Dave as the Athletic Specialist. Congratulations to both. January 8th marked the first week of registration for Win- ter Quarter classes. Many activities, such as the senior and athletic programs, operate continuously year round. How- ever, classroom activities are scheduled on a quarterly basis with classes organized during a quarter in preparation for the next quarter's activities. Starting last September a list of possible activities was kept and instructors contacted. The first week of December classroom and all other recreation activity information was taken to the printers, and the Winter Quarter Brochure was printed. Where do recreation activity ideas come from? First, the recreation staff have had training in specific programming areas and also try to keep abreast of current trends and interests. A wide range of activities for all ages is the goal, providing space and a budget can make such programs pos- sible. Some classes become very popular or manage to have an acceptable enrollment, while others may fail because of a lack of enrollment. Secondly, the local community helps to create a p im. Participants pass on suggestions, as well as Park Commis- sioners, elected officials and the "guy next door" The recrea- tion staff strongly encourage suggestions from the com- munity on possible programs. Please call the community center at 243-5198 to pass on your idea. You may be helping all of us to enjoy a new program or park.