Lakewood City Manager Publishes Weekly Bulletin For May 22

Press release from the City of Lakewood:

May 22, 2020

Recognizing Memorial Day

Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day and at 3 p.m. local time a National Moment of Remembrance will be held to honor those who have given their lives for the protection of our country.

While Memorial Day is often celebrated with family and friends over backyard barbecues and gatherings, this year things will look different. The Lakewood City Council encourages residents to take time on Monday to reflect on the sacrifices of the service members and their families and to participate in the moment of remembrance.

For those who traditionally visit the Clover Park High School Arlington Project that transforms the front lawn of Clover Park High School with nearly 7,000 markers representing a fallen service member since Sept. 11, 2001, this year the event is being held virtually due to the school closures.

The Clover Park School District (CPSD) created a virtual ceremony to acknowledge The Arlington Project and pay respects to the fallen soldiers we honor each year at this time. The Arlington Project virtual ceremony is available for viewing on the CPSD YouTube channel.

Lakewood City Council reviews fireworks regulations

At its June 1, 2020 regular meeting the Lakewood City Council will review public testimony and discuss proposed changes to city code that would restrict when fireworks can be discharged within city limits.

Under Lakewood Municipal Code, fireworks are currently permitted in the city between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on July 3, 4 and 5 and New Year’s Eve.

The proposed amendment before the City Council would further restrict the discharge of legal fireworks to July 4 between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. and New Year’s Eve only.

If approved by council the change would take effect in 2021, as required by state law which includes a provision that a year must pass before the restrictions take effect.

The City Council would like to hear from residents on the proposed change.

Comments can be sent via email to City Clerk Briana Schumacher at bschumacher@cityoflakewood.us, or by mailing written comment to:

City of Lakewood
Attn: Briana Schumacher
6000 Main St SW
Lakewood, WA 98499

Read more.

Lakewood Farmers Market to open June 19

The city of Lakewood is excited to announce it will hold the Lakewood Farmers Market this year at Fort Steilacoom Park in the parking lot adjacent to the baseball fields.

Opening day is Friday, June 19, 2020. The market runs through Sept. 18, 2020.

New this year the market will be held on Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m.

The new location allows us to achieve social distancing and meet public health directives to keep the community safe during the current health crisis.

The layout of the market will offer drive-thru and walk-thru options for visitors. People can walk around the perimeter of the booths to purchase items, or they can drive through the middle of the market to pick up items they pre-ordered.

More information around how to pre-order from market vendors will be made available closer to opening day.

The city asks visitors to please be mindful of social distancing, read posted signs and follow directions in order to keep everyone, vendors and visitors, safe – that includes wearing masks that cover your nose and mouth. Portable hand washing stations will be available, along with access to a nearby restroom.

Initial offerings at the market will focus on farm fresh produce, fresh cut flowers and prepackaged food items. At this time people are asked not to linger, but instead purchase items and move on so others can do the same. Select food trucks will also be there selling food to go – making this a perfect chance to grab dinner and dessert to go.

See the full lineup of vendors, including food trucks and dessert options on the Farmers Market page.

Farmers markets are currently allowed under Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. As the state continues its rollback of closures and restrictions, the city will reevaluate the market and look to add more elements as allowed under public health guidelines.

Seeking volunteers

The city is seeking volunteers to help with the Farmers Market. Applicants must be at least 16 years old and excellent customer service is a must. Time commitment is Fridays from 2:30 to 7 p.m. from June 19 to Sept. 18. Volunteers must be able to stand for four hours and be outdoors in the elements. An on-site training will occur June 15 at 10 a.m. at Fort Steilacoom Park. Community service hours are available for students.

Email smartinez@cityoflakewood.us if interested and indicate the dates you can volunteer.

Lakewood City Council approves small business loan program

At its May 18 virtual regular meeting the Lakewood City Council T approved a new small business no-interest deferred loan program for low income businesses affected by COVID-19.

Applications will be available in June. Details of the program are being finalized. Once complete more information will be shared about how to apply and who is eligible.

The city received $350,611 in grant money awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as part of the federal CARES Act.

This money is specifically for assistance related to COVID-19 impacts in one of all three of the following categories:

1. Public Services;
2. Housing;
3. Economic development.

The Lakewood City Council voted to use the entire grant amount for emergency economic development assistance for small businesses in Lakewood. The assistance will be in the form of a no-interest deferred loan of up to $10,000.

Special attention is being given to assure the program is available to all qualifying Lakewood businesses. The goal is to design a program that keeps administrative costs low, simplifies the application process and provides the financial award as quick as possible.

Also at the meeting the council adopted a number of contracts for upcoming work including:

• $2.2 million to Quigg Bros. Inc. for the Harry Todd Waterfront Renovation project.
• $1.1 million to Tucci and Sons, Inc. for the Fort Steilacoom Park Angle Lane South project.
• $281,029 to Doolittle Construction, LLC for the 2020 Chip Seal program.
• $207,866 to Asphalt Patch Systems, Inc. for the 2020 Roadway Patching project.
• $237,690 to Transportation Systems, Inc. for the 2019 CDBG Streetlight project.

Pierce County offers masks to local businesses

Pierce County is providing free personal protective equipment (PPE) to businesses to help them comply with COVID-19 workplace safety practices and protect employees and customers.

This program is funded through $158 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal dollars. A total of $30 million will be focused on economic stabilization and recovery projects in Pierce County.

To receive PPE, businesses must fill out a PPE Request Form at www.piercecountywa.gov/BusinessPPE and indicate the type of PPE needed. Available PPE includes disposable, non-surgical masks and no-touch infrared forehead thermometers, while supplies last.

PPE will be distributed June 1-3 to businesses in Pierce County. Businesses that request PPE will receive additional details regarding pick-up locations in the county.

Businesses must be located in Pierce County to be eligible. For more information, contact the Pierce County Economic Development Department at (253) 798-6150 or PCBizPPE@piercecountywa.gov.

The city of Lakewood has partnered with the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce to help distribute the PPE to our business community.

WSDOT: I-5 lane closures planned

FROM WSDOT: Drivers using Interstate 5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord for essential travel during overnight and early morning hours will want to plan ahead for lane and ramp closures next week.

Following Memorial Day weekend, construction crews working for the state Department of Transportation will have nightly lane and ramp closures for electrical and earthwork activities along I-5 from 41st Division Drive to Gravelly Lake Drive.

Ramp closures will have signed detours in place.

Travelers are encouraged to watch their speeds and give crews the room they need to work. As a reminder, a temporary speed limit reduction to 50 mph on I-5 from mileposts 121.9 to 124.1 is in place.

An updated construction schedule that lists overnight ramp closures for this project is available on Tacomatraffic.com. Before heading out the door, travelers can find the latest information on the WSDOT app and by following the WSDOT regional Twitter feed

Lakewood City Council thanks Public Works employees

The Lakewood City Council officially proclaimed the week of May 17-23, 2020 as National Public Works Week in the city, recognizing the important role public works professionals play in our communities.

From infrastructure to facilities and services, the work completed by these individuals is vital to creating a sustainable and resilient city. In Lakewood the city’s infrastructure needs, including transportation improvement projects and day-to-day maintenance needs of roads, signs, parks and public facilities, just to name a few, are prioritized by the city’s public works and operations and maintenance teams.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent public health guidelines forced most Washingtonians to remain home in 2020, Lakewood’s public works and maintenance teams showed their commitment to maintaining continuity of services by continuing essential services like inspections, infrastructure review, planning and facilities maintenance.

The Lakewood City Council is grateful for these dedicated employees and their continued efforts to maintain the public health of our community.

Read more.

Lakewood Hearing Examiner hearings temporarily suspended

On May 13, 2020 the city of Lakewood executed Proclamation 2020-05-14 temporarily suspending the time period in which the Hearing Examiner must hold public hearings.

The temporary suspension was issued due to the current public health crisis around COVID-19 and the need to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Under the proclamation the Community and Economic Development director is instructed not to schedule hearings or pending hearings for applications currently in the review process until July 6, 2020.

Read more.

Lakewood Senior Activity Center activities online

Even though the Lakewood Senior Activity Center remains closed due to Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy proclamation, center staff want members to know they are thinking of them.

In an effort to help stay connected the center is posting three of its exercise classes online for people to use to help stay healthy while at home.

The first class, Cardio Dance was posted last week online. The second class was shared this week. Both can be found on the city’s YouTube Channel and are linked on the senior activity center’s Facebook page. They are designed to be done from the comfort of your home. Remember to take breaks as you need them and have plenty of water nearby.

We can’t wait until we can open the center up again and see all your smiling faces, but until then we hope everyone is staying active and connecting with friends and loved ones remotely.

Watch Cardio Dance with Fay.

Watch “Stay Active” with Fay.

City Council May 26 virtual meeting preview

The Lakewood City Council will meet virtually for its May 26 study session. The meeting is being held on Tuesday due to the Monday holiday.

The study session will include a joint meeting with the Lakewood Planning Commission, review of the 2020 Comprehensive Plan and zoning map amendments, review of potential use of Coronavirus Relief Funds and an update on whether to install an electronic reader board to advertise city events.

Due to the stay home order, the Lakewood City Council is holding its meetings virtually so that the city can continue to conduct necessary business. Under the order in-person attendance by members of the public is NOT permitted at this time.

Residents can virtually attend City Council meetings by watching them live on the city’s YouTube channel starting at 7 p.m.

Those who do not have access to YouTube can call in by telephone via Zoom: Dial +1 (253) 215- 8782 and enter participant ID: 151-082-920.

City Council meeting agenda and materials can be found here.

Transportation updates

The city’s road improvement projects are allowed under Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

Veterans Drive

The city’s contractor, Miles Resources began construction May 18, 2020. The first week of work focused primarily on removing vegetation along the public right-of-way.

Starting Tuesday, May 26 Veterans Drive will close to through traffic in segments to accommodate construction. The first segment to be closed is between Gravelly Lake Drive and Lake City Boulevard. Local traffic, mail and deliveries will be allowed, but all through traffic will be detoured to Washington Boulevard.

The closure is estimated to last approximately four to five weeks.

View more about this project.

Onyx Drive

Storm drainage installation is now complete west of 87th Avenue and is going in east of Garnet Lane.

The electrical subcontractor is currently installing electrical conduit and street light foundations west of 87th Avenue. The utility providers continue to relocate their facilities along both segments of the project, resulting in temporary outages. Intermittent lane closures will continue along both segments of the project as work continues.

Read more about the Onyx Drive project and see overhead shots of the project on the project website.

Steilacoom Boulevard

The new concrete curbing was poured along Steilacoom Boulevard this week and new traffic cameras were installed and are now operational at the intersections with Weller Road and Phillips Road. The new storm drainage pipes were also installed across Steilacoom Boulevard between Weller and Phillips roads.

The remaining pedestrian ramps and sidewalks were poured May 22 between Edgewater Drive and Phillips Road.

Drivers should expect a significant traffic impacts on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 26-27, when the road is reduced to one-way in each directions so the city’s contractor can complete the patching at the edges of the road between the new curb and the old existing roadway.

This project completes storm drainage improvements and add curbs. A future project will widen Steilacoom Blvd./88th St. between Weller Rd. and Custer Rd. for the eventual inclusion of bike facilities and 5-foot wide concrete sidewalks, street lighting, a traffic signal upgrade, along with bridge modifications to Chambers Creek Bridge and pavement rehabilitation and overlay.

Census 2020: Be counted

The Census Bureau is continuing to reach out to those who have not filled out the Census yet in an effort to make sure everyone is counted.

There are three ways that people can respond to the census:

• Respond online atwww.2020census.gov.
• Call a toll-free number (4 a.m. to 11 p.m. PT)
  • English, 844.330.2020
  • Spanish, 844.468.2020
  • Other languages available, please contact me for information
• Return by Mail

By mid-week Lakewood had a 60 percent response rate. We want to step up our community response rate to the 2020 census, and we can only do that with your help so please complete the census today!

Lakewood scenes for your next Zoom conference call

Conducting a lot of video conference calls lately? We have some great virtual backgrounds for you to try for your next Zoom meeting!

Download our Lakewood themed background today.

TO ADD TO ZOOM

Download and save one or all of the images below. Open your Zoom account, and under the settings menu look for the option “Virtual Backgrounds”.

Click “Add Image” then select the image you want.

For system requirements and troubleshooting, read more from Zoom here.

How to help or get help

Looking for ways to help your community during this time? Or are you looking for assistance?

Pierce County created a website with information about how to donate to area food banks, including Emergency Food Network based in Lakewood, and a fund set up specifically to assist the human services needs facing our community in light of COVID-19 impacts.

There are also resources for individuals and businesses looking for more information about available financing and public assistance options.

View the website.

Veterans Brick Update

Did you purchase a brick to be engraved on the Veterans Memorial located outside Lakewood City Hall in Lakewood Towne Center?

We hope to see the bricks engraved this summer, dependent on weather and the status of any stay home orders around COVID-19.

Thank you to everyone who purchased a brick for your patience while volunteers continued with the brick sales to be able to engrave them all at one time.

Volunteers were able to sell 153 of the 242 bricks remaining at the memorial. They are grateful for the community’s support of veterans and proud to see this memorial that was dedicated in 2003 by a citizen-led committee come closer to completion.

Join a community advisory board

Do you like to give back to the community? Are you looking to get better connected to Lakewood? Have some free time you want to fill? Consider joining one of the city’s community advisory boards. Board members often have experience or expertise they can lend, can meet on a monthly basis and can commit to serving a full term, or longer.

Boards with openings:

• Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board: 2 vacancies. Open until filled.
• Lodging Tax Advisory Board: 4 vacancies. Deadline: Open until filled.
• Planning Commission: 1 vacancy (unexpired term through Dec. 15, 2021). Open until filled.

Board and commission descriptions, meeting schedule and application form can be found online.

Stay up to date with MyLakewood311

Did you know Lakewood has its own free mobile app? All you need to know about the city is at your fingertips. Updates on road projects and detours around the city and other city announcements can be found under the “Public Announcements” header.

Contact the city using the “submit a new request” button and select from the appropriate category. The app allows you to track city staff’s response to your request and follow it through the process.

Please only submit one request per item – submitting multiple requests for the same item slows the review process. Note: This app is not monitored 24/7. If you are reporting an emergency that needs immediate assistance please call 911.

Download it now in the iTunes App Store or on Google Play.

Upcoming Council Meetings

Under the current stay home order, residents can virtually attend City Council meetings by watching them live on the city’s YouTube channel.

Those who do not have access to YouTube can call in to listen by telephone via Zoom: Dial +1(253) 215- 8782 and enter participant ID: 151082920.

Participation in public comments and public testimony on public hearings will only be accepted via email at this time. Comments should be sent to City Clerk, Briana Schumacher at bschumacher@cityoflakewood.us. Comments received up to one hour before the meeting will be provided to the City Council electronically. Comments received after that deadline will be provided to the City Council after the meeting.

May 26, 2020 (Tuesday) Study Session

• Joint Planning Commission meeting
• Review of 2020 Comprehensive Plan and zoning map amendments
• Review of potential use of Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF)
• Electronic Reader Board Update

June 1, 2020 Regular Meeting

• Youth Council Recognition
• Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound Youth of the Year Recognition of Charles Johnson, Jr.
• Clover Park School District Report
• Appoint Lakewood’s Promise Advisory Board members (tentative)
• Appoint Lodging Tax Advisory Committee members (tentative)
• Resolution establishing July 6, 2020, as the date for a public hearing to consider the proposed vacation of the easterly fifty-six (56) feet of 148th Street SW right-of-way east of the intersection with Murray Rd SW
• This is the date set for a public hearing on the Six-Year (2021-2026) Transportation Improvement Program
• This is the date set for a public hearing regarding proposed code amendments that would reduce the time during which certain fireworks are allowed from July 3 through July 5 to specified hours on July 4 only
• This is the date set for a public hearing on the 2020 Comprehensive Plan and zoning map amendments
• Approve Small Wireless Facility Franchise Agreement with New Cingular Wireless, LLC (AT&T)
• Adopt CDBG Five-Year (2020-2024) Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan
• Establishing funding principles to guide the expenditure of Coronavirus Relief Funds distributed to the City (tentative)

This press release was produced by the City of Lakewood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.