These were my comments from the December 27 meeting
As I step aside as Mayor at the end of this week, it is important that you the City Council step forward and make sure this city does not slip backwards.
Our world and our city are a much different place than they were in 2004. Most of the funding we used to get from the State and Federal Government to fund roads, fund community service programs and to fund public safety have disappeared to Federal and State Budget Cuts. The requirements we have as elected officials have changed. We are now held to a much higher degree of accountability that we were 8 years ago.
It is my hope that instead of letting issues fall through the cracks, that you take it upon yourself to carry on some of the work we have accomplished. First of those projects is Stewart Road.
When I took office it appeared as if Steward Road was on the verge of being completed. But along with our change in administration was a change in Pierce County as well. Gone was the advocate who we had built a positive relationship with at Pierce County and who understood the importance of the commitments made. I am not going to blame the person who took over for them, but it has taken us 4 years to get this project back on track. Since we took over as the lead agency from Pierce County we have completed the Valentine Intersection, are doing the preload as we speak for the 167 to Thornton Ave section and will tonight expand that to just short of the UP railroad tracks. And we have done this not for the estimated 17 million when we pulled back, but closer to the neighborhood of $9 million. We also fought to get Pierce County to put Stewart Road back on their 6 year transportation. We did that over the objections of Pierce County Staff by demonstrating competence and determination to and with the County Council. We cannot afford to cannot afford to back off the pressure now.
We have many other road projects scheduled and paid for this spring that are important to our citizens. Among these are sidewalks and road repair to Milwaukee, an overlay of Butte and repairs to Frontage. Do not allow the synergy we have built to fade away.
We also have made great progress in preparedness. In spite of what was said over this past weekend on a negative website, we have a good plan that is due for updates this January. You have already adopted the Hazard Mitigation Plan by resolution last spring but due to be added is the Volunteer and Volunteer Management Plan, Evacuation Plan as well as a general review of the plan to keep it current. We also need to keep up training of staff and citizens as well as test our readiness by exercises. Make sure we do not lose focus on building capacity in our city as well as meeting the requirements of the EMPG grant we fought so hard to win. It may only be a total of $48,000 over the past 4 years, but we do not want to not only lose this grant but possibly need to pay back portions because we do not follow through.
Finally we do not want to lose the great spirit of volunteerism we have built in this community. But that spirit requires you to be involved as well. Attendance at Community events, visible support of volunteer’s efforts and most of all empowering these citizens to do the job rather than micro managing their work. They need to know that you care and value their efforts.
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