http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 08:02:46 PDT Sun, 19 May 2013 08:02:46 PDT City Manager > Puyallup Public Library http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-may-3/   Group Health Medical Center Earns LEED GoldThe newly-opened 53,000 square foot, Group Health Medical facility in Puyallup, is the first project in the country to achieve certification under the new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, designed specifically for healthcare facilities. LEED for Healthcare (LEED-HC) was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to reward the highest-performing and healthiest medical buildings. “Earning the first-ever LEED for Healthcare Gold certification validates our commitment to enhancing the environmental sustainability of Group Health facilities,” said Bill Biggs, Vice President, Administrative Services at Group Health. “The health of our patients, employees and communities depends on a healthy environment and we are committed to conducting our operations in an environmentally sensitive manner,” he added. For more information on this LEED Gold facility, see the recent press release. ... Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-2/   Puyallup 911 Has a New Home! The City’s Communications Center has now moved into its new location. The move from the old facility located on the Pierce College campus, into the remodeled space at the Puyallup Corporate Yards facility, was completed after months of planning, construction, and testing of equipment. Months of coordination was required to ensure that this critical public safety communications facility experienced no disruption of service to the public or police agencies served during the move. A formal open house is being planned in the near future for city officials, media, and partner agencies. ... Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-april-5/ “Hearts for Hygiene” – The Annual Chamber Leadership Institute Project For the past three years, participants in the Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce's annual Leadership Institute have spearheaded a peanut butter drive benefiting local families in need. This year, they have broken from the peanut butter tradition to help Puyallup and Sumner’s most vulnerable families in a different way. They are launching “Hearts for Hygiene” starting on Thursday, April 18th through Friday, May 10th. The goal of the drive is to collect donated hygiene items to assist needy individuals and families in Puyallup and Sumner. The Leadership Institute members met with food bank staff recently and learned that they are in short supply of necessities such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper. While many people seeking public assistance receive food stamps through the Department of Social and Health Services, hygiene items cannot be purchased with food stamps. This creates an important need that has a direct impact on the dignity of needy families and the ability for children to feel comfortable and confident while they are attending school. ... Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:21:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-3-22/ 8th Ave NW “Green Street” Grand Opening - Ribbon Cutting EventPuyallup’s first Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) or “Green Street” was completed on March 16th. This effort was made possible thanks to the support of over 90 volunteers who installed over 2,500 plants in Puyallup’s largest rain garden planting event ever. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also hosted during the event by the Puyallup Chamber of Commerce as Mayor Hansen and Puyallup City Council members proclaimed the 8th Ave NW project as Puyallup's first Green Street.  Thank you to all who joined us and to the volunteers for making this such a successful event. Want to see the transformation this street underwent? Look through the project photographs to see details from the construction phase as well as before and after photographs of the site. Intrigued by the positive environmental impact this project made? Visit our Rain Garden Programweb page for information on how to participate in our cost-share program to install your own GSI at your Puyallup home.  ... Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:27:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-3-8/ Explorers compete in the Federal Way Challenge The Puyallup Police Explorer Post recently participated in the Federal Way Challenge. The Federal Way Challenge is a mock-scenes competition based on actual patrol officer events including active shooter, warrant service, building searches, building searches with K-9 assistance, handgun orientation, defense tactics, physical agility, and sniper challenge. The Explorer Post did well and Explorer Connor Drumm earned a first place award for the sniper challenge. The Explorers learned the importance of communication, teamwork, and problem solving, while having fun. Thank you to Explorer Post Advisors Chad Pearson and Jake Thompson for coaching and supervising the Explorers during the competition. ... Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:35:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-2/ Well #18 Water Right - 12 Years and Counting The City of Puyallup’s Water Division began working with the Washington State Department of Ecology twelve years ago to acquire a 1,000 gallon per minute (gpm) water right for a new well (#18) to be located near an established well (#17) at the Puyallup Recreation Center. Although, the additional water will not be needed until 2030, the city feels it is important to acquire the right sooner rather than later. Last October, then Interim City Manager Bill McDonald received a letter from the Department of Ecology proposing that the City pursue a coordinated effort between the Cities of Puyallup, Fife, and Sumner, to secure additional water rights for future growth. City Staff has now had several meetings with staff from Fife and Sumner to establish the groundwork for a coordinated and integrated approach to acquiring water rights. In the near future, Council will be asked to consider an inter-local agreement between the three cities. As the coordinated approach with our two neighboring cities moves forward, staff continues to pursue the original water right with Ecology. ... Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-2-8/ Bond Refinacing Effort Exceeds Savings Goals The City of Puyallup achieved greater than expected savings on January 29th by refinancing portions of three prior bond issues. As part of the refinancing process, the City sold a total of $13.5 million of bonds to replace existing debt. The bond sale resulted in a savings of $815,000 over the next 13 years. While the City set a 3% minimum savings goal, the actual savings achieved by the refinancing was roughly 5.5% due to the favorable bond market. The City’s solid “AA” rating on the utility revenue bonds and “AA-” rating on the general obligation bonds, both from Standard & Poor’s (S&P), also contributed to the success of the sale. S&P cited the City utility’s strong financial metrics, minimal future financing needs, good management, and the City’s financial performance as factors supporting the strong ratings. ... Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:17:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-1-25/ Winter Explorer Academy Nine members of the Puyallup Police Explorers endured freezing temperatures at the Yakima Training Center to attend the winter Explorer Academy, December 26-31. The explorers received training in police field operations and mock scenes, as wells as drill and ceremony. All of the Explorers that attended graduated from the program, after completing the rigorous training. ... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:12:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-1-11/ PPD Recovers DUI Costs The Puyallup Police Department’s Holiday DUI Emphasis netted 47 DUIs between Thanksgiving and New Years. During the emphasis patrols, officers arrested 37 impaired drivers. Additionally, 10 drivers were arrested during the 13 extra shifts scheduled around those dates and times that impaired drivers were most likely to be on the road. The additional shifts were paid for by utilizing the department’s DUI Cost Recovery account, which is comprised of fees levied against persons convicted of Driving Under the Influence. This additional fee pays for the cost incurred when a person is convicted of a DUI. ... Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:04:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-12-28/ “Breakfast With Santa” “Buddy the Elf” was the theme of this year’s Santa Breakfast, with 338 adults and excited children in attendance. The character “Buddy” did a wonderful job entertaining the crowd and the “Holly Buddy Band” set the stage by playing the music from the hit movie “Elf”. The highlight, as always, was Santa himself! The Recreation Division would like to thank the many sponsors who contributed donations to help carry out this annual event. In addition, nine high school students volunteered their time at the event; the students did an awesome job and earned community service hours. This was the 9th year for the Santa Breakfast, and the most successful yet! ... Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:19:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-12-14/ “Angel of Hope” Dedication The road that winds through Puyallup’s Woodbine Cemetery was bumper to bumper the evening of December 6th, as people turned out in the cold to attend a candlelight vigil and dedicate the newly installed “Angel of Hope” statue. The bronze angel statue is a dedicated place for parents to grieve and heal and symbolizes protection of the children buried there. The memorial project started following the deaths of Charlie and Braden Powell earlier this year, but their grandfather Chuck Cox reiterated at the dedication that the angel is for all families who have lost children. Community donations through Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers made the memorial possible; bricks around the statue will be available for inscription with the names of children who have passed. The statue is based on writer Richard Paul Evans’ novella “The Christmas Box,” about how strangers learned the value of love following a child’s death. Paul Evans attended and spoke at the dedication on Thursday. There are more than 100 Angel of Hope statues around the world. A candlelight vigil will now be held every year on December 6th, 7:00 pm at Woodbine Cemetery. ... Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-11-30/ 39th Avenue SE Ribbon Cutting Event The Puyallup Main Street Association hosted a ribbon cutting event, opening the 39th Ave SE project to traffic on November 20th. Representative Hans Zeiger, Mayor Rick Hansen, Deputy Mayor John Knutsen, Councilmembers Kent Boyle and Steve Vermillion, and Chamber of Commerce President Shelly Schlumpf were all on hand for the ceremony. ... Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:47:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-11-16/ 39th Ave SE Extension Project Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Event After years of planning, right of way acquisition, design, and construction, the new extension of 39th Ave SE is opening in time for holiday shopping season traffic. A ribbon cutting event is scheduled next week to celebrate this City of Puyallup milestone, which was completed with the assistance of Washington State LIFT Grant funding.   39th Ave SE Extension ProjectGrand Opening & Ribbon Cutting EventTuesday, November 20th 3:00pmLocated at 39th Ave SE, just east of Meridian (near T.J. Maxx) While the road will be open and construction will be minimal during the holiday shopping season, final details of the project will finish up in Spring 2013. Additional work to be done includes installation of new traffic signals (currently on order), the final lift of asphalt, and the signalization of the intersection at 39th Ave SE and 5th Street SE. After the new traffic signal is delivered and installed, the road will also be re-striped in a 5-lane configuration (with two lanes traveling in either direction as well as a center turn lane). There will be periodic and temporary closures after the holiday season while these items are completed. ... Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:08:00 PST http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-11-2/ Clarks Creek Park Riparian Restoration & Porous Maintenance Road On October 27th, more than 50 volunteers braved the wet weather to plant 300 native shrubs and trees and install 200 feet of split rail fencing in Clarks Creek Park. This 100% grant-funded Riparian Restoration and Porous Maintenance Road project is designed to support water quality improvements in Clarks Creek by reducing untreated stormwater runoff as well as restoring the riparian area. The asphalt maintenance road that runs parallel to the creek (just south of 7th Ave SW), is being removed, repositioned away from the creek, and replaced with permeable pavement. The riparian area between the new porous maintenance road and the creek is being restored with amended soils and native shrubs and trees that will also provide much needed shade to the creek to help reduce water temperatures and discourage elodea growth. ... Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:06:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-19-2012/   The City Manager Update is a roundup of news from various city departments produced for the City Council on a bi-weekly basis. ... Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:45:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-5-12/ “Our Cops are Tops!” The Puyallup Fair is a major undertaking for many city departments, including the Police Department. As evidence that our officers take the long hours in stride, our Motor Officers take a few moments to flash a smile with this family who attended the Fair and requested a photo with the officers. ... Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:24:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-9-21/ Officer Nathan Cusick and Officer Justin Murrell participated in the September 11th memorial ceremony that was hosted by the Tacoma Fire Department.   ... Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:24:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update-1/ Photo: The new Group Health Facility will have a green roof. The rooftop will include a covered employee respite area and be accessible by elevator. ... Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:48:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-update/ The City Manager Update is a roundup of news from various city departments produced for the City Council on a bi-weekly basis. ... Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:58:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-managers-update-1/ The City Manager's Update is published every two weeks. ... Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:52:00 PDT http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/blog/city-manager/city-manager-blog/ City Manager Updates are posted bi-monthly. ... Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:01:00 PDT