Mayor Pete Lewis' Weekly Updates

The beginning of this week was spent in meetings and every one was interesting. Talking to the Directors of the city first thing Monday reminded us of all the work ahead. The Police Chief talked about crime in the city, the improvements we have made and what the active participation of the citizens has done in those neighborhoods that have volunteered to take part in Block Watch and other activities.

The Parks crews were out early this year planting and they surprised me again with the addition of more wildflowers on our freeway ramps. Have you noticed some new locations? When I have to leave town in the morning, I look for that little splash of color we all get before we hit the commute.

Parks are busy this week getting ready for our Fourth of July Festival at Les Gove Park. We have the year’s shortest and cutest parade, but also booths and the games, the food, bands, entertainment, toys and the excited laughter of the children.

Monday I had the opportunity to meet with the CEO of Pierce County Transit as well as one of their board members so that we could talk about the needs of our Pierce County residents of Auburn and the fact that today they have no transit options at all. They keep reminding us we are one of the fastest growing communities on Pierce County’s side. In addition, many of our folks on either side of the county lines that divide our city would like or need to go to destinations in Pierce County like Tacoma’s malls, Puyallup, McChord, and Ft. Lewis - so we would like to see those transit options now.

Monday night really was exciting because it was a fifth Monday of the month. Now any time that happens, the Council comes together for a Committee of the Whole meeting (COW and yes we do sometime succumb to humor and mention that the Council is having a COW!). Each of the Council’s Standing Committees is chaired by a member of Council and this one is chaired by mayor pro tem Sue Singer. The meeting started at 5 p.m. and didn’t end until about 9 p.m., but it was interesting all the same. The COW meeting is discussion only and no voting actions are taken. It is a time when any Council member can go to the mayor pro tem and ask any subject be put on the agenda and then they all can talk. That night six out of our seven councilmembers participated in the discussions and shared their ideas.

The first issue was one of plain common sense. Auburn wouldn’t seem to be the best platform for this issue, but the way Council approached it was perfect for us. Sustainability is a warm and fuzzy term being used all over the United States. Our Council got down to some wording that says “Auburn supports local, regional, national and global level sustainability by nurturing Auburn to be environmentally, economically, and socially vital, enacting green construction standards that make good financial sense, promoting local environmental preservations, using energy and other resources prudently, and avoiding actions that contribute to global warming.”

We won’t tell people they have to drive smaller cars, consume less or build less, but show them what products seem to be better for us all and provide cost savings in using them and find the incentives we can use that may help us all financially and environmentally. This is not a place that wants government to tell them what to do, but it is a place where we can show good alternatives and help show the way for those who wish to do so. Good for them!

We talked, as always, about the downtown and the hospital zone. We talked of economic development and the property tax relief that it can bring to citizens. Since business pays over 67% of all property taxes then new businesses can bear that cost that otherwise would have been borne by all of us.

Did You Know about the road projects this summer? I was asked to try to give a list of all city road projects and that includes road repair, water, and sewer and storm lines.

Our total list for just the next three years includes 43 projects at a cost, hold your breath, of over $89 million, most of that is grant money from outside sources. These are the absolutely necessary projects to help hold our infrastructure together. When you are dealing with a city more than a 100 years old that still has some clay sewer pipes, bridges over the half century mark, with roads and facilities approved to rural King and Pierce County standards decades before being annexed to the city of Auburn we are constantly trying to upgrade to current standards.

For this summer the list of our projects that could affect traffic and access will include:

Tuesday went by so fast I almost missed it! I started off on the road to meet with our 9th District Congressional Representative Dave Reichert and the mayors of the district. This meeting is held every year to update our congressional representative on the needs and issues of the cities. Each mayor gets the opportunity to talk about their cities’ needs and all have an equal say.

Coming back into town I spent the rest of the day and almost all of Wednesday meeting with citizens and working on problems. For those of you out there with helicopter noise problems make sure to call my office and let us know the colors of the helicopter and the time of day. If we know the color and time, we can sometimes figure out which outfit owns them. We are always being asked to get the registration numbers but I’ve been out in the neighborhoods it is tough to read, so we’ve been working with time of day and color and making some progress. Keep it up folks!

I’ve had several meetings with our Police Department lately. Public Safety is a prime consideration and the news is getting better every day. The involvement by the neighborhoods is making our community safer and I applaud every single individual that has attended a block watch, made a call to 911 and been the eyes and ears of their neighborhood. You are not just making your neighborhood safer, but you are proving to the bad guys that Auburn is a bad place for a bad person to be!

I know it’s hot outside, but when you leave you have to remember to lock the doors and windows of houses and cars. Too many reports have come in of items stolen out of cars and houses that were left unlocked and opened. We’ve seen that the majority of cars stolen from a neighborhood wind up in another city with a vehicle from the city winding up in our town. They’re just being stolen for transportation and it’s your eyes and ears that will solve that problem along with the “Click!” as the car door is being locked.

I’m asked every week some fact about Auburn. Some of that changed recently so I’ve gotten new information. For instance:

It’s been a great week full of so many positive people doing great work around our city. July 3rd will be special as well as we all gather out at Emerald Downs for their absolutely outstanding fireworks show.

Friday the 4th of July is full of fun and excitement for our children and adults alike. I’ll talk more about it next week but the 4th is a special day, our birthday as a nation and for all of us together Happy Birthday and May God Bless America!

Last week after my last Update I received this comment:

I think rather than a diary of your week of events, it would be nice just to hear what is going on in our city...what roads are being closed and why...what maintenance is happening that will make our lives a little uncomfortable for a while? What great new events do we have in store for us in the coming week? I am getting tired of reading about your week's events in a play by play manner. I love the graduation stuff you wrote about, that was personal and touching, but other than that I don't think I need to know your every move. I know you are a busy mayor and have a demanding job. I don't need the diary to see that. I sometimes think it's as if you are justifying your position. You don't need to do that. Get in touch with us at a more personal level.

Talk to us on what really matters to us. Who have you had the opportunity to meet in our community? Who is making a difference? What new business is starting up that we may want to visit? What old business is still around that has a history we should know about? What kid needs to be recognized for their great volunteer efforts or outstanding achievements...this is stuff we care about.

I will keep that in mind. I have people who write me to just state facts and you will see from time to time that I write about all the facts and just the facts. I have been asked to show people specifically what I do and I try to talk about all of the good folks who work at the City of Auburn rather than just issue my schedule. I try to talk about the people of Auburn and the Council that are involved in each of these meetings. I am also asked to talk about upcoming events and I shy away from that as I won’t let this email between you and I become an advertising agency. Keep reminding me and I promise I will keep trying to keep a balance.

We’ve been working to find new ways of getting more information to our citizens so we’ve created new electronic sign ups to get information on such things as upcoming events, traffic, parks and other information. To find out more about these new services go our website at http://www.auburnwa.gov/about/reg_email_updates.asp.

This has been a catch up week. I wrote my last Update while I was at a meeting in Yakima. I am on the nominating committee for the Association of Washington Cities Board of Directors so I went there for one day and came back the next for a series of meetings and then got on a late night flight for the US Mayors Conference in Miami. Sound like fun? I sure didn’t move here 30 years ago for the heat! 90 degrees plus and even higher humidity with the temperature going up each day as the sun set and the wind died down, but it was worthwhile to the people of Auburn to be at the table.

I sit on the National Transportation and Communications Committee and we passed resolutions supporting an expansion of the Intercity Passenger Rail, expand Amtrak, increase federal role for clearer priorities and adequate funding of the national surface transportation system and federal funding of our priority commuter and freight corridors. In addition I am on the International Affairs Committee as a pacific coast city to work with international trade issues.

Obama and former President Bill Clinton both spoke at the conference and acknowledged the needs of the cities. The nation’s mayors are preparing for transition to a new president after the election and set up a transition group meeting at the conference. As part of that group, I helped to work on the issues the US Mayors would be addressing with the new president during that period.

The US Mayors Conference has now presented their 10-Point Plan, Strong Cities, Strong Families for a Strong America to all the presidential candidates and have asked the needs of the cities to be addressed in the new administration. Fighting crime, rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, energy efficiency, competitive workplace, children and at-risk youth, educating to the world standards, homeland security, community development and tourism and the arts are all addressed for our citizens.

After getting back home on Tuesday, I had the honor of attending the installation dinner of the Lions Club Tuesday night where I helped install the new officers. The new President is John Partridge and is one of the past city chaplains for the fire department. He gave an inspiring speech about serving others and providing leadership to the community around the Lions’ Motto of “We Serve.”

Wednesday I was out at Muckleshoot Indian Tribe’s dedication of the new King County Library. I was pleased to be with a group of Tribal elders who care so much for their children. The Chair of the Tribal Council Charlotte Williams spoke of their children’s future and the key element this library represented. The library, the health and welfare center, daycare, college and the new K - 12 school now under construction are all dedicated for the future generations. The Muckleshoot Tribe and City of Auburn are bound together with city and reservation on each others land. The library is for all residents as is the future for all our children.

Then I went to Renton to attend a meeting of 26 cities that form the current Jail Association Group (JAG) as we try to find our way to provide space for the misdemeanant inmates of our cities. We were forced to vacate the space at the Kent Regional Justice Center and now these cities continue to work together to forge an agreement with Yakima to send our inmates there. Now we are looking at creating several misdemeanant facilities for the needs of the cities.

After returning home I caught up on emails and a bunch of personal visits (and my door is open to you as well) and headed out to the Golf Course for the installation of officers for the Auburn Rotary Club, as Dan Heid our City Attorney, was inducted as their new President. You might have noticed that I attend the different club meetings and installations. I do this as they are a part of the fabric of our community. They are the people that help those most in need. Since we have limited help from the outside, our service clubs and our own non-profits have been this community’s safety net for generations.

As the Lions have their motto, the Rotary has what they call their Four Way Test:

This is a good list for all of us to remember.

Later that night was the send off for our 2008 Miss Auburn Cara Rudd as she prepares for the Miss Washington Competition. Auburn has the largest local program of Miss America in the United States, and for us, Miss Auburn is our representative all year long. From all the people of Auburn, we wish her well.

Thursday morning I was back at the Sunbreak Café for breakfast and conversation with anyone who wanted to talk to me. You may have seen some articles in the paper about downtown development and the Sunbreak. I am sure the owner and the developers are talking. When I saw the Sunbreak owner at the cash register he smiled and said all was fine. This is that moment in time before it starts. The hospital is finishing their final permit package, the last details of the Annex building are being readied and the developers south of Main St. are prepared to start their first block this year. It’s all in flux as we wait for that new beginning for downtown to bring in a new mix that will balance and blend with our Auburn.

That afternoon we had a graduation outside on the steps and lawn at City Hall. This was for another full class of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training. CERT training is comprised of 24+ hours of classroom education and hands-on practice in topics including disaster preparedness, emergency management, fire safety / suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster communication, disaster psychology, and all-hazards identification and awareness, including terrorism. Classes are free and basic safety equipment is provided. They are people in our community. They are your friends and neighbors who now have the training to help all of us in case of a real emergency. I admire every one of them and I most sincerely hope their skills are never needed.

Later that evening, I went by the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Celebration held at Emerald Downs as they celebrated that they have achieved a membership of 600 members. This is an amazing community.

One of my first tasks this Friday morning was to welcome some of our newer employees to our Connections training. It’s not a class; it is ongoing training in customer service.

First, we learn about City Service to treat each other with respect. Sounds simple but in so many cities and businesses departments show little, if any, respect for each other and so they have no foundation or understanding on how to treat their customers.

Then we talk about Customer Service. I try to teach them that I know they have done a good job if they were unable to grant a citizen’s request and that citizen thanks them for their information, patience and service. In any business you can’t always say yes, but you sure can treat people with respect and make sure they understand the circumstances.

Finally, we talk about Care in Service. What I mean by that is superior service is treating customers as you would a favorite relative. They might not know or understand the language or the circumstances and you take the time and care to work with them.

This weekend there’s the Auburn Car Show down at Les Gove Park and just a few days away the 4th of July. I do love the famous two minute parade on the 4th of July where elected officials drive or walk around that short asphalt path followed by what looks like every child in town with bikes and tricycles, wagons and strollers all done up in red, while and blue. There are shows and games, food and fun for all at Les Gove Park and the Rotary Spray Park is working just fine.

While the Federally-approved discharge area on the Muckleshoot Reservation does allow for a wide range of fireworks - outside of that area the law is clear. In Auburn if it goes up or blows up it is illegal. Have a good 4th of July and call 911 if you need it. We can’t always find the site of those fireworks through the trees without a call and 911 is our system. The police are out on fireworks emphasis patrol to keep this a safe 4th.

That is a special time for us all to remember what a great place we live in and all of the things that we take for granted - highways and cars, cell phones, doctors and urgent care clinics and supermarkets, malls and business, the absolute right to go to school, church or to travel where ever we want to go. These are freedoms that are still unknown to much of the world and it is a part of our fabric of life. We have much to celebrate for in the history of the world we are all of us together so Much More Than Anyone Imagined!

Last weekend was reserved for high school graduations in Auburn. Seniors at Auburn, West Auburn, Riverside and Mountainview were ready and across our city the ceremonies took place. We do have ties to all four schools and our two daughters graduated from Auburn High School. Some of my fondest memories were being the taxi driver for each daughter to band and swim team, diving, gymnastics and all the games. They both learned to drive in “my” car and it soon became the one with dents on all four corners, missing parts and pieces. We moved to a condo right after the girls left home which was right above Auburn Riverside High School at the time it was being constructed and watched as Auburn opened its second high school. Then as Mayor I watched the bond drive, the groundbreaking and the opening ceremonies at Mountainview, our third high school.

Our hearts have been with the smallest of the schools at West Auburn. This year’s graduating class was only thirty but they told their stories of their work toward graduation with tears in their eyes and hearts on their sleeves and each one grasped that diploma with fierce concentration. They have a tradition there they call the wall of tears. The teachers line up along the wall at the Performing Arts Center and the students walk by each, a handshake but mainly hugs and heartfelt thanks. Kathy and I joined that line some years ago and she gives each a gradation card and smile to start them on their way. I wish them well and good luck knowing some, supporting each and every one of them.

Sunday was the Flag Day celebration at the Auburn Elks Club. I am a member, like my father and his uncles before him, but I was there that day to honor the flag. The Elks Club ceremony is part of their mission and all across the land they celebrate and honor the flag and I was very proud to be a part of their celebration.

Monday came quickly and it started with the meeting of the Department Directors as we worked to set the calendar for the week and discussed events and any concerns that could affect us all. Since the City Council meeting was that night we discussed all of the items on the agenda to make sure that we could address the questions of Council.

Most of the morning was taken up with a discussion about the NW end of the city, both the lowlands and the newly annexed area above it. For decades we have watched developments on the hill above and increased water flows to our residents below. With King County on the flat to the north of our city limits we were trapped as we could not solve the water problem without control of the hillside and an agreement with the County to manage the flow as it left the city of Auburn. After the annexation Council acted swiftly to put that area into moratorium until answers could be found. It is a complex problem and it must involve the residents so that we might find a solution in partnership with all parties.

I left before noon to go the monthly Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon and it was packed. Linda Cowan, long time Superintendent of the Auburn School District was speaking about her career. As she told her story, her love for our children was so evident. We wish her well and she knows she has the love of generations of children of Auburn.

I had a great time early that afternoon as a number of people came by to say hello, to share ideas and problems. By early that afternoon I had caught up on all my emails and phone calls and it was time to meet with Council.

The Public Works Committee chaired by Rich Wagner was first followed by Councilmember Nancy Backus as chair of the Finance Committee. By 7:30 p.m., we were ready for the formal City Council meeting. There is a time for presentations and proclamations, for audience participation and then a report from the councilmembers that chair the six Council Committees of Public Works, Finance, Planning and Community Development, Downtown Redevelopment and the Community Center Committee.

Following those reports the next is from our Councilmembers that have agreed to represent the city on county, regional, state and federal committees and they made their reports. As we have learned from the past - you are either at the table or you are on the menu. It is time for the people of Auburn to get their taxes back here instead of going elsewhere. Councilmembers Singer, Wagner, Backus, Norman, Cerino and Peloza have all volunteered their time in addition to their Council duties here at home to represent all of us in the forums where we must be represented.

The next morning I left early for a trip to Yakima. I sit on the nominating committee for the Board of Directors for the Association of Washington Cities. I stayed the day and came back early the next morning to catch up again and leave for another conference. It was time for the yearly U.S. Mayors Conference and it is my turn to payback our citizens by bringing new ideas and funds back to Auburn. I will represent Auburn on the International Affairs Standing Committee and the Transportation Standing Committee working to bring the federal taxes we have paid back to the Auburn community.

It’s been a good week for Auburn full of promise for our future. Our young people are securing a future, bringing with them new ideas and energy. Our City Council is working to secure the needs of the present and future. Together we have been working as a community to make sure that our future will indeed be “More Than We Imagined”.

A very nice young lady asked me a few weeks ago how many hours I work as mayor. I really had a hard time answering because I’ve never really kept track of it. So this week I kept track and by the end of Wednesday, I was already over the 40 hour work week and as you will read it’s been another very busy week in Auburn.

At Monday’s Department Directors meeting, Public Works was noting that school year will end soon which usually helps lighten our commute on our local arterials but then reminded us that the road construction projects will begin as soon as it dries out a bit.

The Planning department talked of all the projects getting ready to start in the downtown area, the north end, at the SuperMall and other areas. The Parks, Arts and Recreation department came with their list of programs for the summer and all of the events we love so much. If you are looking for some great family events and activities, please visit our webpage for the latest information. Our Human Resources, City Attorney and Information Services departments all have projects underway as well. Then it was time for the Police Report which can be very frustrating for me because theft from vehicles was on the rise from unlocked cars, from cars left running, from vehicles left unlocked. There was a list for the week of lost wallets, purses, computers, GPS units, cash sometimes still in money clips left in plain sight. A quick smash of the window, a half second grab and it’s gone. It really isn’t about police presence in these cases but it is all of us remembering to be a part of the solution.

I had some time to work with a citizen on a noise compliant and then onto a whole series of meetings including one on fireworks but we’ll talk more about that later.

Lunch was a meeting with the chamber, a series of meetings in the afternoon and then onto the City Council’s Municipal services meeting at 3:30 p.m. a fast dinner in my office with my wife before she left for a meeting and I went to the Council’s Planning and Community Development meeting that started at 5:00 p.m.

Early Tuesday meeting I was at the Emerald of the Valley, Emerald Downs, back to City Hall for two meetings and by 10:30 a.m. I was on the road with our Economic Development Manager Dave Baron for a meeting with C-Dory, a great boat building business here in Auburn. Have a business here in Auburn you want me to see? Give me a call I’d love to come out a visit!

When I returned to City Hall I had meetings on new roads and repairing old ones, programs for kids and seniors downtown, and meetings with citizens just stopping in to give me ideas.

I did have to leave by 6:00 p.m. to drive to Lea Hill for our second meeting to get citizen input to our City’s Transportation Plan. It was pretty much a whole new group with some really good ideas. Now I had a person out in the audience making comments that weren’t always the nicest about the City of Auburn. After the meeting some folks came to me an asked why I kept recognizing him. The answer for me is simple. I might not always like what I’m going to hear but sometimes behind the irritation there is an event that caused the individual to react that way that I really do need to hear about and listen. Further, they might just complain four times and the fifth come up with an idea I’ve never heard!

Wednesday morning I came in early for a series of telephone conferences. For the next few hours I caught up on emails. I’d been backlogged at about 200 a day last week and finally got caught up.

By 10:30 a.m. I was in my car and out of town for the rest of the day. From 11 to 1pm I was in Renton for a meeting on jail needs and then left to chair the Suburban Cities Caucus meeting in Seattle. At 3:00 p.m. we all gathered for the King County Regional Policy Committee meeting. That got me out of there at 4:45 p.m. and it was time again for that 5 at 5 on 5 trip back. That got me to Federal Way that night about 6:15 p.m. in time for the 10th anniversary of the Leadership Institute of South Puget Sound. The Director of the Institute is none other than our own Councilmember Lynn Norman. She does an outstanding job of developing and strengthening leaders in our community!

Thursday morning is my regular standing meeting for anyone over at the famous Sunbreak Café but I had to miss it this week. The mayors of Bonney Lake, Sumner, Buckley and I met at the State of Washington Department of Ecology offices in Bellevue with elected representatives of the Cascade Water Alliance to discuss Lake Tapps. Now nothing at all was settled but we were very pleased to have that meeting and actually be allowed to talk to elected officials. More to follow!

I had to get quickly back to town for a meeting about treatment centers and how to divert mentally ill, drug and alcohol related patients out of our jails. We are working to create a system of treatment and stop the revolving door where they end up in a very expensive, tax-paid jail bed.

Next was a meeting with the fireworks committee for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Councilmember Gene Cerino. We had a very open discussion about their needs and ours. They function with the approval of the federal, state and county governments as a limited sovereignty nation. In return for the right to raise armies, sign treaties, send ambassadors they retained most other privileges of a nation. It is almost like having Canada on our doorstep but not quite as the City of Auburn is on the reservation and the reservation is on about 20% of the City of Auburn.

The Tribal Fireworks Commissioners stated that for the tribal members that own the stands this is a major part of their yearly income and they are represented on the Fireworks Commission. Together we talked about the dates the stands open. They said the discharge area is open until 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday for the next 21 days. At this time of year the fireworks we see are mainly demonstrations by the fireworks manufacturers for the stand owners. There will be demonstrations this Saturday night, one at 9:30 p.m. and another at 10:30 p.m.

The Commission said they have security at the discharge area for those 21 days and will call for us if needed to ensure the discharge area times are enforced and security will be there all night long.

The Commissioners and Councilmember Cerino agreed that it was important to have more meetings like this and continue to work together.

A reminder that in Auburn, the law does stand, “If it goes up or blows up, it is illegal.”

I received a petition in my office signed by sixty people asking for more traffic enforcement on their street where people were speeding. It was brought in by a person that then emailed me to make sure I got it and I emailed back, told them I’d send the letter to each person with my thanks and suggesting a meeting to talk about what could be done. I needed to know when this was happening, what calls to 911 were being made. I also mentioned that it was a community problem and we needed to work together to solve it and we will.

I made it over to the Senior Center just in time for the coronation program for the Good Ol’ Days Pioneer Queen. Now Good Old Days is actually a non-city sponsored event run by community volunteers and they do an outstanding job. Part of the tradition of Good Old days date back to the turn of the last century around 1901 but some are more recent. At that meeting my good friend and mentor Jim Weese was honored as the creator of the Pioneer Queen. Jim is no longer with us in body but his spirit will never leave our community. We crowned Gladys Paulus as our new Queen along with first runner up Marie Manson and Court, Phyllis Migota and Nelva Whitt.

I had to leave there to chair the monthly meeting of the Valley Regional Fire Authority and was lucky enough to have that meeting over by 6:45 p.m. so I could get to the Performing Arts Center by 7 p.m. for a rousing send off for retiring Auburn School Superintendent Linda Cowan. It was a wonderful show of community support for an outstanding leader!

So, perhaps it was a bit late again as Kathy and I walked into our home but we were happy as we have so many opportunities to work with great people in our community.

It’s been a good week but as you can see I’ve had so many opportunities to work with great people in our community. I was driving around this afternoon listening to the car horns, heck the air horns coming from our graduating seniors full of youth and promise and excitement. The sun is out and summer has just got to be on the horizon. It’s a wonderful place we have here and so much has been accomplished by those who believe that Auburn can be More Than They Imagine.

I have to admit I cheated this weekend. Barbequed on the patio, went to church, went to two recitals with my grandkids and that’s pretty much all I did on the weekend!

Monday was payback and the Monday meeting with the Directors of the city was long as we worked on the schedule for the week. For most of the day, I worked on neighborhood issues, economic development, road financing and parks. By 3:30 p.m. it was time for the Council’s Public Works Committee followed by the Finance Committee at 6:30 p.m. and the full Council Meeting at 7:30 p.m. You can watch council meetings on channel 21 or on our website at www.auburnwa.gov/city_clerk/council_meetings.asp. Not exactly exciting viewing since most of the work is done at the committee level and it is my requirement that nothing goes to Council for a vote until it has been through at least two of the four Council committees just to try to ensure that at least six out of seven of the councilmembers have seen and discussed every resolution and ordinance before it ever comes to the Council floor for a vote.

Tuesday I spent all day in the city. I had 11 meetings and worked quite a bit on citizen issues. Remember, if you call, email or stop by with a compliment, complaint or an idea I will be ready to work with you. I do save up some of the problems for the weekends so I can ride around the city on my bike to check them out. Just remember that if you see me pedaling away and you decide to stop and talk I can’t always stop as quickly as you can!

File this under “What A Good Idea!” I received this email earlier this week:

“First of all, thank you very much for your weekly emails. We look forward to reading them each and every week. We are writing regarding the traffic on Auburn Way as a result of the concerts at the White River Amphitheatre. We were quite surprised by the amount of traffic beginning with Hwy 18 and continuing past our home off of Dogwood and Auburn Way South. We initially thought there must have been a huge accident and then realized later that there was a concert. Is there any way we can get a complete concert calendar so we are aware of the potential traffic issues in advance?”.

You can go to their website for the schedule (www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/1224). From what I could tell here’s some information that might help you get around town during the amphitheatre’s concert season:

Great shows, great venue and close to home. If you don’t make it out to a concert, be sure to watch the traffic on these dates.

We also heard from King County Road Services that 288th Avenue Southeast at Southeast 477th Street south of Enumclaw will be closed from Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 27 for repairs.

Motorists can detour via SE 480th St., 284th Ave. SE, and 268th Ave. SE. Even though our weather doesn’t show it, summer is construction season!

Wednesday morning I met with the Administrator for the Valley Regional Fire Authority to discuss the needs of the city and then met with the Planning Department. I try to meet with all the departments. I let them know what’s going on and answer any questions they might have. There is a lot going on in Auburn and none of us knows the entire story. This is a good time to communicate and get ideas as well.

I left there to go look at a church. The folks at Messiah Lutheran Church are rebuilding their facility and they’ve done some amazing work. It will be a valuable asset to the community with new meeting spaces, a coffee barista (appropriately attired) with up to date equipment.

From there, I traveled to Renton for a lunch meeting with the CEOs of the region. Mayor, manager and administrator, whatever form of government a city has to run the city, to talk about the problems common to us all.

I got back in town to meet with what seemed like almost all of my directors and then I was off again by 6 p.m. for another neighborhood meeting and it proved to be outstanding. We met at the Parks, Arts & Recreation Administration Building at the Les Gove Community Campus. It was the neighborhood planning meeting for that neighborhood near Les Gove – it has M Street on one side, Auburn Way South on the other with 12th Street on one end and the fast food places along Auburn Way South around 6th providing the other border area.

This is a specific area for Save Our Streets (SOS) and we are going to repair or replace every street in that area. We need to replace some sewer lines and water lines so we will do it all at the same time. We needed to talk about how that would all work and ask if they wanted to work together to add sidewalks or other amenities. Your City Council had established a fund some years ago to pay up to 50% of the cost of sidewalks if the property owners formed a Local Improvement District (LID) and agree to have the sidewalks installed on their streets. Since sidewalks are the responsibility of the homeowners in the neighborhood the City of Auburn requires them on all new developments, but allows an LID to pay for half in areas where owners originally chose not to put in sidewalks. This can be a second chance for an older neighborhood.

We also talked about speeders and vandals and all of the problems in that neighborhood. I was pleased to see they are forming a Block Watch. We know that a Block Watch can stop criminal activity in a neighborhood dead in its tracks. There is no better eye than those that live in a neighborhood to notice a person or people don’t belong there and calling 911 to have it checked out.

I also heard that our Community Service crews in their bright orange vests that were out working for us instead of jail or fines had picked up bags of dirty diapers, TVs, computer with monitor, washer, barbeque, couch, mattresses, chairs, coffee tables, 10 yards of carpet. If you ever see anyone dumping garbage illegally, please call 911 and tell them, “This is not an emergency but I can see someone illegally dumping at __________location”. Police just love to catch these polluters!

Thursday morning over at Sunbreak, I heard from some of our citizens, including an old friend and his wife I haven’t seen in a while and then I went into a series of meetings. First, I went to the Council’s Community Center Committee and then to the Economic Development meeting. We remind each other during this time that first we support existing businesses and then we seek out new ones. Given today’s gas prices this is a good time to shop and eat close to home.

Then I was back on the road to Seattle for another meeting of the King County Mental Health and Drug Dependency Oversight Board. I’ve been asked why I spend almost four hours a week right now going to Seattle for that meeting. The answer is clear to Auburn. We’ve been running our own Treatment Release Program for seven years. This program included 224 combined treatment cases. Of the 224 individuals released after treatment last year 76 or 33.93% committed crimes in this state compared to a national rate of over 90%. A closer look showed that only 37 committed crimes in Auburn for a net rate of recidivism of 16.52%.

If this was applied county-wide our rate of reoccurring misdemeanant and felonies going into our jail could drop by as much as one-third.

We must get the mentally ill and drug dependent cases, where applicable. I am not for letting the true criminals out on the streets, out of the expensive jails and into treatment where we can expect improvements instead of a factory line inmates.

It was quick coming back into town Thursday as traffic is getting a little lighter as gas prices go up. They always seem to go up more in the summer so what’s next?

Friday morning, I was off to our 911 organization Valley Comm for a monthly meeting of the board. We work together with Federal Way, Kent, Renton and Tukwila on this system we all own and all must use to make our neighborhoods safer.

Today I will go to my last lunch meeting with Auburn School District Superintendent Linda Cowan. Linda is going through a number of public send-offs over the next few weeks and I know this is both a joy to her spirit and sad time as well as she begins to say her goodbyes. She won’t go far and we know she will remain involved for it is in her nature. She has been and will always be an asset and a jewel to this community. Her actions and her long body of work has provided another facet to the face of this community and the legacy that she leaves through generations of our children is a part of the reason that Auburn is indeed More Than We Can Imagine!

For some, last weekend was a three day holiday weekend, but others had an obligation they volunteered to shoulder. It was Memorial Day and the time when we commemorate America’s fallen heroes. I come from a military family and my wife is a lifetime member of the VFW and we have always made this day a part of our lives.

My wife and I were excited as we drove into Auburn’s Mountain View Cemetery and saw all the people waiting for the ceremony. The rain held off and we walked behind the Boy Scout Troop 398 to the Flag Plaza. The host was our Auburn Veterans of Foreign Wars and Post Commander Michael Sepal led the way.

We then drove down the hill to Auburn’s Veteran Memorial Park to the Memorial Day Veterans Remembrance Ceremony where I was introduced by Roger Olson, District Commander for the American Legion.

At both ceremonies I spoke of the need to honor the ones who didn’t return. It is important that we honor their memories and tell our children, our grandchildren, friends and neighbors of the heroes we knew and what they did in freedom’s name. For those who have fought, those who have seen the true cruelty of war, we must tell the stories of those who died for all of us. We know the reality of the world we face. We know that dictators covet all that we have and would laugh as they pillaged their way across our land if ever given the slightest opportunity. As we are a beacon and a standard for the world we also cast a light on the despots and for that have earned their eternal hatred. We know the price of freedom and we must make sure the lesson is never lost.

After Auburn ceremonies concluded, we drove to Puyallup for their annual observance to honor the fallen from Ft. Lewis and McChord both Regulars and National Guard. Now some might ask why we went to yet another ceremony not even in our own town. We had to for they honor those fighting for us now.

Did You Know that in 1950 the city limits for Auburn were at 8th Street on the North, 12th on the South, C Street on the West and R Street on the East? In 1959 the city more than tripled in size when it annexed all the way down to 29th on the South, 37th on the North end and all the way up to Dogwood to the East. The next big push came between 1962 to 1968 when Auburn added the neighborhoods from 29th South all the way to 41st and east almost to Lake Tapps. On the north end it finally annexed that entire area from 8th Street out to 37th and East to the Green River in 1968 and 1969.

Tuesday was packed after the long weekend. After the regular meeting with the directors of the city first thing in the morning, I drove south for a meeting at McChord Air Force Base with Base Commander Col. Jeff Stephenson and the mayors of the area. We talked about the tasks of the base and toured the interior of a huge C-17 cargo jet. Besides a truly outstanding cargo carrying capacity they can land and take off on short runways. They could land that enormous jet (the same one that starts off our annual Veteran’s Day Parade) at Auburn Municipal Airport if needed!

I had to get back into town for more meetings and to catch up on emails and phone messages and then it was time for the Council’s Municipal Services Committee at 3:30 p.m. and their Planning and Community Development Committee (PCDC) at 5 p.m. It was a long but very satisfying series of meetings. The PCDC meeting included a joint session with the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is a volunteer body with members that are recommended by the mayor, approved by Council and their specific task is to review and make recommendations on the City’s Comprehensive Plan to the City Council. These community volunteers put in long hours both in meetings and doing all of the reading and paperwork in preparation for the meetings and they work hard for all of us. What amazing people we have in Auburn.

Did You Know you have a direct electronic connection to register for classes and programs with Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation? This convenient and secure registration option is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Registration for Spring/Summer programs is now underway. It's easy to register. Go to www.auburnwa.gov and click on “Auburn @ Play” and Get Ready: Browse the diverse "ACTIVITIES & CLASSES" offered for all ages and abilities; Get Set: Login under "MY ACCOUNT"; Go Play: Add classes to your "CART" and proceed to the checkout to register and make a payment using a valid VISA or MasterCard.

Other online features include viewing rental facility availability, making payments to your utility account and reviewing account activity.

Wednesday I got to the office as usual just before 8 a.m. and was on the road to Kent for a meeting of the King County Flood Control Zone District meeting. The details can be excruciating and the paperwork never ending, but every city has a mayor or councilmember representative at every meeting. We’ve seen the effects of Katrina, as well as what Lewis County has suffered recently as a result of two 200 hundred year storm events within the last eighteen months flooding in those areas. We have a responsibility for all of the people of the Puget Sound area to make sure that never happens here. The few cities along the Green River, Tukwila, Renton, Kent and Auburn struggled alone to try to maintain the dikes and levees that protected the infrastructure of an entire region. Now for the first time we might have the resources to make sure our future is protected.

Back on the road again I got back to Auburn to attend the Auburn Optimist Club lunch meeting. I try to go to all of the service clubs in town as they do so much good for our community. At this meeting they started with a ceremony distributing scholarships to seniors from our four high schools and then they discussed their upcoming annual Optimist Bike Fair. The Auburn Optimist Club’s 18th Bicycle Safety Fair will be held Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Auburn Eagles parking lot, 702 M Street NE.

The event will emphasize bicycle safety, proper helmet fitting and maintenance. Children from 6 to 14 years of age can have their bikes inspected and participate by bicycling through a supervised course to develop basic safety skills. The Eagles will serve free hot dogs and pop. Children will also be included in a raffle for free bicycles, helmets and bike accessories.

Valley Regional Fire Authority firefighters and Auburn Police Department officers and other volunteers will be on hand to assist with free safety inspections and bike registrations. Donations for the Auburn Food Bank are welcomed. Again and again we see what terrific groups of people we have in our community who are so willing to give back to others. Is it your turn today?

I had a chance to catch up that afternoon, went to five meetings and then left to drive up to Hazelwood Elementary school for a meeting on transportation. Since annexed Lea Hill and West Hill, we need to update the transportation section of our Comprehensive Plan to include the needs of those areas. We met several weeks ago on West Hill and now it was Lea Hill’s turn. We used the opportunity to ask for any questions, problems or concerns and then we asked the people who came look over the maps we provided and to write where there were problems with roads, need for signals, signs and light, bridges, trails, bike paths and more. It was another long night, but we accomplished so much together.

Thursday morning I was at the Sunbreak for breakfast, ready to listen to anyone that wanted to stop by and chat. After meeting with Planning, Human Resources and Economic Development, I left for a meeting in Seattle with the Mental Health Interim Oversight Group. It is important to get those who need help the proper care and get them out of our jails that are costing our citizens far too much. Mental health patients, drug and alcohol dependent inmates are an enormous drain on our criminal justice system and we’ve seen success rates as high as 67% for those able to go through treatment programs. What’s success? If they haven’t re-offended in the city of Auburn for at least a year.

I was able to get back into town before 4 p.m. and spent the rest of the day with paperwork and phone calls, meetings with citizens that stopped in and a couple of hundred e-mails.

I left before 6 p.m., pretty early for me, and picked up my wife to go to our homeowner’s association meeting where we live. It is a basic unit of democracy and we can’t do well on a larger scale if we aren’t willing to work in our own neighborhood.

It’s Friday already? What a quick week and the day is full of interesting things to do and see. We’re going to meet with the hospital again and it sounds like that new building is coming soon.

Around noon we’ll be out to cheer our 12 Auburn Police Department employees running in the Law Enforcement Special Olympics Torch Run and I’ll be meeting with the different departments, employees and citizens all day long.

It’s been a good week, fast but productive, and I’m ready for the opportunities to come in this place that is always so Much More Than I Imagined!

It’s time again for more interesting facts about your City!

We have 40 projects on our Capital Project Status report that are underway for a total of $62,328,178. In addition there are 55 other projects in various stages of funding acquisition (which I’ve learned means “we don’t have the money yet” planning, design and permitting for another $76,671,822. All of this is for roads and sanitary sewers, water lines and storm lines. It includes pavement preservation, trails, water meter, hydrant and vault replacements, pump stations and pedestrian crossings, water quality facilities and facility security. We have to maintain and upgrade emergency power generators, trails and bike paths, under crossings and over crossings. We must provide the safe infrastructure for an entire city and plan out six, ten and twenty years of financials to ensure the future of the city. Isn’t that amazing for a city our size?

Last month we used 228,900,000 gallons of water in our city. We sent samples of water from 74 sites, checked chlorine levels at 148 sites, checked all of our booster pumps and reservoirs, and did safety checks at 32 sites.

Sanitary Sewer Crews cleaned 20,000 feet of line and inspected another 24,000 feet. Storm drainage crews inspected 109 facilities, swept 579 miles of streets (over 2,115 miles year to date) and mowed over 66,500 feet of ponds as well as 22.5 miles of right of way.

Street Maintenance filled 246 potholes, graded 125,282 square feet, fixed 115 lights, completed 62 tons of paving work and cleaned 4,687 feet of sidewalks while fixing, repairing and replacing 262 signs.

There were 211,688 hits on our web site last month. After Human Resources, the most hits included Parks, Planning and Community Development, Utilities and Transportation. Online Bill Pay is now at 10% of our total while 98 police reports were filed online and over 600 building inspection requests.

Did You Know seniors age 55 and older are invited to fish during Senior Fishing Day on Saturday, June 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Fishing Day will be held at Auburn’s Mill Pond, located along Oravetz Road across from Auburn Riverside High School.

The pond is normally designated for juvenile fishing only, however the Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation Department has arranged for this special opportunity. Thanks to the Green River Steelhead Trout Club and Auburn Sports and Marine, the pond has been stocked and tackle and bait will be provided for those who need it. No licenses are necessary, as the event is held during Washington State’s free fishing weekend. A plaque will be awarded to the angler who catches the largest fish. Free hot dogs will be provided by Farrington Court. For more information call the Auburn Senior Activity Center at 253-931-3016.

Our Police Department reported an increase in thefts from vehicles. The items stolen included wallets and purses, navigation devices, handhelds and laptops, briefcases, cash, TVs and I Pods. If you leave your valuables in plain sight in an unattended car then there aren’t enough cops on the planet to keep it from being stolen. We really do have to take personal responsibility for personal possessions.

Our Police Volunteers put in 491 hours clocking 737 miles doing 168 checks in our parks, 13 airport checks, 12 house checks and 21 checks of the park and rides in town. Last month we averaged 105 inmates in our jail system, most of which were housed in Yakima. With our Electronic Home Monitoring program we saved $12,044 last month alone.

The Community Service Work Crew put in a total of 447.5 hours and saved the City of Auburn and all of us $11,850. What area is our worst? Surprisingly an area outside a daycare on the north end where people are tossing their children’s dirty diapers out of car windows.

Our Municipal Court had 1,154 cases and 2,324 hearings. The Municipal Court collected $209,666 in fines. We also provide the court for the city of Algona so after we sent Algona their share $4,611.83, sent the State their share of $91,116.94 we kept $113,937.23 to administer the court. We got back another $59,143.61 from collections plus $23,033.22 from probation fees and saved the people of Auburn over $679,000 in jail cost with our 699 people on probation.

Did You Know we recently reached another milestone? We just received an award for our National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating. Communities who initially qualify for the program enter at a Class 10. Each class reduction equals a direct 5% reduction in flood insurance premium. Auburn was previously a Class 7 community = 15% reduction. Auburn is now a Class 5 community = 25% reduction.

You don’t hear much about our Planning & Building Department but they are one of our most active. Besides staffing the Council’s standing committees of Planning and Community Development, Downtown Redevelopment they also do they work for the Planning Commission and Hearing Examiner. They’ve been working with Council to update all of the city codes and have been front and center with all the work in the newly annexed areas.

Code Enforcement works out of Planning and last month opened 126 new cases, closed out 155 cases and there are 147 still open. Three Code Compliance Officers for a city of 68,000+ mean they are keeping busy. I do receive calls from time to time saying “why didn’t you see that, know about that, do something about that”. Well with three Code Compliance officers for 68,000 people on 186 miles of roads they don’t have the time to be cruising around. They respond to every report that is called in, so please do call.

The 100 flowering Cherry trees at Les Gove Park have draped themselves in their Sunday best with their pink coats. There are lots of tulips, azaleas, rhododendrons and flowering Crabtree’s in the parks near you.

Staff has been out working on landscape at Rotary Park getting ready to hydro-seed and then the new playground equipment will come in thanks to cash and time from the Rotary Club and neighborhood volunteers.

They’re finishing phase one of the new irrigation systems at Shaughnessy and should by hydro-seeding soon. Surface painting was completed at Lea Hill Tennis Courts with new benches and nets and hoops to come. 160 yards of beauty bark has already gone in at Game Farm and there’ll be hydro-seeding there as well. The Pea Patch opened and camping, fishing and baseball season all started last month and our Parks & Recreation staff was there for everything. The City of Auburn is extending a big thank you to the Auburn Garden Club for helping transplant 6,800 annual seedlings into four inch pots to be planted in planter boxes in May.

We can always count on graffiti being at its worse right at the end of school and during the summer months and unfortunately we just got hit again at Les Gove bathrooms, the multi-purpose building, Parks and Recreation building, all over Veterans Park, all over many of our trees in the parks, at Isaac Evens Park restrooms, same for Sunset and Roegner, White River Trail and Game Farm. The Council and I are working on some ideas we have to combat this problem so stay tuned. Folks, most of these problems come from the neighborhoods. It isn’t ‘those people’. We all have to be involved.

Did You Know how good are drinking water really is? Read this email:

I administer the Department of Health’s water works operator professional growth program, and the BAT certification program through our interagency agreement with Green River Community College. I was born and raised in Auburn, still live here, and have administered these programs at GRCC for 27 years. I receive the city’s annual Water Quality Report and I am never surprised to see that Auburn’s water quality is exemplary. Of course I know that certified operators are one of the critical components in ensuring that when I drinking Auburn’s tap water I don’t get sick or that when I turn on my tap there is always an adequate supply – but most people in the United States take their drinking water for granted.

Our Cemetery is truly beautiful with the flowering Plum trees and pink and white Dogwoods above the grassy lawns. This weekend is Memorial Day. We hope you can attend the service for those who served with honor, visit www.auburnwa.gov for more details.

Parks is already hard at work on the summer events from Petpalooza and Dog Trot, KidsDay and the 4th of July. We’ve got Auburn Idol on the horizon and we’re getting ready for Sounds of Summer and watch out for an exciting summer at The Ave with live theater in your downtown with matinees for the kids, Comedy Night, musicals, theatrical production all in your own downtown!

Youth Baseball and Softball have already begun with 309 children participating. We’re signing up T-Ball, Cub Clinic, and grade 7-12 Baseball/Soft pitch, Track, Golf and Sports Camp underway.

We’ve already got 62 teams for adult Softball, flag Football just finished up and Spring 4X4 Basketball is underway with 18 teams.

We’ve got classes from youth to senior with Gymnastics, Start Smart Sports Classes, Dancers in Youth, dog obedience, Pea Patch (sold out), Special Olympics, Cooking Club, Special Rec and so much more.

Then there is the White River Museum, “Jewel of the Valley”! Why do I keep calling it that? Simply because for the entire region – that’s what it is called. We have a real jewel here and far too few of us really understand the wonderful things they have done for all of us. This last month we had 413 people drop in, 310 school tours, 27 groups, 55 lectures, 11,816 hits on the web with our wonderful volunteers (more jewels to me) putting in 244 hours of their time.

Our Golf Course it is still breaking records. Since that is an Enterprise Fund, which means it’s not using the taxpayer General Fund but user fees to operate, that’s a good thing! Our year to date golf operations is already $126,000 ahead of 2007 and over $127,000 YTD ahead of the 5 year average. By every measure, restaurant and banquet room sales, rounds played, pro shop sales, cart rentals and green fees all of it is ahead of our past history.

Human Resources have been busy as well with 14 new employees coming on board, six leaving and the start of our summer work crews coming on board as well. They worked on Civil Service, Employee Relations, Collective Bargaining and Organizational Design.

Our Finance Department accounts for every dollar and how it is spent. Every dollar that comes in is placed in the correct budget. Every dollar going out is checked against its local and total budget and any change must be approved by a process all the way through Council. One of our most difficult differences between the public and private sector is that most of the money that we receive is dedicated funds. For instance we might receive funds for a road but only for an arterial that touches another arterial and then only for signals, shoulders and curbs. Another amount of money received might be only used (like West Main Street) if it improves a downtown street, includes an art feature AND allows for pedestrians and bicycles. Much of our income is very specific and limited to only one very specific use so funding for a new street can sometimes include as many as 13 different sources of funds and we must account for how each individual dollar was spent. In a city the size of Auburn with over 186 miles of streets, with 29 parks, with new commercial development on every side, for all of the new public safety efforts that have made our community so much safer all of the accounting we have to do now to keep track of all of these efforts are so much More Than You Imagined!

It looked like it was going to rain last Saturday morning. The sky was gray as we started to gather at the City Hall Plaza area. The Auburn Kiwanis Club had been there (way before me!) at 5:30 am to set up. By 7:00 am people had already started to arrive and they were in full-swing serving breakfast to our 600 volunteers who came and began to check in for 2008 Clean Sweep. Just after 8:00am we all gathered on the sidewalks and started off with the ceremonial sweep of the downtown sidewalks and then everyone dispersed to our four major community projects.

Councilmember Gene Cerino and I drove around to the work sites with water and Yami Yogurt to offer thanks for all they were accomplishing and for their commitment to serving their community.

Our first stop was at the Environmental Park and large group of volunteers swarmed the Park and completed their projects quickly and then asked for more.

Our next stop Was at Brannon Park and we visited with the groups along the front and the back of Brannon Park all the way along the Green River. The planters and trail was transformed by neighborhood, service, school and faith groups.

We drove up to Lea Hill Park and a group of residents and students from Green River Community College took back part of the park from Scotch Broom and weeds while the ball field buildings and bleachers were being cleaned up, cleaned out and painted by citizens and a really big group from the Sons of Italy.

Then we were on the road to Shaughnessy Park and another great group of neighbors, students, service clubs and a new partnership with the Muckleshoot Job Corp and together with all their hard work they are bringing that park back to life.

To see all of those people involved working and laughing doing so much more together than could ever been done separately gives me such a sense of pride in our community and humility in dealing with such a wonderful group of people.

Sunday was Mother’s Day and for many of us in Auburn it was Mother’s Day at the Races and Auburn Stakes at Emerald Downs. The weather wasn’t great but the crowds sure were and all of the parking lots were full as we watched the races together. It was an exciting day spent at home in Auburn.

Monday by the time I met with Directors I had already received my third phone call from citizens within the newly annexed areas wondering why the post office is not recognizing the new address they’ve been using since “they were told by the City to start using the Auburn address effective January.” The post office has notified us that they are behind and this might not go into effect until mid-July and that the post office would mail out a post card notifying people a month in advance of when they need to make the address change.

I got this email from Katie in Ms McIntyre’s Class:

Dear Mayor Lewis,

I am in Mrs. McIntyre’s class and we are doing a report. I am stuck on the question "What are the requirements for being mayor of Auburn?" I would like you to help me with this question. Please reply with the requirements as soon as you can. Thank you so much!

Sure Katie,

You have to be at least 18 years of age, have lived in Auburn for at least one year before filing for office and not be a convicted felon.

Now, that’s just what the requirements by law are but the individual should know a lot about Auburn. You should learn the history of your city and have a vision for what the people of the city and that of their children want and be willing to stick to that vision. You should love your city and be willing to work so hard every day for every citizen and have the passion and love doing it. You will need to be prepared for very long days, working evenings, weekends and holidays. You should be involved with your city and go to the churches and the service clubs, weddings and funerals, parades and meetings and gatherings that provide the heart of your city. You need to be committed to going to not only the city meetings, but regionally as well by serving on county, state and federal committees that affect your city but most of all you should care for and respect every single citizen of your home if you want to be their mayor.

Then I had an email from someone in Kiwanis that went “A couple of Updates ago you mentioned that if other service clubs had things going on that you would mention them in your Update like you have been doing for Lions. I thought I'd ask if you would mention the Kiwanis Furniture Sale taking place next Saturday May 24th, and so here it goes!

The Kiwanis Club of Auburn is having its second annual Outdoor Furniture Sale in the parking lot of HBT Insurance on Auburn Way North from 10 AM - 4 PM. All the wooden furniture is hand crafted by local (Federal Way) artisan, Dave Hamlin. He is retired and now works about 60 hours a week making furniture, planter boxes, etc which he then sells in partnership with local non-profits. “

I had a real treat Monday morning when I went over to Gustaves Manor, a King County Senior Housing building to the west of City Hall. This facility has a great group of people, mostly from Russia and the Ukraine. You can see them out sweeping the sidewalk, working on the planter baskets of the apartment building where they live. That concern for their community, their neighborhood is still central to their character.

Did You Know Rotary Spray Park at Les Gove Park will open (Friday, May 16) in anticipation of the warm weather. (It typically opens up Memorial Day weekend).

Most of Monday was spent with councilmembers as they met first at the Community Center Committee and then Municipal Services followed by their Planning and Community Development meetings.

Tuesday was spent with talking, writing, emailing and walking down the streets with citizens. What a great way to spend the day!

Wednesday that all changed and I did get to spend some time with our King County Councilmember Pete Von Reichbauer at the Sunbreak Café talking about city issues. Then I was off to a meeting of the King County Council’s Regional Policy Committee in Seattle. We beat the five mile an hour crawl on I-5 because the mayor of Enumclaw had driven with me to the meeting and we could use the HOV lanes all the way home. I dropped off the mayor and picked up one of our councilmembers Bill Peloza who, along with six of our seven councilmembers is involved with county, regional or federal committees and went to Renton for a meeting of Suburban Cities Public Issues Committee.

Thursday morning I was back over at the Sunbreak Café to meet with any one who wanted to talk. One of the pastors showed up to talk and a few others folks stopped by.

When I got back into City Hall I then met with State Representative Pat Sullivan who stopped to talk about the needs of the city but I couldn’t stay too long as I had to drive back into Seattle for a meeting of the King County Mental Illness and Dependency committee which I work on to try and get help for those who need it as well as get those folks that our doing a revolving door in our jails the help they really do need and take that expense off of our citizens.

Back in the car again I got back into town for a few meetings and caught up on all of my emails, phone calls and snail mail too!

Thursday afternoon went faster and faster. Kathy and I drove out to the White River Amphitheater for the Chamber of Commerce Mixer at 6:00 pm. We left there and I stopped off at Chinook Elementary School for the Chinook Honor Society Ceremony at 7:00 PM. Chinook is special because the gym is always filled with moms and dad, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers and all of the nephews as they celebrate together. They are the reason their children do so well and the future of Auburn is secure in the hands of those incredibly bright and well mannered children.

I had to leave right after I finished speaking to keep another promise. It was Comedy Night at The Ave and my wife wanted me to be there with her. It was a promise to Kathy. It was a promise to the family that had owned the theater for so long and it was a promise to our downtown and our community to bring more people downtown at night. It was Comedy Night and it was a blast! The crowd laughed 'til they cried and the three comics were great. June 19th will be the next Comedy Night in Auburn and it will be a regular feature in our town. In the meantime check our web site for everything that’s scheduled. Come on down to The Ave, we're having fun!

Friday morning was really interesting. You know those big power stations you see? The kid with all the wires and towers and stuff that looks like it would hurt a lot, all surrounded by fences with dire warnings all over them? Ever wonder exactly what the staff is or does? Well, I asked Puget Sound Energy that one day so Friday morning they took Councilmember Wagner and me on a tour through some of their facilities.

It really is amazing how the power comes from the east through those huge lines to a station on the hill that then leads to smaller stations in the valley below. Those transfer points go all the way south to Centralia and north toward Seattle. It’s also amazing to me that some people try to break in and steal from those stations. If you can hear the hum of the power – bad place to start touching things!

I’ll leave soon to go over to the Relay for Life at the Auburn Memorial Stadium. We’ll gather there to remember those who’ve left us because of cancer, those who are fighting today and to celebrate with those who have won their battle but most of all we will keep the call alive to find the cure and eradicate this dreadful disease from the face of our planet.

I’ll leave there for the Rotary Scholarship Show and get ready for a weekend full of events. Another exciting weekend in this best of all places that is always much More Than I Imagined!

It was a good weekend, wasn’t it? I spent Saturday going from one event to the other and folks were out all over town.

It started first thing in the morning when I kicked off the Kids Fishing Derby at Mill Pond at 8:30 a.m. There were children everywhere and they had so much fun. The event is done in conjunction with the Lions Clubs, our Parks Department, Green River Steelheaders and Trout Club, Auburn Sports and Marine and others and they were all there to give a free pole, put on a hook or a bobber, show a young person how to cast a line for the very first time and to catch their first fish – ever. That pond is open to all those 14 year or young all year round.

I had to leave by 9:30 a.m. to go over to the new Veterans Memorial Park to the new flagpole installation. The VFW had sold their old facility and worked in a joint ceremony with the Legion to install their new flagpole and raised the American flag at its new location. There were Vets from many eras and our friends, our brother vets from the Inter-Tribal Warrior Society were the honor guard. We also had visitors from the county, state and federal level. There is a whole new generation of those who made a choice to protect and defend their country and we must make sure upon their return that they are treated with honor and respect.

I left there to heads over to Wal Mart where the Auburn Lions Club was conducting White Cane Days. Early in the last century Helen Keller was the key note speaker at a national Lions Convention and challenged the Lions to become the Knights of the Blind and Deaf and the Lions have had that mission ever since. The White Canes you see provide guide dogs, free eye and hearing exams, glasses and hearing devices, cornea transplants by the Lions to those in need all across the world.

I couldn’t get back to Auburn Riverside High School in time for the Parks, Arts & Recreation Children’s Dance and Drama Recital at 3 p.m. as I had gotten a bit wet during the rain while I was over at Wal Mart and had to go home and change for the Auburn-Kent-Tamba Japan Sister City Dinner and Auction held at the Kent Senior Center (we trade back and forth each year) and the mayor of Kent and I were sitting with the Counsel General from Japan.

The Sister City program was started during the Eisenhower administration as a method of rebuilding countries after World War II. Both Auburn and Kent established relationships in the early 60s and we have continued to send our children and adults, business and community leaders to each other’s homes ever since.

It had been a long day and I did sleep in a bit on Sunday, but then went into work and returned some of the phone calls I had received, got on my bike and hit the roads. I rode up through the back roads over to Brannan Park and then north to the end of the trail. When I got back to I St. around 37th, I rode over to the Interurban and back to Main Street. It was a wonderful day with so much to see and people to talk to here at home.

Monday was back to work. One of our committees with a tough job is our Human Services Committee. It is made up of volunteers from our community and they receive all of the requests for funds from the non-profit human services agencies. Through them, your city helps to meet the just some of those that need our help. Last year, they sent to Council and Council approved funding for:

Community Health Centers - $51,464
Multi-Service Center: Employment Program - $10,000
GRCC Small Business Assistance Center - $37,500
ACAP: APPLE Parenting - $5,000
ACAP: Childcare Subsidies - $25,000
AYR: Street Outreach - $55,000
Birth to Three Development Center - $10,000
Auburn Boys & Girls Club - $30,000
CHS: Family Resource Center - $25,000
CHS: Strengthening Families Program - $10,000
Children's Therapy Center - $10,000
Community In School - $0
Crisis Clinic: 2-1-1 Line - $1,000
Crisis Clinic: 24 Hr Line - $1,000
Crisis Clinic: Teen Link - $1,000
DAWN - $9,000
KSARC - $22,500
YWCA: DV Services - $20,000
Jubilee Center: Latino Program - $2,500
SMH: Behavioral Responsibility Program - $7,500
SMH: DV Program - $10,000
VCC: Survivor Support/Therapy Program - $12,000
YWCA: Children DV Services - $5,000
Auburn Respite - $10,000
Christ Community Free Clinic - $20,000
Community Health Centers: Medical - $8,536
Grief works - $10,000
Senior Services Vol. Transportation - $5,000
AFB: Emergency Food - $30,000
CCS: Emergency Services - $10,000
Pregnancy Aid - $5,000
CCS: CHORE Program - $1,500
CCS: HOME/ARISE - $15,000
MSC: Emer & Transitional Housing - $8,000
YWCA: Emergency Housing - $3,780
YWCA: Transitional Housing - $14,000
AFB: Congregate Meals - $4,500
Meals on Wheels - $7,000
AFB: Community Suppers - $5,000
For a grand total of $418,816 in 2007.

I was able to stay close to home for most of the day and even got a chance to go out for a ribbon cutting for Nadine Toles newly located State Farm Agency. Then I had to get back quickly to attend the Council’s Public Works Committee, Finance Committee and full City Council.

Tuesday was spent in town as well with a series of meetings with citizens and staff. There was another of our “Connections” meetings for new employees where I speak to them about the absolute necessity for good customer service. We talk about the 3 C’s of Customer Service.

City Service. We can’t expect to give good service to the public if we don’t treat each other with care and respect.

Customer Service. Now for many jobs in the City of Auburn like other cities we can’t always say yes but we can treat our citizens with respect and explain why we can or cannot do a certain thing. I tell all our employees they have done a good job with customer service if they have to say no and the citizen thanks them for their efforts.

Finally there’s Care in Service. People – people coming in to talk to us aren’t all developers, designers or architects. They don’t have to know all about our processes, we do. They don’t have to be the experts, that’s staff’s job. We have to take the time and make the effort to help them through whatever process there are working on every time.

Wednesday I was back on the road, this time to Yakima. I was asked to be on a panel discussion at the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless. We all need to know what is working and what isn’t. I’ve been pleased to work on veterans issues and to help supply medical care and supportive housing to our veterans in need. They did their best to protect us and it is way past time we truly support them.

Thursday I had some great meetings. First, I went over at our Senior Center. Councilmembers and I go over there once a month to meet and talk to the seniors about their questions and needs and those are some sharp customers!

Then I went up to Renton for a meeting of the King County Flood Control Zone District. The cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila had to first disband the old Green River Flood Control District at the County’s request so this new county-wide district could be formed. I am starting to believe that for the first time we might have the funds to do the work necessary on the dikes and levees that keep us all safe and dry.

Then it got busy. I went to the Valley Regional Fire Authority Meeting and 6 p.m., the Community Center meeting at our Parks building at 6:30 p.m. but couldn’t quite get back up north to the Elks Scholarship Presentation at 7 p.m. - so my wife Kathy got to read the Proclamation. (I’ll hear about that one for a while!)

It’s Friday and the sun is out right now. I sure hope it stays out for Clean Sweep this weekend. Please do come down and join is Saturday morning. Kiwanis will be serving a pancake breakfast starts about 7:30 a.m. and then more than 500 of us will head out to four Auburn parks for beautification efforts. Join us at City Hall and help us out!

Clean Sweep started in 2002 as a one time effort to clean up our downtown. It seems so long ago. Just like too many other communities at that time there was also the long time stench of decay. We had to send special groups in to pick up all the needles in the alleys. There was broken glass every where. The sidewalks were so bad we had to dig the filth out of every crack. We had to get several steam cleaners to hose out and clean the garbage receptacles. I remember working with a group just off Main Street and a little girl was pulling weeds out of a business parking lot and the weeds were taller than she was!

This year, like that time years ago, signals another year of change for the better. Yes, change is coming. The hospital says they will start their new building and garage this year. With that all of those old taverns, once landmarks that decayed to the point that they were drug center of the city, will finally come down and the new Annex building will begin. We keep hearing news about the Cavanaugh family and each day we stand with them looking forward to working on their block in the future. The Council is working with a developer for what Auburn should have but an Auburn that fits us, not gilded towers of other towns.

What will rise from those blocks in the next few years will be development for families, for small shops and restaurants. It will look and feel like Auburn and when it is done the people will know it is More Than They Imagined!

This weekend was a true contrast in Northwest weather. I had gotten up a little early on Saturday morning for a trip right to the bottom of the hill where I live for the 2008 Fishing Derby for Special Needs Youth at Mill Pond. When I was getting ready, it was 34 degrees outside and not much warmer at 9 a.m. that morning when fishing opened. This program was put on by the Lions Clubs for everyone in the area and the children just loved it!

The other service clubs might have noticed I have been talking a lot about all of the Lions events about recently. If you will email me (plewis@auburnwa.gov) about what is happening during the week or upcoming week I’ll make sure and talk about it, heck most times I’ll show up if I get invited.

Don’t forget this upcoming weekend for your kids ‘cause it’s the Youth Fishing Derby at Mill Pond put on by those great men and women of the Green River Steelhead Trout Club. They are inviting our youth, 14 years old and under, to our annual Youth Fishing Derby. The GRSTC and the State of Washington happily stocks the pond with trophy size trout for the community's enjoyment. Light breakfast and lunch concessions available. For more information, call Crain Norton, 253-839-3175 or Don Payne at 253-833-0767.

I had to go on to work and get a few things done and then I came home and went for a bike ride. I wound up riding through town, behind Scarff Ford and Fred Meyers and then crossing Auburn Way North at 15th and deriving up to Rio Verde Mobile Home Estates to say hello to a few folks. Then I went to Brannan Park, rode down the Green River Trail back south to Dykstra Park, took the foot bridge across the Green River to Isaac Evans Park and then pedaled to Auburn Golf Course and the Clubhouse. For those of you who like to walk or take the family out to parks, the walks along the river with the sound of water mixing with the music of the leaves in the trees are wonderful.

I then rode back through the R Street neighborhoods and checked on some residents there and then pedaled my way down Main Street. It was a beautiful day that hit 70 degrees and all was right in Auburn.

The next morning my wife Kathy and I were up and on the road to Seattle. I had been asked to attend the 33rd commemoration of the 30th of April fall of Saigon and tribute to the men and women of the Republic of Vietnam and the allied forces that fought and died there.

By the time Saigon fell, I had been back in the United States for seven years, married and was working and raising a family. Still, there were tears in my eyes on that day in 1975 watching the news and knowing that soon thousands of men, women and children would die and far more would be in detention camps until they died.

I told them all, the American and Vietnamese, that they were all veterans and thanked all that served and those who lost loved ones and said we were all brothers and sisters. This was our war. We lost a battle, they lost their families and their country in the name of freedom. I told those that fought and saw what no one should see, did what no one should have to do, that no matter how hard it was they had to tell their story to the next generation. Freedom is the enemy of dictators and all those who want what we have. Freedom is never free and that cost is the cost we bear so that we can say – it will not happen here!

Monday morning it poured on the way into work as I went to meet with the Directors. Our Police Chief brought me up to date with the stats for the week. It is hard to hear all the thefts from cars and it is pretty much the same each week. The list always includes purses and wallets, iPods and navigation devices, laptops and bags. There aren’t enough police officers anywhere to stop an elbow through your window when you leave valuables in plain sight.

Did You Know Mountain View Cemetery has scheduled a weekend marker clean-up opportunity on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to assist families in the care and cleanup of their markers at the cemetery in preparation for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony.

Remember, that while the marker is considered private property and the normal care and maintenance of it is the responsibility of the respective family, cemetery staff will be on hand to help families during this yearly clean-up opportunity.

The annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony will be held Monday, May 26 at 10 a.m.

Tuesday was time to catch up on a couple of hundred emails and phone messages. People really are getting the word that I am available to them and they stop in to talk to me, so I think I had at least one visit every hour. I did take a break at lunch for another group of heroes. It was the city of Auburn's volunteer lunch. Not all could make it, but the room was filled with 170 people representing the Auburn Food Bank, Auburn Pregnancy Aid, City of Auburn Police Department Volunteers, Auburn Regional Medical Center, Auburn Respite Program, Optimist Club of Auburn, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Lions, Soroptomist, Elks Club, Eagles Club, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Services Volunteer, Transportation, City of Auburn Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department, Auburn Arts and Cultural Programs, Auburn Park Maintenance ,Auburn Garden Club, Tree Board, Auburn Senior Activity Center ,Holy Family 50 + Club. Do you want to volunteer? There’s a place for you in Auburn.

This one had a Hawaiian theme and everyone was wearing Aloha shirts and leis and even go-aheads. (Now out here they call them sandals, flip-flops or shower shoes.) Know why they call them go-aheads? Try walking backwards!

I then had to leave town for a meeting, but before I left I had to pay some bills. Think your electric bill is high? The one I signed was for over $107,000. It’s all of our street lights, traffic lights, pumps for sewer and water that we all own.

Wednesday morning early (not so bright) I was at the UW Student Center in Seattle for an exercise in planning called the ULI Reality Check. This brought in the Puget Sound Regional leaders in private, public and non-profit areas to look at what this are will be in 2040.

If more than a million and a half more people decide to move here (whether we like it or not) then where do they go? Where will the businesses be? How about housing and where will we have the roads and transit to make the thing work?

Did You Know the folks over at The Ave Theater on A Street right downtown are joking again! Another Comedy Night on May 15 starting at 7:30 p.m. With three northwest comics that’ll keep you laughing all night long.

I had to get back in town late Wednesday to catch up with emails and calls and then got ready for the next day.

Thursday I was at the Sunbreak, having breakfast and talking to folks. I had to leave a little early to drive to Seattle for a meeting of the Mental Health and Drug Dependency Oversight Group. Long name for a big group. Why did I bother? Well, almost 80% of the people in our jail that re-offend have a mental health or drug problems. Some of these folks aren’t criminals they just have mental problems. We need to get them out of the jails that cost so much on our tax bills and get them treatment so they stay out of our jail. This is another one of those places where if we don’t show up then the money goes where it has always gone instead of where the need is – that has not been met.

I drove back in to town and found Second Street by the Transit Center is open again and it sure does look a lot better. Don’t forget that on May 5 Sixth St. between A St and Auburn Way South will be closed for several months. We’re digging it all the way out and replacing that broken down asphalted truck route with concrete.

I spent several hours catching up and then I drove down to Fife with Councilmember Gene Cerino for a meeting of Pierce County Cities and Towns. Now Council members Cerino and Wagner are our representatives to all things Pierce County so I would not think to go without him!

Friday morning was a full schedule and I was caught up for the week! Well, about that time I had to leave first for SeaTac and a meeting with Association of Washington Cities and then a drive down to Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood to sign the Army Community Covenant Ceremony with a group of other mayors.

What a great week! I had the opportunity to meet so many people in our community and from other areas. It was another time, another proof that having most of our Council members involved has returned so many benefits to the people of Auburn.

You have every reason to be proud of those that represent you on Council, the community volunteers, those that serve on our formal boards, committees and commissions and those that chose to serve their community in the neighborhoods, block watches and homeowner associations. Around the Puget Sound we really are asked quite often what makes Auburn such a special place, what are they doing that has made it so much More Than We Imagined!

Last weekend was a break and the fact I had taken off after Wednesday and took some time to go fishing. For me, it gave me some time to reflect and slow down the pace and gave my wife a few days to call her own.

By Monday afternoon, I was back in-town and was back in my working “uniform” a suit and red tie for the Council’s Public Works Committee meeting followed by the Finance Committee meeting and then onto the Council meeting. At Council, we had a number of excellent announcements that included:

*Recognition of our Auburn Riverside Ravens Girls Basketball team congratulating them on their back-to-back WIAA Class 3A Championship

*Proclamation declaring the week of April 27 - May 3 as Volunteer Week and honoring our hundreds of citizen volunteers.

*Proclamation as set forth by the United States Congress declaring May 1, 2008 as National Day of Prayer.

*Presentation by the state of Washington Department of Transportation SR 167 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes program. The mayor of Kent and I have said at the time it was first proposed, if it gets somebody to put more asphalt down on 167- we’re willing to try it since nothing else has worked so far.

I also took the opportunity to thank our Councilmembers for all of their work and commitment on behalf of our citizens. We have Councilmembers that prove their value to their city every day.

I thanked Mayor Pro Tem Singer for her work as the President of the four county Puget Sound Regional Council, Councilmembers Norman, Backus and Peloza for their work on the National League of Cities and King County committees they serve on and Councilmembers Wagner and Cerino for their work on Pierce County committees and issues.

You know what happens when you go on vacation? Well, it’s all there waiting for you when you get back!

Tuesday morning I started off welcoming the City’s new hires over the last few months as they went through Connections training. I like to start off each new class to explain to them why I think it is so important. Connections training is about customer service and our commitment to our citizens - it’s about our 3 C’s of customer service - a program I started when I came into office.

First, City Service, which means we can’t get close to treating our citizens with respect if we can’t treat each other with respect between departments.

Then there is Customer Service. I tell our new employees we can’t always do what people want, but as an example if they have to tell someone no and that person thanks them for their explanation and courteous manner when they leave – that’s customer service.

Finally, there is Care in Service. Many of our citizens don’t know what it takes to build a house, convert a building or a myriad of other things. They aren’t developers or builders, just every day folks. Sometimes we have to treat them with the same care we would treat a favorite relative, perhaps elderly, maybe hard of hearing as we lead them through the process. Every employee of the City of Auburn goes through that process. We are committed to good customer service!

By 8:30 a.m., I was ready for my meeting with Directors as we caught up and planned out the week.

At 9:30 a.m., I took a conference call with a long past due development we hope to see start in our downtown and then I drove over to the Police Station to help our judge swear in a new police officer.

Then I was back in my car to drive over to Game Farm Park to walk with the Pacing Parson Don Stevenson as he finished his 10,000 mile walk for Huntingson's Disease.

I couldn’t stay for the celebration as I had to head over to our Parks building at Les Gove Park to greet our King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer who was the speaker at the Lions Club meeting.

I left there to drive up to Lakeland for a meeting with a group from the Capri community. This was a great group of seniors wanting information and help. They were particularly excited that former councilmember Roger Thordarson showed up to tell them that next year a commuter shuttle would start service from Lakeland to the Transit Center. We also talked about the difficulty of our citizens in Pierce County being able to use Express bus service and meal on wheels and other issues.

I had to be back at City Hall by 3:30 p.m. for the Council’s Downtown Committee meeting and then I went on to Council’s Planning and Community Development Committee. We were done after 7 p.m. and I was ready for a vacation!

On Wednesday, Mayor Pro Tem Singer and I met early over at Zola’s to catch each other up and then I went to City Hall for a 9 a.m. meeting of our Transportation, Transit and Trails committee. I couldn’t stay long as I had meetings with different directors and then I took a little free time to go over to West Auburn High School to help out in the Lions Sight and Hearing test van so that we could help test the students there.

Within an hour I had to leave to attend the funeral for Harley Entersbe, a good person and friend in our community.

After going back to City Hall for a series of meetings it was time to leave for a meeting of a homeowner’s association on Lea Hill. I brought an Assistant Police Chief, Public works Director, code enforcement and one of my Community Services staff to listen to their issues and answer their questions. It was another late night but well worth the effort.

If you have problems just make a call and we will be there. It is our community and we will work together to make it better.

Have You Heard of the term Diaper dump? Now that's a term I really don't like but we have some in Auburn. I do need your help. I need you to 'drop a dime' if you see any one driving down A Street NE between Fred Meyers and Lowe's and throwing a dirty diaper out the window. It happens every day and our city employees are getting literally sick of it. Drop a dime, call in a license plate, I'll do the rest.

Thursday started at the Sunbreak Café where I have breakfast every Thursday and meet with anyone who wants to talk. By 9:00 a.m., I was back in City Hall for a meeting with the Council’s Community Center Committee and then went to a series of meetings with staff. Lunch time for me was chairing a meeting of Valley Communications our 911 system.

I did get back into town and was able to catch up for an hour before picking up several councilmembers and leaving to go to Seattle for the annual meeting of the Puget Sound Regional Council. I was home by 9 p.m., that seemed early and I was glad to have some time at home.

Friday morning was spent in meetings and then it was time to drive to Sumner for the monthly meeting of Valley Cities Association, the nine cities of the valley as we worked on common issues. We meet in both King and Pierce County to remind ourselves those county lines are only on paper and not there to divide us as we work together for all of our citizens.

The rest of the day will be spent in meetings one after the other, but I didn’t mind a bit. I hope these Updates show you all the work so many people are involved in both your city employees and all the citizens that are working together daily to make sure that our Auburn is so much More Than We Imagined!

Facts, some times it’s just about the facts. There have been questions about signs and sidewalks, art and “A” boards and I checked again to see how many ways were are trying to get the message out each month. Last month we mailed over 100,000 pieces, most bulk mail, put information on our web site, linked it wherever we could, put notices in the papers and put up signs on every appropriate place.

Beyond that we are reaching out to through our Community Services Division in new and different ways. Last month they attended meetings at Leisure Manor Block Watch, E Street Block Watch, Lakeland Homeowners Association Boards and Committees, K Street SE neighborhood meeting and the Forrest Villa (Dogwood) neighborhood meeting.

Finance billed 19,130 accounts and handled 3,890 phone calls averaging 20 calls per hour.

Recycling had 85% participation by single family households, 74.7% by multi-family and 55% by business.

Our Community Services supervisor noted that work crews from the Auburn Municipal Court logged 209.5 hours of service saving the City of Auburn year to date more than $7,204 of incarceration costs while cleaning Auburn streets.

The Court collected $233,793.59 in fines last month and we netted $125,517.14 after paying the state their portion and collections brought in another &71,018.76 plus $23,297.61 in probation fees.

We had 1,315 cases of all kinds with 2,422 hearings and had 675 people on probation. Year to date we’ve saved our jail system over $477,956.00 through in-patient treatment programs.

E-Gov services continue to climb with 53% of building inspections now done online as well as 118 police reports, 71 Parks registrations and we’re getting close to ten percent on Online Utility Payments.

Over in Parks it’s about colors. Spring brings hues of pink with those wonderful Flowering Plum trees, whites from the Ornamental Cherry trees and Magnolias, bright yellows from Forsythia and our favorite daffodils, purple tones of PMJ rhododendrons and the blues of Vinca Minor.

We’ve been planting as well with more wildflowers coming soon, Kousa Dogwoods and Vine Maples going to Shaughnessy and Rotary parks.

There’s new irrigation designed for Shaughnessy and we’ve pressured washed the courts at Lea Hill Courts, new dugout covers have been installed at Fulmer field and Brannan, new benches at Sunset as we get ready for summer. Code Compliance opened 153 new cases, closed 96 and has a net 156 remaining. There are three Code Compliance officers for a city of 68,000 people and they are responding as fast as you call. If you wonder why they haven’t seen, driven by, gone out and looked for something they can’t. They are answering your calls and addressing your needs to clean up our community. Let them know they are appreciated if you get the chance. Most of the folks they talk to have had a neighbor call in a complaint so they don’t get a great deal of positive reinforcement.

Our Permit Center has had 24 land use applications and 223 permits of all types.

Downtown a developer turned in their permit package for a three story building called The Annex which will take the place of the old tavern block. It will be anchored on one end by Key Bank and Oh My! Wait ‘til you hear the name of the restaurant on the other end.

Six of our police officers received commendations for professionalism. While we’ve seen reductions in crime we continue to see more items stolen out of cars such as purses and computer, handhelds, navigation devices, tools and equipment. We need your help to help you – don’t leave valuable items in your cars in view of potential thieves.

We received the latest report on PhotoSafe and T-bone (right angle) accidents are down more than 40% across the city because of this effort. It is making our city safer and the City Council is investing any net proceeds back into traffic calming measures for the neighborhoods. Working together we are making your Auburn safer.

Police Volunteers put in 624 hours with 194 park checks, airport and housed checks totaling more than 1,145 miles last month. Thank you Volunteers! Want to belong to one of the largest Police Volunteer groups in the state? Come see us. We are working together to keep us all safe.

All of us together used 215,000,000 gallons of water in our city last month or almost seven million gallons a day or over a hundred gallons of water for every man, woman and child in the City of Auburn, daily. A citizen emailed me recently with some good tips on water conservation:

1. Keep storm drains and catch basins free of leaves and debris. Sweeping leaves and debris into streets means you will block the neighborhood’s storm drain.

2. Use the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full and refrain from using them during heavy rains or immediately thereafter if possible.

3. Keep oils and metals that wash off the car from flowing into the storm drains by using a car wash which sends polluted water to a wastewater treatment facility.

4. Refrain from pouring fats, cooking oils, oils and greases down the sink and prevent them from building up in your line and the neighborhoods.

5. Prevent toxins from washing off the ground into our rivers and streams by not applying fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals when rain is forecasted.

6. Think of fish, wildlife and your children’s children before putting anything down the drain such as paint, medications, oil or pesticides.

Remember, it is our home and our decision.

Your city staff checked over 162 sewer lift stations cleaned more than 21,000 feet of sewer line and inspected 159 manholes. They ran the TV cameras through another 7,600 feet of line and street sweepers swept 626 miles of streets. I’ve sat aboard one of those street sweepers going oh, pretty close to four miles and hour and they did that many miles of streets, whew!

Your employees mowed more than 590,000 square feet of storm water ponds and ditches while repairing 398 potholes, did 51,000 square feet of grading, removed 36 yards of brush and trees from roads and put down 31 tons of asphalt. They also replaced and repaired 133 signs.

We have some great events coming up and we would love for you all to come out. Be sure to sign up for our annual Clean Sweep event that takes place May 10 – volunteer to help beautify four of Auburn’s parks. You can sign up to volunteer at www.auburnwa.gov/recreation/events/email.asp or call 253-931-3043.

Have you been down to “The Ave” recently? There are some great shows now playing and coming soon. The Auburn Regional Theater is now presenting “Lend Me a Tenor” and next weekend opens the first in the new comedy series at the Auburn Avenue Theater. See the full schedule here: www.auburnwa.gov/arts/auburn_avenue_theater.asp. Call 253-833-5678 for more information.

A busy month for a group of hard working and dedicated people working for all the people to make sure we will always be More Than You Imagined!

Last weekend was special. My wife Kathy and I attended an Auburn institution that is known throughout the Pacific Northwest. Auburn Skate Connection just off Auburn Way South by M Street was hosting the Northwest Skating Invitational. This exceptional family owned business has been a gathering place for many of us for generations. Isn’t it interesting how many of us used to roller skate and have lost touch with that simple pleasure. It’s here in your town, an Auburn treasure, try it again for yourself and your family.

Monday was a meeting day. As usual I started off the week meeting with my Directors as we discussed the needs of the city, but I had to leave the meeting early to welcome a special visitor to our city.

Years ago there was a young girl living in Auburn with her mother who was a short order cook at the Rainbow Café in downtown Auburn. She grew up here and went on to college, became our states Attorney General and now our Governor. Governor Gregoire, known as Chris to many people here, came back to the Rainbow for a meeting with the people of Auburn and as mayor I was there to welcome her to town.

As mayor I represent all the people of Auburn and do not feel it is proper to endorse party candidates. I will always welcome back home people who have done well and become role models for our youth showing them what they can achieve growing up in Auburn.

I got back to my office in time for a meeting on our county wide flood control system and the projects on the Green River. We live in an area that used to flood from one side of the valley to the other until just recently when new dams were built in the 1960s. But like our roads, there’s been little maintenance of the system and we must find ways to secure the levees on the rivers or we face the real possibility of the same disaster that overwhelmed Louisiana.

Then I met with several of our council members on separate issues until it was time to go to the Council’s Public Works Committee then their Finance Committee and at the end of the day the formal Council meeting. It was a special night there as well. Before we began the business of the city, we met with some very special people.

First we met Auburn’s 2008 Special Olympics Gold Medal Basketball Teams and I recognized our Parks, Arts & Recreation’s state championship teams the Auburn Parks Bulldogs - Senior 1 Division and Auburn Parks Jammers - Masters 2 Division.

Then it was time to read a Proclamation for Arbor Day where I declared April 8, 2008 as Arbor Day in the city of Auburn.

Following that was a proclamation for YMCA Healthy Kids Day and I was pleased to declare April 12, 2008 as YMCA Healthy Kids Day in the city of Auburn.

Next came a Proclamation for ACAP Week of the Young Child to declare the week of April 13-19, 2008 as the Week of the Young Child.

Then it was my great honor, along with Police Chief Kelly bring a hero forward for Citizen Recognition. Wayne Howard received a Certificate of Appreciation for his assistance to the Auburn Police Department during the investigation of a fatal collision on A Street SE on March 25.This was an awful act that affected the lives of many. Sometimes a simple act of kindness in the midst of such needless tragedy strikes deep in our hearts and Mr. Howard has earned the respect of many.

With our Chief there we moved to bring one of our police officers forward to recognize the promotion of Auburn Police Sergeant Jamie Sidell to the rank of Commander.

Finally I asked Council to approve an appointment to our Transportation, Transit, and Trails Committee for Gary Venn for a two year term expiring December 31, 2009.

We have many volunteer opportunities to serve in this city. A phone call to me, an email or a visit can start the process for you when you are ready.

Tuesday started early at Emerald Downs at the fundraiser for our Boys and Girls Club. Our King County Council member Pete Von Reichbauer has been a strong supporter of the Boys and Girls organization and I am a strong believer as well. I am hoping that we can expand their role here in our community.

I took a quick trip to the office to meet with some people of Auburn who are going to Korea to show our interest in a sister city. I wish them a Godspeed and a good trip.

Then I was on my way to the golf course too meet with our Tree Board and Garden Club to plant a tree for Arbor day and receive our fifth certification as a Tree City USA.

I was then back in the van and drove to my office to catch up on paperwork and then I was back on the road as dusk came along with a rainstorm to Fauntleroy Hall in West Seattle to testify for the King County Charter Review Commission and I still made it home before 9 p.m.

Wednesday morning went by quickly as I caught up on emails and phone calls and then it was back in the van and on the way to Seattle for the King County Regional Policy Committee meeting. We finished up after five o’clock and I was prepared for the 5 mph on I-5 at 5 p.m. Still, I made it back to Auburn to pick up some work and then back in the van for a meeting of Suburban Cities Public Issues Committee. Now that meeting did adjourn at 9 p.m. It’s not too bad a drive that late coming home on 167.

Thursday bright and early I was over at the Sunbreak Café for a little breakfast, a little conversation with anyone who wanted to talk. That included several conversations with people whose businesses have been impacted by ongoing road construction – and there is more to come. Second Street is being redone after the buses literally broke its back and as soon as that is done 6th Street between Auburn Way South and A Street will begin. Soon a whole host of Save Our Streets (SOS) new pavement overlays will start as well as one of the most ambitious crack sealing and patching programs on our arterial streets in our history.

There has been little maintenance of our arterials for 30 years. Now we are doing it but there is a cost in time on the commute, trucks, barriers, detours and all that comes with doing what should have been done long ago.

There is no blame here. This has been a very poor community and the efficiencies we have achieved in recent years have allowed us to do what was not possible just a decade ago. Still there is a cost to those immediately effected and I hope all will bear with us as we work to do the job so many have asked for so long.

After a couple of meetings with citizens at the office I walked outside to Gustaves Manor, that brick apartment building just west of city hall. This is a senior housing project run by King County Housing and they were celebrating a remodeling that has really spruced up this 70 year old building that includes part of the old Weyland Arms Hotel. King County should be applauded for this excellent remodeling effort including the solar panels on the roof that reduces electrical needs by more than 10 percent. I’ve always admired the seniors here, many are eastern European or Korean and they take such good care of their home - even sweeping sidewalks and other niceties that have been lost to many.

After a business lunch and a meeting with Council’s Community Center Committee it was time for the monthly meeting of the Valley Regional Fire Authority and then a quick drive back in the van over to the golf course clubhouse for the Chamber of Commerce Recognition of Service dinner.

I’ll spend most of Friday in meetings with citizens, Council members and Directors. It’s been a good week. Have you noticed how easy the morning commute has been? It is spring break, schools are out and the roads are clear. It’s Friday morning and the sun is out, not a cloud in the sky and the promise of warmth in the air.

Perhaps I spent a little too much time in the minivan this week but for me so much is being accomplished that I don’t mind at all. So many people involved with so many different tasks and all of it in such a positive manner. I do move quickly from one task to another, but at each point there are people eager and excited to do the work, engaged and happy to be a part of what is making us so much More Than They Imagined.

This week’s update should be a bit shorter. It was mentioned I was getting a bit long winded and to tighten it up a bit so here goes.

Monday’s Directors meeting went on a little as we tried to work out all the things each department was doing and how we were all supporting each other to get the work of the city done this week. Then, I started into a series of meetings every half hour or so until lunch where I met with several gentlemen wanting to work on a sports complex at one of our parks. Always open to new opportunities!

After lunch I had a chance to catch up on about one hundred emails, a few phone calls and some visits by some citizens and then I went into a meeting with the City Council. The first and third Mondays of the month Council has two committee meetings and a Council meeting. The second and fourth are two of the other Council committee meetings. In a month with five Mondays we have a Committee of the Whole meeting. No action is taken but it is an opportunity for the Council to meet with all its members to discuss any subject. This month it was their role as a quasi-judicial body, reviewing the proposals for two developers in the downtown, traffic calming measures and the Council’s decision that safety rather than driver’s convenience will be the top priority and the City of Auburn’s role as a sustainable community.

Tuesday started early with a meeting with our mayor pro tem Sue Singer so I could catch her up on the business of the city. We took about an hour and the coffee at Zola’s was great and a pretty good place for a morning meeting.

I had to hurry back to city hall for a telephone conference with the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Economic Development Board. Great way to do business and far better than an hour long drive to Seattle during the commute for a half hour meeting!

Lunch came quickly and I had the time for almost an hour of conversation with friends and neighbors at the Auburn Noon Lions meeting held at our Parks, Arts and Recreation building.

By the time I got back the telephone calls had backed up and the emails were piling up as well. With only four scheduled meetings that afternoon I had time to finish up before the end of the day.

Wednesday started with an hour long meeting on Public Works projects. It’s a difficult area for me as a non-engineer but I must work to understand the complex projects that can sometimes be years in putting together, have up to a dozen funding agencies and require the dislocation of traffic detours affecting families and business and will have an enormous effect on both the budget and the community.

A few of my regional responsibilities include: Chair of Valley Comm, Director for Suburban Cites, Chair for the King County Council’s Regional Policy Committee, a member of the Jail Advisory Committee and for the South County Area Transportation Board and Valley Cities. I have to take my spare minutes to work on the responsibilities that come with these positions so the two hours left in the morning went by quickly. By Noon it was time to drive to Mercer Island to a meeting of Suburban Cities CEO lunch. We talk about different issues that affect us all as administrators and managers. In this case there was a presentation of the vote on Roads and Transit and how Sound Transit did in that vote. South County has always been firm in its statements. Provide a list of projects. Tell us what they will cost, when the projects will start and when they will be done. Put that on a ballot and we shall see.

Hour long meeting at Mercer Island, an hour there and an hour drive back takes a bite out of the day but when the CEO’s of King County come together we can all learn. However, I did get back in time to change clothes and take a bike ride around downtown. Ah, first ride during the week and I was really enjoying it and – had a tire blow out! I wound up walking and carrying the bike back to City Hall but it was still a great day.

I changed and left about 5:00 PM to drive up to Federal Way for a meeting of the South Sound Chamber Coalition Legislative Round Up. This group of six chambers has put together a very strong group to work on the issues important to the cities of south King and North Pierce counties. I have been very impressed with their work. We heard about all they had accomplished.

Thursday morning I was at the Sunbreak Café, for my regular weekly breakfast which I try and set aside for anyone who wanted to stop by and talk, ask a question or give me what for!

I arrived at City Hall for another teleconference call and then worked with staff on a series of meetings every half hour through the morning. For lunch I drove around the city with some e