Update May 9, 2008
(An update to the people from Mayor Pete Lewis)
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!
Pete Lewis
Mayor of Auburn
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