Issue 44
City of Sumner Newsletter
October 2006
Town Hall-Style Meeting Discusses Challenges, Reminds Positives On Saturday, September 9, over 20 citizens came to City Hall to chat with Mayor Dave Enslow about what was on their minds. Sitting in a circle in Council Chambers and enjoying doughnuts and coffee, the group discussed parking and traffic, the chemical company and a few other issues. The conversation started out with the parking congestion around the Sound Transit station. As they discussed everything from traffic light timing to bus links, the participants found there were two main options: build a garage in Sumner or purposefully force commuters to connect to busses. There were various positives and negatives to each option. Mayor Enslow said that as the City tries to find the best solution, he’d like to continue hearing from citizens.
SEE INSIDE Mayor’s Message Fire Service Update Arborists’ Tree Tip Upcoming Events
Eventually, we will have to tell Sound Transit what Sumner wants. The next issue raised was about the owner of the old yeast mill site who is applying to operate a chemical company there. The company brings in larger shipments of acids and bases and repackages them to sell to organizations that use them to treat water. The Mayor explained that right now, the permit process is still underway. The City asked the technical experts at the Pierce County Health Department for a report of potential environmental impacts. Once the City has their report, the staff will determine what is required of the company to mitigate risk to citizens. While most of the participants were long-time residents of Sumner, a few
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Sumner’s community spirit was in full force at the Mystery Wine Walk downtown on the evening of September 9.
were new. One couple, who just moved here from Palm Springs, said they were delighted with Sumner. They pointed out that long-time Sumner residents should remember that they have something special here. “I hope this is the first of many more meetings like this,” said Mayor Dave Enslow. “There are other ways to get involved, but this informal, friendly style fits us well here in Sumner.” For more opportunities to ask questions and voice opinions, keep watching this newsletter and the City’s website. To contact the Mayor or a councilmember directly, look for their phone numbers on page 2 and their e-mail addresses at www.ci.sumner.wa.us/ government/council/.
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Sumner Community Connection
Mayor’s Message It’s officially autumn, and change is in the air. I guess there’s always changes in seasons, but it seems so much more obvious in the fall. The leaves change color,
October 2006
City of Sumner 1104 Maple Street Sumner, WA 98390 253-863-8300 253-863-2850 FAX
kids go back to school, and we start to realize that the year is getting older.
MAYOR Dave Enslow
It’s a fact that, in general, people fear change. We cling to what we know rather than risk the unknown, even if there’s a chance it could be better. As a City, it seems to me, we’ve got two choices. We can either hide and hope change doesn’t find us, which it will. Or, we can look ahead to see what changes are coming and adjust to make those changes meet our needs. The City is choosing
CITY COUNCIL Steve Allsop Curt Brown Mike Connor Randy Hynek Ed Hannus Leroy Goff Matt Richardson
There are always things we’ll miss when changes occur. Right now, our community is saying goodbye to Roger Johnson who deserves a great retirement after many years on Wood and Main. Yet, change
299-5793 299-5796 299-5795 299-5792 299-5791 299-5797 299-5794
CITY STAFF
the second option.
serving our cars for so
299-5790
Mayor Enslow joins Councilmembers Richardson and Hannus in a game of “Triviality” with “Alex Treebark” at the Mystery Wine Walk. (The Mayor won!)
can also bring good things. It wasn’t so many years ago that the police watched a light in the center of town. If they were needed, someone flipped the light on. Now, our police cars are equipped with advanced communications tools that let them respond quickly and know an incredible amount of information about the incident right away. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty happy with that change! The reason the leaves fall is not because they died but because the buds of next spring’s leaves are pushing out the old ones. So, as our city continues to face the changes happening within and around us, focus on the new buds of great things on the horizon rather than the loss of what we know. If we continue to work together as an active community, none of the other changes will really change the heart of Sumner, which is the most important thing of all!
John Doan, City Administrator
299-5501
Diane Supler, Deputy City Administrator
299-5502
Carmen Palmer, Communications Director
299-5503
Patricia Bosmans, City Attorney
299-5611
Susan Clary, City Clerk
299-5500
Paul Rogerson, Community Development Director 299-5521 Colleen Wilson, Police Chief
299-5641
Dan Packer, Fire Chief
863-5451
Bill Shoemaker, Public Works Director
299-5701
Bruce Johnson, Community/Senior Services Manager 299-5731 Lee Anderson, Parks and Facilities Manager
299-5631
CITY OFFICES Administration/Finance Cemetery Fire (non-emergency) Golf Course Inspection Line Parks and Recreation Permit Center Police (non-emergency) Senior Center
863-8300 FAX 863-2850 863-6345 863-5451 863-8198 299-5530 891-6500 299-5523 863-6384 863-2910
MUNICIPAL COURT
Mayor Dave Enslow
Judge Stephen R. Shelton Court Offices
863-7635
Wendy Shook, Court Administrator
299-5621
October 2006
Sumner Community Connection
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Consolidation with East Pierce Best for Future Fire Services With the help of Dick Moore, the City Council has been studying how to provide the same or better fire services for the same or less cost. Moore, who is serving on contract, is the former Sumner Director of Fire and Emergency Services. Options have included consolidation with Orting, Puyallup or Auburn; continuing with the current stand-alone City department; annexation into East Pierce Fire and Rescue (Fire District 22). The Sumner Fire Department has a long history of providing quality service in the community. However, the community needs have grown and changed, increasing the level of service expected, which, in turn, greatly increases the cost to retain a City department. In order to keep a standalone fire department, the City would need to reduce other services such as police and parks, reduce fire services and raise taxes.
The Recommendation Given that reality, the Council concurred with Moore’s recommendation to pursue a consolidation agreement with East Pierce Fire and Rescue. East Pierce, the adjacent fire district to the east, has been responsible for the administration and command of the Sumner Fire Department since early 2005. What it Means to the City With further consolidation, a contract would fix the amount Sumner pays to the East Pierce for their services to Sumner. The City would retain oversight of the contract. Although they would be considered part of East Pierce, Sumner Fire employees and equipment would continue to serve the City from their current fire station near downtown. Eventually, City residents could be asked to extend the consolidation by annexing into the Fire District.
What it Means for Citizens With this contract, there would be no change in the taxes for property owners in Sumner. The consolidation affords the opportunity to share resources, take advantage of economies of scale and train employees better. Mayor Dave Enslow said about the consolidation, “We’ve studied the fire service a great deal over the past two years. It isn’t the same business it was 30 years ago. They are very busy and need significant training and support. East Pierce has been a great partner for two years and we look forward to a consolidation bringing Sumner’s residents and businesses better service.” The City plans to have a contract with East Pierce complete by the end of the year. Additional information will be provided to citizens as the details of the consolidation are completed.
Garbage Rates Rise As everyone feels the pain at the pump, so too do garbage trucks. DM Disposal requested a 3% rate increase due to rising fuel costs. After negotiations with the City, the amount was reduced to a 2.5% increase with the understanding that this would be considered part of DM Disposals’ annual CPI adjustment in March. So, your garbage rates will increase a bit this fall. A standard, one-can pickup is estimated to go from $12.92 to $13.24. However, this means the increase will be even less in March, so there is a silver lining!
For up-to-date information, visit www.ci.sumner.wa.us!
One way fire service has changed in recent years is to provide much more medical assistance than ever before. Captain Greg Reinke shows a family the new medic unit that has been serving Sumner well since it arrived in the spring. This new reliance on more technical medical equipment is one reason many cities are changing to fire districts instead of stand-alone fire departments. For information about East Pierce, contact Fire Chief Dan Packer at 253-863-1800 or dpacker@eastpiercefire.org.
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Sumner Community Connection
October 2006
Sumner’s Arborist Shares Autumn Tree Tip Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’
Send comments on this or other varieties you work with to Jim.
If you’re looking to add a small tree, one excellent selection is the ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry. It is beautiful as both a single leader tree and a large multi-stem shrub. Its name correctly describes its outstanding red fall leaf color, but equally spectacular is the burst of white spring flowers followed by a very dark colored edible berry. The bark is smooth and light gray. The serviceberry might reach 20 to 25 ft. both tall and wide at maturity. They can become twiggy with many crossing and rubbing limbs, but they respond well to corrective pruning and can develop into outstanding specimens of form and character. From our experience, they transplant rather easily but prefer a sandy loam, welldrained soil for optimum growth. They are a bit susceptible in some areas to some of the fungal diseases, such as Rust, Leaf Blight, Fire Blight, and Powdery Mildew. However, in the open as a street tree or in the yard or garden where there is good air circulation, I have seen few problems. The one in this photo was planted in downtown Sumner about five years ago and has performed like an arboretum specimen. There are several other cultivars of the Amelanchier such as ‘Cole’s Select,’ ‘Cumulus,’ ‘Robin Hill,’ but for some reason the Autumn Brilliance is the most popular. Jim Barborinas, City Arborist jimb-ufsinc@wavecable.com
Visit this ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry in downtown Sumner on Alder Avenue between Maple and Main Streets.
Police Department Welcomes New and Celebrates Retiring The Sumner Police Department went through some transition in late summer. The department welcomed a new officer, Jacob Yancey and celebrated Lieutenant Wes Tucker, who retired after 20 years of service in Sumner. Yancey has a background in corrections with five years of experience at the Cedar Creek and Washington correctional facilities. He will attend the Basic Law Enforcement Academy in October and is spending time getting to know the City, its employees and equipment. On the exact 20th anniversary of joining the department, Wes Tucker celebrated his retirement. Based on the large number of people who attended his celebration, including fellow officers, merchants, friends
and elected officials, it was clear that Tucker had made quite an impact on Sumner. Whether serving undercover or patroling the streets or simply asking people how it’s going, Tucker spent his 20 years making everyone in Sumner feel safe and secure. Rather than retreat into retirement, Tucker is actually expanding his skills to serve the entire country. In September, he traveled to Kuwait, where he will serve with a private security firm for a year. He promised to stay safe and come back and visit Sumner when he returns to the States. Wes Tucker served Sumner for 20 years.
October 2006
Sumner Community Connection
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An Accessible River Runs Through Sumner
mission: To provide needed and valued services that promote our sense of community.
vision: Sumner will set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city.
values: We are collaborative & professional. We are innovative & visionary. We are responsive & accountable. We serve with respect & integrity.
If you’re itching to grab a pole and get some fishing in, Sumner just made it a lot easier! There is a new, fully paved trail from the Wastewater Treatment Plant off State Street to the point where the White River flows into the Puyallup River. Construction crews will also add curb cuts and ramps so that the trail will be fully accessible, making this a great option for disabled anglers. Remember to follow the regulations. To check on licenses, visit www.wdfw.wa.gov/lic/formpage.htm.
Look Out Garages--It’s Time for Fall Clean Up! Are the leaves piling up? Have some extra garbage after cleaning out the garage? Looking to unload that old washer that doesn’t have a prayer of working? DM Disposal has the solution for you.
Congratulations to Pierce County residents, including Sumner, for dramatically increasing your recycling! Since the new curbside recycling program began last year,
It’s Fall Clean Up! On October 13, you can put out up to three bags or containers of garbage and up to three containers of yard waste, and DM Disposal will pick it up for free. Plus, if you put out an old appliance by the morning of October 9, they will pick it up for free sometime during that week. You should have already received coupons from DM Disposal to attach to your Fall Clean Up items. If you didn’t get them or can’t remember where they went amid the leaves, garbage and washer, stop by City Hall and pick up some more!
Single Cart’s a Success
For further information, contact DM Disposal at 253-414-0345.
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Residents are recycling 70% more materials overall.
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Paper recycling is up 82% (newspaper, mixed paper, cardboard).
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Container recycling has increased 27% (glass, plastics, steel, aluminum).
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Each residence is recycling an average of 44 pounds per month – up from approximately 29 pounds.
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93% of all Pierce County singlefamily households recycle.
For more information, go to www. piercecountywa.org/recycle.
Did you know...? When you recycle an aluminum can, it can be melted down, rolled, and back on a supermarket shelf as a new can in 90 days!
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Sumner Community Connection
RPZs Expand to Accommodate Parking The City’s Restricted Parking Zones (RPZ) are about to expand in the downtown area near the Sounder commuter station. In the current zones, the program seems to be successful in limiting commuter parking all day so that residents and visitors alike have plenty of parking throughout the day in the residential neighborhood. The RPZ program limits daytime parking to 3 hours in that zone unless a vehicle displays the appropriate zone sticker. With that sticker, which is available to residents at City Hall’s Permit Center, the vehicle can park longer. New RPZs will come to the following streets: •
Cherry Avenue--west side from Park to Thompson
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Kincaid Avenue--west and east sides from Academy to Park
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Alder Avenue--west and east side from Academy to Park
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Ryan Avenue--east side from Maple to Park
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Sumner Avenue--west side from Maple to Park
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Academy Street--south side from Kincaid to halfway between Alder and Ryan
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Park Street--north side from Kincaid to halfway between Alder and Ryan and south side from Kincaid to Sumner Mountain Circle Drive
There will also be some adjustments to existing RPZs. •
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Academy Street--south side from Cherry to Kincaid will be removed while north side remains a RPZ Harrison Street--west of Cherry will be removed
Maple Street--south side, half a block east of Cherry will be removed. If you have questions about your RPZ, please contact Paul Rogerson, Community Development Director, at 299-5521 or paulr@ci.sumner.wa.us.
October 2006
Safety Tips for MySpace For teens, MySpace is a popular online hangout. As a parent, please consider the following guidelines to help your children make safe decisions about using online communities. • Talk to your kids about why they use MySpace, how they communicate with others and how they represent themselves on MySpace. • MySpace members must be 14 years of age or older. MySpace will delete users who are younger or misrepresent their age. • MySpace is a public space. Members shouldn’t post anything they wouldn’t want the world to know (e.g., phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific whereabouts). Tell your children they should avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find them, such as their local hangouts. • Remind them not to post anything that could embarrass them later or expose them to danger. Tell them that they shouldn’t post photos or info they wouldn’t want adults to see. • People aren’t always who they say they are. Ask your children to be careful about adding strangers to their friends list. They should talk to you if they want to meet an online friend in person, and if you think it’s safe, any meeting should take place in public with friends or a trusted adult present. • Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If your kids encounter inappropriate behavior, report it to MySpace or the police. Adapted from www1.myspace.com/ misc/tipsForParents.html.
October 2006
ASK DR. SUMNER
Sumner Community Connection
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City Hall Calendar October 16..... City Council meeting, 7 pm 23..... City Council study session, 6 pm November 6 ...... City Council meeting, 7 pm 10..... Veteran’s Day Celebrated -- City Hall Closed 13..... City Council study session, 6 pm 20..... City Council meeting, 7 pm
Why do I get a water bill every month if you read my water meter every-other-month? The City does indeed read your water meter every-other-month. However, what you owe based on that reading is split in half and billed over the next two months. So, say your meter reading in September shows that you used 14 units of water since the last reading in July. You would be charged for seven of those units on your October bill and the other seven in November. The idea is to spread out the cost to you rather than send one large bill every two months. Plus, other utilities, such as sewer, are also billed per month. It’s important to note that you are paying for water after you use it. As you see in our sample scenario, if you increase your water use during the summer (as most of us do), you’ll be paying for that in late autumn! Of course, a great way to keep your water bill low, even in the summer, is to try the various water conservation measures. Good tips are available at www.wateruseitwisely.com. You can contact Dr. Sumner at drsumner@ci.sumner.wa.us. For questions about your utility bill, call 253-863-8300.
23 & 24 Thanksgiving -- City Hall Closed 27..... City Council study session, 6 pm
Community Events October 9-13.. Fall Clean Up (see details on page 5) 21..... Tree planting at White River Trail (see below) 28 & 29 Playground Raising Party, Rainier View Park (see below) 31..... Halloween Street of Screams, 5-7 pm, Downtown Sumner November 11...... Hometown Holiday Celebration, 10 am - 7 pm, Downtown Sumner 24..... Bridge Lighting to Windmill Garden Lighting, 5:30 pm
Plant Trees for a New Trail! October 21 9 am - Noon 24th Street East Help create the new White River Trail in north Sumner. Plant trees as Stream Team begins restoring habitat between the trail and the river in an area formerly used for turf production.
Come to a Playground Raising Party! October 28 & 29 (new dates) 9 am - Noon Rainier View Park Help install the new playground equipment and join your neighbors in building a future for Sumner’s parks.
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Sumner Community Connection
October 2006
Sumner City Council
Steve Allsop
Curt Brown
Mike Connor
Leroy Goff
Ed Hannus
Randy Hynek
Matt Richardson
ITEMS PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 JULY* •
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Adopted Resolution No. 1201 approving an Interlocal Purchasing Agreement with E. Pierce Fire & Rescue. Adopted Resolution No. 1203 surplusing city property.
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Accepted Rainier View Park phase 1 project.
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Awarded the bid for playground equipment at Rainier View Park.
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Awarded the bid for asphalt overlaying 2 parking lots.
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Awarded the bid for sealcoating the Senior Center parking lot.
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Approved the hiring of Richard Moore as Special Assistant for Fire Service Planning.
AUGUST • Adopted Ordinance No. 2179 amending DM Disposal rates.
• Adopted Resolution No. 1205 amending the agreement with DM Disposal. • Adopted Resolution No. 1204 approving the sale of surplus rightof-way on 24th St. • Awarded a contract to Pivetta Brothers for construction of the Van Tassel Pump Station. • Approved a Professional Services Agreement with DMJM+Harris for gusset plate design for the Bridge Street Bridge. • Approved an Interlocal Agreement with Pierce County for Chip Sealing. • Amended the Professional Services Agreement with Parametrix for design of the Van Tassel Pump Station. • Approved a Professional Services Agreement with Adolfson Assoc., Inc. for environmental regulations.
City of Sumner 1104 Maple Street Sumner, WA 98390
• Accepted the Riverside Trail Project. • Approved a Professional Services Agreement with Parametrix for the N. Sumner Pump Station.
SEPTEMBER • Adopted Ordinance No. 2180 establishing Mayor/Council salaries. • Adopted Ordinance No. 2181 reclassifying a Police Records Clerk position. • Adopted Ordinance No. 2182 amending park rules at the Daffodil Sports Complex. • Adopted Ordinance No. 2183 amending the city limits. • Approved an agreement for consulting services for the study of fiber optic and wireless broadband infrastructure and services. * The first half of July’s items was reported in the previous issue.
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