Community Connection
Happy Trails Arrive as Sumner’s Dream Comes True Just a few years ago, a complete trail system through Sumner seemed like a dream. And now, the dream is coming true. Through grants, private development and unrelenting determination, Sumner’s trail system will be completed this summer. One section along Fryar Avenue relies on bike lanes and sidewalks as a temporary link. However, it’s still a great option and reason enough to tie on the walking shoes and dust off the bicycle to enjoy the great outdoors. Most of the trail is paved and ready for use this summer. One last section received grant funding this spring and will be constructed this year. Once that is completed, the City of Sumner will host a grand opening of the entire trail system. Already, Sumner’s trail system offers a beautiful setting for walking, running and riding bikes. It is fully ADA accessible. It offers multiple scenic bridges across the White River, fishing access to the Puyallup River (in season), and even the chance to commute up and down the Valley without braving traffic congestion. And, this is just the start. As soon as Pacific and Puyallup complete short sections in their cities and the Stewart Road bridge is replaced, Sumner’s trail will link seamlessly to the Interurban Trail to Seattle, the Foothills Trail to Mt. Rainier, the Lakeland Hills The green sections trail and the Puyallup Riverwalk Trail. In other are complete, the words, as with rivers and freeways, Sumner is once blue will be built this year, and the again a hub, providing access to a lot of different orange are bike lanes. destinations. There are also plans underway to add Purple are future more amenities such as landscaping, benches, art- trails outside Sumner. work, interpretive signage and more along the trail, which also needs a name. This summer, take a look at what will soon become a gem of the region.
opportunity to tell the Council your thoughts. Committee meetings are open, public meetings, so you can sit in and hear about a topic weeks before it goes to Council for a decision. That also gives you time to contact your councilmembers with any questions or comments you may have about an issue. Please thank your councilmembers for giving up not only their Monday nights but also other nights each month to do their “homework.” Councilmembers Allsop, LeMaster and Hochstatter serve on the Community Development/Parks Committee; Councilmembers Hochstatter, Hannus and Dumas serve on the Public Works Committee; Councilmembers Brown, Hannus and LeMaster serve on Public Safety Committee; and Councilmembers Brown, Allsop and Dumas serve on Finance/Personnel Committee. Councilmembers select their committees every two years. The City website calendar at www.ci.sumner.wa.us shows committee meeting times and dates.
Sumner YMCA Arrival Quickens
Sumner and the YMCA celebrated raising the signs at the Y’s new Sumner location. Clockwise from top left, John Rader, Dave Radcliffe, Cindi Hochstatter, Barbara Skinner, Bob Ecklund, Mayor Enslow, and Barbara Bitetto
Help Wanted!
ASK DR. SUMNER: Why are Committees important? The phrase “efficient government” may sound like an oxymoron. However, Council committees help government be efficient and effective. Lots of complex topics come to the Council. They go to a Council committee first so that three councilmembers really “bone up” on the issue and explore its various aspects and details. When they believe the issue is ready for a decision, they send it to a Council Meeting for a vote. If they think it’s still very complex, they have the full Council do an in-depth review at Study Session. This process does a number of things at once. First, it helps councilmembers fully explore issues without the pressure of having to make a decision. Second, it helps cut through rhetoric and emotion to frame the real policy questions. Third, it provides a multi-week process for issues so that you have an
Issue 75 City of Sumner Newsletter Summer 2013
Do you have three to four hours each week to volunteer? The Food Bank has a number of positions open to suit your needs, including phone monitor, drivers, A.M. Crew and Afternoon Crew. Your commitment is only one day per week and options let you help from home, your car or at the Food Bank. Interested? Call 253-863-3793 and ask for Jan Sanford or Anita Miller.
On June 7, signs went up on 160th Avenue East and 64th Street East, celebrating the future location of the Sumner YMCA. How did this happen? Some call it a miracle. Five years ago, only the proposed Orton Junction site provided the size and access needed for a 30,000-50,000 square foot regional YMCA. But, with Orton Junction still tied up in courts, the YMCA worried about when it could build in this region. At nearly the same time, a Sumner resident spotted several acres just listed for sale on the East side. Mayor Dave Enslow called the YMCA and soon, eleven acres on nine parcels were placed on a 60-day hold. With the clock running, the YMCA had a lot of work to do, getting approvals from their board, contacting contributors, and doing site feasibility work. The YMCA liked the new site because it ensured a quicker construction timeline and could even fit a facility to better serve the demand, which keeps increasing. With a proposed larger facility, the YMCA asked for a new services agreement with the City. In exchange for a $5 million pledge from the City, the YMCA would provide $12 million in services including • An 80,000-100,000 square foot facility with community room, track, gymnasium, aquatic center, arts center, teen center, internet cafe, cardiovascular and strength training areas, child watch and nursery area, birthday party room; • Teen Late Night program open to all teens each week; • A voucher mailed to all Sumner residents to use the facility free of charge each quarter for 10 years; • Swim lessons provided to all children of a certain age; • Membership aid available dependent on income. The City Council met in executive session for several hours with the YMCA and staff to ask questions and discuss the draft Services and Options Agreements. The Council understood the significant demand from the community to bring a YMCA to Sumner. Four days later, the City Council approved both agreements on 4-2 and 5-1 votes. Councilmember Allsop commented that such a contribution may not have been feasible before the sale of the golf course, but exchanging a fraction of the proceeds from the upcoming sale of the course used by so few Sumner citizens for a YMCA wanted by so many seemed reasonable to him and a win for the community. “With these rather unique agreements, we not only bring a Y here quicker to meet demand, but we made it accessible, at some level, to every Sumner resident. That’s a big deal,” said Mayor Enslow. The new facility is expected to open in 2015.
Car Wash Kits Help You Protect Sumner’s Water Sumner’s latest Water Quality Report is available in your utility bill or online at www.ci.sumner.wa.us. Sumner’s water is clean and safe and in full compliance with the standards of both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health. To help keep it that way, make sure your next fundraiser car wash is not pouring grease, oil and soap into the Puyallup River. The City has a free Car Wash Kit for you to check out that diverts car wash water to the sewer system to be cleaned before going back into the environment. To check out the Car Wash Kit, contact Donnelle at donnellen@ci.sumner.wa.us or 253-299-5709.
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