Lakewood Manager's Weekly Bulletin For March 26

Press release from the City of Lakewood:

March 26, 2021

Official app of the City of Lakewood facilitates citizen reporting and other municipal services.

The City of Lakewood’s MyLakewood311 app surpassed 15,000 cumulative citizen reports in March of 2021.

MyLakewood311 is the official mobile application of the City of Lakewood, hosting a variety of important municipal services. Citizens may report issues, pay fines, pull permits, reserve park facilities, receive announcements, and access other important information.

MyLakewood311 reports are filed through through a simple process that helps the user categorize the request. Requests enter a ticket-based system and are assigned to a relevant department for completion. A ticket-based system ensures that every request is personally reviewed by City staff.

Common ticket topics include illegal dumping, signage complaints, and pothole complaints. These citizen reports help the City learn of problems early and respond quickly.

The MyLakewood311 app may be downloaded from the iTunes App Store or on Google Play. Citizens may also report issues through an online form or by calling City Hall at 253-589-2489.

WSDOT seeks input on Fort Lewis weigh station along I-5

Public “open house” comment period open from March 25 through April 8.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is asking for public input regarding short-, medium-, and long-term improvements to the Fort Lewis weigh station along Northbound I-5. The “open house” period of public comment opens March 25, 2021 and closes April 8, 2021.

The station is the second-most visited weigh station in the state. Freight traffic experiences recurring congestion and a shortage of truck parking.

More information on the public “open house” can be found below. Use the navigation at left (desktop) or at bottom (mobile) to progress through the project website.

• I-5 Fort Lewis Weigh Station Study Homepage
  • Improvement Ideas
  • Next Steps

New restroom at Fort Steilacoom Park now open and operational.

Restroom one among many new amenities planned to improve the park.

Citizens strolling around Waughop Lake or enjoying a day at the dog park are now treated to a convenient and comfortable public restroom nearby.

The highly-anticipated installation also includes drinking fountains and a covered swing.

Other new amenities are soon to arrive to the park, including a kiosk with trailhead maps and handcrafted benches made by members of the Nisqually Tribe.

City Council to hold retreat on Saturday, March 27

Agenda includes use of federal relief funds and discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Lakewood City Council will convene a special retreat on Saturday, March 27, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The purpose of the special meeting is to identify City Council priorities for 2021-2022. City Council will also follow up on the prior retreat held on March 7, 2020.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed the United States Senate on March 6, 2021. The bill provides funding for payments to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments for economic relief. The City Council will discuss potential applications of the funding during the retreat.

Discussions of equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital to ensure that governance of the city incorporates the full spectrum of its population. The City Council will discuss past efforts and set new goals during the retreat.

The session may be watched live or afterwards on the City of Lakewood Youtube.

The session may also be accessed by telephone:

• Dial number: (253) 215- 8782
• Meeting ID: 868 7263 2373

The full agenda is available here: City Council Retreat 2021

Summer Nights at the Pavilion Concert Series lineup announced.

Six summer concerts to feature swing, salsa, soul, and more.

Thursday summer evenings in Lakewood, WA will be graced with live concerts at the Pavilion in Fort Steilacoom Park. The series will feature a variety of musical genres.

• July 22 – Nite Wave (80s new wave)
• July 26 – Chris Eger Band (Blues/rock)
• August 5 – Good Co, Swing (Swing)
• August 12 – Cambalache Salsa (Salsa)
• August 19 – Kim Archer Band (R&B/soul)
• August 26 – 80 Proof Ale (Country/rock covers)

The concerts are scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on these dates. Dates, times, and rules are subject to change based on public health guidelines.

Spring Clean-Up to be held April 17, 18

Many refuse and recyclable items to be accepted.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Thorne Lane on-ramp to I-5 to remain closed for 3 months

Travelers should prepare for work on the I-5 Steilacoom-DuPont Road to Thorne Lane Corridor Improvements project.

DETOUR INFORMATION:

• Travelers coming from Murray Road, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Logistics Gate or the Woodbrook neighborhood will detour via northbound I-5 to Gravelly Lake Drive, then onto southbound I-5.
• Tillicum travelers will use the Berkeley Street interchange to reach southbound I-5. They can also use the new Thorne Lane overpass and follow the same detour as travelers coming from Murray Road.

An updated construction schedule that lists overnight ramp closures for this project is available on Tacomatraffic.com. Current road conditions can be found via the WSDOT app and WSDOT regional Twitter feed.

Major Roadway Improvements to Begin around Gravelly Lake in April

Road work will begin in late April for the JBLM North Access Project. The work will completely rebuild several key interchanges and stretches of roadway West of Gravelly Lake. The work will take approximately 18 months to complete and will be performed in several stages, each involving substantial road closures.

See more details about project and sign up for e-mail updates here.

Other Ongoing Construction:

Steilacoom BLVD (Weller to Custer)

Phase one of this project is complete. Phase two, the installation of sidewalks along this area, is anticipated to begin in summer/fall 2021 and will be constructed in two phases due to funding sources. Relocation of utility poles to make way for the sidewalks is expected to begin in spring/summer 2021.

Onyx Drive

Work began in April 2020 on this 1.55-mile project that improves the road with curb and gutter on both sides, adds bicycle and pedestrian facilities, includes street lighting on one side of the road and associated storm drainage upgrades. The contractor is conducting final cleanup activities and repairs to private infrastructure impacted by the project. All keys have been distributed to residents in the past week who were home, all others will be picking up their keys at the Post Office.

Veteran’s Drive

1.63 miles of Veterans Drive was recently rebuilt into a two-lane section with curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike/pedestrian path, streetlights, and landscape strip if ROW allows. Roundabouts have been added to three key intersections, and new cluster mailboxes are almost fully installed.

The street will close temporarily on Monday (3/29) and Tuesday (3/30) for striping.

Lakewood Drive Sidewalk Project

The Public Works Engineering Department has issued a contract for construction of sidewalks on Lakewood Drive between Steilacoom Boulevard and Flett Creek. The contractor initiated work late February 2021 and will finish work in April. Speeds have been restricted to 25 mph within the work zone.

100th Street SW and Lakewood Drive Traffic Signal

The Public Works Engineering Department has issued a contract to rebuild the traffic signal at the intersection of 100th Street SW and Lakewood Drive an install sidewalks on the north side of 100th from the Chick-Fil-A sidewalk to the Lakewood Drive intersection. Additional fill in sidewalk will be constructed on the south side east and west of the intersection. The contractor will commence work in late March.

112th/111th Street Project

The Public Works Engineering Department has issued a contract to reconstruct 112th/111th streets between Bridgeport Way and Kendrick Street. New roadway surface, curb, gutter, sidewalks, and illumination will be constructed. The contractor will start work on March 10th and the roadway will be closed to all traffic except local access only until mid-May.

108th Street Overlay

The Public Works Engineering Department will refresh the driving surface on 108th between Bridgeport Way SW and Pacific Highway. PWE is currently working with Lakewood Water District on two major crossings to be constructed prior to the road project. The contact has been awarded to Northwest Cascade, Inc. of Puyallup, WA. Work is expected to begin in mid- to late-April, 2021.

COVID-19 REGIONAL HEADLINES

• New round of Working Washington Grants to open March 29, 2021
  • $240 million will be available to small businesses affected by the pandemic. Funds are to be used by for-profit businesses for hard costs such as rent, utilities, and payroll to offset lost revenue, and added expenses to maintain safe operations.
• State of Washington advances to Phase 3 of recovery plan
  • Spectators will be allowed to attend outdoor venues with permanent seating with capacity capped at 25%. The change affects both professional and high school sports, as well as motorsports, rodeos, and other outdoor spectator events. Social distancing and facial covering are still required.
• K-12 educators and licensed child care workers granted COVID-19 vaccine eligibility
  • Effective March 17, all Phase 1B, Tier 2 individuals may receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Phase 1B, Tier 2 includes anyone 65 and older, anyone 50 and older in a multi-generational household, and other categories.
• Eviction moratorium extended to June 20, 2021
  • In general, the eviction moratorium prohibits landlords from serving (or threatening to serve) any notice to vacate or terminate a rental. The moratorium also prohibits the assessment (or threat of) late fees, among other requirements.
• Utility shutoff moratorium extended to July 31, 2021.
  • In general, the moratorium prohibits disconnection of residential customers from energy, telecommunications, or water service due to nonpayment. The moratorium also prohibits refusal of reconnection, the charging of late fees, or the disconnection of residents who have contacted the utility to request payment assistance.

NOTES FROM THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD

• Visit the Community Advisory Boards and the City of Lakewood Jobs pages for open volunteer and paid positions.
• Report problems and stay engaged with MyLakewood311, available on iTunes App Store or on Google Play.
• Keep in touch with the City of Lakewood by subscribing to our official email newsletters.

This press release was produced by the City of Lakewood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.