HomeMy WebLinkAbout26_Mayors Newsletter_012017JANUARY 19, 2017
This Week
from the Mayor
Denis Law, Mayor
VOL. II, NO. 3
Sound Cities Association
provides united voice for
local cities
I’m honored to be, once again, elected
to serve on the Board of the Sound Cities
Association (SCA). SCA is an association
of 38 King County cities, representing
over 1,000,000 residents, who work
together to develop solutions to regional
problems. The membership includes
mayors, councilmembers, and city administrators. I have been involved with Sound Cities for many
years, including two terms as the board president, and am very proud of the progress we have made
addressing the issues facing our region: economic and community development, transportation, land
use, health, government operations, education and the environment.
Feedback
Comments, questions or suggestions, or just want to share all the great things that are happening in
the city, please e-mail me. Thanks for reading.
Annual retreat with department
heads sets goals for 2017
There are lots of positive things happening in Renton today, but
we’re also facing some of the challenges impacting nearly every
city in the country, including homelessness and the impacts from
heroin addiction.
For a number of years, we have set aggressive goals to improve
the service we provide our residents, and we have made great
progress. Efforts to reduce crime and improve the sense of
safety in new, creative ways, is beginning to show results. Our
economic development efforts have helped attract billions in new
investment in Renton and thousands of new jobs.
But there is plenty more to do. Last week, I spent three days with
city department heads to reflect on what we have accomplished the past couple years, and to establish
specific goals for 2017 to meet our objective of making Renton the “Best City in King County.”
We don’t want this to merely be a catchy phrase with no substance. Each department has worked hard
to improve efficiency while going the extra mile when possible in serving our residents. Key areas of
focus include continuing efforts to make our community a safe place to live and work, a city that is truly
inclusive and serves everybody who lives here, a community that cares about the challenges facing our
seniors and vulnerable populations and is actively addressing these needs, while continuing to attract
new investments and jobs. We will also continue to provide support for our staff through ongoing
training and effective leadership to support our ability to provide a Nordstrom culture of customer
service.
I feel very fortunate to work with such a fine group of professionals who are dedicated to finding new
ways of improving the level of service we provide to the residents of Renton. I look forward to working
with our City Council members who are equally committed to making Renton the best city in King
County.
Officer Kim joins Renton PD
Please join me in welcoming our newest police officer,
Eric Kim. Officer Kim graduated from the police
academy last week after completing five months of
training. He will now undergo three weeks of post-
academy instruction for procedures and laws that
are specific to the City of Renton. After that is four
months of “field officer training” where he will ride
with a senior officer before assuming his own patrol.
Attending graduation to congratulate Officer Kim is
Deputy Chief Ed VanValey.
IKEA HAS STATE’S LARGEST
SOLAR ROOFTOP ARRAY
I first mentioned IKEA’s
plans for the state’s largest
rooftop solar display in my
September 1 newsletter.
It’s now completed and
consists of 3,268 panels,
covers 244,000-square-feet,
and will produce about
1,261,000 kilowatt hours of
electricity annually. IKEA said
the power produced will be
the equivalent of reducing
886 tons of carbon dioxide
emissions, which is equal to
the emissions of 187 cars or
providing electricity for 131
homes yearly. We’re excited
about the store opening this
spring.
DID YOU KNOW