HomeMy WebLinkAbout32_Mayors Newsletter_030317MARCH 3, 2017
This Week
from the Mayor
Denis Law, Mayor
VOL. II, NO. 9
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Comments, questions or suggestions, or just want to share all the great things that are happening in
the city, please email me. Thanks for reading.
LifeNet brings cutting-edge
technology to Renton
Renton is often referred to as the center of
healthcare. We are home to UW Medicine/Valley
Medical Center, a local icon, Providence Health &
Services, the third-largest nonprofit health system in
the United States, and Group Health, which is in the
process of a merger with Kaiser-Permanente.
Another Renton-based healthcare company, LifeNet Health, was recently in the news as they
announced the start of production of their patented ViviGen technology in their Renton facility. The
company recently completed a $3 million facility upgrade to handle production. LifeNet Health is the
only full-service, non-profit tissue bank in the Pacific Northwest. Currently they provide transplant tissue
to more than 150 hospitals and surgery centers throughout the Northwest and provided over 40,000
patients with grafts in 2016. We are very proud to have such a cutting-edge company call Renton home.
Proclamation reaffirms we are an inclusive city
In the months following the
presidential election, our country
remains divided. Hate crimes seem
to be on the increase, and our local
residents, especially immigrants, are
seeking help from the city to address
their fears of threats surrounding
new enforcement efforts of
immigration laws.
Without doubt, the immigration
policies and directives coming from
the White House have caused a lot
of concern among immigrants over
threats of deportation that may
impact family members and friends.
I have been hosting regular meetings with members of my
inclusion task force, representatives from the local African-
American clergy, and community leaders from the Latino
community to discuss the current situation. I am working
with them to explore how we can build confidence among
our immigrant population and let them know our history as
a city of not checking immigration status has not changed.
Our commitment to be an inclusive city and protect and serve
everyone in our community remains strong.
At last Monday’s City Council meeting, I issued a
proclamation, which was adopted by the Council, stating
that Renton is an inclusive city in accordance with Renton’s
business plan and mission statement, adopted by the Council
in 2012.
The proclamation reiterated the fact that City of Renton
employees, including our police officers, do not check on the
immigration status or documentation of our residents. We
continue to work closely with leaders of our local immigrant
communities to help spread the word. We want all immigrants
to feel safe in accessing city services, including police, when
they need help, without fear of their immigration status
being checked. We have concerns that some immigrants
may hesitate to call for help, fearing they will jeopardize their
personal situations. I want to assure all our residents that the
city of Renton is committed to their safety and well-being.
This doesn’t mean that we won’t arrest individuals that are
committing crimes or have outstanding warrants. We will
continue to arrest people involved in illegal activity. But we
have never requested immigration documentation from
people stopped for traffic violations or those reporting
crimes. We also don’t check to see if people have paid their
taxes or filed required tax returns to the IRS.
In Renton, we continue to emphasize that we will not tolerate
hate crimes, discrimination, or harassment. We believe in
the dignity, equality, and constitutional and civil rights of all
people; and we are committed to being a welcoming and
inclusive place for all to live, work, learn, and play.
(This column also appears as an Op-Ed in the March 3 edition of
the Renton Reporter.)
Mayor Law presented the proclamation to community leaders
Rev. Dr. Linda Smith and Deacon Ted Rodriguez.
Great things are happening
throughout Renton. Travel
through our city and you’ll
see new developments and
improvements to infrastructure
and quality of life.
On March 30, I’ll discuss these
and other areas of interest to
Renton residents at the annual
State of the City address at
Renton Technical College (RTC).
Tickets are $25, which includes
breakfast, and can be purchased
on the RTC website. All proceeds
will go to the Renton Technical
College Foundation to support
student success. We’ll start at
7:30 a.m. I hope you will join me.
State of the City