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HomeMy WebLinkAbout30_Mayors Newsletter_021617City Councilmembers Prince, McIrvin, Pérez, Pavone and I spent all day Tuesday in Olympia meeting with our legislators to discuss our 2017 legislative agenda. Renton is extremely fortunate to have a committed group of legislators representing our interests at the state level. They have always worked hard to uphold our legislative priorities and we appreciate their efforts. LEGISLATIVE VISIT FEBRUARY 16, 2017 This Week from the Mayor Denis Law, Mayor VOL. II, NO. 7 Feedback 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. City Attorney Larry Warren to retire after 43 years Like many other jurisdictions and private companies, Renton is experiencing a number of retirements as baby boomers are finding it possible to move into the next chapter of their lives, one of more relaxation and freedom after many years of hard work. So we were not surprised when City Attorney Larry Warren announced that he will retire in April, ending an impressive 43-year career of providing legal counsel for this city. Larry’s tenure is a state record for a city attorney and the residents of this community have benefitted from his years of dedication and leadership to Renton. He has worked for seven mayors and is well known for his expertise throughout the region. Larry made the news back in 1986 when he testified successfully in front of the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that cities should have the right to zone where adult theaters could operate in the case, “Renton v Playtime Theaters.” In addition to a few big cases that received a lot of media attention over the years, Larry focused his efforts on protecting the interests of this city as it grew to become the eighth largest city in the state. From routine defense of the city in municipal and civil cases, to providing counsel in contract law and zoning, Larry always made sure that the interest of this community was served. He has also been very active in the community, as a member of the Renton Rotary and the Renton Community Foundation, working on projects that helped improve the quality of life for those less fortunate. I will personally miss Larry and will envy his reports back to us as he travels to exotic places with his wife, Velma, and spends quality time with his family. We wish him all the best! I plan to appoint Assistant City Attorney Shane Maloney, to be our next city attorney effective in April. Before joining our staff, Shane served as city attorney of Mill Creek and the assistant city attorney for the city of Mercer Island. LARRY WARREN Civic Core kickoff meeting on March 2 Readers know it’s no secret one of my priorities is the redevelopment of the downtown core. We’re adding new housing options, refurbishing buildings, opening several new businesses and working with King County to relocate the downtown transportation center. Our next steps include input from you. On March 2, from 5:30-8 p.m. we will host the first Kickoff + Visioning Workshop at the Renton Pavilion Event Center. City staff will make a presentation and there will be activities for the whole family. It’s our goal to make the downtown area a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly destination and your ideas will help us reach our goal. I hope you can join us. JP Morgan Chase Foundation donates $500,000 to Sunset redevelopment project At Monday’s City Council meeting, the JP Morgan Chase Foundation awarded the Homestead Community Land Trust $500,000 over a three-year period to support the development of homes for ownership affordable to low-to-moderate income residents of the Sunset neighborhood. Homestead, the Renton Housing Authority, and the city will work together to build up to 12 units of affordable homeownership in the Sunset neighborhood as part of the Sunset Area Transformation Plan. The Sunset area is undergoing an exciting revitalization to improve the quality of life for current and future residents. As part of this effort, the King County Library System opened the new Renton Highlands Library last spring and the city will soon start construction of a new 3-acre park adjacent to the library. This multi-million dollar revitalization project is possible through a partnership between the city, Renton Housing Authority, Renton School District, the King County Library System, King County, the State of Washington, and federal agencies, as well as significant investments from the private sector, like the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.