The Kent Reporter names the 2010 Winners in the “Best of Kent” contest, sponsored by Kent Station. Here are just a few of our favorites:

Community Volunteer: Suzanne Cameron, winner and Lee Anderson, nominee

Police Officer: Chief Steve Strachan

Public Official: Mayor Suzette Cooke

Realtor: Marti Reeder, John L. Scott

Teacher: Sara Palmer, Mattson Middle School

Waiter: Michelle @ Maggie’s on Meeker

Spa Services: Lemon Drop Skin Care & Massage

Italian Cuisine: Paolo’s

Gift Store: Marie Haggin Accessories

Favorite Family Destination: Kent Station

For a complete list, visit the Kent Reporter’s Best of Kent “insert” online.

According to a press release issue by the City of Kent today, Safe Havens Domestic Violence Visitation Program will have to close its doors at the end of April unless immediate funding is found. Safe Havens opened in 2005 to help keep adult and child victims of domestic violence safe while complying with court-ordered visitation and exchanges.

Initially paid for with federal funding, budget reductions and the elimination of funding sources have created a $100,000 shortfall in the program’s 2010 budget.

“City staff and program allies have been working diligently to develop a long-term sustainability plan for the Safe Havens,” said Katherin Johnson, Kent’s Housing and Human Services Manager, in the April 22 press release.

“However, if emergency funding is not found immediately, we’ll be forced to close doors as early as April 30.  Friends and allies of the program are soliciting emergency funding from various foundations and agencies as well as asking for personal donations. Checks have begun to roll in, however, much more is needed and quickly.”

Since the opening of Safe Havens, state and county funding assistance has been an annual request by the City. According to Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, the softening economy made the need to transition the service very apparent.

“Our annual legislative agenda has included the transitioning of Safe Havens over to a state agency or non-profit organization,” Cooke said in the press release.

“We can’t deny the value of the program, but it is truly regional in its scope.  Safe Havens has provided services county-wide and beyond to Snohomish, Pierce and Thurston counties.  It should not, and cannot be funded only by the City,” she added.

To help keep the program in place, the City of Kent has established a a fund for accepting donations. Checks can be made payable to City of Kent/Safe Havens and mailed to Safe Havens Visitation Center, 220 4^th Ave S, Kent, WA 98032.  Donations via credit card can also be made online at http://www.formdesk.com/kccadv/SafeHavens.  Donations are tax deductible.

In a recent press release, the City of Kent announced that Kent emergency preparedness officials will test the city’s CodeRED Emergency Notification system on Tuesday, April 20. The testing will begin at 10 a.m. and go throughout the day to ensure that the system is working properly so that residents and businesses can be notified in the event of a real emergency.

The system was implemented in September 2009 and, since that time, residents and businesses have been encouraged to add their names and contact information to the City’s CodeRED website.

The Kent CodeRED test will coincide with similar tests in Auburn, Renton, Tukwila and King County.

CodeRED is a geographically-based notification system, which means street addresses are needed to select which phone numbers will receive emergency notification calls in a specific emergency.  An associated street address is needed for cell phone numbers.

Requested information includes first and last name, street address (physical address—no PO boxes), city, state, zip code, primary phone numbers and additional phone numbers and an email address (optional). Residents and businesses may also choose to receive text or email messages about emergencies, in addition to telephone calls.

CodeRED gives those who want to be included an easy and secure method for doing so, and the information will only be used for emergency notification purposes. Residents and businesses may also opt out of the system entirely if they so choose.

Those without Internet access may contact Kent Emergency Management at 253-856-4440, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to request a registration form by mail.

For more information, read the full press release online or visit http://kentCodeRED.com.

From Sara Wood, public education specialist from the City of Kent Police Department:

• Last week’s crime stats
• Sex Offender Level III Notice
• Landlord/Property Management Training in Federal Way – May 12
• Hondas:  popular targets for vehicle theft - We are still seeing a steady trend of Hondas being targeted for vehicle thefts. If you haven’t already, consider purchasing The Club, an steering wheel locking device. They can be purchased through Kent PD for $15.00.

Thank you for being partners in crime prevention!

In a press release from the City of Kent, issued April 6, 2010:

Economic Downturn Triggers More City Service Reductions
Annexation Staffing Plan to Cushion Layoffs

Kent, Wash. – April 6, 2010 – The economy continues to negatively impact the City of Kent’s revenues.  Despite spending cuts of over $6 million, including the layoff of 28 employees last year, Mayor Suzette Cooke recommended an additional $7 million in spending cuts and $100,000 in revenue increases to the Kent City Council on Tuesday.

“The recession is not easing its grip on Kent’s finances,” said Cooke.  “We projected flat revenues for 2010, but tax collections and fees continue to decline below 2009 levels.”

According to Kent’s Finance Director Bob Nachlinger, in closing the City’s books for last year, declining revenues in November and December, and other factors impacted the final 2009 fund balance.

“We can’t control the external environment,” said Nachlinger.  “It’s impossible to know exactly how we’ll finish the year until all the numbers come in.  We receive many of our revenues two months in arrears so I’m unable to close the prior year’s books until March.”

“Although we ended the year with a positive fund balance, it is not at the target both the Council and Mayor requested,” said Nachlinger.  “Besides reduced sales tax, we saw reduced income from revenue sources in many departments.  Utility tax revenues were also down due to our mild winter and people not using natural gas and electricity as they would normally.  The threat of flooding has further slowed commercial activity, and finally, an underpayment of $600,000 by the State’s Department of Revenue for Streamlined Sales Tax mitigation left a huge hole.”

According to John Hodgson, Kent’s Chief Administrative Officer, revenues for the first two months of this year are below last year’s levels and other fund sources are also trending downward, forcing the need to make adjustments now.

“Maintaining a strong fund balance is the goal of the Mayor and Council,” said Hodgson.  “It allows us to make our monthly obligations, which is critical given that revenues don’t come in at equal amounts during the year.”

36% of the City’s General Fund revenues come from property taxes paid in April and October.

Hodgson said he’s been working with department directors over the past two weeks to identify operational adjustments, new revenue ideas and cuts to address the budget situation.

“We reviewed services and looked at what was considered mandatory and required by City ordinance.  We looked at preserving our physical assets, what services were discretionary yet improved Kent’s quality of life, and we looked at levels of service delivery overall.  The fact is it’s very difficult after the elimination of programs and staff reductions we already made last year,” Hodgson said.

“We reviewed the staff reductions recommended by department directors in relation to our staffing needs for when the Panther Lake annexation is effective July 1,” said Hodgson.  “While trying to anticipate and plan services in the annexation area, we’re able to utilize many of those employees, yielding very good, high producing staff there.  Unfortunately, we aren’t able to place seven employees, forcing us to lay them off, or reduce their work hours, at the end of this month.”

Kent’s proposed annexation staffing levels have also been adjusted to reflect revenue shortfalls in the Panther Lake area.  Key annexation positions including police, street maintenance crews, land use experts, prosecutors and courts will continue to be filled.

“While police officers on streets and firefighters on engines will not be impacted, the proposed budget cuts will impact every department and level of service city-wide including the annexation area,” Hodgson said.

Some of the impacts of the proposed budget adjustment include:

• Lay off or reduce work hours of seven employees
• Require Spotlight Series performances to be self-supporting
• Transfer some police officers from special units, e.g. investigations, to patrol
• Transfer some fire fighters in special units to fire suppression
• Reduce development services staff due to continual decline in commercial development
• Eliminate the lunch program subsidy at the Kent Senior Activity Center
• Reduce financial support to the Kent Meridian Pool

Mayor Cooke also proposed doubling the fine for parking violations from $20 to $40 and adding a 5% admissions tax to green fees at the Riverbend Golf Complex.  Pending approval by the City Council, these fees would yield an additional $100,000 per year.

The City Council will review the Mayor’s proposed budget adjustments and will take action later this month or in early May.

4-3-2010–Two women severely burned in the fire died following the accident.

Update from MSNBC.com.

4-2-2010–According to MSNBC.com, a refinery blast and fire in Anacortes (Washington) killed three and injured four early this morning. The four injured workers, two men and two women, are in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The incident occurred at Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes, a worksite that had been cited by the Department of Labor & Industries a year ago for numerous violations.

Read the full story at MSNBC.com.

Additional video from KING5.com.

The Kent Fire Department is asking for support on Proposition 1.  The proposition is coming to the public in hopes of creating the Kent Regional Fire Authority.

The Fire Authority will join the Kent Fire Department and King County Fire District 37.  By doing this, the Authority will be funded by a six-year fire benefit charge and a property tax which will decrease by $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.  The Authority will keep the Kent Fire Department name and will be governed by a 6-member board of 3 elected councilmembers from Kent and 3 elected commissioners from Fire District 37.

The Kent Fire Department claims the Kent Regional Fire Authority will ensure..

• Strong emergency services and fast response times for our growing community
• Long-term financial sustainability and accountability for emergency services
• A proven, diversified funding model less dependent on property taxes
• Lower costs and greater efficiency through consolidation of contracts and resources

The Kent Firefighters are looking for a “YES” vote on Tuesday, April 27, 2010.   Proposition 1 is endorsed by the Covington City Council, the Kent City Council, Fire District 37 and Kent Firefighters 1747.  For more information visit the City of Kent website.

The Kent Police Department is offering a Community Police Academy class on six Wednesdays, starting March 31st and ending May 5^th, 2010.   The Academy offers participants an excellent opportunity to learn more about the daily operations of the police department and its role in the community.

The classes will be from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with an officer available for a question and answer session 30 minutes prior to the start of class. The academy will be held at the Police and Fire Training Center, 24611 116^th Ave SE in Kent. There is also a Saturday session, which will include tours of the City of Kent Corrections Facility and our dispatch operations at Valley Communications Center.

The 6-week curriculum includes topics such as officer recruitment and hiring, traffic enforcement, patrol functions, detectives and criminal investigations, SWAT, use of force policy, community education and the Neighborhood Response Team.  K-9 officers will demonstrate their K-9 partner’s abilities.  All questions will be answered.

Academy classes are taught by veteran police officers and supervisors. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with the Chief of Police and staff members. They are encouraged to ask questions and express ideas and concerns to police employees.

The academy is open to any adult (18+), living, working, or interested in the City of Kent and its police department.  There is no cost for attending.

Applications and information are available online at http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/police/ or call the Community Education Unit at 253-856-5838.

“This is an excellent opportunity for residents to gain insight into the day to day operations of the police department” said Sergeant Dina Paganucci. “We enjoy being able to interact with the community and answer any questions they have.”

Today the Kent Police Department issued notices of two sex offenders who have registered to live in downtown Kent.

Notice 1 – Jeremy Ross Baxley (Clark Avenue North)

Notice 2 – Brandon Cole Reed (Crest Avenue South)

In addition, they offered these educational and safety tips:

Level 2 and Level 3 offenders are posted on the state website at www.icrimewatch.net/washington.php

Level 1 offenders (least likely to reoffend) that are Homeless/Transient are also posted on the website.

YOU can search, register to receive email alerts etc. on this public website. It does NOT give the exact address of the offender, but you can search a radius area near your home, a school, work etc.

NOTE:  This information is a matter of public record.

Along with this week’s crime stats, the Kent Police Department cautions Kent residents to protect their vehicle and belongings. In particular, car prowlers are looking for these items:

• GPS units and holders
• Laptops, iPods, cell phones and other electronics
• Sports equipment and shopping bags
• Mail and money

Kent PD suggests that you park in well lit areas, lock doors, close windows and remove all valuables from your vehicle.

If you are the victim of a car prowl or see something suspicious, call 911. For more information, visit http://kentpoliceceu.com

The holiday season is over, however that doesn’t mean the giving season is.  The Kent Food Bank is running the “i can give” promotion and is looking for donations.  If you would like to help or were already looking to donate, here is a list of the top 25 needs:

1. Peanut Butter

2. Canned Peas

3. Canned Corn

4. Canned Green Beans

5. Canned Fruit Cocktail

6. Canned Peaches

7. Canned Pineapple

8. SPAM

9. Canned Chicken

10. Canned Tuna

11. Canned Meat

12. Beef Stew

13. Fruit Juice

14. Vegetable Juice

15. Milk (powdered, evaporated, and shelf stable)

16. Vegetable Soup

17. Cream of Chicken/Cream of Mushroom Soup

18. Chili

19. Oil (vegetable, olive)

20. Canned or Bagged Beans

21. Rice

22. Cereal

23. Mac and Cheese

24. Dried Fruit

25. Snacks (pudding, granola bars, energy/protein bars)

Food Bank Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

2nd Wednesday of the month open 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Clients may visit the Kent Food Bank once per month (either at our downtown location or at the Springwood Annex) for food and government commodities.  Bread and perishables are available on a weekly basis.

City of Kent Police Department reported crime stats for the week of February 2 – 8, 2010.  Included in the stats are vehicle prowls, vehicle thefts, residential burglaries and commercial burglaries.

The report also includes crime prevention tips. In this week’s stats, readers are reminded how to identify a suspect:

“A key element to crime prevention is identifying a suspect. Here are some items the police department would utilize if you are witness to criminal activity: Male/Female, Height, Weight, Distinguishing features, Eye color, Skin color, Clothing, Birth marks, Accent in voice, Direction of individual, and any other details you can remember.”

After a major disaster, some emergency services may not be available. To help the city respond as needed, Kent is offering CERT – Community Emergency Response Training – training. This eight-week program offers instruction on preparing for a disaster and useful skills like first aid, triage, fire safety, search and rescue and more.

Starting March 11, classes will be offered on Thursdays from 1 – 4:30 pm and 6 – 9:30 pm. To find out more or to register, call Kent Emergency Management at 253-856-4440. Space is limited so reserve your spot today!

For more information on the City of Kent’s handling of emergency management, visit the city’s online resource here.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, Kent, Washington–Today Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke gave her annual State of the City Address at the February Kent Chamber membership luncheon. With a packed room at the ShoWare Center, Mayor Cooke revisited 2009.

“This past year was challenging, not just for this city, but for all governments, large and small,” Mayor Cooke said. “Kent, like all cities, worked under a tightening budget.”

She is, however, optimistic about three things:  1) that 2009 is over; 2) the economy appears to be recovering; and 3) flood season is ending. She recounted a number of the city‘s 2009 highs and lows, including:

1)  The popularity of ShoWare Center which brought 350,000 guests through its doors in 2009, including 60,000 guests who saw Disney on Ice at the new sports arena

2)  The implementation of the new CodeRED system which allows the city to make 60,000 emergency contacts per hour via phone, email and text message

3)  The four labor unions taking voluntary pay cuts to avoid staff reductions and to help the city save more than $1 million in 2009 spending

4)  2.8%, or $2.2 million, drop in revenue

5)  8.1%, or $1.5 million, drop in sales tax revenue

6)  Elimination of 56 positions within the city, about half of which resulted in layoffs. Other vacant positions were not filled.

7)  Expansion of Kent Station with the GRCC expansion

8)  1,677 Kent Parks volunteers

9)  4,000 volunteer hours spent removing graffiti

10)  Annexing Panther Lake to occur July 1, 2010, making Kent the sixth largest city in the state

In addition to these items, Mayor Cooke reviewed the 2010 budget, stating that public safety remains the city’s #1 priority. The 2010 budget is 5.6% less than the 2009 budget and it includes $1 million to be set aside for emergencies like potential flooding.

“Things are looking a lot better economically,” she added.

A topic of major concern was, of course, the flood risk of the Howard Hanson Dam. Once predicted at a 1 in 4 chance of flooding, the flood risk has dropped to 1 in 33. While this is a positive step, Mayor Cooke said, a permanent fix is not available for three to five years.

“Any kind of delay is simply unacceptable,” she added. “Until that dam is fixed, it is going to haunt us.”

To help control potential flooding, the city raised levies by three feet, successfully completing the task before the beginning of flood season last fall. In addition, Mayor Cooke thanked the community, business leaders and service groups for helping to spread the word about potential flood risks as well as helping one another fill sand bags and helping seniors and the disabled prepare for a flood.

Mayor Cooke singled out a number of city staff and community and business leaders for their support of the Kent community. She thanked them for their tireless service and for making Kent the great place that it is. One person instrumental in the city’s survival of a difficult year was Chief Administrative Officer John Hodgsen.

“John Hodgsen is an outstanding leader and worker in the city,” Mayor Cooke said.

The overall mood of the meeting was positive and Mayor Cooke left the audience with some new things to watch for:  a redesigned website, taking the inbox newsletter to an email format, and the second annual International Festival, set for June 26, and the Kent Refugee and Immigrant Forum.

“It’s 2010 and I’m smiling,” Mayor Cooke said.

The event was presented by the Kent Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by Allied Waste and co-sponsored by Kent Downtown Partnership. The program was taped to be shown on Kent TV21 at a later date.

January 9, 2010

KPD Update

I haven’t done a column in a while; since before Officer Brenton was murdered in Seattle, which of course was followed by the murder of four Lakewood officers and then the death of Deputy Mundell in Pierce County.  I have avoided writing anything about the events of the last two months because I don’t have anything profound or illuminating to say, and anything less would be trite.  To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, any attempt to say something intelligent is “far above our poor power to add or detract.”  Now that we have entered the new (and hopefully quieter) year, I won’t attempt to be profound but I will share a few related comments and reflections.

In 24 years in law enforcement I have never seen anything quite like this.  Officer deaths occur, but are infrequent.  Not only the frequency and scope, but the acts themselves are overwhelming.  The attacks were not just on the officers, or the department, or the profession, but on the community.  The cold-blooded murder of Officers Brenton, Richards, Griswold, Owens, and Renninger was an attack on civilized society, and it crossed a line.  The astounding outpouring of emotion and support that followed, up to and including the response to the death of Deputy Mundell was in part because of that attack on society itself.  It is jarring and upsetting and shakes our collective beliefs.

In the past two months, we have seen public reaction which has occasionally included calls for some sort of action to “solve” this problem.  Some of these ideas are worth exploring and discussing, but we really should not attach them to the loss of these officers.  Banning guns, having more guns, reducing or increasing mental health treatment, making more laws – none of these, by themselves, will solve the problem.  In our society, the interplay between personal rights and public safety is just too complex, and there are no simple answers.

Here in Kent, we received countless cards and flowers at the department, and almost every officer has a story about someone here in Kent approaching them in a store or on a call, saying how much they appreciate their department and feel the loss of the officers.  We are all deeply appreciative of the support of those we serve.

After the past two months and attending too many funerals, I can offer only three observations that, I hope, will help us find some context.

First, one of our Kent Sergeants, right after the Lakewood shootings, was meeting with his group of officers and of course, lengthy discussion of the incident and our opinions followed.  This Sergeant is a top-notch police instructor, SWAT officer, and expert in officer safety.  Rather than focus only on caution and staying safe, he ended his briefing by assigning the officers a very specific mission:  pair up, go to a coffee shop, and talk to our residents.  They want to talk to us as much as we need to talk with them.  It’s easy for us to underestimate just how many truly good people there are all around us, but these tragic events brought that all out and made it abundantly clear.

Second, another observation was that the funerals for each of these officers, while formal and ceremonial and respectful, focused not on their heroism and their sacrifice, but rather on their humanity.  Each funeral highlighted their families and funny stories about their jobs.  There was no deification of anyone, only highlights of real people who had real experiences and faults.  They were human beings who loved their jobs and did the best they could.  Police officers are not good at drawing attention to themselves, and the basic humanity of each officer was what I really understood.

One of the most salient observations for me was that in every instance, the families of these fallen officers did not engage in any kind of blame, anger, or hostility.  It would be understandable if all of us wanted to focus on those who committed these acts, but the fact is, they weren’t even part of the discussion at the memorials.  Each funeral was about celebrating good people who lived worthwhile lives.  There was no recrimination or self-pity.  The funerals and memorials were not sad at all; they were recognition of people who lost their lives too soon, doing what they loved.

Finally, I came away thinking about the strong message that came from the children of Officer Greg Richards, who started his career right here at the Kent Police Department.  Their message was simple.  Greg was a good dad, and the best way to honor him, and each of the officers who gave their lives, is be a better mom or dad.  Be a better sister or brother, a better son or daughter.  Be a better friend.

Have a great week!
-Steve

Valley Medical Center will host a special ribbon-cutting ceremony of its new Emergency Services South Tower on Mon., Jan. 11. Refreshments will be served at 7:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 7:45 a.m. Free valet parking.

In addition, the public is invited to attend an open house on Sat., Jan. 16 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to unveil the new center. The open house will include tours, free health screenings, wellness talks, and fun, family-friendly activities.

According to Valley Medical’s website, the new Emergency Services South Tower will provide patients with the following features:

• State-of-the-art medical technologies
• Instantaneous information exchange
• Comfortable healing environment
• 100% private emergency care suites
• Faster ambulance and helicopter access
• Award-winning expert clinicians

For more info., read Valley Medical’s open house brochure.

If you hear of any Senior Citizen that is struggling and needs temporary or permanent housing or low level Health Care during the winter and primarily very cold months, please let me know or give them Stafford Suites phone number. We can help short term or can assist with a long term placement. I also have a contact that can assist a Homeless Senior with housing needs.

Dave Foltz, Executive Director
Stafford Suites – Kent
253-850-0333