Weekly Report – April 26th, 2024

City Council holds its Annual Goal Setting Retreat

On Saturday, April 20th, the Normandy Park City Council held its Annual Retreat. This event allows the City Council to come together and discuss what goals the City should focus on in the upcoming year. The City Council discussed a lot of great ideas, but here is a listing of the highest-ranked priorities: 

• Financial Sustainability. The City Council understands the importance of providing an outstanding level of service to residents. And we want to be sure that we can continue meeting the needs of the public both now and in the future. The City Council Finance Committee will be reviewing the City’s revenues, expenditures, and reserves to ensure that we are good stewards of the public’s money.
• Economic Development. This goal is very connected to our financial stability. We want an aspirational and realistic plan to support the City’s health. The City’s Economic Development Committee will develop a plan that will maximize our opportunities and strongly support our existing businesses.
• Hopefully, you have participated in some of the public input opportunities related to our Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. The plan is our guide on park improvements, so it is an important document. The City Council will consider the plan in May, and if approved, the Council wants to focus on implementing it. 
• Improve Communication. The City Council wants to continue to find ways to educate, inform, and communicate with the public. A new opportunity that we are pursuing is hosting quarterly Town Hall meetings. These meetings will include various areas of interest and will allow time for some two-way communication between residents and the City Council.
• Improve Cell Service. The City regularly hears from residents that they would like cell service improved in Normandy Park. The City will pursue a few different paths on this topic, focusing on more equipment and infrastructure in town that will improve service.

There is still much work to be done on these topics, so stay tuned. If you have any suggestions or thoughts, please let me know!

Volunteer to Restore Miller Walker Watershed

We are grateful to the many volunteers working hard to restore habitat in the Miller Walker watershed. Volunteer within your community, learn about ecological restoration, and get outside by joining us at Walker Preserve on Saturday, May 4^th to remove English ivy, restore native plant species, and support healthy streams for salmon. For more details and to sign up, visit https://kingcounty.gov/miller-walker. 

Be a Part of the Citizen Budget Advisory Group

Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions:

• What are the City of Normandy Park’s most significant expenditures?
• What services does the city provide?
• How is the budget balanced?
• Which capital projects are being considered? 

Wonder no more!  Come and join a subcommittee called the Citizen Budget Advisory Group, made up of Normandy Park community members and residents like yourself, to provide input on the development of the City’s 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budget. Your input will help assemble the proposed balanced budget for the City Council’s review and approval.  Meetings will take place at City Hall during the summer. Please email me if interested.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at aarrington@normandyparkwa.gov. Have a great week!

“Come and join a subcommittee called the Citizen Budget Advisory Group, made up of Normandy Park community members and residents like yourself, to provide input on the development of the City’s 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budget…”