City of Lacey update

Members of the Lacey City Council received an update on various city activities during the regular council meeting on Thursday.

Some 2400 people have received a ticket for running the red light at Sleater Kinney and Pacific Avenue during the last six months of 2008.  At a cost of $124 per ticket – – you add it up.  It costs the city about $10,000 a  month to operate the camera.

During all of 2007, Lacey police issued only 104 tickets for red light running.

The new city hall addition will be ready for city staff to move in by March 6.   It’s anticipated that the public will be allowed to see the new addition on March 7-8.   The third floor of the new addition will be finished but will not be occupied until the need arises.

Other work will be done in the older section of city hall causing some disruption of activity.

The Regional Athletic Complex sometimes known as the RAC will be substantially completed by next month.  The all weather soccer field is currently in use but the turf soccer fields won’t be ready to use until September. The baseball fields will be ready for use in May.

City Manager Greg Cuoio told the council that the city and Thurston County were still partners in the operation and that they were looking at ways to allow the county to meet its obligations despite the county’s poor economic condition.

A new cable franchise is close to being ready for review, according to Assistant City Manger Scott Spence.   The three cities hired a consultant to negotiate with Comcast over the new franchise agreement.

Spence said the cities didn’t have much bargaining room because of federal law, but they were able to keep TCTV in its current facilities and were also able to get a fourth local cable channel.

The entire agreement will be available for community review on February 12 with the council taking action on February 26.

A new web page for the City of Lacey is currently being developed.  It will be more user friendly according to Spence.  People will be able to register for park activities on line and will also be able to pay utility bills on line.

Cost of developing the new web page is around $78,0o0.

In other action city staff reported that a survey, sent to residents of the Homann/Alanna neighborhood indicated absolutely no interest whatsoever in getting off septic systems and hooking up to city sewers.