Message from the Mayor
February, 2010
2010: A new year of changes and challenges
The year 2009 went out with a flurry
of activity, and the new year of 2010
shows every indication of being just as
busy.
Thus far the weather has cooperated
and, as of this writing, the current El
Nino year is providing us with a record
warm January. I am in hopes the
warmer, drier weather pattern continues
to ease the threat of potential
flooding as a result of conditions at the
Howard Hanson Dam.
Since the last Hazelnut, the word
‘change’ has been the order of the day
throughout the City in the area of staffing.
Our City Administrator Rhonda
Berry, who had been with Tukwila for
19 years, was selected to join the new
administration of Dow Constantine,
King County Executive, in the position
of Assistant Deputy County Executive.
We are all happy to welcome Steve
Lancaster back to Tukwila as our new
City Administrator effective January
19. Steve worked for Tukwila for 12
years before taking a position with the
City of Mercer Island over the last 2˝
years.
On January 15, Tukwila Parks and Recreation
Director Bruce Fletcher left
for a position – ironically – with the
City of Mercer Island.
We wish Bruce and Rhonda the very
best and thank them for their years of
service and many accomplishments
while serving Tukwila and its citizens.
The positive side: The City completed
the annexation of 259 acres of land
(a portion of the 512-acre “Tukwila
South” project) that officially became a
part of Tukwila at midnight on December
31, 2009. The City plans to start
construction by May on a new five-lane
road from South 180th Street to South
200th Street. This important transportation
and economic development project
will be funded by a combination
of federal, state, local and developer
contributions. Site work to prepare
the adjacent private property for future
development will be undertaken by
Segale Properties at the same time as
road construction moves forward.
The negative side: The City is still experiencing
effects from the economic
downturn, and sales tax revenues
have not returned anywhere close to
our budgeted levels. We are working
on many internal cost control issues
and completely rethinking the way we
do business as compared to the better
economic times of the past. I feel confident
we will weather this economic
storm and we still have considerable
interest from new businesses expressing
a desire to locate in Tukwila.
In closing, I think we may have good
news to report in the near future on
a city-wide community newspaper, but
I will wait until the details have been
finalized for that announcement. We
have wanted another media to communicate
with all our residents and
businesses on a regular basis, and a
community newspaper would satisfy
that need.
Respectfully,
Mayor Jim Haggerton
