MONROE THIS WEEK

May 27, 2022 • Volume 8/Edition 21

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Thank you for reading Monroe This Week.


This week’s edition includes details on the reroute of trash services for some Monroe residents, the local recognition of LGBTQ+ PRIDE Month, the lineup for this summer's Music in the Park series, the local recognition of Building Safety Month, an ARP funds success story, and a summary of the May 10 City Council meeting. 


Please contact me with any and all feedback regarding the articles below. I can be reached at GThomas@MonroeWA.gov.


Yours in Service,

Mayor Geoffrey Thomas 

TRASH COLLECTION DAY TO CHANGE FOR SOME

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This week Republic Services began placing temporary stickers on some garbage carts in Monroe. These stickers will be utilized as Republic implements a reroute of services in our community. Some, but not all, Monroe residents will be changing collection days or collection weeks. If you receive a sticker, it will include your new collection details. If you do not receive a sticker, your collection day is not changing. For more information, Republic Services has a website dedicated to Monroe.

CITY RECOGNIZES LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH

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June is LGBTQ+ PRIDE Month. It's a time to celebrate people within our LGBTQ+ community, and to recognize how people within our LGBTQ+ community have enhanced our lives, our country, and our broader communities in so many ways. It's also a time for each of us to reflect upon the difficulties faced by people within our LGBTQ+ community. Out of sincere love for our neighbors, I ask that we authentically listen to one another, learn from one another, and make changes to realize safety, liberty, equal opportunity, and justice for all people, including people within our LGBTQ+ community. Earlier this week, I issued a Proclamation recognizing LGBTQ+ PRIDE Month, which I invite you to read in full.


Monroe’s second annual PRIDE event returns June 12 from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Sky River Park, hosted by the Monroe Equity Council. Enjoy entertainment, food, vendors, speakers, and more. Last year over 700 people came together to celebrate and honor the LGBTQ+ community. Save the date, and come together in the celebration of who you are.

SUMMER MUSIC IN THE PARK LINEUP ANNOUNCED

The Monroe Chamber of Commerce has announced the lineup for this year's Music in the Park series. Taking place on four Fridays in July, Music in the Park will feature a musical act and an on-site food truck each week at Lake Tye Park. The full 2021 lineup is:


Artist:

  • July 1: Laurel Canyon Legacy (electric folk)
  • July 8: Harvey Creek Band (country)
  • July 22: The Soul Searching Band (soul)
  • July 29: Hairnation (rock)


Food Truck/Beverages:

  • Anthony's Finn and Los Tamaahlas / Dreadnought Brewing
  • Anthony's Finn and Buddy Burger / Bugu Brewing
  • Anthony's Finn and Cheese Pit / Crooked Label Brewing
  • Black Sea and Smokin' Dough / Good Brewing


The beer garden and food trucks will open each week at 6:30 p.m., and the music starts at 7:00 p.m. 

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MAY IS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH - CITY RECOGNIZES IMPORTANCE OF SAFE BUILDINGS

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As I've mentioned in recent editions of Monroe This Week, the theme of Building Safety Month 2022 is “Safety for All: Building Codes in Action”. The International Code Council (ICC) has designated each week of May as a different building safety theme to help raise awareness. This week's theme is Water Safety. Clean water is the world’s most precious commodity. Over 785 million people lacked even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water. 


Building, plumbing and green codes help guard our potable water for future generations through proper construction, conservation and safe disposal. Code officials are vigilant protectors of our water supply. Because of their dedicated service, you can turn on the tap in your home and draw sufficient, clean water. It is important to understand where your water comes from and what's being done (and how you can help!) to protect the water you use everyday. 


Here are some tips you can follow to help keep our water safe:

  • Don't dump hazardous waste on the ground. It can contaminate the soil, which could also contaminate the groundwater or nearby surface water.
  • Don't overuse pesticides or fertilizers. Many fertilizers and pesticides contain hazardous chemicals which can travel through the soil and contaminate groundwater.
  • Never flush non-degradable products down the toilet. Your toilet is not a trash can.
  • Scooping up pet waste keeps bacteria from running into storm drains and water supplies.


I recently issued a Proclamation recognizing the month of May as Building Safety Month. I encourage you to read the full text of the Proclamation and check out the ICC's resources for the week here.

ARP FUNDS WILL SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

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Last week, Take the Next Step (TTNS) had an awesome turnout for their informational night on the upcoming series of classes they will be providing to help local Spanish-speakers start their own small businesses. These classes are led by TTNS's partner Ventures, a Seattle-based nonprofit, which specializes in precisely this! Attendees of the classes will learn the ins and outs of turning their idea or skill into a real business. After completing the program, graduates will have the opportunity to apply for start up capital. 


The City is excited for this program and our residents to have the opportunity to recover from the negative effects of the pandemic by finding new ways to support their families. Funds for this project were provided through our American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) program.

MAY 24 CITY COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY

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The City Council met in a Regular Business Meeting on Tuesday, May 24. The following items were discussed and acted upon during the meeting:


Consent Agenda – Items considered routine and approved by one vote:

  • City Council Meeting Minutes for May 10, 2022
  • Accounts Payable/ACH payments through May 18, 2022
  • Ordinance 016/2022, amending Chapter 3.54.130 of the Monroe Municipal Code (MMC), Transportation Impact Fees
  • Authorize myself or the Mayor Pro Tem to sign a Small Government Term Enterprise License Agreement with Esri for GIS Software 
  • Addendum No. 1 to the professional services agreement with EnviroIssues, Inc. for Imagine Monroe Community Engagement 


New Business – reviewed, discussed and approved the following new items:

  • My appointment of Gina Pfister to the Salary Commission Position 5, a vacant seat with a term ending 12/31/2024 
  • Ordinance 015/2022 amending Chapter 2.04 MMC, Council Meetings 
  • Ordinance 017/2022 amending Chapter 4.10 MMC (Boards, Commissions, and Committees), General Provisions
  • First reading Ordinance No. 013/2022, amending Chapter 12.36 MMC, Public Right-of-Way Disturbance and Restoration, which would authorize the Hearing Examiner to consider and issue final decisions on requests for variances from the City’s Public Right-of-Way regulations 


Mayor/Administrative Reports:

  • City Administrator Deborah Knight reported:
  • The Association of Washington Cities Annual Conference is June 21 – June 24.
  • County Councilmember Sam Low is hosting a District 5 Roadshow on June 9 to identify priorities for County use of APR funds.
  • The gateway signs have arrived and are being installed.
  • Asked Council if they wanted to affix their digital signatures to a letter to Community Transit regarding their 2024 Network Design; Councilmembers expressed support for the letter and the use of their digital signatures.
  • I issued a proclamation for Memorial Day.
  • Gave kudos to the Public Works crew for their work and fast responses during the wind storm last week.


Staff Reports:

  • Police
  • Finance
  • Community Development
UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

THE JUNE 7, 2022 CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION MEETING IS CANCELLED. The City Council will next meet in a Regular Business Meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format; members of the public may participate in Monroe City Council meetings both in-person at City Hall and remotely via the Zoom remote meeting platform. Participation information will be posted with the June 14 agenda, which can be accessed by clicking the button below.

Council Agendas/Minutes

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Councilmember
Kevin Hanford
Councilmember
Ed Davis
Councilmember
Jason Gamble
Councilmember
Kirk Scarboro
Councilmember
Heather Fulcher
Councilmember
Tami Kinney
Councilmember
Kyle Fisher
Have a question for your Councilmembers?
Contact them at Councilmembers@MonroeWA.gov 
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