Mayor Jim Ferrell kicked off the Federal Way City Council meeting Oct. 3 with with his award of the Key to the City to local salon owner Kristin Speakman for her recent free haircut event. Both the mayor and Speakman used their time to encourage others to go for big ideas and see what can come of them.
Speakman shared a Maya Angelou quote that she said she also shared with her volunteers before they began their haircuts: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Over 30 of the volunteers from that day were present and filled half the room at the council meeting. They were each given a certificate and had the chance to shake hands with the mayor and get a photo.
Steel Lake report
A representative of the contractor that assesses Steel Lake shared an overview of their findings from June tests in response to an ongoing citizen concern and conversation about the lake’s health.
Kevin Du, Surface Water Quality Program supervisor, shared that there are two main invasive species, the yellow flag iris and the white water lilly. The yellow flag iris can cause livestock illness in animals and skin irritation in humans. White water lilies are native to the East Coast of the U.S., but not here. They are considered a concern because of their potential for entanglement and their contribution to increased mosquito population when they breed in the water that pools in their leaves.
All of the toxin and lake health indicators were within reasonable and safe ranges when they tested, according to Du. Algae blooms have been an issue spoken about by multiple residents recently, and Du explained that these blooms are caused by increasingly warm water as well as runoff from fertilizers that add excessive phosphorous to the lake.
Several public commentors shared their experiences and opinions about the lake, with many commenting on the benefits to the lake’s ecosystem that they see of the white water lily, which is classified as an invasive species. Other advocated for finding natural ways to improve the ecosystem of the lake in general and don’t want to treat it with chemicals.
Residents shared conflicting views on the overall health of the lake, with some calling it a “cesspool” and a “slime pit” while another stated that the lake is “really in great health.”
The mayor pledged to continue to follow up and do whatever it takes to make sure the lake is well taken care of and in a healthy state for Federal Way residents to enjoy.
Collaboration with Day Center continues
City staff met with Catholic Community Services staff on the Sept. 24 to discuss ongoing issues at the Day Center.
One suggestion from the city is that if the Day Center provides them with a trespass letter, Federal Way police would be able to tell anyone on the property there after operating hours to move along. Chief Andy Hwang stated that when he met with representatives from the Day Center, they said their own policy prohibits overnight camping, but that they are not able to enforce the rule and are not prepared to have police enforce it either.
When discussing people who stay on the property either occasionally or consistently overnight, Deputy Mayor Susan Honda brought up a woman who has been a consistent topic of discussion recently. The woman is staying on the property, and Honda said that if everyone is to be trespassed, it brings up the question “if other campers are removed, can one stay?”
More highlights
• The Council shared fond memories and a moment of silence to honor Federal Way resident Bob Kellogg Sr., who died recently. “Bob worked really hard to improve our community, Federal Way, for all children and all families. He was also a very proud veteran. He worked for years on creating a Veterans Memorial in Federal Way,” Deputy Mayor Susan Honda said.
• The Mayor’s Day of Concern is coming up on Oct. 7, and everyone is invited to bring food donations to the Fred Meyer between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit the Multi-Service Center. Waste Management has also partnered to support the food drive by collecting food from residents’ front porches. Through this pickup, two tons of food have already been donated, totaling 4,386 pounds as of the council meeting.
• The council shared a proclamation for National Hispanic Heritage Month and presented it to Associate Director of El Centro De La Raza Miguel Maestas via zoom. Maestas shared several updates about upcoming projects from the organization and thanked the city council for standing in solidarity with the Latino community, and said it is in alignment with El Centro’s goals of equity, justice and a dignified life for all people.
• Council members shared an update about a free financial literacy class, sharing that at least 15 people have been attending on average every meeting. Two families have been using the free child care, which has allowed them to participate, and they’ve had nine volunteers to help support the class. Overall, it is a third under budget so far and may be considered for another session after this series completes.
