During his campaign for the mayoral seat in 2013, Jim Ferrell vowed to turn Federal Way around.

“We’re going to shine it up like a new penny,” he told the Mirror.

After his first year in office, Ferrell has already polished the city from a dull brown to bright copper. We have acquired a new downtown park, the historic five-acre Brooklake property that will be transformed into a new park and a Performing Arts and Conference Center and Town Center are on the horizon, among other changes.

This week, the city unveiled its very first economic development strategy outlining various initiatives that will make Federal Way sparkle like a designer dress down a red carpet. Even attracting Hollywood films and television to Federal Way is part of the city’s objective to bolster the economy and improve the quality of life in Federal Way, including both education and income levels.

But all of this change is not just up to the city.

As the mayor noted, the city’s new strategy —dubbed “Some Assembly Required” — captures the spirit that economic development is all of our responsibility, from elected officials to those who live, work and play here.

While the measures that citizens can take may not be as grandiose as those the city are taking, there are steps we can all take to make our community an overall better place.

As the city works to promote and enhance Federal Way’s image, and in the spirit of the new year and Ferrell’s campaign slogan, here are some things that you can do to shine Federal Way up like a new penny:

• Improve your neighborhood. Pick up trash — on the side of the road, on a sidewalk and anywhere else it appears. Park your boat or recreational vehicle alongside your house and not on the street. Fix your fence or help your neighbor fix theirs. Don’t fell trees unless you have to.

• Keep your house in good looking condition. Paint, pull weeds, mow and don’t park on the front lawn. Form a Homeowners Association for aging neighborhoods that are starting to require standards for upkeep.

• Pick up after your dog.

• Remove graffiti from your property as soon as it appears, especially along fence lines and out buildings.

• Plant flowers in an abandoned lot.

• Notify the city of foreclosed or distressed properties so they can notify the bank that there are standards of upkeep in the city. Complaints may be filed online at www.cityoffederalway.com or left on the city’s automated line at 253-835-2617.

• Volunteer your time for an organization or someone in need. Federal Way has many worthwhile organizations to become involved with, including the Multi-Service Center, Friends United to Shelter the Indigent, Oppressed and Needy (FUSION) and Reachout, to name a few. Visit justserve.org to find service projects nearest to you.

• Stay safe. Join a Safe City Federal Way social network group in your neighborhood. Members can see police post photos of suspects online and members can post descriptions of possible prowlers or burglars, while police respond to them. For more information, visit safecityfw.com.

• Let the Mirror know if there are papers piling up in neighborhoods. Our circulation team will clean these up and notify other newspapers if they are not ours. Call us at 253-925-5565.

Contact the Mirror’s Editorial Board at editorialboard@federalwaymirror.com