Mayor’s Corner - It’s a Busy Year Ahead

I would like to begin this article by again thanking the volunteer members of all of the City’s advisory bodies for their hard work and dedication to the Lake Forest Park community.

One of the boards that will be especially busy in the coming year is the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The Board will be working on the public outreach process for the planning and design of the City’s new park located on the north shore of Lake Washington.

The City’s newest advisory body is the Climate Committee. At its meeting on February 24, the City Council will consider approving a resolution creating the new Climate Committee, first tasked with drafting a 2022 Climate Committee Work Plan for recommendation to the City Council and Administration. At the meeting on February 24, the City Council will also consider appointments to the Climate Committee.

I am still considering venue options for a future Coffee with the Mayor event. If you haven’t already done so and are interested in a future coffee event, please email the Deputy City Clerk to let us know your level of interest and thoughts you may have on a location.

I’m excited to note that, the next time I write, it will be spring, and we will be observing Daylight Saving Time!

--Mayor Johnson

Council Corner – Communicating with Your Council

I hope that this newsletter finds all of you safe and staying healthy during these difficult times. I thought it timely to provide a brief overview of the variety of methods that you, the citizens of our community, can utilize to effectively communicate with your City Council. 

Direct Email: The City Council pages on the city website have each Council Member’s individual email listed as well as an option to email the Council collectively. This is a very effective and efficient means of reaching out to your policy makers. 

Sign up for city emails and newsflashes:  This is a great way to remain informed. The City website has a signup area for citizens to subscribe to all city emails and newsflashes or just to the topics that interest them. 

Public comment: Comment is always welcome at city meetings. Our rules allow each speaker 3 minutes to make their comments.

A couple of very important things to keep in mind when making public comment: 

First, our rules do not allow us to respond directly to questions or inquiries at the time of public comment. This is to protect everyone from getting into an unproductive “back and forth” dialogue. 

However, in the case of a specific issue or concern, staff will make a note of the topic and may ask for additional contact information for a follow up.

Second, please keep it civil and respectful. We all are neighbors who care about each other but occasionally may have a difference of opinion. Our Council prides itself on sometimes disagreeing with each other and members of the community but doing so with respect and civility. Please be kind to your neighbors!

Opportunities for public comment include:

• Regular City Council Meetings (second and fourth Thursdays of the month) early in the agenda
• Council Committee of the Whole Meetings (Monday before the fourth Thursday of the month) at the end of the agenda
• Budget and Finance Committee Meetings (third Thursday of the month) at the end of the agenda
• Public Hearings (held during regular Council Meetings or as necessary) during the hearing
• Town Halls/Open Houses (held as opportunity allows) during the meeting

Other meetings at which public comment is taken:

• Planning Commission Meetings (second Tuesday of the month) near the beginning and at the end of the agenda
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meetings (third Wednesday of the month) at the end of the agenda
• Tree Board Meetings (first Wednesday of the month) at the end of the agenda

Keeping informed with social media: The City utilizes several social media platforms to inform the public of what’s going on in the City. Keep in mind that this is for information only and Council Members and staff won’t directly respond to citizen posts or replies to posts by the City.

Other methods of communicating with your City Council: You may use regular mail and send in your comments or call us directly at 206-368-5440.

We represent all of you in the City and it is our privilege to hear what you have to say! Please reach out to us anytime.

--Deputy Mayor Tom French

Public City Meetings going Hybrid

In response to the pandemic, the City of Lake Forest Park suspended all in person public meetings in favor of an online format. The silver lining of this effort has been the acknowledgment that all future public meetings should be “hybrid” allowing for in-person and online attendance and participation. 

While public meetings have been and continue to be closed to in-person attendance, the Administration has engaged outside services to provide this hybrid opportunity when these meetings reopen to in-person attendance. It is anticipated that this format will be operational by late Spring 2022, allowing elected officials, staff, and the public to attend and participate in the meetings either in-person or remotely. This meeting format will greatly enhance access to government, one of the tenets of the Lake Forest Park Strategic Plan.

Early Registration for Summer Camp and Spring/Summer Programs begins in March

• Summer Camp Registration – March 17, 2022, 8:00 a.m.
• Spring/Summer Program Registration – March 24, 2022, 8:00 a.m.