LaceyLife – December 2023
2024 Lacey City Council Updates: New Day, New Channel (Coming Soon), And More!
Pending Council approval at their December 7 meeting, the new year will bring some updates to Lacey City Council meetings. The proposed changes will save time and increase access for community members.
Council Meetings Moving to Tuesdays
Starting January 2024, City Council meetings (Regular and Worksessions) will move to Tuesdays. The time (6 p.m.) and location (Council Chambers) will not change.
- Regular meetings will take place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. The first Regular meeting in 2024 is scheduled for January 2.
- Worksession meetings will take place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. The first Worksession meeting in 2024 is schedule for January 9.
Council Committee Meetings Discontinued
In 2024, the City Council will not have Council Committee meetings (formerly Utilities, Land Use and Environment, Transportation, Government Affairs, etc.). A study of Committees found:
- Most items shared during Committee meetings were repeated in a future Council meeting.
- Nearly all (91.6%) of Lacey’s peer jurisdictions with the same form of government did not have Council Committee meetings.
- Meetings were held in the morning or mid-day, potentially creating barriers for community members to attend.
In 2024, work that previously took place during Committee meetings will now happen during Regular or Worksession meetings.
New Cable Broadcast Channel Coming Soon!
As of December 31, the City will no longer broadcast public meetings on cable channel 3. However, the City is in the process of creating a new government meeting channel, available on Comcast, in its place. Once it’s up and running, the community will have another way to watch public meetings and other City events and programs. Watch for more information as it becomes available.
More Ways to Watch Public Meetings — New Apps on the Way!
To further increase accessibility, the City plans to launch new apps in January, available on Amazon Fire Stick and Roku. The apps will offer the same features as our YouTube channel and website — watching public meetings, live or on demand. As a reminder, all Council Meetings are also streamed live on Facebook.
Get More Details
To learn more, visit our website.
Make Your Season Shiny And Bright!
Kick off the holiday season in a very special way! Join us Monday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m. for our Lighted Parade, sponsored by Interstate Batteries. You’ll see a variety of vehicles lit up with festive lights, including Lacey Fire District 3’s Santa Mobile — featuring Santa himself! Following the parade, join us for the annual lighting of Huntamer Park and trees — a dazzling sight you don’t want to miss!
The excitement doesn’t stop there! Throughout December, visit Huntamer Park to enjoy the spectacular lights, listen to holiday music, and hear Santa tell a story! Look for Instructions posted at the park.
For details, including parade map and best viewing areas, visit the event webpage.
Share Your Voice With The Lacey Museum: Introducing Stories of the South Sound
Stories of the South Sound captures oral histories centering the experiences of community members from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.
We’re looking for people from the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other communities who would like to share their connection to the South Sound and what it means to them.
Photo courtesy of Lacey Museum and Cultural Center, Japanese Workers at Union Mills.
If you, or someone you know, are interested, visit the Oral History Project webpage or stop by the Lacey Museum (829 Lacey St. SE) on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to learn more.
The oral history project starts in the spring of 2024, so sign up now!
Need Help With Your City Utility Bills? Programs Available For Low-Income Families & Individuals
The City offers support programs for utility assistance. If you need help with your City utility bills (water, sewer, and stormwater), here are some programs you may qualify for.
Lacey Utility Discount Program (LUDP)
The City offers a 50% discount on residential City utility services (water, sewer, and stormwater) for customers who qualify as:
- Low-income AND disabled
or - Low-income AND over 62 years old
Once qualified, the discounted rate will apply to the next billing cycle.
To maintain the discount, customers must re-apply every two (2) years.
To learn more about the LUDP, visit our Utility Billing webpage.
The following programs are handled through the Community Action Council.
Lacey Utility Assistance Fund (LUAP)
The LUAP is a donation-supported fund that helps low-income families and individuals with their City water bills. Individuals and families who qualify can get up to $75, twice a year, if the program has funds available. (Note: As of printing this, funding is still available.)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
This federally funded program assists residents with their home energy bills.
To get more details about LUAP and LIHEAP, and other funds that may be available, visit the Community Action Council website. You can also reach them at (360) 438-1100 (select ENERGY, option 5). Please note: Appointments are limited.
Planning Commission News
Join the Planning Commission
The City is recruiting for three Planning Commission vacancies:
- Two for residents who live within the City of Lacey.
- One for a resident who lives in the Lacey Urban Growth Area. The nine-member Planning Commission develops recommendations to the City Council related to long-range comprehensive planning goals and policies in Lacey.
Click here to apply.
2024 Meeting Day Change
Pending Council approval of Council meeting date changes on December 7, the Planning Commission will meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, beginning in January 2024.
The Planning Commission’s first meeting in 2024 will be held on Wednesday, January 10 at 6 p.m.
Learn more on the Planning Commission webpage.
It’s The Perfect Time To Trim Your Trees
Did you know fall and winter is the perfect time of year to prune your trees? If you are the property owner, you must maintain the trees on your property, including the ones along the strip between the sidewalk and road, to ensure the safety of people and traffic. This includes trimming limbs that hang over a sidewalk to a minimum of 10 feet clearance and over the street to a minimum of 14 feet.
As a reminder, with storms and trees losing their leaves, please do not blow leaves into the street. This helps prevent local flooding by keeping storm drains clear of leaves and debris.
You can learn more about tree standards in the Lacey Municipal Code, Chapter 12.20 by. You can also get information about tree protection and removal on our website.
Thank you for helping keep the City of Lacey beautiful and a Tree City USA for over 30 years!
View the December LaceyLife in pdf format.
