LaceyLife March 2025

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We take pride in leveraging limited public resources to improve our community. This section highlights projects we’ve recently completed and other initiatives of community interest.

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Lacey Expands Efforts to Support Human Services

Over the past 1.5 years, the City has made major strides in addressing human services needs, ensuring a stronger and more supportive community for all! Here’s how we’re making a difference:
Funding Support: The City budgeted $300K in 2024 and 2025 for human services. In addition, we will begin a federal allocation of $300K this year. That means a $900K investment in human services over the 1.5-year period with local and federal dollars.
Dedicated Leadership: We hired a Human Services Coordinator to lead and oversee these vital efforts.
Secured Annual Federal Funding: Lacey is now a federally recognized Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement community. This means we’ll receive annual funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support local programs.
Community-Driven Planning: We established an ad hoc Human Services Workgroup to:

  • Review applications and recommend funding to the City Council for the 2024 Human Services Grant Program.
  • Suggest long-term funding priorities.
  • Advise on creating a permanent human services advisory board.

Your Voice Matters: We launched a community-wide survey to gather public input on human service needs in Lacey.

New Human Services Commission Created

On December 3, 2024, the City Council approved Ordinance 1667, establishing a Human Service Commission! This new commission will build on the incredible progress already made, ensuring continued investment in programs that support our community’s well-being.

Get Involved

Advisory boards serve as one of the public’s first opportunities to get involved and help shape new City programs and policies. The City is currently accepting applications for two, full-term positions on the Human Services Commission that expire on December 31, 2027. To apply, you must live within the Lacey City Limits or its Urban Growth Area. To apply, visit CityofLacey.org/Apply.

Make a Difference in Lacey: Join an Advisory Board Today!

Lacey’s advisory boards are a great way to help shape the future of your city! They provide community members an opportunity to have a voice in developing new City programs and policies. Advisory board members are appointed by the City Council and help guide decisions on land use, social services, historical matters, diversity, equity, and inclusion measures, and more.
The City is currently accepting applications for:

  • Parks, Culture, and Recreation Board
  • Planning Commission
  • Library Board
  • Human Services Commission – new!
  • Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
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$50 Stipend Available (per meeting)

To support community participation, advisory board members are eligible for a $50 per meeting stipend (up to $500 per year) to help cover childcare costs, transportation to and from meetings, internet access for virtual meetings, and other direct financial impacts.

Apply Today!

To learn more and apply, visit CityofLacey.org/Boards-Commissions. Get involved, share your voice, and help shape Lacey’s future!

Save the Date!

Logo with the word "energize" in bold lowercase letters above the word "THURSTON" in spaced uppercase letters on a light background.
Educational Workshop about Electric Heat Pumps and Home Energy Savings
Tues., April 22 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Lacey Timberland Library

The City is partnering with Thurston County and the cities of Tumwater, Olympia, and Tenino to launch Energize Thurston: a heat pump group purchase campaign that offers discounted and streamlined installations of heat pump heating/cooling and water heating systems. A limited number of subsidized installations will be available to income-qualified households. To learn more and sign up for this workshop, visit EnergizeThurston.org.

Parksploration: Regional Athletic Complex (RAC)

Lacey’s park system is one of the best municipal park systems in Washington with over 1,200 acres of park land and open space, miles of paved, ADA-accessible trails, several community buildings, and the Regional Athletic Complex (RAC).

The RAC is considered one of the premier outdoor sporting venues in the state. It features 5 softball/baseball/fastpitch fields; 6 regulation-size, multi-purpose fields; basketball courts; playgrounds; 2 miles of natural-surface trails and paved, ADA-compliant paths; outdoor event facilities; and picnic tables! In addition, the City recently added 6 DC FAST electric vehicle charging stations.

Throughout the year, the RAC hosts many sports games and tournaments, community and private events, and over 1.2 million users who enjoy the park’s many active-recreation features and spectacular view of Mt. Rainier.

Recently, an 8-panel covered kiosk was added at the RAC featuring local history. You can check it out near the main playground by the soccer fields. This project was a collaboration between the Lacey Historical Commission and the Thurston County Historic Commission.

If you haven’t already, now’s the perfect time to visit the RAC!

Six children in baseball uniforms climb and play on a metal jungle gym in a park with green grass and trees in the background.
City of Lacey RAC on, June 18, 2022.
Five people play basketball on an outdoor court near a park with tents, booths, and other people in the background, suggesting a community event or festival.
City of Lacey RAC on, June 18, 2022.
A sports field with a scoreboard, a playground, and people walking, with a snow-capped mountain in the background under a clear sky.

Parks, Culture & Recreation Spring Registration Opens March 5 | 9 a.m.

Lacey Parks Playbook cover with photos of kids sports, group hiking, and swim lessons. Text: Spring Registration begins Wednesday, March 5 at 9 am. LaceyParks.org/Register.

All the awesome Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation activities, programs, and events you know and love are now offered exclusively online! You can review all the spring offerings in the PLAYBook by visiting the webpage. Then, mark your calendar for March 5 and register for all your favorites!

To learn more and register, visit the Lacey Parks Registration webpage.

View the March LaceyLife in PDF format.

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