LaceyLife October 2024

2024-25 Lacey Youth Council Begins Work

The Lacey Youth Council (LYC) recently began its sixth cohort with a group of diverse, energetic students ready to get to work. The LYC serves as an advisory body to the Lacey City Council and provides local high school students an opportunity to share youth perspectives with local leaders, learn more about local government, work on community projects, and earn volunteer hours.

The 2024-25 LYC includes the following members, including three returning (noted by an *):

  • Zruy Ramirez-Plasencia* (Mayor), Senior, North Thurston
  • Sophia Allard* (Deputy Mayor), Senior, Timberline
  • Isabella Valerio (Clerk), Sophomore, River Ridge
  • Faith Kim (Historical Commission Rep.), Senior, Northwest Christian
  • Aryan Kumar (Parks, Culture, & Recreation Board Rep.), Junior, Timberline
  • Avani Kumar (Library Board Rep.), Junior, Timberline
  • Kieran Sills-Powell (Commission on Equity Rep.), Junior, Summit Virtual Academy
  • Elhadj Toure (Ad hoc Human Services Workgroup Rep. – new!), Senior, River Ridge
  • Joel Wipple (Social Media Coordinator – new!), Junior, North Thurston
  • Eliana Allin,* Senior, Pope John Paul II
  • Luka Froehlich, Sophomore, Home School
  • Sydney Lee, Sophomore, North Thurston
  • Lydia Neat, Sophomore, Northwest Christian
  • Lily Schneider, Senior, North Thurston
  • Dior Trinh, Junior, River Ridge

“We’re excited to have a full, 15-member Youth Council for the first time! We have students from all Lacey high schools, including virtual and home schools. They will be great advocates for the youth in their community,” said Sadie Siglin, LYC Staff Liaison.

To stay informed, follow the Lacey Youth Council Instagram.


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

Expanded Lacey MakerSpace: The Perfect Place to Make Your Ideas Come to Life!

Did you know we have an amazing asset right in our backyard that provides community members access to education, workforce training, and high-tech equipment? The Lacey MakerSpace has equipment for prototyping, metalworking, woodworking, textiles, and electronics. And, now it’s even better than ever!

Earlier this year, the MakerSpace completed a $1.4 million expansion, creating additional space for a digital lab for 3D printing, a metals room, a textiles lab/classroom, and lots of new equipment! Recently, the City received a Governor’s Smart Communities Award in the Smart Partnership category for the expansion project. This award recognizes a joint public project that implements a comprehensive plan.

The MakerSpace, located on the Saint Martin’s University campus, is the ideal place for small businesses, artists, and community groups to access the tools and education they need to grow.


Reminder! Join us for Children’s Day, Saturday, Oct. 5

Enjoy an afternoon of FREE family fun featuring a variety of activities, games, arts and crafts, and giveaways for kids of all ages at Lacey Children’s Day!

This year’s theme — Under the Big Top — invites you to feel the excitement and experience the magic of a day at the circus. You can even watch the Vuelta La Luna Traveling Circus show!

The event takes place rain or shine and it’s the perfect way to kick off fall!


Take our Human Services Needs Survey!

The City encourages all community members to take a short, online survey on human services needs in our area. The survey is available through Friday, October 18.

Community input from the survey will help shape the City’s priorities for human services funding and help create a strategic plan for human services in Lacey.

What are Human Services?
Human services include a wide range of support systems to help people meet their essential needs and improve their overall quality of life. These services include access to food, housing, healthcare, family and job assistance, educational support, and crisis intervention.

Take the Survey and Learn More
To take the survey, visit CityofLacey.org/HSNSurvey. To learn more about HumanServices, visit CityofLacey.org/Human-Services.


New Park Workgroup Gets Underway

As Lacey and the demand for parks continues to grow, getting community input on how to fund future parks improvements is important to us. Early last summer, the City Council appointed 15 community members to the Parks Improvements Funding Workgroup (PIFW), from a pool of nearly 50 applicants!

Over the next few months, the PIFW will review parks expansion and replacement projects identified in the Capital Improvement Program, analyze available funding options, and recommend a funding package to implement a prioritized list of parks capital projects. The Workgroup plans to provide its recommendation to the City Council in December 2024.


Lacey Veterans Services Hub: Providing Services to Veterans with the Help of Amazing Volunteers

In 2023, the Lacey Veterans Services Hub (LVSH) served over 16,000 Veterans, active-duty military members, and their families. Since it opened in 2014, the LVSH has continued to grow its services and expand its community partnerships to over 150 organizations! Veterans and their families can get assistance with housing, nutrition, healthcare, education, employment, VA benefits, finances, legal issues, and transportation. 

Volunteers are the Heartbeat of the Lacey Veterans Services Hub
The LVSH is able to accomplish this great work thanks to the wonderful volunteers. You can volunteer at the LVSH as a Front Desk Specialist, Van Driver, or Outreach Specialist. It’s the perfect way to give back to your
community and the people who serve or have served our country. Visit the LVSH website to get more information about volunteering.


Help Prevent Local Flooding

Fall has officially arrived and with it comes falling leaves and rain. If your neighborhood has lots of leaves, help reduce the chance of local flooding by making sure they aren’t clogging storm drains. If you find a storm drain that’s covered or clogged with debris, use a rake or broom to clear it.

Other things to keep in mind:

  • Never blow or sweep yard debris into the roadway.
  • Use leaves to mulch planting beds to provide winter protection for plants.
  • Dispose of leaves in your organics cart or compost pile.
  • Maintain gutters, downspouts, rain barrels, etc. by keeping them cleared of debris and directed away from properties or hillsides.

If you see major flooding or cannot clear a drain, call our Public Works Department at (360) 491-5644
during business hours or (360) 704-2740 after hours.


The City gets all its water from groundwater sources. That’s why it’s so important to safeguard our water sources from contaminants.

Here are a few ways you can help:

  • Do not dump hazardous waste down the sink, toilet, or stormdrain, or on the ground.
  • Pick up and properly dispose of your dog’s waste.
  • Limit use of pesticides and fertilizers.
  • Report spills by calling (360) 491-5644 or visiting CityofLacey.org/LaceyWorks.

To view the October LaceyLife in pdf format, click here.