What’s planned for Lacey over the next two years?

Lacey City Council met yesterday, August 11, to discuss its priority items on the work plan for the next two years.

Assistant City Manager Shannon Kelley-Fong said the process started with interviews and a survey of the council. 

Each council member met individually with staff to discuss their short-term priorities for Lacey. Councilmembers also participated in a prioritization survey to help get a definitive understanding of the council’s priorities.

Kelley-Fong said council members discussed the interviews and survey results during the council retreat in April.

Lacey department directors then provided recommendations on each priority’s feasibility and related impacts over the next few years.

“When everything is a priority, then nothing is really a priority,” said Kelley-Fong.

The priority strategies and projects were identified into five categories:

• Coordinated and Collaborative Planning
• Vibrant Place to Live, Work and Play
• Vibrant and Diverse Economy
• A Safe and Secure Community
•  Quality Transportation and Infrastructure 

Coordinated and Collaborative Planning

 For this segment, the two priority strategies are:

• Craft a framework to strategically advance Annexations and Urban Growth Area permitting
• Update the Comprehensive Plan and review Development Regulations

For his comments, Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder said the council had discussed annexation since he became a city councilmember 12 years ago.

“This is not setting a priority. This is doing what we have always done and calling it a priority,” argued Ryder.

Ryder said an annexation agreement with Thurston County should be part of the strategy in working on the annexation plan.

Vibrant Place to Live, Work and Play

In this category, the priority projects are:

• Complete Greg J. Cuoio Park & Greenways – Phase 1 A
• Finalize Homeless Response Plan & enhance social services
• Continue initiatives to advance indoor recreation opportunities

Kelley-Fong said this category is supposed to “help foster and support a healthy, happy, and diverse community.”

Vibrant and Diverse Economy

In this category, the priority strategies are:

• Focus on Regional Athletic Complex Phase III and other sports facility developments
• Enhance economic, workforce, and incubator projects and programs

According to the draft work plan, the strategies aim to “help create and support a strong, diverse, and growing economy that is resilient and provides various recreation and workforce opportunities for community members.”

Safe and Secure Community

In this category, the priority project is to continue the development of a new Lacey Police Station.

The council discussed that the existing police station is in poor condition. Constructed in 1985, the current Police Station “does not meet accessibility standards or modern police programming requirements.”

Quality Transportation and Infrastructure

The priority project in this category is to continue focusing on constructing Interstate 5 (I-5) and the Nisqually Bridge corridor.

The council discussed that the Interstate 5 (I-5) and Nisqually Bridge play a vital role in the state’s environment, commerce, and transportation.

Other work plan items include the continued implementation of climate mitigation efforts, enhanced communication and engagement efforts, and the efforts to attract and retain quality and qualified staff to meet service needs.