By Mellow DeTray

Here’s our recap of the Normandy Park City Council meeting held on Tuesday night, Sept. 12, 2023:

New Officer Sworn In

According to Police Chief Dan Yourkoski, Normandy Park Police have had three vacancies for the entire year. The department has been actively recruiting new officers. At the meeting, Officer Garrett Strand was formally sworn in to the force. Officer Strand worked on a project recently in Normandy Park, and his experience in the community solidified his desire to serve as an officer here.

Mt. Rainier Pool Presentation

Scott Deschenes, District General Manager of Mt. Rainier Pool, presented to council on the history of the pool, as well as services offered to Normandy Park residents. The pool was first built in 1975 and at the time it was run by King County. The city of Des Moines took over pool operations in 2009, in partnership with Normandy Park. This partnership offers residents of Normandy Park many benefits at the facility, including priority registration and a discount on their programs. In addition, 25% of the kids hired as lifeguards at the pool come from Normandy Park.

The pool offers services for seniors as well, including free senior day on First Thursdays. They have family swim times regularly throughout the week, grant funded no-cost swim classes, and $1 open swims on First Saturdays. It’s a great place to hang out on days when school is not in session as well. They are beginning to have more availability for private birthday party rentals. Deschenes reminded everyone of the importance of training in water safety, particularly in an area as rich in bodies of water as the Pacific Northwest.

Waste Management Annual Report

Joe Camaro from Waste Management (WM) presented on the recycling, food & yard waste, and garbage service provider. He said service was bumpy during the years of the pandemic due to many factors. Their call center had to be moved to a work-from-home situation, which was a difficult transition. Also, like so many employers, they had trouble hiring. Supply chain issues also impacted WM, with things like replacement vehicles, parts, and bins being slow to materialize.

Camaro said these issues are becoming a thing of the past, and service is improving. He also said the company offers a 10-week college internship program. Their high tech recycling facility will be hosting in-person tours soon, and currently there is a virtual tour available.

Proclamations

Mayor Sue-Ann Hohimer read two proclamations that were supported by unanimous vote. The first proclamation recognizes September as National Recovery Month. Mayor Hohimer said there are four churches in town, and each of them offer some kind of addiction recovery assistance. The second proclamation recognizes September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Mayor Hohimer said the city is happy to support any families in the community that are fighting childhood cancer.

Mayor Hohimer also wanted to remind everyone that the #1 safety issue in Normandy Park continues to be speeding. She asked everyone to slow down, especially considering that kids are now returning to school and will be walking along the roads, and days are getting shorter.

Mellow DeTray is a Seattle native who has spent the last 16 years raising her family in Burien. For many years Mellow kept a moderately popular cooking & lifestyle blog, and she had a brief stint in political journalism during a local election. Clear and informative writing has always been a side hobby of Mellow’s and she looks forward to bringing you unbiased coverage of City Council meetings.