Issaquah City Hall is not only busy with pandemic-related activities. Here’s a rundown of some newsworthy happenings you should know:
Central Park Pad #3 will get an upgrade.
The Issaquah City Council recently approved the replacement of the artificial turf fields at Central Park Pad #3 (the sports fields located at the most southern end of the park). The turf was installed in 2008 and is now at the end of its lifecycle. It will be replaced with an organic cork infill product that is gaining attention for being more sustainable. The city of Seattle is beginning to convert its turf fields to cork infill, and Carol Edwards Park in Woodinville also has cork infill. The new field will cost $1.339 million and will be completed sometime this year. For updates, please visit issaquahwa.gov/PadThree.
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is May 1.
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (WCPD) is a national campaign held the first Saturday in May to encourage people to come together to take action and raise awareness about wildfire risks. Because in-person gatherings are limited due to the pandemic, this year’s campaign is focused on what you can do in and around your home to help protect against the threat of wildfires. Comprehensive information is available from Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR) here.
Historically, Western Washington has been at low risk for major wildland and wildland-urban interface fires, but climate change, in part, can increase risk. The threat to residential neighborhoods is even more pressing. The city and EFR are coordinating efforts to prepare for this increasing hazard, including hosting neighborhood discussions about preparedness, establishing evacuation routes, and making potential policy decisions that may impact zoning, building, and management of vegetation and open space.
To participate in this year’s WCPD, property owners can download a preparedness toolkit, choose a project, share the project on social media, and encourage others to do the same. Despite the pandemic, we can all still work together on preparedness, starting with our own properties.
Sign up for EFR’s Community Connection Program.
EFR’s Community Connect program is a free, secure, easy way to share critical information about your household or business to help first responders responding to your emergency. By providing specific information you feel is important for first responders to know, you get better protection. I signed up, and you can, too, here.
Share your voice on equity in Issaquah.
In response to public and City Council input, the city developed a Police Accountability, Equity, and Human Services Action Plan to address enhanced police accountability, equity initiatives, and human services programs in Issaquah. There are many opportunities for public engagement. Learn more at issaquahwa.gov/equity.
Finally, I am not seeking reelection to City Council this year.
After serving for more than ten years, it’s time for me to roll off the City Council at the end of 2021.
My community involvement began in 1996 at The Issaquah Press, where I was a reporter and editor for nearly ten years. I then went to law school and served in many volunteer roles (including the Issaquah Highlands Community Association Architectural Review Committee) before being appointed to the City Council in 2011.
Please consider serving; it’s time-intensive but extraordinarily rewarding. If you are interested in learning what it’s like to serve on the council, feel free to contact me at 425-445-5968. Candidate filing week is May 17. Find more information online here.
Stacy Goodman is an Issaquah city councilmember and Issaquah Highlands resident.
Photo by Vicki Grunewald.
