By Mellow DeTray

Here’s a recap of the Normandy Park City Council regular meeting held on Tuesday night, Jan. 10, 2023:

Interlocal Agreement for Senior Services in Question
For several years, Normandy Park has paid the City of Des Moines for providing services to seniors in the community, but not many people have been participating in any of the programs offered. Of course, the years of the covid pandemic kept a lot of seniors at home, but now they are hoping more people will feel comfortable taking part in community events. Through the Des Moines Senior Center, seniors can enjoy classes, lunches, and field trips to places like chocolate factories and museums. There is a cost to participate in these activities: about $5 for lunch and $20 for the field trips. The Senior Center also coordinates the free Meals on Wheels program, which is state and federally funded.

Council debated whether the money they have been paying Des Moines for these services makes sense, considering there is a very low turnout from residents of Normandy Park to any of the programs. The cost to the City is about $40 thousand a year. In the end, Council did vote to extend the agreement for another year, with the expectation that both cities will be more proactive about recruiting Normandy Park seniors, including increasing shuttles to pick up residents for activities. There is talk of hosting an open house to get feedback and ideas from members of the community on what would help increase participation.

City Hall & Civic Center Updates
There is new art on display at City Hall, and for anyone who wants to have a tour of the current facility, it is recommended that you come check it out between now and January 28th.

Also, Council wants your feedback on the idea of a new civic center. Whether you voted for it or against it, they would like to hear about why. There have been over 500 responses to the online survey to date, and it will remain open until response rates dwindle. The brief survey is available on the City of Normandy Park website.

Business Mixer at Bistro Baffi Jan. 25
If you own a business or are interested in starting one, you may enjoy the upcoming mixer with the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce. The event will take place at 4 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2023, and will include business owners, City Staff, and Chamber of Commerce members. Registration is available on the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce website. The big focus this year is on increasing revenue.

New Interlocal Agreement with SeaTac
Electrical plan review and inspection services will now be taking place through an agreement with SeaTac rather than Burien. No major difference in service or cost is expected, and the switch was made because SeaTac has more inspectors available. Inspection services have taken place through Burien for many years, and they have done a great job. Anyone wanting an inspection for electrical permitting can place a request online, and should be able to expect a response within 24 hours.

Farewell to Council Member Sipes-Marvin
This was the final meeting for Council Member Sipes-Marvin, who had a teary farewell after serving the City for seven years. Other Council members expressed appreciation for her great listening skills, her considered, passionate, unique perspective, and thoughtful feedback on issues over the years.

Mellow DeTray is a Seattle native who has spent the last 16 years raising her family in Burien. She has volunteered at many local establishments over the years, including the Burien Library, Burien Actors Theatre, and Hot Feet Fitness. After working for 10 years at Burien Community Center, she moved on to teaching fitness classes and to work the front desk of a Burien yoga studio. 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.