[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6140223,"mediaKeyId","5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab","parentId",5579213,"title","Councilmembers ask staff to study American Lake weir after resident complaints about levels","audioSeconds",683,"startMs",5258000,"endMs",5941000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab&start=5258&end=5941","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab/thumbnail_5258000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6140223/Lakewood/Pierce-County/Washington/Councilmembers-ask-staff-to-study-American-Lake-weir-after-resident-complaints-about-levels","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140223-14ef50d97bf13ae8fcdc8f1e73166f8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774934158&Signature=T9LWDCD4FyOfQ~M9-0pEIdaIJNLdEyxEkpeKlYQWAU661XBUPHB9Eg9FHHURxs7jtjvdAiZc2eKZCzWUv3eshCueCUIRk2xE796S9dq1XptYLHroeaIb3wRCUfaAL41fdZX-j9w-adVLcv~uomXF--bK4JADtSIDCE02viYuRdE52s2kiXxIf12c~Cz7qt5RROiB3AnvvEKpC7ZDmKYpF~QwmyXrVcyMTB8IkAdQhxD6ICBUMCjLiQaGkq~gCIOrG9PyuSiahBq4JIqPKFm8zSvjLt2eRyQAgR76km1d-DSLYO9R5GNdCsjbjnqaVoBooCJZzf892NSz8Md-lPxWZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lakewood City, WA","date","2025-08-12T15:57:38Z","article","Multiple councilmembers raised constituent complaints about American Lake water levels during council comments at the Aug. 11 study session and asked staff to investigate whether the city should study assuming responsibility for the lake’s weir.
Councilmember Brandstetter summarized resident concerns that recent changes in lake level management have increased shallow-water areas and complicated invasive‑aquatic‑plant mitigation. He noted the county currently operates the weir and said residents think city control could be more responsive to local concerns.
Council discussion emphasized jurisdictional complexity. Staff and council members noted the weir and lake sit partly in unincorporated Pierce County and on U.S. Army garrison property; the county has contractual relationships for operation. Other council members warned that taking responsibility for the weir would raise downstream impacts and require consultation with other constituencies, including the Puyallup Tribe and property owners downstream.
Councilmember Pearson and others observed that Pierce County has faced logistical barriers when working on base property and that assuming operational responsibility could expose the city to new costs and requirements. Brandstetter requested that staff evaluate feasibility, fiscal implications and any legal or intergovernmental barriers and return with recommendations; the mayor and other councilmembers expressed support for a staff feasibility review but cautioned that the weir is outside the city’s jurisdiction and that downstream impacts must be considered.
The council did not vote and gave no formal direction beyond asking staff to research the issue and, if appropriate, prepare options and cost estimates for a future meeting.
Ending: Councilmembers agreed a feasibility review would be appropriate as an informational next step; no commitment was made to assume operation of the weir.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting of August 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilmembers reported constituent concerns about American Lake water levels and asked staff to explore whether the city should pursue assuming management of the lake weir, while noting jurisdictional and downstream complications involving Pierce County, the base and tribal interests.","taxTitle","Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",3978,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6140227,"Council weighs meeting cadence; staff say schedule is flexible",879,3725000,4604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab&start=3725&end=4604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab/thumbnail_3725000.jpg","/articles/6140227/Lakewood/Pierce-County/Washington/Council-weighs-meeting-cadence-staff-say-schedule-is-flexible","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140227-a1676452385b43c8a0f1449d02b5235a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774934158&Signature=MgZxrpDcajX~EfqVCIB14kWh2BSGDEA820CU5-7Oyu~F1GmaLXkDgrop3p7x8l42hIILRO~Y0lmZkQQNCAXCOiNegk6NM4CLFTjQRjcwBBsDuuX75OyISgw2Y1YRD1jcHIgPTzfpTPok4DTFhcaCLvrQU~HodnY61ibMXh1jaSs3DYHRRWMO1-nlnNoybjtqEjkge9K5EY7l5yKegUufcUYifZI1jY7kCeqqWIQuE1P9icZ9hosK9UPb2X1o0-aJo-cCkpv1HFQEJMMcSh6IC8f-oILyR4jXSPVxA67JWjlvFGjKkHVkEjQwLmb7YqQnMA6F1hyWGgkHLvNKgCyVLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Attorney Wachter briefed the council on options for regular and study-session scheduling at the Aug. 11 study session and reminded the council that municipal law gives councils flexibility on meeting cadence but requires that regular meetings be publicly noticed as such.
Wachter summarized the recent pattern: in January the council switched to a calendar with a regular meeting on the first Monday, a study session on the second Monday and a combined study/regular meeting on the third Monday. She said the city was receiving the same amount of public feedback under the current arrangement as under earlier patterns.
Several council members discussed preferences. Councilmember Brandstetter said he was not fully satisfied with the current timing because it creates occasional three‑week gaps between meetings and proposed moving the combined study-and-regular meeting to the fourth Monday to create a first/second/fourth cadence. Other councilmembers said the current schedule has reduced meeting frequency while preserving public access and allows occasional longer breaks for scheduling personal time.
Councilmember comments also asked staff whether the reduced meeting frequency had materially helped staff workload; the city manager replied staff would accommodate whichever schedule council chooses. No formal change to council rules was proposed; the mayor said staff would not bring rule amendments forward unless council asked for another review.","City attorney reviewed possible meeting schedules and councilmembers debated moving the combined study/regular meeting to the fourth Monday to avoid occasional three-week gaps; council gave no direction to change rules at this time.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6140233,"Lakewood to raise out-of-city business-license threshold to $4,000 starting Jan. 1, 2026",100,3563000,3663000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab&start=3563&end=3663","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab/thumbnail_3563000.jpg","/articles/6140233/Lakewood/Pierce-County/Washington/Lakewood-to-raise-out-of-city-business-license-threshold-to-4000-starting-Jan-1-2026","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140233-b8399594cbcedf2ff5dc3d89a68f9a7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774934158&Signature=fzQBwK6L~McQvrhj2USUbE3dDxNoOYayXSmISSMkMoqodyC5ns1zTv-ELw8VhdnOs4mLDL9jroljzM6U1niv9-QXxQSLZg54ZY1a77dpeD1wdAxdK1qDBtJwdx3I6tXYChE1Mh4vszY8GTG2Gu7VWTYAeZUaTdXwe5HH3-abaEcT2P4IqYingfjSj1HcnhsxiIuna3GDOt4EhGlWd7WFjT9wNK9MTLBnRvt5nNlMrqgnmpTS4xC7mlFmBpHBRh~Cual~CoAzik4SUNMYprsPopoWtLTjwPtTmlDpFk0zzgnjfNN2qyojZu8HYDwan7iswkUrSZGYY6jUJDHBqJVXTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Becky Newton, Lakewood’s economic development manager, presented a proposed ordinance (No. 834) at the Aug. 11 study session to modify LMC 5.02.020 by raising the threshold that exempts businesses from the city’s general business-license requirement.
Under the change Newton described, the exemption threshold for businesses that do not maintain a place of business inside the city would increase from $2,000 to $4,000 in annual gross receipts; the change takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. Newton said the ordinance also introduces an automatic periodic increase every four years tied to cumulative inflation for future adjustments. The change applies to general business licenses only; Newton said the state business licensing system (BLS) team requested cities adopt the change by Aug. 26 and that the city planned to place Ordinance 834 on the Aug. 18 regular meeting for adoption.
Councilmembers asked whether the change would affect home‑based businesses and out‑of‑town businesses that sell to Lakewood residents; Newton clarified that businesses without a place of business in Lakewood that generate $4,000 or less in gross receipts would be exempt under the new threshold, and that businesses located inside Lakewood remain subject to the local threshold for in-city businesses (no change to the in-city threshold was presented).
Newton said staff had not completed a fiscal-impact calculation but expected any revenue change to be “fairly insignificant” and offered to return with an analysis if council wanted one. No vote occurred at the study session; staff planned to place the ordinance on the next regular council agenda for action.","Economic development staff presented an ordinance to increase the exemption threshold for businesses that do not maintain a local place of business from $2,000 to $4,000, with automatic four‑year inflation adjustments; adoption was scheduled for the council regular meeting the following week.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6140238,"City staff propose updating Lakewood stormwater fee code, including 2025 rate alignment and six-year rate-study requirement",166,2384000,2550000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab&start=2384&end=2550","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab/thumbnail_2384000.jpg","/articles/6140238/Lakewood/Pierce-County/Washington/City-staff-propose-updating-Lakewood-stormwater-fee-code-including-2025-rate-alignment-and-six-year-rate-study-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140238-951333beae3878c859fb68723afac5dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1774934158&Signature=XN-Zc54isyT8An-brKtkyx~igbtep0~-9Oh6YDOkaah7ABF38Fcbxq-U9Eo3RlbyZ-fIMweG5zvKRI5rP19L~IukzpPxo4oFg4iqfnANp3CiqAqGNwGgordCo8EMR4fcCGwo~lwwGH~tuNBJLvLjsEblo2Et5wsItSUJV9FAmYOi4Vmv5oPufmYrKIipb9VSqvl6mjMnAVV~eBtwWoczYU27~yqKm42u0kDay5bx~HnB58AJRV3z0GMQShiWbezZOm5EuYIunIq-fvgH7hmxOZLmr9rXwXcQZawkMI5JjuJQlBp1wAPiRBjNQOgfSP4SlHIgrWy-m~CEeT8lRK6OSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Angie Silva, assistant director of planning and public works, told the Lakewood City Council on Aug. 11 that the city’s stormwater fee code (chapter 3.38 LMC) had not been substantively updated since 2019 and that the draft ordinance in the meeting packet makes several targeted changes.
Silva summarized four changes in the packet: update fees to reflect current 2025 surface-water utility rates; remove an outdated fee table that concluded in 2024 while retaining a 2.5% annual inflationary adjustment for 2026 and later years; add flood-control mitigation to the list of eligible uses consistent with state law; and require a comprehensive rate study at least every six years to evaluate adequacy and equity of charges. She also said housekeeping edits remove a nonprofit exemption that was phased out in 2023.
Silva said the packet includes background on stormwater utility assessments, references to Department of Ecology requirements and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, and rationale for aligning code with current practice. She told council that the next steps are a public hearing on Sept. 2 and possible action on Sept. 15.
Councilmember questions addressed process and timing. A council member asked why the code currently contains rates rather than listing them in a separate annual fee schedule; Silva said jurisdictions commonly codify stormwater rates, and the proposed amendment retains code-based rates while adding the six-year rate-study process to provide documentation for increases.
Silva confirmed the last comprehensive consultant rate study was completed in 2018 (FCS Consultants) and that the six-year review requirement is intended to align forecasting of capital, maintenance and program needs with rate setting. She also said the code’s existing equivalent-residential-unit definition would remain; under current code, fees are assessed per parcel equivalent, not per dwelling unit, so a parcel with multiple ADUs could still be charged as a single residential equivalent.
There was brief discussion about the city’s practice of remitting fees via county property tax statements: Silva and staff explained the surface-water fee is shown on property tax statements, the county collects and remits the amounts to the city, and the county charges a small fee for that service.
No ordinance vote occurred at the study session; staff requested council feedback and will bring the draft ordinance to public hearing on Sept. 2 and possible adoption action on Sept. 15.","Assistant Public Works Director Angie Silva presented proposed amendments to Chapter 3.38 (surface water management fees) to align fees with 2025 utility rates, retain a 2.5% inflation adjustment for 2026+, require a rate study at least every six years, add flood-control mitigation uses, and remove now-obsolete nonprofit exemptions.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6140243,"Lakewood advisers warn lodging-tax funds must adapt as visitor patterns shift",2075,125000,2200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab&start=125&end=2200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5579213-8c776a94a734628820ba7984956045ab/thumbnail_125000.jpg","/articles/6140243/Lakewood/Pierce-County/Washington/Lakewood-advisers-warn-lodging-tax-funds-must-adapt-as-visitor-patterns-shift","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6140243-192350ceb8d0dcc747e070224806f1f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1774934158&Signature=TLAtWm~MIO8T-tYS2iETvrlUX0YQg7lFx9sGoU73u1AZqDRC2DhsjG3kS4xgVlNFfdVY1C-ota4DbaDQiZ7YaN34afOBsVdv-QrLkG0FlOJwySbBEzJFZvNzq~MaTL5PyOroC40tJfmDMelvA2Wsb8Ws8vLZxClRD5yfk7NT7oQkYoXp1RJ6h1l7eGb9wrbO1Y4BhB6McXf2y5KMnZQ69cABO6RmxImRP13fh0uauwCowBfo8jmiW3rkvOvs7yA~p3VxKn0JTQN~hTIQ0Aikgc4he1XbavO4V~3i-5y4sA7nfwlCP5N9crcZtxdtbSpR61nVp4YexQq2Q584vRPxfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dean Burke, a member of Lakewood’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and president and CEO of VISIT Tacoma Pierce County, told the Lakewood City Council at its Aug. 11 study session that Pierce County’s tourism economy has recovered unevenly since 2019 and that the county remains “5% to 9% behind 2019” in visitor volume in many places.
Burke said lodging receipts by dollar amount have exceeded 2019 levels in some markets because of higher room rates, but overall visitation counts remain down and this year appear “flat to just maybe slightly down.” He told council members that international visitation has lagged and has hit Seattle hardest, which affects neighboring Pierce County.
The council also heard from Linda Smith of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, another LTAC member, who described local changes in inventory: “Between Fife, Hosmer, and Lakewood … we’ve seen about 800 rooms removed from inventory in the low-end sector,” she said, citing conversions of smaller properties to non-tourism uses.
Burke quantified other local shifts: short-term rentals in Pierce County rose from about 300 in February 2019 to roughly 3,200 today, while the county has about 6,000 hotel/motel rooms. He said short-term rental occupancy can be monitored but with about a 60–75 day reporting lag and that the sector “is healthy” now, though local regulation can change its trajectory.
Both committee members described sports and group business as key drivers of recovery. Burke said youth and amateur sporting events rebounded quickly after the pandemic and gave examples: a girls gymnastics meet the county recruited 10 years ago has grown to a five-day event with about 4,800 competitors from 36 states, producing roughly 15,000 room nights in less than a week; Chambers Creek cross-country events have generated about 41,000 room nights over six years.
Councilmembers asked whether Lakewood’s LTAC process should change to encourage more events in the city center. A council member proposed geographic targeting — for example, awarding extra points to applications that cite Colonial Plaza or other downtown venues — and asked whether the statutory split between capital and noncapital funding should remain. Burke said he commonly sees a capital/noncapital split and recommended retaining a capital component because “asset development … is critical.”
On rules and oversight, Burke also criticized the vagueness of state lodging-tax language and recommended that Lakewood’s LTAC adopt clearer, tighter local scoring and ROI metrics. He pointed to Pierce County’s LTAC and the countywide tourism promotion area (TPA) as examples of bodies that added stricter standards to focus expenditures.
Council members asked about recent large awards to local nonprofits. Linda Smith said increases to Friends of LakeWold and Lakewood Playhouse were tied partly to one-time capital work and to requests for increased marketing dollars; committee members balanced capital eligibility with a requirement that the city “own the facility” for certain capital awards.
Burke and Smith briefly discussed FIFA activity and a Seattle-centered World Cup next summer. Burke said Seattle will host six matches and that the event will create state-level “fan zones” including one in Tacoma; the Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a regional sponsor and will market in fan activations. He called the event a “huge” statewide impact but said final details remain incomplete.
No council motion or vote was taken on LTAC policy changes at the meeting. Councilmembers asked staff and the committee to consider tighter local scoring, possible geographic incentives for downtown venues, and whether any state legislative changes should be pursued to expand permissible uses of lodging-tax funds.
Ending: Councilmembers thanked the committee for the update and indicated they wanted follow-up detail at return meetings about targeted scoring, possible recruitment of additional committee members across lodging and event sectors, and evidence (room-night counts) showing the local impact of specific events.","City council study session heard tourism advisers say visitor volume remains below pre-pandemic levels, short-term rentals and lost low-end rooms have changed the market, and local lodging-tax policy could be tightened and targeted to support downtown and capital projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Councilmembers ask staff to study American Lake weir after resident complaints about levels

Council weighs meeting cadence; staff say schedule is flexible

Lakewood to raise out-of-city business-license threshold to $4,000 starting Jan. 1, 2026

City staff propose updating Lakewood stormwater fee code, including 2025 rate alignment and six-year rate-study requirement

Lakewood advisers warn lodging-tax funds must adapt as visitor patterns shift