Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Auburn leaders on communications, downtown activation, code enforcement and Lee Hill roadwork
Summary
At a community conversation, residents asked why city programs are not more visible, urged better two-way communication, pressed for downtown activation and raised concerns about code enforcement and Lee Hill Road capacity; the mayor and staff promised improved outreach and provided timelines for some projects.
Residents at the City of Auburn community conversation pressed elected and senior staff for clearer communication and faster action on neighborhood problems ranging from vacant storefronts and code enforcement to a plan to widen and realign portions of Lee Hill Road.
One longtime resident who said she is a school bus driver asked, "Why don't I know about it?" after hearing about city and school programs she said were not visible in neighborhoods. Mayor (name not specified) acknowledged communication gaps and said the city will make storytelling and outreach a priority this year, naming Jonathan, the city communications manager, as responsible for expanded outreach. "This year is going to be the year of storytelling," the mayor said.
On downtown activation and vacant storefronts, council members and staff said economic-development staff are working with property owners and that the city plans several summer events to draw people downtown, including temporary street closures for food trucks and vendors and band performances. The mayor said the downtown theater is expected to reopen in about a year and a half and the city will pilot Friday nights with fire pits and seating to increase foot traffic.
Residents raised code-enforcement concerns, citing a property that has long appeared as a junkyard and contrasting that with a letter the city sent over a missing garbage-can lid. Staff said the city has three code enforcement officers and that enforcement actions often reflect a complaint-driven process and legal timeframes; staff offered to follow up on the specific property raised by the resident.
On Lee Hill Road, public works staff said a 2020 study produced a plan to improve capacity and that the city has funding for realignment work near the river bridge and for a roundabout at the bottom of the hill; further funding is needed to complete improvements up the hill. Staff said the 100th/102nd realignment project is being awarded and that the roundabout has funding.
Valley Regional Fire Authority’s CARES program was mentioned as an allied service the city supports; the mayor said council members recently voted at a VRFA meeting to add two full-time employees to the CARES program, which provides social workers who help divert non-emergency callers from 9-1-1.
City staff committed to posting meeting materials and continuing the community-series conversations, and they offered additional drop-in opportunities and online resources for follow-up questions.
