PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGEP A I D

CENTRALIA, WAPERMIT NO. 5

CITY OF CENTRALIA INFORMATION

City Manager 330-7674City Clerk 330-7670City Attorney 330-7675Customer Service Center(Utility Bill Payments) 330-7657Personnel 330-7672Engineering 330-7512Community Development 330-7662Planning & Zoning 330-7684Building Offi cial/Inspector 330-7664Building Inspection Request Line 330-7663Police Business 330-7680Economic Development 330-7820Fire Business 330-7681Finance Department 330-7659Streets, Light, Water, Wastewater 330-7512Parks Department 330-7688Municipal Court 330-7667

City Hall

CalendarCity Council every 2nd & 4th Tuesday7 p.m. • City Hall

Planning Commission every 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m. • City Hall

Civil Service Commission every 3rd Wednesday 5:15 p.m. • City Hall

Centralia Park Advisory Board every 2nd Monday 5:00 p.m. • Parks Offi ce

Historic Preservation Commissionevery 2nd Monday 6 p.m. • City Hall

Centralia Landfi ll Closure Group as needed • Centralia Utilities Offi ce

Lewis County Solid Waste Disposal DistrictNo. 1 every 4th Monday 1:30 p.m.Lewis County Board of County Commissioners Offi ce

Library Advisory Board every 1st Tuesday(except July & August) 7:30 p.m. Centralia Library

Visit the City’s website at:www.centralia.com

ECRWSSPostal Customer

THE CITY OF CENTRALIA NEWSLETTERTHE CITY OF CENTRALIA NEWSLETTER •• JANUARY - FEBRUARY JANUARY - FEBRUARY 20092009

Parks & Recreation ActivitiesJANUARY

6-7 ..........K-3rd grade Basketball10............K-3rd grade Basketball10-11.......Borst Home Open House15-16 ......Little League Sign-ups

24............6th Graders Night Out

FEBRUARY

1..............Karate-Flying Tiger7..............Arts Jamboree14-15 ......Borst Home Open House28............6th Graders Night OutTBA ........Girls Fastpitch Sign-ups

Dog Park Open Year-RoundDid you know Centralia has

its very own dog park?

Thanks to an anonymous donation, together with support from Mary Jo Qualey and several local volunteers, the dog park opened in 2008.

The 1-acre park is located at the southeast corner of Fort Borst Park. It is divided into two sections – one for small dogs and one for large dogs.

Muddy Paws Dog Club helps to maintain the park, along with City workers.

1. You are entering an Off-Leash Dog Park. All dogs should be off leash within the play areas and must be on leash in all other areas of the park. No other animals allowed.

2. Entry to the Dog Park is at the risk of dog owners, handlers and guests. Small children must not be permitted to run loose within the off-leash area.

3. To prevent fi ghts, no food or toys allowed inside the off-leash area.

4. Owners are legally responsible for their dogs and any injury or damage caused by their dogs.

5. All dogs must be vaccinated prior to entering off-leash area. Dogs showing signs of illness (coughing, runny nose, etc.) may not be brought into the Dog Park.

6. Dogs that live within the Centralia City limits must wear a collar with ID, current dog license and current rabies tag at all times. All others must wear current rabies tag and ID.

7. Dogs that become overly dominant or aggressive must be leashed and removed from the off-leash area immediately.

8. No dog less than 4 months old shall be permitted in the off-leash area. Female dogs in heat are not allowed at any time.

9. Maximum 2 dogs per adult allowed in the off-leash area at any time.

10. Owners shall be in possession of a leash for each dog at all times and must control excessive barking or other unwanted or destructive behaviors.

11. Owners must clean up after their dogs by sealing feces in plastic bags and disposing of it in designated trash receptacles.

12. Owners are responsible for fi lling holes dug by their dogs prior to leaving the off-leash area.

13. For special events (dog shows, obedience training class, etc.), the event organizer must submit an application and receive approval from the Parks Department before using the off-leash area.

14. Owners are responsible for providing water and for otherwise safeguarding the welfare of their dogs.

Emergency Resources Needed

The Centralia Emergency Management Offi ce is preparing a resource list of people and equipment they can call upon during a

local emergency.

Do you have a boat, dump truck, heavy-duty pickup, man-lift, multi-passenger van, loader, back-hoe, fl atbed truck or trailer? If so, would you be willing to make it available to Centralia Emergency Management during an emergency? If the answers are yes, please email, call or stop by the Police Department (330-7680 or CPD@cityofcentralia.com) and let them know what type of resource you can provide.

DOG DOG

PARK PARK

RULESRULES

For more information, please contact the Parks & Recreation Offi ce at 330-7688.

Adopting the annual budget for the City is one of the most important

responsibilities of the City Council. Even when economic times are good, local government revenues are never suffi cient to provide all of the services our citizens tell us they want.

Unfortunately, these are not ordinary economic times. National and State economies are struggling and evidence of that struggle can be seen in declining revenue projections for the City of Centralia.

Regardless of challenges, the need for services does not diminish in bad economic times and, quite frequently, actually increase. In order to provide continuing services in 2009 when revenues are less than expenses, the City Council chose to use reserve funds in this year’s budget.

Much like a family savings account,

the City’s unrestricted General Fund reserves are there to support the basic services to our citizens when revenues decline – to help get us through the lean times and provide stability in the delivery of services. For the past ten years, the City has worked diligently to increase our reserve funds, knowing that times like this would eventually come again to our community. Starting with $385,725 in reserves in 1998, we have increased our reserves to about $2.4 million in order to provide for a “rainy day” fund. But just like a family savings account, we cannot live on our reserve funds over an extended period of time.

The City Council plans to hold a workshop at the conclusion of the State legislative session to discuss any local government fi nancial impacts that may come from Olympia.

The City Council faces the tough issue of raising taxes, fees and charges for services. We know this is a real concern to taxpayers, rate payers and those who develop property in our community. However, just as the City Council needs to look at expenditures, we also need to look at each revenue source. By not availing ourselves of some adjustments, we would fall further behind and make the eventual catch-up more diffi cult.

The City has always operated on a budget based conservative forecast of revenues and a realistic plan for expenditures. The budget is a living document and can and will be adjusted as we work through the year. Much is not known about what resources might be available as the Federal and State government implement programs to keep people working and provide for support of local governments. Our pledge is to monitor events closely and respond rapidly should the fi nancial situation of the City change markedly during 2009.

We ask for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to work for you.

CITY OF CENTRALIA NEWSLETTER • JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2009

Centralia City Light strives to provide reliable electric service

to its customers. From time to time, a scheduled power outage is necessary to make critical repairs.

If you are a Centralia City Light customer and dependant on electricity for medical reasons, the City encourages you to complete a “Special Considerations Request” request form. This request form identifi es your medical need for uninterrupted electricity. A physician’s note must be attached to the form. Once your request is approved, City Light will use reasonable care and caution to contact you and recognize your special consideration need prior to scheduled power interruptions.

Please note that fi ling this request does not provide any special privileges or waive the account holder’s responsibility for timely payment of utility bills.

You can obtain a request form by calling City Light at 330-7512.

Are You Dependent on Electricity for Medical Reasons?

Have you licensed your dog for 2009? If not, you should

obtain a license before February 1st to avoid late fees and possible fi nes.

All dogs ages two months and older that reside within the City limits are required to be licensed. Licenses can be purchased from the City Clerk’s Offi ce, located at City Hall (118 W. Maple St.) — Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Prices are $10 for a spayed/neutered dog, or $30 for an unspayed/non-neutered dog. At the time of application, the owner or keeper must provide a certifi cate from a licensed veterinarian showing that the animal is currently vaccinated against rabies and that the animal has been spayed or neutered in order to qualify for the reduced license fee.

The license tag must be attached to the animal’s collar which

must be worn by the animal at all times, except when such animal is engaged in a hunt or a sanctioned show. Licenses are not transferable from one animal to another. Annual licenses may be transferred from the original owner to a new owner.

Persons who are low-income senior citizens or totally disabled as defi ned in CMC 13.04.025 may purchase a license for a $5 fee, and the license shall remain valid while the animal resides with the applicant.

Beginning February 1st, Centralia Police Department will be canvassing neighborhoods to identify non-licensed dogs and their owners. Owners of unlicensed dogs may be issued a warning before being fi ned. Fines range from $119 to $269 so you are encouraged to license your dog before January 31st.

The next time you’re out shopping, remember these

reasons why buying locally is best: Employment: Local businesses employ local people--your neighbors, your relatives, your friends and you. Taxes: When you shop locally, your purchasing dollars contribute to local sales tax and support property, school and payroll taxes. Quality: Local merchants care about their reputations. They want customers to be satisfi ed and will handle follow-up personally. Customer Service: Local merchants especially care about

their customers and often get to know them personally. Selection: Remember that you help create demand in your community for the products and services that you desire. Most merchants are pleased to help you with your selection, offer suggestions or place a special order. Economic Development: Your local spending dollar recirculates fi ve times throughout our community. Send it out of town and it is gone forever. Save Money and Time: Local merchants are only a local phone call away, and they compete locally, which makes it easier to comparison shop.

Community Interest and Support: Local businesses and corporations are major contributors to charities, nonprofi t organizations, schools, community organizations and churches right here in Centralia. Personal Service: When you need help deciding what to buy, local merchants gladly offer their advice and tell you about new products and services. Their expertise is at your disposal. Concern: You are more than a faceless voice on the phone or a number in a computer. Local merchants are glad to see you and say “hello.” Shop at your leisure knowing you are contributing in your own hometown.

Dog License Information

Buy Locally

Mayor’s Message2009 City Budget

Publication Information“Your City” is published six times per year

as a public service to the citizensof Centralia.

Writing and Research:Carol Hamilton • 330-7674

chamilton@cityofcentralia.com

Send Questions To:“Your City”PO BOX 609

Centralia, WA 98531

Centralia Community TelevisionLegislative Updates on Channel 3

Starting in mid-January, legislative updates will be shown several times a day following the regular broadcast of City Council meetings at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

Centralia’s HistoryOrdinance #158

June 1907

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to run any automobiles or

motorcycles upon any street, road or alley within the City limits at a greater speed than eight miles per hour. No person or persons riding an automobile or motorcycle shall pass any team of horses on any street or alley within the City limits at a greater speed than four miles per hour.