Wendy Van Orman delivers state of city speech
Liberty Lake Mayor Wendy Van Orman gave a short, upbeat State of the City speech Friday during a small-business symposium at Itron, highlighting the accomplishments the city has made since it was formed but making few pronouncements about the future.
Since the city incorporated in 2001, the population has grown to about 7,500 within the city limits. The council has protected open spaces and critical areas and is taking steps toward becoming a green and sustainable community, Van Orman said. The city purchased Trailhead Golf Course to save it as open space and purchased a new City Hall. “As a council, we’ve been able to cut property taxes not once, but three times.”
The city also created its own Police Department, which now has nine officers. The city’s library has been hugely popular. “The library has received over 41,000 patron visits in 2007,” she said. “Our library is growing.”
Van Orman touched on the failure of the $9.8 million bond that would have paid for a new library and community center. “This facility was to address a level of service for the library,” she said. “We are addressing the needs with plan B.”
She touted the numerous residential development projects that have been built or are in the process of being constructed, including Bella Lago and Legacy Ridge, and the trails and parks in the city. Liberty Lake has its own Planning Commission and a Parks and Recreation Department.
“We became a full-service city,” she said. “We became a tree city, planting 1,000 trees.”
The mayor also noted the city’s strong business community, with about 260 businesses currently operating. The tax revenue from those businesses is what allows the city to provide quality public services, she said. “Retail represents the largest source of income for the city of Liberty Lake.”
Van Orman said she looks forward to working with other governments and agencies to improve Liberty Lake. “My primary goals are always collaborating with other cities,” she said. “Increased partnerships are the future of the community.
“Our state of the city is strong and getting stronger.”