City, UW ready to do livability projects

The University of Washington and the City of Auburn are about to form a partnership that creates a program setting UW students and faculty across multiple disciplines onto livability projects here for an entire year.

The University of Washington and the City of Auburn are about to form a partnership that creates a program setting UW students and faculty across multiple disciplines onto livability projects here for an entire year.

On Monday evening, Aug. 29, the Auburn City Council votes on its part of the formal master agreement. When that agreement becomes effective Sept. 28, more formal discussions about project selections can start. The pilot year program ends on Sept. 27, 2017.

Jenna Leonard, who works in Environmental Services for the City of Auburn, is coordinating the Livable City Year Program here. Last Monday she assured City leaders that the City’s total financial obligation for the program will not exceed $100, 000.

For several weeks Leonard has been working with department directors and their project managers at the staff level, and they have provided her with projects they say should be a good fit.

On Monday, Leonard said the list had been reduced from 49 to up to 25 such projects, among them:

• Auburn urban artists in action: Creating public murals in various parts of the city, using local young people to decrease graffiti and increase youth engagement.

• Community Development Block Grant planning: As a recipient of CDBG funds, every five years the City must complete a plan made up of an assessment of needs and a five-year plan showing how to address the needs of the City. One potential student project would be a full assessment of the City’s needs and the potential projects for which the City could ask for funding.

The list has been forwarded to professors at the UW to review and to align the needs of the City with the university.

Each project that makes the final cut, Leonard said, will be accompanied by a formal, written scope of work. The associated director and the professors who will lead the courses are to review the final projects.

Leonard said two celebratory events have been incorporated into the program: the first on Oct. 6 at the UW; the second, a celebration of achievements, she has tentatively scheduled for May in Auburn.