INSIDE | Pedestrian struck by car, injured on South 212th Street [3]
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KENT
Community | Volunteers place holiday wreaths at Tahoma National Cemetery [2]
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015
Kent aims to run more efficiently with Performance Project BY STEVE HUNTER
Derek Matheson, city chief administrative officer, explained the details behind the Kent Performance Project at a Dec. 8 council workshop. “I’ve been here about 16 months and we are doing a lot of great things as an organization,”
shunter@kentreporter.com
Kent city leaders hope to see the city operate more efficiently over the next several years if a new performance project accomplishes its goals.
said Matheson, hired by Kent from the city of Covington. “Lean is becoming part of the culture – at least in some of our departments. Our respect program is well known throughout the organization. But we want to do a better job of leadership develop-
ment, performance measurement and resident engagement.” Matheson said as the city anticipates future budget shortfalls it will address whether to increase revenue and decrease expenses but, “We can become more efficient and that’s what performance
is all about.” City leaders agreed staff are doing excellent work, but departments can operate even better. “All of our efforts are kind of organic – operating on their own [ more PERFORMANCE page 4 ]
City finalizes funding for South 228th Street overpass BY STEVE HUNTER shunter@kentreporter.com
time to put some procedures into place so everyone was real clear.” The policy and procedure
After numerous detours, stops and wrong ways, the city of Kent finally finalized funding to build another overpass to separate vehicles and trains along South 228th Street. Crews will begin work next year on the estimated $25 million project expected to be completed in 2018 over the Union Pacific tracks. But it wasn’t until the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Executive Board approved a $3 million grant on Dec. 3 that the financial package Higgins finally fell into place. “The right outcome took place – thank goodness,” Kent City Councilman Dennis Higgins said at the council’s Public Works Committee meeting on Dec. 7. “We have been waiting for this for some time. It would have really been a shame to see this collapse at the 11th hour.” City officials started to sweat a bit after a PSRC Regional Staff Committee recommended on Oct. 15 that Kent not receive the grant because the project had not advanced since the regional council first approved the grant in 2012.
[ more TRANSGENDER page 5 ]
[ more OVERPASS page 4 ]
Undaunted Deedee Wiley, left, and other supporters accompany Zachary Heckinger along Russell Road as the Santa-clad, 7-year-old Kent boy begins the Christmas Rush Fun Run/Walk at Hogan Park last Saturday morning.
Heckinger joined a large field for the traditional run. Heckinger completed the rain-soaked 5-kilometer run in 47 minutes, 31 seconds. Story, more photos, page 10. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter
Kent School District to formalize transgender student policy BY HEIDI SANDERS hsanders@kentreporter.com
The Kent School Board is expected in January to adopt a policy and procedure concern-
ing transgender students. Randy Heath, the district’s executive director of student and family support services, said the proposed policy is in line with how the district
currently handles transgender students. “There are a number of transgendered students in the Kent School District at all levels,” Heath said. “It was a good
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