Take the Public Safety Survey

The City Council is working to create a public safety plan to help combat the many challenges our city faces to reduce crime. The City Council is committed to keeping Covington safe and, over the past seven years, has increased spending on law enforcement by nearly $2 million.

The increase in public safety spending has helped hire additional officers and allowed us to expand our patrols but increasing by that amount is unsustainable with current revenues. The City is also dealing with challenges like lack of prosecution, program and budget cuts at the county and state levels, and public safety legislation that has impacted how officers can do their job.

The City Council is looking at all options to improve public safety, including looking for cost effective innovative ways to improve public safety.

• Some of the strategies and activities the City has already implemented include:CEPTD (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) Training
• Providing Theft Emphasis Patrols
• Hiring a Clean, Safe Welcome employee who assists with improving and cleaning up our "downtown" core
• Hiring a Community Care Specialist to help provide resources to vulnerable individuals in Covington who may be experiencing homelessness, mental illness, drug abuse, etc.
• Partnering with the Salvation Army Street Team

So, what ideas do you have? Can you think of other innovative and cost-effective ways we can improve public safety?

Take the Transportation Survey

Covington's street maintenance fund needs an additional $1.73 million annually to maintain our current level of pavement condition. Street maintenance includes pavement repair like asphalt overlays, sealcoats and crack sealing. Without routine and consistent maintenance, it would cost four to five times more to make repairs when street conditions become fair to worse.

As a community member, how do you view the city's street maintenance efforts? Are current conditions sufficient? Do we need to do more? How could we fund our deficits? Please complete the survey to let us know what you think.

City Commission Highlight:

Covington Economic Development Council

For any community to thrive, the economic well-being and quality of life for its residents is an important factor. Cities work toward this goal through economic development programs, policies, and activities which helps translate the community’s vision into reality by integrating the needs of residents and business with municipal goals. In Covington, the Covington Economic Development Council (CEDC) helps ensure that the city continuously strives to accomplish this.

CEDC’s overall purpose is to facilitate and encourage the development of economic opportunities and keep a pulse on current and potential businesses. The council was formed as an advisory body to the Covington City Council and the Covington Chamber of Commerce. The volunteer council is made up of business-minded community members with half being appointed by the City Council and the other half appointed by the Chamber of Commerce.

CEDC responsibilities include:

·        Promoting business in Covington

·        Meet with and keep a pulse on Covington businesses

·        Review/investigate economic development opportunities that will benefit our local economy

·        Present an action plan for achieving economic priorities

·        Review and recommend policies, regulations, and procedures regarding business issues

·        Coordinate efforts with other economic development groups in the region

·        Review and recommend options for downtown improvements and enhancements

·        Pursue economic development grants

·        And more

Some of the exciting projects CEDC has worked on over the past several years include city branding, development of a city mascot, supporting small business marketing campaigns with grant funding, implementing the Ready Set Play program, hosting business breakfasts and business summits, and working to better understand business public safety issues.

Learn more about the Covington Economic Development Council by clicking here.

READY SET PLAY A SUCCESS:

Free Summer Program Comes to an End

Covington's popular summer program Ready Set Play had an amazing summer! This free program is put on through a partnership with the City and the Covington Chamber of Commerce with the main goal to get kiddos out and active during the summer time! 

This year, we had over 500 kiddos participate in the program and collect Brag Tags that can be earned from participating local businesses by completing a fun activity like drawing, reading, hiking, going to a playground, designing a pizza, voting, doing a scavenger hunt, playing a board/card game, and more.

Any kiddos who collect all 23 Brag Tags are eligible to pick up the ultimate prize pack for their efforts! Pick-up is located at Covington City Hall during regular business hours and is available until Sept. 30 or as supplies last. Prize packs may include free swim passes, a $50 savings account credit, a Crumbl Cookie coupon, Chick fil-A kids' meal coupon, coloring supplies, beach balls, brain teaser games, and entry into drawings for items like an Aquatics Youth Membership, Mariners tickets, bicycles, birthday party, gift baskets, and more! So far, we've had over 150 kiddos earn their prize pack and there is still two weeks left for pick up!

Although the program is over for this year, you can learn more about Ready Set Play on our website at www.covingtonwa.gov/readysetplay. We will be back next summer!

Special thanks go out to all 23 participating businesses and Brag Tag stops, as well as our program and prize pack sponsors including MultiCare/Mary Bridge, Red Canoe Credit Union, the Covington Aquatic Center, Crumbl Cookie, Valley Medical, Chick fil-A, Re/Max Northwest Tanya Neilsen-Lester, RE/MAX Choice Executives Laura Roth, and Thrive Community Fitness.