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It was about a year ago that Liberty Lake Mayor Wendy Van Orman presented a state of the city address at the headquarters of Itron, one of the acknowledged business pillars in Spokane County’s easternmost community.
At the time, Van Orman spoke of the contributions made by the host corporation as well as companies like Telect, Agilent, Spokane Teachers Credit Union and Huntwood that call Liberty Lake home. The salute to local commerce came as little surprise considering the fact that sales and property tax revenue accounted for 64 percent of the city’s operating budget over the previous year.
Last week, Van Orman was back at the podium, this time at a site still working to establish itself as one of Liberty Lake’s commercial landmarks.
In the second installment of a series sponsored by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce titled “Spotlight on Cities,” Van Orman spoke of Liberty Lake’s past, present and future at the Valley HUB, a multipurpose recreational center located near the city’s western boundary with Spokane Valley.
Prior to Van Orman’s speech, Rick O’Connor, president of the HUB’s board of directors, read a prepared statement by the facility’s executive director Steve Becker thanking the chamber and Van Orman for holding the event at the HUB. Becker acknowledged the 67,000-square-foot venue “continues to face an uphill battle, but has opportunities like never before.”
In March, the Liberty Lake City Council pledged $30,000 to the HUB to help with general promotion and marketing. The facility is still working to generate funds to cover a $5 million purchase price.
“We’re fortunate to have a sports venue like the HUB in this community,” Van Orman said. “We need to keep it here.”
Unlike the first “Spotlight on Cities” presentation, in which Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson spoke before a formal luncheon crowd at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, Liberty Lake’s rendition of the event featured a more casual theme with representatives from local companies like Avista, Costco and the University of Phoenix setting up booths prior to Van Orman’s presentation.
The goal, according to chamber president Eldonna Shaw, was “to bring attention to area businesses while emphasizing the goals and priorities of Liberty Lake.”
That list of civic achievements wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated efforts of municipal staff and the City Council, Van Orman said.
“Without them, the city would not have gone as far as it has today,” the mayor said.
Van Orman took over as mayor in January of 2008 after a close race with Steve Peterson, who served from 2001 to 2007. She is now one of only three original members of Liberty Lake’s governing board going back to incorporation in 2001. Judi Owens and David Crump are the other two.
Van Orman pointed to the new home of the municipal library and city police department as one of the most significant accomplishments of the past year. After a $9.8 million capital improvement bond – which would have provided funding for a new library and city center – failed at the ballot last March, city leaders regrouped and settled on the purchase of a 37,400-square-foot warehouse as the site of the library and police precinct.
The city paid just under $2 million to purchase the building and set aside another $675,000 for renovation costs.
The library celebrated its open house this March while the police department moved into their new home about a month later.
In other capital improvement news, Liberty Lake continues to work on Rocky Hill Park, a new greenspace in the eastern portion of the city. Improvements to the baseball field at Pavillion Park and a new skate park, expected to be ready this year, were also part of the construction agenda.
While Van Orman acknowledged that the national recession did have an impact on the community, she emphasized that Liberty Lake continues bring in new business. Some 175,000 square feet of commercial space was added in the city in 2008.
Liberty Lake, Van Orman said, will stay focused on its commitment to “think green.” City Hall has replaced all its light bulbs with energy efficient fixtures and plans to distribute canvass shopping bags to 2,500 homes this year. In addition to featuring an abundance of bike paths and walking trails, Liberty Lake was honored in 2008 with the designation as an official “Tree City” for the sixth year in a row.
Van Orman applauded citizens for helping their neighbors in challenging times such as last winter’s snowstorm and encouraged residents to take an active role in improving their community.
“Without our citizens, we couldn’t form a vision for Liberty Lake,” Van Orman said. “We talk about others stepping up to the plate, but we all can help by joining a volunteer organization or being a mentor. We all need to become involved.”
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By
Craig Howard
