A soft but steady rain bathed the landscaped gardens around the Dumas Bay Center and lent a somber tone to the proceedings within Banquet Room #3.

Inside, local government was taking its job seriously.

On Saturday, January 28, the city council, along with the mayor, interim city manager, and seven department heads, gathered for an all-day strategic planning retreat. Seated around tables placed in a square, the participants faced one another and key questions about the future of Federal Way.

On the agenda were mediated discussions about visions, goals, the 2007 budget and city center redevelopment. Also discussed at length were two topics important to residents in the short term: potential annexations to the city and public safety; i.e., the FWPD.

The annexations would include three areas: Starlake, Camelot and the area around Lake Geneva, west of Military Road and north of 352nd.

If voters are to decide yea or nay on the annexations on the November ballot, a filing with the King County Boundary Review Board must occur by May 2006.

At the retreat, the city council spoke their varying opinions on the topic, as well as listened to what the department heads had to say.

Linda Kochmar said it would behoove the city to wait until current legislation in the Washington State Senate is decided.

One of the pieces of current legislation Kochmar referred to is Senate Bill 5334-S, which calls for a voter-approved short-term surtax on utility services to pay for the annexation.

In exchange for having their municipal services provided by the City of Federal Way, rather than King County, residents of the annexed areas would pay more for their utilities.

"Because utility taxes are paid by property owners and renters alike, the legislature believes that a temporary surtax will spread the burden upon all residents in annexation areas," explains the digest text of the bill, easily accessible on the Washington State Legislature's website at www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature.

"Another bill in front of the Senate would provide cities with a sales tax credit of two tenths of one percent, that would be $2.88 million per year for ten years to offset the cost of annexation of $1.1 million," said Kochmar.

"I don't feel we are sure about the level of interest of the residents to be annexed," Kochmar added. "I suggest we wait to see which bills are passed, and then make a decision. It's not equitable to expect the people on the west side of the freeway to unfairly pay. And to make a decision without more of the annex residents' input."

Mostly residential, the annex areas would add 13,000 people to the city of Federal Way. Council member Eric Faison remarked that it's often with pride that city officials point out that the city is the seventh largest in Washington State.

Annexation would propel the city near the 100,000 mark, bumping it to number six and surpassing Everett.

The city's Public Works director, Cary Roe, urged the council to remember that his staff is working in conjunction with King County and the city of Auburn on a pilot project that would set common development standards, so if and when the areas are annexed, and as development occurs in those areas, it would match standards met by Federal Way all along.

"We want to help currently unincorporated areas figure out the deficiencies in their services," said Roe, "and play an active role in encouraging residents to support annexation."

Independent mediator Jim Reid recorded that it was the decision of the city council to table the issue until learning the decisions of the Senate.

Next the forum members turned to the pressing question of what to do about the police department, specifically its chronic understaffing issue.

Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick described to the group that although on paper it looks like she has enough sworn officers to meet the needs of the city, in reality it will take ten more full-time officers to bring the department up to optimum performance.

"I have three vacancies, and on top of that I have officers on military and sick leave, and six still in the academy," said Kirkpatrick.

"At the start of each day, I need at least seven officers, ten would be optimal, for each of the six squads. Day after day, I'm coming up short. It's a constant shell game," declared the chief of police.

The officers that report for duty often find themselves working more than they should.

Consequentially, Federal Way has a high turnover rate, the highest vacancy rate and one of the lowest retention amongst 11 nearby agencies, including Everett, Olympia, Yakima and Renton.

Council member Jack Dovey wondered why this is so.

"Is it a matter of salary? Because if just $94 separates Kent, and us, are there other reasons for low retention?" asked Dovey.

How could the department raise the quality of the work environment?

"If I am given appropriations now, to get us to full staffing, in 2007 we won't be playing catch up constantly like we are now," said Kirkpatrick.

There is a long lag time between when a potential officer is hired and when that officer hits the street in a Federal Way police car.

"If I hire someone January 1st, that officer is not on duty until October 1st," Kirkpatrick said.

The chief went on to say that for every one new hire, 60-80 people are interviewed. It costs the city $85,000 for each new officer, including training and equipment.

To fill the ten current vacancies, the department will end up seeing 600-800 candidates. Apparently there are not too many officers, be they new recruits or lateral hires, veterans transferring from another agency, excited about joining the FWPD.