Yakima Chamber Members Hear the State of the City

Some 150 people attended the monthly luncheon put on by the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce. Today the members heard from Yakima Mayor Micah Cawley, along with fellow council members Maureen Atkisson, Dave Ettl, Sara Bristol and Kathy Coffey.  City manager Tony O'Rourke was also in attendance but the council members did most of talking.  Each council member chairs one of the cities five committees and each gave a report on each committee.  Mayor Cawley said "in the past the city has had several committees.  Now,  because of a citizen survey , the city has five committees  focusing on five key issues."  "Those are public safety, economic developement, public trust and accountability, built envirornment and partnership developement."   Cawley says it's in those area that the city will focus it's time and resources.  The council had high praise for new city manager Tony O'Rourke for setting priorities for the city.  Cawley says with O'Rourke's leadership the city went from having a 9 percent reserve fund to a 16 percent reserve fund.