 "You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind."
-- Hillary DePiano --
(Click photo to watch video)
How do you get to the end of the year without reflecting on where you’ve been, and where you’re headed? No answer necessary – that was rhetorical! What a year it’s been at the City of Auburn – new beginnings for several on our City Council, a shifting landscape for Auburn businesses with plenty of new faces, and the end of an era for a certain downtown landmark.
Swearing in ceremony for Councilmembers Tracy Taylor, Clinton Taylor and Hanan Amer
We started 2024 by welcoming three new additions to our City Council – Councilmembers Tracy Taylor, Clinton Taylor, and Hanan Amer. Councilmember Cheryl Rakes, who was appointed to the seat Chris Stearns’ vacated in early 2023, also began her first elected term, and then was elected Deputy Mayor just a week ago. These four hit the ground running, shaping city policy over the past 12 months. A huge thank you to our council and amazing staff for holding special meetings throughout the year, diving deep into city governance and department-level specifics to help our newest members get up to speed quickly and efficiently.
The Human Services team out with HealthPoint doctors doing outreach
This year, we officially codified our two newest departments: Human Services and the Office of Equity, Engagement and Outreach. The work isn’t new, e just formalized their existence. With new staff hired, we’ve expanded efforts to connect hundreds of unhoused people with services and housing while fostering meaningful community connections through equity and engagement initiatives such as Safe Auburn: Community Conversations, which returns next month.
Game Farm Park Bridge
In Parks, Arts, and Recreation, we unveiled a new bridge connecting Game Farm and Game Farm Wilderness Park and opened Cedar Lanes Park’s pump track. For the first time, you can stroll from one park to the other over the White River without needing to use your car – pretty cool!
A Street Loop
We also opened a brand new stretch of road near A Street and Division that allows commuters heading south on A Street the chance to avoid busy intersections altogether!
Auburn Avenue Theater Demolition
Of course, we also said farewell to the Auburn Avenue Theater, a downtown landmark for over 100 years. Our cover story on the Auburn Magazine, which should hit mailboxes soon, tells the entire tale – from a bus depot to a live theater and now, a gravel lot. What’s next is special: a new theater and green space.
Not to leave on a sour note, downtown Auburn also welcomed new businesses, including Chaska Bar and Grill, and Happy Crab, which took over the old Sunbreak Café. Our Economic Development team sampled Happy Crab’s seafood boil, and it might just be the best in the county! I hope you have a chance to check it out yourself.
Seafood boil at Happy Crab
Thank you for reading this newsletter each week and allowing me the chance to communicate all the happenings in the city -- there's so much going on that at times it can seem overwhelming! And honestly, I could write for days about all of the things that happened this year and things I'm excited about next year -- like increased police hiring, further citywide outreach efforts, new events, and so much more! We'll have much more to share soon.
Clean Sweep 2024 group photo
Also a reminder -- City of Auburn buildings will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 1 in observance of the New Year holiday.
I hope you enjoyed 2024, and I hope you're looking forward to 2025! I know I am.
 Distributing holiday baskets and providing food to families in need has become an annual tradition in Auburn this time of year, and I'm so thankful to Debbie Christian and her staff at the Auburn Food Bank for leading that dream on Monday!
 Each year, without exception, this experience imparts a deeper understanding and heightened appreciation for the challenges many of us confront, whether acknowledged by others or not.
It takes a village to put on an annual event like this, and Debbie and her team have it down to an exact science. Together, we helped serve over 600 families!
Where would Auburn be without her? I don't even want to think about it!
 The cat is officially out of the bag -- longtime City of Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation Director Daryl Faber is retiring early next year, a decision he shared just a few weeks ago with myself and his incredible staff.
Daryl began his tenure as Parks Director at the City of Auburn way back in 2002.
 In that time, Daryl and Parks have accomplished so much, but I'll let the Auburn Reporter's story on Daryl take it from here.
I'll have much more to share as his final day with us approaches!
 I want to share a special thank you to Dana Hinman who’s retiring from the City of Auburn on December 31st. She’s spent her years in Auburn both behind the scenes and out front. She’s been a wonderful friend, coworker, cheerleader, motivator, morale booster, legislative/governmental focal and so much more than I can fully convey to you.
We’ve shared long days, late nights and lots of cold pizza as we worked on issues facing our beautiful city. I haven’t known my role as your mayor without Dana by my side! Saying I will miss her is an understatement. She has given her heart and soul to her home town, and I will miss her daily efforts to make sure we each had a smile on our face. I love you, Dana, and thank you, my dear friend!
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