I continue to spend a lot of my time getting out around the County and visiting with our employees. I enjoy learning about the work people are doing and understanding the breadth of service for our citizens. Since my last post, I have been to the STOP facility, the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Information Technology, the Deputy Sheriff’s Independent Guild, and will spend this afternoon at Remann Hall.
As an engineer, I readily admit that I am a bit of a wonk when it comes to machines and technology so it wouldn’t surprise you to know that visiting the Wastewater Treatment Plant was particularly interesting. I'm grateful to Sharon Surra and Amanda Summers from Public Works for the fascinating tour. The recent upgrade to the plant is remarkable, both the treatment processes and the volumes = 10+ million gallons per day. I was especially impressed by our staff, from the testing lab technicians, to the plant operators, and from the electricians to our construction management engineer.
They all have fantastic stories, too! Like this one from 2011…
Governor Jay Inslee stopped by the County-City Building this past Wednesday. The governor and I worked closely together on education issues during my time in the legislature and it was an honor to welcome him to Pierce County. We discussed many of the critical issues facing our County, including the completion of SR 167, growing family wage jobs and workforce development, and mental health and homelessness.
The conversation with Governor Inslee was especially timely as I had recently participated in the annual Point-in-Time Count of people experiencing homelessness. I was paired with outreach partners assigned to areas known among homeless veterans. While I was inspired to see the outreach teams in action, I came away even more committed to find ways to better serve the most vulnerable in our community, especially those who have served our country. You will hear more about this and other priorities at the State of the County address on March 15 at noon. Stay tuned for more details.
Thanks for reading,
