Month: August 2019

As I’ve mentioned in this blog many times, I’m a boat guy. I love being on the water.  Whether as a kid sailing with my family, during my time in the Navy, or in the San Juan Islands with my family this summer.  While I believe any day on the water is better than any day on land, I also have a serious respect for the sea – including the waters of Puget Sound.  The key to a safe and successful voyage is to always have the right sized boat for the trip – especially when you confront a storm. Recently, my wife Lauren and I, along with Bosco, were out on Eld Inlet in a 10-foot rowboat when the wind picked up – a little over 10 knots.  This…

I toured a fascinating new facility in Pierce County this week. You may have noticed a big, white cube on the outskirts of Fircrest.  Thanks to the Economic Development Board (EDB), Chair Richardson, Councilmember Morell and I had the chance to peek inside the building. The building, owned and managed by NewCold, is a cold storage facility that houses seafood and produce.  Their primary customer is Trident Seafoods, one of the largest companies that fish in Alaska. NewCold is based in The Netherlands and the Tacoma location is its first in the United States. They also have a Burley, Idaho facility that focuses on potatoes – naturally! I was thrilled to hear company officials talk about how their search for a site south of Seattle led them to Pierce County.…

You’ve probably heard the stories of victims who unwittingly become trapped in human trafficking schemes. Sometimes, a victim of trafficking is a vulnerable person trying to escape a difficult or dangerous life in their homeland. They fall prey to false promises of help, a job and a fresh start. Or, the victim could be a young girl who decides to run away from home, thinking that life with a charming man who showers her with gifts is sincere in his attention.  The tragic reality is that he is grooming her for an unspeakable life forced into sex work and torn away from her friends and family. Sadly, Pierce County is an especially attractive region for trafficking due to our proximity to an international airport and the Pacific Rim. In fact,…

I first learned of a problem with the Steilacoom/Anderson Island ferry service at 7:23 on Sunday night. Fresh off my own vacation, my mind immediately went to the folks spending a beautiful weekend on the island and wondering whether they could get home. At 9:37 p.m., Toby Rickman of Planning and Public Works called with an update. Two of the three hinges on the ramp apron on the Anderson Island ferry dock had failed and we could not safely load cars on or off the ferry. Pierce County engineers recognized repairing the 13-ton ramp would require a specialty marine contractor. I initiated an emergency contract to conduct the repair without delay. I anticipated a repair of that magnitude would take some time and it was possible that the island would…

Did you know that in Pierce County we have 330,000 properties on our tax rolls that generate about $1.4 billion each year?  And, were you aware that the Assessor-Treasurer’s (ATR) office collects taxes on behalf of 75 taxing districts in the County? I recently had the chance to learn all about how the ATR team of appraisers determines the value of any given property.  My tour was especially timely as the updated property value statements were recently sent out to property owners. Come ride along as Skylar Wicklander teaches me the art and science of appraising! https://youtu.be/-33RwAX_C-s My thanks to Mike Lonergan, our Assessor-Treasurer, and Skylar, for their willingness to take us behind the scenes as they ensure the taxed properties in Pierce County are accurately appraised and assessed. Have…