Month: May 2020

This is not the blog I had planned for today.  Normally, I work on these Thursday night - and many times Friday morning.  Well, today I called an audible because I wanted you to know what has gone on to prepare Pierce County to move to Phase 2 of the Governor’s newly announced Safe Start plan. First, I am very proud of how Pierce County has responded to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic – and by that, I mean our County-family, TPCHD, first responders, healthcare workers, and our residents – every one of them.  Together, we acted quickly, with smart policies, and our people took it seriously and acted responsibly. And it has made a big difference.  In the last three weeks, the rolling 7-day average of new cases…

However, this year it seems especially appropriate to broaden the rolls we remember on Memorial Day – to add in a few other heroes to the list of those we’ve lost this year. I had planned to be in Washington, D.C. earlier this month to memorialize Deputy Cooper Dyson’s service and sacrifice at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.  The pandemic changed all that.  While it delayed, it did not diminish the importance of honoring Deputy Dyson's sacrifice for our community.  So please remember him, and his family, this weekend.  #NeverForget. We also saw the emergence of another “battlefield” this year and should appropriately remember the service of those fighting on our behalf – and the heroes who have sacrificed their lives in that service. During the pandemic, frontline nurses, doctors…

I have enjoyed writing and sharing my blog with you over the last three years.  But, aside from the handful of replies or emails I receive in response to a post, this blog is a one-way dialogue.  That’s why I was excited to host our first-ever Employee Town Hall this week. I’m a big fan of town halls (in-person, tele, and virtual!) and hosted them quite a bit when I was in the Legislature.  I welcome the chance to share updates, hear concerns and respond to questions. But I was a little reluctant to hold one at Pierce County since so many of you work out in the field and may not have access to listen in and participate.  Well, the pandemic solved that issue with so many of you…

Although Cinco de Mayo didn’t have quite the same flair this year, there are plenty of other things to celebrate this month.  I looked up day and week commemorative events and learned Lumpy Rug Day was earlier this week and Water a Flower Day comes up later this month.  And, don’t forget you can observe National Salad Month in May, too! But, of all the commemorations this month, I’m glad that this week includes National Nurses’ Appreciation Day. Our healthcare providers are worthy of appreciation every day, of course, but the last few months have shown us over and over the devotion nurses have for their patients. Despite the risk to their lives, those healthcare providers don’t hesitate to suit up, don PPE and place themselves in harms’ way for…

Pierce County received $158 million in federal funds via the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act).  The law allocated the funds to local governments over 500,000 population, so we were one of only five in Washington State (others were King, Snohomish, Spokane counties and Seattle).   This funding came with three significant restrictions: Must be spent on COVID-related expenses. Must not be spent on currently budgeted items – can’t replace projected decreases in sales tax. Must be spent by December 31, 2020. Beyond that we have significant flexibility. The challenge is how best to use those funds, very quickly, to respond to the current emergency, prepare for a potential “second wave,” and help our community recover.  This presents a critical opportunity and challenge for us – in a…