Month: June 2020

Lots of questions This week I gathered with hundreds of you at our second Town Hall.  Many thanks to those of you who took the time to submit questions and participate. There were many questions about the practices and protocols we’re putting in place as we begin to reopen some portions of the County.  You can hear about that and more in the replay below. Given the timing of the Town Hall, one thing I couldn’t address at that point is that we plan to apply with the state Department of Health for a variance to Phase 2.5.  The Board of Health is scheduled to meet on July 1, our Council will take a vote, and I plan to submit the official application as soon as possible after that. Our…

Some Good News From the pandemic to the daily protests rightly demanding equality and justice, we’ve been surrounded by a lot of unhappiness, grief and fear, lately.  While it’s important to be mindful of the events around us, I thought I’d catch my breath in this week’s blog. How about some good news? You may have watched an episode of John Krasinski’s Some Good News series online.  While I can’t reunite the actors from The Office or assemble the original cast of Hamilton, I can share a few things that have warmed my heart. Have you heard we’ve been handing out PPE (personal protection equipment) to local businesses, nonprofits and houses of worship?  I’ve had the opportunity to see the gratitude and joy on the faces of the thousands of…

In case we haven’t met yet, I’m the new director of the Office of Disaster Recovery and I’m honored to draw on my background as an Army general, business leader and physician to help the County recover from the impact of the pandemic. I could almost hear the collective sighs of relief and shouts of joy last Friday as Pierce County received the State’s approval to move into Phase 2 of the COVID-19 phased reopening.  Our residents were understandably tired of being confined and restricted and felt that they were being “set free.” But that “freedom” comes with some conditions and responsibilities.  The responsible actions of Pierce County residents during Phase 1 led to dramatic reductions in the number of COVID-19 cases – in large part due to reduced person-to-person…

We have all seen the protest signs this week – and some of you may have even carried them.  The one that hit closest to home for me was “No Justice, No Peace.”  It was on the back seat of a local business owner’s car.  I asked if she had been to a protest or was going to a protest?  Her response – both. The core of what we do as county government is focused on delivering justice and preserving peace.  From our judges to our Clerk’s Office, from the Prosecutor’s office to the Department of Assigned Counsel, from our patrol deputies to our Corrections staff – and all the departments that directly support them – we are all about justice and peace. That is why the horrific murder of George Floyd at the hands of those called to…