Not this time

Not this time

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I did something this week that I rarely do – I vetoed a piece of legislation that came to me from the Council. In the nearly 7 years I’ve held this office I have only used my veto on 7 occasions, including this week’s veto. So, why did I do it? Context is important, so remember that housing affordability and chronic homelessness are two significant challenges facing our community. We need more than 50,000 affordable homes for our low- and lower-income neighbors.  Additionally, hundreds of people are dying on our streets trapped in addiction and untreated mental illness.  Last fall, the Council adopted a wide range of updates for our residential development regulations and created several new types of uses and housing types including shared housing. (I recently visited a…
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Back to school

Back to school

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With our typical glorious August weather, I like many of you are looking forward to a few days away from work - to rest and relax!  But I am reminded that many in our community are ramping up to a new school year.  Educating our children and young adults is one of the most important jobs in our community, and I’m grateful for the instructors, teachers, professors, administrators, custodians, and staff who are making final preparations for classes to begin! Getting our youngest learners off to the strongest possible start is essential.  And that responsibility falls to the many preschool programs throughout the County.  (Just last night, my family was singing the praises of “Teacher Vera” - the preschool teacher for my 33-year-old son who is getting married tomorrow!)  Children…
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Get lost!

Get lost!

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Peaceful Chambers Creek Canyon While I love our community year-round, there is little doubt that our spectacular outdoors shine especially bright in the summer!  There is so much to do and enjoy! My summer weekends are packed with people and activity, and I wish I could fit even more in.   Summer weather is great for being on the water, walking our communities, hiking our hills and Mount Rainier is always beckoning.  Not to mention all the festivals and celebrations throughout the County! So, here’s my challenge for you.  Break out of your summer routine enough to try something new our community has to offer!  Slow down and take a few minutes to lose yourself in this amazing place we live.  Are you up for it? To help jumpstart the…
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Staying the course

Staying the course

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Community First! Village in Austin, Texas It’s been a while since I’ve written about the Piece County Village project and with the Council currently considering legislation regarding shared housing development regulations next week, I thought this would be a good time to provide you an update. As you may recall, the Village is based on the Austin-based Community First! Village, a proven and effective model to restore people trapped in chronic homelessness with untreated addiction and mental illness. Just like in Austin, the residents of Pierce County’s Village would get critically needed treatment, work onsite in micro-enterprises and pay rent, all while finding hope again through community.       On March 21, the County Council approved funding for the Village, passed a related land use development regulation and enabled the County to enter into a public-private…
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Two thumbs up!

Two thumbs up!

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Just before the pandemic, my family gave me a Concept2 rowing machine to encourage me to be healthier.  Little did I realize at the time that it would become a regular part of my routine.  For the last three years, I've been getting up at 5:00 a.m. to go into my basement, strap into my rowing machine, and pull for about 10,000 meters.  Earlier this month, I passed the “6 million meters rowed" milestone! Since it takes me around an hour to row my 10K, the mathematicians will soon realize my 6M milestone equates to about 600 hours on the rower!  Rowing is one of the best full body workouts, but it is very repetitive.  To stay focused while rowing, I watch movies on my tablet - and I’ve watched…
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Staying afloat

Staying afloat

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As an avid boater and former Naval officer, I can tell you that it takes a lot to keep a boat in good repair.  Having your boat work properly when you are on the water is essential - first and foremost for the safety of those on board.  The marine environment is challenging - think about driving your car with the road constantly moving. And how about driving into your garage where the height of the entrance is 18 feet higher than when you left earlier in the day? (The Steilacoom dock saw a nearly 19-foot tidal change from 12:57 p.m. to 8:31 p.m. on the Fourth of July!). And don’t get me started on corrosion - where the salt water is constantly trying to destroy your boat! Finally, think…
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Have you caught the bug?

Have you caught the bug?

Executive
It seems everywhere I go I hear people talking about pickleball!  You, too? Pickleball is decades old, but it seems to be exploding right now.  Did you hear that pickleball was made the official sport of Washington State?  This YouTube video about the 5 Stages of Pickleball seems to really hit the mark! https://youtu.be/tYX5l6js01U I’m for anything that helps people improve their health, get away from screens and interact with people in-person!  So, I gave it a try. Pickleball is a great sport that people of nearly any age can play.  It’s easy to learn and you can have fun from your very first game.  In fact, I put my novice pickleball skills to work against one of the sport’s most loyal fans – Chris Egan of KING-5 Sports!  Chris…
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Common ground

Common ground

Executive
I have been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while.  I will be hosting four of my classmates from the U.S. Naval Academy, including three from out of state.  The weather looks to be fantastic for showing off Puget Sound!  But it will be more about sharing our experiences since we left Annapolis 40 years ago.  Two were in destroyers, two were on submarines, and I was an engineer.  Two served careers in the Navy and one became the first Filipino admiral! That sense of common background and connection is part of the impetus for creating the County’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) program. I mentioned in this blog a few weeks ago that we had launched groups aligned with employees who are Veterans, Hispanic/Latine, LGBTQ+ and African American/Black.…
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Back to giving

Executive
I am very used to debates, but it is generally over policy or budget priorities.  Wednesday, my left arm was the subject.  Sunny was carefully weighing which of my big veins she was going to use to collect a pint of blood. I was very happy to be one of the nearly 50 donors at this week’s mobile blood drive at the County-City Building (CCB) - the first we have hosted since the pandemic.  And it could not have come at a better time.  Not only was it World Blood Donation Day on Wednesday, but summer activities drive up the need for blood products by 30%!  Plus, the rules for who can donate have recently changed, so even more people can help out our community by extending their arms! We…
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A window into our work

A window into our work

Executive
  I really enjoy getting out to see first-hand the work you and your County colleagues do.  The only thing that makes it better is when I can share these experiences with our residents.  That is why we started the video series "Inside Pierce County."  I wanted to offer our community a look behind the scenes at our work on their behalf. So far we have shot more than two dozen episodes, taking viewers to the Sheriff’s evidence room, an autopsy, a fire investigation, out plowing snow, and many more places.  I hope you’ve watched at least a few of them! And video is a great way to showcase your work.  We can tell your story in a way that is both visually interesting, educational and fun for the viewer. …
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Heart and Seoul

Heart and Seoul

Executive
It all started with a long-distance phone call between two brothers, comparing notes about what was going on at work. It turns out that GuHun Kwon, a Case Manager in our Medicaid Case Management program, has a brother, GuTaek, in Seoul, South Korea, who works as a Director of a Social Services Center.  Their conversations eventually led to a delegation of 8 leaders from Yangcheon-Gu, South Korea, “stopping by” Tacoma to meet with Pierce County Human Services after a tour of similar programs in Canada. Yangcheon is a district (or “Gu”) of Seoul, South Korea.  Its population is 439,000, and it covers just over 6.7 square miles (for a population density of 70,000 residents/sq. mile).  Compared to Pierce County, with its population of 921,000 and 1670 square miles (a density…
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Taking time

Taking time

Executive
During Monday’s New Employee Orientation, one of our new prosecuting attorneys shared a little about her family.  With two little ones at home, she welcomed the opportunity at Pierce County, to “just” manage a caseload and not be supervising anyone else.  At some point in the future, she might be interested in a formal leadership position, but not right now. I appreciated her comments.  We all have issues in our personal lives, and ideally, we can harmonize them with our professional responsibilities. Right now, I am dealing with a very difficult phase of my life.  My brother-in-law is in the final stage of a decade-long battle with cancer.  Thinking about my sister and her family, I knew that I needed to be there to support them.  Our team at the…
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Solemn responsibilities

Solemn responsibilities

Executive
  On Monday, I joined the Sheriff and several deputies in Washington, D.C. for the 42nd Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol.  This event honored 443 law enforcement officers who had lost their lives in service to their communities.  Pierce County Deputies Dom Calata and Daryl Shuey were among those being memorialized. Our deputies were representing the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department as well as the larger Pierce County law enforcement family.  I was there bearing witness on behalf of the rest of our County colleagues and all the residents of our County.  We remembered Dom and Daryl and stood by and supported their families.  It was powerful and important - and I hope Pierce County never has cause to be there again. [embedyt]…
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All of us

All of us

Executive
I’ve previously mentioned in the blog that one of the highlights of my week is attending the Monday New Employee Orientation.  Meeting our newest colleagues is inspiring! I always enjoy the comments and perspectives of people who have chosen to contribute to our work, and this week’s conversation did not disappoint. In this week’s call we had folks with ties to the Stadium District, Spanaway, Saipan and Saudi Arabia, among many other places.  Their previous work experience ranged from consulting engineering to immigration law, from Costco to teaching in Hawaii, and from a mental health crisis responder to caring for our most challenged children. This exceptional group of new colleagues are working throughout the County, from the Sewer Division to Environmental Education, from the Clerk’s Office to IT, from Aging &…
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Elbow room

Elbow room

Executive
I hope you read yesterday’s announcement that we are planning to buy a downtown Tacoma building so that we can finally implement our long-planned Justice Center initiative in the County-City Building (CCB). The CCB was constructed in 1959 and originally housed nearly all the County’s operations, as well as those of the City of Tacoma - hence the name County-City Building. As our population grew, the need for our county services grew too.  Courts expanded in the CCB, and other departments were moved out to other leased locations.  The City of Tacoma moved out to their current municipal building (originally built in 1931) in 1977, leaving their court and related services behind.   [caption id="attachment_3999" align="aligncenter" width="779"] The newly built County-City Building - note the old courthouse is still standing.[/caption] Fast…
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Found the Fountain of Youth

Found the Fountain of Youth

Executive
OK, so I didn’t find an actual fountain, like the explorer Ponce De Leon (some researchers believe he never even actually searched for the Fountain of Youth), but I do know one way to help keep me young. Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young,” and I have found that to be true in my personal and work life. I make it a priority to encourage our colleagues to learn professionally and personally as well. Just this week, I welcomed employees to two “Government to Government: Tribal Relations” classes and celebrated with the most recent graduates of our leadership certification programs! And today, I am heading to Everett to learn more about our ferry, the Steilacoom II,…
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YOU’LL LIKE PIERCE COUNTY

YOU’LL LIKE PIERCE COUNTY

Executive
Tacoma has two popular slogans, one of which is "The City of Destiny," which originated from being chosen as the western terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad's transcontinental railroad in 1873. The other slogan, "You'll Like Tacoma," was introduced at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909 as a publicity tool and is still popular today despite it no longer standing. It’s a great reminder that Tacoma and Pierce County have a lot to offer.   I was reminded of that fact last Friday when I stopped by Sprinker Recreation Center for our countywide career fair. This year the career fair represented over 25 departments/divisions, and featured on-site interviews, a family-friendly facility, and translation services in Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, Korean, Samoan, and Vietnamese. I was proud to see so many of our employees…
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A gold medal volunteer

A gold medal volunteer

Executive
Every year we honor the amazing people who freely give of their time and talent to benefit our residents.  In fact, this Saturday we are honoring nearly 50 people who give back to our youth, teach us gardening, care for our environment, are prepared for emergencies, and much more.  The annual Volunteer Recognition Brunch is one of my favorite events because it reminds me of what really makes our community so special - the people. One of the people we are honoring may be familiar to those of you who have lived in the region for quite a while.  I was in awe of the incredible achievements of the young boxers from the Tacoma Boys Club. Leo Randolph grew up in Tacoma and attended Wilson (now Silas) High School in…
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A cold, wet day

A cold, wet day

Executive
April weather in Pierce County can be wild!  It clearly lives up to the old adage, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change.”  Last Saturday, we saw blustery winds, hail, drenching rain, sunshine, and cold temperatures alternating throughout the day!  I was in Wilkeson, but my thoughts were with those participating in the Daffodil Parade! Why was I up in Wilkeson?  I was invited to speak at an event hosted by the Pierce Conservation District, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), our Department of Emergency Management (DEM), the Buckley Fire Department, East Pierce Fire & Rescue, Orting Fire & Rescue, the US Forest Service, the US Geological Survey (USGS), the WSU Master Gardeners, the Friends of the Carbon River Canyon, and the Tacoma-Pierce…
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It’s a dirty job

Executive
Where does the rainwater that hits our streets go? Most people never give it a second thought because it just “disappears” into the ground.  If they do think about it, it is generally in the Fall, when we must keep catch basins (those grates at the side of the road that bicyclists need to avoid) clear of leaves to avoid flooding at intersections and in neighborhoods.  Only the very rare resident ever wonders what is IN the water that drains into those catch basins. Well, what’s in the runoff from our roads is nasty!  There are oils, tire rubber and brake dust from cars and trucks, plus dirt, leaves, litter, and worms! And we have 28,000 catch basins and other structures that collect it - yes, that is not a…
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