Month: March 2024

I recently had the chance to go behind the scenes in a place I hope you will never see – behind the bars of our jail! The Pierce County Jail is made up of both the “old jail” and the “new jail” - and operates like a self-contained city. The jail has a medical facility, a dentist, laundry, kitchen, mental healthcare, and training facilities for Corrections Deputies. Minus the inmates, it reminded me a little of shipboard life in the Navy. A little bit of background on the “County Jail."  Our jail is responsible for detaining adult inmates who are awaiting trial and before sentencing.  If the inmate is charged with a misdemeanor, the city or county bringing the charges pays for the confinement.  For the more serious felony charges,…

Last week, I went to Open Pierce County to find an answer I needed to know - but was concerned by what I would find.  Last year when I had checked the Medical Examiner’s data on fatal accidental drug overdoses in Pierce County, it showed nearly one resident dying per day in 2022 (363 total deaths).  As I feared, 2023 was even worse with a total of 439 deaths.  These horrific increases are driven primarily by the scourge of fentanyl - with nearly 8 in 10.  Fentanyl is so deadly and hard to detect, many are dying without ever knowing they took fentanyl.  It kills across all demographics. So, when Clover Park School District Ron Banner invited me to a private screening of his students’ Fentanyl Awareness videos, I was…

How many lawyers does it take to ensure our community has adequate access to legal representation?  (No, that is not the lead into a joke!) The short answer is, more than we have in Pierce County today. Those of you who have lived in Pierce County for many years will remember the 1970’s when the University of Puget Sound was home to a well-regarded law school. UPS sold it to Seattle University in 1994 who subsequently moved it up north in 1999.  That was a dark day for our community.  Having a local law school, where residents from our region can be educated and trained to serve our community is very important - and this comes from an engineer.  But, data shows Tacoma is the largest city in the U.S.…

I stopped by yesterday’s Career Fair, and I left in such an upbeat, positive mood! The Pioneer Park Pavilion in Puyallup was the perfect setting for this year’s hiring event – it was buzzing with eager job seekers and enthusiastic County employees. The Career Fairs held in previous years have been great events, but this year’s Fair took it to a whole new level!  Nearly 200 people came to the Fair. They were joined by a photographer taking pictures for updated resumes, staff members holding on-the-spot interviews and several key coworkers available to provide attendees even more ways to find their new job. In addition, nine community partners hosted tables, including the Puyallup and Nisqually tribes, WorkSource, Goodwill, Tacoma Community House and MultiCare.  An impressive 19 Pierce County divisions and departments…

Time and time again in my life I have seen the power of a fresh perspective in confronting a problem or opportunity.  Asking “Why do we do it this way?” or “Have we ever considered this approach?” can be powerful catalysts for innovation.  “Out of the box” (or “out of the County?”) thinking can really help those of us “in the box” improve our service, results, and productivity.  That is why at New Employee Orientation I tell our newest employees that I especially value their perspective on a new situation or task. Fresh eyes and experiences from outside our “box” can help us innovate! Her dynamic, proven leadership AND fresh perspective were key reasons why Mayor Victoria Woodards and I appointed Chantell Harmon Reed as the new Director of Public…