Council Schedule Highlights Week of May 8th, 2017
Monday, MAY 8th, 2017
10:00am Rules Committee
Douglas G. Richardson, Chair
Rick Talbert, Vice Chair
Dan Roach, Executive Pro Tempore
Regularly scheduled meetings are broadcast live and replayed on channel 22 (Comcast and Click! Network) and on channel 20 (Rainier Connect). Meeting materials and video can be accessed at www.piercecountywa.org/councilcommittees.
Proposal №2017–22, Public Nuisances — Enforcement An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Declaring County Policy Regarding Code Enforcement Activity Related to Public Nuisances; Authorizing Additional Code Enforcement Staff and Expressing Council Intent to Provide Additional Enforcement Related Funding; Requesting Modifications to the Pierce County Website to Improve the Ability of Citizens to Report and Monitor Enforcement Issues; and Requesting the County Executive to Identify Any Additional Resources or Regulatory Changes that Would Improve the County’s Ability to Resolve Public Nuisances in a Timely Manner.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Douglas G. Richardson, Jim McCune, Rick Talbert, Dan Roach, and Connie Ladenburg
The issue of abandoned homes, solid waste violations, and other public nuisances has been something the Council has struggled with for many years prior to my arrival. In some parts of the County it’s a huge issue impacting quality of life, property values, and becoming a criminal problem.
Despite legislation to assist code enforcement staff, they’ve struggled to deal with case load and process. This ordinance is to give additional tools to staff and direct more resources that will amended into the budget shortly.
I’m also pursuing an additional avenue through criminal nuisance statutes with the Prosecutor’s Office to deal with homes that have persistant criminal activity.
1:30pm Public Safety, Human Services, and Budget
Dan Roach, Chair
Derek Young, Vice Chair
Connie Ladenburg
Jim McCune
Pam Roach
This meeting will be broadcast live and replayed on channel 22 (Comcast and Click! Network) and on channel 20 (Rainier Connect) Electronic meeting material can be accessed at http://www.piercecountywa.org/councilcommittees.Video archives are available at www.piercecountytv.org.
Proposal №2017–14, Fireworks — Emergency Conditions Ban An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Section 17C.60.230 of the Pierce County Code, “Fireworks,” to Authorize a Ban on the Discharge of Fireworks on an Emergency Basis During Periods of Extreme Weather Conditions; and Setting an Effective Date.
Sponsored by: Councilmember Derek Young
Although it’s hard to imagine at the moment with the last few months of sog, a couple years ago we had extreme drought conditions that created an especially high fire danger. I had joined the Council that year and was surprised to find that the County had not given authority to the Fire Marshall, granted in state law, to declare an emergency when conditions when even “safe and sane” fireworks are dangerous. Pierce County was dealing with significant fires in rural areas already, and the prospect of “urban interaction” wildfires was growing.
This ordinance directs the Fire Marshall to return to the Council with “scientifically valid, measurable criteria with which the determination of extreme fire danger may be based.”
The amendment I’m offering, based on feedback from the committee, is to have the Council make the decision by adopting a resolution.
Update: 1st Quarter Budget Presenters: Paul Bocchi, Council Staff, (253) 798–7304; and Gary Robinson, Finance, (253) 798–7450
Related to the budget function of this committee, this is the regular quarterly update to the Council on budget outlook. Expect a positive report.
Update: Marijuana Revenues Presenter: Paul Bocchi, Council Staff
This is the revenue line we know the least about given the odd calculation created by the Legislature to distribute the local share revenue to counties and cities. We created a Drug Enforcement Fund where these dollars are deposited and use it to pay for our Narcotics Unit. As revenues increase, I expect also use some of those dollars to pay for treatment, prevention, and education.
Update: Marijuana and Drug Enforcement Presenter: Sheriff’s Department
Not sure what exactly this is about, but I suspect it’ll be related to the Narcotics Unit mentioned above.
Tuesday, MAY 9th, 2017
3:00pm County Council Meeting
Proposal No. R2017–38, National Correctional Officers and Employees Week Proclamation A Resolution of the Pierce County Council and Executive Recognizing May 7–13, 2017, as “National Correctional Officers and Employees Week”; and Commemorating the Service and Sacrifice of Those Who Have Been Killed or Injured in the Line of Duty While Keeping Our Jails and Communities Safe.
We’ll take a moment to thank our Correctional Deputies. One of the hardest jobs I can imagine, but also, one of the most necessary.
Proposal No. R2017–35, Directors’ Confirmations A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Confirming the Appointment of Department Directors. Pierce County Council Agenda, May 9, 2017 Page 3 of 3 5/2/2017 5:21 PM
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Douglas G. Richardson and Derek Young
The Executive has put forward all of his department directors, even the ones previously approved by the Council, up for confirmation.
4:00pm SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Proposal №2017–13, Budget Supplemental An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Ordinance №2016–65s2 as Amended by Ordinance №2016–93; Modifying the 2017 Pierce County Budget; and Amending the Pierce County Capital Facilities Plan Adopted Pursuant to Ordinance №2016–67s. (Continued from the March 27, April 13, and April 20, 2017 meetings of the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Douglas G. Richardson and Derek Young
Final COW for the proposed supplemental budget. Chair Richardson will be introducing a substitute that dramatically scales back the investments proposed by the Executive. While I understand his thinking, I’ll be offering amendments to add back in some of the behavioral health demonstration projects. Since we just had the chance to see it for the first time late last week, I won’t have it ready on Tuesday but will introduce it when it’s back before Council for final.
My Weekly Calendar
Earlier this year we got a request for my forward looking calendar. Rather than have staff waste their time on public record requests, I’m just going to start publishing screen shots. Keep in mind, my schedule isn’t static. Things will get added, deleted, changed, etc. There are conflicts that I have to pick between. But if people want to see where I’m at and who I meet with, that’s fine by me.
