Council Schedule Highlights Week of March 12th, 2018

Monday, MARCH 12th, 2018

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 athttp://www.piercecountywa.org/councilcommittees.Video archives are available at www.piercecountytv.org.

Proposal №2018–10, Public Nuisances — Certain Marijuana Production and Processing Activities An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Chapter 8.08 of the Pierce County Code, “Public Nuisances,” Making the Growing, Storing, Production and Processing of Marijuana, Marijuana Plants and Marijuana-Infused Products Subject to Civil Penalties and Abatement Under Certain Circumstances and Barring the Same Activities from Criminal Penalties Under Certain Circumstances; and Setting an Effective Date. 

Sponsored by: Councilmembers Jim McCune and Connie Ladenburg

The aim here is to provide some rules for cannabis growing and production that could become a nuisance. The new rules would declare a nuisance in the circumstance of:

J. Any parcel or housing unit where any storage or growing of marijuana plants can be readily seen by normal unaided vision or readily smelled from a public place or the private property of another housing unit.

L. Any parcel or housing unit where any production or processing of marijuana or marijuana-infused products can be readily seen by normal unaided vision or readily smelled from a public place or the private property of another housing unit.

M. Any single housing unit, other than a cooperative established pursuant to RCW 16 69.51A.250, where more than 15 marijuana plants are grown or located.

I have some concerns about the way this will be implemented and whether it will impact otherwise lawful behavior. It seems reasonable to expect that your neighbor isn’t operating a large grow operations, but I don’t want to set up a scenario where someone who has a couple plants for their own use is punished.

Veteran’s Court Funding — Judge Jasprica, Superior Court

I’m excited to hear a presentation on implementation of the new Veterans’ Court we started last year. This is a model that has shown significant success in other areas to give another chance to those who served and whose justice involvement is often owed to the invisible wounds of war.

Tuesday, MARCH 13th, 2017

9:30 Economic and Infrastructure Committee Meeting

Douglas G. Richardson, Chair
Connie Ladenburg, Vice Chair
Pam Roach
Jim McCune
Derek Young

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 athttp://www.piercecountywa.org/councilcommittees.Video archives are available at www.piercecountytv.org.

Proposal No. R2018–33, Neighborhood Safety Improvements A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Identifying Street Lighting and Other Neighborhood Traffic Improvements for Funding Pursuant to a Proviso to the 2018 Pierce County Budget; and Requesting the County Engineer to Take Action to Review and Authorize the Installation of Said Improvements. 

Sponsored by: Councilmember Douglas G. Richardson

Each year we set aside a VERY small portion of our Road Fund for Council directed neighborhood safety improvements. $7,000 to be exact, and yes, that’s the correct amount of zeroes.

Because these funds tend to be limited most use it for lighting or our new speed feedback signs. I’ve used our funds mostly for the latter.

3:00pm Council Meeting

Regularly scheduled meetings are broadcast live and replayed on channel 22 (Comcast and Click! Network) and on channel 20 (Rainier Connect). Electronic meeting material can be accessed atwww.piercecountywa.org/councilcommittees.

Proposal No. R2018–30, Proclamation — Volunteer Recognition Week A Resolution of the Pierce County Council and Executive Proclaiming the Week of March 12–18, 2018, as “Volunteer Recognition Week” in Pierce County, Washington; and Congratulating Recipients of the Volunteer Group of the Year Award — Pierce County Amateur Radio Emergency Services; Silver Service Award — Luigina Comfort and Irene Reed; and Volunteer of the Year Award — Reverend Jesse Ogburn For final consideration

One of my favorite things we do each year. Without volunteers much of what Pierce County government does would not be possible. That’s not an exaggeration. It’s staggering how much work is produced by people in our communities who are passionate about the projects they volunteer for.

Proposal №2018–12, Emergency Development Moratoria An Emergency Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Adopting Development Moratoria Pursuant to Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 90.58.590; Prohibiting Disposal of Dredged Material within the Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve; Providing Notification to State Agencies; Adopting Findings of Fact; and Declaring an Emergency. 

Sponsored by: Councilmembers Douglas G. Richardson and Derek Young

As the Department of Ecology STILL has yet to sign off on our Shoreline Master Plan update (three years and counting) it’s time to renew the moratorium on the dumping of dredge material in the Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve off Anderson Island in Chair Richardson’s District. I’ve cosponsored in the past to lend support since DOE’s delay are seriously impacting the rest of the shoreline.

Wednesday, MARCH 14th, 2017

9:30 a.m. Select Committee on Human Services
Connie Ladenburg, Chair
Rick Talbert, Vice Chair
Douglas G. Richardson, Member

Discussion of Process and Criteria for Awarding Funding to Senior Centers and Prevention Services
Presenter: Thomas Swanson, Council Research Analyst 

Last budget cycle we decided to make changes to long-standing practices for disbursing grants to two programs. Senior Centers and Prevention Services (formerly known as Violence Prevention).

The Council wanted to ensure that all programs were better able to compete and that disbursements were more closely tied to need.

My Weekly Calendar