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…

This is not the blog I had planned for today.  Normally, I work on these Thursday night - and many times Friday morning.  Well, today I called an audible because I wanted you to know what has gone on to prepare Pierce County to move to Phase 2 of the Governor’s newly announced Safe Start plan. First, I am very proud of how Pierce County has responded to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic – and by that, I mean our County-family, TPCHD, first responders, healthcare workers, and our residents – every one of them.  Together, we acted quickly, with smart policies, and our people took it seriously and acted responsibly. And it has made a big difference.  In the last three weeks, the rolling 7-day average of new cases…

However, this year it seems especially appropriate to broaden the rolls we remember on Memorial Day – to add in a few other heroes to the list of those we’ve lost this year. I had planned to be in Washington, D.C. earlier this month to memorialize Deputy Cooper Dyson’s service and sacrifice at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.  The pandemic changed all that.  While it delayed, it did not diminish the importance of honoring Deputy Dyson's sacrifice for our community.  So please remember him, and his family, this weekend.  #NeverForget. We also saw the emergence of another “battlefield” this year and should appropriately remember the service of those fighting on our behalf – and the heroes who have sacrificed their lives in that service. During the pandemic, frontline nurses, doctors…

I have enjoyed writing and sharing my blog with you over the last three years.  But, aside from the handful of replies or emails I receive in response to a post, this blog is a one-way dialogue.  That’s why I was excited to host our first-ever Employee Town Hall this week. I’m a big fan of town halls (in-person, tele, and virtual!) and hosted them quite a bit when I was in the Legislature.  I welcome the chance to share updates, hear concerns and respond to questions. But I was a little reluctant to hold one at Pierce County since so many of you work out in the field and may not have access to listen in and participate.  Well, the pandemic solved that issue with so many of you…

Although Cinco de Mayo didn’t have quite the same flair this year, there are plenty of other things to celebrate this month.  I looked up day and week commemorative events and learned Lumpy Rug Day was earlier this week and Water a Flower Day comes up later this month.  And, don’t forget you can observe National Salad Month in May, too! But, of all the commemorations this month, I’m glad that this week includes National Nurses’ Appreciation Day. Our healthcare providers are worthy of appreciation every day, of course, but the last few months have shown us over and over the devotion nurses have for their patients. Despite the risk to their lives, those healthcare providers don’t hesitate to suit up, don PPE and place themselves in harms’ way for…

Pierce County received $158 million in federal funds via the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act).  The law allocated the funds to local governments over 500,000 population, so we were one of only five in Washington State (others were King, Snohomish, Spokane counties and Seattle).   This funding came with three significant restrictions: Must be spent on COVID-related expenses. Must not be spent on currently budgeted items – can’t replace projected decreases in sales tax. Must be spent by December 31, 2020. Beyond that we have significant flexibility. The challenge is how best to use those funds, very quickly, to respond to the current emergency, prepare for a potential “second wave,” and help our community recover.  This presents a critical opportunity and challenge for us – in a…

[caption id="attachment_2369" align="aligncenter" width="5000"] Caregiver, carer hand holding elder hand in hospice care. Philanthropy kindness to disabled concept.[/caption] The name Puyallup can mean “generous people” and the phrase definitely reflects the history and character of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.  It is also a quality I see in many of my neighbors in my hometown of Puyallup. But that quality of generosity extends throughout Pierce County, as I was reminded poignantly this week. This letter showed up on my desk recently with a check for $200. I appreciated Mr. Foster’s act of generosity, so I decided to call and thank him personally. I learned that Pierce County was not the only recipient of his kindness. He decided to give away the entire $1200 he received from his federal relief check.…

I am a pretty healthy guy – something I take less for granted in our current coronavirus outbreak.  And I have some very good veins and am O+, which means my blood can help a lot of different people.   So, I take nearly every chance I can to donate blood. The coronavirus outbreak caused a shortage of donors, so I donated a pint back on March 14th. Additionally, I talked my wife, Lauren, into donating and she stepped up on March 27th. I felt pretty good about our efforts. Little did I know that one of our Pierce County co-worker’s donations was bigger – and by a lot. Some of you may know Scott Roth, a program manager in Planning & Public Works.  Scott served proudly in the U.S. Marine Corps,…

The words “thank you” are inadequate to express my appreciation and gratitude to those of you working long days and nights and through the weekends to make sure our residents are taken care of and that the work of the County continues on as best as possible. The demands of the last few weeks have taken you away from your families and added a tremendous amount of stress to an already challenging time. Day after day you have been creative, innovative and dedicated in your efforts to provide care, concern and support to our residents.  And, they are grateful! Here’s a note I couldn’t wait to share with you: Well done, PPW!  I’m grateful for the hard work you are doing, exceeding the expectations of our residents! This next note…

I am very proud of how our community has responded to the Coronavirus outbreak.  It brings us challenge after challenge, yet our teams work to find solutions time and time again.  Our Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and Emergency Management unified command team has been exceptional - and the leadership coming out of the Emergency Operations Center has been rock solid. One of the biggest challenges facing our community is feeding the children who normally have been fed up to two meals a day at school.  When the schools were closed, children lost their access to those healthy meals - and the connection to the caring adults at their local schools.  Many of these children come from families on the margin to begin with – with parents or caregivers most likely…

I love nautical charts.  They give me a sense of confidence, imply adventure, and are packed with information describing the environment both above and below the water.  Wrecks, rocks, currents, tides, harbors, channels – even magnetic deviation – it is all there to help a sailor get safely from one port to another.   I even have some as artwork! As I boat on the Sound (with both charts AND GPS), I often think about what it would be like to sail in uncharted waters.  To have been with the first native people or early explorers venturing into and around the Salish Sea for the first time. How do you proceed into waters that are unknown and uncertain? I think all of us can relate much more closely these days with…

As we all try to process the COVID-19 outbreak, we are being inundated with numbers. One of the most impressive websites is the interactive map made provided by Johns Hopkins University (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html). I watch the number of our residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 very closely (as of today, 83 positive cases out of 1,695 tested).  Less than 5% of those tested in Pierce County are currently returning positive results.  Yet the number of residents being tested is increasing – including a new drive-up testing site at the Tacoma Dome opening this weekend – so the number of positives will continue to move up. These numbers are important for us to understand the outbreak and help give our Pierce County team and our community perspective.  But, we must remember…

You may have heard that Vice President Pence stopped by Camp Murray on Thursday. I was very thankful for the opportunity last night to meet with the Vice President and CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield directly about our situation, our needs and our concerns regarding COVID-19.  I’m grateful the Vice President came not bearing gifts but thousands of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) supplies - our first responders need it. In preparation for my meeting with the Vice President, I connected with local fire, police, healthcare, public health officials, and our DEM team.  My comments to both Vice President Pence and Dr. Redfield were based on those frontline needs and concerns. Specifically, I shared the need to update the protocols for ensuring first responders and medical staff are safe to continue…

Happy Leap Day! When you spend time with the Corrections deputies in the Jail, you hear them use the word “family” quite a bit.  During my recent visit it was obvious they mean it. You know that feeling in your family that you are happy to pick on each other, but heaven help the person that messes with your sister or brother?  That was definitely the feeling I got as I toured the Main and Old jails this week.  And, you can imagine why.  It’s critical in their unique work environment that the Corrections “family” have the back of their fellow deputies. I met many amazing people on my tour.  Two deputies at opposite ends of their tenure with the team stood out to me. Nathan Cote is a new…

I first met Judge Frank Cuthbertson in a year-long leadership class nearly nearly 20 years ago.  I was (and still am!) impressed by Judge Cuthbertson from the start.  Yes, by his intellect, but more by his heart.  His compassion for his community stood out strongly.  As well as his commitment to his family AND his sense of justice for our community. [caption id="attachment_2265" align="aligncenter" width="2315"] Judge Frank Cuthbertson[/caption] Frank shared recently an article he wrote and I wanted to share it with you, as well.  I found it very powerful.  Think of how challenging it was to be an early pioneer in our state and then to add these exclusionary laws that attack you for being who you are. How Black Exclusion Laws Led the Earliest African-American Settlers to Washington State February is…

Record-setting rain has wreaked havoc on the Puget Sound region. Last Friday I spent the day with Emergency Management/Roads/Surface Water Management to see their planning and recovery work first-hand. We started our day at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) where a strong team came from multiple departments and disciplines to gather information and respond with solutions. The coordination and teamwork were fantastic to see in action. [caption id="attachment_2245" align="aligncenter" width="4032"] The team at the EOC was ready for anything[/caption] It gave me great confidence that this team was prepared and ready to handle what happened – and what could have happened. Because some things can only be appreciated first-hand, we hopped in a 4-wheel drive vehicle and headed up to see the flooding and landslides that affected our rivers and…

The annual Point-in-Time count has been completed and the results are being reviewed and analyzed.  While very important and key to helping us develop solutions, they are still just numbers. I go out with the overnight team to help ensure those numbers are the most accurate they can be, but also to see the human side of homelessness – face to face.  As I have said many times, there is no substitute to seeing the people and the challenges first-hand. On a cold and rainy January night two weeks ago, we gathered at 9 p.m. at the Soundview Building.  We received our assignments and set out in cars filled with the coats, blankets and other donated items that many of you contributed.  In the photo below you will see Valeri…