Inside the City 10 October 2022

Inside the City of Tumwater

Date: October 10, 2022

To: Mayor Debbie Sullivan

City Councilmembers

City Employees

From: John Doan, City Administrator

Transportation Manager Paves Leadership Path

At the fall American Public Works Association Conference (APWA), Mary Heather Ames was presented with the APWA Inclusion Advocate Award in recognition of her advocacy efforts and recruitment of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities to pursue careers in public works. She was also elected to the APWA Board of Directors for the Washington Chapter. Congratulations on your achievements, Mary Heather!

PEOPLE EVENTS

Here’s the Haul from Clean-Up, Drop-Off Day

Our community is cleaner and safer after this annual event. Tumwater residents drove 375 vehicles thru the City Hall parking lot and dropped off:

• 12,260 pounds of paper for shredding

• 116 pounds of medication for safe disposal

Staff and volunteers collected donations for the food bank totaling 600 pounds of food and $431. They also distributed 200 water resource bags, 77 dog waste dispensers, 44 water saving kits, 21 hose nozzles, and 43 “police your grease” kits.

Thank you to the staff, elected officials, and volunteers who made it happen. Thank you to our participant partners, and OBEE Credit Union for sponsoring the shred truck.

First Falls Fest On the Books

The City’s first Falls Fest was a great success. The celebration of the arts, history, and fish was hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department and our partner, the Olympia Tumwater Foundation.

Mark Your Calendars

Here are a few things to put on the calendar:

October 20: The Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill is back. Watch for information about our City of Tumwater Drill. There’s excellent information online to help you prepare for an earthquake at home. Being prepared to meet the community’s needs after an emergency depends on us being prepared at home first.

October 26 & 27: The Central Safety Committee and the Fire Department will host First Aid Training during the Benefits/Safety/Wellness Fair.

PLACES

What’s Up at DRC?

Projects before the Development Review Committee include:

• Kaufman Real Estate is proposing a 210,000 s.f. warehouse/distribution building on 14.6 acres at the I 5 Commerce Place at the SW corner of 93rd and I5.

• Subdivision of a parcel into two 6519 Lazy St. SW.

• Construction of two warehouse buildings totaling 22,000 at 2865 37th Avenue SW in the Mottman Industrial Park.

• A garage on Emerson St. is being converted to a 960 s.f. house.

• An existing building at 3939 Cleveland is being upgraded to support mixed use.

locally and regularly stocked. Pay by credit or debit card no more jammed coins or missing change, or us the “My Market Rewards” Card to pre load funds and redeem them for purchases and promotions. I tried it out last week and got a good sandwich, Smart Water, chips, and a piece of cheese for less than $10.

Library Getting New Lights

The Library is going “green” with new LED lights to help reduce the City’s carbon footprint. The project is replacing the 900 lights in the building.

This conversion, which has already happened in many City buildings, implements Climate Action Plan element B2.3. The project will save approximately $5,500/year and pay for itself financially in 8 9 years. Best part? It will pay for itself environmentally every time they flip the switch!

The conversion of additional buildings and other sustainability measures are budgeted for the next two years.

INSIDE THE CITY

TIB Steps Up to Help Intersection Project

The City’s Trosper and Capitol Project has received an additional $3.2 million from the State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB). (Great work, Brandon!) Last Tuesday, the City Council awarded the bid for construction to Active Construction of Tacoma for $12.15 million. The total project cost is $18.5 million, including the right of way, design, and other changes. This is the most expensive construction project the City has undertaken and is expected to take about 18 months to complete. Plan your detours now.

Try the Micro Market

Forget your lunch? Need a mid afternoon snack? Waiting for an evening meeting to start and looking for something other than coffee? The tired vending machines in the City Hall breakroom have been replaced with the Micro Market. There’s still cookies and chips, along with sandwiches, fresh fruit, boiled eggs, cheese, and yogurt. Fresh products are made

Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.

It isn’t just the pending holidays that make this the busiest time of the year. The City Council has a full calendar of worksessions, committees, and regular items as they work to wrap up the Comprehensive Plan, housing regulations, an updated City logo, the Regional Fire Authority, the future of Capitol Lake, and the biennial budget.

This is also an exciting time as we have a number of employee events coming up, including:

• October 13 HRA/VEBA Fair

9 9:30 a.m. and 2 2:30 p.m.

• October 18 Benefits Fair

10 a.m. 12 noon

• Oct. 26 & 27 First Aid Training

• October 31 Pumpkin Carving Contest and Chili Cook Off

Everyone is invited to dress up.

• Nov. 1 30 Open Enrollment

Hope you can join one of these events.

Message from the Chief

The City recently took action to allow prescribed burning on lands designated for habitat conservation in Tumwater. Prescribed burning allows landowners to meet objectives outlined in their habitat conservation plans by eliminating non native plants and allowing native seeds to be planted.

The burning is conducted under strictly controlled and supervised conditions, with firefighting crews on site to manage the burns. Permitting is required under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources. These burns have been successfully conducted for many years on the prairies of Thurston County and JBLM. Property owners adjacent to any area where burning is proposed will be contacted before the event and given the opportunity to sign up for notifications the day before the burning is conducted. These burns will decrease accumulated fuels in these open spaces and help make our community safer in the end. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Fire Department at (360) 754 4170

Brian Hurley

Medical Services Officer

Crews responded to a total of 495 EMS calls during August. Medic 5 responded to 157 advanced life support calls, and Medic 14 responded to 59 advanced life calls in the surrounding county area. Our medic units responded to 7 cardiac arrests.

Area hospitals are still dealing with high volumes of patients, impacting our transport units’ turnaround times. Urgent cares and the Rapid Orthopedic Clinic in West Olympia remain great alternatives for many patients we are seeing.

Crews have been training on safe tactics for patient restraint, back boarding, c-spine protocols, and continue to complete their required annual training.

Stroke Signs and Symptoms

Learn what to do if you or someone else is having a stroke.

Understanding the signs of a stroke is important. If you experience facial drooping, slurred speech, or weakness on one side of your body, it is crucial to call 911. Early access to care in the event of a stroke is vital. Time saves lives and reduces the long term effects of a stroke.

Call 911 if you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms.

Community Outreach

Firefighters Ley and Gorman participated in the Boys & Girls Club community field day. They provided tours of the engine, fire prevention discussions, and showed club members how to use the fire hose.

Operations Report

Crews responded mutual aid with West Thurston Regional Fire Authority to a structure fire involving multiple vehicles and brush. Crews provided structure protection and successfully stopped the fire from reaching neighboring properties.

Crews responded to a structure fire with reports of flames coming from the front window and lots of black smoke. The fire spread from the front bedroom into the attic space. No injuries were reported in the fire However, the home did suffer severe fire damage.

Crews responded mutual aid with McLane Black Lake Fire Department to a structure and wildland fire. The fire involved multiple structures, grass, brush, debris piles, and an RV.

Crews responded in the early morning to a power pole fire. Crews were able to extinguish the fire and notify PSE.

Training Officer

The Tumwater Fire Department is proud to participate in the WA State Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. The Department has two apprenticeship programs for firefighters and fire officers. We currently have ten members enrolled; six in the firefighter program and four in the officer program.

Firefighter apprenticeship is a three year program starting with a 440 hour recruit academy, 200 hours of EMT classes, and five college level courses. In total, the apprentice will log 880 hours of structured lessons and 6,000 hours of on the job training The Fire Officer Apprenticeship Program is two years, 4,000 hours of on the job training, and eight required classes Candidates are also assigned a task book to aid in acquiring the knowledge and skills to respond to calls.

Crews were assigned annual training over the last several months. Some of these trainings focused on area familiarization, including street tests and visiting new construction sites, such as the new Costco warehouse on 93rd Ave. This building is very large and creates an access issue for firefighters. An incident may occur anywhere on the property, and knowing the layout of the building can help reduce the response time during an emergency.

Police Department Monthly Report

To: John Doan, City Administrator

From: Jon Weiks, Chief of Police

Date: September 15, 2022

Re: August 2022

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

2022-1496 Assault 2nd Degree Tumwater Officers were dispatched to a local restaurant on Trosper Road for a report of a physical disturbance. Upon the officers arrival, they made contact with the involved parties Two of the involved persons had sustained serious injuries and medics responded to evaluate their injuries. The Officers obtained statements from all involved parties and several witnesses. Officers learned the suspect and the victim were both employees of the restaurant The suspect was a manager and he was angry about the victim’s employment performance and attitude They started to argue and took the argument outside. While outside, the suspect tackled the victim and repeatedly assaulted him until another employee separated them . The victim sustained a head injury and he was transported to an area hospital The suspect was arrested for Assault 2nd degree, but was later released at an area hospital after it was determined he too suffered a serious facial injury The charge of Assault 2nd degree was referred to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration.

2022 1538 Theft 3rd Degree Tumwater Officers responded to a report of a theft in a neighborhood off Rural Road. Officers made contact with the victims, four girls selling lemonade on the sidewalk . The first arriving Officer learned the suspect had approached the lemonade stand and started aggressively yelling at the girls, saying things that did not make sense The suspect then grabbed a bottle of water from the stand and took their cashbox. One of the girls’ father heard the yelling, and as he approached, he yelled at the suspect to leave. The suspect then walked away, continuing to yell undiscernible things. Another father followed the suspect until other officers arrived and made contact The Officers recognized the suspect from multiple prior contacts earlier in the day. The suspect was positively identified and placed under arrest for Theft 3rd degree. The cashbox was recovered and returned to the girls, and the suspect was transported and booked at the Nisqually Jail.

2022-1565 Robbery 2nd Degree/Eluding/Arrest Warrant - Tumwater Officers responded to a local grocery store for a report of a robbery that just occurred The first Officer arrived on scene and made contact with an employee The Officer learned the suspect had re entered the store after having already

shoplifted a short time earlier While inside the store the second time, the suspect stole several canisters of baby formula valued at approximately $600 $700 An employee confronted the suspect regarding the theft as he was exiting the store. The suspect pointed a knife at the employee, and threatened to stab him with it The employee, in fear for his safety, backed away from the suspect, and the suspect got into the backseat of a vehicle and the driver fled the lot As the Officer obtained this information and established probable cause for the suspect’s arrest for Robbery 1st degree, a witness called Dispatch and advised they were following the suspect vehicle into Olympia Olympia Police and a Tumwater Sergeant caught up to the suspect vehicle traveling northbound on I 5 in Lacey The Sergeant activated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop the driver, but the driver failed to stop Based on the probable cause to arrest for Robbery 1st degree, the Sergeant initiated a vehicle pursuit, while the other Officer continued to get multiple witness statements and review the surveillance video to confirm the statements. There were three suspects in the vehicle and the driver was refusing to stop The driver exited I 5 and drove into Lacey, driving recklessly and exceeding the speed limit on Martin Way. The suspect reentered northbound I 5 in the Nisqually Valley and continued to drive recklessly through heavy traffic into Pierce County The driver exited at Joint Base Lewis McChord and drove towards the armed security gate, but then turned around, attempting to get back onto I 5. An OPD Officer performed a PIT maneuver on the suspect vehicle when they realized there were no other vehicles. The maneuver resulted in the driver losing control and the suspect vehicle left the roadway, struck a light standard, rolled and came to rest One of the vehicle’s occupants attempted to flee, but two OPD Officers intercepted him and he surrendered Officers detained the other two remaining occupants. Medics responded to evaluate all three of the vehicle occupants. The robbery suspect was positively identified and he advised officers he had ingested narcotics and was not well or speaking clearly The suspect was transported to Madigan Army Medical Center by ambulance, which was followed by an officer in order to maintain custody of the suspect The driver was also transported to the hospital for further precautionary examination Probable cause was established on the driver for Eluding, as well as Aiding in a Robbery 1st degree The third vehicle occupant was arrested for a Lacey PD warrant. This suspect was transported and booked into to the Nisqually Jail. The driver of the vehicle and the robbery suspect were treated and released from the hospital and both were transported and booked into the Thurston County Jail A Tumwater detective, who had responded to the arrest location, impounded the suspect vehicle The Detective later applied for and was granted a search warrant for the vehicle that resulted in the recovery of approximately $1700 worth of stolen property taken from the grocery store and various other businesses. All property has been returned at this time.

Officer-Involved Critical Incident Commander Mason, Sergeant Liska, Detective Boling, Detective Rollman, and Detective Baker responded to the officer involved shooting incident in Olympia Their response were as members of the Capitol Metro Independent Investigation Team and in a support role to the Lacey Police Department, who has primary responsibility for the investigation

PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX

The public deposited 75 pounds of prescription drugs in August. The total deposited for the year is 482.5 pounds.

BUDGET

At the end of the month, the police department budget is 67% spent for the year and 79% spent for the biennium.

K 9 STATISTICS

Deterrent/Apprehension Deployment

• Assisted Tumwater Officers with contacting and then taking a wanted suspect into custody for a felony Robbery 2nd degree arrest warrant An Officer had originally observed the subject sleeping outside of a closed business. The Officer contacted the subject, who refused to identify himself and asked if he was being detained The Officer did not have reasonable suspicion to detain the subject and advised the subject he was free to leave and the subject walked away . Another Officer believed the subject was wanted for a felony warrant, but was not certain of the subject’s identity Additional officers maintained visual observation of the subject, while the other officers used law enforcement databases to verify the subject’s identity Officer Mize and K9 James staged ahead of the subject’s path of travel and as the subject approached their location, Offi cer Mize was advised the subject had been positively identified Officer Mize exited his vehicle with K9 James on lead and called out to the suspect Officer Mize advised the suspect he was no longer free to l eave and K9 James would be released if he tried to run. The suspect surrendered and was taken into custody by other officers without incident The suspect was booked into the Thurston County Jail for the warrant.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

Code Enforcement opened four cases this month:

• Trash, overgrown vegetation, and inoperable vehicles on a residential property

• Trash and inoperable vehicles on a residential property

• Tree and land ordinance violations, inoperable vehicles, and people living in RV’s on undeveloped residential property.

• Overgrown vegetation and trash at an unoccupied commercial property.

Code Enforcement closed six cases this month:

• Trash, debris, and unlicensed/inoperable vehicles were removed from a residential property after posting the notice of violations at the property.

• Trash, overgrown vegetation, and inoperable vehicles were removed from a residential property after posting a notice of violation at the property.

• An inoperable vehicle parked in the parking lot of an unoccupied commercial property was removed upon issuance of a courtesy letter.

• Numerous vehicles were removed from on and around a residential property after posting a notice of violation at the property.

• Vegetation from one residential property encroaching over a fence to another residential property was resolved upon issuance of a courtesy letter.

• Trash creating a rodent issue at a residential property was removed upon issuance of a courtesy letter.

Code Enforcement has 11 open cases.

SRO ACTIVITY

School Resource

break.

QUANTIFIABLE ACTIVITY

Calls for Service

Initiated*

Issued

Cases

the schools finished the

Monthly

2021 % Changed

1,274

Year to Date

2021 % Changed

12,325 11,566 7%

852 46% 7,846 9,564 18%

40 5%

23

Transfers

Documents

Leave

Leave

346 17%

344 44%

20 20% 198 133 49%

86 29% 718 705 2%

101 3% 1,124 914 23%

82 7% 607 543 12%

139 15% 1,237 977 27%

418 5% 3,419 2,367 44%

1,091 15% 4,626 4,196 10%

263 48% 2,255 1,667 35%

ups,civilpaperworkservice,areachecks,business checks,schoolvisits, residentcontacts,trafficstopsand back upactivity.

Self Initiatedincludes:

PERSONNEL

• Randy Baughn, Sergeant - 27 years of service

Chris Tressler, Sergeant – 23 years of service

Tyler Boling, Detective – 15 years of service

Stacy Brown, Officer – 5 years of service

Ashleigh Clark, Police Service Specialist – hired August 16th

TRAINING

• One member completed on-line Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons training

One member completed on line ACCESS, Level I testing

One member completed computer security training

One member completed ACCESS, Level I re certification training

Two members attended the on-line WCIA Police Chief’s Forum

Two members completed on line leadership training

Four TPD members of Thurston County

attended monthly training

Chief Jon Weiks, Commander Jay Mason, Lieutenant Jennifer Kolb, Detective Brandt Baker, School Resource Officer Ross Rollman, Officer Stacy Brown, Officer Oran Thompson, Officer Pete Navarro, Officer Seth Stauffer, Evidence Tech Jennifer Heath and Resident Volunteer Dianne Powers participated in National Night Out events throughout the City.

School Resource Officer Rosco Rollman attended the City of Tumwater Camp TumTastic and interacted with the participants.

Officer Pete Navarro and School Resource Officer Rosco Rollman participated in the Thurston County Boys & Girls Club field day They had a booth where they made and served cotton candy to the attendees.

COMMENDATIONS/LETTERS OF APPRECIATION

Officer Danielle Dawson received a letter of appreciation from a resident, who wrote: “Thank you for coming out and closing my neighbor’s garage door. Truly appreciate you & your kindness….”

School Resource Officer Rosco Rollman and Officer Peter Navarro received a letter of appreciation for their participation in the Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County Community Field Day Both were thanked for being so friendly and being engaged.

Parks & Facilities

Tumwater Hill Park - Crosby Connector Trail

The trail construction. project started July 25 and is nearly complete. The contractor will be installing fencing with custom posts to maintain stability on the trail’s particularly steep slopes.

Preserve Park

The Public Works Committee has approved staff to move forward with inviting bids on the project and authorize the Mayor to approve a contract to the lowest rresponsive bidder. Invitation to bids is expected September/October 2022. Construction is anticipated to start in December 2022. Installation of equipment, play structures, and site furnishings will occur as they arrive. Arrival time is dictated by current supply issues but expected to occur between December 2022 and February 2023.

Trail nearing

MAINTAIN • IMPROVE • BUILD TUMWATER METROPOLITAN PARK DISTRICT

Approved by voters in 2018, funding from the MPD will be used to extend the useful life of our most used parks and playgrounds, address safety and security issues, invest in underserved neighborhoods, improve energy efficiency, and preserve new open spaces.

Priorities include:

Parks and playgrounds maintenance and safety

New neighborhood parks, playgrounds, and restrooms

Trail expansion along the Deschutes River Valley

Protection of environmentally sensitive areas and wildlife corridors

Community arts and cultural heritage programs, historic properties, recreation programs, and a community garden

Community Center with meeting and event space, senior services, indoor sports courts, and land for a future public swimming pool

Current MPD Projects

There are several deferred park maintenance projects slated for completion in 2022.

Chain-link outfield fencing will be replaced on many of our baseball and softball fields. Some of these fences are over 26 years old in need of replacement.

Repairs are being made to some of our neighborhood park play structures to increase accessibility, improve safety and replace failing access points.

New water lines will be extended at Pioneer Park to provide drinking fountains to our sports fields. Water lines will also add new irrigation zones to increase the efficiency of water usage and turf care.

Storm water catch basins at Pioneer Park have sustained damage during past floods of the Deschutes River. These storm systems will be repaired and replaced.

Picnic tables at several of our parks will be replaced with new, ADA accessible tables.

Park signage will be updated at several parks and trails.

Tentative Schedule of MPD Projects

Historic District Park Improvements

New Restrooms at 2 existing neighborhood parks

Neighborhood Park – The Preserve

Deferred Park Maintenance Projects

Purchase Open Space and Neighborhood Park land

Community Garden Program

Neighborhood Park– South Tumwater

Acquire Land for Community Center

Public Art

Center Design Study

New Neighborhood Park– SW Neighborhood

Community Center

Deschutes Valley Trail Expansion

Neighborhood Park – Trails End

Transportation & Engineering Water Resources & Sustainability

Projects in Design

PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES

Daniel Sullivan

TED Maintenance Tech I | 09/01/2021, 1 yr.

David Moorhead

TED Maintenance Tech I | 09/02/2021, 1 yr.

Dave Kangiser

Sustainability Month Year

Water Resource Specialist | 09/16/2019, 3 yrs.

TRANSPORTATION & ENGINEERING

GIS Day 2022: Mark Your Calendars

GIS Day is Wednesday, November 16 this year, and the GIS Team are working hard together a great event.

We will offer several training sessions throughout the day on topics like how to get your Story Map or App from idea to reality, how to use our new Plans and Drawings app, the basics of ArcGIS Pro, and much more! We will also release Tumwater’s first Open Data Site on GIS Day. And, of course, there will be cupcakes! A more detailed schedule will be released in the coming weeks

We can’t wait to share our passion for GIS with you and look forward to seeing everyone on GIS Day this year!

Capitol Boulevard, Israel Road to M Street Design

This project includes proposed improvements to Capitol Boulevard, from Israel Road to M Street, full corridor improvements of Capitol Boulevard providing enhanced access control to local businesses, and multi model improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transits

The consultant is actively working on the completion of 60% of designs for the Dennis Street and T Street roundabouts and the improvements along Capitol Boulevard, from M Street to Israel Road The consultant and City staff continue to complete the X Street / Capitol Boulevard roundabout and north south connector improvements to full design

An infiltration test was recently performed in the field at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School to determine infiltration rates needed to complete stormwater management design Additional infiltration testing will be scheduled to support the design of the facilities for the X Street Roundabout project and the new connection road between Linda Street and Lee Street.

Infiltration test performed at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary

Interstate 5 / Trosper Road/ Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration Project

Construction bids for the Interstate 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration project were opened on August 25, 2022 Upon review and evaluation of the bids, City staff recommended rejecting the bids based on cost On September 6, 2022, City Council voted to reject the bids, value engineer the project to reduce overall construction costs, and rebid the project. City staff has completed their value engineering efforts, and the project was rebid on September 7, 2022

Bid opening is scheduled for September 21, 2022, and the bids will be evaluated. If a successful low bidder is selected, it is expected that construction on this significant transportation project will begin no later than January 2, 2023. Construction is expected to extend for one and a half years, with completion in early 2024

Other transportation improvements will upgrade the existing signal at Israel Rd and Linderson Way. The upgrade will add new video detection and audible push buttons for the pedestrian crossings. The video detection system will replace the antiquated loop detection systems, which can be challenging to work around and repair during road projects. To reduce conflicts with the signal work, the City will be completing the upgrades instead of hiring a private contractor.

Linwood Avenue Sidewalk, Susitna Ln to 2nd Ave. Our newest engineer, Colby Fletcher, has been assigned to this design project. The design team is coordinating stormwater needs with the Water Resources Division to ensure the sidewalk improvement project fits into the vision for planned upgrades to the Linwood Outfall. The outfall serves as the main point of discharge for the South Tumwater Hill area to the Deschutes River This hasn’t been updated since its initial construction several decades ago.

A large portion of the project spans the frontage of Michael T Simmons Elementary school. The City and Tumwater School District are coordinating improvements to provide additional safe routes to school and address current conflicts with students and vehicle traffic. Several existing pedestrian crossings will be upgraded to increase safety and visibility.

WATER RESOURCES & SUSTAINABILITY

Planned Improvements for the Interstate 5 / Trosper Road / Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration Project

Israel Road / Linderson Way Pedestrian & Bicycle Improvements Design

The project is going through a redesign after a more desirable alignment for the future water main was identified. The new alignment will help reduce costs on the project and interruptions to traffic during construction. Work is scheduled with Puget Sound Energy to expose the existing gas main in several locations to confirm size, depth, and location. This information will help reduce conflicts at crossings with the new water main.

What Not to Flush: Read your labels

The Disposable Wipes Products

Labeling Standards law passed in 2020, went into effect on July 1, 2022. The law requires packaging of all non flushable disposable wipes sold in Washington, including baby wipes and cleaning wipes, to have the ‘Do Not Flush’ symbol on them. Disposable wipes do not break down in sewer systems and can cause clogs. Overflows from the sewer system end up in the environment and cost a lot of money to clean up. To address these issues, the Washington State legislature created labeling standards for disposable wipe

products to protect public health, the environment, water quality, and public infrastructure used for collecting, transporting, and treating wastewater.

Clogsinourwastewatersystemhappenfor manyreasons. One of the biggest offenders is people flushing non flushable items down the toilet. As of August 2022, City operation crews have responded to 17 sewer backups, requiring 565 staff hours in clearing and cleaning backups. Half of the hours spent were used to clear clogged sewer pumps. Of the 17 backups, six overflowed out of the sewer system and into the environment. One of these cases delivered sewage to Percival Creek, causing a public health notice to be issued.

came from during the past rainy season. One thing is true, we always reflect on what Mother Nature has sprung, take those lessons into account, assess damages, and look at how to adapt, prepare, and improve for the coming season.

The past month has been a busy one for the Water Resources Department. Dave Kangiser coordinated with Grant Gilmore, the Habitat and Outreach Specialist, to launch the first of eight roundtable “Stormwater 101” compliance training sessions for City staff. These training sessions leverage materials from the Washington Stormwater Center to help address best practices for onsite planning, management, and implementation of stormwater control methods. The first of eight series was delivered at the end of August. Staff from the operations and facilities teams, along with Matthew Joseph, the City Stormwater Inspector, engaged in rich dialogue to better understand some of the details we all undergo in performing our work responsibilities, especially as they relate to stormwater and how it affects the infrastructure we manage and maintain daily.

Sewage overflow near Percival Creek

To prevent future clogs from occurring, please only flush human waste and toilet paper. All other items should go into the trash. When in doubt, throw it out!

Stormwater Compliance: Stormwater 101 Summer months in the Northwest can be some of the best times of the year. The clouds part, the rain dissipates, and we break out our summer gear to ramp up on our gardening, boating, fishing, and walks in the wilderness. It’s also a time to assess where we stand and where we

Stormwater in the State of Washington is regulated through the NPDES Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit Many of the responsibilities we place on staff require understanding of how to manage and implement stormwater best practices to meet state and federal requirements for point and non point source pollution. With many staff recently hired at the City, and new updates in Phase II requirements, the Water Resources Department has taken time to incorporate feedback from participants provided during each round table session to develop a more formal training series further, to be rolled out later in 2023.

Difficult as it may be to manage stormwater, one thing is certain, the rain will fall, and we will be prepared. The Water Resources Department views stormwater compliance and best management practices as a vehicle to bring everyone together. Working as one, we can better understand all aspects of our work as it relates to stormwater management and compliance

Cleveland Ave Outfall Restoration

Major work concluded Mark Teigen and the Stormwater Maintenance Crew wrapped up restoration efforts at the Cleveland Ave Outfall drainage swale adjacent to the Tumwater Valley Golf Course driving range. The crew removed overgrown vegetation from the drainage swale and replaced the flow spreaders. As a final measure, they will be hydro seeding the area to ensure that stormwater runoff is properly treated before entering the Deschutes river. Thank you, Mark Teigen, Dale Kapsandy, Levi Loewen, and Jeff Cota, for all the hard work and commitment to protecting our water resources.

Permit, integrating new best management practices for dock washing, nursery and greenhouse management, fueling, and goose waste management, and updated wetland protection guidance One noteworthy Tumwater specific update was to increase the amount of our stormwater bond from 15% of stormwater related construction costs to 25% This increase aligns with our neighboring jurisdictions ensuring that stormwater construction projects are completed in the best interest of water quality and the property owner If you have any questions regarding the DDECM, please contact Dave Kangiser

Olympia Harbor Days Electric Vehicle Car Show

Electric vehicle adoption

Earlier this month, the City joined Thurston Climate Action Team’s Electric Vehicle Car Show at Olympia’s Harbor Days Festival. Sustainability Coordinator Alyssa Jones Wood popped the hood of the City’s 2019 Nissan Leaf and shared information to promote electric vehicle adoption. Volunteers showed five different electric vehicles, including a Volvo XC40 Recharge, Kia Niro, Chevy Bolt, a Tesla Model X, and the City’s Nissan Leaf. Transportation accounts for 33% of Thurston County’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, according to the 2018 Inventory. Attending this event is one of the many ways Tumwater works with our community to implement the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan.

Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual

Required updates adopted

The Department of Ecology requires the City to update the City Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual (DDECM) as part of the NPDES Permit Dave Kangiser from Water Resources and Sustainability (WRS) teamed with Nhan Vo from Transportation and Engineering Department (TED) to revise the DDECM with the required updates, which the City Council adopted in July and is now available online The DDECM is a comprehensive stormwater manual that defines standards for construction site planning, engineering of stormwater facilities, and facility maintenance. It provides stormwater pollution prevention measures for construction projects and pollution prevention strategies for private businesses Some notable updates included aligning DDECM requirements with the Construction Stormwater General

Mark Teigen, Dale Kapsandy, Levi Loewen, and Jeff Cota pouring concrete flow spreaders.