Inside the City of Tumwater Date: November 17, 2020 To:
Mayor Pete Kmet City Councilmembers City Employees
From: John Doan, City Administrator
$35 For You and 2% for the City
PEOPLE
We need just TWO more people to meet our Well
City requirement. Set up a Castlight account and
then start earning the 350 points needed to help us
get to our 2% savings on our medical premium and earn yourself $35! It is super easy–and participation in the personal health assessment optional! If you
Traffic Signal Technician Joins Us
don’t yet have an account, visit www.awctrust.org or
Signal Tech in the Transportation and Engineering
Check with Juliann McGarva for assistance. (I’ve done
Matthew Bartlett is joining the City as a new Traffic Department. Matthew has 14 years of public employment doing this kind of work in Lacey,
Tacoma and most recently, the Seattle Department of Transportation. He also had his own electrical contracting business for a decade, so he knows all
download the Castlight app from your app store. it and it is both easy to get started and easy to get the necessary points. Even the survey wasn’t difficult.)
Kudos to Employees
• A Capitol Way resident wrote to say “kudos to
about those amps and volts. Welcome, Matthew!
everyone involved in the Custer/Capitol Way
Finance Director Pursuing the Next Chapter
street as a “dream to drive on.” Thank you to
Ursula Euler, the City’s Finance Director, has
announced she is leaving the City the middle of December. Ursula started in December of 2014 and has
been
instrumental
in
the
continuous
improvement of financial practices and budgeting in the City - along with clean audits. She helped launch
our successful MPD and TBD; financed fire trucks and
golf equipment; and was valuable to the City through the COVID experience of the past nine months. We will miss her and wish her well in the next chapter of life's journey.
transportation project.” She described the new everyone involved in that big project.
• A golf customer wrote about Dave Nickerson,
describing him as the “true professional just as I knew he was.” Also on the subject of golf, which has had a stellar summer and autumn, the leader
of a youth-focused, local nonprofit organization
wrote to say what a great time their young people had at the course and how they want to come back and play more often.
• A viewer of the recent Council worksession that included a training on suicide prevention
commented that the program was “compelling, valuable and important.”
• One of our seniors wrote to say what a “treat” it
was to see everyone at the Senior Pumpkin Pick-
Up. This was one of the monthly events that are
Street. They recently looked at the feasibility of a 73lot single family subdivision at 2719 79th Ave. SW.
INSIDE THE CITY
held to create opportunities for seniors and our
Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.
employees and each other, and receive food and
COVID has been a huge impact on the local restaurants, professional services, and retailers. There are some things we can do to help our local businesses:
friends from Old Town Center to see our OTC
craft kits. Our seniors feel particularly isolated during COVID and this is one way to help them.
EVENTS
Celebrate GIS Day
November 18th is GIS Day. Find some time tomorrow
to see what amazing things are happening with our GIS team. All of us have applications where our GIS system can help us.
Remember United Way and $100 Drawing
Don’t forget your United Way form and the chance to receive a $100 gift card. This is a way to help those
in the community who have been significantly impacted this year.
PLACES DRC Looks at Projects
The Development Review Committee is reviewing
the feasibility of a 41,000 s.f. office and warehouse space at the Deschutes Industrial Park. They are also
looking at the feasibility of the use of the former
Tumwater Lanes building for retail and warehouse space. The agenda also include feasibility of a 3story, 21-unit apartment building at 340/350 North
Utilize home delivery or pick-up from those local stores if you don’t shop inside? Most restaurants are offering take-out and delivery. If you are not comfortable with that, purchase a gift certificate. It gets them an infusion of cash and you can go back and enjoy a meal next year. Gift certificates also work for professional services such as haircuts. Do not forget our craft beverage friends. Many of them have pick-up and mailed product options. Some have special collections, apparel, and glassware that they have created for the season. They also have gift cards. Don’t assume that a local store doesn’t have an online presence. Search for them on the internet and try Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. They might be showing their products there. If you cannot gather with friends or family, then have delivery sent to them. You might gather on Zoom, but the recipients will still love the thoughtfulness of a common meal. Gift cards for car washes are awesome treats. No physical distancing required. Maybe an oil change at Toyota is an option? If someone in the family is wanting a bed liner, a picnic table, new tires, or a pedicure – why not a gift certificate? Local recreation venues such as golf and movie theaters need help too. Golf is a great way to get some exercise and you can keep your distance. (Or, if you are me, you spend all your time in the ponds trying to fish out my ball.) Recognize the spirit of the holidays by adopting a family or making a donation to a local charity. Studies tell us that shopping locally is better for the environment and 68% of every $100 spent at a local business stays in the community. It pays wages, local taxes, and donations in Tumwater. #TumwaterStrong