Inside the City 22 February 2024

PEOPLE EVENTS

Welcome to Tumwater

Please join us in welcoming our newest hires

Davis Abbott, Asst. City Attorney |February 1, 2024

Scott Morrison, Firefighter | February 1, 2024

Cory Jones, Police Office | February 5, 2024

We appreciate your ongoing commitment to making the City of Tumwater a great place to work!

Generative AI

Washington State guidelines for using AI in local government communications state that AI-generated content used in official correspondence and communications should be clearly labeled as such and reviewed for accuracy and bias and to ensure no material infringes on existing copyrights. To ensure compliance with these guidelines, an inter-departmental group will develop a strategy for City use of AI, including training, guidance, and policy recommendations. City employees should not use AI in communications or correspondence until policy and guidance documents are developed.

What’s Generative AI? Any type of artificial intelligence (AI) to create new content, like text, images, music, audio, and videos.

2024 Hydration Challenge: March 4 – April 8

Many of us don’t drink as much water as we should daily. Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to ensure your body is happy and healthy. That’s why we challenge you to drink at least 8 cups of water daily for the next six weeks. Sign up for the challenge by February 26, 2024 –there’s a $25 gift card for the individual who drinks the most water. Complete the 6-week challenge and receive a ticket for a drawing at the end of the year!

Mindfulness & Meditation

Meditation and mindfulness are essential factors for many regarding overall wellness. Join your colleagues in one of the weekly 15-minute meditation sessions on Zoom or in person. If you want to pursue more meditation and mindfulness practices in your personal time, download the free Insight Timer app. This free resource can help you build healthy habits and create a well-being routine that works for you.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a type of massage that involves applying different amounts of pressure to the feet, hands, and ears. It may provide pain and stress relief, among other benefits.

Foot Reflexology

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | March 6 & April 3

Hand Reflexology

10:00 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. | March 21 & April 18

The City Wellness Program pays half of the cost for a 15minute session. Employees pay $10 for 15-minute sessions, and $30 for a 30-minute session, due at the time of the session. All reflexology sessions are held in the Council Conference Room.

PLACES

DRC Looks at Projects

These projects came before the City Development Review Committee:

 Feasibility Review: Single-story self-storage building on 37th in the Mottman Industrial Park.

 Feasibility Review: Kirsop Village 2, A 113 lot residential subdivision on 31 acres on 66th

 Feasibility Review: Fastpitch Academy – a tenant improvement project in an existing warehouse for a sports training facility on 29th in the Mottman Industrial Park.

 Formal Review: City Operations & Maintenance facility on 79th Ave SE. A seven-building campus with an administration building and six secure maintenance buildings.

INSIDE THE CITY

Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.

The City of Tumwater is much more than just a dot on a map. It is a community of people residents, business owners and workers, and visitors, who live, work, and play here.

City government is the foundational support for this community of people, comprised of elected officials and employees who serve the community, and we do so inspired by our vision and mission and guided by our beliefs.

Tumwater’s vision and mission statements lay the foundation for the future, reflect where the City is heading, and capture the spirit of the organization. They help communicate the bigger picture of what we want to achieve, how we will achieve it, and the “why” behind it all.

The City’s vision statement sets the bar high regarding how we want to be perceived

Tumwater of the future will be people-oriented and highly livable, with a strong economy, dynamic places, vibrant neighborhoods, a healthy natural environment, diverse and engaged residents, and a living connection to its history.

The mission statement communicates the City Council’s purpose and commitment to meet the needs of the community.

In active partnership with our community, we provide courageous leadership and essential municipal services to cultivate a prosperous economy, a healthy natural environment, vibrant neighborhoods, and a supportive social fabric.

These statements outline the City Council’s aspirations for the future of our community and establish the “why” for all we do as City employees. I hope they provide inspiration and purpose for all of us, guiding us to focus our work to make the vision a reality. I encourage all of us to take just a moment to consider how the work we do every day contributes to the Mission and helps to achieve the Tumwater Vision.

Thanks to each of you for your ongoing contributions to our collective mission and success!

Lisa

Message from the Chief

Work continues on the Fire Department Agency Evaluation and Strategic Plan process. The consulting group recently spent a week in Tumwater conducting a series of meetings. This included a meeting with City staff and area partner agencies and holding a community stakeholder meeting. The week concluded with an internal firefighter stakeholder group meeting that included a cross-section of rank and experience in the Department. The group worked on revising the Fire Department mission, vision, and values as well as identifying Department goals and objectives for the next five years. This information will be shared with the community and Council prior to finalizing the Department strategic plan.

Brian Hurley

Medical Services Officer

We provided compression-only CPR to 15 residents on January 23. People can sign up for the classes through Thurston County Medic One. Classes are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The department responded to five cardiac arrests during the month.

Battalion Chief testing was conducted on January 17, four candidates passed along with one candidate for Battalion Chief Medical Services Officer.

Community Outreach

Fire Prevention Officer Mark Armstrong taught the civil air patrol how to properly use fire extinguishers on January 4

The department held an entry-level firefighter recruitment event at headquarters station on January 6. Potential candidates could speak with current Tumwater personnel, ask questions, and take a fire station tour during this event. For more information, you can visit the City of Tumwater website.

Crews responded to a motor vehicle accident with a tree involved the evening of January 21 When crews found the vehicle, they also found the engine had separated from the car and was around 50 yards away.

Crews responded to a water leak on January 14. Once on scene, crews found that a water line in the ceiling had broken in two places. Most of the sheetrock and installation had fallen inside the office building.

Fire Prevention

Should you ignore a carbon monoxide alarm?

The answer is never ignore an alarming carbon monoxide (CO) alarm! It is a crucial warning sign of a potentially deadly hazard.

Here is a list of what you should do when a CO alarm sounds:

• Evacuate immediately and move outside to fresh air. All occupants, including pets, should leave the home promptly.

• Call 911 and report your CO alarm has gone off.

• Do not re-enter the home, do not assume it is safe if the alarm stops, and wait for assistance from the fire department, who have specialized equipment to detect CO.

Remember, CO is odorless, colorless, and undetectable by human senses. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu, including headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, and nausea. High levels of exposure can lead to confusion, vomiting, loss of consciousness, and even death.

Some of the leading sources of CO in the home include furnaces, gas stovetops, fireplaces, gas hot water tanks, generators, BBQ grills, and vehicle exhaust.

For more information on CO detectors and placements around the home, you can visit the NFPA website

Police Department

Monthly Report

To: Lisa Parks, City Administrator

From: Jon Weiks, Chief of Police

Date: February 15, 2024

Re: January 2024

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

2024-0111 Suspicious Circumstances - Tumwater officers were dispatched to the 7200 block of Old Hwy 99 for a report of a subject in a truck with a gunshot wound to his back Officers and medical personnel responded and contacted the victim and his passenger The male victim reported he and the passenger were driving northbound in the 9000 block of Old Hwy 99 when they heard the sound of gunshots . The victim stated as he approached Old Hwy 99 at 88th Avenue, he felt a sharp pain in his back and realized he had been shot The victim drove to the parking lot of a gas station Both the victim and the passenger stated they did not know who shot at them and they did not see anyone on the side of the road or in a vehicle following them. The victim appeared to have sustained a small bullet wound to the right side of his back Officers observed two large caliber bullet holes in the rear passenger truck door One of the bullets appeared to have entered through the door, into the front seat, and the victim’s back The other bullet was believed to be lodged in the vehicle. At the time Tumwater officers were being dispatched to this incident, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a report of gunshots in the area of 89th Avenue at Cabot Street (in Tumwater) Tumwater officers responded to that area as well Officers canvassed that neighborhood and received several reports that gunshots and yelling were heard in front of a residence on Cabot Street. A truck matching that of our victim was observed fleeing the scene. It is believed that the two incidents are the same, and the shooting didn’t happen on Old Hwy 99 as reported by the victim. Additionally, the passenger ’s and victim’s statements were inconsistent, and the passenger was uncooperative with the investigation and left the scene. The truck was impounded pending the application of a search warrant With the assistance of the WSP Crime Scene Response Team, the truck has been processed and both bullets were recovered as evidence The victim sustained a minor injury as a result of a small piece of shrapnel entering his back This is still an active investigation while detectives determine what occurred.

2024-0113 Malicious Mischief 2nd Degree - Tumwater officers were dispatched to the area of Linderson Way at 73rd Avenue regarding a vandalism complaint. The victim called and reported he was driving southbound on Linderson Way when someone standing at a bus stop in front of the Department of Corrections building threw a rock at his car and shattered his back window The subject was also yelling as the victim drove past him The victim reported the suspect was unknown to him The victim advised he observed the suspect walk around to the backside of the building and was last seen hiding in the bushes. A description of the suspect was provided Officers arrived in the area and located a subject matching the suspect’s description. He was recognized as someone that officers had contact with earlier in the morning for an unrelated incident, which also involved him throwing rocks at buildings and vehicles. The suspect

was contacted and advised he was being detained and officers placed him in handcuffs. The victim and an unrelated witness were allowed to view the suspect, and he was positively identified as the suspect who threw the rock that shattered the window. The witness reported the suspect had also thrown a rock at his vehicle, but he missed and did not cause any damage. The suspect was interviewed, and he denied throwing any rocks. Since he was positively identified by two unrelated persons, the suspect was arrested and booked at the Thurston County Jail for Malicious Mischief 2nd degree.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX

The public deposited 85 pounds of prescription drugs in January.

K-9 STATISTICS

Officer Russ Mize and K9 James

• Narcotics

o Assisted the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office with a free-air sniff around a vehicle deputies had stopped and detained the driver for multiple offenses. The driver was found to be in possession of a large amount of cash, and narcotics were found where he was hiding (after running from the vehicle) Officer Mize responded to the scene and deployed K9 James outside of the vehicle Officer Mize provided a search command, and while circling the vehicle, K9 James provided alerts to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle Officer Mize completed and provided the deputy with a probable cause statement to support a search warrant application. Officer Mize then cleared the scene and did not hear back from the deputy.

o Assisted the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force with a free-air sniff around a vehicle associated with a suspect that detectives arrested for delivery of narcotics Officer Mize responded to the scene and deployed K9 James outside of the vehicle Officer Mize provided a search command, and while circling the vehicle, K9 James provided alerts to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle Officer Mize completed and provided the Detectives with a probable cause statement to support a search warrant application. Officer Mize then cleared the scene. Officer Mize was later advised a search warrant was granted for the vehicle and 200 fentanyl pills, 8 grams of methamphetamine, and 27 Xanax pills were recovered fro m inside.

o Assisted other Tumwater officers at the scene of a driver passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle stopped in the parking lot of a local fuel station Upon arrival, approached the vehicle and observed the indicator light showing the vehicle was in park. Officers noted the smell of burnt motor oil and were told by a witness the vehicle had stopped running Officers also observed drug paraphernalia in the lap of the passed-out driver Officers contacted the male driver, and the driver voluntarily provided the officers with a bag of blue pills (suspected fentanyl) and other drug paraphernalia. The driver was escorted out of the vehicle and placed into custody. Officer Mize then deployed K9 James outside of the vehicle for a free-air sniff of the vehicle Officer Mize provided a search command, and while circling the vehicle, K9 James provided alerts to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle Officer Mize provided another officer a probable cause statement to support his telephonic search warrant request The officer applied for and was granted a search warrant for the vehicle Inside the vehicle officers located a handgun and cash, but no other drugs

Officer Chase Grimmett and K9 Thor

• The team did not have any deployments this month.

SRO ACTIVITY

A parent of a Black Hills High School student called School Resource Officer Rosco The parent inquired about how to obtain an order for protection to protect his son from another student his son has had issues

with SRO Rollman provided the parent with information about the process.

School Resource Officer Tyler Boling responded to Peter G. Schmidt Elementary regarding a report that there was a male in the area, near the State office buildings, who allegedly had a gun SRO Boling worked with school staff to place the school on a modified lockdown in an effort to protect the students and keep them indoors due to PGS being next door. Once the area was secure was determined, the lockdown was lifted, and SRO Boling communicated with the district and staff to ensure proper communication was released.

SRO Boling checked in with a Tumwater High School student who had had family issues before winter break and had not been living at home. SRO Boling was still concerned about the student, so he checked his welfare and learned the student had returned home and was doing much better.

SRO Rollman was alerted to a repeat offender of a recklessly driven vehicle in the Mirasette neighborhood. SRO Rollman contacted the registered owner and learned the driver was a Black Hills High School student SRO Rollman requested the parent’s permission to talk with his son about his driving SRO Rollman and Principal Meyers talked with the student and explained the consequences of reckless driving and speeding.

SRO Boling received a report from a Bush Middle School student about another student possessing a vape. SRO Boling recovered the vape and reported the discovery to a school administrator. The incident was turned over to the school to handle any potential discipline.

SRO Boling spoke in the Bush Middle School 3rd and 4th period Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) classes about law enforcement careers.

SRO Rollman met with a parent of a Black Hills High School student who had concerns about his child’s welfare when he is in the care of his mother and stepfather SRO Rollman provided the father with resources to move forward as it was determined a crime had not been committed SRO Rollman also learned the student is a tribal member, so the father was referred to additional resources within the tribe

SRO Rollman was contacted by an Intercity Transit employee regarding parents dropping off/picking up their students in the IT bus stop at T umwater Middle School SRO Rollman stood outside during pickup/drop-off to warn parents about stopping at that location. This was followed up by an email sent out to parents by the school district about the issue.

SRO Boling was requested to check the welfare of an unknown female who was wandering from the school district transportation property onto the Bush Middle School campus. When SRO Boling arrived and remained in the area for a while, he was unable to locate the female

SRO Rollman was contacted by the Black Hills High School counselor and a student who wanted to talk about issues the student was having at home. SRO Rollman determined no crime had occurred, but the student was still in fear. SRO Rollman provided the student and counselor with resources and followed up with the student the following week to check on them.

SRO Boling was contacted by the parent of a Bush Middle School student who was inquiring about resources for their child The parent explained the child is often out-of-control at home, and the parent was unsure of how to handle it SRO Boling talked with the parent and provided them with different resources.

SRO Rollman received a text message from an unknown number on his work cellphone The text message stated that a student on campus at Black Hills High School had a weapon. The anonymous

sender provided SRO Rollman with only the suspect’s first name and no other information SRO Rollman was unable to identify the sender, and the sender would not answer any calls for more information The suspect’s name was run through the school database, and two possible students were identified Both were contacted, and neither were found to be in possession of a weapon, nor were they believed to be involved The case was closed as unfounded.

SRO Boling investigated a report of threats made via text by multiple Bush Middle School students to one another During the investigation, SRO Boling had multiple conversations about the messages and threats with students He also had follow-up conversations with the parents When it was determined there was no crime, the issue was turned over to the school to handle any discipline.

SRO Boling assisted Bush Middle School staff with an unruly student who had initially just thrown a book at a teacher’s face. When the student was escorted to the principal’s office, the student created havoc for the 1 ½ hours it took the student’s grandmother to respond to the school SRO Boling counseled the student, and the school handled any discipline.

SRO Rollman was contacted by the parent of a Tumwater Middle School student to schedule a meeting to discuss concerns with their child

At the meeting, the parent asked for resources regarding parenting the student, who had previously been referred for assault charges and was now refusing to return home from their mother’s house SRO Rollman provided the parent with resources on how to navigate the parenting plan and other parenting issues.

SRO Rollman talked in two Tumwater Middle School 6th grade health classes about the role of the police and the role of an SRO They talked about the career and the tools of the trade and had a basic get-toknow-one-another session with the students.

2024-0098 Child Abuse - SRO Boling was alerted to a report of possible child abuse The Bush Middle School student informed school staff he had been disciplined by his dad and sustained bruises as a result. SRO Boling met with the student to hear what happened and examine the bruises, which were no longer visible. SRO Boling talked with the student, and the student did not express fear of being at home with the parent and stated they understood why they were disciplined. SRO Boling also talked with the parent, and they discussed proper discipline. SRO Boling completed a report and forwarded it to the Thurston County Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office and State of Washington Child Protective Services for review.

2024-0166 & 2024- 0157 Assault - A Tumwater Hill Elementary parent called SRO Rollman to report that her son, a student in the behavioral health program, was assaulted by staff at the school This resulted from an incident involving her son and another student on the playground. The parent later said the staff was not assaulting her child but used too much force when dealing with her son. The school conducted its investigation and documented it. The parent also wanted the incident documented by SRO Rollman. The same parent reported another incident as well, involving different THE staff That incident was also investigated by the school and documented by both the school and SRO Rollman . In both instances, it was determined staff had not committed a crime.

2024-0165 Disorderly Student - SRO Boling was dispatched to Peter G. Schmidt Elementary regarding a student that had assaulted another child at the school, and then became upset and fled from the school and climbed a tree nearby SRO Boling and patrol officers responded to assist The student was located and eventually climbed down from the tree, but then physically attacked SRO Boling and another officer The student also tried to run out into traffic. The student had to be restrained to stop the assaults and for the student’s own safety. He was placed in the back of a police car to wait for a parent to arrive. When the child’s mother arrived, the student was turned over to her care. An informational report was completed to document the contact with the child.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

Code Enforcement opened two cases this month:

• Occupied RV parked in a residential area and power cords crossing the right of way.

• Dog feces smell emanating from the back yard of a residence.

Code Enforcement closed two cases this month:

• Multiple inoperable vehicles in the driveway of a residence were addressed by the tenant and is now in compliance.

• On-going barking dog complaint was closed after several visits to the area over a two-week period found no violations.

Code Enforcement currently has 16 open cases.

QUANTIFIABLE ACTIVITY

* Self-Initiated includes: investigativefollow-ups,civilpaperworkservice,areachecks,business checks,schoolvisits, residentcontacts,trafficstopsandback-upactivity.

PERSONNEL

• Carlos Quiles, Lieutenant – 22 years of service

• Chase Grimmett, Officer – five years of service

TRAINING

• Three members completed a one-week Control & Defensive Tactics Instructor course

• One member completed an on-line Criminal Legal System course

• One member continued in the Basic Law Enforcement Academy

• Two members continued in the Field Training Program

• 30 members attended a Department training day (Defensive Tactics, ABLE, and digital radio upgrade training)

• Four TPD members of Thurston County SWAT attended monthly training

1000 total training hours

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY

Detective Lieutenant Jennifer Kolb was a spirit judge at the annual Battle of the Billy competition between the Tumwater High School and Black Hills High School students during the Pioneer Bowl of the Hardwood double-header basketball games.

Detective Brandt Baker provided an Active Shooter assessment and presentation to staff at the L&I building.

COMMENDATIONS/LETTERS OF APPRECIATION

A citizen brought to our attention a NextDoor post stating, “TPDisjustawesome!! Theygenuinelytryto helppeople(ifnoactualcrimehasbeencommitted) Theymediatebetweenneighbors,childrenandtheir parents,etc.” We do not have more context than what was provided, but it captures our core values' spirit

Management Analyst Dr. Oliver Bowers received a letter of appreciation from a Black Hills High School Data Science teacher Dr. Bowers recently was invited to present how data analysis is used in policing The teacher wrote, “I wanted to let you know that your presentation to our Data Science class was extremely well received and informative The students communicated that they enjoyed you and the information you shared and recommended that I utilize you as a guest speaker again in the future.”

Transportation & Engineering

February 2024

PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES

Marc LaVack

TED Operations Manager | 02/04/1991, 33 Yrs.

Brian Frankowski

TED Maintenance Tech II | 02/16/2017, 7 Yrs.

Joseph Norman

Engineer III | 02/10/2020, 4 Yrs.

Jared Crews

Engineer II | 02/16/2020, 4 Yrs.

PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION

Interstate 5/Trosper Road/Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration

The northwest corner of the roundabout at Capitol Blvd. and Trosper Road is nearing completion Paving is scheduled for late February once the sidewalk and street lighting work is finished Completing this section of the intersection is an important milestone, as it will improve traffic flow through the work zone. The project is scheduled to be completed this summer.

Israel Road/Linderson Way Water Main

The water main construction is complete, and all water services have been transferred to the new water main The contractor is working to complete sidewalk and signal upgrades at the northwest corner of Israel Road and Linderson Way.

Puget Sound Energy is working to underground utilities along Israel Road and New Market Street The electrical system conversion is expected to be complete by the end of February, with Astound, Lumen, and Comcast to follow. Ultimately, nearly all utility poles on Israel Road will be removed.

PROJECTS IN DESIGN

Tumwater Boulevard, NB 1-5 On/Off Ramp Intersection (Phase 1)

The City has selected HDR Inc. to design a roundabout at the intersection of the I-5 northbound on/off ramps and Tumwater Boulevard to address traffic and safety issues. It is anticipated that the design will be completed in early 2025.

2nd Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements

The City has received a grant through the State’s Safe Routes to School program to design and construct pedestrian and bicycle improvements between Linwood Avenue and B Street along 2nd Avenue. These improvements include the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Linwood Avenue, widened sidewalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and a bicycle lane. They selected SCJ Alliance to negotiate the scope and fee for the work. The City aims to have a completed design by the end of this year.

Paving preparation at Trosper and Capitol

Curb, gutter, and sidewalk restoration at the corner of Israel Road and Linderson Way.

Water Resources & Sustainability February 2024

PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES

Rocky Smith

WRS Maintenance Tech II | 02/18/2003, 21 yrs.

Shaun Carney

WRS Maintenance Tech II | 02/02/2015, 9 yrs.

City Secures Electric Vehicle Certification

Lower emissions mobility is both the present and the future, and the City of Tumwater is going the extra mile to promote clean commuting. The City Hall campus has achieved silver-level certification in the “Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership” (EVAL) certification program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and developed by the Portland-based non-profit group Forth Mobility. This program was created to recognize employers and workplaces leading the charge to address climate change and lower emissions by providing sustainable transportation options at the workplace. Some of the actions that earned the City this credential include:

• Providing free EV charging at City Hall for employee and public use,

• Incentivizing lower emission mobility through our Commute Trip Reduction Policy, which includes financial incentives for employees to purchase or lease new or used electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles,

• Providing secure bike parking and showers for bike commuters at City Hall,

• Installing EV charging for fleet vehicles, and

• Providing our residents/customers information about lower carbon transportation on our Sustainability webpage.

Silver EVAL Certification Plaque

Renewing Tumwater Drinking Water Program In 2023

A new year means a time for reflection! Here is what Tumwater drinking water looked like in 2023.

Last year, Tumwater pumped 1.27 billion gallons of water from vast underground aquifers to serve our community. This was up nine percent from the previous year. As the demand for clean drinking water grows, so does our need to conserve this valuable resource.

In 2023, we reinvigorated our water rebates and incentives program and offered new water-saving tools for indoor and outdoor use. Twenty-three households requested water-saving devices by submitting an online form from our website. WRS staff also distributed many of these water-saving devices at events throughout the year. The City, in partnership with LOTT, offers rebates for new water-efficient toilets and washing machines Last year, the City saved an estimated 169 gallons per day by people changing from older water-wasting appliances! The biggest savings come from the Tumwater Valley Golf Club, where the use of reclaimed water conserved 55.4 million gallons of fresh drinking water last year alone.

Tumwater will continue offering incentives and rebates to promote water conservation in 2024. Staff are beginning to develop water conservation education and awareness for outdoor use, such as landscaping. These efforts are critical to meeting the City’s conservation goals and helping to meet clean drinking water needs in to the future.

New Equipment For Stormwater

You may have noticed several new electrified trucks in our fleet, but have you also seen the new Vactor truck? Dedicated to stormwater maintenance, this new member of our fleet replaces an older Vactor truck and is one of the largest vehicles used by our crews. The new Vactor has a 12-yard storage container for waste and the capacity to carry 1,300 gallons of freshwater! It has already been put to work cleaning the stormwater treatment vaults and catch basins along Littlerock Road Amy Morris, also new to the Stormwater field crew, is the primary operator of the Vactor truck Looking sharp!

A Watershed Approach

2024 is already shaping up to be a productive year as we work to restore, plan, and improve our natural resources across the City and the watershed in which we live. The City of Tumwater is in the Deschutes River Watershed (WRIA 13) and is part of a regional partnership, WRIA 13 Lead Entity, comprised of local and state agencies and nonprofit organizations. These WRIA 13 stakeholders all collaborate to protect and restore salmon habitat within the watershed, most recently by submitting joint applications for funding treatment, mitigation, and restoration efforts by the Floodplains by Design fund, administered by the Department of Ecology. These applications, with a collective request of over $10 million, will help mitigate flood damage and improve habitat conditions from the headwaters to Budd Inlet. The City has four designated projects within its boundaries that constitute a significant part of the budget request. These projects address

stormwater treatment, improve riparian habitat along the Deschutes River, and restore historical wetlands, allowing for increased flood storage during high-flow storm events and improving overall water quality.

Stormwater Crewmember Amy Morris with our new Vactor truck.