Inside the City of Tumwater

Date: February 24, 2023

To: Mayor Debbie Sullivan

City Councilmembers

City Employees

From: John Doan, City Administrator

People

James Trujillo Heading to Oregon

Administrative Services Director James Trujillo, is leaving the City at the end of February to return to Oregon. Since joining the City in July 2021, James was instrumental in our COVID response, labor negotiations, improving City safety and training programs, and launching the ERP. We wish James and his family the best down south.

Shhhh! Matt Webb Retired

After almost 33 years of service to the City of Tumwater, Matt Webb has retired. As an engineer doing review of new development, few people have been a part of shaping Tumwater as much as Matt, and he’s done all that with his subtle sense of humor. Thank you Matt for all you have done for this community!

Police Officer Heading Off to be a Distiller

Police Officer Friedrich Jaeger is leaving us in midApril to pursue his dream of opening a distillery in North Carolina. Officer Jaeger joined the City in April 2020. Thank you for your service Officer Jaeger – we hope you spread the word about Tumwater’s Craft Brewing, Distilling, and Cider-Making industries. All the best for the future and we look forward to seeing your bourbon on the shelves!

Welcome to our Newest Police Officer

Matthew Meshesha was born in Ethiopia and grew up in Diamond Bar, California just outside of Los Angeles. He served eight years in the U.S. Army, leaving in 2020 to pursue a career in law enforcement. He will be starting with us on March 1 and looking forward to training at the Academy. Welcome, Matthew!

Juliann McGarva Interim HR Manager

Juliann McGarva, HR Program Manager, will be filling in as Senior HR Manager following James Trujillo's departure. Juliann has had many different responsibilities in the City from IT to HR. Thank you for stepping into this role, Juliann.

New Year Brings Promotions

Cory Hofland is the lead for our Violations Bureau and Business Licenses and has been promoted to Accounting Assistant II in the Finance Department.

Shannon Geary Water Resources & Sustainability Operations was promoted to Administrative Assistant supporting our field teams. She has been with the City since 2015.

Bonnie Hale, also of the Water Resources & Sustainability Department, was promoted to Administrative Assistant. Bonnie joined the City last year and has been instrumental in crafting the new Department.

Russ Olsen has been promoted to Golf Operations Supervisor. Russ, who has many other hats in Thurston County, has been instrumental in reimagining the business future of the Tumwater Valley Golf Club – not just as a great place to golf, but broadening its use for more golfers and events.

Gwen Frost, in the Finance Department, has been promoted to Accounting Assistant II working with our utility customers. She is a frequent problemsolver for challenges that some utility customers bring us.

Congrats to Cory, Shannon, Bonnie, Russ and Gwen!

Events

Community Conversations

Community Conversations allow residents to engage and discuss various topics with City staff and community partners. Parks & Recreation Department, in partnership with the Tumwater Timberland Library, is presenting At Home in the Pacific Northwest. This series of conversations celebrates and examines what it means to live here in the great PNW from our coffee culture to our relationship with the environment.

The full directory of Community Conversations opportunities is on the City website.

City Earns WellCity Award

We have met the standards for the AWC WellCity distinction and entitles us to a 2% premium discount on the AWC Employee Benefit Trust medical premium in 2024. While that saving is important, WellCity also represents our employer and employee commitment to health and a healthy workplace. Thank you for making this happen.

Spring Recreation Catalog Available

Programs, sports, classes, and more for youth, teens, seniors, and aspiring artists are available in the new Recreation Program Catalog.

New Rechargeable Batteries

Our devices, like our wireless mice and keyboards, use a lot of disposable batteries. In an effort to reduce our waste, IT has purchased rechargeable AAA and AA batteries. When your mouse or other devices that take AAA or AA batteries is need of a new battery, please go visit IT who will have these available and will recharge them for you. Thank you IT for taking the lead to reduce this hard to dispose of waste.

Places

Projects at DRC

The Development Review Committee is reviewing these development proposals:

• Preliminary Review of a metal building at 8913 Select Ct. SE.

• Formal Review of modular building for the School District at 621 Linwood Ave. SW

• Feasibility Review of a proposed ADU at 1006 Lake Terrace Dr. SW

Washington Center Thanks City

The Washington Center wrote to thank the City for the contribution to their capital campaign. The City pledged $100,000 of Capital Facility funds to the Center’s renovation and up-date. The Payments are 75% complete. Although not located in Tumwater, the Center is a regional arts icon and plays a vital role in bringing a range of arts offerings to the Thurston County community.

Inside The City

Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.

This is a story about the power of communications. A few years before the pandemic (B.P.), we were frustrated that when it snowed we frequently received calls about the status of a particular street or questioning if the City was even plowing. They were often pretty upset.

We knew our crews were working really hard, but how could we better tell our story? We discovered an online tracker was being used in some communities to help people see the magnitude of the challenge (100 miles of street) and that we were out there 24 hours a day. After some magic from our GIS, Operations, and Communications teams, we launched the Tumwater Snowplow Tracker.

Since the Tracker started, the number of complaints about snow has dropped significantly. People can plan their best route to work or school using the tracker, viewing the streets that have been treated and plowed.

Staff post photos and updates on the City Facebook that show the round-the-clock efforts of our awesome snow and ice response team and illustrate current road conditions.

“We sure appreciate all your hard work & sacrificing a good night’s rest, with your family!”

“THANK YOU SO MUCH!!”

“Be safe. Tell your snow plow drivers great job. Thank you all”

“Thanks everyone!!”

“Thank you so much. I took my husband to work at 3:30 a.m. and crews were plowing Tumwater Hill, and I was elated. I appreciate you being on top of this.”

“I drove into work at 4 a.m. this morning….thank you SO much for everything you do!”

While this is a great story about our 24-hour snow crew, it also helps us all understand the importance of telling our story.

The City is a complex and diverse organization with a lot of things going on. Our community can’t see all those things, so it becomes imperative that we tell our story – accurately, fairly, and professionally.

We use many communication tools and specialized staff to tell the stories, but every one of us is a storyteller and has an opportunity to inform and educate.

I invite you to help tell the City’s story by sharing stories of our good work with our Communications Team or your Director. Just about everyone has a phone with a camera and can take a picture that tells your work story.

We have a great story to tell!

City Administrator Opening Posted

These posts have a high level of engagement from the community. Yesterday’s sampling of Facebook comments included these:

“Thank you crews for making our roads safe.”

The recruiting announcement for the City Administrator position has been posted and is being distributed through our recruiter. The first review of applications is on March 12 and final interviews are scheduled for early April.