Inside the City 26 July 2023 Edition

Inside the City of Tumwater

Date: July 26, 2023

To: Mayor Debbie Sullivan

City Councilmembers

City Employees

From: Lisa Parks, City Administrator

PEOPLE

New Paramedic Firefighters

The Tumwater Fire Department is excited to have two new paramedic/firefighters join the Department in August. These positions were vacant through attrition, the most recent being Tom Barker’s retirement

Gerig Hanson has recent experience as a paramedic in Oregon and the US Army. His first day is August 1. Nate Rylaarsdam starts on August 15 and brings 10 years’ experience as a career firefighter and paramedic. Welcome, Gerig and Nate!

BC Jernigan Retires

After 28 years on the job, Battalion Chief Jeff Jernigan completed his final shift and retired on June 30 Jernigan. Jeff was a volunteer firefighter prior to his hire in 1999. He served as the chair of the Apparatus, & Equipment Committee and facilities. Thanks for your years of service to the community.

Fire Department Promotions

Fire Lieutenant James Osberg was promoted to fill the position of retired Battalion Chief Jernigan James has been with the Department since 2013 Firefighter Scott Kennedy has been appointed Fire Lieutenant effective August 1. Scott has been with the Department since 2014.

Welcome Back!

When you call the Operations Office, the voice that answers the call might sound a bit familiar. That’s because Bruce Straw was recently hired as a part-time Department Assistant he previously worked for the City in the Finance Department. We are excited to have Bruce back at the City. If you have the chance, stop by and say hello!

EVENTS

Tumwater’s Brewing Legacy

The Tumwater Artesian Brewfest celebrates the legacy of brewing and its importance to Tumwater's history. Brewfest provides a unique outdoor venue to SIP craft beers from 40+ NW breweries along with cider and spirits; SAVOR food from local vendors and restaurants; and PLAY super-sized beer pong, puttputt golf, or enter the stein holding competitions.

1-8 p.m.

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Tumwater Valley Golf Course

More info about the festival on the Tumwater Artesian Brewfest website. This event is for adults 21 and over.

Brewfest Volunteers

Volunteers are needed to assist with at entry gate, cleaning and monitoring activities during the event, and clean-up afterward. All volunteers must be 21 years of age by the date of the event. Visit the registration page to volunteer.

It’s the Wellness

Looking for something free and fun to keep you fit this summer? A yoga class could be just what you need to break up a busy work day! Bring your yoga matt and a towel and join your coworkers at 12 noon, Wednesdays on the back lawn of City Hall. This 6-week series began July 12 and will continue each Wednesday.

Questions?

Contact Cory Hofland in Finance.

PLACES

DRC Looks at Projects

The following projects came before the City Development Review Committee:

 Feasibility review for a new city park on 79th Avenue adjacent to the site of the proposed Operations & Maintenance facility.

 Feasibility review for a 56-unit townhouse development on Littlerock Road south of Tumwater Boulevard.

 Formal review of a 160,000 sq. ft. warehouse on 93rd Avenue across the freeway from the Pilot Travel Center.

 Feasibility review for the renovation of a 21unit apartment building on Capitol Boulevard The former Shalimar Suites has been purchased by the Housing Authority of Thurston County for use as housing units for low-income seniors.

Feasibility Review happens at the early stages when projects are being considered. Formal review is the last step before submitting a building permit.

INSIDE THE CITY

Illustrating our Mission, Vision, or Beliefs in Action.

My first month at the City has been a whirlwind of activity. From the parade and fireworks show to the poker walk and a ride along with TPD each day has been filled with activities, events, and meetings. I’m learning new things and enjoying the camaraderie and collaboration among staff members and departments. Did I mention I’ve been to a lot of meetings, lately!?

Over the next several weeks I will be coordinating with the Management Team to find ways to meet as many of you as possible as part of my entry plan. The purpose of this plan is to use an intentional and inclusive process during my first months as City Administrator to gain a deeper understanding of organizational capacity. My goal is to gather ideas for sustaining and building on the good work staff is doing every day. I want to learn where staff believe improvements can be made to create efficiencies and maximum resources.

The number of initiatives and projects underway in Tumwater is impressive. I have already developed an awareness for the quality and quantity of work that staff produces. It’s critical that we use our Mission and Strategic Priorities as a guide to prioritize and focus our work with clarity of purpose. With your support I hope to empower our team to continue delivering on our Mission.

Thank you for bringing your best every day.

Mission

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.

PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES

Dennis Ashe WRS Water Quality Tech III | 07/02/2007, 16 yrs.

Mark Teigen WRS Storm Lead Worker | 07/01/2008, 15 yrs.

Justin Anderson TED Fleet Technician I | 07/01/2016, 7 yrs.

Levi Loewen WRS Maintenance Tech I | 07/01/2018, 5 yrs.

Cody Smith WRS Maintenance Tech I | 07/01/2019, 4 yrs.

Mary Heather Ames TED Assistant Director | 07/13/2019, 4 yrs.

Mallory Coleman TED Department Assistant II | 07/18/2022, 1 yr.

Bonnie Hale WRS Administrative Assistant | 07/18/2022, 1 yr.

PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION

2023 Pavement Maintenance Project

The contractor, Miles Resources, started work on June 20 at multiple locations. The work includes paving existing roadways, repair of pavement surface failure, pavement marking replacements, raised pavement marking installations (the reflective buttons that are often used on major roads in place of paint lines), and construction of ADA accessible curb ramps and sidewalks

Transportation & Engineering Water Resources & Sustainability

July 2023

I-5 Trosper Road Capitol Boulevard Reconfiguration Project

The contractor, Active Construction, has completed installing a 16-inch ductile iron water main on Capitol Blvd that stretches from Southgate Market to Thompson’s Furniture. The work was to replace an existing 6-inch cast iron pipe on the east side of Capitol and an existing 8-inch PVC water main on the west side of Capitol. They are now installing a 16-inch ductile iron water main on Linda Street, replacing existing 8-inch asbestos concrete water main that goes to the Palermo Wellfield in preparation for future projects.

Paving on 83rd Avenue.

16-inch water main being constructed on Capitol Blvd

A closure of the northbound I-5 on/off ramps is planned for the end of July. Instead of multiple weekend closures, the Contractor and WSDOT have agreed that a single closure will minimize traffic impacts and allow the work to be completed quickly and safely. Please visit the City website to stay updated on all road closures as a result of this project.

Northbound on/off ramps being constructed for Trosper Road

PROJECTS IN DESIGN

Linwood Avenue Sidewalks

Design of sidewalk and pedestrian improvements along Linwood Avenue between Susitna Lane and 2nd Avenue is underway. The project, funded in part by the Transportation Improvement Board, will be under construction by the end of 2023. The project will infill missing sidewalk segments along Linwood Avenue and adjacent side streets, replace existing 4’ sidewalks with 5’ sidewalks, replace existing curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps, and add bulb-outs at pedestrian crossings in order to reduce crossing distance.

Israel Road/Linderson Way Water Main Project

The project was awarded to Reed Trucking & Excavating, Inc., and construction is on track to commence in late July. Construction activities in front of Tumwater High School are expected to be completed prior to the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. A separate project for pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Israel Road is under design by the City and scheduled to begin in 2024.

X Street Roundabout

The design of the new roundabout proposed at the intersection of X Street and Capitol Boulevard is complete. Construction of this project is anticipated to begin in 2025. This project also includes upgrades to the City’s water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure in addition to the undergrounding of overhead private utilities.

Example of a bulb-out constructed at the intersection of Dennis Street and Elm Street.

Message from the Chief

There are many careers that are physically and mentally challengingincluding being a firefighter. Being a firefighter and serving the community brings satisfaction when helping people on what may be the worst day of their life. Providing this service however, can take a toll and impact physical and mental well-being. The Tumwater Fire Department has joined with several other area fire departments participating in a county-wide Peer Support Team. A group of firefighters has been trained to provide support and assistance to other firefighters who may be in need of mental health assistance. This is a voluntary and confidential program with assistance from professional therapists if needed. The program is a joint labor/management initiative that will support the mental well-being of staff leading to what is hoped to be a long, productive, rewarding career as a firefighter serving our community.

Brian Hurley

Medical Services Officer

In June, crews responded to 381 EMS calls, including 41 traumatic injuries and seven cardiac arrests.

The Department had five paramedics attend Central Intravenous Line Training at Thurston County Medic One. The Department had 15 firefighters/EMTs, Firefighter/Paramedics, and officers that participated in a multi-company operational active shooter training that included multiple fire and police agencies at Black Hills High School.

Community Outreach

Crews helped celebrate the end of the school year by attending Michael T. Simmons field day. Students were able to take a tour of the engine.

The Department received a visit from a family that the crews assisted in delivering their premature baby.

Suppression Report

Training Officer

On June 28 and 30, Tumwater Fire participated in active shooter training with Tumwater Police. During this training, Police and Fire worked on unified command. Unified command is a joint command where multiple agencies join together to help solve the problem that is presented.

In the late evening on June 15, crews responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident. On scene crews were able to extract a patient from the vehicle.

During the active shooter drill, the scenario had one perpetrator and 10 patients. Police handled taking care of the perpetrator, and fire department personnel handled the patients using multi-causality incidents (MCI) protocols. We also had two dispatchers from TCOMM participate in handling dispatch and radio communications. Fire gave an overview of “stop the bleed” and how to move patients. The sooner bleeding can be stopped, the more lives can be saved. We also worked on Rescue Task Forces, which are a combination of both Police and Fire that enter an area to treat and move patients to a safer area. After we have a patient in a safe area, we work on getting patients transported to the hospital.

In the early evening on June 23, crews responded to a motor vehicle accident. All response units were on the scene to extricate patients from their vehicles. There was significant trauma to at least one patient who required transport via Airlift Northwest.

In July, The Department will train in wildland firefighting. Of most concern in the City are areas of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The WUI is a space where homes and businesses meet and mix with undeveloped land. Wildland fires can be fast-moving and spread rapidly. The Department utilizes specialized equipment like smaller wildland hose that allows us to move faster and get water to areas that are hard to reach.

Police Department

Monthly Report

To: Lisa Parks, City Administrator

From: Jon

Weiks,

Chief of Police

Date: July 15, 2023

Re: June 2023

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

2023-0902 Hit & Run and Eluding - Tumwater officers were dispatched to a hit-and-run at the intersection of Henderson Blvd at Yelm Highway SE on June 2nd, at 1148 hours. A witness was following the suspect vehicle and updating Dispatch of their direction of travel. The witness also reported the suspect was driving recklessly and appeared to intentionally hit another vehicle while trying to flee The witness then lost visual of the suspect in the area of South 2nd Avenue A second witness called and reported they were following the suspect vehicle and reported the suspect almost struck pedestrians while fleeing During the course of this incident, a second victim called and reported they were struck by the suspect’s vehicle not once, but twice. Officers caught up to the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of Walmart and attempted to stop the vehicle The driver observed officers activate their emergency lights and he fled at a high rate of speed out of the parking lot onto Littlerock Road Due to WA State law, officers were unable to pursue the fleeing vehicle Officers then made contact with several witnesses and obtained their statements Officers learned the suspect had struck multiple vehicles and when briefly confronted, he claimed to be fleeing from pursuing officers, which was inaccurate The witnesses and victims positively identified the driver when they were shown photos of the registered owner (RO) of the vehicle. An officer later connected the suspect, via video surveillance, to a theft that had occurred earlier in the day at Safeway The suspect had stolen two cases of beer from the store, which could have been attributed to his driving and reckless behavior. Probable cause was developed for the arrest of the suspect for Eluding, three counts of Hit-and-Run Attended, and Reckless Driving The suspect was not located, so the charges were referred to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration.

2023-0971 Robbery 1st - On June 12th, at 2329 hours, Tumwater officers were dispatched to a report of a “carjacking” that had just occurred at the Fred Meyer fuel station on Trosper Road While en route, the victim reported he had been pepper sprayed and his car was stolen by the lone male suspect Upon the officer’s arrival, they located the victim still at the fuel center and he was being treated for his exposure to the pepper spray The victim reported he had been pumping fuel when he was approached from behind by an unknown male. The suspect sprayed the victim and went to the driver’s compartment of the vehicle. The victim attempted to stop the suspect, as did two other witnesses who attacked the suspect with a squeegee. The suspect threatened the victim with a knife he also had in his hand, so the victim and witnesses backed off and the suspect fled in the victim’s vehicle Officer’s developed probable cause to arrest the suspect for Robbery and an Attempt T o Locate was broadcast An on-duty Sergeant recognized the description provided as someone he had contact with earlier in the evening in the area While talking to officers, the victim advised his phone was still in the vehicle and could be tracked Officers tracked the location of the phone and provided location updates to area agencies. The phone was tracked to a location in Olympia and OPD

attempted to stop the vehicle The suspect eventually abandoned the vehicle in the parking lot of Ralph’s Thriftway and then fled on foot A perimeter was established and an OPD K9 team was activated to assist with the search The K9 tracked the suspect and a neighbor reported a possible location for the suspect The suspect was found to be hiding under a nearby residence where he refused to exit Less lethal munitions were deployed by an OPD officer to gain compliance and the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident A search of the stolen vehicle produced the knife and personal items belonging to the suspect. The suspect was transported and booked at the Thurston County Jail for Robbery 1st degree.

2023-0996 Residential Burglary and Auto theft - On June 15th, at 1608 hours, Tumwater officers were dispatched to a residence on South 2nd Avenue for a report of a residential burglary and auto theft, both clear The responding officer made contact with the victim who reported that while she was away, someone broke a window on the back of her house and made unlawful entry into her residence From the residence, the suspect/s stole a guitar and her car The officer processed the scene, but there was no suspect information at that time, and the car was entered into the system as stolen. The following morning, an Olympia Police Officer located the stolen vehicle in their jurisdiction when a citizen reported the vehicle as occupied and suspicious in their neighborhood. The occupant in the stolen vehicle was contacted and he denied knowing the car was stolen. He reported he was given the car by a friend The suspect was arrested and booked at the Thurston County Jail for being in possession of a stolen auto The investigating officer responded to the jail and interviewed the suspect He again denied knowing the vehicle was stolen and gave the name of a person from whom he claimed to have received the car The officer contacted that person and he denied having stolen the vehicle and denied having contact with the suspect for at least three weeks . The suspect was re-interviewed at the jail by the investigating officer and a detective where he continued to deny having stolen the car and committing the burglary, but he unknowingly admitted to being in the area o, and living in the vicinity of, the victim’s residence Based on the statements provided by the suspect, as well as being found in possession of the stolen vehicle, the charge of Residential Burglary and Auto Theft wwasreferred to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration

PRESCRIPTION DRUG DROP BOX

The public deposited 50 pounds of prescription drugs in June The total deposited for the year is 370 pounds.

BUDGET

At the end of the month, the police department budget is 44% spent for the year.

K- 9 STATISTICS

Officer Russ Mize & K9 James

• Narcotics

o Assisted the Napavine Police Department with a free-air sniff of the exterior of a vehicle whose driver was taken into custody for criminal traffic violations. K9 James was given a sniff command and he alerted to the presence of a narcotic odor coming from inside the vehicle Officer Mize completed and provided the Napavine officer a probable cause statement to support a search warrant application, then he and K9 James returned to the City.

Officer Chase Grimmett & K9 Thor

• Evidence Search

o Assisted the Yelm Police Department with attempting to locate a firearm discarded by a suspect during a foot pursuit Officer Grimmett was advised the suspect had discarded a

backpack during the foot pursuit, but they had since recovered the backpack and were unable to locate the firearm Officer Grimmett deployed K9 Thor and was retracing the path of the foot pursuit when he was advised the firearm had been located by a Yelm officer.

SRO ACTIVITY

June was a short month for the SROs due to school being released mid-month At the end of the month, the SROs went to the NASRO conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

SRO Rollman worked with Tumwater Hill Elementary (THE) administration, a student and the student’s parents in reference to an inappropriate photo the student received from a juvenile in another state The student received counsel and the situation was resolved.

SRO Boling was contacted by a Bush Middle School (BMS) parent regarding his daughter being bullied and threatened by another student SRO Boling made contact with the other BMS student alleged to have threatened the victim SRO Boling resolved the situation with counsel and referred the parent and student to school administration for a Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) investigation if they wanted to pursue further.

SRO Boling assisted BMS staff with an HIB investigation. He obtained a statement from a witness and then referred the investigation to staff.

2023-0967 Theft - SRO Boling investigated a report of a stolen Chromebook from a BMS student after the student left it in a classroom SRO Boling was unable to identify who stole the laptop and the case was closed as leads exhausted.

SRO Boling attended, and provided security for, the high school graduations for Black Hills High School (BHHS), Tumwater High School (THS), and Cascadia High School.

SRO Rollman chaperoned the TMS end of the school year field trip to the Rainier’s game.

SRO Rollman was alerted to a possible sex offense that occurred on the BHHS school campus and it was witnessed by other students During the course of the investigation, SRO Rollman determined there was no crime committed and the encounter was consensual . SRO Rollman resolved his involvement in the incident and referred the investigation to school staff.

SRO Rollman assisted a BHHS parent and student with conflict resolution. The student and parent were having issues and the student was not responding appropriately and refusing to go to school SRO Rollman responded to the residence and after providing the parent/student with counsel, SRO Rollman transported to the student to school The situation was resolved with counsel.

SRO Rollman attended the THE career fair He set up his patrol vehicle for the 4th and 5th grade students to come by and ask questions about being a police officer and to take a look at all of his equipment.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

Code Enforcement opened four cases this month:

• Multiple vehicles and household items being stored outside of a residence.

• Overgrown vegetation from an undeveloped residential property creating a sight-distance traffic obstruction.

• People living in tents and shacks with garbage strewn about a residential property.

• Refuse piled on residential property and abandoned vehicle parked in front of the residence.

Code Enforcement closed two cases this month:

• Garbage on residential property case was closed and included in a new case with additional violations.

• Barbed wire was removed from the bottom of fencing surrounding a commercial property after the issuance of a courtesy letter.

Code Enforcement currently has 19 open cases.

* Self-Initiated includes: investigative follow-ups, civil paperwork service, area checks, business checks, school visits, resident contacts, traffic stops and back-up activity.

PERSONNEL

• Jennifer Kolb, Detective Lieutenant – 23 years of service

• John Kenderesi, Sergeant – 19 years of service

• Ken Driver, Training Lieutenant – 15 years of service

• Danielle Dawson, Detective – 6 years of service

TRAINING

• Two members attended a one week NASPRO Conference

• One member attended three days of CISM/GRIN (Assisting Individuals in Crisis) training

• Two members attended four days of Less Lethal Instructor training

• Two members attended one day of Gracie Level II training

• Three members attended one day of Body Worn Camera training

• Four TPD members of Thurston County SWAT attended monthly training

• 21 members attended a department training day focused on Active Shooter response

498 total training hours

COMMUNITY ACTIVITY

Lt Kolb assisted the McLane/Black Lake Fire Department as an assessor with their Lieutenant Assessment Center.