Mid-County Leadership Team Recap

1/4/2023

Held at PLU

 

1. Bethel and Franklin Pierce School District superintendents provided updates. Both are actively hiring in all capacities of full and part time positions to include bus drivers, teachers, para educators and support staff. Superintendent Tom Seigel reported on updated school construction, facility upgrades and that the Family Center is now open with free room usage for non-profit service organizations. Michele Ledbetter reported from the department of Career and Technical Education with an Apprenticeship Expo on March 22 @ the PCSC. CTE pathways may include Dual Credit, Running Start, Alternative Learning Experiences, Work-based Learning, and Career and Technical Education. These programs provide students with an opportunity to become career and college ready. Sup Lance Goodpaster, of Franklin Pierce School District reported on their successful Winter Fest, open School Board positions and the soon to be completed, stunning, Performing Arts Center (paid for by the last bond passage).

 

2. Pastor Samara Jenkins of Spanaway United Methodist Church gave an impactful presentation of their outreach program, Family Promise, a nationwide program that addresses homeless families with school age children. There are over 60 homeless families with children in BSD and Pastor Samara’s program provides safe parking and a variety of support services for a small number of those living in their vehicles.

 

3. Jani Hitchens, Pierce County Councilmember for Dist 6, and Sr Counsel to the PC Executive, Steve O’Ban, presented on the proposed Pierce County Village Project which, if approved will be a fenced/gated community of tiny homes that houses the chronically homeless, (single and couples) with 24 hr on site support (staff live in community). It will include wrap around services, such as job training, counseling and more to help heal, and repair the dignity, that is lost to so many of our fellow citizens. Most of these residents are facing end of life chronic illnesses. Further environmental and impact studies are scheduled before any vote ensues. Public comment and updates can be addressed at the Pierce County Council website.

 

4. Goerge Mazur of WSDOT reported that intermodal (surface transportation) and Greenfield (regional airport) studies are ongoing. Mr Mazur noted that the study will reflect a gross lack of sidewalks and other road safety concerns.

Side Note: It has been well documented that there are many objections for the regional airport in our county r/t UGA, UTA, lack of infrastructure, environmental impacts to the aquifer, protected species and habitat, Tribal concerns, DOD and air traffic mitigation. Our state legislature has passed a bill to restart the study process. The previous proposal is DEAD.

 

5. Rep Jani Hitchens reported on the Blue Zones Initiative which is in its early stages of identifying target health outcomes and goals for the areas of Parkland and parts of Spanaway. It will be a collaboration to include VMFH and Multicare health systems. The initiative tackles the “zip code effect” by optimizing public policies, social connections, and the places and spaces where people spend the most time (streets, parks, schools, workplaces, grocery stores, faith communities, homes) so that healthy choices are easy and accessible. Participating communities have seen double-digit drops in obesity and smoking rates, economic investment in downtown corridors, grant-funding awards to

support policies and programs aimed at improving health equity, and millions of dollars of savings in healthcare costs.

 

6. Sup. Tom Seigel reported on a proposed initiative called Medical Careers Academy to better address the growing demand for workers in all areas of healthcare. It will be designed to streamline