Public Notice: In response to Proclamation 20-2025 issued by the Governor's Office and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Health Directive No. 2021-01 issued Aug. 18, 2021, masks are required for all visitors to the Pierce County Council Office and Pierce County Council Chambers, regardless of vaccination status. The public can attend meetings in person or through remote access. Details on how to attend remotely are listed on meeting agendas.
About the Council
The Council is the legislative branch of Pierce County government and is the policy-determining body of the County, as provided by the County Charter. The Council has all powers of the County not otherwise reserved to the people, the Executive, or general law. Members are elected from seven contiguous and equally populated districts. Each county councilmember represents a district having a population of approximately 125,000 people and is elected to four year terms.
Find information about the 2022-2023 Biennial Budget planning process, including a list of special study session budget retreat dates and planned Committee of the Whole meetings to review department budget requests at the Biennial Budget website.
Now that the 2020 Census is complete, Pierce County must make changes to the boundaries of its seven Council districts to account for population changes over the last decade. Read on...
The Districting Master should be qualified by education, training, and experience to draw a redistricting plan consistent with 2020 Census data. Applications are due Sept. 16, 2021 by 3 p.m. Read on...
Through unanimous adoption of resolution R2021-141, Council accepted the recommendations of the Conservation Futures Citizen’s Advisory Board which identified six projects ranked by priority. Read on...
Bipartisan work of the Council reinforced a commitment to equity, and work toward a Council goal to have future policy decisions weighed and considered against a pre-determined set of factors before adoption. Read on...
Each week the Pierce County Council holds a series of meetings to discuss and review ordinances, motions and budgets to ensure county government operates in an efficient, transparent and cost-effective manner with equal access for all county residents. Members meet as a collective body every Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Here are some of the items before the Council this week:
Monday (Sept. 20)
10 a.m.:Rules and Operations committee will review agendas for the week of Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, 2021, and the Sept. 28, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2021 meeting agendas. (Join via Zoom):
11 a.m.:Study Session to review upcoming meeting agendas, grants and amendments and administrative items and hear a presentation from Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett. Join via Zoom.
1:30 p.m.:Community Development Committee meeting to hear presentations on the parks and recreation capital projects and property maintenance and an update on buildable lands, and to review the 2021 master plan updates to Orangegate Park (R2021-168) and Half Dollar Park (R2021-169). Join via Zoom.
Tuesday (Sept. 21)
9:30 a.m.:Human Services Committee meeting to hear an update and recommendations on youth violence prevention and the Birth to 25 Advisory Board and to review proposal 2021-87, an ordinance eliminating the sunset date of the Birth to 25 Advisory Board. Join via Zoom.
12 p.m.:Study Session includes review of the day’s regular meeting agenda, reports from external boards and commissions and an update on Pierce County’s text message archiving system. Join via Zoom.
R2021-166 a resolution proclaiming September 2021 as “National Preparedness Month” in Pierce County.
R2021-167 a resolution proclaiming Sept. 22, 2021 as “Falls Prevention Awareness Day” in Pierce County.
Ordinances
2021-75s an ordinance amended Pierce County Code around the Boating Advisory Commission and establishing biannual meetings of the commission.
2021-77 an ordinance declaring county-owned property at 7909 McKinley Avenue as surplus.
2021-79 an ordinance amending Pierce County Code around Fireworks, granting authority to the Fire Marshal to issue a temporary ban on fireworks in unincorporated Pierce County if deemed a public safety risk and limiting the days they can be used to July 4 and Dec. 31.
2021-80 an ordinance turning the Office of Communications into a Department of Communications.
2021-84 an ordinance forming the Spanaway Lake Lake Management District No. 1 and establishing a hearing committee and appeal process.
2021-86 an ordinance creating a Pierce County Commission on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs.
Resolutions
R2021-140 a resolution amending resolution R2019-123 to increase the size of the Rocky Creek Estuary project and authorizing the Executive to negotiate the purchase of additional property for this Conservation Futures-funded project.
Search all passed legislation, and currently proposed legislation before the Council and see how to provide comment on legislation, or request a proclamation to be considered by the Council.
Establish organization, power, function and procedures of County government, and codification of all ordinances of a general or permanent nature, or laws of the County.
The Pierce County Council created the law and justice public review committee to review reports generated by the county’s law and justice departments, per Resolution R2020-43. In June the Council directed the County Executive to review the policies, procedures and best practices of these departments. The Public Review Committee met over seven weeks to review this information, then drafted and presented a report to Council at a Committee of the Whole meeting. View the recorded meeting and the report.
This report focuses on the identification of nine (9) areas of opportunity to help the department deliver services more efficiently and effectively, leverage additional funding opportunities to provide the most effective services, and better structure service delivery to align with the department’s core mission: to ensure all of Pierce County has equitable access to community based services that respect each person's unique experience.
The report estimates the value of the County’s programs for affordable housing and makes several recommendations related to the standardization and promotion of affordable housing incentives and coordination with other jurisdictions in the management of affordable housing funds.
The report makes recommendations on the county’s franchise process, regulations that would assist in the build‐out of broadband infrastructure, and a proposal for an action plan should policymakers desire to engage in efforts to expand broadband technology into the lesser‐served parts of the county. Learn more about how Pierce County is working to bridge the broadband divide.
The Office of the Pierce County Council is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact the office at 253-798-7777 or contact the appropriate staff. The Pierce County Council offers in-person and remote meeting attendance at its meetings. Learn how to get involved.
