Council to take final action on shorelines

It’s been a long road, but the Council will finally be taking up Proposed Ordinance 2013-45s4 (the Shoreline Master Program) for final action on Tuesday March 10. I’ve been heavily involved at the committee and working group levels and feel that overall, we have worked very hard to create a good plan that addresses your concerns, particularly the prohibition of dumping dredged materials in the Nisqually Aquatic Reserve and the limitation of commercial aquaculture to Olympia Oysters in the Reserve.

I want to thank everyone who has come to the meetings, made phone calls, written letters, sent us research, and vigilantly tracked and provided input on this issue.

FINAL COUNCIL ACTION - Tuesday March 10, 2015, at 3:00 p.m.

Pierce County Council - County-City Building, Room 1045, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, Wa 98402

This meeting is expected to be heavily attended so be sure to read any signs posted on the chamber doors for overflow locations to watch on TV. Everyone who signs in to testify will be called upon and given time to move to the Council chamber to make comments.

Should the proposal pass, the SMP will be sent back to the Department of Ecology for final review and approval before the plan is implemented at the County.

Get involved! Share your comments on Pierce County's 2030 comp plan

A draft policy document intended to guide growth in unincorporated Pierce County over the next 20 years is now available for your review. The updated Pierce County Comprehensive Plan fulfills a state legislative requirement that is due by June 30, 2015. Pierce County must review its existing growth policies and update them if they don’t meet new state and regional requirements that have been established since the plan was last updated.

You are invited to review and comment on the draft plan update through the public comment form, e-mail or letter. You can also attend open houses and public hearings that are scheduled through the end of June, 2015. As they are scheduled, you can view the list of opportunities for participating in this process on the County’s website, piercecountywa.org/realize2030 and can also sign up on the webpage to follow the update process on Facebook and Twitter.

Pierce County's volunteer boards and commissions

The County could not do what we do without the help and service from all our volunteer board members.

THANK YOU to each and every one of you who serve in some capacity! You can find more information about meetings, agendas and minutes, members and descriptions for Pierce County volunteer boards and commissions at http://www.piercecountywa.org/index.aspx?NID=4132.

The Cities and Towns of District 6 also have positions they are looking to fill, check out their websites for more information.

DuPont sees growth with Amazon fulfillment center

DuPont has great growth potential for its business and industry sector. The community will benefit from new jobs and hiring veterans as Amazon celebrates the grand opening of its fulfillment center in the city. Click the video still below to watch the story!

Understanding your property tax statement

Last month, you received your statement from the Assessor Treasurer. Click here to find out where your money goes and the services it pays for. Learn more about how home prices affect what you have to pay, and which areas of the County will likely see higher property taxes this year.

And don't forget, taxes are due April 30!