The Pierce County Council met in Parkland this evening, Dec. 4. All members except Stand Fleming were present. The County Executive Pat McCarthy was also at the meeting and provided a review of the past year in Pierce County.

In the fifth years of her term, Pat McCarthy reported the State of the County.

She included her interest in working on  two major transportation projects, the completion of SR 167 coalition and relief of congestion around Joint Base Lewis McChord.

This year she has been the President of the Puget Sound Regional Council.

The Office of the Executive has been working on a seamless radio system for emergency management in the county along with Council Chair McDonald and Sheriff Pastor.

There has been a backlog of inmates at the county jail awaiting mental health competency evaluations, they are working to get this caught up.

Next year, they expect to open a new Sheriff’s precinct in Parkland/Spanaway near Frank’s Donuts.

They have created new flood control legislation and designated a flood control zone. Two projects, the Calestoga levy in Orting and the Tacoma flood wall to protect the sewage treatment plant have been funded.

The Office of the Executive has made it a special priority to work closely with the Economic Development Department holding the second annual Aerospace Summit this year. Over 80 companies in Pierce county are part of the supply chair to Boeing. They also wooed a new water bottling plant to the Frederickson area. There have also been many other endeavors as they need to work on the level of unemployment in the county. McCarthy is on the Workforce Central board with Council members Talbert and Ladenberg.

She plans soon to hold a Farm Forum to learn what it takes to help farmers prosper in the county. It will be held in February at the WSU Extension Center.

The Executive’s Office is also engaged in preparations for the 2015 US Open at Chamber’s Bay. It is likely to pump $140 million into the region’s economy. This past year has been a banner year for revenue at Chamber’s Bay.

On quality of life, McCarthy noted the Foothill Trail added a key property and they are aggressively seeking grant money to acquire more property. Old pilings at Chamber’s Bay are being removed.

The county is looking into a proposal for a new county administration building rather than being spread out over 8 buildings in the area.

Lowell Porter was recently appointed to head Emergency management, Ginny Dale as HR Director and Tony Tipton as head of Parks and Recreation.

At this point McCarthy ended saying she was heading to a meeting at Spanaway Elementary on the health of Spanaway Lake.

The meeting continued through its regular agenda.