Public comment period opens, SEPA filings on housing rulemaking The Department of Commerce is seeking public input on housing rulemaking documents required by the State Environmental Policy Act. This step is part of the ongoing process to update housing-related sections of the Washington Administrative Code, specifically WAC 365-196 and WAC 365-199. Documents are available for public comment until 5…
Category: Pierce County
Council passes ordinance to lengthen time taxpayers have to claim refund on property tax errors
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, the Pierce County Council passed Ordinance No. O2024-572 to expand the time property owners have to request a refund for manifest errors in property tax assessments – such as an incorrect square footage listing or an error in the number of rooms – moving it from three to five year…
Why is the cost of environmental justice so high?
by Kirk Kirkland and Claudia Finseth Two neighborhood groups in unincorporated Pierce County have recently paid very high prices to attempt to protect their communities because the county is not doing it. Both were to try to stop two different kinds of large projects from dramatically changing their valued open space. Both proposed projects were…
Is the “Good Neighbor Village” being a good neighbor?
By Spanaway Concerned Citizens As concerned citizens, we rely on our elected officials to make decisions regarding topics that significantly impact the well-being of our communities — addressing critical issues such as providing housing for our chemically dependent, chronically homeless individuals is undoubtedly important. However, does this effort justify compromising regional environmental integrity and public…
Bryan Yambe is appointed to replace Marty Campbell in Council District #5
Around 5:45 p.m. on January 14, 2025, the Pierce County Council took a second executive session and returned to vote in Bryan Yambe, a Fife City Council member to fill the seat vacated by Marty Campbell’s election the Pierce County Assessor Treasurer. Yambe has been on the Fife City Council since November 2013. He has…
Will a divided County Council fill the 5th District seat today?
The Pierce County Council currently has six members. Three are Democrat and three are Republican. That split is preventing the election of a Council Chair. That split is also preventing organizing the Council, choosing committee assignments and more. The Council has up to 60 days to choose the person who will fill the seat. As…
Jan 22 Spanaway Court Appeal to be heard
[Updated with corrections.] At 9 a.m. on January 22, 2025, the Spanaway Concerned Citizens administrative appeal to the Pierce County Hearing Examiner decision regarding the permitting of the Good Neighbor Village will be heard at the Pierce County Annex. The event will be available on Zoom if the public wants to watch. The meeting room…
Prickly Pete is homeless
It’s a bit ironic and terribly sad if you love wildlife. All the neighbors tried to explain to the Hearings Examiner what the Tacoma Rescue Mission and the former County Executive just refused to get through their heads. The Spanaway Marsh property already had numerous residents. Residents that could not attend the hearings or testify…
Restoring the people’s faith in Pierce County government: What I would like our new government to know.
by Claudia Riiff Finseth Pierce County will have a new government this month. What will the next four years be like? Will they be more of the same as the last eight years? I have great hope that they will be different. Different, first and foremost, in restoring a healthy county democracy. This can be done…
Pierce County’s Non-Significance
One of the hallmarks of the past eight years under County Executive Bruce Dammeier was the prolific use of the DNS, Determination of Non-Significance. It is a term used in land development after an environmental review form is filled out and a plan for development is submitted. In the past eight years, I cannot recall…
County Council set to refill Marty Campbell’s seat in District 5
UPDATE: The Council conducted interviews on January 7, and went into Executive Session for about 45 minutes. When they returned a motion was made and passed to put the decision off to next week on January 14. ##### Resolution 2024-268: A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Appointing ________________ as Pierce County Councilmember, Representing Council…
Spanaway Lake, now it’s the beavers
Over the past several years Spanaway Lake has been having issues. For us swimming as children, it was the “duck itch” caused by a parasite getting under our skin if we didn’t dry off well with a towel after swimming. Over time, the swimming beaches became less popular, the diving docks were removed, and the…
Pierce Prairie Post 