The Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) met on Thursday, November 21, to develop a work plan for 2025.
However, without funding and additional staffing capacity to support the commission, one member questioned the purpose of the discussion.
“We keep hearing that there's no staff or resources to do anything so that's why I was quite honestly stunned when this meeting was called,” said Commissioner David Nicandri.
Nicandri attended a November 4 public hearing on the city’s proposed 2025-26 budget to appeal to the council to allocate more resources to the commission or, if not, dissolve it.
“The only time we meet is when there's some dirty work they wanted us to handle, like with the tree,” Nicandri said.
Due to a lack of staffing support, the commission had only met when city staff needed something approved by them.
The November 21 meeting was the only third time the commission met this year.
The other two times they met were to consider removing the Davis-Meeker Oak from the city’s historic register, which they opposed.
The delisting of the historic tree from the register was a requirement for the removal of the tree before Mayor Debbie Sullivan administratively decided to remove it anyway.
In 2022, the commission met a total of six times to discuss repairs in the burned-down Brewmaster’s House and seismic improvements for the Old Brewery Tower.
Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Denney, who facilitates the commission’s meetings, said that he added the discussion to the commission’s agenda due to feedback he has been hearing from the commission that they do not have enough to do. Denney expressed that he wanted to know what the commission seeks to accomplish through the discussion.
Denney added that they are planning to discuss with the city council what they want from bodies like the HPC, especially since the city is planning to create more groups, such as an equity board and a student council.
Since Denney’s department does not have sufficient staffing capacity, Nicandri suggested transferring the HPC to the responsibility of the transportation and engineering department as several of the projects they discussed during the meeting were focused on streets.
Nicandri talked about adding more historic signs, while Commissioner Alex Rossiter suggested a welcome sign or gate for the city. Other possible projects mentioned during the meeting were a mural and conducting an inventory of the city’s historic sites.
Commissioner Marnie Slakey disagreed that transferring the commission would be any help and urged the commission to be more constructive.
Commission Chair David Shipley said that the commission does have $10,000 every year which can used for the proposed signs. He added that they have been using the money towards the Old Brewery Tower.
Denney added that the commission might not be fully utilizing the city’s partnership with Olympia Tumwater Foundation, for which the city is giving $60,000 a year for historical work. If the proposed 2025-26 budget is approved, the non-profit would get an additional $110,000 for 2025-26 to assist the city in history-related projects.
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PamelaJHanson
So many thoughts... $60,000.00 to a non-profit in just one year vs. $10,000.00 to be decided with transparency within city government by devoted citizen commissioners for historic preservation, documentation and advocacy in order to continue on a path of stability and respect that Tumwater desperately needs. Is the foundation, after the name change of our treasured Fall's Park to the Brewery Park, going to further drinking instead of family oriented clean fun, as I heard a while back? Remodel the golf pro-shop? That was in Chuck Denny's budget, an exclusive municipal golf park. Etc, etc. etc. golf & beer. The city may as well promote cigars and cigarettes and really push the limit of what defines essential services to the taxpayers. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. We all may be making recycled crumpled paper Christmas trees next year with all the tax increases that passed and the new requests that have been in the media recently (Association of Cities (lobbyists), raising the 1% to 3% regarding property taxes).
BTW: The fire and rescue department needs a ladder truck for life-saving purposes in case of fire at Glen Well's multi-family apartment complexes, inbetween Toyota and Home Depot, for which the council gave Glen Wells multiple 12 year property tax exemptions. Who pays for that? (Look up the Gastineau Apartment fire, Juneau AK. I was there. CERT trained and unauthorized due to city & borough bungling, and Capital City Fire and Rescue was and is the fire and rescue team that everyone should try and best.) Also in the news, Juneau AK is considering giving up, at least a portion of, their cruise ship tourism because it disturbs their hometown historic peace and quiet.
Saturday, November 30 Report this
Porter
I'd like a wall along I-5 to decrease the noise.
Saturday, November 30 Report this
Southsoundguy
More financial mismanagement from Tumwater, shocking.
5 days ago Report this