Eric Anderson Out as City Planner

If you're a regular reader of this column you may have noticed I missed last Friday. On vacation with family, I unplugged from the world for nearly a week, assuming nothing too catastrophic was likely to go down in mid-July...

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Last Tuesday in a 6-2 vote the Tacoma City Council opted not to renew City Manager Eric Anderson's contract. The somewhat-unexpected decision came after the council doled out mixed reviews on Anderson's performance review the day before. Anderson had drawn criticism over the past few months for a lack of communication with the council and questionable economic leadership.

In an interview last week with the News Tribune posted prior to the Tuesday-night council meeting where Anderson was dismissed, former mayor and local history buff Bill Baarsma pointed out that only twice in the city's history had a council voted out a City Manager, and both times the votes were 5 to 4 - making the decision that came later that day even more historic and definitive.  Baarsma, speaking with the Trib's Lewis Kamb, noted that city hall had "gone dark," in the day leading up to the announcement, saying people he normally spoke with regularly had momentarily stopped speaking with him. 

Deputy City Manager Rey Arellano was unanimously named interim manager. This week the council announced they will hire a head-hunting firm to conduct a national search by mid-August.

I, for one, am excited about the prospect of innovative, forward-thinking leadership from the new City Manager, not to mention the eventual new Tacoma Public Schools Superintendent. God speed to the folks doing the hiring (the council and board). Their decisions can potentially set our city up to reach great heights ... or piss away our enthusiastic, yet still fragile momentum.

More Candidates Declare for 2012 Election

Corrigan Gommenginger has announced his intention to run for Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer. According to reports in the News Tribune, Gommenginger is only 26 but has been serving on the boards of nonprofits for eight years. He says he works as Director of Finance for a Tacoma nonprofit. According to the News Tribune he has declined to disclose which organization "at his employer's request."

While his "secret employer" seems like a red flag to me, many in the community seem welcoming of Commenginger's candidacy. County Councilmember Tim Farrell is also seeking the office, and it's likely incumbent Dale Washam will too --  if he isn't ousted before then.

North Tacoma attorney Jack Connelly is the first candidate to file for the 27^th District Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Debbie Regala. Connelly is a talented attorney, and with 16 months to campaign has plenty of time to introduce himself to the community.

Rumors are swirling in progressive circles that despite running as a Democrat, Connelly is both pro-life and anti-gay marriage. If true, one wonders how such conservative convictions will play in a widely progressive district. 

Connelly is currently alone in the field, but won't be for long. 27^th District Representative Jeannie Darnielle told the Tribune she expects either herself of Rep Laurie Jinkins will run for the office. Either one of them would likely be the favorite.

City to Receive Environmental/Workforce Grant

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the City of Tacoma for an environmental workforce development and job-training grant. The grant will allow Tacoma to train 90 students, place 65 graduates, and track graduates for one year. According to the City's press release, "The training program will consist of five sessions of a 110-hour core curriculum, followed by three supplemental tracks: a 54-hour life-cycle assessment track, a wastewater treatment apprenticeship with 5,000 on-the-job and classroom hours, and a 40-hour green site remediation track." It also notes, "students will be recruited from a pool of low-income, unemployed residents of the target areas." Tacoma will then work with environmental employers in Pierce County, the private sector and the local workforce investment board to place graduates in environmental jobs.

New Language Lines Provided by Pierce County

Thanks to Pierce County's Aging and Disability Recourse Center residents who do not speak English now have greatly improved access to local services and resources. Five new language phone lines will ensure residents can call 24 hours a day and be instructed in their language as to how to leave messages for case or access help. The new languages offered are Cambodian/Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. You can find more info on the program here.

Quick Hitters

The billboard hearing on July 12 was lively - The Tacoma Weekly's John Larson wrote an account of it here.

Tacoma continued to drag its feet ruling on marijuana this week.

Spaceworks Tacoma released a new, interactive online map of its exhibits and spaces.

Pierce County's budget (of all things) was given an award.