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Welcome Councilmember Debbie Sullivan
Tumwater Councilmember Debbie Sullivan was sworn into office on November 26, 2013, to complete the remainder of the term for Position No. 6, which she was elected to in the November 5 general election. Debbie served on the Tumwater Planning Commission for more than ten years, and as the chair for nearly seven of those years, prior to taking her seat as Councilmember. Areas of special interest include building a strong, balanced economic base in Tumwater, especially redevelopment of the brewery property, and increasing employment opportunities throughout the community. Responsible management of Tumwater's environmental and physical assets is also a priority of her office.
Debbie's professional experience includes work in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Currently, she serves as a WorkFirst Commerce Specialist for a Washington State agency. Other community service activities include Community Youth Services volunteer (18 years), Thurston County Sheriff Jeep Patrol (5 years), founding member of South Puget Sound Mobile Search and Rescue, New Market Vocational Skills Center Office Automation and Technology Advisor Committee (5 years), and a Project Business Consultant for Junior Achievement. Debbie has lived in Thurston County for over 25 years and has been a Tumwater resident since 1998.
A reception will be held prior to the City Council meeting on January 7, 2014, celebrating the formal swearing in of all Tumwater elected officials serving terms that begin January 2014.
Because she was elected to an appointed seat, Debbie was sworn in immediately following certification of the November 5 general election.
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Registration begins
December 20!
Check out the Tumwater Parks & Recreation Winter/Spring 2014 brochure for sports, programs and classes. Sorry, no early registration. Call (360) 754-4160 for details.
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Tumwater Valley Golf Course
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lf Course
Recycle your tree... Find locations and dates on the Thurston County Solid Waste website.
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Tumwater Christmas Tree Lighting Festival
Saturday, December 14, 2013 
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Tumwater Fire Station
311 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, WA
FREE Community Event!
It's time once again for Tumwater's popular annual tree lighting festival, sponsored by the Tumwater Downtown Association and Tumwater Parks and Recreation Department. Join us and watch the lighting of the tree, hear performances by several local choir groups, decorate cookies, make ornaments, and enjoy some free samplings from Tumwater businesses.
Don't forget the special guest appearance by the old man from the North Pole. Thanks to the Tumwater Fire Department, Santa will arrive on an antique fire truck after the ceremonial tree lighting. Santa will be on hand to share his joyful laugh, along with a few candy canes. Join us at this special event; you and your family are sure to have a festive time!
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Commercial Fire Safety Program Revived
 Fire inspector Craig Mugartegui, a 24-year veteran Firefighter/EMT, began working door-to-door last month to help businesses stay fire-safe. Tumwater's new Fire Safety Education & Inspection Program was revived this year with a new shared-cost model. Formal commercial fire inspections were eliminated several years ago in the Fire Department, due to budget constraints. The new program seeks to educate Tumwater businesses in fire safety, prevent future fires, and ultimately save lives and property. The program's inspection component provides information on fire codes and a compliance component. The program was also an essential step to retain the community's fire safety rating, which translates into insurance savings for businesses.
Insurance companies use a rating scale to predict risk in a community, which translates to the cost of fire insurance. Washington State Rating Bureau (WSRB) is one of the largest rating agencies and has rated most jurisdictions in the state. Ratings are on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being NO protection, based on a multitude of factors; water supply, fire department location, emergency communications, and fire prevention programs in place. Tumwater's current rating is five.
With Tumwater's fire safety program in place and water system upgrades, the City is positioned to retain the WSRB rating (five) and possibly improve it--to a four or three, reducing the insurance costs for the commercial community. The net result will be a safer environment for Tumwater business customers and employees and better security for businesses. The cost of this program will be shared between the City and the business. Inspection fees are based on the size of the building and the complexity of the inspection.
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Most Common Commercial Fire Safety Concerns
- Building address not visible from the road
 - Ceiling tiles missing
- Fire sprinkler rooms obstructed by storage
- No signs on electrical room doors
- Combustibles too close to the ceiling
- Fire extinguishers out of service
- No fire extinguisher on the premises
- Extension cords used through doorways, walls, floors, and ceilings
- Keyed deadbolts on exit doors
- Fire alarm systems not monitored
- Fire alarm systems not serviced annually
- Waste accumulation in buildings
- Exit lights not in working order and exit paths not cleared - minimum aisle clearance is 36"
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Last chance to earn the solar grant...you can help!
Our City earned a $20,000 solar grant after 100 new Tumwater participants enrolled in Puget Sound Energy's (PSE) Green Power program. But a second $20,000 grant is on the line.
The City is competing with four others in the Puget Sound region-Anacortes, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland, and Snoqualmie-to see who can get the most people to sign up by the end of the year.
The city with the highest percentage of new enrollments wins another $20,000 to add to their solar demonstration project. November counts have us in third place, but preliminary December counts show that we're currently in second place!
Businesses and residents in Tumwater can help.It's easy to sign up for the voluntary Green Power program, and once you do, you're supporting clean energy from renewable sources. Minimum participation is $4 per month and PSE buys clean energy on your behalf from local producers. All revenue from the program goes back into the community, which is an even better reason to enroll. Call PSE at 1-800-562-1482 or visit PSE.com/GPChallenge to enroll
before December 31.
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