(Airdate: February 9, 2024) Jim Burke and co-host County Commissioner Greg Brotherton spoke with newly hired Central Services Director Tracy Coleman, who oversees three departments in Jefferson County Government: the Central Services Department, which comprises: Facilities, Fleet Services, Geographic Information Services, and Computer Networks. Tracy talked about upcoming capital projects and her love of horsepower.
(Airdate: February 2, 2024) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Kate Dean welcome Sarah Melancon, Director of Human Resources for Jefferson County. They discussed what she does and how important every employee of the County is to providing services to the public. They also talked about the ways in which Jefferson County recruits, hires, and supports them in their important work.
Jim Burke and co-host Commissioner Greg Brotherton welcome Matt Sircely, Vice-Chair of The Jefferson County Planning Commission and Joel Peterson Associate Planner- Lead for the County Department of Community Development. They all discuss the Planning Commission’s mandate to update the comprehensive plan for Jefferson County, which will be updated in June of 2025, and seeks community input from everyone in the meantime to make sure issues like housing and growth are updated to reflect the ongoing needs in the County. The Planning Commission is composed of 9 citizen volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to support the Department of Community Development and to make advisory recommendations on land use planning matters to the Board of County Commissioners as authorized in the Planning Enabling Act (RCW 36.70.040).
(Airdate: January 19, 2024) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Heidi Eisenhour talked about an Olympic Peninsula Strategic Plan with Steve Shively of the Jefferson County Tourism Marketing Group and Marsha Massey, Executive Director of The Olympic Peninsula Tourism Council.
(Airdate: January 12, 2024) Jim Burke and co-host Kate Dean talk with Monte Reinders, Director of Public Works and Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management about the sudden snow storm on January 11 and the condition of the roads, the continuing cold snap, and what people can expect over the next few days in Jefferson County. Options for the unhoused here in the County were also discussed, including the Winter Welcoming Center at the Pope Marine Building in PT, which will be open 24 hours until at least Monday January 15.
(Airdate: January 5, 2024) Jim Burke and co-host County Commissioner Greg Brotherton welcome Cindy Brooks, The Director of EDC Team Jefferson. The Economic Development Council is competing to gain a large grant for the North Olympic Peninsula (Clallam and Jefferson Counties and local tribes) from the Federal Government under The RECOMPETE Act. The grant would help EDC create a pilot program to help address underemployment in 25-54 age range. The Program is designed to help remove “barriers to employment.”
(Airdate: December 22, 2023) This week on County Connections Commissioner Kate Dean and her co-host Jim Burke speak with Jefferson County Tax Assessor Jeff Chapman about TAXES! Jeff explains the way properties are valued and the process of drawing up those fun tax bills that start getting sent out in February, as well as the effect that voter-approved lid-lifts for Fire and Rescue and EMS will have on property owners bottom lines next year.
(Airdate: December 15, 2023) Taylor Clark spoke with Jefferson County Commissioner Greg Brotherton as Greg took stock of what has been happening at the county in 2023 as well as looking forward to 2024. We talked about a range of topics, including the pool dialogue, local delivery tax, and even AI. Housing too.
(Airdate: December 8, 2023) Taylor Clark and co-host Kate Dean talked with two passionate advocates of alternative transportation: Dave Thielk and Scott Walker (both are with the T-Lab at Local 2020) about what we can do, policy wise, to reduce our transport related greenhouse gas emissions.
(Airdate: December 1, 2023) Guest host Taylor Clark spoke with Mark McCauley, Jefferson County Administrator and Judy Shepherd, Jefferson County Finance Manager about the county budget process. The biannual budget will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners this Monday, December 4. This is the end of a process that began in October. Listen in to find out more about how the budget is created.
