New Recap: Beyond Survival Policing. 🏛️🛡️ ✅ Staffing: Moving from "survival" to proactive policing with 4 new officers. 📈 ✅ Grants: Accepting $785k to bolster PAPD. 💰 ✅ Process: Any sales tax change will require a full public hearing—not a quick vote. 🗣️ Report: tinyurl.com/4ctthdrk

I published a new essay: “Predictability Is a Public Service.” It’s about why trust in local government depends on clear process, visible standards, reliable infrastructure, and systems people can actually understand. tinyurl.com/2k3ab7af

New Recap: The Mechanics of Our Common Future. 🏛️🚛 ✅ 20-Year Plan: How slowing growth impacts our utility rates. 📉 ✅ Waste Logic: Balancing diversion goals with labor costs to keep fees stable. ⚖️ ✅ Vacancies: SWAC needs volunteer members! 🤝 Report: tinyurl.com/mvs5dctj

New City Council Recap: Transparency & Infrastructure. 🏛️⚓ ✅ A Street Project: $2.8M for wastewater & housing growth. 🏗️ ✅ Advisory Boards: Why volunteer input is vital for public trust. 🤝 ✅ FIFA Wave: Tracking 2026 World Cup impacts on PA. ⚽🌊 Full Report: tinyurl.com/d897rs3m

What do dead birds tell us about the health of Port Angeles? 🐦🌊 My latest recap of the Clallam County MRC meeting covers citizen science, eelgrass restoration off Ediz Hook, and how we protect the assets that sustain our maritime economy. Read more: tinyurl.com/2wxve3cv

How does Port Angeles solve a $216M infrastructure debt while protecting public safety and recruiting new doctors and teachers? It’s all about the Social Contract. A deep dive into zoning, fiduciary strategy, and the mechanics of growth. Read more: tinyurl.com/5bka4hb3

Port Angeles is locking in its energy future! The UAC recommended a 20-yr fixed BPA rate to protect residents from market price spikes through 2044. We’re choosing price certainty over the market gamble to support housing and local growth. Details: tinyurl.com/5avmdvcf

Port Angeles deserves predictability. My latest update breaks down the 120-Day Stability Framework: a rules-based approach to public spaces, managed sheltering, and regional funding alignment to ensure our city's vision becomes a reality. Read more: tinyurl.com/2s3kc46d

Port Angeles City Council just set a 120-day clock to move from reactive encampment management to a systemic "Stability Framework." 🏛️📉 Recapping the April 7th meeting: 🔹New public-facing SOPs 🔹Managed sheltering 🔹Regional funding oversight Read more: tinyurl.com/5x828dr7 #PortAngeles #WAPol

Port Angeles Update I’ve spent the month seeing our ground-level reality firsthand. Tomorrow, I’m proposing 7 asks with 30/60/90-day timelines for an SOP, Safe Parking, and a Joint Oversight Board to move from reactive management to results. Full essay: tinyurl.com/mvswp7k7 #PortAngeles #LocalGov

I’m providing a clear roadmap for our April 7 work session. I am asking staff to develop 7 specific directives, including a Joint Oversight Board, a STEP housing model, and a public Stability Dashboard to track real-time progress. Full essay: tinyurl.com/549h4v2s #PortAngeles #LocalGov #Transparency

Ever wonder why local gov feels stuck? It’s often by design. My latest deep dive maps the "Intergovernmental Nexus" in Port Angeles—from unfunded state mandates to the legal silos that stall housing & climate action. Mapping the system to fix the system: tinyurl.com/mv695m22

New essay: housing, homelessness, public space, and economic development in Port Angeles are all connected. What we see is often the result of upstream bottlenecks in housing, behavioral health, and system coordination. We need to treat this as one system. tinyurl.com/yfsehj3v

I published my recap of the March 17 Port Angeles City Council meeting, focused on how the City is broadening the public record on homelessness, encampments, public space, housing, and community stability ahead of the April 7 work session. tinyurl.com/356sr9v2

I published a recap of the March 16 Clallam Marine Resources Committee meeting, focused on Olympia oyster restoration, forage fish monitoring, pinto abalone planning, and long term marine stewardship. Read here: tinyurl.com/4svzymv9

I published a recap of the March 10 Utility Advisory Committee meeting on the A Street wastewater project, stormwater concerns, and why proactive utility planning matters. Read here: tinyurl.com/yn39jw44

Published a new long form essay connecting the State of the City address with resident feedback and a Tumwater Creek corridor site walk. Framed around two questions: governance systems and a lawful, consistent, measurable approach to public space stewardship. tinyurl.com/2nbhsyzb

New long-form essay: what we’ve learned so far from the Feb 17 + Mar 3 Council presentations on housing instability, homelessness response, harm reduction, and behavioral health. Reminder: April 7 is a direction-to-staff work session, not a decision night. tinyurl.com/5amk623k

Port Angeles City Council (March 3, 2026) recap is up: tinyurl.com/yaxm52xb Two Council actions + system briefings to prep for the April 7 work session on camping/homelessness: County coordination/funding, public health harm reduction, and behavioral health outreach + housing supports.

New essay: Invisible Infrastructure and the Capacity to Deliver. Housing, public safety, environmental cleanup, and economic growth all depend on systems most people never see. Capacity determines outcomes. Read here: tinyurl.com/ajfysyvc

City Council met to review and update our 2025 to 2026 Strategic Plan. With new priorities like criminal justice coordination and encampment response, the key question was sequencing and capacity. I shared thoughts on benchmarks and timelines. Full recap: tinyurl.com/yktud82e

New Substack recap of the February 23 Marine Resources Committee meeting. Emergency response, kelp and eelgrass monitoring, shoreline planning, and why nearshore science matters for Port Angeles policy decisions. tinyurl.com/8db2jy5t

This afternoon I published a new Substack essay. The Feb 17 Council meeting began a three-meeting sequence before April discussion on housing and homelessness. Habitat. Salvation Army. 4PA. Policy should follow structure, not headlines. Read here: tinyurl.com/db3h3j5x

City Council Recap (Feb 17): learning-focused presentations on homelessness response + community cleanup, plus a key infrastructure vote to strengthen reliability/security for utility systems (dark fiber/SCADA). Full recap: tinyurl.com/2ryf7tpd

New long-form essay published: ALPR updates. Sewer infrastructure. State legislation. Public trust. What CIPP lining is and how it extends pipe life 50–100 years. Where ESSB 6002 stands. Why documentation comes before conclusions. Full piece here: tinyurl.com/5ewhfn7v

New recap is live. The Utility Advisory Committee reviewed sewer rehabilitation funding, the 2040 proactive maintenance timeline, State Revolving Fund financing, and system development charges. Invisible infrastructure, but real long term implications. Full update: tinyurl.com/244u9b6z

I’ve published a long-form essay on Automated License Plate Readers in Port Angeles, focused on what we know, what we don’t yet know, and why documentation and process matter when evaluating public safety technology. Read here: tinyurl.com/5bvfwpzv

Update from the City Manager today: the three ALPR cameras in Port Angeles were turned off and removed as of Feb. 6. They will remain off while City Council takes time to learn more and consider next steps.

February 3 City Council meeting recap is posted. I cover public comment themes, the Feiro Marine Life Center presentation, key votes, and next steps on ALPRs. Focused on process, fiscal stewardship, and what comes next. tinyurl.com/yuct8k32

New long-form essay on trust lands, watershed protection, and fiscal responsibility. I support conserving the Lower Elwha Watershed, but long-term ecosystem service contracts must be proven before shifting costs onto local taxpayers. A pilot project gets the math right. tinyurl.com/2j6fan3f

Posted a recap of my first Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. SWAC advises on garbage, recycling, and disposal systems that affect local utility rates. The meeting focused on cost control, planning updates, and practical issues residents should know. tinyurl.com/2p9n8rcf

Posted a recap of the Jan 26 Marine Resources Committee meeting. The discussion focused on marine science, shoreline stewardship, and coordination that saves public dollars. These are technical meetings, but they shape real outcomes along our coast. Full recap: tinyurl.com/2rvkbush

Governing in 2026 means realism. After City Action Days, one thing is clear: the state is cutting back, not expanding. That makes debt-free budgeting, careful planning, and steady governance more important than ever. I wrote about what this means for Port Angeles here: 🔗 tinyurl.com/3ehbe3n2

I attended AWC City Action Days this week to advocate for Port Angeles, learn about the state budget outlook, and meet directly with our legislative delegation. Here’s my recap of what I learned and why it matters for our city: tinyurl.com/mr29ha3n

Posted my recap of the Jan 20 City Council meeting. Leadership votes are settled, committees are assigned, and the work of 2026 is underway. I explain my mayoral vote, my committee roles, and why I’ll be sharing Substack recaps of committee meetings going forward. Read here: tinyurl.com/5n68kta5

I’m attending AWC City Action Days to advocate for Port Angeles—focused on infrastructure, housing capacity, utilities, and making sure state policies come with real tools for cities to implement them responsibly.

New essay: The Silent Engine — how infrastructure keeps Port Angeles running when nothing goes wrong. Read here: tinyurl.com/yutxaf9x (One City Councilmember’s perspective.)

I published a long-form look at Port Angeles’ 2026 legislative priorities after our Jan 6 Council meeting, including fair revenue, infrastructure, watershed protection, cleanup, and community wellness. Read here: tinyurl.com/yfv79m7c This reflects my perspective as one City Councilmember.

I posted my recap of the Jan. 6, 2026 Port Angeles City Council meeting: ONP update (Hurricane Ridge input), 2026 legislative priorities, public comment themes, Mayor and Deputy Mayor discussion, and what comes next. tinyurl.com/26p55vt9

New essay up this morning on how City decisions move from concern to Council action in Port Angeles and why process matters. Written from my perspective as one Councilmember. tinyurl.com/3yuk8kxn

I published a New Year’s Substack this morning reflecting on 2026 priorities from my seat on the Port Angeles City Council—budget stewardship, Comprehensive Plan implementation, public safety, and regional collaboration. Read here: tinyurl.com/ydkpbhav

I’ve posted a new Substack article on how Port Angeles coordinates with tribal partners, the school district, Port, OMC, PUD, and Clallam County on housing, shoreline, public safety, utilities, and health. Read more here: tinyurl.com/3hvcztk3

For Christmas Day, I shared a Substack reflection on my first months on the Port Angeles City Council: what I’ve learned, the people who keep our city running in the dark months, and the work ahead in 2026. You can read it here: tinyurl.com/4f5jaa6h

On Dec. 16, Council took its final vote on the Comprehensive Plan. I voted YES on the staff-recommended plan, NO on several late floor amendments, and YES on direction to work with the S’Klallam tribes on a consultation framework. I explain my reasoning here: tinyurl.com/5dhbd82u

On Dec. 2, Council adopted a balanced 2026 budget just under $200M. I supported it because it aligns with our adopted plans, adds no new staff, and funds major capital projects with savings and grants rather than sudden tax increases. I explain the details in my latest Substack: tinyurl.com/mtv5447n

I’ve heard many questions about “Free, Prior, and Informed Consent” (FPIC) and our Comprehensive Plan. I did some research and wrote a neutral explainer on what FPIC is, what the Plan does, and what this means for Port Angeles and tribal partnerships. Read here: tinyurl.com/5yr58ta2

I’ve published a new Substack article explaining why I voted no on this year’s 1% property tax levy increase in Port Angeles—how the levy works, what we heard from residents, and why I believe our focus should be on housing and growth instead. Full article: tinyurl.com/4b4wuwut

These first months on City Council have reshaped how I see my math classroom, and vice versa. My Thanksgiving reflection looks at housing, utilities, public services, and gratitude through both lenses. Full post here: tinyurl.com/36fkfb72

🗳 Primary ballots are due TOMORROW by 8 PM! Local elections shape our community—your vote has power. ✅ Drop boxes (no stamp needed) ✅ Mail (postmarked by Aug 5) ✅ In-person at the elections office Vote and make your voice heard!

Transparency builds trust. Sharing clear data up front - on equipment, projects, or major purchases - reduces frustration and strengthens confidence our community’s decisions. Read my letter in the PDN below