Happy Independence Day, Port Angeles. Today was a reminder of service, sacrifice, community, and gratitude, from the Veterans Circle of Flags ceremony to the waterfront events and Fourth of July parade. Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful July 4.

July 4 reflection: freedom is carried through service, sacrifice, and community. In Port Angeles, I think about how first responders, teachers, volunteers, and neighbors all help sustain that work every day. Read here: tinyurl.com/8we9kdzf

Washington is rethinking graduation requirements through FutureReady. The real test isn’t the framework on paper—it’s whether students can access the counselors, courses, CTE, dual credit, transportation, and support it assumes. tinyurl.com/4jnfcufs

New recap: June 23 joint City/County meeting. I explain how Port Angeles and Clallam County are keeping criminal justice services moving while updated agreements are finalized. Read here: tinyurl.com/2kd9cywd

New recap: June 16 Port Angeles City Council. CFP/TIP adopted, HB 2015 criminal justice sales tax hearing continued, plus Project 935 housing, Ediz Hook, harbor cleanup, and public process. Read here: tinyurl.com/35vmurbw

New recap: June 9 Utility Advisory Committee. I explain Port Angeles’ 2026 Power Resource Plan, CFP/TIP review, ratepayer protection, Tier 1/Tier 2 power, and School Safety Lighting. Read here: tinyurl.com/5ya2ydes

New article: How Port Angeles Decides What Gets Built. I explain how the CFP/TIP connects projects, grants, unfunded needs, staff capacity, public hearings, and public trust. Read here: tinyurl.com/2xczhrdk

New Substack recap: June 2 City Council meeting. I cover the CFP/TIP hearing, Ediz Hook, Valley Creek, youth fields, school safety lighting, pavement management, and Port Angeles’ broader infrastructure challenge. tinyurl.com/ntv7bryw

New article: Reading the Blueprint in Public. I recap the May 26 Port Angeles City Council work session on the 2027–2032 CFP/TIP, including fleet, sewer, transportation, waterfront stewardship, Ediz Hook, and affordability. tinyurl.com/3djfwv64

his Memorial Day, I’m stepping back from the immediate council floor to examine the historical vanguard of the Olympic Peninsula (from the Triangle of Fire to the homefront matrix of Dec 1941) and how structural foresight shapes my vision for modern civic stewardship: tinyurl.com/yc6s7wwx

A fantastic afternoon with my family at the Juan de Fuca Festival today. From the street vendors to the live music, events like this showcase the unique community fabric and vibrant civic spaces that make Port Angeles thrive. Grateful for our local organizers and artists.

Behind the scenes of our packed May 19th meeting: I’m breaking down the floor votes on our 120-Day Stability Framework, public feedback, capital utility realities, and my full chronological Council Report. Read my latest line-by-line analysis: tinyurl.com/3u3natee

Line-by-line with the Clallam County Marine Resources Committee (MRC): I'm diving deep into the science of forage fish, upper intertidal spawning, and why community volunteer data is our most powerful tool to protect nearshore habitat. Read my latest recap: tinyurl.com/yv68u7nm

Why are a sewer pipe, 4 new police officers, and regional sheltering part of the same conversation? True municipal stewardship means looking at how infrastructure, safety, and social policy fit into a single, resilient grid. Read my latest Saturday Long-Read: tinyurl.com/yh2v2e84

New Recap: The 389-page blueprint for Port Angeles. 🏗️📜 ✅ The CFP: How we plan infrastructure 6 years out to keep rates stable. 📉 ✅ "Dig Once": Saving money by fixing utilities and roads at the same time. 🛠️ ✅ Growth: Why "A" St pipes = more housing. 🏠 Read: tinyurl.com/3tm24zbc

New article: The Local Levy Trap A levy is not proof Washington has fully funded schools. It is often the local receipt for what the state formula did not cover. A levy can soften the cliff. It does not remove the cliff. tinyurl.com/5ew6zaw8

New Recap: Proactive Safety & Economic Growth. 🏛️⚓ ✅ HB 2015: Voted to accept $785k grant for 4 new officers. 👮 ✅ EMS: Added a 2nd peak-hour ambulance to reduce service gaps. 🚑 ✅ Fiscal: Using sales tax (tourist revenue) to keep local property taxes down. 💰 Full Report: tinyurl.com/4bt7mk6b

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