Thanks to Councilor Tad Stillwell requesting that public comment restrictions to council be officially deleted, Interim Mayor Foster declared that all of the council’s public comment restrictions of the last 12 years are from a past that is not consistent with the future. I acknowledged and thanked Mr. Foster, the councilors, and City Administrator Grayum for removing this stigma of the “we-they” divide between city government and the people. I mentioned many folks were disenfranchised by such divisive actions and their participation in the public process of our local government has been lost because they would no longer share at council sessions. I closed by saying Yelm has the talent to create a synergy with a bright promise for a dynamic future.

Olympia Federal Savings branch in Yelm
Courtesy: Olympia Federal Savings (OFS)


– “Oly Fed earns award for civic contributions”
“Olympia Federal Savings has been chosen as one of five award recipients of the 2017 Corporations for Communities Award, which honors exceptional Washington businesses that make it a priority to help their communities.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman will present Oly Fed with a National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award during a ceremony in her office on Dec. 4 at 1:30 p.m.

The Olympia company contributed more than $350,000 to over 300 organizations. At least 5 percent of its revenues go to community efforts. Employees receive 16 hours per year of paid volunteer time,” quoting the Business Examiner.
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Yelm Councilor Joe DePinto with Rep. Denny Heck (D-Olympia)
2016 Best of Nisqually Gala, DePinto named “Best Public Official”
Photo credit: Elect Joe DePinto Facebook page


Opinion of Steve Klein:
The October 18th mayoral candidates’ debate underscores my support for Joe DePinto. The candidates have enunciated their vision on campaign websites, in social media, and now in 2 forums. The small Oct. 18th public debate audience was largely comprised of Foster supporters, many of whom are not city of Yelm voters. Not the essence of a true debate, rather a Foster pep rally with many adorned in his campaign t-shirts. Even when Foster made inaccurate statements about DePinto, his audience interrupted by rote with their applause. DePinto was excellent in correcting the narrative on several occasions.


Yelm has grown to 9,000 residents and this town has issues that require a youthful, elastic mind, and someone not connected with the past in being beholding to so many politically-entrenched endorsers. Yelm is now in the grips of major challenges with a limited water allocation, Public Works infrastructure needs, and a residential base burdened by ever increasing taxes and fees. We need Joe DePinto’s clear head, willingness to pause and ask questions before voting, not being afraid to say “no,” his interested listening skills, and all-ways foremost in the serving the public interests ahead of his own.
DePinto represents our future, not our past!


Yelm’s issues can NOT be resolved with the same mindset that created this in the first place!
Foster was complicit in his years of lockstep votes with Harding’s failed policies.


DePinto has more than held his own integrity and grace with former Mayor Harding and Interim Mayor Foster during his almost 2 years on the council. He has been the lone voice in educating the mayors on following proper procedures in council sessions, long overlooked because of their lack of knowledge or experience in the public meetings process. Yet Joe has acquired fine leadership skills with over 7 years experience working for a Congressional Office, in our state legislature with U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, and as executive legislative assistant to Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, and currently in a lobbying firm specializing in local government.


And DePinto is absolutely correct in calling-out Interim Mayor Foster in touting himself as a full-time mayor. Foster’s full-time mayoral status is determined by council vote, not by a mayor’s dictatorial decree, as the Yelm Municipal Code (YMC) states the City Administrator is the full-time operations manager of Yelm. DePinto wants to reign in the mayor’s $30,000 salary here, the highest paid in the county for this part-time position. He has called for an independent audit of the city budget to learn more. He also supports term limits here on elected positions to allow the opportunity for new minds, new ideas to serve in public offices.


Where I find fault with Foster is in his lack of leadership in standing-up to stop a derogatory comment about DePinto by another councilor off-the-record yet unaware there was an operating camera on the council’s system. Foster should have been the leader he touts himself to be and immediately put a stop to that kind of attack, both in-public and on his social media pages, yet he “fosters” them instead. As DePinto noted in the Chamber debate, Foster has been on the council and as interim mayor for a total almost 7 years and never once brought-up the issue of public transparency. While Foster asked for my endorsement prior to the May filing date, I responded a decision would be made once we know who would be his opponents. After witnessing the campaigns and platforms of both candidates, I found Foster a nice guy, yet his politics I can not support. Foster is not the kind of leader for our town’s future.

Michelle Obama said: “Being President Doesn’t Change Who You Are, It Reveals Who You Are.”
This was so true as we discovered with former Mayor Harding. Now Foster’s 2017 campaign for mayor has been so similar to the nastiness of the Harding campaign, from creating sign placement issues to unchallenged attacks of DePinto and his supporters on his social media pages. This also reveals who Foster will be as mayor.


DePinto initiated a conversation with YMCA management, working with city staff to get this idea underway. He has taken stands to avoid additional taxes/fees on residents, suggesting other potential revenue-stream development, often times voting singularly against imposing new taxes/fees. Joe brings a youthful vitality and focused interest in seeking alternative and innovative solutions to city funding issues and examining areas of cutting expenses, instead of the usual taxes/fees increases on residents.


Joe DePinto is a leader with an impeccable record in his stands for transparency, open government, following proper procedures, and in expressing his deep respect and appreciation to all citizens who address the council. Since the day he filed for Yelm public office in May 2015, his participation in our local government created an awakening in the community from those who usually like to hide behind the scenes. Joe has made this town take notice. No one can argue with the public vote making Joe DePinto Best Public Official in the NVN’s 2016 Best of Nisqually contest. His is no slogan, rather a commitment for all of Yelm, whether those inside city limits, those residents in rural areas who shop and pay taxes here, and our visitors:
“I’m Joe DePinto and this is our town!”


– Learn more about Joe DePinto for Mayor of Yelm:
Website
Facebook


Blogger Klein contributed $1,000 to the DePinto campaign and $500 to the Foster campaign.

City of Yelm’s $5 million unused well project at end of Tahoma Blvd.
Yelm does not have enough water rights to use this well.
Ominous storm clouds a pretext to Yelm’s water problems.
Photo taken with zoom lens June 21, 2010,
Copyright © 2010 Yelm Community Blog.


Story highlights
Yelm is close to using all of Dept. of Ecology granted water allocation,
Using residential building permits as a city cash register is about to soon end,
Complicit councilors voted lockstep for the policies of the former mayor, including Foster!
Businesses are water restricted now, their water savings used to issue new permits,
How can this city attract economic development without water?
The city will be out of water for permits during the new mayor-elect’s term.
Yelm is on the threshold of a crossroads about the city’s future!
How does Yelm develop revenue to move forward into the future with limited water?
Where’s the plan?
This can NOT be resolved with the same mindset that created this situation!
On Nov. 8, I call on the mayor-elect to convene an emergency committee on this issue!


AN OPPORTUNITY IS IN OUR MIDST TO REMAKE OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE FUTURE!
The decade-plus policy of Yelm using residential building permits as a cash register/”kicking-the-can down the road” until this city has their back against the wall is at hand, with complicit councilors voting in lockstep to the mayor.
This situation can NOT be resolved with the same mindset with which this was created!
Fortunately change will be coming to the Yelm City Council in January 2017.


– The business of the City of Yelm has been previously mishandled and indications are this will cost Yelm residents dearly, as Public Works infrastructure issues will be the responsibility of the rate payer according to Interim Mayor Foster at last week’s debate. The city has nearly reached the Dept. of Ecology’s water allocation that will cease any further permits as more water is unable to be pumped. These two issues will saddle city constituents with more taxes/fees, plus restricting growth as Yelm’s pumped water allocation is topped. Comm. Dev. Dir. Beck previously told council the coming limit on permits remaining with Yelm’s allocation almost used, so not a surprise. Yet no one has publicly explained the urgency to address what occurs when the permits revenue source ceases.


– As candidates speak on economic development, how can Yelm attract new businesses without water? On Tuesday, October 17, Interim Mayor Foster and the Yelm City Council held a public workshop including presentations from the Buxton Company about business retention and recruitment. Only councilor DePinto stood for investigating using money for this project in another manner. However, the ability of this city to support any further economic recruitment depends on water, for which the city cannot promise availability. Yelm has been through this previously in committing plat approval to Tahoma Terra and Thurston Highlands developers without first proving water availability, which led to a hundreds-of-thousands-dollars case the city lost in our state’s Supreme Court. Has the Community Development Staff, Interim Mayor Foster and many councilors not learned anything about promising permits without first proving they will have water?


– According to my study of record from the Thurston County Superior Court case of JZ Knight vs. the city of Yelm, et al, and affirmed in the opinion of the Supreme Court of the State of Washington dated December 2011, I derived 796.66 afy (acre feet per year) to be the official water rights allocated to Yelm by the Dept. of Ecology. Through a public documents request submitted to Yelm and a verification from City Administrator Grayum, there were no documents located about Yelm receiving any additional water rights since the Knight case, of which Grayum confirmed to be fact (the 796.66 afy stands as Yelm’s current water rights allocation). The Dept of Ecology sent this public document of what amount of water Yelm has reported the city pumped in 2014-2016 inclusive:
2014 = 641.9 afy,
2015 = 687.8 afy,
2016 = 669.9 afy.
Annual water pumping statistics vary based on how much water is conserved and/or used in summer.
An acre foot per year of water is equal to 3.5 ERU (Equivalent Residential Unit = homes). Of course commercial business and restaurants generally use use more water than do residences. And businesses already face intense annual water restrictions. The water saved on the backs of businesses allowed Yelm to continue issuing permits. Was that fair to our businesses already here?


– So how much water does Yelm have for using permits?
Doing the math:
Yelm water rights portfolio affirmed by 2 courts = 796.66 afy,
Yelm water pumped in 2016 = 669.91 afy,
Balance remaining = 126.75 afy.
With 108.8, 126.7 afy unused in 2015 & 2016, Yelm has under under 400 permits remaining.
With 2016 permits issued and the city issuing 100 a year, Yelm’s ability to grow is questionable.
Yelm currently has no water rights acquisitions pending.
The mayor-elect and council-elect will face being out of water during their coming term.
Therefore, Yelm is on the threshold of a crossroads about the city’s future!


– Bottom line:
Where is Yelm heading, does anyone have a plan?
What do we want the city to be?
How can the city develop an economy when up against a wall of no more water allocation?
The council is to enact major water/sewer fee increases on residents-is this sustainable?
Brick and mortar retail is retracting nationwide,
Yelm has become too costly for new business, and is no longer attractive to new restaurants.

How do we move the future of this town in developing revenue to move forward?
Attracting tourists and visitors is the best way, as the UFO Fest and Jazz Festival verified. Yelm needs more of these events and city government could do much more to promote our local assets, the businesses who have invested here.

I am not a combatant, rather have been saying for over 12 years this situation was coming!

On November 8th, the day after the election, I call on the mayor-elect and councilors-elect to sit down together, move beyond this contentious race, and form a committee of the best minds in the South Sound to immediately deal maturely with developing a revenue stream impacted and limited by water availability. This is of vital importance!


Blogger Klein was employed by JZK, Inc. during the JZ Knight vs City of Yelm, et al cases.

– The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch until 5pm today
Issuing Office: Seattle/Tacoma
Source: National.Weather.Service (NWS)
4:00am PDT, Sun Oct 22
FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON…THE FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR…THURSTON.
* THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON * HEAVY RAIN IS ALMOST OVER IN THE AREA BUT MOST RIVERS ARE STILL RISING AND NOT YET OUT OF THE THREAT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS.
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– While 5″ of rain was forecast for last week, our area received much more
Tuesday, Oct. 17 = .12 inches
Wednesday, Oct. 18 = 1.52 inches, broke the former record for this day set in 1958 of 1.43″.
Thursday, Oct. 19 = .90 inches
Friday, Oct. 20 = .37 inches
Saturday, Oct. 21 = 2.91 inches broke the former record for this day set in 1966 of 1.21″.
Total for week = 5.82″ as recorded at the Olympia Regional Airport’s NWS station.

Photo credit: US Insurance Agents


– “Car Safety: Drunk Driving Prevention Guide for Teens and Adults”
“Drunk driving is a growing problem in the United States and accounts for one-third of traffic-related accidents and deaths. Driving while intoxicated can lead to severe consequences for the driver, passengers, and other vehicles or pedestrians involved. It is important that young and older adults alike learn the facts and practice safe and responsible drinking when going out.”

Story highlights:
* Drunk Driving Facts and Statistics
* How Alcohol Consumption Impairs Driving
* What is Blood Alcohol Level (BAC)?
* DUI vs. DWI: What’s the Difference?
* What Happens After a DUI/DWI Conviction?
* Tips for Teens and Young Adults
* Tips for Parents and Guardians
* Additional Resources

From US Insurance Agents.com.
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– “Driving School Meets High Demand”
“Yelm 911 Location Opens Full Time Next Month”
By Cindy Teixeira, Nisqually Valley News Correspondent, Oct 19, 2017.
Read more

Submitted by Jean Handley, city of Yelm resident:

My specific question [submitted to the debate, yet was not asked] is that while we know Mr. Foster is a nice guy and served in the military and had a career as a firefighter, why is he the best person for Yelm? He was on the council over 5+ years and voted in agreement with the council on questionable issues, a few examples:
– voted to go around voters in favor of building the Yelm Community Center, after voters rejected the bond for this building.. twice,
– never spoke-up about the deferred maintenance and upgrades at Yelm Public Works, putting the facility in badly needed servicing requiring an estimated $17-$24 million, most will soon to be paid by Yelm residents,
– voted to tack on $1,000,000 plus interest, to the the-proposed $1,000,000 library bond for a community center, all without public input,
– voted in a May 8, 2012 closed-to-the-public Executive Session on a city issue without afterwards giving public notification before council voted. Councilor Mike McGowan was the only one voting “No”, saying public notification and responses were required before council action was taken,
– With the WA Supreme Court having the Sara Foster [no relation] vs. City of Yelm water rights case in-hand for deliberation, which could then overturn Yelm’s water rights reducing the need for an additional well, Councilor Foster voted with the Yelm Council August 11, 2015 to spend $5 million for a new well project anyway. The city lost that case and the well is unused to this day,
– Foster NEVER once stood for public transparency, and only when Councilor Stillwell last month requested removal of public speaking restrictions to council, were these removed.

Mr. Foster’s votes as a councilor have proven he does NOT have the public interest first and foremost.
Why should I vote for him?
DePinto has questioned so many decisions proposed to council on behalf of constituents.
He’s the best candidate for Mayor of Yelm!

Jean Handley
Yelm

Prozac and other drugs in Puget Sound waters and fish,
some of the highest levels reported in the country.
Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries, Univ. of WA


– Editor’s Note:
While not a pretty picture, this issue is getting worldwide attention and having an impact here in the Pacific Northwest, which is so proud of our wild-caught fish. Also previously covered here was how this pertains to in the city of Yelm.


– “Americans are taking so many antidepressants they’re accumulating in fish brains in the wild”
“Traces of Prozac and other medications are showing up in wild fish.”

“Ten different species of fish in the Great Lakes have been found to have detectable levels of human antidepressants in their brains, including the active ingredients of Prozac, Zoloft and Sarafem.

Use of antidepressants in the US rose by 65% from 1999-2002 and 2011-14. This increase in consumption has also led to an increase in waste, with the antidepressant molecules finding their way into the natural environment.”

“The fish who had several different antidepressants in their brains were of particular concern, the researchers said. These chemicals built up over time, reaching concentrations of up to 20 times greater than in the river water itself. Further research will need to be carried out to determine what risk this poses to the fish and the wider ecosystem,” by Martha Henriques, IBTimes UK.
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– “Technology has been very good at giving us what we want, but less good as giving us what we need.”
“We are at an inflection point in our relationship with technology. Technology allows us to do amazing things that have immeasurably improved our lives. But at the same time, it’s accelerated the pace of our lives beyond our ability to keep up. And it’s getting worse. We’re being controlled by something we should be controlling. And it’s consuming our attention and crippling our ability to focus, think, be present, and truly connect with ourselves and the world around us.

The numbers only confirm what we all know to be true — we’re addicted. A 2015 Bank of America report found that over 70 percent of Americans sleep next to or with their phone. This addiction comes at a cost. A Pew study from the same year found that 89 percent of phone owners said they’d used their phones in their last social gathering, and 82 percent felt that when they do this it damages the interaction.”

“The problem lies not with our desire to connect, but with our form of connection,” by Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, on NBC News.
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– UPDATE: October 22, 2017
“Smartphones are killing Americans, but nobody’s counting”
By Kyle Stock, Lance Lambert, and David Ingold, Bloomberg.
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