Press Release for changes to the Thurston County Wireless Code

WHAT: Adverse changes to the Thurston County Wireless Code
WHO: Thurston County Citizens for a Sensible Wireless Code
WHEN: Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing Tuesday, February 7th at
5:30 PM
WHERE: 3000 Pacific Ave/ SE, Commissioners’ Boardroom (110), Olympia, WA
98501

Thurston County will be replacing the Wireless Code that has been in use for 20 years. The Code changes
will impact citizens for a generation to come. With the changes in technology, and the implementation of
5G, it is important for citizens to be aware of the potential impacts of the proposed Code on their property and property values. This new proposed Code can impact residents and their property without their knowledge or consent. The new Wireless Code does not offer citizens a voice, input or notification on what could be right outside their home.

The County is updating their Code for wireless facility siting permits, in part to comply with new more
industry-favorable regulatory agency guidelines. The FCC has far exceeded Congressional directives in the
Telecommunications Act by, for example, the FCC authorizing industry use of our public rights of way
(streets, alleys) for small cell facilities, imposing shorter permit decision timelines, and significantly minimizing justification requirements. The Code includes the following adverse impacts:
– As little as 10’ setbacks for wireless facilities from homes, schools, & businesses.
– No required safety testing or advance notice, public comment, or opportunity to appeal for most
wireless facilities installations
– Up to 4 equipment boxes per wireless provider including noisy fans and generators, with as little as
10’ setback from homes, schools, and businesses.
– Lack of accountability, verification of compliance, design standards, and more.

However, the County has gone well beyond what is necessary to comply with the Telecommunications Act
and given away the County’s local decision-making control. Among some changes: it has moved a
significant portion of permits, including in residential zones, to administrative permits that bypass public
notice and public comment; setbacks are minimal.

The Planning Commission moved the Code forward to the County Commissioners with three Planning
Commissioners dissenting with a Minority Report. The comments made in the initial comment period and
the recommendations of the citizens presented by the citizens on the Stakeholder Committee were
primarily ignored. Virtually none of the citizen recommendations, many of which were heavily echoed by
public comment, were integrated into the next draft.

The Board of County Commissioners has opened a public comment period for feedback on the Wireless
Code, accepting written comments through noon February 7, 2023, and with a public hearing in person or
via zoom on February 7, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. At this hearing, the Code could be adopted as it is currently
written.

For a more extensive discussion of Code shortcomings, see https://www.thurstonsensiblewireless.com/
For more information including related documents see Information from the county, including the draft
Code, and Minority Report.
https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/planning/Pages/dev-code-wireless.aspx

Recommendation of the Citizens on the Wireless Stakeholder Committee:
https://www.thurstonsensiblewireless.com/general-5

We welcome your interest in this issue, please email tcsensiblewireless@yahoo.com to arrange a discussion with a citizen member of the Wireless Stakeholder Committee organized by the Planning Commission

Yelm State Championship Community Celebration!

Performances by YHS Band, Cheer, and Dance teams!

Speakers: Coaches, Players, and Community Leaders

Monday, January 23rd

4:00PM

YHS Stadium

Trump and lawyer sanctioned almost $1 million for ‘frivolous’ lawsuit against Hillary Clinton

From CNBC via MSN:

A federal judge on Thursday imposed nearly $1 million in sanctions on former President Donald Trump and his lawyer for filing a since-dismissed “frivolous” lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and many others, which had claimed they tried to rig the 2016 presidential election in her favor by smearing Trump.

“We are confronted with a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was completely frivolous, both factually and legally, and which was brought in bad faith for an improper purpose,” wrote Judge John Middlebrooks in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in his order sanctioning Trump and his attorney Alina Habba.

Trump’s suit, which sought $70 million in damages, accused Clinton and 30 other defendants of conspiring to “weave a false narrative” during the 2016 election that Trump and his campaign were colluding with Russia in their efforts to win the race.

Middlebrooks in his order Thursday noted that “Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries.”

“He is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process, and he cannot be seen as a litigant blindly following the advice of a lawyer,” Middlebrooks wrote.

“He knew full well the impact of his actions … As such, I find that sanctions should be imposed upon Mr. Trump and his lead counsel, Ms. Habba.”

Under the order, the Republican Trump and Habba, are jointly and severally liable for the total amount of sanctions the judge imposed to cover the defendants’ attorneys’ fees and costs: $937,989.39. That amount is about $120,000 less than what the defendants jointly requested for sanctions.

Washington could join Utah as strictest states for blood alcohol levels while driving

From The Olympian:

Two new bills in the Legislature could change how driving under the influence is treated in the state of Washington.

On Monday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee held public hearings for Senate Bill 5002 and Senate Bill 5032. Republicans and Democrats are co-sponsoring both pieces of legislation.

SB 5002, sponsored by Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, would lower the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit from .08 to .05 while operating a vehicle.

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According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the state has seen a stark increase in fatal collisions in recent years. In 2021, there were 602 fatal accidents, a jump from the 539 accidents reported in 2020. The agency noted that 30% of total accidents in 2021 involved a drunk driver, and 39% of the total involved a driver who tested positive for drugs while driving.

Read more

House Republicans Just Made It Easier for Congress to Give Away Public Lands

Conservationists warn that cities and states could sell off public land to private developers and extractive industries.

From Truthout:

Republicans approved new House rules on Monday [January 9, 2023] making it easier for lawmakers to cede federal public lands to state and local governments without accounting for the costs to taxpayers. Conservationists warn that cash-strapped cities and states could then sell off natural areas that were previously protected to private developers and extractive industries.

Passing a rules package for House business was the next step toward legislation for the Republican majority after a difficult week of wrangling to elect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The 55-page rules package is the result of weeks of negotiation between McCarthy and a faction of ultra-conservatives who used the GOP’s slim majority to squeeze out a number of concessions and create a painful spectacle on the House floor last week, when McCarthy was finally elected after 15 rounds of voting.

Some of the rule changes were expected, including new rules curbing McCarthy’s power and making it easier for lawmakers to demand spending cuts and launch partisan investigations into the Biden administration. However, Democrats say new rules barring the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) from calculating the value of federal public lands given away by Congress is a throwback to a previous Republican majority that pandered to anti-government extremists in mostly Western states.

Superintendent Search – We Want Your Feedback!

From Yelm Community Schools:

Superintendent Brian Wharton will be retiring at the end of the school year.  The YCS Board of Directors has started the search for his replacement and invites you to complete a survey to assist with the recruitment of our new superintendent.

Your responses to the following questions will assist the Yelm Community Schools Board of Directors and Northwest Leadership Associates develop the position description and leadership profile that will guide the selection of the next superintendent. Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts.

Superintendent Search Survey (English)

Public input needed for PEL study that shapes the future of I-5 over the Nisqually Delta

From WSDOT:

Our study of Interstate 5 over the Nisqually Delta has begun. We’re meeting with advisory groups to identify elements of a project to improve the area. The first step is reviewing what is known as a Purpose and Need statement. We need your input as well.

Our blog explains what a Purpose and Need statement is and links to our Engage page so you can review it and leave feedback. The blog also links to our project page, where we have a phone number and email address on our contacts page at which you can leave comments if you prefer. If you have not already done so, this link will let you sign up for an email list specifically for this project.

The Purpose and Need statement will be online beginning today and will remain there through Jan. 31. Please take the time to review the statement and let know what your needs are for the area. 

Read more

U.S. Deficit Fell to $1.4 Trillion in 2022

The deficit was down from $2.6 trillion a year earlier, as pandemic emergency spending slowed, the economy reopened and tax revenue rose. The new figures come as spending fights loom in a divided Congress.

From The New York Times (accessible text):

The federal budget deficit fell to $1.4 trillion for the 2022 calendar year, down from $2.6 trillion a year ago, as pandemic emergency spending slowed, the economy reopened and tax revenue rose, according to the Treasury Department.

While the annual gap between what the nation spends and what it takes in narrowed, the monthly deficit for December 2022 widened compared with a year ago, suggesting that the deficit will most likely grow again in the year to come. The federal government recorded an $85 billion shortfall last month, up from a $21 billion deficit in December 2021.

Read more

Use existing airports or build from scratch? This Puget Sound question is a math problem

The commission, tasked with making a feasible airport site recommendation to state lawmakers by June, has encountered local opposition and major logistical obstacles while weighing use of existing airports — similar to those stemming from its controversial consideration of greenfield options.

Still, some state lawmakers have said that airports already in the region needed more deliberation and were underutilized. House Republican Leader Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, told The News Tribune last month that he would rather have airports chip in to bridge the projected passenger service shortfall than to see a new hub built that disturbs land and people.

In an appearance in September on TVW’s “Inside Olympia,” state Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, said that the commission had discussed using JBLM as a joint-use military-civilian airport. Dent said the option “could really work” but acknowledged it would require convincing military and government officials.

The bill that set into motion the current process, which was sponsored by Keiser and unanimously approved in 2019, precluded siting a new airport “on or in the vicinity of a military installation that would be incompatible with the installation’s ability to carry out its mission requirements.” Hendrickson told The News Tribune that the commission has to get JBLM, the Department of Defense and the state’s congressional delegation involved in the process to determine what role the base can play.

Read more

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to be celebrated in the community-wide event in Olympia, proclaimed by County

From The JOLT News:

Congresswoman Strickland to be the keynote speaker

They are reinstituting the holiday’s community-wide celebration, which will be held at noon on Monday, Jan. 16, at the New Life Baptist Church.

All your favorite national parks will be free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. What to know

From The Olympian:

The National Park Service is celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free admission to more than 400 park sites across the country. It’s one of just five days the public can visit any national park without an entrance fee in 2023, according to officials, with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16, being the first.

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In addition to the free entrance fees for all parks, the park service said it will host several special events and ranger programs to honor Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

“On January 16, 2023, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 28th anniversary of the national day of service. This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

“Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Day, which is the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American, on Monday, January 20, 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service, and marking the third Monday in January every year as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service – a ‘Day On, Not a Day Off.’

“Dr. King advocated for nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice as a means of lifting racial oppression. He created change with organized sit-ins, marches, and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality. Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; he was the youngest person to ever receive this high honor. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by entering the ministry to become a Baptist minister. On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee as he stood on the balcony of his hotel. Dr. King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers.

“We remember Dr. King as a husband, father, friend, and fierce advocate for the betterment of all people. Honor his memory by organizing, volunteering, and spreading the word. Remember to MAKE IT A DAY ON, NOT A DAY OFF, for you and those around you,” by the DODEA, Department of Defense Education Activity.