The City of Tumwater Planning Commission voted unanimously Sept. 23 to forward Resolution R2025-015, the city’s draft Food System Plan, to the Tumwater City Council for its consideration. The planning commission opened a public hearing, heard a staff summary and public testimony, then voted to recommend the plan as presented.

Dana Bowers, associate planner for the city, told commissioners the plan was prepared at the request of the City Council and focuses on three council-identified priorities: “how to provide healthy food to all members of the community, to reduce food waste and also to support local food production,” she said. Bowers reported the planning commission and council subcommittees had been briefed repeatedly in 2024–2025 and that staff received four written comments during the public comment period.

Two members of the public spoke in support during the hearing. Megumi Sugihara of Olympia said she supports the plan and asked how the city plans to collaborate with nearby jurisdictions, including the City of Olympia and Tenino, on food-system connections. “I support the plan, and I’m just curious… how you see connecting all these different steps,” Sugihara said.

Mitch Lewis, co-owner of Summit Farms, said he and other local producers back the plan and urged the commission to support efforts to link local farms with school meal programs. Lewis described Tumwater-area farm-to-school work he participated in and said some nearby schools have received grants to purchase local food while the Tumwater School District had not. “There is a food desert between Olympia and Tenino,” Lewis said, and he urged commissioners to consider ways to support school purchasing of local products and better market access for producers.

Bowers also summarized a written comment from John Flicker, executive director of the Thurston County Food Bank, who noted the plan’s use of food-bank data was accurate but that federal budget cuts will end the SNAP-Ed program in Thurston County effective Oct. 1, 2025; Flicker projected higher demand with fewer resources going forward.

After brief commissioner questions about the limits of city authority — including that the city cannot direct schools but can partner or recommend actions to the Tumwater School District — Commissioner [mover not specified] moved to forward the resolution as presented; Commissioner Kirkpatrick was recorded as the second. The commission took a voice vote and the motion passed with all members present voting in favor.

Commissioners and staff confirmed that verbal and written public testimony presented at the hearing would be included with the staff report sent to City Council. The commission did not amend the draft resolution before forwarding it.

Votes at a glance
- Motion: Forward Resolution R2025-015 (Food System Plan) to City Council with a recommendation for adoption.
- Mover: not specified in the record
- Second: Commissioner Kirkpatrick
- Outcome: Approved (all members present voted yes; no nays recorded)

Next steps: Staff will include the hearing record and written comments with the packet that goes to the City Council for its review and decision.