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Pierce County proclaims National Public Works Week, honors Planning and Public Works staff
Summary
The Pierce County Council and executive designated May 2025 as National Public Works Week, recognizing Planning and Public Works employees and code enforcement staff; department leaders briefed the council on their responsibilities and staffing.
Pierce County Council and Executive on Tuesday proclaimed May 2025 as National Public Works Week in Pierce County and recognized the county Planning and Public Works (PPW) staff and code enforcement officers for their work maintaining county infrastructure.
Deputy Director Lauren Flemmister told the council PPW oversees a broad set of infrastructure and services countywide and thanked staff for "working early mornings, late nights, and weekends for the people of Pierce County." She said the department relies on roughly 800 employees to operate and maintain the county’s transportation, water and drainage systems, public buildings and other infrastructure.
The proclamation text (read into the record by Council member Yambe) cited specific county assets while acknowledging some transcription artifacts in the readback: it listed paved lanes, tens of thousands of catch basins, more than a thousand miles of ditches, hundreds of miles of drainage pipe, wastewater treatment facilities, airports and the county ferry system. Speakers and council members repeatedly praised code enforcement officers and PPW field crews for daily maintenance, emergency responses and neighborhood protections.
PPW code enforcement supervisor David Kinley (introduced as David Kinley during the meeting) said code enforcement work is often unseen but essential to public safety and environmental protection. "There's a lot of things that we do that are unnoticed, unseen," he said, adding code enforcement officers do not always receive public recognition.
Council members thanked PPW staff and highlighted local services and tools: Council member Morell and others noted field crews respond to weather-related emergencies and that the county uses SeeClickFix to geotag reported problems. Council member Kuver and others mentioned local Memorial Day events and community partnerships with cities and towns.
No formal policy or budget actions were taken during the proclamation segment; the council's action was ceremonial recognition and encouragement to residents to acknowledge PPW services during National Public Works Week.
The meeting included an on-stage photo opportunity for PPW staff; council members reiterated appreciation and discussed continuing to improve responsiveness and technology use in service delivery.
