Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Thurston County reports successful Fix-It Fair and Take Your Child to Work Day, launches homegrown arts contest
Summary
County staff told commissioners on April 29 that a Fix-It Fair in April repaired dozens of items and that the county’s Take Your Child to Work Day engaged children and employees; organizers also opened an annual county arts contest with drop-off dates in late May.
County staff reported several community-engagement events at the April 29 Board of County Commissioners meeting, including a Fix-It Fair, a Take Your Child to Work Day and a county arts contest.
Staff said the second Thurston County Fix-It Fair, held April 16 in partnership with Lacey Maker Space and the county’s solid-waste division, attracted 77 community members and volunteers. Presenters reported a repair effort that the county characterized as an 81% success rate: staff said 92 items were repaired and six were partially repaired. The transcript also contains an inconsistent line that reads “13 items were brought in for repair”; county presenters did not clarify the discrepancy during the meeting.
A county staff presentation described the April “Take Your Child to Work Day” as an all-day event with 55 county employees bringing 85 children, ages 5–18. The program featured 18 booths, a mock election in the auditor’s office (where cookies-and-cream was chosen as a mock county ice-cream flavor), a Board of Commissioners mock meeting and a mock trial exercise. Commissioner Carolina Mejia praised County Manager Leonard Hernandez and Human Resources for arranging the event so staff did not have to take time off to participate.
Separately, the county opened its annual “homegrown and homemade” arts contest; entries can be dropped off at the county atrium and other locations May 27–30 and winners will be announced at the June 17 board meeting. The county said last year’s contest received more than 100 entries and organizers hope to double participation in 2025.
Presenters framed the reports as community-outreach updates; no related funding or policy actions were advanced at the meeting.
