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Key Peninsula residents press council on fireworks enforcement, septic policy and emergency access
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Summary
At the District 7 meeting residents urged firmer enforcement of fireworks rules, asked the county to implement a DIY septic program, raised water‑supply and evacuation concerns and pressed for more deputy staffing to improve emergency response on the Key Peninsula.
Dozens of residents used the community forum at the April 2 Pierce County Council District 7 meeting to press officials on public safety, septic policy, development and evacuation planning.
Multiple speakers urged the council to tighten enforcement around fireworks and to improve accountability when fireworks or other unsafe acts create wildfire risk. Resident Trent Hestnick told the council that enforcement and accountability were missing links and asked for action ahead of summer.
"It's not about illegal fireworks," Hestnick said. "It's about the unsafe use of legal fireworks. Anything the county council can do to help us help enforcement agencies close their gaps and seams ... we'd appreciate it."
Residents also pushed for faster adoption of a do‑it‑yourself (DIY) septic program. Dewey Gibson criticized the pace of county action and said a pilot was completed months earlier but had not been implemented. The health department presentation at the meeting listed programs to help septic owners, including inspection extensions and financial assistance, but Gibson and other speakers said county policy should move faster.
Several commenters raised concerns about proposed development near Purdy Spit and related traffic and evacuation impacts. Carl Marlow and others warned a proposed 30‑unit triplex development could worsen congestion and complicate emergency access on narrow Peninsula roads.
Public safety presenters at the meeting acknowledged the challenges. Lieutenant Michael Lundborg said the Peninsula detachment covers roughly 221 square miles with about 58,000 residents and noted limited staffing: roughly 18 deputies assigned to the area and five deputies per patrol shift as a common configuration. The county emergency management director explained evacuation levels and urged residents to sign up for PC Alert and prepare household evacuation plans.
Speakers called for clearer enforcement protocols, better interagency coordination and follow‑up from the council. The council did not take formal action at the meeting but a public safety subcommittee meeting was referenced for further discussion.