Pierce County adds two positions to address sustainability
The Pierce County Council has earmarked two new positions in the next two years to oversee the countywide Sustainability 2020 plans.
The budget includes a planner in 2020 and a manager in 2021 in the Planning and Public Works Department. The planner will create and track strategies as county government strives toward the 2020 Sustainability goals, county spokesperson Libby Catalinich said. The manager will implement those strategies.
Pierce County set 15 goals in 2015 to “save million of dollars by using less energy, gasoline and paper in operations.”
The goals set benchmarks for 2020, such as reducing the natural gas used in county operations by 50 percent of 2009 levels and growing the agricultural economy by 10 percent.
Executive Bruce Dammeier said through the planner position, he looks to refine sustainability measures, strategies and targets.
“What gets measured gets done, so we’ve put a lot of emphasis throughout the county on establishing the right measures, understanding how we can do better, and then holding people accountable for results,” he said in a email.
The News Tribune previously reported that Pierce County previously had an Office of Sustainability, where one employee tracked progress and worked toward reaching the green goals. The bureau went dark last year after the employee transferred to a new role.
No public report tracking the county’s sustainability progress has been released since 2017. The last report stated that some of the goals were unrealistic given current realities. Council member Derek Young told The News Tribune it has been difficult to discuss the need for a sustainability manager because there isn’t even an awareness of the county’s standing.
“Last couple years there were no studies, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what the data is on that, because we don’t ever have anyone tracking that,” Young said. “It was hard for me to prove that we need this without information.”
The management position was created in an amendment and unanimously approved by the council Nov. 18. The manager will look to hold all departments accountable to the goals, Young said.
The amendment is Young’s fourth attempt to reinstate an Office of Sustainability. There are financial consequences to not meeting the benchmark goals, like state grant eligibility. The Washington Department of Transportation requires local governments to meet air quality standards for grant opportunities.
Dammeier pointed out they has been conserving more energy and water at county facilities. Water and energy use in the county since 2009 have decreased by 7.19 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively. The 2020 goal is 30 percent.
The budget amendment eliminated two positions in Dammeier’s proposal to the council, an emergency planner and a Facilities property manager. Young said tracking the county’s sustainability efforts is more of a priority.
The Solid Waste Management Fund was increased by $160,000, largely for the salary and benefits of the management position. The planner position will be paid hourly within the $33.26 to $42.29 per hour range.
