Key Peninsula Community Council notches 15 years of accomplishment

In the turmoil of the past few months, an anniversary slipped by nearly unnoticed: the Key Peninsula Community Council turned 15 years old six months ago.

The goal of the Key Peninsula Community Council, which was created in 2004, was simple: a group of people wanted to improve the quality of life on the Key Peninsula.

“We don’t have a city council, we aren’t a city or a township,” said Don Swensen, the president of the community council. “We are only volunteer, and we offer up our suggestions, comments, and programs to the community. In general most of them are graciously accepted, or modified to meet the needs of the people in the Key Peninsula.”

The community council is a non-profit 501-c3. It has supported and sponsored a variety of organizations in the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor communities. It works like an informal city council, typically holding meetings once per month, although it is currently inactive due to COVID-19.

Community council initiatives include the school bus connection program, which allows the Key Peninsula use the school buses as public transportation when they are not being used for students.

Swensen also pointed out how the community council sponsors the Key Peninsula Farm Tour, a large event that occurs every spring in the Key Peninsula. One partnership in which Swensen said the community council takes huge pride is with the Gig Harbor Suicide Prevention Coalition.

“Just this past year the coalition got signage posted on the Narrows bridge that they believe has worked to prevent a number of attempted suicides,” Swensen said.

Bob Anderson, the president of the suicide coalition, said the community council is their physical umbrella. The suicide coalition is a non-profit but are not yet a 501-c3, meaning they need to work through the community council to accept grants and donations.

“The most important thing is the connections they create,” Anderson said. “I think KP don’t mind the idea that they don’t have any local government other than fire and so forth, so the Key Peninsula community council helps provides some of that role of awareness.”

Derek Young, a Pierce County Council Member, pointed out the Key Peninsula Council office, which was opened at the end of 2017 at 9013 Key Peninsula Highway, was a milestone for the community. The Lakebay office provides the community council a place to do business, along with providing their partners a place to rent space. These partners include the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, Safe Streets program and an office space for Young.

“I have a part-time desk there, which is something that it totally unique between myself and my council colleagues,” Young said. “No one else has that capability, where they can basically have a place to set up.”

Swensen said having a location for their partners to set up shop is huge for the community, meaning Key Peninsula residents don’t need to go across the Narrows Bridge to deal with business such as with the health department.

Young praises the community council, saying he wishes every small, rural community would have a non-profit council like it.

“It’s a great conduits for information for me and my colleagues,” Young said. “Establishing a community office, I can’t say enough on how that’s created a central place for services on the Key Peninsula.”

Currently, the council has 13 members representing four areas.:

▪ Area 1, from Purdy west, is represented by Leona Lisa, Robert Anderson and Chuck West.

▪ Area 2, from Vaughn north, by Joan Cyr, Robert McCrossin, Cindy Worden and Irene Torres.

▪ Area 3, the Key Center area, by Mark Cockerill, Swensen and Emme McAbee

▪ Area 4, from Lakebay south, by Marcia Harris, Joe Crain and RoxAnne Simon.

Swensen said the community council’s biggest obstacle is money. As a 501C3, the council are constantly soliciting for funding.

“At the beginning of the year when I started as president, we sent out a solicitation letter to the public stating what council has done and what we like to do, and we asked for donation and funding,” Swensen said. “It slowly trickles in. We know how much it costs to run the office for a year, and it’s a challenge meeting that goal every year. So far we’ve been successful, but under the new normal here who knows what will happen.”

Swensen said they are very proud to have been around for 15 years, and hope to continue serving the Key Peninsula for years to come.

This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 12:00 AM.