Notes from Community/Neighborhood Meeting June 28, 2011

Committee informed neighbors of action and activity since last meeting. Focus of the meeting was to branch out our radius of informed Thurston County Residents. This is NOT just a "neighborhood, back yard" issue. This is a Thurston County issue that will concern many residents - but Many Thurston county Residents still do not know about this situation. Members were assigned tasks - Areas and neighborhoods to focus on. Letters to the editor for local newspapers was highly suggested in efforts to get information out. Representated at this meeting were residents from Yelm Highway, Gallup Drive, Wild Horse Estates, Braywood, and Lake St. Claire and more.

A new blog was designed :  http://nisquallyjailimpact.wordpress.com/ This blog is an interactive site where people can research the situation and direct their particular concerns. Contact can be made through this site to committee members.  This site can be clicked on directly or found through this blog. The new blog is also a "paper trail" of contact and conversations that have taken place with groups involved in this project and elected officials statements.

Next Meeting: July 5, 2011 at 7 P.M.

Interactive Web Site

Next Meeting Tuesday June 28, 2011 at 7 P.M.

Community/Neighborhood Meeting

Tuesday June 28, 2011 at 7 P.M.

This meeting is to meet with local residents

Compile information each petitioner has been working On

Update Community of new Information

Assign Tasks

Please come and Get Ready to Work

Notes from Community Meeting last night (June 21, 2011) Senator Randi Swecker and Leg. Assistant Amy Cruver Attended Meeting

The article the reporter wrote from last nights meeting remained fairly neutral presenting the facts of the situtaion. Joe Cushman, Nisqually Tribal Planning Director had to go on the defense.  He made a claim about notifying homeowners at Wild Horse & was immediately contradicted in print.  We were so pleased that both Amy Cruver, Legislative Assistant to Representative Jim McCune (2nd Leg. dist) and Senator Randi Becker came to the meeting. Senator Randi Becker stated she was there on behalf of Senator Dan Swecker and J.T. Wilcox.

This article is a step in the right direction to get this information to Thurston County Residents about the Nisqually Jail. So many residents still know NOTHING about this situation. We are continuing conversations with our attorneys and many of us have decided which areas we are going to focus on to find out "the truths" and answers to how this happened without our knowledge. We also want to implement some way that this can never happen again! 

Here are some things that we are focusing on:

Environmental Issues and the EA documents and NEPA documents, Water Issues, Waste Management, Grant Applications and Documents.

We have notified our District Representatives, Richard DeBolt and Gary Alexander, and our States Attorney General Rob McKenna. They stated they are trying to find a time that our committee can meet with all including Senator Becker and Senator Swecker rather than seperate meetings.

We are hoping to have a meeting with our County Commissioners, Sandra Romero, Karen Valenzuela, Cathy Wolfe and possibly Donald Krupp - County Manager.

Email what efforts you all have done to contact any parties involved in this project, from past/present/ or future. The more attention we ALL give to this situation the stronger our position will be and the more attention those parties involved will give to us. Please contact us if you want to do something and do not know what direction to work in. Look at the Addresses listed on the right column of parties to write letters to.

  

Newspaper Article from our Last Neighborhood Meeting - June 21, 2011

Addresses of Elected Officials and The Olympian

Here are a few quick things you all could do:

Write an editorial to the Olympian Newspaper

111 Bethel Street NE,

Olympia, Washington 98506 · 360-754-5400  

Write a letter to:

The County Commissioners office.

Thurston County Courthouse, Building One, Room 269

2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98502-1045

2nd District Legislators

Senator Randi Becker, Representative

115B Irv Newhouse Building
PO Box 40402
Olympia, WA 98504-0402
(360) 786-7602

Jim McCune, Representative

109 Modular Building G
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7824

J.T. Wilcox

106 Modular Building G
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7912

20th District Legislators

Senator Dan Swecker

103 Irv Newhouse Building
PO Box 40420
Olympia, WA 98504-0420
(360) 786-7638
Fax: (360) 786-1999

Representative Richard DeBolt

335C Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7896

Representative Gary Alexander

426B Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7990

United States Senator Maria Cantwell

915 Second Avenue
Suite 3206
Seattle, WA 98174
206-220-6400 

United States Senator Patty Murray

448 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2621 

Together we can make a difference

King 5 Video News Program Report

Watch as neighbors speak out!!!

 

Nisqually Tribal Newsletter - October 2010

The Tribal newsletter is called "Squalli Absch Nes"
Which translated means  "The Nisqually Tribe".
Scroll down in the October 2010 article 
... to find additional information on the
........ proposed Tribal Jail and MUCH MORE !!
........... There are plans that go well beyond the Jail.
.............. this is a big newsletter - it will take a minute to load.

NEXT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING JUNE 21

First Neighborhood Meeting, June 14, 2011

.....Information was shared about the Jail - Past, Present and Future

Petitions were signed.

Assignments were made.  

More information will be collected.

It was agreed to meet again next week

NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY JUNE 21, 7 PM
Braywood Park, 4700 Block of Yelm Highway, Olympia

Thurston County has an idle jail building on the West Side of Olympia New Study being done

Click here: The Olympian Story about $45 Million empty jail.
Why would we contract with the Nisqually Tribe to house our prisoners when Thurston County has a new facility on the West Side of Olympia?  Financially, wouldn't it make better sense to figure out a way to get the Mottman Park facility up and running to generate our own revenue rather than to let it sit idle?

Petition Print Out and Circulate

Petition -  Print out this PETITION < link
Get as many signatures as possible.
Bring to next meeting

Other Related Links on Nisqually Jail Project

The Federal Register  September 14, 2010
Daily Journal of Commerce - April 5, 2011
The Olympian - April 6, 2011
Department of Corrections - April 25, 2011
US Department of Justice - 

BACKGROUND

Nisqually Tribe building $20 million Regional Jail

The Nisqually Tribe is starting work on a $20 million public safety complex (Jail)
Yelm Highway near Highway 510

This facility will include a jail for 288 inmates for Category II low-risk offenders and a

Future phase could expand it to 576 beds.

The property was "ACQUIRED"
 in a Transfer of Title from the United States to The Nisqually Tribe as a mandate by
Congress on or around September 14, 2010.

The Nisqually Tribe plans to house low-risk inmates for nearby governments INCLUDING:
Port Gamble, Squaxin, Suquamish, Puyallup, Lacey, Tumwater
Yelm, Rainier, Tenino, Thurston County, ICE, Swinomish
Skokomish, Ft. Lewis, Nooksak, Washington State DOC
and other tribes.

The project is funded with a grant from the

Justice Department and a low-interest loan from the

Agriculture Department.