Protecting the public

I marvel at the members of the Olympia City Council and how they use their positions to protect the public.

As members of the Olympia council, their job is to set policy and make certain the city is on the right course.   They are city officials charged with doing what’s in the best interests of the residents of Olympia.

This often involves making tough decisions that often require them to take a vote on controversial measure of extreme importance to their constituents.

Recently they became concerned about the effects of global warming.  To make certain that downtown businesses wouldn’t flood when global warming caused the ice sheets to melt, they supported changes in the Shorelines Management plan that would stop development along the waterfront.

They also became interested in protecting the residents of the city from the harmful effects of plastic bags, and supported a county wide ban on some types of plastic bags.

The council became distraught that the view corridor of Budd Inlet was being impacted by two abandoned buildings and dipped into the city’s park budget to purchase those building.  This assured city residents that the view of the water was important.

To protect homeowners from house fires they also passed an ordinance requiring sprinklers in all new single family homes.  This would come at no cost to the taxpayers, just the home owners.

And, just a week or so ago, the Olympia City Council’s concern for the health and well-being of its citizens resulted in the council voting to ban coal trains from the city.   When it was pointed out that the trains actually ran through Lacey, members pointed out that McAllister Springs was along the railroad tracks and that’s where the city got its drinking water.  Olympia councilmembers were concerned that, as the trains passed, coal dust might get in the water.

I can’t think of anything more important to the residents of Olympia than global warming, plastic bags, the Budd Inlet view corridor, home sprinkler systems and dust caused by coal trains.

I want to commend the Olympia City Council for its futuristic views and thank them for making Olympia a more attractive place in which to do business.

Oh – wait – – that’s not on the council’s agenda?