Every week I take a look at the city council packet to see if there is anything interesting. For a deeper look at what our city council members are reading and considering this week, read the packet yourself.

Kind of a small packet this week, forshadowing what I can tell is a pretty boring city council meeting. One interesting thing that we've talked about before was the end of 90 minute free parking downtown. Seems the land use subcommittee of the city council is suggesting that the larger council to create an all pay system. I wrote about this earlier here.

Another item regards the status of the state's State Capitol Campus master plan, which is pretty interesting reading. It reminds me of how important statet government is to our city. Even though state buildings are popping up in Tumwater and Lacey, we're still the Capitol City and how the state handles business has a big impact on our city and economy. For example, several local businesses recently sued GA over the Smart Buying Initiative because it favored large, out of town businesses such as Ikon over smaller local ones, like Capital Business Machines.

 Anyway, there was an interesting passage in the master plan report:

The State Capitol Master Plan has not been comprehensively updated since 1991. Since that time the State has continued to expand and renovate office facilities both in Olympia and the surrounding community sometimes in a manner inconsistent with the 1991 Master Plan. The 1991 Master Plan envisioned most State facilities would be state-owned. But no funding was forthcoming and so between 1994 and 2000 the State had to rely on leasing facilities and a low cost approach led to sprawl and fragmentation.

The City of Olympia decided late last year to fund a Chief's Forum as a way to generate police accountability. So far, seven people have applied for nomination to this board.

Norman L Overdahl -US Army, Retired Colonel (28yrs) and North Thurston HS Transportation 1984-1999 (Retired)

Jim Boyde – former General Manager at Capital Mall and candidate for Oly City Council against Matt Green (2002?) (Jim lost with 45% of the vote... after living here 2 years!)

Mark A Axtell – Olympia PD Reserve officer, 1980’s; WA Corrections Officer 1981-1984; current board member of the NE Neighborhood Association.

John W Sleeter – Thurston County Superior Court Administrator (retired); WA Commission on Judicial Conduct since 8/05 and currently; Regional Justice Center Board (retired).

Susan I Gallagher – Special Education Teacher, Komachin Middle School and Bread and Roses volunteer cook twice a month.

Paul Seabert – Olympia Downtown Association Safety Committee, Wind Up Here (Retired)

Donald G Lewis – Owner, Donlad G Lewis LLC, a Transportation Consulting business; WA Utilities and Transportation Commission regulator 25+ years; WA State Patrol 1995-2000 Sworn (armed) officer (Retired). Also works with CYS transitional housing and with Bread and Roses, serving food.

Will Drew be joining the Chief's Forum? Heck no!

The requirements include being fingerprinted, for one thing. That's something I'll endure only if I'm arrested, thank you. I don't feel like allowing the FBI to accidentally match my fingerprint with a suspect print in some bombing case, say in Spain for instance. Such as happened to that attorney in Oregon.

Besides, he can hear me when I report to the Oly City Council. Or I could write him a letter. Or you could write him a letter.

If you would like to you may discuss this at OlyCopWatch Forum Or here.

I very much like this journalist Philip Dawdy, and his recent Seattle Weekly piece The Plan to Nowhere is especially good.

Larry Govea pulled himself off the streets of Seattle and out of homelessness 10 years ago. He was sick of sleeping in his car and of living in high-rise crack houses, as he calls some of the homeless programs in which he's lived. Govea has no better than a sixth-grade education but nowadays reads Plato and Diogenes. But in three weeks, he faces the prospect of being forced from his small one-bedroom cottage in West Seattle, his home for 10 years, and back onto the streets.