Near the beginning was the Police Department's presentation: "Telling our story." The Chief of Police, Gary Michel, told of some of the recent accomplishments of the department, including the city's very low statistics for certain crimes, like burglary for example. I couldn't find information about the presentation in the council meeting packet (I didn't take notes, sorry.). The Chief's presentation made the police department sound very good. If all I had to base my understanding on was the presentation, I might think that there were very few to no problems with the police department's operations.

Then there was an award ceremony conducted by Farmer's Insurance to recognize Olympia, Thurston county and other cities regionally, for being a "secure city" (i.e. metro area). There's more information about the secure city awards on the city website (in the meeting agenda packet.)

Next was public communications. Several individuals stood up to defend homeless RV campers in downtown. One idea was to provide opportunities for the campers to function as security patrol in the areas that they are parked. People testified as to how the campers are picking up trash around their vehicles. Maybe it would be possible to find a solution that is mutually beneficial to the campers, and to those who currently don't want the campers. One of the council members took the opportunity to berate those who spoke up in defense of the campers by saying that she is aware of felons, even (strikingly) including a "baby raper," amongst the campers.

The next speaker provided public testimony to defend the isthmus of downtown against a proposal to re-zone building height limits. The speaker raised important concerns about who is being represented by the proposal to re-zone: is it the people of Olympia, or a wealthy developer? And I also ask: is it the interests of a sustainable society or those of a society which is based on industrial growth and "plantation" capitalism (exploitation, violence, etc. - not sustainable), which are being served?

Then came a communication about the Environmental Protection Agency and Wetlands Month. May is the EPA Wetlands Month. So the time is appropriate to have a discussion about the health of wetlands and their importance to the health of human societies. Wetlands provide an important ecosystem for a huge variety of species. What is the current state of wetlands in Olympia (and regionally)? Are wetlands flourishing and prospering? The speaker said that there is need for a much greater investment in the study of wetlands and in measures to ensure the continuing stability of wetlands.

There was also a sea-level rise presentation conducted by city employees. It is alarming to know that Olympia is one of the most tidally-influenced-flood-prone cities in the Puget Sound. Downtown Oly is also extremely susceptible to the effects of a predicted sea-level rise. Downtown Olympia already floods during high tides. High tides regularly come within 1 foot of the lowest portions of downtown and those areas have a tendency to flood during inclement weather (and times of high flow in the rivers). Downtown Olympia's proximity to sea-level makes it for a special place and also one that has special considerations and special concerns in the face of a predicted rise in sea-level.

Now to connect the dots between housing, security, sea-level rise, building on the isthmus and wetlands. Houseless people live in campers in downtown, and we have a proposal that would encourage a developer to bring in condominiums for millionaires. We also have a predicted rise in sea-level that may come to see flooding in much of the downtown corridor on a regular basis.

Instead of building condominiums on the isthmus, it would make sense to locate them elsewhere. Instead of high rises we could have a natural, open, (semi) wilderness area - certainly with the possibility of including restoration of some the historic wetland that once flourished in the downtown region. This is the path to true security. We need to take the natural world, and the health of ecological systems into account, if we intend to have a sustainable and true security. We also need to connect the dots between promoting the development of high-rise luxury condominiums with the problems that plague the societally disadvantaged. It's nothing new, but this society is afflicted with chronic poverty. If we are to consider ourselves truly just and prosperous, we must address the needs of everyone in society, and look at how to combat the problem of chronic poverty.

By choosing to address the concerns, and fundamental root causes, of chronic poverty; by choosing to develop a natural area that will promote the health of ecological systems, and an awareness of the importance of ecological systems; we can choose a future-oriented path to true-sustainability.

[edit: p.s. Also notable was what I perceived as the Council sentiment to cooperate regionally, national and internationally on addressing the threat posed by sea-level change. This is in contrast to Council sentiment about cooperation on opposing aggression as evinced by the federal government. These issues are related. The same attitudes and philosophies which cause environmental degradation and climate disruption are embodied in the Hobbesian model of power-politics that endorse and enable a foreign policy of global dominance - even by means of aggression and coercion.

So I say to the members of the City Council: as the city has a responsibility to be a global partner in finding solutions to climate disruption and addressing the threats therein, so too does the city have a responsibility to be a global partner in enforcing all of the laws relevant to war and aggression. If our federal government is engaged in a war of aggression, then our city government has a responsibility to respond accordingly. This would include refusing to offer sanctuary to the machines and vehicles of such an unjust, immoral and unlawful act of aggression.]