Thurston County Receives “Smart Communities” Award

In the photo left to right- Jeff Wilson and Mark Barkley of the State Commerce Department, Xandre Chateaubriand, Commissioners Karen Valenzuela and Cathy Wolfe and Lon Wyrick
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Submitted by Thurston County

In the photo left to right- Jeff Wilson and Mark Barkley of the State Commerce Department, Xandre Chateaubriand, Commissioners Karen Valenzuela and Cathy Wolfe and Lon Wyrick
In the photo left to right- Jeff Wilson and Mark Barkley of the State Commerce Department, Xandre Chateaubriand, Commissioners Karen Valenzuela and Cathy Wolfe and Lon Wyrick

Thurston County Commissioners were recently presented with a special award through Governor Jay Inslee’s “Smart Communities” program. The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) was also recognized for their role in the Sustainable Thurston project.

TRPC lead the planning for the Creating Places, Preserving Spaces community visioning process which took three years and involved thousands of county residents.  In recognizing the effort, Xandre Chateaubriand of the Governor’s Office pointed out that Thurston County did a terrific job of coming up with a vision that will attract high quality jobs and community improvements that will benefit all residents of the county.

“Even more impressive is when multiple communities and public partners join to create a shared vision for the future.”  He went on to say the project shows a commitment to preserve, protect and enhance the quality of life we appreciate here in Washington State.

Thurston County Commission Chair Karen Valenzuela was the county’s representative to the Sustainable Thurston process.  She points out that all seven cities and towns joined with TRPC and the County to make the program a success.

“It was great to see so many people take part in a very public process over the three years.  This vision allows us to make sure that our “ship of state” is headed in the right direction to manage growth while preserving our vanishing natural resources including forests, farmlands and our limited prairie areas.”

Lon Wyrick, Director of TRPC, says he is proud of the community-wide effort in the Sustainable Thurston project and the leadership shown by the cities and the County.

“It’s important to recognize that the Commissioners were very strong leaders in making the Sustainability Plan happen and along with their support; their ideas and regional direction are key to its ongoing success.”

 

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