David Baublits, Eatonville Mayor

10/24/2023

Hello Town Citizens!

Thank you for giving me the honor of being your mayor. The last 21 months have been challenging, frustrating, and rewarding all at the same time. As mayor, my motto is “Just do what is right” and I live by this as I make my day-to-day decisions and set strategic goals.

As we do “what is right”, your amazing town staff and I have been diligently working on the following projects:

• 95% completion of SR 161 project while addressing material delivery delays, utility conflicts, and various contractor issues.
• Repaved Carter Street.
• Negotiated a mutually acceptable tentative contract with South Pierce Fire and Rescue.
• Prepared bid documents to pave View Crest Drive and Center Street E. next spring (Weyerhaeuser Rd. to Mashell bridge) covered by a $432,000 grant.
• Advancing old landfill cleanup permitting to be covered by $6,200,000 grant.
• Designing/permitting Mashell River streambank armor repair covered by $990,000 grant.
• Completed a large outdoor refrigerator/freezer for the Community Center covered by a COVID relief grant.
• Completed a comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan.
• Completed a Middle Housing Analysis in house, funded by a $55,000 grant from the Department of Commerce.
• Making good progress on the Comprehensive Plan update.
• Success in a $213,000 grant for a Park Plan update and trail design to Box Car Canyon.
• Resolved issues with hangers in receivership at the airport.
• Improving building permitting processes.
• Prepared various forms of design standard simplification [Title 19] through the planning commission for council approval.
• $400,000 – $1,00,000 street grant applications are pending.
• $40,000 maintenance grant is pending for parks.

The following are some of the projects I have been working on since my election:

• Started the Eatonville Vision Team (organization of town leaders focused on controlled growth).
• Along with Bob Walter, motivated creation of the Eatonville Main Street Association (town residents focused on revitalization of Mashell Avenue).
• Working with the school district to start a “student voice” program at the High School focusing on involving students in government and local business activities (still in process).
• Establishing an Eatonville Foundation.
• Met with state and federal legislators, establishing relationships for the future while looking for funding for Eatonville community projects including a new stadium, track and field. This was done in cooperation with the Eatonville School District.
• Supporting and coordinating airport issues through the newly formed Airport Commission.
• Working with the Eatonville School District on their five-year strategic plan.
• Motivated improvements to the Town Hall which will provide greater protection for police personnel.
• Utilized citizens groups to start simplifying the Eatonville Municipal Code.
• Hired a new town administrator and a full-time in-house planner instead of using contracted services.
• Negotiated transfer of control of the Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad (MRSR) to a local non-profit (supports comprehensive plan goals).
• Worked with MRSR to ensure rail cycles were up and running for the 2023 season, thereby increasing Eatonville tourist traffic.
• Instrumental in the creation of the Mt. Rainier Corridor Team (focused on working with Mt. Rainier National Park and businesses in the corridor to improve business vitality).

Some goals we are still working on:

• Improvements to the processes and procedures at the Town Hall.
• Completing the Comprehensive Plan.
• Simplifying the Eatonville Municipal Code.
• Getting the train into Eatonville. This has been a comprehensive plan goal since 2000. We are the first administration to pursue and experience some success with this issue.
• Increasing products and services available to town citizens.
• Ensuring there is enough competition in town to ensure town citizens are paying competitive prices.

As you can see, we are extremely busy and have been very successful on many major issues. I want to encourage you to vote in this election. Voting in small, local elections is the best opportunity for your vote to really make a difference. A swing of 15 votes decided one race in the last election. Town residents have an opportunity to make significant, positive changes in this election. Please research the candidates and remember to vote. Thank you for your support.

Your vote matters!

10/18/2023

10/15/2023

In the interest of fairness, I trust this post will be shared wherever Kara’s Bill Dunn post was shared.

Recently, Councilmember Dunn published a Facebook post that attacked both my personal and professional ethics. And while I don’t normally respond to petty criticism of my efforts to improve the community in which I was raised, I believe it’s important to address the misinformation he is spreading about important decisions that need to be made for Eatonville in order for it to continue to be the kind of place that you, your children, and your grandchildren will love as much as I do.

For those of you who don’t know, I was raised in Eatonville from the age of 8. I then followed a path that took me to a career in the aerospace industry. With hard work and commitment, this career path was both meaningful and successful. And that success has allowed me to return home to my family and has provided me the luxury to serve the community that put me on that pathway. I have been blessed in many ways, and serving as your mayor has allowed me to utilize the lessons I’ve learned to work with you to develop ideas and opportunities that would help Eatonville grow and prosper.

Let me be clear, I view the honor of being your mayor as just that…it is my honor to serve you. And in serving you, it is my responsibility to look for the BEST opportunities to increase the town’s economy, while lightening the load on all of you as taxpayers. In many cases, you as citizens have been actively involved in exploring those opportunities with me and with Council. I can assure you that not one of those opportunities is in any way self-serving but are all designed to improve the town. At this stage of my life, I could choose to live out my remaining years anywhere. I made a conscious choice to invest my time, energy, and talent here, in Eatonville.

Councilmember Dunn's Facebook post is written to make you think otherwise. He has not just misrepresented the truth but has written lies that would leave many of you questioning my integrity. That is why I am writing this response. You elected me as your mayor. You, along with Councilmember Dunn, have the right and quite frankly the responsibility to question my recommendations and decisions. No one, however, has the right to falsely question my integrity or my intentions for this community that I love. To address all the lies and misrepresentations in Mr. Dunn’s post would take too much of your time so please allow me to address the one issue where Councilmember Dunn has falsely accused me of using my position as mayor to improve my own personal financial position.

He said in his post “I see a scenario where the mayor purchased, via Tibeer Investments LLC, a $2.2 million parcel of unimproved land in January and then – two months later – drafted a letter on Town of Eatonville letterhead in his capacity as Mayor of Eatonville and requested $1,500,000 in taxpayer funds to finance improvements on his newly-purchased parcel” If Councilmember Dunn’s statement were true, not only would it be unethical, it would be illegal. The funding he is referring to, which I did request on behalf of the Eatonville community via the citizen-based Eatonville Vision Team, was from the State of Washington for a new train depot and train loading platform. Logic dictates that this project will need to be built next to the railroad tracks. There are no railroad tracks on the piece of property we purchased. It is shameful that a council member would not only make up, but publicly distribute such a blatant lie.

As I said earlier, it is my responsibility to look for the BEST opportunities to increase the town’s economy, while lightening the load on all of you as taxpayers. There should be no confusion about my plan to do that. I have shared it with anyone that was interested and enjoyed your questions and interests.

It is interesting that Councilmember Dunn would put out such a comprehensive list of grievances against me one week before the ballots are mailed. Perhaps he could list his accomplishments as a sitting council member and run on his record instead of going extremely negative.

As always, I try to be transparent in everything that I do and would be happy to speak with anyone about any of the issues in Mr. Dunn’s post. Please feel free to email me at [email protected] or call me at 253 222 4935.

10/12/2023

Eatonville Fire and Emergency Medical Services update

There is a lot of misinformation floating around social media about our contract with South Pierce Fire and Rescue (SPFR) for fire and emergency medical services. We are in negotiations currently but it does not look like we will reach an agreement this year which means the current contract will roll over and we will have the exact same contract in 2024 as we had in 2023.

The contract states that SPFR can choose to use the Town Hall facility in Eatonville for housing their vehicles and personnel but they do not have to (they have always had the right to move if they so desired). This clause has been in the contract since 2015. SPFR is indicating that they are going to move out of this facility next year. This is their choice and their choice alone. They are not paying any rent to be in the Town Hall facility and, as per the contract should it roll over, they will not be paying any rent in 2024 either. The Town is not asking them to move or charging them anything for the space. If they choose to move, they are contractually allowed to do so and there is nothing the Town can do to force them to stay.

So, assuming we do not come to an agreement on a new contract, there will be no changes in services from 2023 to 2024 other than SPFR’s decision on where they are going to house their equipment and personnel.

As far as any potential changes that may happen in the future, the administration does not intend to present a contract to the Town Council until citizens of the Town have had a chance to voice their opinions. We feel this is not a decision that belongs solely to the administration or the Town Council; it is a decision that should be made with Town citizens’ input. The Town administration and council are doing our best to live up to our fiduciary duty to prudently spend taxpayer dollars which requires reanalyzing things like contracts periodically to ensure we are protecting and doing the right things for the citizens we represent. We want and need high quality fire and EMS services and Town citizens should have a voice in how they would like those services to be provided. Rest assured that the Town will have high quality services and Town citizens will have a say when it comes to any new contract(s) that may be negotiated!

There are high quality options available to the Town for emergency services through private ambulance services who have very attractive contract price levels. The Town administration intends to:

1) Investigate all options.

2) Continue good faith negotiations with South Pierce Fire and Rescue.

3) Consider the implications and possibility of annexation into SPFR District.

4) Continue seeking and valuing citizen input.

As we move forward with this very important issue, we are committed to keeping you, the public, informed and will be sending out periodic information to ensure that we keep you in the loop.

As has been the case since the very beginning of my administration, I am always available to discuss any issue. My phone number is 253 222 4935 and my email is [email protected].

David Baublits
Mayor

08/27/2023

The Town of Eatonville and South Pierce Fire and Rescue are currently in negotiations for the 2024 fire and EMS contract. There is only one issue unresolved and that is whether or not SPFR will pay for the facility they rent from the Town or should Town taxpayers continue to subsidize SPFR’s operations by paying their rent for them. Without agreement from the Town negotiating team, councilmember Bill Dunn intends to introduce a motion at the next Eatonville town council meeting on August 28th at 7:00 to approve extending the current contract with South Pierce Fire and Rescue for an additional two years (which will give SPFR everything that they want in the negotiations).

SPFR services approximately 25,000 people in South Pierce County, including about 3,000 people in Eatonville. If the council approves of this contract extension, then the 3,000 Eatonville residents will be paying more for the services SPFR provides than the other 22,000 customers SPFR services. The advantages that town citizens may get by having a manned station nearby are also available to citizens who live near the other two manned stations located in Roy and on 304th. Only the Town of Eatonville citizens are being asked to subsidize SPFR’s operational expenses.

The Town administration, currently negotiating this contract, does not agree with this. We feel forcing Town Taxpayers to subsidize SPFR’s operational costs by paying an additional $63,000+ for SPFR’s rent, when they will already potentially be paying SPFR in excess of $800,000 for their services in 2024, just isn’t fair.

Eatonville residents should not be paying more than other SPFR customers when they are receiving the exact same services. It should also be noted that the Pierce County Sheriff’s department pays rent to the town for space it currently uses.

If you would like to discuss this issue with me, please feel free to call or text me at 253-222-4935 or email me at [email protected]. If you would like to voice your opinion to the council, please attend the meeting on Monday, August 28, 2023, at 7:00 pm at the Community Center.

07/11/2023

I would like to get a feel for the level of interest for pickleball courts in Eatonville. Please let me know if you feel public courts in town would be an important amenity. If so inclined, it would be helpful to know your current involvement in the sport: skill level, how often you play, etc. Thanks so much.

06/22/2023

The community calendar is up and running. It will only be successful if organizations go to the calendar and enter their upcoming events. The calendar is located on the Town of Eatonville website (eatonville-wa.gov). Click on the calendar button. In the upper right hand corner of the calendar is a button to suggest an event. Once you do that, it is reviewed by the administrator. If there is no problem, it will be entered in the calendar. It is our hope that this will be the go to spot for all events in the Eatonville area. Please help us to make that happen. We welcome any comments or suggestions.

05/18/2023

Happy 95th birthday to my mom, Dee Baublits!!!

04/12/2023

We are in the testing phase of a new community calendar. Our goal is a one stop site for everything going on in Eatonville. If you are interested, please let me know of any events you would like to have included on the calendar in the comments or send to my email ([email protected]).

03/04/2023

One of the goals of the community-based Eatonville Vision Team is to assist the town with growth opportunities. The team’s vision is to innovatively focus the creative energy of community organizations to champion economic opportunities and align resources for the betterment of the greater Eatonville area. This team exists to help ensure that Eatonville growth happens in a controlled manner and promotes the quality of life that we all enjoy and wish to protect. One of the issues the team is currently addressing is the implementation of a Town theme.

The team is soliciting input on issues like this from the Citizens of Eatonville as well as the greater Eatonville area. These kinds of surveys will help clarify how we want the community to grow as we develop our 10-year strategic and comprehensive plans.

Eatonville has been struggling with the lack of businesses since the mid 50’s when the Eatonville Lumber Company shut down. The answers you provide below will help this team assist other organizations in Town pursue activities that will protect our quality of life while building a strong and varied business sector.

1. Do you feel our Town theme should reflect the history that has made us who we are today?
Yes _____________ No _____________

2. Do you feel our Town theme should be focused on our history of logging and the Eatonville Lumber Company?
Yes _____________ No _____________

3. Do you feel our Town theme should be focused on our history of the steam train? (Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad will be bringing steam train operations to Town.)
Yes _____________ No _____________

4. Do you feel our Town theme should be focused on our history of logging and our history of steam trains combined?
Yes _____________ No _____________

5. Do you feel our Town theme should be focused on something that does not relate to our history?
Yes _____________ No _____________

6. If you answered yes to question #5, what would you suggest we use as our Town theme?
______________________________________________________________________

Another opportunity for quality-of-life improvements here in Eatonville is through updates to the Comprehensive Plan which guides our policy decisions and goals regarding the town’s vision for the future. This plan must address critical areas, land use, housing, transportation, utilities, parks and recreation, economic development, capital facilities and public infrastructure. We need citizen volunteers willing to provide input to the rewrite of this comprehensive plan.

7. Would you be interested in participating on this team?
Yes _____________ No _____________
If you would like to participate, please email the Town Planner at [email protected]

The Town also needs volunteers to assist with the development of our affordable housing goals. This team would assist us with developing a plan and exploring various options and policies to ensure that Eatonville has affordable housing for all.

8. Would you be interested in participating on this team?
Yes _____________ No ________________
If you would like to participate, please email the Town Planner at [email protected]

Please return this survey to the front desk at the Town Hall or mail to: Town planner, PO Box 309, Eatonville, WA 98328. You can also provide comments to [email protected]

This survey is also online at:
https://wss.pollfish.com/link/b984215d-a84d-4e16-9ea0-6de59f16cb4d

Thank you for taking the time to help us as we work to make Eatonville an even better place to live!

02/04/2023