Clark Gilman, Olympia City Council

03/22/2025

I am pleased that Thurston County Health Department will pilot a renewed DEIA effort for Thurston County. Help us find a strong leader to put a focus on Diversity Equity and Inclusion!

We're hiring! Join our team as a Senior Program Manager focused on DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility)! If you're passionate about driving positive change and creating inclusive spaces, we want to hear from you. Apply today and make an impact: https://ow.ly/RU7550VmwBm

11/21/2024

Today I participated in Transgender Day of Remembrance hosted by the League of Women Voters. Our recent survey on experiences of discrimination in Olympia showed that the trans community is especially vulnerable to harassment and violence. All are welcome in Olympia. All belong in Olympia.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

“Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.”
– Transgender Day of Remembrance founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith

11/05/2024

It’s a stormy day in Olympia. We are on the eve of an election following political campaigns that felt to me absurd, frightening and overwhelming. If you haven’t marked your ballot yet, and need someone to sit with you or walk to the drop box with you let me know.

What is the antidote to a world at war and deliberate efforts to stoke fear and the worst impulses of people in the United States? I believe it’s participating in our local community. Let me offer a few really good things happening in our town.

Celebrate our culture and our community

You supported the Inspire Olympia cultural access program, and today we have 60 local groups sharing $2.6 million dollars in funding. Many of these arts, culture, and heritage organizations have not received grants or had paid staff before. The program also dedicates funds to school field trips, paying for transportation and coordinating field trips.
Here is a list of current Inspire Olympia recipients. It is life affirming and good for the soul to create and to sit and watch creativity. I hope you will enjoy some arts, culture and heritage celebration in the coming season.

Your voice can make a difference at the local level.

Here’s a progress report on an example I mentioned before, a group of community members who live near Capitol Way documented concerns about traffic speeds and accidents in their front yards and neighborhood. After months of hard work the community members won a victory. There will be short term changes made to calm traffic this year and longer term planning to create a safer street for everyone.

Community members have insisted on Community Oversight of Law Enforcement. I am proud of the work of the Olympia Police Department and I also believe that reimagining public safety is a task for the whole community to be part of.

This work was assigned to the Social Justice & Equity Commission who approved a set of draft recommendations and implementation considerations for community involvement and oversight of law enforcement. This work was approved by Council in June. A group of volunteers worked with city staff over the past year to create this Community Oversight program.

The buses are free and they run more frequently and later

Intercity Transit has surpassed pre-pandemic levels of service and begun service expansions that were interrupted by COVID. This includes a robust equity analysis. Getting home late to TESC is possible again, the Night Bus has returned! Routes traveling across the community from East to West and North to South run from 5:30am to 11:30 pm. Weekend service is more frequent. The 620 to Lakewood now runs from 5:30 am to 7:00 weekdays, and 9 to 7 weekends. And if you don’t know about it, Flix bus (which does charge a fare) provides service to SeaTac, Seattle and Portland from the Olympia Transit Center.

Take care of yourself, take care of each other, take care of our community.

Clark

10/26/2024

Initiative 2117 would reduce funding for local transit services by $143 million over 14 years. That’s the wrong place to reduce spending!

10/01/2024

See you at the Obstacle Course! Join us to kick off Fire Prevention Week as part of your Artswalk celebration weekend.

National Fire Prevention Week Kick Off!!

What: Olympia Fire Department Open House

When: THIS Saturday October 5th 10am-1pm

Where: Station 1 (100 Eastside Street)

Come help us kick off Fire Prevention Week with Smoke Alarm safety activities. You can climb in the rigs, make art projects to take come, jump around our obstacle course, take pictures with your favorite Washington State Fire Fighters (Olympia fire fighters obviously) and many other fun activities for the whole family.

We will see you Saturday Olympia!!!

09/12/2024

City of Olympia Employee recognition event. Executive team serving tacos to all employees. Great spirit in the room for this celebration.

07/05/2024

On this Independence Day we celebrate democracy.
National news makes the situation for our nation and our democracy seem dire.
I see strong signs of hope for democracy in Olympia.
Many, many voices join together to keep our local democracy strong and resilient.

You have a role to play in defending democracy. It starts right here at home where we can most immediately see and feel the impacts of our local government decisions. Bring your voice to the table!

There are seven of us elected to City Council, then there are another hundred who serve on Boards and Commissions, beyond those people with positions there are about 2,500 more community members who inform themselves and offer comment and suggestions through attending meetings, emailing, calling, or participating in the Engage Olympia web page.

That’s a lot of eyes on the city services we provide, the opportunities we create, and the money we spend. I am so grateful for every good idea offered and every hard question asked.

Onward!
Clark

05/16/2024

Today is Bike to Work (or Anywhere!) Day. It's clear and cool with a little breeze. Perfect for pedaling around. Between 7 and 9 am I helped out at a coffee station (Thank you Batdorf and Bronson) at Heritage Park. And thank you to Olympia graphic designer Andrea for the photo. This year's event was busy and full of great energy. https://bcc.intercitytransit.com

05/12/2024

Visited the Kiwanis Food Bank Garden this morning. Councilmember Vanderpool and I helped skin a big hoop house. Former Senator Karen Fraser gave me a tour of firewood operation and Mindy Chambers took me through the pitting greenhouse. I had no idea the operation was so big!

05/09/2024

I’m so grateful for our Olympia employees. I just visited Fire Station 2 at noon to share my appreciation. One comment from a firefighter stood out to me, “I don’t mind going out on a lot of calls. I like helping people.” We were talking about the fact that there are lots of calls for little things that aren’t life or death. We continue to work to make the system more efficient and find alternative solutions for small problems, but it’s reassuring to know the firefighters are ready and willing to help.

At its May 7 meeting, the Olympia City Council proclaimed May 5-11 to be Public Service Recognition Week in Olympia. The proclamation recognizes the crucial contribution made by public servants in our community and around the country. Thank you to all those who do so much to improve the lives of so many through public service!

To read the full proclamation, visit https://olympia.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12893151&GUID=B540FCDA-7261-4EF6-85FF-0DB5DED96DE3.

04/07/2024

In WA DC to talk transit. Meeting with board members and general managers from transit systems across the country. Monday and Tuesday we meet with members of Congress and their staff. Good conversations so far about electric buses, hydrogen fuel cells, social and economic benefit of public transit systems and how transit can be seen as an extension of our road transportation network.

02/26/2024

Stand with me on March 2. The Washington Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ State House Assembly will happen next Saturday, March 2. I’ll be marching with the group from Sylvester Park to the Capitol steps at 11am. The Assembly begins at noon.

There are more than 135 million people in this country who are poor or low-wage. While they make up over 40% of the U.S. population, their
needs and concerns have been ignored by elected leaders for far too long.

A National Call for Moral Revival