Government

Gig Harbor Now provides citizens the information they need to oversee and participate in the city of Gig Harbor, Pierce County and smaller governing bodies.

Kopachuck State Park improvements finally forthcoming

Feb 13, 2024 | By:

A renovated Kopachuck State Park, at long last, will begin to emerge this spring. Fourteen years in the works, construction is slated to commence in late April. All permits have been approved. Drawings are finished. Bids will be sought by the end of February. Groundbreaking would follow. “I’m very excited to get out to bid

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Free legal pop-ups debut this week in Gig Harbor

Feb 12, 2024 | By:

Legal advice may not, at first, seem as fundamental a human need as food or medical care. But Bob Vollbracht, volunteer leader of the Gig Harbor Key Peninsula Housing-Homeless Coalition, has seen the profound benefit of free legal services to low-income clients shaken by situations such as domestic violence, child custody disputes or looming evictions.

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PenMet Parks’ new pricing policy generates debate

Feb 08, 2024 | By:

Under the change that takes effect for spring programs, those outside PenMet boundaries must pay 20% more and wait a week to register.

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Rep. Hutchins not pursuing re-election in 26th District

Feb 06, 2024 | By:

State Rep. Spencer Hutchins, R-Gig Harbor, announced in a press release Tuesday that the government post is cutting into his ability to provide for his family.

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Gig Harbor Council may ask voters for property tax increase

Feb 01, 2024 | By:

On Feb. 12, the Gig Harbor City Council will decide whether to ask voters to “lift the levy lid” to increase property taxes. If the council approves the request, voters would decide whether to increase their property tax rate from the current rate of 70 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.10 per

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State settles lawsuit following terminal cancer diagnosis for former inmate at Gig Harbor prison

Feb 01, 2024 | By:

The Washington state Department of Corrections agreed to a $9.9 million settlement with a former inmate diagnosed with terminal cancer after receiving inadequate medical care at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor. The Seattle Times reported the settlement on Tuesday, Jan. 30.  Failure to perform follow-up Paula Gardner, now of Tacoma, was

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Impact fees delayed but en route to PenMet Parks

Jan 31, 2024 | By:

Pierce needed to change some code wording to allow properties not owned by the county to receive funds. PenMet is budgeted to get the $472,000 that was pegged for 2023, plus $300,000 in each of 2024 and 2025.

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City Council reinstates Creative Endeavor grants

Jan 30, 2024 | By:

The city of Gig Harbor’s $35,000 Creative Endeavor grants program is back on.  During a study session in November 2023, the council unanimously agreed to suspend the five-year-old grant program, which supports the arts. But a crowd turned out to criticize the move at the Dec. 11, 2023 council meeting. Many others emailed or called

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Gig Harbor City Council accepting online comments again

Jan 25, 2024 | By:

The Gig Harbor City Council voted unanimously to reinstate online public comment on Monday, Jan. 22. The council previously suspended commenting by people attending meetings via Zoom in December, after learning of obscene and racist comments submitted in other cities. The council also moved the period allotted for public comment on non-agenda items to later

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Vandals damage Our Fisherman, Our Guardian statue

Jan 24, 2024 | By:

Vandals broke a canoe off the Our Fisherman, Our Guardian carved statue at Austin Park at txʷaalqəł Estuary late Monday or early Tuesday, Jan. 22 or 23.  The city of Gig Harbor believes the damage occurred when someone tried to climb on the statue, carved by renowned artist and Quinault Tribal Chairman Guy Capoeman and

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