South Capitol Neighborhood Association Board Meeting Minutes
Weds, Oct 9, 2024 6:30 – 8 pm
Lincoln Elementary School library
Introductions and Call Meeting to Order
Members of the South Capitol Neighborhood Association (SCNA) Board in attendance:
Gerry Apple, Vice President
Sue Hedrick, Secretary
Morgan Montes, Treasurer
Lorie Hewitt and Tim Davis, At Large members
Gerry called the meeting to order.
Approval of Meeting Minutes and Today’s Agenda
August and September 2024 board meeting minutes were approved via an email vote on Sept 28th. The agenda for tonight’s meeting was informally approved, as we did not have a quorum.
Capitol Campus and South Capitol Neighborhood Safety
Gerry introduced Matt Jones, assistant director of campus security and visitor services, at the Department of Enterprise Services (DES). With elections coming in November, Matt agreed to attend and discuss campus and neighborhood safety.
Matt began by mentioning that his role in the agency will soon change. He has been appointed acting chief operations officer, replacing Maurice Perigo who has moved to another state agency. Matt said Jo Aiken will replace him in his current position, but he will still be involved in campus security, albeit at a higher level in the agency.
Matt said that campus security became more of a focus after 2016, which, as we know, created serious divides during the election. As we’ve witnessed, these divides have spread globally, and state security has changed with it. DES campus security staff now have a more global view as well as new tools for monitoring. For example, they are being briefed on events happening in other U.S. states due to conflicts around the world.
He said they now have a higher level of awareness so they can be better prepared for potential threats and disruptions on the capitol campus. They have access to open source intelligence tools, and are working closely with the State Patrol in a supportive role – keeping an eye on the campus and providing services such as mental health de-escalation, crisis management and encampment regulation. Once a law has been broken, then the State Patrol steps in. Matt said they also work with the Olympia Police Department (OPD) – which is responsible for safety in Olympia neighborhoods like the South Capitol – and with Homeland Security at the national level.
He said they are finalizing plans for protecting the campus during and after the election. At the moment, there is nothing telling them there’s a concern up to and through election day, but they do expect some election fallout regardless of who wins.
Gerry asked if they will have the National Guard or more State Patrol presence after the election? Matt said the Governor would be responsible for calling up the National Guard, but they definitely are planning on more law enforcement, depending on intelligence they receive and what they themselves see.
His staff monitor all event permits for the capitol campus to see if they signal anything concerning. They also interact right at the start with any groups gathering on campus that haven’t requested a permit – they use the permitting process to create a dialogue with them to determine their reasons for gathering.
They have barrier strategies, crowd fencing, and a 24-hour/7 days a week security operations center in the Capitol Court building, the former Thurston County Courthouse on Capitol Way.
Matt said they follow the “see something, say something” motto and encourage folks to contact them, if they see anything on campus that is concerning to them. Their direct number is (360) 407-9111. He added, if someone is in immediate danger, they should call 911.
Tim said that during the Black Lives Matter protests, there were people following the protestors who did lots of property damage in the South Capitol and the police didn’t stop them. He said he felt they should have been arrested. He asked Matt, if something goes bad again, are they prepared to respond?
Matt reiterated that his staff are responsible for the capitol campus, and OPD and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office are responsible for the neighborhoods around it. He recommended inviting Shelby Parker, deputy chief of administrative services and outreach for OPD, and Derek Sanders, Thurston County Sheriff, to a board meeting to discuss neighborhood safety concerns.
Lorie asked about the firearms policy on campus – whether it’s a policy or a law? Matt confirmed it is a state law – RCW 9.41.305 – open carry of weapons prohibited on state capitol grounds and municipal buildings. The law applies specifically to a number of state buildings – some of which are not on the capitol campus. These include the Legislative building, Temple of Justice, O’Brien, Cherberg, Newhouse, Pritchard, Helen Sommers and Insurance buildings, the Governor’s Mansion, Visitor Information Center, Carlyon and Ayer Houses, General Administration, 1500 Jefferson, and Dolliver buildings, the Old Capitol, Capitol Court, State Archives, Natural Resources building, Office Building #2, the Highway-License, Transportation, and Employment Security buildings, the Child Care Center, and the Union Avenue, Washington Street, Professional Arts, State Farm, and Powerhouse buildings.
He pointed out that the law does not apply to concealed weapons.
The board members thanked Matt for attending the meeting, sharing information, and listening to their concerns about capitol campus and neighborhood safety.
Treasurer’s Report
Morgan sent a written report to the board members, which is at the end of the minutes. The Treasurer’s report was not voted on as there was no quorum.
Committee Reports
Traffic
On Sept 26th, Max DeJarnatt, associate planner in the City of Olympia Public Works Department, sent an email to everyone who had participated in the June 25th Listening Session, letting them know that staff – with the city council’s approval – had developed a list of 10 recommended short- and long-term actions for improving Capitol Way/Boulevard.
Nine of the actions are short-term solutions that have been approved and funded for 2024/2025, and residents will start to see them soon. The tenth (long-term) action – resurfacing and reconfiguring Capitol Way/Blvd – is in the city’s Transportation Master Plan, but is dependent upon the city receiving grant funding.
Neighborhood Barbeque/Potluck Picnic – Gerry Apple
Lorie congratulated Gerry on an article he wrote for Jolt News about the neighborhood association’s Sept 8th barbeque picnic. The event was well-attended, and Gerry said the board plans to host another neighborhood picnic next year.
Parking – Valerie Hammett
None of the members of the Parking Committee were able to attend tonight’s board meeting, so a report on the Sept 20th meeting with the City of Olympia and the State on parking issues will be presented at the board’s meeting in November or December.
Motion to adjourn
Tim moved to adjourn the meeting, Lorie seconded, and the motion was informally approved. The meeting ended at 7:17 pm.
Next SCNA board meeting – Weds, Nov 13, 2024 6:30 pm, Lincoln Elementary School library
Written Reports
October 2024 Treasurer Report
Business Prime Savings $20.00
Innovator Checking Ending Balance $2,175.12
Innovator Checking Beginning Balance $866.12
Difference $1,309.00
Recent Income:
City of Olympia Grant Reimbursement $1,835.26
Membership Fee Checks $65.00
Total $1,900.26
Recent Expenses:
Check 1579 Band at Picnic $500.00
Check 1580 Signage/Ice Reimbursement $83.35
Google Suite $7.91 Total $591.26
Transactions in Process
Expense:
Check 1581 for $44.22. Reimbursement of mileage for fall picnic table and chair pick up delivery. ($0.67 x 66 miles = $44.22) $0.67 is the standard mileage reimbursement rate from the Internal Revenue Service for 2024.
The SCNA Supporters spreadsheet has been updated with names from September paypal and check membership contributions.
South Capitol Neighborhood Association 