Councilmember Trish Stallard

10/07/2022

Dear Mayor Benson,

I will be resigning from my position on Black Diamond City Council effective tomorrow. I will be in attendance tonight via Zoom.

I believe that a clean and swift break allows you to recruit for my replacement right away, and with seven councilmembers, I am not concerned that I'm putting you in a position to lack a quorum in the interim. I have given this a lot of thought and want what is best for the City of Black Diamond and the council in the long run. I don't consider this a hobby position and truly hope that my successor comes in with their heart wide open for the work. I relish every conversation, argument, and decision that I was fortunate to be a part of since January.

There are many external reasons for my resignation, but ultimately, I am taking personal responsibility for my choice to leave. I have recently accepted a Board position on an arts foundation. This service work is directly aligned to my personal interests, experience and values and is a better fit for me and my family.

Thank you for the last 10 months.

Trish Stallard

10/05/2022

📣 Competition Alert! Starting 10/9/22, begins, marking the 100th anniversary of this annual fire safety awareness event! To celebrate this major anniversary, we are asking for the Mountain View community kids (18 & under) to create a poster for this years' campaign "Fire won't wait, plan your escape!"

Posters can be dropped off at our headquarters station (32316 148th Ave SE, Auburn) M-F, 7 AM - 3 PM, or you can take a picture of your poster & email it to [email protected]. We will accept poster submissions through October 11th, 2022!

Poster pictures may be shared on our social media platforms & web site & the winner will walk away with some fire department swag!

For information on Fire Prevention Week, visit https://www.nfpa.org/Events/Events/Fire-Prevention-Week

09/16/2022

A followup to the September 15 meeting:

Dear Councilmembers,

I request that we meet to discuss professional expectations and come to agreements on what is expected of Councilmembers. We can review existing code as a part of this process.

My purpose in pointing out that CM Deady was on Zoom with no camera in a committee meeting was not to incite a lambasting of her personally but to point out that in 2022, if meetings are hybrid, it is not unusual to have some members in person and some online. This statement was interrupted by an unfortunate unmuted situation, but even that, in my opinion, was just a celebration of someone (me) speaking up about how we ALL do this at times. I stayed after and discussed this with Tamie and apologized for my part in her feeling attacked.

At the same time, it is not necessarily a professional standard to have a camera on or provide an excuse for why it is off right now. The pandemic changed some things in the work place for the general population. Many fields have been operating like this for a decade. There are expectations, typically, for reporting to a supervisor or meeting organizer whether one will be online or in person, as a courtesy, in some instances. This is what I suggest we consider together, as well as other expectations of Councilmembers so that we can be welcoming and inclusive of all types of people who want to contribute to our city.

It is a 21st Century world. The babies born in our city today will see the turn of the 22nd Century. The context of the past is incredibly important in informing our future AND we need to move into the future more in touch with the expectations of that future.

09/11/2022

Fun celebration happening at Diamond Square today!

09/03/2022

Are you coming to Black Diamond Labor Days this weekend?

Volunteers are always welcome.  For an hour, day or more, please let us know if you would like to help make this a successful event. 

07/30/2022

It's time to nominate someone special for the Black Diamond Citizenship Awards!

Here is your opportunity to recognize residents and groups in the City of Black Diamond who make our community a better place to live. People, Groups, Civil Servants and Businesses nominated must be located in and/or serve the City of Black Diamond. **Not all awards are presented each year.** 𝐃.....

07/29/2022

The City of Black Diamond is seeking applicants for the Planning Comission. Residents or business owners in the city are eligible!

https://www.blackdiamondwa.gov/planning-commission #:~:text=Contact%20Us,Commission%20through%20our%20online%20webform.

The City of Black Diamond Washington offers a warm and friendly rural, small town atmosphere with spectacular mountain views. The City is nestled in the foothills within miles of the beautiful Green River Gorge and Flaming Geyser Park.

07/21/2022

Important traffic news in the area:

I think we can all agree there is A LOT to do on SR 18. The good news is, we're going to do A LOT of it this Saturday, July 23. The not-as-good news is the entire highway is going to be closed pretty much all day in order to do it.

We're combining work for three different projects into one day, but that means both directions of SR 18 between I-90 and Issaquah-Hobart Road from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. This will allow us to avoid closures for each individual piece of work down the line, but for sure, it's going to be tough getting around that day.

So what will we be doing?
• Our maintenance crews will be repairing pavement and potholes - mostly in the eastbound lanes - and will also work on drainage, guardrail repair and cut back brush and tall grass.
• Our project team handling the future widening of SR 18 will be out drilling through asphalt to gather samples while also taking measurements and doing survey work.
• Contractors for the I-90/SR 18 Interchange Improvement Project will be out doing pavement inspections, survey work and checking conditions of some of the bridges.

We know this is going to be a challenge but getting a lot of work done in one day will save money, time and headaches in the future. Please be prepared to add lots of extra time to your trips and we appreciate your patience as we get all this done.

07/15/2022

Ballots are now being distributed, including a proposed restoration to the Mountain View Fire and Rescue fire levy. This is not a new tax. The lid lift will renew funding that enables the Mountain View Fire to keep up with demand and continue providing quality emergency services to the community.

For more information visit www.mvfire.org or please reach out to Fire Chief Smith at [email protected] or by calling 253-735-0284.

07/10/2022

City of Black Diamond Planning Commission is seeking one new member for the remainder of the year. It would be amazing to continue to build diversity in the city government.

Applications should be completed this week if you are interested.

The City of Black Diamond Washington offers a warm and friendly rural, small town atmosphere with spectacular mountain views. The City is nestled in the foothills within miles of the beautiful Green River Gorge and Flaming Geyser Park.