Team Water Volunteers work for the public good to protect our water for future generations
STW meets weekly on Mondays at Tully’s Coffee, 764 Broadway or at the Pythian Lodge Tacoma (624 1/2 Broadway, Tacoma) on Mondays from 6:30 – 7:30 PM. Check our FaceBook page for the location or join or email list for updates on meeting location.
Meeting are open to all. Free parking begins at 6:00 PM!
STW is a non-profit organization, registered with the Federal, State and City governments. STW exists on the generous donations of our supporters. STW meetings are intense, full of reports provided by volunteer researchers, so come prepared to listen and learn. STW currently havs these committees that volunteers focus their energies on:
- Water research
- Initiative writing and research
- Communications (help with our web site and social media welcome!)
- Candidate research – who will be supporting protecting our water if elected in 2017
- Signature collecting for our 2017 initiative – Stop Secret Sweetheart Water Deals
Save Tacoma Water Citizen Lawmakers Make Tacoma History in 2016
More than 17,000 signatures were collected to Protect Our Water by volunteers in 100 days – a feat never accomplished before in Tacoma’s history. Ordinance No. 6 was certified for the ballot and Charter Amendment 5 signatures were turned in, but STW was sued by the City of Tacoma, Port of Tacoma, Pierce County Economic Development Board and the Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber – tossing off the ballot Initiative 6 and prevented Amendment 5 from having the signatures checked and verified.
The Water Protection Initiatives required approval by a vote of the people before super huge water users (industry giants that use more than one million gallons of fresh water a day) are given a water permit.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Niven agreed with the powerful special interests in Pierce County and tossed the signatures off the ballot and prevented 10,449 signatures on Charter Amendment 5 from being counted. Every day that goes by, more signatures become invalid. Our goal is to get those signatures verified and placed on the November 2017 ballot. After many discussions with attorneys, it is not likely that the signatures STW collected will ever result in a vote by the people.
STW has appealed that terrible court decision which granted industry giants that pollute our environment more rights to water than the residents that have paid for it. TPU is a public utility paid for and owned by the Citizens of Tacoma. It is Our Water, people before profits.
From January to June in 2016, STW met Weekly, at Tully’s in downtown Tacoma – a super great spot to support in our community. STW grew so large we had to find new location. STW got lucky, one of STW supporters offered the Pythain Lodge – wow, what a treasure this building is. So much history there, we are honored and in awe just to be in the space.
Below is the list of Tacoma City Council Members that sued their own citizens for collecting signatures on the Save Tacoma Water Initiatives to Protection Our Water.
City of Tacoma City Council Members
- Mayor Marilyn Strickland marilyn.strickland@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
- Anders Ibsen anders.isben@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
- Robert Thoms robert.thoms@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
- Keith Blocker keith.blocker@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
- Marty Campbell marty.campbell@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
- Joe Lonegan joe.lonergan@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
- Victoria Woodards victoria.woodards@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
- Conor McCarthy conor.mccarthy@cityoftacoma.org (253) 5947848
- Ryan Mello ryan.mell@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
Monthly Public Forums
Attend the City of Tacoma monthly Public Forum on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Tacoma City Hall, 747 Market Street – free parking after 6:00 PM – but it is wise to arrive at 5:00 PM and sign in, as it is anybody’s guess how long the meeting will last prior to the Public Forum. If the council does not want to hear from the citizens, they have been known to have a quick meeting, pull the sign up sheet to prevent anyone from speaking at the Public Forum. So, a word to the wise, get there at 5:00 PM if you want to make a comment.
Speakers are allowed to speak for three minutes, and sign-up begins at 5:00 PM. STW is encouraging people to attend each month and make public statements supporting protecting our water. If you are not comfortable speaking publicly, attend to show support to others who will be speaking. NWIW may have cancelled their project “for now”, but we are not fooled and we intend to double down on our efforts to protect our water.
We are even more concerned now that former Gov. Gary Locke has joined the NWIW team. Plus, the Port of Tacoma continues to push dangerous projects like the LNG plant and the gravel pit.
