Guest Blog by Karen Hogan
Across the political spectrum, residents of Sequim and the greater Sequim-Dungeness valley owe a debt of gratitude to the staff that keeps our city running smoothly, efficiently, and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
Back in January, I was part of the inaugural 10-week Sequim 101 series of classes. Senior staff members from the various departments made presentations about their department, the purpose of their department, how it works, and how it fits in the overall operations of a city government.
I was more than impressed by the knowledge and competence these senior staff members bring to the table. Perhaps more important, what shone through loud and clear was their dedication to serving Sequim. People who serve in such jobs are often maligned as being feckless bureaucrats, more interested in keeping their job than in doing their job.
Nothing could be farther afield with our Sequim City staff. They bring their knowledge to the table and spice it with creativity. It is more an entrepreneurial approach than a bureaucratic one to identifying issues, developing solutions, and finding resourceful ways to implement them. They solve not only for the here and now but look to what the future might hold in a city growing and changing as quickly as Sequim is.
I worked on a Y2K project at Charles Schwab. I was hesitant to take the contract having found the bureaucracy of corporations often frustrating, deadly to creativity. But what I saw was that Charles Schwab hired smart people and let them be smart.
That’s how I describe what I discovered with City Staff—smart people thriving in an atmosphere that let them be smart. It is in the best interest of Sequim that this philosophy—hire smart people and let them be smart—get baked into the governance of Sequim.
The past 18 months have been challenging, often putting stress and strain on staff. They have stepped up to the plate with grace and professionalism.
The rally on Monday, July 12th is Sequim residents’ opportunity to recognize their hard work, their competence, and their dedication to the greater good of Sequim.
Join us in the Sequim Civic Center from 4:30 to 5:30 to give them a huzzah, a hip-hip-hooray and a round of applause for jobs well done.
