Stan Flemming Sworn In, Vows To Serve All Of The District

With two words,  brought a fresh but familiar breath of air to the Pierce County Council on Tuesday.

The two words - “I do”- marked Flemming’s official entry onto the council, where he will represent District 7, a diverse area that encompasses University Place, Gig Harbor, Fircrest, West Tacoma, Fox Island and the Key Peninsula.

To people who live east of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony might have seemed like Déjà vu, as ’s first mayor and the former state legislator assumed yet another position of public service.

For people west of the bridge, however, Flemming’s official oath marked the first time in more than two decades that they won’t be represented on the Pierce County Council by one of their own. Flemming replaced former Councilman Terry Lee, who became 

Still, Flemming made clear that his allegiance is to all of District 7. The certified medical physician and Army brigadier general said he recognizes each half of his area has its own identity, and he will work to make sure he helps serve both their needs.

“One of the most unique things about the district is the diversity we have. The needs of the west side versus the east side are very extreme,” Flemming said. “It’s really looking at those issues that are unique to those communities and working on those issues one at a time. The commitment I made to each one of those areas is I would maintain a focus, and part of that is maintaining a presence.”

“I want to make sure I get to as many of those events on the west side (of the bridge) as I do on the east side,” he added. “People want to be able to see, and feel, and touch their electeds. They want to know their electeds are engaged in those communities. And they want to know that when they have issues, they can pick the phone up and call us, and we’ll be there for them.”

In University Place, issues that Flemming intends to tackle include connecting sewers to the pockets of residential areas that operate on septic systems. Also, the county is crafting a plan on how to address , which reportedly is losing money while preparing to host the 2015 U.S. Open.

He also wants to work on making Chambers Creek Properties even more attractive to locals.

“Although it’s a regional park, (we need to work on) how to bring in the local flavor to that, so that it’s really not a separate part of our UP community but an integral part,” he said.

On the Gig Harbor side, Flemming said he wants work on issues such as traffic, especially the aging state Highway 302, which can get jammed with cars everyday, on schedule, near Purdy.

“While that’s a state highway, the county has the responsibility for the tributary roads that feed into 302,” he said. “We’re going to be working very hard on that one.”

He also said he wants to address the issue of proposed regulations for shoreline areas, which affect both sides of the Tacoma Narrows.

As for the region, he and the rest of the Pierce County Council will likely have to reduce its budget this year, even after it cut more than 4 percent last year, he said.

But all that will come. On Tuesday, before his inaugural meeting, Flemming raised his hand and listened to the oath read by District Court Judge Jack Nevin.

Afterward, Flemming’s family – wife Martha, son Drew, mother-in-law Jane, cousin Brenda and nephew Jackson – posed for pictures at the dais where Flemming will assume a familiar role as an elected official.

“He’ll be making lots of trips back and forth across the Narrows Bridge,” said Martha, who’s been married to her husband more than three decades. “But University Place is very solid because he knows the city like the back of his hand.”

But she added that he is committed to be a voice for all of District 7: “It’s a real priority for him.”