Sumner University Gives Residents Holistic Look at City Life

Since 1995, residents have come together at City Hall to attend, a free two-day course that covers everything from local government to public works.

The second Sumner University session is tonight at 6 p.m. in Sumner City Hall. Those who attended both classes will receive a T-shirt and diploma. There is still room available for drop-ins on tonight’s class, but they wont receive any of the graduation perks.

Tonight’s session starts off with a discussion on the future of farming, lead by Carmen Palmer, head of city communications, and Burr Mosby, owner of Mosby’s Farmstead in Auburn. After the first talk, Sumner U students break off into either a discussion on emergency management or to learn more about the history of Sumner. Katie Gillespie, the Public Education Coordinator from Pierce County Emergency Management, will lead the discussion on the region’s susceptibility to disaster. The discussion on Sumner’s history will be led by Ryan Windish from the Planning Commission. After a break, everyone will come together to discuss what makes Sumner a ‘great place.’

At the first session, City Administrator Diane Supler led a presentation on the top issues facing Sumner today, a list that included the potential development of a Northstar chemical plant in town to road construction and the Orton Junction. In the breakout session, Sumner Police Chief John Galle led a discussion on modern policing and Sumner’s philosophy for handling crime prevention, and Bill Pugh of the Public Works Department spoke on how residents can work together with the city to improve the local public works.

In the final discussion, Supler discussed the future of Sumner and the changing demographic of small towns not only in Washington, but across the United States. She noted in her presentation that the ‘typical’ household demographic has shifted and how Sumner must focus its efforts on a stronger retail tax base to keep up with modern times.

Join Sumner University tonight and learn more about how you can actively support your community.