Remarks by Amy Cruver
59 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 3
- Play at 9:00
“Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a proclamation of the Pierce County Council and Executive designating September 17 through 23 as Constitution and Citizenship Week in Pierce County, Washington. Whereas on September 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution of the United States, establishing a framework of government founded upon the principles of representation, enumerated authority, separation of powers, and the protection of individual liberty. And whereas the Constitution established a system of government in which power is exercised according to law, and…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 18:32
“This is always such a meaningful thing, and I want to thank you all for raising your children with these values. Renee, I'm not certain that you have children, but... Okay. Then they'll have those same values to carry forward. But I just want to note that the Constitution is more than just a historic document. It is the framework that limits government and protects individual liberty, establishes that authority of government ultimately that it comes from the people. and that to understand the Constitution, that we have to remember the Declaration of Independence, that it was the Declaration…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:07:38
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to move amendment four for adoption.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:08:10
“Thank you Madam Chair. This amendment corrects a technical weakness in the ordinance by distinguishing the power capacity and energy from the energy capacity. That megawatt and megawatt hours measure different things. That a best facility the megawatt rating tells the county how much electrical power the system can deliver versus how much capacity that is actually stored. And I would say that the difference can affect the number of battery containers, the size and configuration of the facility, how long it operates at full output, the emergency response requirements, and the potential…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:11:06
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I did a search on the terminology to look and see how that is in... I see different policies or codes within the state, and yes, they are used in it. It may not be on this particular ordinance that we are working on. However, it is, I would say, a forward-looking in having these definitions here, which I said they can still be tweaked to that point. But yes, there are some that are used in energy storage systems, the aggregate, the abandonment, that Washington has abandonment concepts and other regulatory concepts, but maybe not specifically for BESS, but having the…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:15:16
“I'm wondering, do any of these definitions impede or create an obstacle?”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:15:53
“But wouldn't it make sense to have a definition if the occasion comes up and they're like, oh, we didn't anticipate that this would be needed in our code? our policies and does it not also create kind of a, oh, I've seen that word before and now I have an idea of what it is. So wouldn't it be more prudent to have the definitions there for when and if they come up and if it doesn't happen at all, then they can be removed at the next opportunity.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:21:15
“Thank you, Madam Chair. This one does align with code terminology with the physical reality of the modern battery storage project. So a modern best site is not simply a box that's containing batteries. It can also include the transformers, inverters, switchgear, power conversion equipment, HVAC or thermal management equipment, fire suppression and life safety equipment, communications and monitoring systems, and interconnection equipment. And the distinction eliminates uncertainty whether a particular development standard applies only to batteries or to the entire facility. And we need to be…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:24:17
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to move. I'm just going to withdraw the amendment. I like that one. Okay, I'm going to say it again. I'm going to move amendment six for adoption, please.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:25:30
“Thank you, Madam Chair. This is looking at the project as collectively of all of the pieces there, and it is establishing clear definitions for the regulatory classification, the accessory versus grid scale use, the expansion, continued operation. Well, it's improving consistency and closes potential loopholes in administering the code. And so... It's distinguishing systems intended for primarily on-site use, but without a clear definition, applicants could disagree on what primarily means. And so it's basically counting everything that is within the system towards how it is being used so…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:27:37
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I was trying to find my main sentence, which is, it prevents one large project from being divided into smaller pieces simply to qualify for a lower regulatory category.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:28:50
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to move Amendment 7 for adoption. I do have an oral amendment to that.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:29:31
“Thank you, Madam Chair. With my oral amendment? Well, to speak to your amendment. The amendment is to improve... Because there are three recitals. It's to give clarity to the whereases and... more precision to align with what is in policies with the wording. Mainly in that the source statistic concerning emissions attributed to electricity use in buildings is confusing. And that is not the same as saying that 14% of Pierce County emissions came from electrical generation. I'm like, well, what does that mean? And so then I was defining what that actually meant. then in August of 2022 the Puget…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:32:40
“Yeah, I wanted to strike recital number one. So it would just be two and three.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:33:04
“Thank you, Madam Chair. It's just an item that didn't need to be in there at this time. Okay. And then we're just leaving it with the clarifying community-wide greenhouse gas and its definition. And then the CETA. Okay. That it is not a mandate.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:36:25
“Thank you, Madam Chair. Would that simply mean just signing up to be on the notices of, because I believe you can sign up for notices when things are applied for and then emails are sent out to that. There's a public list. Would that just be a matter of being on that list or is there another step that has to be created? Does anyone know?”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:37:17
“But isn't there already a system set up like notify me that when somebody applies for or this subject comes up to let me know of anything that's being applied for?”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 1:39:11
“I don't object to it. I was just thinking there was already a system set up that when applications are made, interested parties that sign up for that are notified. So it would just be a matter of the department Signing on an interested parties list and they would be automatically be notified and it was kind of already done You know, that's not how that's not how it works currently.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:07:09
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I too appreciate all of the work that has gone into this. I just wanted to be able to turn on a light switch and know I had power. I never dreamed I would ever be going this deep of a dive into something. But I do want to point out that Washington State is number one in the country in greenhouse gas reduction or usage. It's 68% lower than the national average. And I say that because here we are in having to put battery systems out there because we rely on intermittent power. And that leads me to looking at the system, and I'll point out with PSC, not that they're the…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:14:24
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to make a motion to move to continue this proposal to the September 29, 2026 regular meeting for final hearing and action.”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:33:25
“Next Tuesday, we will be in Eatonville for my annual in-district meeting, and it will be at the auditorium of the high school. I think I have a good lineup. It's on community values. They're small-town values. I forget what I originated as. But we have speakers from the fair, from the Eatonville Business Association, and the mayor and the executive will be there. We have a final presentation is from Heath Heikela, who is from the American Forest Resource Council on the value of the timber that is out there and what that means to the area, to the district and the county. And so be there. Thank…”
County Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 9:23
“Okay, thank you. Thank you, Chair. A proclamation of the Pierce County Council and Executive designating September 22nd, 2026 as Falls Prevention Awareness Day in Pierce County, Washington. Whereas few threats to the health and independence of older adults are as preventable as unintentional falls, making fall prevention a shared commitment to healthy aging, And whereas the Pierce County Council and Pierce County Executive recognize the importance of supporting a livable, age-friendly community that offers older adults the opportunity to age safely in place with dignity and respect. And…”
County Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 26:21
“It just kind of felt right for me to be the one to sponsor this. I think back with Council Member Ayala talking about feet, you know, back when I was in my 20s, it was like, oh, you're going to be sorry, you're wearing those heels. I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, well. Feet are kind of important, so I'm dealing with that now. And then I just wanted to point out that for some people, when you talk about health and exercise, that the bone work and the bone structure, I think my mother had a problem with the bone breaking and then she would fall. And so that's not a good thing. But then, you know,…”
County Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 51:25
“Council Member Cooper to speak to your... Proposal Thank You madam chair there seems to be quite a bit happening in Eatonville at this you know in the past year or so and so it seems fitting to Have the meeting there and they hopefully will get a tour of the pool We have been able to help with that and see the new stadium that I went to the first football game Friday night and pretty awesome they The guys come running out with a chainsaw because you know, they're the loggers and It was pretty awesome. So anyway, the field was beautiful and very welcomed. And the new stadium where you don't…”
County Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 58:14
“Thank you, Madam Chair. The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that public safety is a required and documented part of the county's analysis before permanent regulations are adopted that would restrict or prohibit detention, correctional, or secure treatment facilities. And the ordinance recognizes that facilities under review serve different purposes and can have substantially different effects on the surrounding communities. So therefore, it directs PPW to consider different definitions, classifications, citing requirements, development standards, and mitigation measures. And the…”
County Council · Sep 8, 2026