John Doan, who is set to retire after 13 years as Tumwater’s city administrator, gave his farewell remarks to the city council on Tuesday, April 18.
Doan noted that the Tuesday meeting was the last one he would be attending in person. He began his brief statement to express his gratitude that he was able to serve the community, as well as commending city staff, particularly the city department directors whom he said he has worked with the most.
“Over the past few years, we’ve come together as an amazing team. That's not easy and it doesn't always happen,” he said.
“I think we've done a lot of great stuff. We have more resources towards utilities than we ever had, your streets have more resources, your parks have more resources,” Doan added.
He also commended city council members for their service and commitment, highlighting the regional work they do, which he said takes more time than their actual work in the city.
Doan acknowledged that one of his frustrations as city administrator was not completing plans for the city’s brewery site, which is currently undergoing renovations.
“We all have frustrations about things that didn't go the way we want to or as fast as we would love to. For me, that's probably the Brewery that lies in front of us as both a challenge and an opportunity,” he said.
“I still think there are amazing things that can happen on that property when the time is right… I hope [the city council] continues to move that forward. I think that people many years from now will look back and [say that it] helped put Tumwater on the map.”
The city council also met with the five finalists seeking to replace Doan before the meeting. The applicants include:
