Sen. Brad Hawkins (R-Wenatchee) has announced the times and locations for his 12th Legislative District “listening tour” in mid-September.
As he did last fall, Hawkins will visit all four counties in the legislative district with his staff. The 2018 tour will include some of the same stops as last year, such as Leavenworth, Wenatchee and Chelan along with a mix of new locations, including Cashmere, Coulee City, Soap Lake, Waterville, Bridgeport and Twisp.
The tour will include a community hike up Patterson Mountain near Winthrop.
“The listening tour idea was something I attempted last year to be creative and people responded very positively,” Hawkins said in a press release. “It’s very helpful for me to hear directly from the people I serve.”
Hawkins said in the release that some of the ideas brought to him last year resulted in legislative action, including an idea from Leavenworth officials to dispose of brush and yard clippings, a funding request related to the Saddle Rock trail system, and other legislative suggestions.
Meetings will be available by appointment and likely include visits with individuals, employers, local governments and community groups.
Hawkins said in the release that the 12th District’s location in north central Washington can make it challenging for people to reach the Capitol in Olympia during a legislative session. “I don’t want people to feel that they need to travel all the way over to Olympia in the middle of winter just to share their thoughts with me on issues,” he said.
Hawkins asks that people e-mail brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov or phone his legislative office in Olympia at (360) 786-7622 to schedule an appointment. The community stops are not town hall meetings. Because there may not be time available for day-of, unscheduled visits, people are asked to contact Hawkins’ office in advance for an appointment.
The listening tour locations and appointment time blocks are:
Tuesday, Sept. 11
• Leavenworth: Leavenworth City Hall (700 Highway 2), 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Cashmere: attending Sept. 11 Memorial Service 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Wenatchee: Confluence Technology Center (285 Technology Center Way), 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 12
• Chelan: Chelan City Hall (135 E. Johnson), 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• Coulee City: Coulee City Fire Station meeting room (401 W. Main St.), 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Soap Lake: Soap Lake City Hall (239 Second Ave. S.E.), 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 13
• Waterville: Douglas County Courthouse (213 S. Rainier St.), 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Bridgeport: Bridgeport City Hall (1206 Columbia Ave.), 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
• Twisp: TwispWorks Executive Board Room (502 S. Glover St.), 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 14
• Winthrop: community hike up Patterson Mountain, 10 a.m., from Patterson Mountain Trailhead on Patterson Lake Road. No appointment or RSVP necessary. A Discover Pass is needed to park in the trailhead lot. Vehicles can be parked on the road shoulder without needing a Discover Pass.
