(Airdate: March 20, 2026) Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nolette and Jim Burke speak with the Mayor of Port Townsend, Amy Howard. and Zhaleh Almaee, Assistant Director of OWL 360 and the organizer/ facilitator of the Youth Summit which is part of The Connectivity Summit at Fort Worden and the County Fairgrounds on March 27, 28, and 29, 2026. They discuss the importance of the Summit for youth, families and individuals for community building and civic engagement.
From the Production Alliance website (www.theproductionalliance.org/connectivity): “The Production Alliance, in partnership with Jefferson County, will host the Connectivity Summit. A multi-day gathering designed to spark collaboration, strengthen relationships, and imagine a thriving, connected future together.” The Summit brings together schools, businesses, community organizations, government agencies, and residents for an immersive weekend. Through workshops, conversations, performances, shared meals, and hands-on experiences, participants will explore pressing topics, exchange ideas, and build meaningful networks across sectors and generations.(Airdate: March 13, 2026) This week for our Three Day Fund Drive we have co-hosts Jim Burke and Commisioner Greg Brotherton welcome EJFR Chief Bret Black, Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence, and Cynthia Toop, the Climate Resilience Project manager from the Hoh Tribe. Cynthia talks about the herculean task of moving an entire community up the hill away from flood danger. Willie Bence talks about being ready for any emergency, And chief Black talked about making your own home fire safer from wildfire danger. Listeners can subscribe to NIXLE ALERTS for the county by texting JEFFCODEM to 888777 for timely updates in the event of a local or county-wide emergency. The Connectivity Summit is coming up on March 27, 28 and 29 at Fort Worden Commons and the Fairgrounds, and the all-County Preparedness Day at Finn River on June 27. Details at: www.theproductionalliance.org/. THE EJFR Pancake Breakfast is Saturday, April 18. Click here for details.
(Airdate: March 6, 2026) Jim Burke and County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour welcome Tax Assessor Jeff Chapman to discuss how properties are assessed in Jefferson County, and how the tax assessments and tax bill that property owners receive change year to year. Also, the money that the county collects every year is shrinking in terms of real dollars because caps on revenue growth prevent the county to stay ahead of inflation.
(Airdate: February 27, 2026) Jim Burke and Commissioner co-host Heather Dudley Nollette welcome Bonnie Obremski, Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Program Coordinator. Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) originate before age 18, continue indefinitely, and cause limitations. A few examples of IDD include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Down Syndrome, various learning disabilities, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Autism Spectrum
Disorder. Jefferson County works to ensure residents experiencing intellectual and/or developmental disabilities have the choice, opportunity, and support to achieve full, active, and productive participation in community life.
For more info, see https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/455/Intellectual-Developmental-Disabilities.(Airdate: February 20, 2026) Jim Burke and Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour welcome Laura Tucker, Education and Outreach Specialist with JeffCo Sold Waste, and Phil Sonne, a member of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The discussion centers on upcoming changes to Solid Waste and Recycling programs here in Jefferson County, coming up April 1. There is a two-page flyer about these changes in everyone’s electric bill this month, and anyone can access it by going to
jeffersoncountysolidwaste.com/(Airdate: February 13, 2026) Commissioner Greg Brotherton and Jim Burke are joined this week by
Recompete Coordinator Molly Pringle and, representing Clallam County, Angi Klahn to talk about the first year of The 35 Million RECOMPETE Grant that aims to get the Prime Age Employment Group (ages 25-54 yrs,. old ) and others. The Recompete Pilot Program is a federally-funded initiative to create and connect people to living-wage, local jobs in Clallam and Jefferson Counties. Listeners can find out more by going to https://www.recompetewa.org/
and https://olympicconnect.org/.(Airdate: February 6, 2026) This week on County Connections as part of International Clash Day, Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette and Jim Burke welcome Richard Davies, with the non-profit Jefferson Associated Council, who provide public defense for those who can’t afford an attorney who are charged with a crime.”Know Your Rights” being the theme of International Clash Day, Richard tells us what some of those rights are from arrest through the court system. Richard also explains what he does, a little bit about his background, and his 30 years of experience as a public defender. Plus, he is a CLASH fan, so he quotes from the song “Know Your Rights”
(Airdate: January 30, 2026) This week co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour welcome County Administrator Josh Peters. Discussion centers on State Senate Bill 6239 which aims to make it possible for any civil suit faced by the County go through binding arbitration before going to trial. This could potentially save the county time and money, and possibly compensate victims faster than a long court process. Some time is devoted to other legislation in which the county has an interest,
Please note: the monthly BOCC Public Health (and safety) Report is Monday, February 2 at 9:45am during the Jim B. Show
(Airdate: January 23, 2026) This week on County Connections co-hosts Commissioner Greg Brotherton and KPTZ’s Jim Burke welcome Shawn Frederick, Director of Central Services. They discuss what Central Services provides to the workforce of Jefferson County Government and the public. They also delve into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the way that the county is integrating Darwin AI into the workflow.
Also, a reminder that the BOCC public health (and safety) report will be broadcast on Monday, February 2 at 9:45am during the Jim B. Show. Listeners with public health and safety questions for Public Health Officer, Dr. Allison Berry or Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management , may send email to [email protected] by Friday January 30th at noon.
(Airdate: January 16, 2026) This week on County Connections. Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nolette and Jim Burke speak with Viola Ware, Director of Housing and Community Services for OlyCap, about the Point in Time Count PIT of homeless sheltered and unsheltered people in Jefferson County. The PIT count takes place on January 29, 2026. This important count helps determine how the county receives and allocates funding for services to support this vulnerable population. Anyone wanting to find out more, volunteer, or donate, can go to https://olycap.org/.
