Today, William Bridges, a principal policy analyst for the Pierce County Council, will attend his first meeting as the newest Tacoma Public Utility Board member.
A resident of South Tacoma, Bridges works as a non-partisan analyst for the Pierce County Council. He previously worked for CenturyLink directing their government affairs in Washington state. He also spent 19 years as a non-partisan counsel for the Washington State Senate, primarily assigned to committees covering utility and environmental issues. He has also worked for the Kitsap County Superior Court, the Washington State Court of Appeals in Tacoma, and the Bonneville Power Administration. He attended the University of Washington and Gonzaga Law School and is a licensed attorney in Washington.
“As a board member, my goal is to ensure that utility services are safe, reliable, and affordable and that our investments are prudent,” said Bridges. “Tacoma Public Utilities staffs smart and diligent people, and I want to support them in facilitating good work, particularly regarding programs for our most vulnerable customers.”
The Public Utility Board position came available due to Mark Patterson’s retirement from the board. Christine Cooley now serves as Chair, Carlos M. Watson as vice-chair, John O’Loughlin as secretary, and Holland Cohen is also a member.
The Public Utility Board is a five-person governing body for Tacoma Public Utilities, which consists of Tacoma Power, Tacoma Water, and Tacoma Rail. Tacoma Public Utilities serves 200,000 customers in the Tacoma-Pierce County area.
Board members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Tacoma City Council. Members serve a five-year term without pay. The Board meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. The public can attend meetings in-person or virtually and should check MyTPU.org and Tacoma Public Utilities social media for times and Zoom information. Meetings are also broadcast live and live-streamed by TV Tacoma.
Submit written comments to the Public Utility Board at UtilityBoard@cityoftacoma.org. Comments will be provided to the Board if received by 2 p.m. before the meeting.
For more about the Public Utility Board, visit MyTPU.org/Board.