Enumclaw, Washington

6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 ENUMCLAW, WASHINGTON Center besides the fair. It’s a year-round center that brings in rodeos and concerts, dog shows, the Scottish Highland Games – a vast number of items, small or big. They do an excellent job in providing different activities for the community and the region to be able to attend.” Although the majority of the city’s housing is single family, Enumclaw is endeavoring to introduce more affordable options, which Molinaro hopes will encourage younger people to remain in the community. Part of this effort includes a new apartment complex which is currently in the permitting phase, and is expected to bring 400 new units to the city within the next 18 months. On the employment side, Enumclaw has a diverse mix. Highlighting member-owned insurance company Mutual of Enumclaw, that has been a part of the community for over a century, Molinaro relays, “They are one of our major employers and a good community citizen. They are very active within the community.” Another major employer is the local hospital, which is part of the CHI Franciscan chain. Manufacturing company Parker Helac also employs over 300 people in its 155, 000 square foot facility. “They are an employer that’s been in town several years and continue to be a very strong business and manufacturer in the community,” says Molinaro. “And of course, we have our school district, which is a major employer for the all the grade levels that are here. After that, we have several small business owners in the community, and a lot of independent restaurants, and the normal chain type of restaurants like McDonald’s and Jack in the Box. So, it’s quite a mixed bag.” One of only two communities in the state to operate their own natural gas utility, Enumclaw residents benefit from the advantage of lower rates. The city is also working to add EV charging stations to a new parking lot to support those who opt for electric vehicles. “We’ve also looked into electric vehicles for some of our non-police