City of Puyallup announcement.
The City of Puyallup has recently hired a new City Clerk, Dan Vessels, Jr. Dan comes to the City from Pierce County Superior Court, where he was a Judicial Assistant for over ten years. Dan is excited to bring his skills and experiences over to the City Clerk’s Office in his new role. Staff sat down with Dan to talk about his role at the City, his background, and what his goals are for the department.
City: Tell me about your background. Where are you from?
Dan: I was born in Louisville, Kentucky. I moved around a lot because my dad was in the Army. In a way, I am from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. But it was fun traveling around the world. I got to go to Germany before the wall was torn down. That was an eye-opening experience. In February 1993, my dad got stationed at Fort Lewis, which is now called JBLM. My family loved the area, so we stayed. I bought a house up in South Hill in the early 2000s and lived there for a decade. But my wife and I always wanted to live in the City of Puyallup. The level of service the City provides is outstanding. For instance, our Library is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever set foot in. And, our son did sports at the Recreation Center. So, it was a big deal to us to actually live in the City. Our house in South Hill was only a block away from the City limits, and a few years ago, we finally purchased a home in Puyallup. Now I get to say that I live AND work here in Puyallup.”
City: What attracted you to apply for the City Clerk position?
Dan: It was a new challenge for me. I had been working in the Pierce County Superior Court office for a while, just over ten years. I needed a new challenge. When I saw the job posting, I realized that I can take my skills, experiences, and knowledge to this department and elevate it into the 21st century. I am big on efficiency. I like to find better, more efficient ways to do things. With the Clerk’s Office, I saw an opportunity to do that.
City: For people reading this who may not know, what does a City Clerk’s Office do?
Dan: We are the City record keepers. That is probably the easiest way to describe what we do. We are responsible for making sure all boards and council meetings are run on time and that they are documented accurately. By law, we are required to record all public meetings so that they are available to the public. And if the public wants to request any of these documents, we process those requests and make sure the documents are delivered to them. From a historical perspective, we have documents that go back to the 1890s. Preserving these public documents is an interesting part of the job.
City: What is your favorite part of your job?
Dan: My favorite part of the job involves problem-solving. A lot of what I do is like a puzzle. Putting all the pieces together when you are not completely sure how it is going to come out. That is a fun challenge. Right now, we are in the process of going digital. Most of our processes are analog, and involve printing, scanning, and signing paperwork the old-fashioned way. Well, that takes a long time to do. I want to convert these processes into digital. Create some efficiencies where we can cut down on paper costs and decrease wait times for our customers.
City: What are some projects that you are working on as the new Clerk?
Dan: The biggest project I am working on right now is converting our permits and licenses to electronic ones. For instance, with our current license process, if a business wants to get a Business License, they must print out a form, hand write it, scan it, and then either email or hand deliver it to our office. That is a cumbersome process that takes many days to complete. I want to make that process all electronic. With just a few clicks, your license is submitted to us, we review it, approve it, and get it back to you all digitally. Business owners have a lot on their plate and making this process easier benefits them and the City.
City: What would you like residents to know about you and your Department?
Dan: First and foremost, we are here to serve the public. We want to know if the public has a concern or wants us to improve a process. We don’t know what needs to be fixed until someone tells us. I will listen and look for ways to solve the problem and improve efficiencies. Another thing I want residents to know is we are looking at ways to make our Council and Commission meetings more accessible. Right now, I am exploring options with our website so that customers can find the meeting minutes and videos easier. Again, it all comes back to helping the public and listening to their concerns.
Dan Vessels Jr. can be contacted at dvessels@puyallupwa.gov or 253-841-5480.
