A Reflection of Pride: Elma’s Community Safety and Services Building

Brand-new Community Safety and Services Building houses the police department and municipal court

By Andrea Watts The Daily World • October 7, 2025 1:30 am
Andrea Watts / The Daily World The brand-new Community Safety and Services Building, located at 316 W Young St., houses the police department and municipal court. In her remarks, Chief Susan Shultz credited former mayor Jim Sorenson for recognizing her vision and working alongside her “to bring this much needed project forward. His partnership made a difference, and I will always be grateful.”
Andrea Watts / The Daily World The brand-new Community Safety and Services Building, located at 316 W Young St., houses the police department and municipal court. In her remarks, Chief Susan Shultz credited former mayor Jim Sorenson for recognizing her vision and working alongside her “to bring this much needed project forward. His partnership made a difference, and I will always be grateful.”

During her remarks for the grand opening of Elma’s Community Safety and Services Building on Oct. 1, Elma Police Chief Susan Shultz choked up, “From the very beginning of my career here, I had one wish, that someday I would be the chief who would see a new facility built, a building where our officers could work with pride and a building our community could truly call its own. Today, that wish comes true.”

The new Community Safety and Services Building, which also houses a county emergency operations center, culminated a five-year journey and a multi-agency collaboration to source the funds needed for the construction of the building. Of the funds, nearly $1.3 million came from federal funding from fiscal year 2024 with the rest supplemented by state funding, including a grant from the Washington Court’s Board for Judicial Administration.

Derek Kilmer (D), who previously represented Washington’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and helped secure the federal funding, couldn’t attend but Councilor Mike Cooper read aloud a message that Kilmer sent him.

“To the mayor, the council, to the city staff, and all those involved in this effort, well done. It is a competitive process to get federal money. Elma, to your credit, your community received nearly $1.3 million in federal support because you had a strong proposal, and you built a terrific community coalition in support of it. You showed that progress can be made when everybody’s oars are in the water rowing in the same direction. Kudos to all of you.”

Public officials and representatives in attendance included Grays Harbor County Commissioner Georgia Miller, Honorable Judge Arthur A. Blauvelt III, April Messenger with Rep. Emily Randall’s office (D), and Don Thomas with Rep. Steve Tharinger (D).

Andrea Watts / The Daily World As part of the grand opening for the Community Safety and Services Building, Elma BSA Troop 4014 did the presentation of colors.

Andrea Watts / The Daily World As part of the grand opening for the Community Safety and Services Building, Elma BSA Troop 4014 did the presentation of colors.

As part of the grand opening for the Community Safety and Services Building, Elma BSA Troop 4014 did the presentation of colors. (Andrea Watts / The Daily World)

As part of the grand opening for the Community Safety and Services Building, Elma BSA Troop 4014 did the presentation of colors. (Andrea Watts / The Daily World)