Dunn nominates 3rd-generation Enumclaw resident Judi Puttman as Drainage District Commissioner

October 19, 2023

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Thursday introduced a motion to appoint Judi Puttman as District Commissioner of Drainage District No.13, which would make her the third generation in her family to hold this position.

“Judi's passion for this work and strong connection to the community makes her a clear choice to represent Drainage District No. 13,” Dunn said. “I am proud to appoint her to this position and am confident she will serve us well.”

This appointment comes after the passing of the former Drainage District No. 13 Commissioner, John Joseph Millarich, resulted in a vacant position. Following John’s passing, Dunn and Troy Hall, another Drainage District Commissioner, collaborated to search for a new commissioner which eventually led them to Puttman.

Puttman’s appointment to Drainage District No. 13 will carry on a legacy that stretches back as far as 1923, when her grandfather, Frank Puttman, was first appointed to the same position. Her late father, Jim Puttman, then served as a District Commissioner for 43 years and was affectionately known as the “unofficial Mayor of Krain”, the rural unincorporated area surrounding the Drainage District. The Puttmans have been stewards of the land since 1891 when her great grandfather first homesteaded on the property.

“There is no greater honor than following in my family’s four-generation legacy of caring for our land and continuing a third-generation responsibility to serve as a Commissioner in Drainage District 13,” Judi Puttman said.

Drainage District No. 13 is a special purpose district created to maintain a ditch that serves a group of properties in the community of Krain. This ditch is vital for farming in the area and drains excess water into Bass Lake. The District is made up of property owners adjacent to this ditch.