Yelm City Council thanks departing councilor at conclusion of his final meeting

After a four-year stint with the Yelm City Council, Joshua Crossman attended his final meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and was swarmed with kind remarks from his fellow councilors at the conclusion of the gathering.

Crossman was elected to Position No. 3 on the Yelm City Council in November of 2021 after defeating Jalane McAtee for the seat. During his time on council, Crossman was one of the more vocal councilors and made sure no stone was left unturned regarding city business.
During the 2025 Thurston County general election in November, Crossman was narrowly defeated by challenger Griselda Arias for Position No. 3 on Yelm City Council. She’ll begin her duties in January.

“I would like to say thank you to the staff. It’s been great working with you all these four years. Council, it’s been interesting and fun. Thank you to the residents of Yelm,” Crossman said during the meeting. “This opportunity is very educational. It was quite a learning experience being in this seat. If it goes the way it has been the last four years, I might be applying next year for the vacancy. I think every year we’ve had at least one or two (vacancies). It’s been a fun adventure. I’ll be around still. Thank you everybody.”

Todd Stancil, Yelm city administrator, was the first City of Yelm official to thank Crossman for his duties and comment on his departure.

“On behalf of the City of Yelm staff, I would like to thank council member Crossman for his service to the community and his efforts to make Yelm a better place to live and visit,” Stancil said. “His efforts in taking the time to fully understand the matters in our departments and in the community have been truly appreciated, so thank you.”

Mayor Joe DePinto followed Stancil’s comments and thanked Crossman for his contributions within the Yelm community.

“I also want to thank council member Crossman for his service to this community and for his service as Mayor Pro Tem,” DePinto said. “There’s a lot of different things you’ve impacted, but the one I saw most impactful was the sidewalks by Fort Stevens. You advocated for that and a more walkable Yelm. Thank you for those efforts, and thank you for your service.”

Councilor Tracey Wood, who served several years on the council alongside Crossman, had a similar thankful sentiment to share about Crossman during the meeting.

“I would also like to say thanks to council member Crossman for being a reasonable source of information. In a lot of cases, he was able to communicate in areas where perhaps maybe we wouldn’t be able to without his help — which of course is something that every single one of us brings to the table,” Wood said. “I’m glad we’ve had his perspective and views of what’s going on in our community as far as what’s important and what needs to be addressed. Thank you.”

Councilor Joseph Richardson also thanked Crossman for his contributions, and weighed in on just what kind of councilor Crossman was.
“Council member Crossman, I really do appreciate your attentiveness, your assertiveness and your analytical mind that helped us to deliberate and look at things that sometimes we missed,” Richardson said. “We’ll miss you and we appreciate your time serving. I’m excited to work alongside you as well, Griselda (Arias).”

Councilor Brian Hess added, “Council member Crossman, I appreciate you being here and working with us, and also for being there and pushing for the sidewalks. As I said during the study session, I will continue that for you.”

Yelm City Councilors David Johnstone and Terry Kaminski kept their regards to Crossman short but sweet.

“I would also like to thank council member Crossman for his service to this community,” Johnstone said.

Kaminski added, “thank you Josh. I have a feeling we will be seeing you very soon.”