Clyde Hill News: Big picture on 2024’s goals
Also: Fireworks in Meydenbauer Bay tonight
In this year’s last newsletter, a look ahead at what residents can likely expect their city’s new administration to take on in 2024, and the challenges in getting clarity on this topic.
Also, tonight residents can expect to hear fireworks from Meydenbauer Bay. Medina Police (link) sent mail about a professional fireworks show starting around midnight and expected to last about six minutes.
And for readers who scroll to the end, an adorable video from our neighbors in Yarrow Point.
Disclaimer: while I am a councilmember on the Clyde Hill City Council, I write this newsletter in my capacity as an individual resident. Any opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the position of the city. City information and references here are from public sources. I welcome email responses — and if the topic is about city business I will respond from my city email account.
The short version
Stepping back from all the details, there are three likely focus areas for city work in 2024. To help keep things high-level, I’ve included links to previous issues of this newsletter for readers who want additional detail.
1. Balancing the budget
Cities that don’t do this typically do not remain cities.
Clyde Hill has spent more than it takes in, burning down reserves, for each of the last four years. (link)
2. State housing laws, local land use code and enforcement
New state housing laws require cities to permit higher density housing.
Clyde Hill needs to change its local laws (the municipal land use code) to comply with these new state laws. (link)
The update process is tangled up with the city’s lingering and unclear update to its Comprehensive Plan. (link)
More changes to state law to encourage higher density housing development are likely. (link)
At the same time, what Clyde Hill actually enforces has diverged from the city’s actual land use code. (link)
The update process here has been glacial.
For example, proposed fixes have been stuck in the city process for over a year, and many more have not been started yet. (link)
At the same time, residents have expressed frustration with many aspects of both the existing code and the city’s enforcement of it.
3. Stormwater drainage
The city is responsible for resident safety by making sure that rain (stormwater) drains effectively in a way that complies with environmental protection laws. Clyde Hill has a stormwater problem. Here’s a photo from the city’s website of flooding near residents along 84th Ave NE:
The most recent city stormwater plan is from 2015; an update just started.
The plan to pay for this infrastructure is not clear. For years, the city has talked about a new utility to pay for stormwater drainage. In contrast, Yarrow Point established a utility in 2011 on a much shorter timeline. (link)
Clarity on outcomes versus activities
Most residents (outside a small set of part-time volunteers) expect their city to just work. For them, it’s about outcomes. The discussion from the city is mostly about activities.
Finding a clear articulation of the outcomes and goals that the city government has is surprisingly hard. Note that above, I refer to “likely focus areas.” Making sense of the big picture from a resident’s point of view is hard without an articulation of the big picture.
The city administration’s annual “Target Priorities” are mostly to-do’s and activities, like “Recruit new Assistant City Administrator” and “Re-Bid [Street] Sweeping Contract.” Here’s the most recent update of the 2023 list from the December 2023 city meeting:
For example, “Develop 2024 Budget” (without mention of balancing it) is tucked after items like “Reestablish City Staff safety training program.”
The euphemistic “Address structural budget issues” does appear in the task list separately; while meetings happened, the outcome (addressing the deficit) didn’t.
Challenge: Plan and execute and communicate, simultaneously
Running a city effectively is hard. It’s easy for the day-to-day to overwhelm the year-to-year and longer term work.
Responding to residents’ permit applications, questions, and requests for inspections, or paying bills and payroll, competes for time and attention with responding to emergencies like stormwater flooding or downed trees after a windstorm. All of that competes for time and attention with responding to longer term state and county requirements mandated by law. It’s easy to lose the plot.
And at the same time: residents expect city services to just work. They expect clarity, consistency, and responsiveness.
The outcomes that residents currently experience vary widely, depending on many factors.
Mayor Steve Friedman’s administration begins tomorrow. Along with the rest of community, I’m looking forward to finding out about his plans, priorities, and goals.
What about public safety?
Briefly: 2023 was more exciting than many residents liked...
Yarrow Point residents suffered a major mail heist in January. (link)
Police reported a sexual assault (February) and knife assaults (April) at a school in Clyde Hill. (link)
In May, balaclava-clad burglars on kayaks struck Yarrow Point residents. (link)
Later in May, Bellevue’s SWAT team deployed in response to a standoff regarding a stolen car at Clyde Hill’s gas station. (link)
Medina PD reported a burglary in July. (link)
On a lighter note: PETA protesters staged a demonstration in Clyde Hill, at the wrong address (link):
And on a positive note: Clyde Hill PD deployed license plate readers and is offering crime prevention to residents CHPD. (link)
Holiday Video
I hope you enjoy this video from the mayor of Yarrow Point and her family:
Thank you for reading! Please forward and share with your friends and neighbors, and if you are not already getting this newsletter, subscribing is both easy and free.
Happy New Year —
Dean Hachamovitch