Clyde Hill News: “We risk losing more Clyde Hill police officers,“ City “broken in multiple areas;” Civil Service Commission Chair urges Prop 1
“Danger to the community”: Council asks Mayor, City Administrator to acknowledge, address ongoing “serious problem” between them and police. Also: Mayor cleared of charges
This week’s news:
The Chair of Clyde Hill’s Civil Service Commission warned that “We risk losing more Clyde Hill police officers” if voters do not approve Prop 1.
A resolution asking the Mayor and City Administrator to acknowledge and address the ongoing “serious problem” between them and Clyde Hill’s police officers was approved unanimously and with little pushback at the City Council meeting Tuesday.
The case against the Mayor regarding allegations of “using public office or agency facilities to oppose a ballot proposition” was closed by Washington State’s Public Disclosure Commission.
The City Administration’s attempt to answer questions regarding increases in city costs was cut short at the City Council meeting. Also, the Council approved an update to the municipal code regarding drainage.
And, ahead of details on these topics, ballots are in the mail. A gentle request to please vote:
One more item before our disclaimer: if you find this newsletter useful or interesting, please forward it to your Clyde Hill neighbors and friends. Thank you!
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. The 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.
Civil Service Commission Chair: “We risk losing more Clyde Hill police officers” if voters do not approve Clyde Hill Prop 1
Clyde Hill Civil Service Commission Chair Brian Ouellette warned residents of the “potential impact on safety and finances in Clyde Hill” if voters do not approve Prop 1:
“As Chair of the Clyde Hill Civil Service Commission, I have been speaking with Clyde Hill Police Department officers about concerns with the administration over the past several weeks,” he wrote.
His letter describes how Prop 1 “can immediately begin to rebuild and strengthen the damaged relationships with the Clyde Hill Police Department.”
Clyde Hill Prop 1 is on the ballot as the result of a petition circulated by residents. The measure asks residents to choose between changing to a “council-manager” system (like Medina, Mercer Island, and Kirkland) or remaining with a “mayor-council” system (like Seattle). For more information, you can read the King County Elections website here (link) or check out a previous newsletter where I tried to recap the issues (link).
Mr Ouellette described how he was initially against Prop 1 but “Due to what I have learned recently, I have done a 180-degree turn to fully support Prop 1 because it [City Administration] has become broken in multiple areas.” According to Mr Ouellette’s letter, Prop 1
“shifts the concentrated power and control from one person… to several residents and a compensated city manager (the council-manager system is what Medina has always had).”…
“At a minimum, your yes vote and passing of Prop 1 automatically brings more eyeballs in to oversee all that is going on in Clyde Hill vs. it being controlled by one” person, the mayor.
“Serious problem” between Mayor, City Administrator and Police, agrees City Council
The City Council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution asking the Mayor and City Administrator to acknowledge and address the ongoing “serious problem” between them and the Police Department.
From Councilmember Steve Friedman’s remarks introducing the motion:
Councilmembers “went to the mayor months ago with specific concerns. Councilmembers have heard this expressed from individual officers and most recently in a letter from the union representing the police.” (link to video)
The letter from the union that Cm Friedman refers to alleged “dereliction of duty” by City Administrator and Mayor; you can read more about that letter here (link).
The public heard details about the “clear lack of trust in the Administration” from a police officer exit interview at last month’s City Council meeting. You can read more about that interview here (link).
Cm Friedman called on the Administration “to immediately take steps” and “to report to council and to the public” on progress. Among his comments:
“This is a real problem and there's no room left for denial.”
Budget Advisory Committee questions remain unanswered
The City Administrator’s cost presentation at the City Council meeting Tuesday night was cut short with feedback about its inconsistent and incomplete information and lack of impartiality.
To better understand the City’s increased legal spending and its causes, Clyde Hill residents participating in the budget process and Coucilmember Muromoto asked the Administration for more information.
After the meeting, Cm Steve Friedman offered that in his response to “basic factual questions from the BAC meeting,” the “City Administrator missed an opportunity to build trust by answering them clearly and effectively.” Cm Friedman also suggested that the Administration not engage in a “petty and bickering” way.
Cm Friedman offered the following comments at the meeting as the City Administrator began his presentation:
As you get into this, I’m at a loss. I don't really understand what these slides are telling me and I and I didn't really appreciate some of the language and some of the pieces that you put in there.
It seems like you're poking at people and pointing fingers at the problems that aren't all necessarily caused by outside forces. There are many things that can be done here. And I'm not sure that this this is answering the questions….
I’m bothered by the whole this whole presentation….
Cm Friedman and Cm Bruce Jones will work through this topic as part of their work on the Budget Committee.
“No Evidence of Violations” by Mayor, says state agency
Washington State’s Public Disclosure Commission closed an investigation of Clyde Hill’s Mayor Klaas earlier this week (link). The disposition was “Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations.”
The investigation followed complaints that the Mayor used her “public office or agency facilities to oppose a ballot proposition,” Clyde Hill’s Prop 1.
The Mayor published highly speculative cost estimates that the City Council agreed were “inappropriate, non-factual, and thoroughly political” (link).
Thank you: a resident’s point of view
At the end of this week’s newsletter, I wanted to pause and offer a heartfelt thank you to the readers and subscribers for your engagement. This is not something I take for granted.
My involvement with the City and work on this newsletter began in my capacity as a concerned resident, and it is heartening to see that so many other locals care about these issues too. In the process of figuring out what’s going on in Clyde Hill and then writing about the issues that matter “from a resident’s point of view,” I’ve met with and heard from more people in our community than I had in the previous ~20 years of living here.
From the moment we wake up, there are so many things competing for our attention… thank you for taking the time to read (and often reply) to this (mostly weekly) newsletter. Thank you 🌲
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Dean Hachamovitch