Clyde Hill News: Budget priorities and protecting first responder funding on council meeting agenda
“Dishonest” administration strategy, city leadership, and traffic safety cameras also on the docket
Monday night’s city council meeting will re-consider the city’s budget priorities and possibly take action to protect police funding, according to the agenda on the city’s website (link):
The city council will also consider a policy statement directed at the city’s Mayor and City Administration that
“Strongly recommends that the police budget is the last place to look for cost reductions and savings as the city actively pursues adjustments to correct our historical imbalance between revenues and expenditures.” (link)
These proposals are consistent with a recommendation in the meeting packet from the Chair of the city’s Planning Commission, the Chair of the city’s Civil Service Commission, and the city’s Mayor Pro Tem (link).
In contrast,
“The Mayor and City Administrator believe that meaningful discussions with Council about expenditures must include considerations of public safety cuts”
according to an undated “Message From The Mayor: 2025 Budget Development & Police Staffing” on the city’s website. (link)
Separately, Mayor Steve Friedman and City Administrator Dean Rohla appear to have singled out one city hall senior staffer for a 10% raise while leaving police leadership salaries with only a 3.6% cost of living adjustment. (link)
On the topic of police funding, a resident called out the city’s Assistant City Administrator for a “dishonest” proposal. In a public comment included in the meeting packet (link), a resident notes that the city hall senior staffer suggested telling residents a property tax increase would fund police and then using that money on other services. You can watch the clip from the meeting here: link.
Analysis on these topics and more, below, but first: Clyde Hill resident Judy Chen sent in this photo to ask if other residents are also seeing bobcats around the neighborhood:
Disclaimer: while I am a council member 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.
Budget update
City leaders agreed Clyde Hill has a budget crisis. The $4.3m five-year deficit projection appears to be holding (link). The city’s budget deficits have been a long-running problem:
In a recap included in the meeting agenda, Mayor Friedman reported that the Financial Sustainability Task Force will meet again next month. Residents will get an update “soon,” according to the Mayor:
It was further agreed that I work with the City Council to send out a more thorough update on Financial Sustainability to be sent to all residents. This will be distributed soon. (link)
City leadership
One item on the agenda clarifies responsibility for the performance management of the city’s senior full-time professional leader (link):
“The City Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Mayor. The council does not have a role in the assessment of his performance or his review…. The City Administrator’s goals and performance evaluation appear to be a private matter between him and the Mayor.”
The document also refers to an email from the City Administrator (link). In the email, he expresses distrust for the council (“What actions have you five taken to give me or staff a reason to trust this council?”) and finishes by “rescinding my permission for council to review my evaluation,” citing his lack of trust (link).
Council work plan
The city council published its work plan (link) as part of this month’s agenda:
“The work plan has two parts. The first aligns with and supports the administration’s published plan; the other involves work that council members felt strongly about and will pursue on their own time with an expectation of very little to no staff support.” (link)
Specific items include:
Policy for what flags are flown in front of City Hall. (link)
Traffic safety (“speed limit ticketing”) cameras. (link)
Leaf blowers, with noise in mind. (link)
Tree code as part of resetting and working better with the Planning Commission. (link)
Code problems
An anticipated application for a short plat (link) in Clyde Hill has surfaced another problem in the city’s code.
According to the administration (link), Clyde Hill’s municipal code is unclear on who has approval authority for short plat applications:
This issue — on the council’s agenda (link) — is the latest in a series.
For example, residents have expressed concern and frustration about similar code problems involving stormwater requirements, lights from neighbors, and hedges (“living fences”).
More recently, as a result of a long-standing complaint about a rat problem (link), the city identified an issue with the city’s nuisance code that prevented it from fulfilling its responsibilities to residents. The city council updated the code promptly.
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Dean Hachamovitch