Clyde Hill News: Residents’ budget priorities, draft ethics code, and land use code updates top city council meeting agenda
Also: CHPD cites driver for going 67 in a 25; city movie night next week; public works director departing
Next week’s city council meeting will include discussion of the city’s strategic budget priorities from the “residents’ view,” a draft of an ethics code for elected and appointed officials, and a public hearing about changing the rules related to the expiration of variances (link).
Below, an overview of these topics and more, but first: police were busy in Clyde Hill in July. A “driver was stopped and cited for speeding doing 67mph in a 25mph zone.” Separately, a
“driver did not stop at the stop sign due to the sun in their eyes and collided with a bicyclist. They had minor injuries and were transported to the hospital by a friend. Causing driver was cited for fail to stop at stop sign and operating veh[icle] w/o insurance”
You can read the full police report here (link).
Also, a reminder that Clyde Hill’s City Movie Night is on Friday, August 16th “at dusk” (link), featuring Trolls: Band Together.
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 priorities
The short version: in a change from past practice, Mayor Steve Friedman is starting the budget planning process with a discussion of the city’s strategic priorities from the point of view of residents. You can read his one page overview in the city council meeting packet here (link).
Previously, the city’s long-standing “philosophy” (link) or approach to the budget was to “maintain current service levels and hold the line on costs when possible,” (link) according to the city’s 2024 Budget Book. Following this practice over the last several years, the city has run operating deficits, spending more than it takes in and eating into its financial reserves.
Here are proposed priorities, from the point of view of residents, from the Mayor’s document:
“Upon reaching a consensus with Council on these priorities,” the mayor’s document suggests the city ask the residents on the Budget Advisory Committee “for their direct input.”
Ethics code
This month, the city council considers specific rules as well as a complaint and enforcement process for elected and appointed officials regarding prohibited conduct, such as participation in decisions where they have financial interest or there is an “appearance of conflict.” (link)
In nine pages that borrow heavily from the City of Mercer Island’s ethics code, the proposal sets out definitions, policy, and an extensive list of prohibited conduct. In another section, the document describes a process for “complaints, investigations, hearings, and enforcement.” As drafted, the cost of the ethics officer — who will assess the validity of complaints and then hear evidence from both sides — appears to be the city’s responsibility.
Last month the city council agreed with guidance from the city attorney that personal interests are not conflicts of interest when voting on “area-wide” matters. (link)
For example, a council member whose house has variances can — when the council takes up the subject of how variances expire — fully participate in the discussion and vote even though they have a personal interest in and potential direct benefit from the legislation. The key factor appeared to be how an “area-wide” change applies evenly to all properties and residents, resulting in no “special privilege.” (link)
Development regulation (aka land use) code updates
The city council will hold a public hearing and consider a recommendation from the planning commission related to the expiration of variances. For more information about the proposed change, this issue of the newsletter (link) gives context and detail. The planning commission canceled its August meeting due to “vacation travel scheduling conflicts.” (link)
Also on the agenda is discussion of city code (link) that directs resident appeals to elected officials rather than a professional hearing examiner. Over the last several years, the city has been shifting responsibility for matters like this one to a hearing examiner. For context:
Last month, the council voted to revise the view ordinance code so that the city’s hearing examiner, and not its planning commission, will make decisions when residents bring a view complaint to the city.
The council sent revisions to the city’s enforcement code to have “appeals handled by the hearing examiner instead of the Mayor” (link) to the planning commission back in January of 2023. For more information about the costs of lawsuits resulting from the city’s appeals process, please see “The year of 184% over budget for legal services” (link) from a previous issue of the newsletter.
In 2018, the city moved to a professional hearing examiner rather than a “Board of Adjustment” made up of residents to make decisions related to certain applications and appeals (link) by residents, citing “the need to ensure and expand the principles of fairness and due process.” (link)
The council will also discuss the larger process for updating development regulations, or “land use code.” From that document in the packet:
It’s not clear yet if the city council has a consensus opinion about the city’s development regulation update process. En route to a consensus, the purpose of this document is to offer a starting point for council discussion and feedback in response to the draft “Land Use Code Update Process” diagram (https://clydehill.civicweb.net/document/108312/) that staff presented at the July 30 special meeting of the city council. (link)
Public Works Director Shaun Tozer departing
From this week’s Administrator Report:
We are very sad to report that Public Works Director Shaun Tozer has provided notice of his intent to leave the City at the end of August. He has accepted a job closer to his home in Duvall working for the school district there. (link)
From a resident’s point of view, Mr. Tozer leaves Clyde Hill much better than he found it. He brought structure and method to public works; anyone who heard his updates at council meetings can attest to his clarity in setting expectations and then delivering on them. While a loss for Clyde Hill, it’s great news for his community.
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Dean Hachamovitch