Clyde Hill News Week in Review #2
The last week, locally, in a few bullet points
In brief
The Clyde Hill Police Department’s State Accreditation is a formality away from being official. Yay! Also, the City and the union representing Clyde Hill Police reached a tentative agreement on a four year contract.
Stormwater repairs near 17th St remain unsettled and unclear nearly four weeks after the City abandoned the project. In an internal document, the City wrote “Further research is ongoing and we are exploring alternative options.” Who will pay remains uncertain and residents near 17th St are still waiting to hear details or commitments.
Please check the links below to see if you have equipment on your property that the City might consider your responsibility.
Graffiti response from PSE in our neighborhood is excellent when you know this phone number, below.
If you want the rules (resolutions and ordinances) the City of Clyde Hill governs by, you need to make a public records request to get all of them. What the City has published online is incomplete. Also, what the policies require and allow may surprise you. More detail below.
Please share your experience and opinion on City policies — I’ve heard frustration from several residents about these issues and I am collecting examples (like hedge and flag regulations) from the community.
Context
Welcome to the second Week in Review issue, offering a recap of the last week in a few bullet points. In good news for transparency, the City posted three weeks of weekly reports earlier this on Monday (August 30). It has not yet posted the report for this past week ending Friday September 3:
As always, I welcome feedback on what you like and what we can do better here.
Thank you —
Dean
Drill Down
The Clyde Hill Police Department’s State Accreditation is a formality away from being official. The Department now awaits “formal approval at the fourth quarter meeting of the WASPC Accreditation Board.” This is a significant effort and achievement on the part of Chief Kolling, Lieutenant Hanson, Records Manager Jones, and the entire Police team. Also related to Police: back in mid August, “Staff reached Tentative Agreement with Teamsters 763 [representing Clyde Hill Police] on a four (4) year contract (2021-2024) pending ratification by both sides.”
Stormwater repairs near 17th St remain unsettled and unclear nearly four weeks after the City abandoned the project. Although the City budgeted and approved ~$250K for these repairs, the City abandoned the project, claiming that the particular stormwater equipment is private. The City’s contractor confirmed substantial root blockages in the pipes after root obstructions prevented three attempts at camera exploration on Friday September 3. The City has made no commitments past their original statement of abandonment, although it did write that “Further research is ongoing and we are exploring alternative options.”
Please look for your home on the City’s “Storm Water Inventory” maps here. It’s unclear, looking at these maps, what equipment is the City’s responsibility and what is yours.
This stormwater issue is separate from the City’s attempt to create a new tax for a stormwater utility as well as the City’s non-compliance with State Department of Ecology permit requirements. The City did not publish any information about its non-compliance to our community, claiming it did not have legally have to.
Graffiti response from PSE in our neighborhood is excellent when you know this phone number. I followed up with PSE after the City made clear that it was PSE’s responsibility, not the City’s, to address anti-police graffiti. I recommend calling (844)473-4121 to reach their 24-hour response center. They were super responsive and addressed the issue quickly:
If you want the rules (resolutions and ordinances) the City of Clyde Hill governs by, you need to make a public records request to get all of them. I asked the City where I could find all the passed resolutions and ordinances and got the following response:
“We do not have a complete list of resolutions available online.”
“We don’t have these [ordinances] accessible online but they are accessible by making requests.” and “Each request is, technically, a public records request.”
“The Clyde Hill Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 975, passed May 12, 2020,” almost 16 months ago. You can request the ordinances that have changed the CHMC.
Here are some examples of practices by the City that adhere to its current polcies:
The City has kept the same legal representation for 33 years with no review of alternatives — this is within current policy.
The City can refuse residents’ requests for meetings to discuss a denied permit application — this is within current policy.
The City charges residents its own City Attorney fees when residents file appeals to denied permit applications — this is within current policy.
City policy can change. It is the responsibility of the City Council.
Please share your experience and opinion on City policies — I’ve heard frustration from several residents about these issues and I am collecting examples (like hedge and flag regulations) from the community.
Reminder
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