Ronald School Hearing Part II on Monday

Citizens interested in the fate of the Landmarked Ronald School in Shoreline, can attend the continued hearing this Monday. The appeal of the COA (Certificate of Appropriateness)
had been filed by the Shoreline Preservation Society, a local non-profit.

Front Portico of Ronald School Built in 1912 

Last week, the Shoreline City Council voted to table a decision process till this week, because there is a serious question about whether the Landmarks Commission had actually had a "quorum" at their hearing on November 17th, at which they voted to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness.

Councilmembers and the City Attorney  had voiced a concern about the quorum. The item was tabled to provide time to research the question.

The Shoreline Landmarks Hearing had held a hearing on November 17th. There were 4 commissioners who started out at the hearing, but Commissioner Brian Rich recused himself and left the meeting, because he is an employee of Bassetti Architects. Then there were just 3 members in total who sat to hear the Certificate of Appropriateness for Ronald School and then voted to approve it. There was supposed to be a "Shoreline Member" on the panel, but no one represented Shoreline on the panel as is required by the "inter-local agreement" with King County. The Landmarks Commission has a total of 7 sitting members currently (with the Shoreline member), since 3 of the positions are vacant. So a "quorum" would have to be FOUR members (according to their own Rules of Procedure below).

"Shoreline" Landmarks Commission setting up at Richmond Masonic
Lodge before start of Ronald School hearing.
(L-R) Cmr Brian Rich, Cmr Lauren McCroskey, Cmr Tom Hitzroth,
Cmr Stephen Day, KCHP Director Julie Koler, KCHP staff Todd Scott

The Rules of Procedure for the King County Landmarks Commission read as follows on the quorum
topic:

3. Quorum. A majority of the currently appointed and confirmed members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A special member of the Commission shall be counted in determining the number required for a quorum and shall be counted as a part of a quorum for the vote on any matter involving the designation or control of landmarks and in determination of the special tax valuation for historic properties within the city. (KCC 20.62.140, as adopted by reference in SMC 15.20.025). All official actions of the Commission shall require a majority vote of the members present and eligible to vote on the action voted upon. No member shall be eligible to vote upon any matter required by this chapter to be determined after a hearing unless that member has attended the hearing or familiarized him or herself with the record.

4. Absence of a Quorum. No official business shall be conducted by the Commission in the absence of a quorum.

The Council is hearing an appeal of the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). It is a required element for the Shorewood HS project to proceed.

The Shoreline Preservation Society contends that there were errors of Fact, Judgement and Conclusion
and serious concerns about the Landmarks Commission process and procedure are raised in the appeal.

Their choices are laid out in the Agenda -

1. Remand the proceeding to the Commission for reconsideration if errors of fact exist in the record.

2. Modify or reverse the decision of the Commission if the decision is based on errors of judgement or conclusion.

3. Deny the appeal and sustain the decision of the Commission. 

The Councilmeeting will begin at 7pm at City Hall on 17500 Midvale Ave N. The Agenda item is here -
http://cosweb.ci.shoreline.wa.us/uploads/attachments/cck/Council/Staffreports/2011/staffreport030711-8a.pdf

This Week At The Crest!

Crest Cinema in Shoreline
ALL SHOWS $3

This Week At THE CREST! A Landmark Theatre
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Seattle/CrestCinemaCenter.htm


Two Academy Award Winners 
and Three Films for the Kids

• CREST CINEMA CENTER
  (206) 781-5755
• Tangled  
  7:15 9:25
  Dolby Stereo
• The Social Network  
  9:20
  Dolby Stereo
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1  
  7:45
  Dolby Stereo
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader  
  6:45 9:10
  Dolby Stereo
• Inside Job  
  7:00
  Dolby Stereo

The Roadkill Diet Gals

Kudos for Senators Maralyn Chase and Sharon Nelson! 

Environmental Champions (L-R) Sharon Nelson and
Maralyn Chase shake hands at Chase' swearing in this January

I'm christening you the "Roadkill Diet Busters"! 

Publicola has a great review of their courageous efforts to stop the Roadkill Caucus from undercutting the I-937 Initiative passed several years back.   

http://publicola.com/2011/03/04/filibuster-attempt-of-the-week/

Chase and Nelson offered 24 amendments in a Quixotic attempt to stop the undoing and weakening of the voter approved energy saving intitiative. 

I-937.  This tactic is known as "fillibuster by amendment".

News & Politics, This Washington

Filibuster Attempt of the Week

By Andrew Calkins, Friday, March 4, 2011 at 9:40 AM
3 Comments and 0 Reactions

Lefty senators band together to stall bill that would weaken a voter-approved renewable energy initiative. But conservative senators, led by the Democratic Roadkill Caucus conservatives, band together to pass it.

Last month, we reported on a move by legislators to weaken 2006′s voter-approved renewable energy initiative (I-937)—which required utilities to have 15 percent of their energy load coming from new renewable energy sources by 2020 (with check-ins along the way, including three percent by 2012). The meddling legislation would broaden the definition of “biomass energy facilities” so that facilities can count things like wood pulp as “renewable energy sources.”

The intent of I-937 was to encourage new renewables like wind and solar power, not environmentally problematic sources like wood products.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Brian Hatfield (D-19, Raymond, Grays Harbor, and Pacific County), ran into a wall of unfriendly amendments on Wednesday, offered by the Senate’s liberal duo—Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-34, West Seattle) and Sen. Maralyn Chase (D-32, Shoreline). Ultimately, though, the bill passed 28-19 during Thursday’s floor session.

Hatfield, a member of the ad-hoc conservative Democratic caucus (the self-described Roadkill Caucus) was joined by eight other Democrats, including Road Killers, Steve Hobbs (D-44, Lake Stevens), Jim Hargrove (D-24, Hoquiam), Tim Sheldon (D-35, Potlatch), Mary Margaret Haugen (D-10, Camano Island), Paul Shinn (D-21, Edmonds), and sudden conservative convert Craig Pridemore (D-49, Vancouver) who teamed up with 19 of the 22 GOP senators—passing the bill to change the voter-approved initiative over a thinned-out Democratic caucus.

Republicans Andy Hill (R-45, Redmond) and Steve Litzow (R-41, Mercer Island) voted ‘No’ and one Republican was excused.

Washington Conservation Voters Hosting a GOTV Event for KCD Election

King County Conservation Voters is hosting a Get Out The Vote Event next Thursdayto assist voters.
King Conservation District Election

The KCD Election is underway until March 15th, with a new way to vote in an attempt to boost turnout.

The election is an "online voting" process.  And seems like a better way to get voters involved, since voters won't need to drive to a few polling sites, like it was done in the past.


But some voters are finding this new process just as daunting. Some voters are finding the process that was meant to facilitate more participation, a bit more cumbersome. Some technology is required in order to participate.  Voters need to go to the site "online", download and print a  form, fill it out and return it via fax, scanner or mail.  Then when "eligibility" is confirmed, one can vote. (Voters are eligible if they live in KCD contracting cities.) 
It is a two step process to vote online. 
 Here are the steps from the KCD website:

Step 1 - Confirm Voter Eligibility:  Click on the blue button below to obtain your Voter Application Form. Print, sign and submit by email(scanned copy), fax or US mail. We suggest voter applications submitted by US mail should be postmarked no later than March 11.

Step 2 - Vote On-line:Once your eligibility is confirmed, a personal identification number (PIN) will be issued by email with complete online voting access information.

Note: Please allow up to 48 hours after application for voting instructions and credentials to be issued.

The KCD is a very important, independent local District, that administers over 6 million dollars of conservation funding for such things as water quality and salmon recovery. Their Board of Supervisors are elected by King County Voters. Voters can also vote in person at the KCD offices on March 15th, You may vote in-person on March 15 between the hours of 9:00 am - 9:00 pm at the King Conservation District office: 1107 SW Grady Way, Suite 130, Renton, WA 98057 (across the parking lot from the former King County elections building). In-person voters should bring proper identification.

Pizza, Beer and King Conservation District Voting!

— filed under: Local Chapter Event

Join us for Pizza, Beer and King Conservation District Voting!  A happy hour to get the environmental voters of King County to show up for this important election!

Don't know why you should care about KCD, faq sheet here!

1402 3rd Avenue, Suite 1400, Seattle, WA 98101

phone: 206-374-0760, fax: 206-374-0858, info@wcvoters.org

what	Local Chapter Event
when	March 10, 2011 from 04:30 pm to 07:00 pm
where	WCV World Headquarters
contact name	Jesseca Brand
contact phone	206.631.2611
add event to calendar	vCal  iCal

Another Ryu Bill Passes House- HB 1916 Economic Development

Rep Ryu's Economic Development Bill Passes House Unanimously 

Rep Cindy Ryu (D - 32nd Dist)

Economic Development is an area Rep Cindy Ryu is very familiar with. She is a small business owner
(former Allstate Agent and Business Property owner), and served as President of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce. As Shoreline Mayor and councilmember, she served as Enterprise Seattle representative for the City.

She saw a problem with the ADO's (Associate Development Organizations) like Enterprise Seattle, and their need to be able to do more outreach to small businesses and organizations like Chambers of Commerce. Her bill would empower these ADO's to better assist the businesses and therefore protect and build more job creation.

The House voted 98-0 for Ryu’s House Bill 1916, which seeks to expand the development organizations’ outreach to small business.

Counties designate ADOs to serve as the Department of Commerce’s primary partner in local economic development. The organizations help to recruit and locate new businesses, offer assistance to help businesses get started and expand, and work with communities on asset building and regional planning.

“Our Department of Commerce and Washington’s Associate Development Organizations do wonderful work helping businesses and local economies, and this legislation will ensure that more small businesses in more places will benefit from the services they offer,” said Ryu (D-Shoreline).

Ryu served on the board of the King County ADO—enterpriseSeattle—from 2006-09 as a representative for the Suburban Cities Association. She is also a past president of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce and a former mayor of Shoreline.

“Rep. Ryu’s legislation is a very good economic development bill to help small businesses,” said Rep. Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney (D-Seattle), who chairs the Community Development & Housing Committee in the House.  “Rep. Ryu made a convincing case that a great many small businesses in suburban King County and elsewhere would benefit from assistance they are not getting now.”

Ryu said her legislation would also improve communication between local development organizations and the Department of Commerce.

If signed into law, Ryu’s bill would:

·         Direct the Department of Commerce to establish specific guidelines for sharing information with ADOs about business and retention efforts, to ensure that resources are targeted efficiently.

·         Emphasize in law that each ADO must assist businesses and communities “throughout the county” it serves.

·         Require enterpriseSeattle to include additional information in its annual performance reports—including the number of small businesses it has helped and specifically the number of  businesses it has helped that are located outside of Seattle city limits.

No one testified against Ryu’s proposal at a Feb. 16 public hearing on her bill. Democrats and Republicans on the Community Development and Housing Committee gave her measure a unanimous “do pass” recommendation on Feb. 17.

On Feb. 22, enterpriseSeattle announced the opening of new offices in Federal Way and Bellevue, which it said will help the organization to expand services “throughout the county.”

“I am very pleased that enterpriseSeattle is upgrading its effort to reach out to businesses in all of King County, including businesses located outside of Seattle,” said Ryu. “Let’s also ensure that small businesses are a key part of this expanded outreach.”

For more information:

Rep. Cindy Ryu: (360) 786-7880

Representative Ryu is a Democrat, elected last November to the State House for the 32nd LD. She represents Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, and portions of Edmonds, Bothell and Kirkland. 

UPDATE - Ronald School Hearing

What Happened Last Night? 
A few interesting outcomes -

Historic Ronald School Front Portico

February 28th, the Shoreline City Council Hearing took place on the Ronald School appeal of the 

Certificate of Appropriateness by the Shoreline Preservation Society.  But, there were several surprises. 

The Council chambers were full of interested citizens. The Shoreline Landmarks Commission had held a hearing November 17th and approved the Certificate that is required in order for a significant alteration of the Landmarked Historic

School Building.

The full City Council spent the entire meeting listening to attorney's and staff opinions on the matter of the fate of the oldest public building in Shoreline. The Shoreline School District plans to gut the Landmarked Ronald School building and attach it to the new HS Complex. 

First the Council decided NOT to deliberate in "Executive Session". Doing this would have been a controversial move, since the public would have been excluded from hearing the reasoning and process the Council went through to consider the proposal.  It would have been controversial, because of the 

OPMA considerations. (Open Public Meetings Act).

There were presentations by both attorneys for the appellant, Shoreline Preservation Society and the applicant/owner, Shoreline School District.  And questioning by the Council.

The second unexpected outcome was a from a questions raised by Councilmember Chris Roberts and Terry Scott, and the answer from City Attorney Ian Sievers. Roberts' question was about the recusal of Landmarks Commissioner Brian Rich, and whether there had been a quorum of the Shoreline Landmarks Commission to make its decision on the Certificate of Appropriateness for altering the Ronald School.

Ian Sievers answer was that "There was no quorum".  

Much of the evening afterwards was spent arguing about this point and what the council should do. 

There were concerns expressed about what might happen if the Council remanded the case back to the "Shoreline Landmarks Commission". (One problem is that there still is no "Shoreline Member" of the Commission appointed as required by the interlocal agreement between Shoreline and King County.) 

Would the Commission's decision be then revoked, or reversed? Would they have to go back to square one? No one seemed to know. The City Attorney recommended, it might be well to postpone a decision for a week to research the issue. He said that the "common law" consideration on "Robert's Rules of Order" would make the fact that only 3 members of the Commission out of a 7 member board, had been there to vote, would seem to indicate there was NOT a quorum. 

There were many other issues raised by appellants. These were matters of "Errors of Fact, Judgement, and Conclusion".  

But the Council was focussed on the quorum matter. They ended up voting 4-3 to table the matter till the next council meeting to give time for the City Attorney and parties to brief the issue of quorum. 

The Council vote was as follows -

FOR: Roberts, Scott, Eggen and MacGlashen AGAINST: Hall, Winstead and McConnell

The matter will be taken up again at the next Council meeting. Since it is a closed record, quasi-judicial matter, the Councilmembers will not be allowed to discuss this matter together or with anyone until a decision is made.


Stay tuned to more updates in near future.

A Breath of Fresh Air - Moss and Dead Wood

Take a Break for Some Nature


In Late February at Paramount Park Moss Rules

Moss and Dead Wood = Habitat
ph credit - Janet Way

Large Woody Debris Creates Habitat

Dead Wood Brings Life to the Forest

Snags Make Excellent Bird Habitat and a Smorgasbord of Food Choices For Critters
WDFW has a special website now that touts the value the state places on Wildlife Snags.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/snags/

Red-Breasted Nuthatch inhabits a knothole in a snag
in wooded area near Boeing Creek
ph credit - Claudia Turner

More Snags in the Water

Upper Wetland Pond in Paramount Park Restoration Area
contains many snags and LWD (Large Woody Debris)
intentionally

Ancient Cedar Stump Hosts New Tree Growth

So if you see a dead tree, especially in a natural area, don't panic. 
Consider it a vital part of the ecosystem.  Soon it will be providing untolled benefits to your local 
wildlife and eventually will nurture new trees.

Snag intentionally placed at Paramount Park
in a KC Wildlife Habitat Grant 2001