Letter to the Editor: Suggestions for urgent action to the City Council
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
To the Editor:
Like many other residents in Shoreline, I was surprised to learn about the impending resignation of City Manager Julie Underwood. I know first-hand the bittersweet, conflicting emotions of excitement vs sadness swirling around seizing the opportunities for my family’s future and, at the same time, leaving a position I have invested in heavily. I wish Julie and her family the best in their new venture!
I also know that the affected organization should act soon to develop plans for its future rather than wait until the current executive is gone. So my comments below are intended to be constructive steps for the City Council to quickly take into an uncertain future. And timing is everything!
Suggestions for Urgent Action
- Temporarily postpone further negotiations with BSRE until the City Manager hiring is finalized
- Appoint an interim manager who is a seasoned veteran executive in Public Administration
- Quickly and genuinely involve a citizens group in discussions about how the city should move ahead with filling the vacancy
- Hold open Council discussion about hiring a skilled land-use type attorney to sit at the table in future negotiations with BSRE
- Quickly, before the deadline passes, hold open discussion to vote on submitting an Amicus brief re: the Point Wells case before the State Supreme Court
- Begin preliminary discussions with the Town of Woodway re: the revised RCW code (RCW 35A.14.295) that allows two municipalities to jointly and unilaterally (without requiring Developer approval) annex Point Wells through an Interlocal Agreement. It is my understanding that Woodway officials have already attempted to reach out to the City of Shoreline on this possibility
Very soon, this open door to action slams shut on the Council. Please take advantage of this opportunity.
Jerry Patterson
Shoreline
Posts
11 comments:
What a refreshing opinion! Especially since the city council met in executive session with Julie Underwood in creating the criteria for a new city manager and vacancy announcement, in violation of the open public meetings act back in 2010.
Cindy Ryu, redux.
Cindy Ryu was never involved in anything like the above, @11:16 pm. Because she held open council discussions as Mayor, meetings ran longer and certain people complained.
Shoreline city politics is like a non- humorous version of the Office. Shrute for City Manager!
Love Anon 7:50!! LOL!
And absolutely Cindy NEVER made such a move! She is an outstanding person and State Rep!
Also, discussions with a City Manager on issues about hiring a new City Manager is a "personnel matter" and are ALWAYS done in executive sessions!
However, as much as I think Jerry Paterson's suggestions are excellent, I suspect they have zero likelihood of happening. The City is already in bed with BSRE and way too comfy to get out!
I suggest that Save Richmond Beach friends start a new movement to replace our "Weak Mayor" form of governance to a "Strong Mayor" form. And get rid of McGlashan who is useless.
@8:49 am - discussing the city manager recruitment and hiring process should not be done in executive session. The evaluation of applications and evaluation of existing staff is done in executive session, but not the development of the job description and recruitment process. There is no personnel involved at this time, personnel matters have limitations, see the Washington State AGO Open Government website if you aren't clear.
Other cities actually have town hall and community meetings to determine what the community would like in a city manager, but not Shoreline.
Maybe this will make it clear: http://www.atg.wa.gov/OpenGovernment/InternetManual/Chapter4.aspx#.UgQisJIQZel
Discussion of personnel matters, in general, is not an authorized purpose for holding an executive session; only certain specific issues relating to personnel may be addressed in executive session....RCW 42.30.110 (g) ...However, subject to RCW 42.30.140(4), discussion by a governing body of salaries, wages, and other conditions of employment to be generally applied within the agency shall occur in a meeting open to the public, and when a governing body elects to take final action hiring, setting the salary of an individual employee or class of employees, or discharging or disciplining an employee, that action shall be taken in a meeting open to the public;
RCW 42.30.110 (h) ... However, any interview of such candidate and final action appointing a candidate to elective office shall be in a meeting open to the public;
The city council interviewed the finalists in 2010 in executive session, which is a violation.
The current regime of Mayor, Deputy Mayor(s), and City Manager/Leadership Team have so many executive sessions these days compared to years gone by it is unbelievable.
It is time to reopen Shoreline.
Anon 4:07 - you quoted the RCWs and made a comment about violations:
"RCW 42.30.110 (h) ... However, any interview of such candidate and final action appointing a candidate to elective office shall be in a meeting open to the public;
The city council interviewed the finalists in 2010 in executive session, which is a violation."
Just to be clear - the RCW says "candidate to elective office" - but the the City Manager is hired by the City Council - not elected to office. So while we all would have loved to get a look at the candidates, Executive Session would not be a violation.
DKH - it does not take away from the fact that for MONTHS that the city council met in executive session concerning the conditions of employment (i.e. the selection criteria for the city manager to replace outgoing Bob Olander) was done improperly.
Furthermore, the post was in response to the assertion made @8:49 pm that ALL personnel matters were allowable to Executive Session and they are NOT, therefore the necessity to resort to citing the specific examples where personnel matters are to be discussed in open session. Perhaps you missed that part of the post made at 8:49 pm.
All,
I would agree with Anon 5:07, that there are some parts of hiring a City Manager that SHOULD be done in public as much as possible.
But the problem is that this council does not have the moxie, energy or guts to challenge the management or City Attorney on the use of Executive Sessions. The statute has been used excessively this last two years, even with a Council committee formed to discuss methods of appointing new Parks or Planning Commission members.
The Council should be ALWAYS representing the public interest and be willing to challenge the staff, do the research and assert it's own rights for the best outcomes for the citizens of Shoreline.
While we all wish Julie Underwood well on her family's new adventures, the appointment of the next city manager should not be just a "foregone conclusion", but a rigorous search for the best person to help lead the City staff.
Or maybe the community should start a new movement again to change our form of City Governance to a "Strong Mayor" form. It is clear that our current form of Council/Manager is not working for open governance or good quality of debate.
Otherwise we would not be facing endless debacles such as Point Wells, Aurora Square, Executive sessions, expensive lawsuits, power plays to take over well run special districts (at huge public expense), and unchallenged city council candidates.
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