I have heard from a reliable source that at last nights council meeting Dianne Brudnicki, Chair of the Land Use Committee, put out a report of their committee meeting minutes for the last month. I am impressed by this move. Without any pressure or prodding she has courageously decided to buck the trend and start publishing these meeting reports. This is a step in the right direction and is a victory for those who are fighting for a more open government.
So I give Councilmember Brudnicki Props for making Duvall a little better place.
I wouldn't have expected this from you. Maybe your are not as bad as I thought.
ReplyDeleteGeorge
Thanks, I think. I try to be unbiased and she deserved the credit. So hats off.
ReplyDeleteNothing out of the ordinary for Councilmember Brudnicki. She's been providing a written report of Land Use Committee minutes each month for the public for the past year.
ReplyDeletePerhaps she has and I have missed it. I was relying on information from a friend who was been to nearly every council meeting in the last year and has never received one.
ReplyDeleteBut if I am mistaken then I am sorry. Either way it is a great step in the right direction.
I have never seen one before but I am just glad she is doing it now. That really is the important thing. I actually sent her an email today thanking her. It is a really good step. I hope all the committees start doing this. It would be a great way for the citizens to keep track of whats going on.
ReplyDeleteRob
Thomas (& Rob), why so conciliatory all of the sudden? So out of character.
ReplyDeleteWell I can only speak for myself. I want the conversation. I have always been willing to give credit where it is due. And quite honestly many people in town are unwilling to do so and are so set in their political positions that they are unable to see when anyone, other than their political allies, does something good.
ReplyDeleteThis is the type of attitude we need to change.
I will absolutely give any councilmember praise when they do something that deserves it. Lately I just haven't seen much to praise. Councilmember Brudnicki changed that a little yesterday.
Why is this out of character? Lay out some examples. Perhaps you mistake standing up for what I think is right for not being conciliatory. I will always pick principles over politics and I wont sacrifice these principles to get along better with others.
ReplyDeleteRob
My spidey sense tells me this new tone is more about political calculation than anything else.
ReplyDeleteI would be more likely to consider your spidey sense if you actually put your name to your comments.
ReplyDeleteIf you know anything about me you would know that I do not have any political ambitions. especially in Duvall. A little FYI I live outside the city limits and cant run for office, but you already knew that didn't you? It was plastered all over town in a cowardly political attack on me and John Durant.
If you want to really talk then lets put it all out there. Lets settle the past and then move on. if you want to throw out your assumptions then put your name to it.
Rob Millard
It sounds like the two of you need to go to Starbucks and have a coffee and chat a little and sort some things out.
ReplyDeleteAnytime. But that would require Anonymous to actually identify who they are.
ReplyDeleteMy email is rmillard@allstarfitness.com
Email me and we can set it up. I am anxious to have that chat.
Rob Millard
Rob, you don't seem to "get" the art of political nuance and subtlery. You're messing up Thomas's game here. Don't you see that this post is an opening feint in an effort of political resurrection? This is not the time to be such a blunt instrument. Charley
ReplyDeleteCharley,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you are unclear about my intentions. This is not a game and I am not seeking any political resurrection. I am seeking to find the truth and to get a conversation going. This has always been my pursuit. I appreciate the passion of all sides but I truly want to get passed the political protectionism and let's get to the real issues facing the city.
I hope this helps to clarify why I am here.
Charley,
ReplyDeleteI get it but I am tired of it. When will we all just start saying what we really mean? Being blunt is better than beating around the bush all the time.
I am tired of all the snarky comments and hit and run political attacks. If we are willing to say something then stand by it and put your name to it.
Rob
Hi Charley. I so get your point. I have for years been one of the conservatives whose only voice was my ballot and it hasn't served me or my young family very well. I am just starting to come out of my shell but with the state of affairs and lack of control in politics I am tired of being bombarded with the liberal message. It seems the liberal intrument is as blunt as it comes and I am ready to see if their tactics could work for either side. I for sure don't have the answer but feel a little desperate and under represented in our state. It is time for the rural side to be heard. Props to Thomas and his message.
ReplyDeletewhy the attacks?
ReplyDeleteEveryone on this page seems to belive that Thomas and Rob have thier own agenda. It seems to me that stating facts and giving compliments are simply a way to get the ball rolling and keep it going in the right direction.
I recognize that, to an extent, i am also fulfilling my own agenda to show that negative claims of "hidden agendas" are not what this is about, and i will try harder to be less negative to those of you who are negative.
Also i cant help but wondering what there is to "get" about political nuance, it seems to me that the point is there to be no "behind the scenes" agreements, or "political nuance". Why cant we all say whats on our mind (while still being positive, skylar) like rob has shown? that way everyone knows who they are voting for and what they want.
Rob, can I come to starbucks with you? I'm really in the mood for one of thier old fashioned donuts, and to see who has spidey sences and beleives that thomas has so many secret plans. (it feels like im talking about a comic book at this point).
Ive rambled long enough and hope that (myself included) we can all stop attacking each other, and actually discuss things.
-wash
Also, after i wrote my last little thought, i read through some older posts as i am relatively new to this site. when i came across "throw it out" i was surprised at some of the posts here in the context of thomas's posts there. It doesnt seem to me that tommy paine (its really hard for me to write Thomas, im not a good speller) has never supported Elizabeth Walker, but gave her props on commenting on this site.
ReplyDeleteAm i wrong?
-wash
OK, back to the matter at hand. Thank you, Councilmember Brudnicki, for sharing your committee report.
ReplyDeleteThomas, is this the kind of thing we can view from the city website or do you have to be at the City Council meeting to receive. I have enjoyed the meetings I can attend partially because of the "handouts" with info you can't otherwise get. But I'm hoping that committee reports are more public than that.
- Carolyn Durant
I can not find any committee reports of any kind on the city website. As far as I know these can be handed out at city council but this is the first one that I am aware of in a very long time.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that this is the next logical step to take. Now that these are being put out by at least once committee I will put forth a challenge to all committees to produce these reports and to post them on the website.
Thomas, I commend you for calling on our Council to make committee reports more available to the public. But wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that you and the blog loyalists were busy vilifying a citizen for daring to bring to public attention the fact that one of our Councilmembers wasn't even bothering to represent our city by attending the meetings of a regional committee she had volunteered to serve on? Seems a bit of a double standard and explains why some in the community question the motives of this blog, I think. Charley
ReplyDeleteCharley,
ReplyDeleteI was making the point that this citizen applied one standard to Councilmember Edwards but did not apply the same standard to Councilmember Walker and Councilmember Cattin. I have no issue with Mr. Hansen calling out Ms. Edwards as long as he applies the same standard to everyone.
For example, I have reviewed the meeting minutes from the King Conservation District for the last year and I have found no mention of Elizabeth Walkers name. I could make the assumption that she had never attended a meeting and then write a letter to the editor but I know that attendance at meetings is not always the best indication of a good representative.
Example 2: I also looked at the meeting minutes for the Suburban Cities - PIC and found no mention of Gerard Cattin's name either. I could have made the same assumptions as Mr. Hansen and write a letter to the editor but again attendance at meeting is not always the best indication of a good representative.
Example 3: The members of the City council who miss the most council meetings last year are as follows:
Gary Gill - 5
Dianne Brudnicki - 4
Glen Kuntz - 4
Anne Laughlin -3
Elizabeth walker - 1
Gerard Catttin - 0
Vicki Edwards - 0
If this Mr. Hansen wanted to equally apply the "attendance standard" to all councilmembers then I would be fine with his arguments but he only applies it to the councilmember he has serious issues with.
My issue was that it was a dishonest argument to call out one councilmember for a certain behavior and give a free pass to all the other councilmembers for doing the same thing.
I have not made a big deal about the attendance of these councilmembers because I know that despite missing a lot of meetings Vicki Edwards was able to get the Microsoft Connector Bus to service Duvall. This alone, according to Microsoft's transportation division, took between 150-200 cars a day off the road in Duvall. This has a huge impact on our transportation issues in town and in my view completely fulfills the campaign promise she made to improve transportation issues.
Similarly Councilmember Brudnicki missed a lot of council meetings but she has helped put together many local events, including Duvall days, and so her missing meetings is not so important. This same standard can be applied to all the councilmembers.
Perhaps this explanation will help you understand that my motives are to get people talking about the issues and to honestly and fairly discuss what is going on.
Thanks again for reading and commenting. I appreciate your loyalty.
Thomas
Thanks for the detailed reply, Thomas. In fairness to Mr. Hansen, I think it's worth noting he stated that he requested a response from Councilmember Edwards concerning her attendence record before going public and she declined to reply. Perhaps an honest mea culpa on her part would have defused the issue. Seems she tried to hide her record instead, a risky strategy for any politician.
ReplyDeleteCouncilmember Edwards' record is exemplary when it comes to attending Council meetings, in sharp contrast to her 92% absence from the monthly ETP meetings. This raises a red flag to me. Why did she volunteer to be Duvall's representative on a regional committee for this particular issue? A cynic would suggest that she did so just to give the appearance of fulfilling a campaign promise while intending to avoid the work involved of actually doing so. I think a lot of people in the community read his letter and saw it as revealing just another instance of a shifty polician. Charley
Charley,
ReplyDeletePlease re-read the letter Mr. Hansen put in the paper. It will quote a section for you: "I asked Councilmember Edwards by email what had been her attendance record as Duvall's ETP representative. She responded, "I attend every meeting unless I am out of town or have a conflict with work."
So Ms. Edwards did respond and responded truthfully. Perhaps you would benefit from knowing that these meetings are held on a Friday morning in Bellevue during business hours.
Again I can not stress enough that I do not have an issue with Mr. Hansen calling out any councilmember for what he views as an important issue. I actually applaud him for putting his name on something he puts out to the public. (which is a change from his recent political activities)
Please take a step back and look at this for what it truly is, an opportunity to score cheap political points against a councilmember that he does not like, while at the same time ignoring the exact same behavior from his long time political allies.
I can only guess at why Mr. Hansen has again and again tried to impugn the reputation of Ms. Edwards. It is discouraging that this is the route he has decided to take rather than honestly assessing the situation and applying a universal standard.
Maybe you can now lower your red flag a little.
P.S.I feel free to comment in this manner about Mr. Hansen because I have informed him several times via email that his name and reputation were being discussed on the blog and he has refused multiple offers to comment. I will also send him an additional email today to let him know that I have blogged about him again.
In my experience the best governing outcome is achieved through great collaboration. So I will leave you with this quote
ReplyDelete"All government - indeed, every human benefit and employment, every virtue and every prudent act - is founded on compromise and barter."
-Edmund Burke
The Council will serve us well if they choose to work together in this manner. Let us encourage our leaders to the greater good.
Duvall is a small city with limited resources. So you can get the full content of the meeting through the audio recording. If you care to have this information in other formats, the best action to take is to show up at the council meeting and make your request known. This will allow full Council to know your request and have follow through.
Although I like the positive direction of your comment to Council Member Brudnicki. I do believe that all the Council is working hard to govern. Requesting actions from them through a blog may not be the best approach in communicating your needs. They are there to serve their citizens and the public meeting is the best place for us to voice our concerns.
Hope
Any one who wants to know what Mr. Hansen's motives are can simply make a public record request for all the emails that he has sent to the city councilmembers. I did that and found some very enlightening information.
ReplyDeleteOr we could ask him directly, which Thomas did, or contact Councilmember Edwards and ask her.
Oh and for anyone keeping track we are now on day 2 of no response from anonymous. Perhaps they don't like Starbucks. I am willing to meet anywhere they like of even start by emailing if they are actually willing to talk about it rather than just post and run.
Rob
I will send Councilmember Edwards an email and see if she would be willing to comment.
ReplyDeleteWhile Thomas and Rob are shortening their lives by getting all worked up about Mr. Hansen again, Hope's constructive comments are being overlooked. Composure, gentlemen, composure. Michelle
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate Hope's thoughts and I would love to see more of the council working toward what is best for the city.
I see Rob's point and I would be upset if my name was put on a flier, plastered all over town and villified for nothing more than living outside of town.
Perhaps we should look at his side before we tell him to gather his composure.
As for me, if my life is shortened by calling out this type of behavior but the world is left a better place then I am quite happy to help.
(see the quote at the top of the blog)
I'm perplexed by Rob's anger and bitterness. Charley
ReplyDeleteThomas, thank you for detailing a more complete picture of meeting attendance.
ReplyDeleteI had the feeling that Skylar Hansen was portraying a skewed view of one fact out of context. As with his smear letter stating that Anne Laughlin had been questioned about her ability to serve on council (while omiting the report that stated the court found her eligible), he is like a company that does only research to support their product. He is not to be trusted.
I can't blame Vicki Edwards for not writing more to him, since it seems like anything he gets his hands on can be twisted and used to support his own agenda. His negative and targetted attacks should be researched before given any credence. Thanks for doing what we cannot!
Charley, I know Rob Millard well, and would say that he is certainly not angry or bitter. Even when we suspected Skylar Hansen of knocking over my husband's campaign signs, Rob kept a cool head and said that we would maintain a positive campaign. He is fair-minded and forgiving.
ReplyDeleteHope, as I've said before I enjoy attending Council meetings, but often am unable to attend. I am in charge of youth nights for 16 teen age girls at the same time. If "public" reports are presented to City Council, why are they not available after meetings are over. Certainly posting a document on the city website is easier than downloading the audio (and easier for me to use, too!) Are there ever times when copies are kept at City Hall? I could drop by and pick them up. It would be nice to have access to committee reports that affect the whole town. - Carolyn Durant
Charley,
ReplyDeleteHopefully I can enlighten you a little on my dealings with Mr. Hansen so you can understand why I am frustrated with his type of political activities.
I wrote an email to the Mayor complaining that he was not responsible for the challenge to Anne Laughlin's run for office and asked for a public appology. He then went out and filed a public challenge to her campaign. In that challenge he make public some sensetive information that compromised Anne's personal situation. He challenged and was the only person to speak against Anne running for office during a hearing by the elections board. Anne was found to be well within her rights to run for re-election and then Mr. Hansen took an old newspaper article and insinuated that Anne was unable to run for office despite the elections board already ruling in favor of Anne.
Then he insinuated that John Durant had a certian political position that he did not have because some of his supporters believed a certian way. To clarify this would be like saying that President Obama wants to kill republicans because some crazy democrat in Massachusetts once said they would rather kill republicans than vote for them. (yes I know this is an extreme example and does not at all relate to the discussion but it illistrated the obserdity of the position he took).
Then to top it all off he tried to say that because I do not live in town and pay taxes here that I have no buisness commenting on or questioning our elected officials.
I have lived here for 6 years now, both my kids go to school here, I shop here and spend a great deal of time in town and I truly consider this my home.
I find it very distasteful that Mr. Hansen would try to limit my first amendment rights because I do not agree with his point of view or support his political agenda.
Perhaps now you will see that there is along history of what I consider questionable ethics. This is only my opinion and I certainly dont want to sway your thoughts regarding him, but i offer my caution. If you become involved in any way with mr. Hansen please be careful.
Rob Millard
"Paine" has admonished others in past posts for attacks on persons here and apparently in campaign literature. Conversely, the posts from "Paine" engage in the same duplicit behavior.
ReplyDeleteIs this is a site for constructive debate for ideas and solutions for the community?
Has this become a personal blog to air small town political grievances?
I offered my suggestions and experiences based upon the former. If however it is the latter, I will gracefully exit and allow the bitterness pill to run its course through the body present.
To "Paine": Having taken on the sobering mantle you claim for yourself, I had engaged with higher hopes for this small blog, and I will hold out hope for a course correction for a short time still.
Respectfully and truly yours,
-Politicalinclin
Politicalinclin,
ReplyDeleteThis is the place to debate issues and is not a place to air grevences. I will however correct the record of anyone who does not relay the facts. If you feel that I have misrepresented any facts please tell me where and I will correct the record.
Ehile it is true that this is not the course I intended for this post I believe that it is good for us to lay all the chips on the table and then let's start the discussion.
Hello Gone Right Friends,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you all know that 2010 Land Use Committee Summary Reports are now avaliable on the City of Duvall website. Go to www.duvallwa.gov then click on the Mayor and City Council link, then click on the City Council Committees, and finally click on Land Use Committee Summaries. I will have them posted once a month. I will try to have the 2009 LUC Summaries posted in the next week or two. Thank you for your intrest.
Lara Thomas, Planning Manager
Lara,
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping to make the city government more transparent. It is nice to know that there are folks like you who are working so hard for us in our government.
Thank you,
Thomas