By Dave Earling
Phew! We are about to close out a very busy year. For me, it has been fast forward the entire time. That is not a complaint, merely a reflection of the pace we have maintained. Because of my 12 years on the Council, I thought I had a pretty good handle on what the pace of the Mayor’s office would be, and I was close. My major miss was thinking there would be occasional “lulls” in the schedule; on that point I was wrong! The last lull was between Christmas and New Year, a year ago!
The difficult budget process is finished (kudos to the Council), several large public works and parks projects are completed (including Main Street), and we have settled all of our union negotiations. The two-year process developing the strategic plan is almost ready to present to the Planning Board, Economic Development Commission and City Council. We have new owners of Old Milltown and the Antique Mall, and we have recruited new businesses to many of our several business areas.
City staff has been successful in assembling $14 million in grants, which will bring new projects to improve our city; Sound Transit will be providing expanded parking for the Sounder Commuter Rail Service; and we will provide two major projects on Highway 99, including a beautification project in the International District and a major transportation improvement in the area of 228th and the highway. If the state Legislature approves, we are very high on the “to-be-approved list” for a $500,000 improvement to City Park.
Toward the end of the year, the Community Development Department brought Roger Brooks to Edmonds to speak. A Puget Sound resident, Mr. Brooks has gained an international reputation for giving communities creative ideas and invigorating “easy” to “complex” concepts and goals for cities to work toward. Mr. Brooks provided a number of potential solutions for ways in which, in the short-term, we can invigorate Edmonds specifically. With the above-mentioned strategic plan moving forward, we can integrate his ideas and at the same time look to our city’s long-term needs too.
Reaction was so positive from Mr. Brooks’ first presentation among the business community, council and public, we will have him back during the first quarter of 2013. Also in 2013, we will implement a two year re-write of our City Code, begin a study of the SR 104 corridor and work on several legislative issues in Olympia… it will be a very busy first part of the year!
We all know Edmonds is a marvelous city with an excellent quality of life and high levels of community involvement. We have gained dramatic improvements in attracting quality small businesses to the city as well as a growing reputation as a quality arts community. The Edmonds School District has had dramatic improvement in test scores and the addition of Swedish/Edmonds has brought an uplifting shift in perception of our local health care. Yes, we have a marvelous community.
I look forward to working with the community to sustain these qualities and yet look to the future. But before we get there, I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season. It is a wonderful time to pause and reflect.
Dear Mr. Earling:
Taking you at your word that “We all know (1) Edmonds is a marvelous city with an excellent quality of life and (2) high levels of community involvement” I have two major requests. (1) Please use the power of your office to oppose any project that is guaranteed to impair the quality of our lives, particularly the Port’s proposal to allow very tall residential development in our unique harbor area. Projects like these provide short-term benefits to their developers, promoters, and agents and very long term costs to the vast majority of the residents of Edmonds. (2) When ill-advised proposals such as the Port’s most recent effort are considered by the Council despite your efforts to reject them, please allow none to be added to the Comprehensive Plan before being fully discussed in public and put to a vote by all City residents. In accord with your commitment to do so, we are all counting on you to protect us from irresponsible development and to guarantee that the voice of all will be heard and respected. By honoring these requests you will make 2013 a Happy New Year for all of us.
Richard Stuart (Edmonds home owner for 25 years)
Richard:
You need to direct your concerns to the city council; your issues do not fall within the jurisdiction of the mayor.
The third public hearing on the Port’s proposal to redevelop Harbor Square is scheduled for January 29th.
Dear Mr. Wambolt:
Am I mistaken in my belief that the Mayor oversees every Department in the
City government and in my understanding that he has instructed many with work on considering revision of the Comp Plan in accord with the Port’s woefully incomplete proposal? And am I wrong in believing that the Mayor influences the Council agenda and votes on the issues that come before it. That puts him in a pivotal position to influence its actions? I thought that these are among the responsibilities that we pay him to meet.
I sincerely hope that Mr. Earling uses his influence and power to honor his stated
intention protect the Edmonds way of life and give its citizens a strong voice in the way in the way our community is run. This is not the place for me to inform you about the myriad of data missing from the Port’s proposal and its grim potential impact upon the quality of life in Edmonds. The proper forum for such discussion is in candid public debate about the issues and, if it unfortunately gets that far, in arguments for and against the proposal in a Citywide public vote on any proposal that has so many potentially negative impacts.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Mr. Stuart:
You are of course corrrect that the Mayor oversees every city department and in doing so gives instructions to the staff, but the city council decides on what happens with the staff’s recommendations. Undoubtedly, from time to time, the Mayor influences the council’s agenda. But the results of agenda items remain with the council. The Mayor normally does not vote; he is only able to vote when the council vote is tied, and only on certain issues.
Merry Christmas to you too!
Thank you, Mayor, for leading the charge and engaging all of us in the future of our wonderful town. -Janette
THANKS MAYOR FOR THE GREAT JOB YOU HAVE DONE THIS PAST YEAR
Mr Mayor: Unlike President Obama, you are unable to go golfing 183 times during your tenure as Mayor. Never the less I hope you can get some repite in knowing that you have done a terrific job in not only overseeing our City but at the same time pointing out the financial difficulties and budget shortfalls we are facing as we march into the future.
Please don’t have a heart attack until you finish the job. lol
Dave Page
Mayor Earling, All of us can be thankful for your leadership and your willingness to work with the citizens and council to make Edmonds a better place. Cutting the budget was not an easy task and the years ahead will be even harder. Catch your breath during the holidays and let’s get rolling quickly in 2013 for some new and exciting times for our town.