Comments on: Effort to Recall Kirkland City Councilmembers ends http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/ Kirkland's Blog for News and views on life in the City of Kirkland, Washington Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:30:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: frankly http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1256 frankly Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:22:20 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1256 FYI: There are currently 58 signatures on the petition to recall Mayor Lauinger. Of those 6 are duplicates. You do not need to pay to sign the petition but you do need to enter your e-mail address. Comments are optional. If the petition ever reaches 500 valid signatures it can be presented to the Mayor and the city attorney. It would be somewhat effective even if an actual recall did not occur in that it would put pressure on the Mayor if he choses to run for re-election. I think the effort should continue. FYI: There are currently 58 signatures on the petition to recall Mayor Lauinger. Of those 6 are duplicates. You do not need to pay to sign the petition but you do need to enter your e-mail address. Comments are optional.
If the petition ever reaches 500 valid signatures it can be presented to the Mayor and the city attorney. It would be somewhat effective even if an actual recall did not occur in that it would put pressure on the Mayor if he choses to run for re-election.
I think the effort should continue.

]]> By: murph http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1235 murph Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:27:17 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1235 Since I am not interested in signing the petition, I don't know or care how it works. In case you are "Andy", the last two signatures have duplicate comments, one from "Andy" and one from "Anonymous". There is not sufficient interest in the recall. Since I am not interested in signing the petition, I don’t know or care how it works. In case you are “Andy”, the last two signatures have duplicate comments, one from “Andy” and one from “Anonymous”. There is not sufficient interest in the recall.

]]> By: EastOfMarketer http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1234 EastOfMarketer Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:59:55 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1234 Murph: I just went to the above petition site and noticed that in order to sign it, you have to pay for it through paypal. Furthermore, the amount paid goes to IPetitions and not a fund that may be necessary to support a recall. I'm not complaining, but just stating this. I'm curious if this could be keeping the number of signatures "down" as opposed to the existence of this petition needing more exposure. EOM Murph:

I just went to the above petition site and noticed that in order to sign it, you have to pay for it through paypal. Furthermore, the amount paid goes to IPetitions and not a fund that may be necessary to support a recall. I’m not complaining, but just stating this. I’m curious if this could be keeping the number of signatures “down” as opposed to the existence of this petition needing more exposure.

EOM

]]> By: murph http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1209 murph Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:18:36 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1209 The Recall List. Of 53 postings, several are multiples and 14 are anonymous. Petitions, Recalls, etc. require one identifiable signature per person. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/KirklandRecall/signatures.html The Recall List. Of 53 postings, several are multiples and 14 are anonymous. Petitions, Recalls, etc. require one identifiable signature per person.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/KirklandRecall/signatures.html

]]> By: John Gilday http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1206 John Gilday Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:36:34 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1206 My experience has the Kirkland Hearing Examiner doing the bidding of their stringholders - no more no less. Fairness and evidence is really not part of the equation. Whatever the people-behind-the-scenes desire / request will be the outcome of any matter brought before the hearing examiner. A total sham and a complete waste of time. A Kirkland hearing examiner will tell you 5 pounds of hamburger is a 'vibrant, living cow' if thats what the puppetmaster tells her to say. IMHO My experience has the Kirkland Hearing Examiner doing the bidding of their stringholders - no more no less.

Fairness and evidence is really not part of the equation. Whatever the people-behind-the-scenes desire / request will be the outcome of any matter brought before the hearing examiner.

A total sham and a complete waste of time. A Kirkland hearing examiner will tell you 5 pounds of hamburger is a ‘vibrant, living cow’ if thats what the puppetmaster tells her to say.

IMHO

]]> By: Tia http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1186 Tia Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:18:20 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1186 Norkirklander, that sounds like a reasonable solution. That is how the rail-to-trail issue was settled in Sammamish. Norkirklander, that sounds like a reasonable solution. That is how the rail-to-trail issue was settled in Sammamish.

]]> By: Norkirklander http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1181 Norkirklander Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:10:39 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1181 I was not able to attend your meeting last night, so I'm not sure that this comment is relevant to your effort, but I have read many posts that suggest that Kirkland Comp. Plan changes are needed to avoid future BOA type conflicts. I don't agree. I believe that given the opportunity certain members of the community would sieze the opportunity to impose inflexible height limits for the downtown. I also believe that people (especially those who can ante up for a high power land use attorny such as Mr. Aramburu) will always find some technical issue on which to base their appeal of DRB decisions. Instead of spending time to revise the code to try and make it bulletproof, effort should now be focused on fixing the process. The simplist solution I see is that we should revise City Code to have DRB appeals heard by the Hearing Examiner and take the politics out. The truth is that Councilmembers are not capable to ethically fullfill their responsibilities in quasi-judicial hearings. Let's take that job away from them! Let the professionalism of the DRB process be respected, and employ the services of an impartial and appropriately educated judge to determine the outcome of high-stakes appeals. I was not able to attend your meeting last night, so I’m not sure that this comment is relevant to your effort, but I have read many posts that suggest that Kirkland Comp. Plan changes are needed to avoid future BOA type conflicts. I don’t agree. I believe that given the opportunity certain members of the community would sieze the opportunity to impose inflexible height limits for the downtown. I also believe that people (especially those who can ante up for a high power land use attorny such as Mr. Aramburu) will always find some technical issue on which to base their appeal of DRB decisions. Instead of spending time to revise the code to try and make it bulletproof, effort should now be focused on fixing the process.

The simplist solution I see is that we should revise City Code to have DRB appeals heard by the Hearing Examiner and take the politics out. The truth is that Councilmembers are not capable to ethically fullfill their responsibilities in quasi-judicial hearings. Let’s take that job away from them! Let the professionalism of the DRB process be respected, and employ the services of an impartial and appropriately educated judge to determine the outcome of high-stakes appeals.

]]> By: murph http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1147 murph Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:14:39 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1147 LTKR, Thank you for the thoughtful clarification of your views. Are you, or were you, ever affiliated with DRB? LTKR, Thank you for the thoughtful clarification of your views. Are you, or were you, ever affiliated with DRB?

]]> By: murph http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1131 murph Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:43:31 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1131 LTKR, As I understand it, CiViK's legal appeal was based on the ascertain that the DRB BoA approval did not follow the comp plan. Outside of that, have you ever discussed with any of them what their vision is? It might be beneficial to a newly formed downtown activist group to invite CiViK in to see if there is any common ground. You might be surprised ro find that they aren't as anti-development as you all assume. Further, I suspect that within CiViK there are differences of opinions on the future of Kirkland. Make this new CPAD inclusive and open to a variety of opinions. LTKR,
As I understand it, CiViK’s legal appeal was based on the ascertain that the DRB BoA approval did not follow the comp plan. Outside of that, have you ever discussed with any of them what their vision is?

It might be beneficial to a newly formed downtown activist group to invite CiViK in to see if there is any common ground. You might be surprised ro find that they aren’t as anti-development as you all assume. Further, I suspect that within CiViK there are differences of opinions on the future of Kirkland. Make this new CPAD inclusive and open to a variety of opinions.

]]> By: Sarah Andeen http://www.kirklandviews.com/2008/08/07/recall-attempt-abandoned/#comment-1130 Sarah Andeen Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:39:09 +0000 http://www.kirklandviews.com/?p=622#comment-1130 EOM - I certainly see an overlap and I was hoping you would want to come/provide your CPAD name to the project, etc. I think that identifying key people for the future is necessary as well. So I do hope you can attend on Wed and would certainly welcome as much input/assistance/leadership as you and others are willing to provide. Hope to see you there. Thanks Sarah EOM - I certainly see an overlap and I was hoping you would want to come/provide your CPAD name to the project, etc. I think that identifying key people for the future is necessary as well. So I do hope you can attend on Wed and would certainly welcome as much input/assistance/leadership as you and others are willing to provide. Hope to see you there.

Thanks Sarah

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