UPDATED | Petition started to Save the Houghton Community Council

By on March 5, 2011 in Neighborhood News

UPDATED

Petition signature gatherers will be located at Houghton’s Metropolitan Market on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

A petition has been started in Houghton to save the Houghton Community Council and is being circulated this weekend to gain signatures in opposition of House Bill 1812. The signed petition will be presented to legislators in Olympia on Tuesday.

The complete text of the petition follows:

Petition to Save the Houghton Community Council

The Washington Legislature is processing a bill (HB 1812) that will change the vote for continuation of the Houghton Community Council (“HCC”) from the voters of Houghton to all the voters of Kirkland.  This legislation has been introduced with no notice to HCC or Houghton citizens.

HCC’s formation was an essential condition for the citizens of the City of Houghton to approve a merger with the City of Kirkland in 1968.  It preserves local control over land use decisions within Houghton to protect the character of the community.  HCC has worked very effectively with Kirkland’s city council and staff for over forty years at a minimal cost estimated at under $20,000 per year, less than .01% of the annual Kirkland budget.

We, the undersigned, object to changing the election process that was the basis for Houghton’s approval of the merger with Kirkland.  HCC does not vote on matters outside it’s boundaries, and voters outside Houghton should not vote on HCC matters.  We urge rejection of this legislation.

Download Petition_to_Save_the_Houghton_Community_Council.

About Rob Butcher

Editor and Scribbler of Kirkland Views.
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  • RoseHillton

    Why aren’t we all able to have local control over land use issues to protect the character of our community? Perhaps Rose Hill should secede. We have car dealers, the 85th corridor and Costco and great neighborhoods. Seems only logical based on what is being asked for here, that all annexed areas should be able to have veto power. Juanita, Finn Hill and Kingsgate, listen up, this is your opportunity too.

  • Concerned Resident

    Hopefully everyone will read the other Letter and the posts in Kirkland Views
    “Letter | Legislature trying to quietly kill the Houghton Community Council?”
    There’s lots of good information there.

  • Sur88

    Secession seems to be a little over the top – removing the major players in this backroom end run does not. From what I can determine The Mayor and at least two council members knew and approved of trying to get this passed in the middle of the night. Good legislation does not need to be done by stealth.

    Is a community council redundant? Perhaps, but the Kirkland council is either duplicitous (prior to 2010) or duplicitous AND worthless (after 2010).

    McBride makes no attempt to hide her backstabbing. If she were to get something, anything, accomplished we might even overlook it. But she is so concerned about her pet projects and her ‘legacy’ that nothing of substance is happening. Her mayorial term is thankfully winding down but can Kirkland, Houghton and the PAA afford what she might have up her slereve in the next 9 months?

    Tying Totem Lake development to her desire to see cheap housing EVERYWHERE doesn’t do anyone any good. Putting the McBride Memorial Housing Projects at the South Kirkland Park and Ride would be a disaster. There is simply no way to provide a commercial district for the residents.

    And right now The Houghton Community Council is the only thing that stands between Joan and her vision.

  • Karen Levenson

    Additional signatures can be added tomorrow, Sunday 3/6 from Noon – 3pm at Metropolitan Market with petition gatherers. Additionally, anyone interested in representing the Houghton/Lakeview area in Olympia at the hearing would be welcomed. 1:30pm in Olympia on Tuesday.

  • Anonymous

    HB 1812 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections at 1:30PM on Tuesday, March 8. The committee meets in Senate Hearing Room 2 in the John A. Cherberg Building in Olympia.

    For information on testifying in person on the bill, go to http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/visitingthelegislature.aspx.

    The members of the committee are:

    Sen. Craig Pridemore (D-49th District, Vancouver), Chair
    Sen. Margarita Prentice (D-11th District, Renton), Vice Chair
    Sen. Dan Swecker (R-20th District, Rochester), Ranking Member
    Sen. Don Benton (R-17th District, Vancouver)
    Sen. Maralyn Chase (D-32nd District, Shoreline)
    Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-34th District, Maury Island)
    Sen. Pam Roach (D-31st District, Auburn)

    Here are the email addresses of all seven committee members, in case you want to write and let them know how you feel about the bill:

    vog.aw.gelnull@eromedirp.giarc; vog.aw.gelnull@ecitnerp.atiragram; vog.aw.gelnull@rekcews.nad; vog.aw.gelnull@notneb.nod; vog.aw.gelnull@esahc.nylaram; vog.aw.gelnull@noslen.norahs; vog.aw.gelnull@hcaor.map

    You can also call toll-free 1-800-562-6000 to leave a message for any legislator.

  • Anonymous

    By the way, I found the floor debate on HB 1812 in the TVW recording. Go to http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2011020160B&TYPE=V&CFID=24243&CFTOKEN=69644337&bhcp=1, and advance to 00:23:13. The entire floor debate and voting lasts three (3) minutes — that how much consideration the Washington State House of Representatives gave this issue. And the fascinating thing is that the “prime sponsor”, Rep. Steve Kirby, once again didn’t speak on the bill, but just pointed to Rep. Larry Springer to speak on it — so who is really the sponsor?