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july 16, 2015
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Council takes first step to allow initiatives and referenda By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com In the April special election, city voters said they wanted the powers of initiatives and referenda by a vote of 55.4 percent to 44.5 percent. In early October, residents will gain those rights thanks to their votes and legislative action set in motion by the
Sammamish City Council at its regular meeting July 7. By a 5-2 margin, the council adopted a resolution stating its intention to approve an ordinance allowing voter-powered initiatives and referenda in Sammamish. That resolution of intention is required under state laws outlining initiatives and referenda. The council will act on a
first reading of an enabling ordinance at a special meeting July 14, with a second and final reading set for July 21. The timing will allow the council to vote on the issue prior to taking its summer break in August, said Tim Larson, city communications manager. Assuming council votes in favor of the ordinance, the effective date would then
Dirt can’t hurt
be 90 days after the second reading, or roughly Oct. 10. “I’m very excited,” Councilwoman Nancy Whitten said. “This is an opportunity to provide more democratic rights to our citizens.” “It took a while, but there is it,” resident Harry Shedd said. “It’s all good.” Shedd and the community group Citizens for Sammamish
Photos by Greg Farrar
The only thing not covered by mud is her grin, as Taylor Whitt, 11, of Stanwood, gives a thumbs up at the finish line of the Mud Factor 5K fun run July 18 at Lake Sammamish State Park. Taylor plunged in face-first, crawled under six 2-by-4s in a 20-foot-long pit 18 inches deep in mud, and went into the lake to wash off after receiving her participation medal. A total of 5,000 adults and children signed up for the family friendly, noncompetitive, daylong event.
See more photos from the July 4 Fourth on the Plateau celebration at www. sammamishreview.com.
At right, participants emerge from the limbo pit in various states of muddiness, depending on their attitude for adventure, halfway through their Mud Factor 5K fun run July 18 at Lake Sammamish State Park.
See COUNCIL, Page 2
Incumbent hit with records requests as opponent drops out of council race By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com
SLIDESHOW
lobbied the council extensively about putting the issue on the ballot. The council then agreed to a nonbinding advisory vote and Shedd personally ran a campaign promoting the issue with voters. Councilman Tom Odell and Vice Mayor Kathy Huckabay voted against the resolution
With the informal withdrawal of his opponent for Sammamish City Council Position 4, incumbent Councilman Ramiro Valderrama-Aramayo will run virtually unopposed for his second term on council. But Valderrama-Aramayo said someone is playing political games against him, sending the city what he considers unreasonable public requests for emails he sent or received in the course of city business. “All the requests were dubious at best,” ValderramaAramayo said. While he filed to oppose Valderrama-Aramayo, resident Hank Klein has stated he will not run for council, though the King County Elections deadline for removing his name from the ballot came and went May 18. “I have withdrawn from the race for Sammamish City Council Position No. 4 for personal reasons,” Klein wrote in a one-line, emailed response to a request for comment on the council race. Valderrama-Aramayo said he received an identical statement from Klein. Klein’s unofficial withdrawal from the November election leaves Sammamish with two
council contests. Incumbent Councilwoman Nancy Whitten announced she is not running for re-election for council Position 2. Vying to take her place are residents Christie Malchow and Mark Cross. For Position 6, resident Tom Hornish is challenging Mayor Tom Vance. A third candidate withdrew his name prior to the county’s May deadline. As none of the Sammamish council races consist of more than two candidates, there is no need for any primary elections in the city. As for the public records requests aimed mostly at Valderrama-Aramayo, they were emailed to the city April 20 by Stephanie Megan Pipes. In an email sent to the city April 20, Pipes requested all incoming or outgoing emails to or from Valderrama-Aramayo. She further asked for any emails between not only ValderramaAramayo but also Whitten and See ELECTION, Page 2 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
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