Seattle Times editorial: Outsource the cops

Based on its two-part series on the Bainbridge Island Police Department, the Seattle Times has now penned an editorial: Rethinking law enforcement options on Bainbridge Island. Their prescription? A department review from the ground up. More police training, especially in crisis intervention. And while we’re at it, we should think about outsourcing the police department [...]

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The City of Bainbridge Island responds to the Times articles

This afternoon, the following statement (posted on the City’s website) was issued by the City of Bainbridge Island: The City of Bainbridge Island February 27, 2012 Dear Bainbridge Island residents: The Seattle Times published stories, yesterday and today, which focused on the Douglas Ostling tragedy and on how the city has dealt with accusations of misconduct by [...]

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Spotlight on the Bainbridge police

The Seattle Times has written the first of a two-part story about the Ostling shooting and the Bainbridge Island Police Department. The Times article has some new detail about the case, gleaned from public records, depositions and conversations with the Ostling family. Go here to read part one. Update 2/27/12: Part two is on the Times’ website [...]

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Is the law still the law if you refuse to hear it?

At tonight’s presentation about the authority of Council members under the Council-Manager form of government by Seattle lawyer Steve DeJulio, Mayor Debbi Lester and Council members Dave Ward and Steve Bonkowski quickly shut down Council member Bob Scales when he tried to ask questions about the authority of individual Council members to act without a [...]

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It’s official: Council will revisit water utility divestiture

At the Council meeting tonight, a majority of the Council expressed a desire to reconsider the issue of whether to divest the City’s water utility in 2012, likely in the third quarter. After persistent questioning by Anne Blair, Steven Bonkowski said he wanted to look at the question in the third quarter. Kirsten Hytopoulos urged [...]

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Council mania: live blogging 2-15-12

I’m at the Council meeting tonight, starting to blog at the agenda item, “2012 Workplan Priorities.” Morgan Smith presented a list of high priority items for staff, including resolving outstanding labor claims and negotiating a new police guild contract, Rockaway Beach stabilization, increasing the annual roads preservation support by 50%, and updating the water and [...]

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“It is signed!”–Governor Christine Gregoire

A moment of gratitude for our state legislature, our Governor, our wonderful state! Marriage Equality is now law (I don’t care about the referendum, at least not today. I’ll be out there campaigning if it makes it to the ballot). Governor Gregoire gave a moving, powerful speech before she signed around noon today. Read about [...]

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A timeline of deceit and improper action

From their first days in office, Dave Ward and Steven Bonkowski, along with two-year council veteran Debbi Lester, executed a plan to fire City Manager Brenda Bauer. The plan was developed and acted upon behind closed doors, without lawful authority. All three denied the existence of any such plan when publicly asked by council colleagues. [...]

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Ward, Lester, Bonkowski secretly hired law firm for Bauer firing

Update 2/10/12: I have checked the Council’s meeting minutes. Although the threesome claimed they engaged Inslee Best on Debbi Lester’s mayoral authority, she was not mayor on the day the firm was hired (Jan. 5). She was elected mayor at the Council meeting on Jan. 11, when most of the firm’s work was already done. [...]

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“Stacking” the UAC: a short history

Now that our City Manager has been dispatched by the newly constituted City Council, another item on its to-do list may well be a reconsideration of whether to divest the City’s water utility to the Kitsap PUD (KPUD). Current mayor Debbi Lester voted against retaining the utility back in December when the Council majority decided [...]

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