Last night’s Boundary Review Board revealed a very disturbing practice the Council uses to get what they want, that of allowing individual Councilmembers or staff members to make deals with outside agencies. Point in question: SB 5808 annexation possibilities through MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that describes an annexation agreement between agencies without public input. Voting is not allowed. An attorney that testified for the Woodinville Fire District said that he just found out about it last week.
Fire Station 34 lies inside the PAA. If annexation goes through, the fire district will lose more than $1 million in revenue since the property taxes based on assessed value will be transferred to Kirkland. The level of service for the area served by Station 34 goes down, something the BRB is supposed to prevent. To maintain response times, Kirkland would have to take over Station 34 but not without cost. Whatever compensation if given to Woodinville Fire District, it would not account for the decreased service levels in other parts of their district. The district would have to build at least one or more fire stations to maintain service levels. The BRB failed to do its job and is subject to challenge.
The Kirkland Council will probably attempt to make deals with adjacent jurisdictions before SB 5808 takes effect this summer. It would help prevent an objection by the Woodinville Fire District that would cause a vote of the people. Therefore, it will be a clandestine operation in what is supposed to be a public forum. If staff or any member of council has been directed to explore possible deals, it should be at the direction of the entire council and made public.
If they do not, it will once again hide what they are doing from the public until a deal is made thereby usurping a possible challenge against annexation from the Woodinville Fire District.
At the BRB hearing, it was also disclosed that Kirkland is negotiation possible deals with the agencies controlling the parks within the PAA. When are we going to find out what deals are proposed and how much it’s going to cost us? If they are regional parks, who’s going to pay for improvements and maintenance. These clandestine operations need to stop. Citizens have a right to know.
Robert L. Style, Kirkland
