I received word from Christine Malchow late Sunday that she has filed papers to withdraw her candidacy for Sammamish City Council. The move leaves incumbent Don Gerend unopposed for a fifth term.
The deadline for candidates to file for the 2013 elections has passed, and two of the four positions in Sammamish are unopposed.
Tom Odell, completing his first four year term, and a two year term as Mayor, is unopposed for reelection.
Bob Keller is also unopposed. He ran for the Council in the 1999 primary for our city’s first Council, but missed making the final cut. He’s been active in civic affairs since, including serving on the Planning Commission and the Planning Advisory Board. He, too, is unopposed.
Don Gerend, the lone remaining original council member from 1999, is running for a fifth term. He is opposed by newcomer Christine Malchow, who applied for a seat on one of the city’s commissions but didn’t get appointed (Gerend would have had a vote).
Malchow is a Republican (this is a non-partisan election, however). Her campaign website isn’t up yet but she has a blog on the Sammamish Patch and on WordPress. She has a Facebook page.
Kathy Huckabay, who like Gerend was one of the first City Council members elected in 1999, did not seek re-election four years ago. She’s back, seeking her old seat (being vacated by John James).
She is opposed by Larry Wright. Wright was a member of the state’s Charter School Panel. He is the Managing Director at the Bellevue Arts Museum and has been involved in mentoring endeavors, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also served on a commission on homelessness.
The Sammamish Community Center is already $2 million over budget, according to the first estimate to come into the City.
Voters approved a $30 million project in an advisory vote last November.
The Sammamish Review revealed the overage in its article reporting that Don Gerend will seek another term. The reference is short and it’s buried but it’s there.
Issaquah held an informational meeting May 8 about the potential annexation of Klahanie, an area of nearly 11,000 residents, and omitted a key piece of information: the city is pursuing a hostile take-over of the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, the provider of their water service.
Nor did the city tell Klahanie residents that it is pursuing a permit with the state Department of Ecology that will inject stormwater into the aquifer that supplies drinking water to Klahanie.
So much for being open and transparent.
[Issaquah plan threatens Klahanie water supply.]
In a handout Wednesday night, Issaquah wrote:
What would not change with annexation
In this flyer, Issaquah says it does not have plans to provide water and sewer service to Klahanie. What the city is not saying is that it does have plans to include Klahanie in its future utility service. In Issaquah’s own 2012 Comp Plan, the city clearly shows Klahanie inside the “Future Retail Service Area” (Figure 2.0x).
Why does this matter? Keep reading below the jump.
That’s what she said May 6 to media and on Social Media.
““We all drink from the same glass, the citizens of Issaquah and Sammamish,” Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger said.” Press release dated May 6, 2013, on Issaquah City website.
What if that glass of water looks like this?
Issaquah’s plan to inject stormwater runoff without adequate pre-treatment proposed by the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District–threatening our drinking water aquifer that is immediately below the so-called LRIG into which the Mayor wants to inject stormwater–may not look this bad but it’s what you don’t see that will hurt you.
Fecal coliform (from bird and other animal poop), metal particles and contaminants contained in stormwater runoff from Issaquah Highlands are all in stormwater. Issaquah contends filtering it through the ground and the LRIG will be adequate. The Water District says more pre-treatment is needed. This is the crux of the battle going on between the city, the District and the Washington Department of Ecology right now. Ecology, inexplicably, is nearing approval of a Draft Permit to allow Issaquah to inject stormwater into the ground only nine feet from the District’s aquifer that serves 54,000 people mostly in Sammamish and Klahanie and including other portions of unincorporated King County and parts of Issaquah.
The Water District offered three times to co-fund a pre-treatment facility and Issaquah rejected each offer.
Frisinger says Issaquah is committed to protecting the aquifer. If this is true, you have to ask: why won’t the city work together with the Water District, which offers to co-fund a proper pre-treatment stormwater facility?
Sammamish Comment 