Daily Archives: January 20, 2017

Sammamish Council struggles with public comment

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Sammamish Retreat 2017

The Sammamish City Council Friday split over how much public comment is allowed at regular meetings and study sessions.

It’s a balance between giving the public as much latitude as possible while managing the Council’s time. Recent Council meetings had public comment sessions that have gone two hours or more. The resulted in Council meetings going past midnight vs a 10pm target.

Public comment sessions are limited today to three minutes for an individual and five minutes for a recognized group.

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Retirements change Sammamish Council election dynamics

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Don Gerend

The decisions by Mayor Don Gerend and Deputy Mayor Bob Keller to retire at the end of their present terms represents a dramatic shift in the political landscape in Sammamish.

Gerend will finish his 18th year in office when the current term ends Dec. 31. He was one of the original Council members when the City was incorporated in 1999.

Keller is finishing his first term. His wife, Shannon, retired from her job and Keller wants to join her in retirement. Keller served on the Planning Advisory Board, which wrote the City’s first Comprehensive Plan, and the Planning Commission, which among other things wrote the Town Center Plan.

Both distinguished themselves with their public service.

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