Tag Archives: Klahanie

Ask not what Issaquah can do for Klahanie, ask what Issaquah can do to Klahanie: annexation considerations

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The opinions expressed here are my own.

Issaquah wants Klahanie to annex to the city. A July 9, 2013, memo from the City Administrator, Bob Harrison, to the City Council tells why, and it is all about the benefit to the City it will get from Klahanie. But what are the benefits Klahanie will get from annexing to Issaquah?

That’s a good question.

  • Klahanie residents will be subject to a utility tax.
  • Police service may or may not be improved over that provided to King County. When the police chief was asked at the first public meeting if this would be the case, he equivocated.
  • The so-called Klahanie fire station may close. It’s owned by Sammamish and the station answers more calls to Issaquah than to Sammamish, so Sammamish is thinking about relocating it to better serve its residents.
  • Klahanie gets to assume part of Issaquah’s existing debt.
  • Klahanie will give the city more debt-borrowing capacity, and any new debt will be assumed by Klahanie on a pro rata basis.

Do you have doubts? Read Harrison’s letter for yourself. It’s public record. I’ve reproduced it below. Click image to enlarge.

IssKlahanie Pg1

IssKlah Page 2

The Boundary Review Board holds its public hearing Wednesday, September 18, 2013, at 7pm at the Holiday Inn in Issaquah.

Why Issaquah can’t be trusted, Part 2: Klahanie annexation

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The opinions expressed are my own.

Why Issaquah can’t be trusted, Part 1: Mayor admits to cybersquatting.

After summer doldrums, events are picking up with the prospective annexation of Klahanie into Issaquah.

While this is known as the Klahanie Potential Annexation Area (PAA), in reality there are several adjacent neighborhoods to Klahanie that are also subject to the February vote the Issaquah City Council has set. The Issaquah Reporter has a very good story outlining the issues facing Klahanie voters. The map below is from this story and shows the adjacent neighborhoods.

But there are other issues voters need to consider, and top of the list is whether Issaquah, its city council and city administration are the best choices to become their new leaders. And this is quite questionable.

Map Source: Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter, Sept. 12, 2013.

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Why Klahanie annexation, water fight matter to Sammamish

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This is the “Sammamish Comment.” So why am I spending so much time on a water fight between Issaquah and the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District and the proposed annexation by Issaquah of Klahanie?

Because of the impacts on Sammamish, which could be profound.

The water fight and the annexation are the crescendo of long-running disputes between Sammamish and Issaquah, in which Issaquah has basically stiff-armed Sammamish at nearly every turn–most notably years-long efforts to adjust the financial contributions of the many partners in the Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR) service.

Sammamish, by assessed value of the homes and land, pays the largest share into EFR. But Issaquah generates more calls. By Sammamish’s analysis, Issaquah should be paying about $500,000 a year more than it is based on the actual calls.

Issaquah refuses to adjust. Relations between Sammamish and Issaquah have reached a breaking point. Sammamish will decide soon whether to withdraw from EFR and form its own fire department or possibly even an alliance with Redmond.

Sammamish might close “Klahanie” fire station

Sammamish has warned that if Klahanie annexes to Issaquah, Station 83, more commonly known as the Klahanie fire station–which is owned by Sammamish and located at SE 32nd and Issaquah-Pine Lake Road–may be closed. Issaquah, according to our information from Sammamish, has already told our leaders it won’t buy the station.

This didn’t stop the Issaquah police chief from telling Klahanie residents that he could co-locate a police sub-station at the Klahanie fire station, a comment that came as a surprise to Sammamish officials.

Issaquah’s arrogance over EFR matters–and the continued unfair financial burden Sammamish taxpayers have because of Issaquah–is an issue unto itself but it’s also tied to the Klahanie annexation.

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Water District vs Issaquah: video presentations tell the story

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The debate is contentious. The Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District says Issaquah wants to inject contaminated water into an area where fecal coliform can infiltrate into an aquifer that provides up to 50% of the drinking water for the District, which serves 54,000 residents in Issaquah (including part of the Issaquah Highlands, all of Providence Point and Overdale), all of Klahanie and other parts of unincorporated King County and roughly three quarters of Sammamish.

Issaquah officials charge the Water District is resorting to scare tactics and its real “agenda” is “self-preservation” and to block the potential annexation by Issaquah of Klahanie. What’s noteworthy of Mayor Ava Frisinger’s approach on this is that by making allegations that the District has an “agenda” and personally attacking the president of the District, she’s avoiding the issues and the City is repeating tactics from 2008 when the Washington Department of Ecology forced (repeat, forced) Issaquah to shut down the so-called LRIG (Lower Reid Infiltration Gallery) in the first place.

Then, according to the press report at the time, Issaquah told Ecology:

They stated that the DOE relied on information supplied by the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District, and said it was “riddled with factual errors,” and contains “inflammatory, incorrect and prejudicial statements masquerading as science and technical analysis.” They also call the monitoring program required by the DOE order “extensive, expensive, excessive, unreasonable and arbitrary.

Frisinger and her administration are following the same line of attack today.

Fortunately, you can see for yourself. Issaquah and the Water District each made presentations to the Sammamish City Council on the issue. Sammamish is trying to sort out facts and has heard from both sides. Issaquah heard the presentation from its own consultant, who also presented to Sammamish, but has so far not wanted to hear from the Water District. It’s clear Issaquah doesn’t give a damn about public opinion or scientific questions over the dispute and it’s equally clear it doesn’t want to hear from the Water District, which is why the District felt compelled to “go public” in the first place.

But you can watch the following videos:

Issaquah Presentation to Issaquah City Council (this was the same presentation given to the Sammamish City Council the same evening). This is 31 minutes.

Water District Presentation to Sammamish City Council on June 4. (Issaquah hasn’t invited the Water District to present to the City Council). Advance to 46:30 minutes for the hour-long presentation.

I think you will find a great deal of useful information that you can compare about who is more factual and more complete.

With respect to the allegation of “self-preservation,” Issaquah is attempting a hostile takeover of a small portion of the District that includes three wells (the ones using the aquifer at risk) in such a way that will dismember the infrastructure to the detriment of Sammamish residents, and those in unincorporated King County. 93% of the District lies outside Issaquah (using Issaquah’s own number) and Issaquah refuses to talk with the District or Sammamish in a way to resolve these issues and concerns. Instead, officials have made it clear that they are only interested in themselves, no matter the consequences to anyone else.

The threat to the water quality is why the Water District is putting up such a fight.

Issaquah stonewalls Klahanie on water at annexation meeting

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Representatives of Issaquah refused to answer any questions at the city-sponsored informational meeting for the potential annexation of Klahanie about plans to inject polluted stormwater into a well that could contaminate the aquifer providing drinking water for Klahanie.

There was a public meeting last night, May 22. They were asked over and over and over to comment on the water issues; they refused every time.

[The Sammamish City Council raises questions over Issaquah’s plans.]

So much for Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger’s pledge of being “open and transparent” on the water permit issue.

Several Klahanie residents asked the representatives of the city about Issaquah’s plans to inject water into the so-called LRIG, the Lower Reid Infiltration Galley. The aquifer provides water to Well 9 owned by the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, and in 2009 the state Department of Ecology closed the LRIG because fecal coliform (bird and other poop) infiltrated through the LRIG and contaminated the aquifer.

Issaquah on May 8 told another Klahanie-focus meeting that there will be no change in what agency supplies the water, but this omitted the fact that the city is already engaged in a hostile takeover attempt of the Water District.

Here is a Fact Sheet the Water District issued (click on images to enlarge):

Klahanie Fact Sheet Pg 1

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Klahanie Fact Sheet Pg 2