MINUTES
Take Back DuPont
Thursday, November 15, 7:00 PM
In attendance: Shawna Gasak, Tom Colegrove, Mike Gorski, Maurice
Toussant, Roger Westman, Matt Royer, David Bungart, Laurie Fait, Ed Healy,
New Member Introductions:
Maurice Toussant, Hoffman Hill, gave a brief introduction about himself;
he moved here in 2004. Was involved with the school board and the parks
agency. Wants to get involved and bring
solutions not just talk about issues.
Discussion Items
Budget and revenue hearing on
November 13, 2012
Mike
Gorski provided an overview for TBD members not in attendance. Overall budget is increasing 11%. Plan and
answers were lacking to explain increase. Council overall did not do their due
diligence to secure new revenues to keep Safer Grant fire staff. How much revenue will be really generated
from the proposed items in Budget B?
Look at South Puget Sound News for the most recent article on the Budget
B. (http://www.southpugetsoundnews.com/news/dupont-faces-drastic-cuts-after-voters-reject-property-tax-increase/ )
Is
staff giving council numbers information that passes “the sniff test?” It’s
really just garbage in and garbage out that staff is providing on the
budget. What is the real department
spending breakdown? Dialog should shift
to what is exactly spent? Example: We don’t know what the winter hold for
overtime if we get another huge snow storm?
How does he account for this? Video of the meeting will be posted online by
this Saturday. What is the priority for the city for how the money is
spent? An embedded priority lies with the
civic center which now takes precedence over public safety. We’re not a small town anymore. Unfortunately, staff competence is low; this
is an issue that can no longer be ignored.
They need to be the ones who from the crow’s nest yelling, ÏCE BERG! when
there is a big issue for the city. This simply is not happening; they continue
to rubber stamp requests that should never make it for council approval.
Shawna
shared that the entire fire staff attended the meeting on their own. One has been hired by the city of Federal
Way. One of the fireman confirmed through Larry Wilcox that there never has
been a plan to secure money for the Safer fire staff. What is the fire response model that really
makes sense for DuPont? Do we want to go on unlock calls when we can’t pay our
bills?
What is the solution/action
item? What is our
ask to fix this situation? Go up the
microphone..and ask.
TNT
Christian Hill contacts us for comment
Tom
shared his conversation with Christian Hill with the TNT. Tom about his
experiences with the finance committee; levy was a foregone conclusion, the
February 22, 2012 email; Larry Wilcox interrupting public comment. We’re a community based public service to get
involved with the running of the city to make sure they are accountable and no
position run unopposed again. It was a
thirty minute conversation. Christian
will write another article about what’s going on in DuPont. Do we want to follow-up to him?
What is the action item? See
next agenda item.
TBD designated spokesperson and
media contact? Tom; who is our media
contact? What are these duties and
responsibilities? Now that the press is
catching up with us, we need to do a press release. Do we need to huddle about an out-going
message? Lack of consistency in budget
numbers and we are a freight train moving to the fiscal cliff. We representative the citizens for betterment
of the city. We agree on fundamental
issues, but do not have one official position on fiscal matters.
Maurice
clarified that we should all be heard and be able to our views within the group;
restructuring council so that more ask questions or want to discuss issues.
Action: Have ongoing discussion with media should
continue and our concerns of non-transparency, especially on fiscal issues
while still being civil. Lack of listening by council on what the pulse of the
citizens. Council is self-serving. Ed Healy cautioned about over-sharing with
media. We want to talk about one banana at a time, but not the entire fruit
salad at once. Apathy has gotten us
where we are today. No more. We are leveraging momentum to be the best
city based on the resources available.
What is the outcome/action
item? Tom will
continue to be spokesperson and media contact.
Levy – overwhelming no vote; now
what?
Will the ROA offer to manage parks
& green spaces for an additional fee ($16 per month?), Larry Ackerman
confirmed this to Laurie Fait that the city has reached out to ROA. A meeting will occur that also includes
COA. How should we react? Get a meeting date and try to attend? Do we really want this to happen? What is the decision making process and do we
want to be a part of this decision?
What is the action? We want more accountability … what is the
plan? Laurie will follow-up will up with
Larry Ackerman before November 20.
Public service projects
update from Tom
- adopt a trail/street
- beautification projects
- adopt a trail/street
- beautification projects
Tom
gave an update on his conversation with Peter Zahn on beautification project.
He still has no answers to provide but a map should be available soon. Scott
Heins will provide an update. Maurice
clarified that the map that Peter Zahn referred to was requested in 2006 and is
still not available. Mike shared this is
an example of ineptitude of staff. David
watched Tom’s TBD introduction; he suggests bat houses at all the marshes as a
project and offering it as a tourism/group outreach project. Gorski said we should take on a simple
project to get out our name, but where does it take us; what do we get as a
group out of the effort? Matt shared
that being able to contribute to the community is what brought him to TBD, to
unify the community. Don’t make TBD just
a council watchdog group. Bat houses would provide a natural solution instead
of using chemicals in retention ponds.
Work with the city on:
- Parking plan (for emergency vehicle access) Maurice shared information on a previous study; easily fixed if enforced the city. Tabled to ongoing business.
- Parking plan (for emergency vehicle access) Maurice shared information on a previous study; easily fixed if enforced the city. Tabled to ongoing business.
Blogger – Tag Line vs
Mission Statement listed at top?
Feedback at next meeting.
Business Card Distribution
–handed out.
Four candidates for November
2013
Recruiting New Members
New Agenda Items
Current mission statement is it compatible
for a slate of candidates? Once they’re
elected then we turn on them? No
position running unopposed. Here are the
resources if you want to run for council.
Once and for all: the group name
Council workshop on November 20…we should
craft budget questions ahead of time.
Next TBD: November 29, 7pm,
Shawna’s home.
Times will be listed on future agendas from how on; round table will be
added to each agenda with a time limit.
We will adhere to these agenda constraints as best we can.
Ongoing Business:
1.
TBD cards arrived and distributed to all members. Please pass along to potential members and
anyone interested in what TBD stands for.
2.
Tom was appointed spokesperson/mythbuster. We are here to
hold city and staff accountable for their actions, their votes, their
expenditures, inactions etc. Council
Members answer to the citizens and they need to listen and respect our input.
No council position will run unopposed again.
3.
Finance reform? Extraction
tax for revenue option?
4.
Development in DuPont warehouses vs. retail
5.
B&O square footage tax
6.
TBD working on Comp Plan update
7.
Project Status List
8.
Will Council approve large truck traffic on Center Drive?
9.
Take position on the communication tower? EMF, etc. and other
non-issues like non-ionizing radiation –formally comment as a group on this
issue? Press release?
10. Financial Expenditures to be
determined/pending 501C3 filing.
11. Parking
plan (for emergency vehicle access) Maurice shared information on a previous
study; easily fixed if enforced the city.
Tabled to ongoing business. 11-15-12
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