Is
the Citizens' Streets Advisory Commission Serving Citizens?
A Compilation of CSAC Activity
- failed to "develop street policies that are based on the
policies, goals and objectives expressed and inherent in existing federal
and state law, the comprehensive plan and other city ordinances." as required
by Spokane Municipal Code (SMC) Section 12.01.210
(A2a). See response to a Public Records
Request for documents (third item in list and last sentence in subsequent
paragraph).
- failed to "inventory the adopted relevant policies, goals,
and objectives of the city, state government and other local governments
in the region;" as required by Spokane Municipal Code (SMC) Section 12.01.210
(A2b).
- stymied "Public involvement in street issues designed
to elicit the public's views with respect to street issues including but
not limited to existing and future street maintenance, performance related
to existing bonds, future bonds issues and impacts of street programs;"
in violation of (SMC) Section 12.01.210
(A3b) by actively excluding public participation in their January 2006
meeting. (see December CSAC minutes inviting public
January meeting; see January CSAC minutes where Bernard
Street project was discussed under "other business." This was after neighborhood
representatives were notified the Bernard issue would not be addressed.
- allowed former CSAC member to actively participate in January
2006 CSAC meeting, even though member's term had expired.
- violated Washington State Open Meetings Act by voting on
recommendation to Mayor regarding Bernard Street project outside the context
of a public meeting.
- authored misleading analysis of Bernard Street project choices,
leading to CSAC's preferred and predetermined recommendation to the Mayor.
(since revised; see original here;
read option two on page two.)
- promoted a widespread disinformation campaign to convince
citizens that the 2004 Street Bond language restricts the spending of bond
proceeds to "curb to curb" reconstruction when no such restriction exists.
Added this limiting language to the CSAC bylaws in January 2006, so
it would exist somewhere. (amended bylaws have been removed from CSAC web
site; see amended CSAC bylaws here)
- severely limited future public involvement in CSAC meetings
by amending CSAC bylaws (at January 2006 meeting) requiring the chairman's
prior approval of any topic or questions the public wishes to bring before
the CSAC. (see Appendix A of amended CSAC bylaws here)
- declared as "unworkable" the requirement that the Citizen
Streets Advisory Commission "defer to the recommendations and wait for comments
of the Design Review Committee" (see point four in CSAC "letter to public") even though Design Review
Committee review is explicitly required by the Spokane Municipal Code, Section
04.13.020.
- wrote in their recommendation to the Mayor regarding Bernard
that: "no other project has as great an extent of issues related to the location
of trees near the roadway." This, even though a passage in the January CSAC
minutes reads: "Ken Brown said that Engineering Services has re-evaluated
Lincoln Street and found that a few more trees than expected will be affected."
Spokane Municipal Code that established CSAC is here.
CSAC web site is here.
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