Fred Chang’s Newsclips

By CHARLIE BERMANT
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Aug 30 2008

Obstacles to the annexation of the McCormick Woods subdivision by the city of Port Orchard were largely overcome at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon during which officials from the city met with representatives of Kitsap County to iron out their differences.

“I was very pleased with the outcome,” said Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola. “We came to an agreement on most of the issues and how to handle them. I am optimistic.” 

Said South Kitsap Commissioner Jan Angel, “We had a really good meeting, and we will start developing a pre-annexation agreement to be distributed to the county, the city and the citizens as soon as possible.”

After discussing the issues, city and county staff are assembling a letter that is expected to go to the public this week.

It will outline the upcoming strategy and let people know what to expect.

Concurrently, Coppola said, “The lawyers will have to take a look at it.”

The three points of contention addressed at the meeting were the distribution of impact fees already collected by the county, the development of a stormwater system and the maintenance of the 65-acre McCormick Village Park.

Of the three, the previously most contentious — the distribution of the impact fees — was the easiest to resolve.

The county has collected approximately $300,000 from new construction that is earmarked for road maintenance. Kitsap County Special Projects Manager Eric Baker said the money is in a separate account awaiting this distribution and will be transferred to the city on a pro-rated basis when the annexation is complete.

The annexation idea originated last year, when McCormick Woods residents began examining the possibility of becoming part of Port Orchard in order to take advantage of city services.

It was determined that owners of 75 percent of the assessed value would need to support the project.

The committee decided to proceed, but the city needed to make sure that money collected for certain purposes be spent in that manner or turned over the city for the same purpose.

After several delays, annexation advocates accused the county — and specifically Angel — of obstructing the process.

Angel took issue with this, and drafted a strongly worded response that angered Coppola.

This led to a discussion between the two, and the successful meeting.

Coppola and Angel met at Port Orchard City Hall. Other attendees were Baker and Angie Silva from the county, Port Orchard Development Director James Weaver and Port Orchard City Counselor John Clauson.

Due to nature of those attending, it was not officially classified as a public meeting. Consequently, the media and public were not invited.

This was a deliberate action, since Coppola dis-invited members of the city council in order to keep the number of attendees within the legal limit for a private meeting.

While City Counselman Fred Chang maintained that “it should be a public meeting,” the head of a citizen’s group driving the annexation process agreed with Coppola’s strategy.

“It sounded like they made some progress,” said Annexation Committee Chairman Dick Davis. “When there are a lot of people around, they might take something inconsequential and blow it out of proportion. As long as no decisions were made, it makes sense for them to sit down and talk and disagree without having the public breathe down your back.”

Both the city and the county officials predict the agreements will be in place by the middle of October, after which the petition drive in support of annexation will presumably begin.

Annexation advocates have expressed a reluctance to begin the petition drive until the resolution of all the financial issues between the city and the county.

Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Charlie Bermant can be reached at cbermant@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

© Copyright Sound Publishing. All rights reserved.

By CHARLIE BERMANT
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Aug 20 2008 · UPDATED

The potential annexation of McCormick Woods into the city of Port Orchard depends on information from Kitsap County that isn’t being supplied in a timely manner, but county officials don’t want to supply the information at all until it is complete.

And while several annexation advocates are critical of South Kitsap Commissioner Jan Angel, she has promised to work diligently in support of the action.

“I will help the city of Port Orchard in this action because it is what the people want,” she said, “although there are a lot of complicated issues that need to be addressed.”

Dick Davis, who heads the annexation committee, agrees, even as he has said Angel has been less responsive than he has hoped.

“There has been a lack of interest and a lack of involvement by the county in the annexation issue,” he said “We want to see a really proactive stance on the part of the county commissioners and all the departments involved to discuss how to allocate the resources that have already been committed.”

Port Orchard seeks to annex the development, which would increase its tax base as well as its responsibility.

Before doing so, however, certain financial obligations need to be determined, such as the completion of road projects already started and the equitable distribution of fees that have already been collected.

Representatives of McCormick Woods met with two city council members, Mayor Lary Coppola and city Planning Director James Weaver, on Wednesday afternoon to discuss annexation.

No one from the county was invited.

This was deliberate, according to annexation committee member Ray McGovern, who said, “We’ve asked them before and they always say the same thing.”

McGovern singled out Angel for criticism, saying, “We’re disappointed that she has not helping move the process along between the city and the county. Since annexation has been talked about she has not been a help.”

Angel, who is leaving her current job to run for state legislature at the end of the year, will not be in office during the entire annexation process.

Those meeting last week feel that Angel’s actions do not match her promises.

With this in mind, they suggested sending her letters and e-mail on a daily basis until there was a satisfactory response.

Over the weekend, this included separate letters from Davis and Coppola, with annexation supporters encouraged to weigh in directly with Angel.

“We see the SKIA annexation sailing along at warp speed and wonder why our program is languishing,” Davis wrote. “We have an enormous task ahead of us in acquiring annexation approval from residents representing 75 percent of property evaluation and we need to move forward while there is some level of interest in the community. We are asking you and your fellow commissioners to provide county staff with the tools and the direction they need to pick up the pace.”

Coppola wrote, “The residents of McCormick Woods and their Annexation Committee are very anxious to begin the signature petition drive, but cannot begin until all the issues listed in the matrix we provided you with at the Aug. 4 meeting are clarified and agreed upon. So the onus is on the county at this point in time if the process is to move forward. The city of Port Orchard stands ready to fulfill any additional responsibilities required so the annexation can take place as quickly as possible.”

Monty Mahan, who is running for Angel’s seat, attended the meeting and also expressed disappointment with Angel’s role in annexation.

Citing Angel’s repeated, “I don’t know” responses at the joint commissioners/city council meeting, Mahan said, “I found these answers appalling. She knew what the issues were and could have prepared for them before the meeting.”

City Councilman Fred Chang was also disappointed by Angel’s response, saying, “We have been working with county staff for months about our concerns but it did not percolate up to the commissioners. We had a long list of those concerns that we presented. That Jan had not seen the list before the meeting was extremely frustrating.”

Kitsap County Special Projects Manager Eric Baker said the McCormick Woods annexation was proceeding in tandem with similar SKIA and Silverdale projects, and that all the necessary data for all three would be submitted by February 2009.

“We have a process that is under way,” Baker said. “Much of the data that is being requested will come out of this process. Unfortunately the McCormick annexation is running ahead of that. Much of the data is available in exiting documents, and we may need to duplicate it in a more near term manner to provide utility for the McCormick annexation.”

Planning for the annexation requires a carefully orchestrated effort that balances political concerns with state law.

In order for the annexation to proceed, it would need support from property owners adding up to 75 percent of the community’s assessed value. The property has an assessed value of $328 million, so property owners representing 75 percent of that value, $246 million, will need to sign the petition, with all petition signatures gathered within a six-month period.

The red letter day for annexation is Aug. 1, the latest date by which it can be approved in order to get tax revenue for the following year.

The next deadline, in 2009, would need to be met in order for the city to receive tax revenue in 2010.

If the annexation is approved in September 2009, the city would not receive any additional tax revenue until 2011.

Counting backwards, it takes about 120 days to complete all the required public hearings and boundary review processes, according to Weaver.

In order to take advantage of the full six-month window, the petition drive will need to begin Oct. 1.

If the county does not provide the information by that time, the package will not be complete and will doom the effort, according to annexation advocates.

There is also the added limit imposed by residents who spend the winter elsewhere and cannot easily be reached, along with the fact that voters will decide four city council seats in 2009. So the sooner the petition drive is complete the less chance it has of becoming a political football.

If approved, Port Orchard could grow by 1,930 residents, or 23 percent growth of the current 8,350-person population.

This could change the political makeup of the city, and skew the average income to a higher level.

Presumably, a McCormick Woods resident would seek a seat on the council — although annexation would need to occur prior to the June filing deadline in order for this to happen in 2009.

This, with regard to the expected length of the process, is not likely.

“We should get this done as soon as possible,” said City Councilman Rob Putaansuu, an annexation supporter. “If it goes on too long it will become a political issue, and we could have completely new set of people on the council deciding this if we wait too long.”

For his part, Weaver counsels patience.

“Anytime you try to get two government entities to agree on something,” he said, “it takes longer than expected.”

© Copyright Sound Publishing. All rights reserved.

Experience a factor between two Port Orchard politicians
Paige Richmond
of the Gateway
Published: 04:01PM July 30th, 2008
Click here to find out more!

For Gig Harbor voters, one race in the upcoming election marks a serious change in the past decade of local politics.

State Rep. Pat Lantz, D-Gig Harbor, served as a member of the House for 12 years before announcing her retirement in March. The 26th District might stretch all the way to Port Orchard and Bremerton, but having a legislator in this neighborhood put Gig Harbor’s issues — such as Lantz’s focus on education and taxes — on the state radar.

Democrat Kim Abel and Republican Jan Angel want voters to know local attention won’t change, even if the voters don’t know that yet.

Although they both live in Port Orchard, the two politicians say the issues facing the Gig Harbor and Key peninsulas still matter to them, and they each believe they have the chops to face those issues head-on.

Abel, who was mayor of Port Orchard from 2004-07, said she plans to keep an eye on the needs of all the different communities within the legislative district.

“Places like Olalla and the Key Peninsula have different concerns about maintaining their rural character,” she said. “Others, like Bremerton and Port Orchard, are concerned about preserving their downtowns.”

Angel, a Kitsap County Commissioner for the past eight years, feels she’s been doing her best to get to know people in this area, including speaking at a Key Peninsula Lions event last month.

“I’ve always served people,” Angel said. “And that’s (who) I believe I’m cut out to serve.”

Some voters in Gig Harbor don’t know yet what the politicians stand for. Helen Nagy, who has lived in the city since the 1970s, donated $50 to Abel’s campaign, but she said her support is based mostly on Lantz’s endorsement of her.

As one of the Women in Black — a political group that makes silent demonstrations on a Gig Harbor street corner — social issues are a defining factor for Nagy when choosing a candidate. Nagy’s not sure where Abel stands on social issues, but she still believes Abel can “follow in Lantz’s footsteps.”

One issue Abel does take a strong stance on is education. She is driven by her volunteer work years ago, in her sons’ elementary schools within the South Kitsap School District.

“We need good education for the community, to make sure our younger population will stay on this side of the bridge, so that more jobs can be generated,” she said.

Ray Garrido lives in Olalla, which is located just within Kitsap County limits, and he said he’s witnessed Abel’s devotion to educational issues.

Garrido, a Democrat, said Abel has “a good understanding that the way we need to fund education should be improved.”

Although Garrido wouldn’t speak about his feelings toward Angel — the commissioner for District 2 of Kitsap County, which includes Olalla — he said his wife, Charlotte, is running for her seat this year.

Angel has held that seat for four terms, beating out Charlotte Garrido in the 2004 election.

That record of receiving bi-partisan support as a Republican candidate, plus her experience as a Kitsap County Commissioner, are two qualities that Angel thinks makes her more qualified for the state Legislature than her opponent.

“That has really helped lay a foundation,” Angel said about the 1,200 employees she oversees and the $330 million budget she manages annually in her position.

Lowering property taxes and growing small businesses are two issues Angel hopes to tackle — something she’s had experience with in Kitsap County as both a commissioner and longtime business owner.

“She has experience on local levels,” said David James, one of Angel’s Gig Harbor supporters, adding that he looks for a candidate who is “conservative and responsible fiscally.”

Both candidates have local government experience, but Angel points out that she managed a larger jurisdiction— 240,000 people in the county as opposed to 8,000 in Port Orchard — and dealt with more in-depth issues than Abel.

Fred Chang thinks differently. He was elected to the Port Orchard City Council in 2005, not long after Abel won the mayor’s election by beating out a 20-year incumbent for the seat.

Chang recalls Abel as the sort of leader who “was always informed and always collaborative” and implemented incremental, effective change that the citizens and council support.

One of Angel’s fellow Kitsap County Commissioners, Josh Brown, worked with both Abel and Angel. He said that while county commissioners are “some of the hardest-working politicians around,” holding that position doesn’t make someone a good candidate for state office.

When Abel was still the Mayor of Port Orchard, Brown, a Democrat, coordinated with her on a higher education working group associated with Olympic College. Brown said Abel was an “instrumental leader in securing money for education” who “has the experience” for a state representative position.

He feels differently about his time spent working with Angel.

“Commissioner Angel’s record during her eight years has been one of deficit spending,” Brown said. “She’s had no leadership when it came to higher education. And she’s been unable to deliver on big transportation projects,” like corridors in Port Orchard.

The bottom line for choosing a candidate, Brown said, isn’t just about the amount of terms served in office — it’s the work done in those terms.

“Experience is important,” he said. “But your record is even more important.”

Campaign information

Kim Abel, a Democrat and former mayor of Port Orchard, is running against Jan Angel, a Republican and current Kitsap County Commissioner, for the state’s 26th Legislative District Representative Pos. 1.

For more information on their respective campaigns, visit www.kimabel.com or www.janangel.com.
Reach Reporter and Columnist Paige Richmond at 253-853-9243 or by e-mail at paige.richmond@gateline.com.

The Peninsula Gateway - Serving Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula
© 2008 Olympic Cascade Publishing, Inc.

By CHARLIE BERMANT
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Jul 26 2008 · UPDATED

Thus far there is no viable local bidder.

The city of Port Orchard is currently examining the second round of proposals submitted to develop its new Web site, but none of the 10 or so finalists originate in Kitsap County.

“We had one proposal that came from Bremerton but it was late and was disqualified,” said Mayor Lary Coppola. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t get a local bidder. I would have liked to have spent this money in Kitsap County.”

Coppola has the final say about who gets the contract as long as it falls within the $5,000 limit imposed by the city council.

In the meantime he will receive recommendations from a committee that includes Information Technology Manager Vince Tucker and City Councilman Fred Chang.

Tucker said he hopes to award the bid in August, after which it will take 45 to 60 days to complete the site upgrade.

This is the first major revision to the city’s Web site, which first went online in 2004. Tucker admits the city was “behind the curve” in the development of the site and is similarly lagging in comparison to other municipalities.

Coppola said he would like the Web site to facilitate the connection between the people and the city, making it possible for the public to pay utilities and apply for permits online, among other functions.

“A good Web site is a cost-effective tool,” he said. “We need to be able to maximize its effectiveness and minimize expense. It’s a lot cheaper to send someone an e-mail bill than to print out the bill, put it in an envelope and attach a stamp.” 

Tucker said his goal was the ability to update the site quickly, so the public has the most current information.

He said the new site needs to be clear and easy to understand, offering municipal sites for Poulsbo and Gig Harbor as examples.

The site is also restricted by available funds, since there is nothing in the budget to support a full-time webmaster.

“Some departments will be able to post updates, but I’m pretty much going to do all of it myself,” Tucker said.

Since establishing the Web site, www.cityofportorchard.us, the city has not tracked or analyzed usage numbers. Tucker said he had “no idea” how many visitors the Web site attracted, and what they did while connected.

Additionally, neither Tucker nor Coppola had any idea as to how many people in the city had access to computers or the knowledge to use them. But even if there exists a digital divide, enough residents go online to conduct their daily business.

“The Internet is not a fad,” Coppola said. “It’s not going away.”

Tucker would not venture a guess about the comparative computer literacy of the city and had no idea how to assemble such information. He did say that Port Orchard is no more or less computer savvy than the rest of the country, and that his strategy is guided “by the world we live in and what people expect of us.”

About 21 companies submitted bid proposals, with Chang and Tucker winnowing out those that were unqualified or too expensive. The two plan to meet in the near future to further narrow the field.

Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Charlie Bermant can be reached at cbermant@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

By Chris Henry
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

PORT ORCHARD

Roundabouts it will be.

The Port Orchard City Council, by a 5-2 vote Tuesday night, approved a modified design for roundabouts at two intersections as part of the Tremont Corridor renovation.

The project, projected to cost an estimated $15 million, is envisioned by city officials as the “gateway” to the town.

The council had been considering options for the Tremont intersections at South Kitsap Boulevard and Pottery Avenue to address public safety concerns about roundabouts in the original design.

City fire and police officials in February told the council they were worried that roundabouts could delay emergency vehicle response time. They recommended traffic lights instead.

Sharing their concerns were council members Jerry Childs, who worked for 40 years as a firefighter, and Jim Colebank, who owns property on Tremont Street.

Both voted against the measure, which called for enlarging the roundabouts among other steps to improve safety.

City engineer Mark Dorsey, who offered the modified roundabout plan, said that enlarging the roundabouts and making other adjustments, such as having curbs that emergency vehicles could drive on, would facilitate movement of emergency vehicles through the intersections.

He added that he had no personal preference of roundabouts over signals.

Before the council’s deliberations, conflicting testimony was heard from members of the public.

Some, like Jim Hill, who lives on Tremont Street, said they welcome the roundabouts. Hill said he often has difficulty getting out of his driveway due to traffic.

But those who favored synchronized traffic signals instead were passionate in their opposition to the roundabouts.

Gary Douthit said he expected roundabouts on Tremont Street to be “just as big a mess” as those at Burnham Drive in Gig Harbor.

Testifying on behalf of South Kitsap Fire and Rescue were several firefighters, including Leif Anderson.

Anderson, citing the city’s roundabout on Bethel Avenue, said drivers often become confused when an emergency vehicle approaches — and stop inside the circle.

“When we have to maneuver through traffic, it creates a safety problem,” he said. “Seconds do count. If our response is hampered due to traffic, there’s a potential for death or serious problems.”

Colebank gave a lengthy and impassioned statement on his opposition to the roundabout proposal. To accept even the modified design, he said, would be to ignore the testimony of the city’s public safety experts, Port Orchard Police Chief Al Townsend and South Kitsap Fire and Rescue Chief Wayne Senter.

Colebank said he worries about the 387 elderly residents of assisted living centers on Pottery Avenue.

“Seconds lost in response time could mean life or death to these special-care citizens,” he said. “The road to the future is not in a circle. I’m for traffic safety.”

Councilman Fred Chang asked that e-mail testimony from a state Department of Transportation roundabout expert be read into the record. Brian Walsh of the DOT said in his e-mail that roundabouts have been shown to move traffic more efficiently that traditional intersections. They reduce fuel consumption, he added.

Childs said the tone of the e-mail appeared “condescending” to public safety officials. He said while Walsh may be a roundabout expert, it’s not clear that he’s an expert on public safety.

Councilman John Clauson said he felt confident that the design alterations would adequately address concerns raised about emergency response time. He and others who favored roundabouts pointed to the apparent success of the Bethel Avenue roundabout.

Outside City Hall following the vote, the firefighters expressed their frustration. Anderson said he was “disappointed.”

Said fellow firefighter Miche Eslava: “It seems like the corridor is more important to them than public safety.”

© 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co.

By CHARLIE BERMANT
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Jun 30 2008 · UPDATED

The makeup of Port Orchard’s city government continues to evolve, reflecting the preferences and personality of new Mayor Lary Coppola.

Assistant City Clerk Patti Kirkpatrick is expected to move into the position recently vacated by long-time City Clerk Michelle Merlino, who abruptly resigned last month.

This represents the third high-visibility position in Port Orchard city government to turn over since Coppola took office in January.

Previously, the planning director and director of public works were replaced by Coppola’s choices.

As with the previous changes, Merlino left without warning or explanation.

Unlike these actions, new Planning Director James Weaver and Public Works Director Mark Dorsey were outside hires, while Kirkpatrick was promoted from within.

All positions in City Hall are on an at-will basis, at the discretion of the mayor.

While the City Council approves funding for the positions, it does not have a say about who fills them.

“If I didn’t like a candidate, I would probably let the mayor know personally,” said City Counselor Rob Putaansuu. “Otherwise, I have nothing to say about who is hired.”

City Councillman Fred Chang said he probably wouldn’t offer an opinion about a specific job candidate.

Both Chang and Putaansuu, however, said Coppola is assembling an excellent staff.

“Lary may be on the impatient side,” said Chang, “but it’s like running a business, and he wants to make sure it is working efficiently.

“Personally I liked Michelle,” Chang said. “I was sorry to see her go. But the staff serves at the pleasure of the mayor.”

Kirkpatrick, who is now serving as interim city clerk, said Monday the promotion would not be final until it is ratified by the city council on July 8.

She said Coppola had recommended her for the position, and was actively interested in the job.

Kirkpatrick, 43, has worked in her current position for about a year. She worked for eight years in the City Clerk’s office in Kodiak, Alaska, and has legal and real estate experience.

Merlino, who had worked in the clerk’s position for 24 years, said she was not expecting the action and likened the situation to that of Maher Abed and Joanne Long-Woods — respectively, the former public works and planning directors — in that they are prohibited from commenting on the circumstances surrounding their leaving the position as a condition of their severance.

Merlino, who said she “was never reprimanded for anything,” didn’t take long to find another position.

She is working as a temporary clerk for the City of Bainbridge Island and expects the position to become permanent in October.

City governments are not required to post job openings. Currently, the deputy clerk position, to be vacated by Kirkpatrick, is posted on the Port Orchard City Web site.

Former Port Orchard Mayor Kim Abel said Coppola was exercising his prerogative and she has not observed any ill effects from the turnover.

“Changes happen in government,” she said. ”It’s part of the process. As long as you’re not harming the continuity of government and the citizens are getting served, this is to be expected.”

Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Charlie Bermant can be reached at cbermant@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

By CHARLIE BERMANT
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Jun 20 2008 · UPDATED

Plans for the redesign of the Tremont Street corridor will be more expensive than anticipated, causing at least one city council member to react with a certain degree of sticker shock.

“No matter what we do, this will cost us a lot more than what we expected to pay,” said Port Orchard City Councilman John Clausen. “But I think we need to continue with the project and do what we will need to do in either case, because the longer we delay the more expensive it will become.”

The project cost, once projected at around $6 million, is now estimated at around $15 million — no matter which of three options are selected.

The redesign of the corridor has been under discussion for several years, with the goal of easing the traffic burden between State Route 16 and downtown Port Orchard.

At issue are two intersections along Tremont, at South Kitsap Boulevard and Pottery Lane.

Both locations now have traffic signals, which also need to be updated.

The three scenarios are to place roundabouts at both locations, traffic lights at both locations, or a roundabout at Pottery Lane and a signal at South Kitsap Boulevard.

Port Orchard Public Works Director Mark Dorsey presented these scenarios to the council at a Tuesday evening work session, during which the matter was discussed for more than 90 minutes.

One of the biggest points of contention is the proximity of the Pottery Lane rotary to a local doctor’s office. Dorsey suggested moving the structure several feet to the north to accommodate this building as well as the existing utility infrastructure.

Clausen and his council colleague Rob Putaansu said they favored the dual roundabout solution, with Putaansu’s caveat “as long as the roundabouts are properly designed.”

Both feel the two roundabouts, positioned three-tenths of a mile apart, will ease traffic flow and provide an attractive gateway to the community.

“One of the reasons for Bremerton’s revitalization is their construction of an attractive gateway,” Putaansu said.

Clauson added that the dual roundabout will allow the city to maintain the existing median strips, which will make a tremendous aesthetic difference as people travel into town.

While roundabout costs end at construction, erecting a traffic signal also qualifies as a gift from the city that keeps on taking.

Clausen pointed out that the maintenance of a traffic signal can run to more than $200,000 per year.

Dorsey, who began his job on May 27, was assigned this project as soon as he walked in the door and has spent at least 30 percent of his time on its completion.

He received plaudits for his work job from both council members and Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola.

“Both Mark and (Development Director) James (Weaver) have done one heck of a job putting together this presentation,” Coppola said. “For the first time we have a clear picture of where we are, and we know what we are dealing with.”

Coppola said all the solutions are “revenue neutral,” since their similar costs don’t force the council to make the decision on a financial basis.

Coppola, whose business property is adjacent to the proposed Pottery Lane roundabout, acknowledges he is “the single property owner who is most impacted by this decision.”

He said he is turning over his interests to his attorney, who will argue his case if needed.

“There isn’t anything I can do about this,” he said. “Eminent domain is eminent domain. I don’t have a choice here.”

Coppola pointed out that he, as mayor, does not vote on any action taken by the council.

Port Orchard Police Chief Al Townsend suggested that the roundabouts be enlarged to accommodate large trucks and emergency vehicles, which Dorsey took into consideration.

Townsend also noted that building a roundabout will require a certain amount of public education in order to teach drivers how to merge into the circle.

The roundabout was last discussed at the May 27 council meeting, at which time Dorsey was given the assignment to prepare the report.

The plan at the time was to receive the report on May 17 and vote a preference on May 24.

While the item will remain on the agenda, the council will most likely delay a vote in order to study the full report, according to Putaansu.

Nevertheless, the council is expected to choose an option in the near future and commit to one of the options.

After the meeting, Councilman Fred Chang said he would like to see projections about what might happen if the city did not address the problem and didn’t do anything — an idea that Coppola quickly rejected.

“We can’t not do anything,” Coppola said. “The traffic on Tremont gets worse every day. The sooner we get started the better.”

Still, if the project’s direction is decided at deliberate speed and the funding secured the earliest completion date is 2010 or 2011, according to Dorsey.

Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Charlie Bermant can be reached at cbermant@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

By CHARLIE BERMANT
Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer
Jun 12 2008 · UPDATED

The Port Orchard City Council on Monday passed an ordinance that revises the city’s water rates and connection charges in order to generate more revenue and keep up with expected growth.

“We haven’t changed our water rates in nine years,”?said Councilman Rob Putaansuu. “With this ordinance, the utility, which has been losing money, will be able to stand on its own. We’ve only changed the cut-off point for the higher rate and expect that the average user won’t see an increase.”

The users who will not see an increase are those who use less than 3,000 gallons over a two-month period.

The new basic rate for water service from the city is $15 for up to 3,000 gallons and $19 for between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons.

The old rate was $15 for up to 5,000 gallons.

Five additional billing levels will be in effect, based on differing use amounts.

Putaansuu said the greatest share of new revenue would come from increased hookup fees, allowing the city to generate funds from new construction. While these fees vary, the basic cost has more than doubled —?from approximately $1,700 per new residential unity to $4,500.

“With this in place, new growth will pay for itself,” Putaansuu said.

Sewer rates, which reflect water use, are not affected by this action but could be raised in the future, according to Putaansuu.

The rate change did not receive unanimous support.

Councilman Jim Colebank voted against the ordinance, citing a campaign promise that he would not support any tax or fee increase without taking it to the voters.

Colebank said he opposed the ordinance because it did not specifically consider the needs of senior citizens. Councilman Fred Chang, who voted for the ordinance, said he would like to see the city supply customers with the equipment needed to conserve water.

During the public comment period, Port Orchard resident Gerry Harmon said she was severely disappointed by the ordinance, that it did not take conservation procedures into consideration and it did not open up the process for public input.

“You didn’t take the time to develop something different,” she said. “You should have considered other alternatives.”

Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Charlie Bermant can be reached at cbermant@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

By Ed Friedrich (Contact)
Monday, February 11, 2008

BREMERTON

State ferries are in such short supply that one route can only gain if another loses. Boat retirements, emergency steel work and scheduled maintenance have taken all of the flexibility out of the system.

But when the Yakima ran into a breakwater while docking at Bremerton marina early Friday morning and cracked its hull, Washington State Ferries avoided disrupting other routes by replacing the 144-car boat with three passenger ferries.

Adding to plethora of troubles, the passenger ferry Snohomish, one of the vessels just added to the route, struck its mooring dock at Bremerton at 5 p.m. Monday, causing five minor injuries, a Coast Guard press release stated. The ferry’s 7:55 p.m. sailing out of Bremerton and its 9:05 p.m. sailing out of Seattle were canceled, the ferry system’s Web site stated.

The Coast guard said Washington State Ferries is conducting drug and alcohol testing on the ferry crew.Fortunately for weary passengers, the Snohomish will resume its run this morning with the 6:20 a.m. sailing.

Some Bremerton riders aren’t very sympathetic to the ferry system’s misfortunes. And they could also point to just a few weeks ago when the ferry system traded a 124-car boat for the Southworth-Vashon Island-Fauntleroy route for an 87-car ferry when that route was in similar straits.

Riders have batted around other options, particularly on discussions on the Internet. They include:

Getting the 144-car Kaleetan from the San Juan Islands, which has four boats.

Swapping Bremerton’s lone car ferry, the 124-car Kitsap, with a 188- or 202-car boat from the Kingston-Edmonds or Bainbridge-Seattle routes, which each have two large ferries.

Borrowing one of the Southworth route’s three ferries.

Having the passenger ferry Snohomish certified by the Coast Guard to carry 350 passengers instead of the 149 it can transport now. That takes time, said ferries spokeswoman Joy Goldenberg. By then, the Hyak would likely be out of the shipyard and added to the route. WSF is saying that could happen as early as next week.

The ferries system scheduled all three passenger ferries to depart Bremerton between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and leave from Seattle between 4 and 4:35 p.m. to try to accommodate the commuter crowd. Those who got on enjoyed the ride, but the vessels filled up quickly and many had to wait an hour for the car ferry. Susan Reynolds, who works at Qwest, arrived at Seattle’s Colman Dock at about 4:10 p.m. Both the 4:20 p.m. and 4:35 boats were packed.

Bremerton always seems to get a bad deal from WSF, she said.

“Maybe they could add some buses to the Bainbridge and give us other options,” she said. “This is ridiculous.”

Despite the peak-time overloads, everything ran smoothly, WSF’s Goldenberg said, and no changes are planned for today.

“We did our best and will continue to do so until we get through this,” she said.

The ferry system has been told by the Legislature to sell the passenger ferries Snohomish and Chinook, and it was just about to post them on eBay. Then four steel-electric ferries were retired because of hull cracks and corrosion, and the Snohomish was needed to fill in on the Port Townsend-Keystone route. WSF will hold on to the Snohomish until a boat is built for that route, Goldenberg said, but it will put the Chinook up for sale this month.

Besides the Snohomish, the two other passenger ferries added to Bremerton are from the private company Victoria Express, which normally operates between Port Angeles and Victoria. The state is leasing the boats, including their crews, for the company’s cost plus 7 percent profit.

The initial damage report on the Yakima showed that it suffered a one 8-inch crack and two 4-inch cracks when it hit the end of the breakwater around the Bremerton marina and took on water. It needs to be dry docked for repairs to be made, and there are no dry docks available. WSF will be required to submit a repair plan to the Coast Guard, said Petty Officer Jeff Pollinger, Coast Guard spokesman. Pollinger said the investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

So far, it looks like the breakwater made out better than the boat. Part of its sea wall was crumbled, but there doesn’t appear to be any major structural damage, said Steve Slaton, the Port of Bremerton’s director of marine facilities. Divers checked below the water over the weekend and didn’t find any problems with the breakwater or its anchor cables. Engineers will continue to check for damage not visible to the naked eye before a cost of the damages can be estimated, Slaton said.

Due to a technical glitch, this story has been reposted and updated. We apologize to anyone who posted a comment after the original story.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/feb/11/bremerton-looses-a-car-ferry-gains-three-ferries/

By Chris Henry (Contact)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008

PORT ORCHARD

Monday’s meeting of the Port Orchard City Council was, on one level, simply local government at work. But on another level, it was an historic occasion.

“We’ve never had three new council people and a new mayor. That’s a major change,” said Carolyn Powers who has served on the council for 20 years and lived in Port Orchard for decades.

New Mayor Lary Coppola replaced Kim Abel, who declined to seek reelection after one term. Jerry Childs, Jim Colebank and Fred Olin joined reelected council members John Clauson and Rob Putaansuu, and current members Fred Chang and Powers on the bench.

The new council held a retreat Jan. 4 to prepare for its debut meeting.

Coppola and the three new council members all ran on platforms of streamlining the council’s decision-making. And as the meeting progressed, it appeared they were trying to make good on their campaign promises, clipping through discussion and votes at a brisk pace.

At one point, Greg Jacoby, the city attorney, said: “In the council’s haste to do business, we are not always able to hear who made the motion and who seconded it.”

Coppola said he would announce the information and quipped: “Hey, I’m new at this.”

Constituents, including several people with an interest in development, jockeyed for the council’s ear during the public comment period, which Coppola introduced by saying, “Come on down!”

Bryan Petro of Peninsula Brokers Real Estate said, “I’m glad you’re here,” and encouraged the council to aggressively seek annexation of Gorst and the South Kitsap Industrial Area.

Property owner Dick Brown said he thinks design standards for Bethel Avenue, which is likely to be annexed into the city, should be totally scrapped.

And development consultant Bill Palmer lobbied for zoning consistent with the county’s allowed densities in areas to be annexed. The county allows 30 units per acre in “mixed use” zoning, but the city only allows 12, Palmer said.

During the meeting, new council members made a point of stating their position on various issues, as if to publicly define themselves for their constituents and colleagues.

During a discussion of removing “significant trees,” greater than 18 inches in diameter, from proposed developments, Childs said he sided with Port Orchard resident Geri Harmon, who decried the loss of vegetation and resulting problems with runoff. Childs said he also would be giving close scrutiny to the issue of property setbacks.

“If you’re a developer out there, don’t be surprised if I want to deal with those issues,” Childs said.

Childs stated, however, that he would not stand in the way of the development in question — a proposal to build 10 homes on a 1.68-acre site at the corner of Melcher and Pottery avenues.

“I think it’s a little unfair to the developer now,” said Childs, who added that a revised ordinance addressing significant trees was needed.

Colebank made several references throughout the meeting to efficiency of city government and echoed Childs’ take on the proposed project.

“One of the things we were concerned about is how we slow everything down,” said Colebank. “I don’t think I want to slow down the developer now.”

Fred Olin, too, demonstrated his commitment to rein in the length of city council meetings, which in the past have sometimes run four to five hours.

“My goal for the year is to finish by 10,” Olin said.

“My goal for the year is to finish by 8:30,” said Coppola.

“Yeah, but my goal is actually attainable,” said Olin.

Powers said the newly reconfigured council is still on a “learning curve.” She said the retreat was “very, very good,” and said she appreciates the vitality of the newly elected council members.

“I think it’s exciting to have new people and get new ideas and see maybe there is a better way of doing things,” said Powers.