Sonic Forest, Grand Opening!

Christopher Janney’s Sonic Forest will be at Redmond Town Center December 4-12. We’ll have an opening at 7:30 pm on December 4 at the center plaza at Redmond Town Center. It is free and everyone is invited. Drummers are welcome to bring their drums!

Sonic Forest runs from December 4-12, 9am-10pm.

Updated, 12/8: The public is left scratching their heads trying to figure the School Board's funding vote.

The School Board in a semi-monthly Public Work Study Session with the Administration

OPINION:  Updated 12/8:   I spent over 3 hours this weekend  watching the video of the LWSD School Board's, 11/23 Regular Meeting.  They were voting to approve the Superintendent's levy/bond funding measures

In review, I noticed what appears to be several errors and omissions in the voting process.  I brought this to the attention of the Administration and the School Board.

My observations:   The Board's Motion, Second and Vote to approve Resolutions 2044 (levy),  2045 (levy), and 2046 (bond) was incomplete.  At minute 26 of the video, Director Eglington made a motion to approve "the package of three measures." He didn't read the measures aloud or hand them to the Chair.  Director Bernard's Second was question.

The only Board vote was 12 minutes later (38 min) after Pendergrass motioned to allowed for changes and consistency in language.  Bernard's "Second" was questioned. (for the second time)

If you want to see the 11/23 meeting video for yourself?  GO HERE .  Advance the video to 26-27min. and to 37min to see watch the motions.  The one vote taken had the shape of an  'amendment' allowing for changes in language. (37min.) 

I am not a lawyer, but in my brief research of  Robert's Rules of Order (RRO) I noticed the following  shaky parliamentary procedures.

1) A Director never "read the resolution(s) and handed it over to the Chair." (RRO)  Nor did a Director or the Chair read the resolutions or resolution numbers.  How does the public know what was voted on?

2) "The agenda and all committee reports are merely recommendations" (RRO), as is the Superintendent's report and so they can't substitute for reading the resolution.

3)  The final Motion (by the Chair) and seconded by (Bernard?) was "to allow changes" (amendments).  The Chair never read the resolutions or referred to them other than as "ballot measures".

4)  The Chair didn't declare, "The ayes have it and the resolution is adopted" (PPO). The resolutions were never identified or read.

This voting appeared  loosey-goosey, disorganized and lacking common sense parliamentary process. Yet, the District's attorney says it's legal.  Of course.   Scrutiny of the tapes show the LWSD School Board parliamentary process is problematic.

Why do I care so much?  I honor and respect the Board's service. But, the Board's current voting process leaves anyone viewing the vote (especially, without the resolutions) confused about "what was going on."  Voting on $300M measures is serious business and the public should expect it's done right, so it's understandable and appropriately recorded for the record.
 
What do you think?  Wendy, you too. What's right about the School Board's process?  Will you listen to the tapes?   Dr. Kimball's comments and the District legal counsel's argument are beyond capacity of this blog platform.  

11/23/09 meeting video tape.

by Bob Yoder

PS. No need to download "Silverlite" to view the video.  I don't recommend it.

Washington’s Lighthouses: Point No Point

Washington’s Lighthouses: Point No Point

Beautiful photography.  Compliments of the Redmond Library Blog.

A Parent's Notes on the School Board's levy/bond vote

OPINION:  Updated 12/13.  The Lake Washington School District Board of Directors  approved Superintendent Kimball's proposal for two Levies (#2044, #2045) and one Bond (#2046) at their Regular Meeting on 11/23.   A citizen levy committee is currently promoting the resolutions to the community.  The LWSD Press Release on the School Board's decision is here.   (photo is a "public work study session").

The School Board of Directors are elected by over 102,000 active voters.  I thought you'd be interested in what our representatives had to say.
The School Board of Directors and Superintendent "commented" on the three funding proposals for about 38 minutes. (The public wasn't invited to comment).  Superintendent Kimball had the most to say by far.  You can watch the website meeting video archive here.  I couldn't find any comments from the Directors on the website or local print media.  My notes and some quotes from the tape are, as follows:

Four of  five Directors were present for quorum.  Director Ravi Shahani's absence was excused.  Mr. Shahani's district includes the "Education Hill Schools", Einstein, Redmond El, Rush, Audubon, Rosa Parks,Wilder, and Lake Washington High.

Dr. Kimball made it clear to the viewing public the funding review work was not done "behind smoke filled rooms."  Chip rattled off some "statistically reliable" survey numbers.  More on this another time.

After Kimball reviewed the facts and benefits of his proposal,  Director Doug Eglington (Sammamish)   kicked off the "comment session".  Mr. Ellington referred to polling data from State School Directors Conference:  1) the public feels state public education is on solid ground and performance is good but, 2) anti-tax sentiment is probably higher than it's ever been in fifteen years, 3)  recommended including the Bond measure with the levies. 

Director Nancy Bernard (Kirkland) thanked Chip Kimball and staff for their hard work on the measures.  She said it was a "huge public process".   Some other comments:   1)  how hard it is to go out for a bond in our current economic situation. 2) but, it's more economical to deal with school modernization now rather than later, 3) Juanita High needs to be modernized, 4) going to four-year high schools will reduce the need for two more elementary schools, 5)  staff and the board "didn't go for everything"; that "according to Focus Groups or whatever you call  them and the other work that was done" the proposal offers less than what some wanted. 
  
Director Chris Carson (Kirkland) commented that 1) going to four-year high schools is "revenue neutral", 2) that you either grow 3-year high schools or go to 4-year schools, 3)  that it doesn't influence the amount of money in the bond.   Kimball concurred and expanded.  Earlier, representative Carson asked staff to look at the ballot and try to keep the three measures as consistent with one another as possible.

President and Director Jackie Pendergrass (Kirkland) had an issue with finding enough land for the elementary schools.  (Without the bond approval additional elementary schools would have to be built).  She reiterated the levies have to be renewed, like a magazine subscription, or they lose the money.

Director Doug Eglington finished by saying:  1)  The levies used to pay for innovative upgrades and today levies are required just to support ongoing basic education.  (Kimball agreed and emphasized the state is "not fulfilling their constitutional duty".)  2)  school construction would create jobs, stimulate the economy and generate school sales taxes.

I noticed a few of omissions in the voting process that seem serious.   The Board's Motion, Second and Vote to approve Resolutions 2044, 2045, and 2046 never took place.   At minute 26 of the video, Mr. Ellington made a motion "to approve the package" seconded by Ms. Bernard but the Board never voted on the motion!  The only vote the Board made (12 minutes later) was on a Pendergrass motion to allow for changes and consistency in language.  That's it!  Go to the 11/23 meeting video and see for yourself.   Advance to minute 26-27 and minute 37 to see for yourself.   (No need to download staff's Silverlite program!). 

by Bob Yoder

LWSD November 23 Press Release -  School Board funding approval. 
The November 23 Meeting "Packet" -

LWSD Administration's published proposal omits $124 in taxes /house.

"The total of all three measures would increase the total tax paid on a home with the average assessed value in the district from $1444 in 2010 to $1606 in 2011."

-- LWSD Superintendent's levy/bond proposal to the School Board.  

What the District doesn't tell you in their press release is that additional taxes totaling $124/house will be assessed over the next three years.  $47 (2012), $41 (2013), $36 (2014). 

Opinion by Bob Yoder

Attempted child luring reported in Redmond

Attempted child luring reported in Redmond KOMO News

UPDATED: The Lake Washington District School Board proposes a $294/home levy/bond increase in one year and revises it to $170 after citizen input.

UPDATE, 12/01/2009

Two school levies and one bond measure are approved by the School Board for the February ballot.
 -- LWSD website 11/24

Comments: 

A citizen reported on an error and omission on the district website news column of 11/24, as follows:

"The total of all three measures would increase the total tax paid on a home with the average assessed value in the district from $1448 in 2010 in 2014 to $1742.  (This is a total increase of $294 over four years.)

The Administration later revised their website news with the same date to:

"The total of all three measures would incease the total tax paid on a home with the average assessed value in the district from $1448 in 2010 to $1618 in 2011, or an increase (over one year) of approximately $170."  11/24

The Administration never reported the "total tax paid" in their 11/27 issue of the Redmond Reporter and they didn't change the date of their revision piece so I cannot verify this information.  If the Administration has made changes to be accountable to the Public, I hope they would comment here for my Readers. If they send a correction to the Reporter, I will document it under "comments".  

CC:  LWSD Administration

King County Library System - Proposition 1 would cost the average homeowner $32/year.

King County Library System - Proposition 1 - on the February 9 ballot

Washington State Basic Health can't keep up...

The wait list for Washington State's Basic Health Plan now exceeds enrollment (more)  http://bit.ly/1Jr3qT

Slavic property owners plead case to save their Overlake office park.

OPINION:  PART II:  The City Council Meeting of 11/17 was a Big Show.  Emigrant Slavic (mostly Russia) and Egyptian citizens turned out in record numbers.  It was standing room only at City Hall.  Egyptian citizens were asking to extend a sewer line on church land not annexed by the City; the Russian citizens came to protect their "Limited Edition" office park from being destroyed by a Public Works project.

The City has a grand plan to build an gigantic underground regional stormwater treatment facility in Overlake.  It would the size in volume of two city halls!  The Sears parking lot is probably one of the best locations for the facility from a stormwater engineering perspective.  However, in my opinion, the city is now looking at the Limited Edition and seven other sites should the Sears deal fall through.  Doubtful. 

In any event, the Limited Edition Slavic office owners and workers stormed City Hall to plead their case.  They've even brought along an engineer and planning/policy experts to assist and persuade Council.     

The eighteen Limited Edition buildings are individually managed by 13 owners.  The office park has 32 businesses and generates 400 jobs. The park has two churches.  "Elana" described her Russian church as costing $700,000 to change the use to a church and $2M for remodeling.  They rent the building to a Spanish Church and may rent to a Taiwanese Church.  A language school for kids operates out of their community center.  A couple of doctors gave their case about losing their practices.  Of significance, a Russian woman said their "only competition was a parking lot."  I think this speaks volumes.  What do you think?   

In all it was an emotional display by an immigrant minority that I never knew lived, worked, and played in Redmond.  Did you know about this Slavic enclave?  I can't ever imagine the City Council would allow these small businesses to be uprooted.  Certainly not Councilmember Pat Vache' - an avid proponent for small business.  What do you think? 

A public Community Meeting is tentatively planned for the third week of January.  Contact the mayor's office  mayor@redmond.gov for the exact date, location, and time.

The LWSD Surplus Technology Equipment Sale!

Agendas, Information Packets and Minutes for present and future School Board Meetings and Study Sessions

If you haven't yet found that perfect, reasonably priced holiday gift, you may want to try the Lake Washington School District.  That's right!  In the near future, the District (425-882-5100) may be releasing some of their surplus technology equipment for sale to the general public.

The SCHOOL BOARD approved "Surplus Material and Equipment" Resolution No. 2047 at their Regular Meeting, 11/23.

"A large portion of the surplus items include district furniture and equipment due to ongoing modernizations, computers due to ongoing staff and student upgrades and textbooks.  It will be offered for sale/redistribution through RCW 28.A.335.180.  This could include providing technology equipment to indigent students, sales to other private and public schools and sale to the general public and/or disposal."  - LWSD Board Meeting packet, 11/23 (page 10).

For more information, try rlandis@lwsd.org or call the District. 

A few of the surplussed items:

Camcorder (64 units)  CD burner (11)  Computers, Compaq & HP (262)  Digital Cameras (127)

Document Camera (127)  Laptops (10)  Monitors (196)  Printers, HP (95)  Printers, Xerox (47)

Proliant Servers, Compaq & HP (11)  Video Editing Decks (13)  Refrigerators, small (LOT)

Popcorn machine (3)  Filing cabinets (LOT)  Ice Cream Machine (1) Lathes (3) Chairs, adult (LOT)

Basketball Backboards (4) Drillpress (Rockwell 15-017) 1  Band Saw (1)  Bookcase (LOT)

What do you need? 

by Bob Yoder

CC:  LWSD Administration

Microsoft's private shopping mall.

Microsoft Commons: It’s a Mall World After All