Eight weeks ago, on September 23, the ordinance was passed.

The new requirements ensure venue owners keep doors closed to prevent sound from reaching inside neighboring residences at 65db between 11PM-7AM on Friday & Saturday; 60db on weekday evenings.

And let me tell ya, I've been waiting on that whole mass exodus of bar and venue owners and the death of our music scene we were promised... and the whole you know, collapse of downtown that was supposed to happen. It's eight weeks into this thing and downtown is still going strong! What gives!

Ah, the sound of silence.

According to Friends of the Waterfront, a message from former Washington State Secretary of State Ralph Munroe will air for several weeks on at least one local radio station (MIXX 96). During his time in office, former Secretary of State Munroe served on both the Capitol Committee, and the Capitol Campus Design Committee.

In the radio message, Munroe commends the Olympia City Council for responding to the Citizens' Initiative for an Isthmus Park Feasibility Study. He urges the City Council to delay voting on the proposal to increase isthmus building height limits until all the facts from the study are in. He then urges Olympia Residents who want the facts (and want the Council to consider the facts) from a completed study before a Concil decision about the rezone (which would have such drastic impacts on park feasibility), to then contact the members of the City Council and let them know.

Here's the radio message: Ralph Munroe on the Isthmus [mp3 audio]

Again, the message is to contact members of the City Council to thank them for pursuing the Park Feasibility Analysis and urge them to wait to vote on the proposal to rezone the isthmus building height limits until all of the facts from the park study are in: until the Park Feasibility Analysis has been thoroughly and faithfully completed.

Olympia City Council

Also try these email addresses:
councilmembers@ci.olympia.wa.us
cityhall@ci.olympia.wa.us
and
citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us

Even if the funding for a park doesn't currently exist, that is no reason to deny the eventual opportunity to build a park. I believe that a park on the Isthmus is feasible. Why? Well, most importantly, I think that the residents and future residents of Olympia need a park. Why do we need a park?

We need a park on the Isthmus because

[Forwarding ...]

Citizen Forum on the Isthmus Rezone

Saturday, Nov. 15th, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM

Hello Friends of the Waterfront, It is with gratitude for all that has been done and with a sense of urgency that this notice is being sent. We need to continue our efforts. Please DO NOT take down your yard signs.

Please, attend the ISTHMUS PARK UPDATE and ACTION meeting on Nov. 15th.

Time is short and events are moving very quickly! Let’s not waste all the time, effort and money we have put into stopping this very unpopular rezone request! Attend and bring a friend or family member!

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO SAVE THE ISTHMUS: UPDATE and ACTION

WHERE: Saturday, November 15, 2008 from 10:00AM to 12:30 PM

WHEN: Columbia Room, State Capitol Building (east door), under the Dome (former Legislators’ cafeteria) watch for signs, easy parking SPONSORS: Friends of the Waterfront, Isthmus Park Association, 2020 Vision Olympia, and the League of Women Voters.

AGENDA:

10 - 10:15 -- Registration, Coffee & Refreshments RECORD your ideas for possible uses for the future park. All Ideas will be presented to the City Council!

10:15 – 12:30 -- FORUM: UPDATE & ACTION RECOGNITION of all the hard work done by so many. (short & sweet) REPORTS on the current status of the Citizen’s Initiative, The Feasibility Study, The Legal Ramifications, the Foundation and the city’s timeline for the rezone request. State and local elected officials to be invited. Time for Q&A, new ideas and small group discussion regarding the Action needed individually and collectively.

For additional information: http://www.friendsofthewaterfront.org

As a side conversation to the illuminating occurrence of Councilmember Kingsbury's Public Comment Facebooking session, I have thought about my own handling of such racist, derogatory and hurtful comments as the ones Moses brings to the Council.

First, instead of gaveling - interrupt him at first mention. As politely as possible, again (importantly) - at first mention of a racist or derogatory term - interrupt him and ask him whether or not he knows that the term in question, for example, "mulatto," is offensive, derogatory and hurtful.

If he says no - that is - that he did not know the term is derogatory, then ask him to refrain from using it.

If he says yes - that he is aware of the racist and derogatory nature of the term, then ask him if he knows that the use of such a term is hurtful and harmful. Then inform, clearly, him of the hurtful nature of his commentary.

Ask him if he intends to put others down. If no, ask for an apology, and that he refrain from doing it anymore. If yes, then ask him why. Show him that someone, at least, cares about him. - That may be what he really needs. Maybe he is just horribly lonely, and sick, and doesn't know positive ways to reach out to people.

I am not a psychologist, but maybe I'll even venture to make a diagnosis.

Maybe Moses is sick - maybe he is wounded. Maybe he is injured, hurt by society. It's obvious that he needs attention. Maybe people can help him to find a positive, mutually beneficial, way to get that attention. As humans, we (almost all of us) need attention.

This society could benefit from a heaping dose of nonviolent communication. City Council would be a great place to start.

So that's a sort of an along the lines picture of how I would intend to handle a situation as it presented itself.

Almost every week this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review. I don't cover everything, so if you want the full rundown, read the packet and agenda yourself.

Why hold an election on whether to conduct a study on the proposed ithmus park when just doing the study costs a lot less? City staff wonder:

Approximately $30-70,000 for just the feasibility analysis.  The source of funds for the feasibility analysis has been referred to the finance committee.

...the City Council would have to submit the measure to a vote of the people at the next election, in February 2009.  The February 2009 election would be considered a “special election.”  A special election typically costs the City between $100-120,000 depending on the number of issues on the ballot.   This is significantly higher than our costs for a general or primary election.  Special elections typically have few ballot measures as compared to a primary or general election.  Therefor; the costs are only shared with the jurisdictions that have ballot measures. 

I wonder too.

Here is the video from the September 30, 2008 Olympia City Council Meeting. The meeting included deliberation over a proposal to rezone an area of the "Isthmus" in downtown Olympia in order to allow the development of a mid-rise luxury condominium project. Original video (w/ better A/V synchronization) is available at the city website, City of Olympia. Video on the flipside.

In November of 2002, the City Council adopted the Parks, Arts & Recreation Plan, which established the goals and policies of implementing new parks and selecting park and open space properties. This plan also amended the Growth Management Act ordinance, originally passed in 1994.

The plan inventoried existing city owned park land, and outlined future projects and estimated costs. The document also included an implementation schedule up to 2025.

In all, the inventory indicated that the City owns just below 900 acres of park land, of which 590 acres are undeveloped. This does not include state or federal lands. (Chp 6 p2)

The Parks plan projected their expenditures up to the year 2025. They estimate to spend about 5 million a year on land acquisition or development of current lands, using grants, taxes and levies. (Table 9 - Final Implementation Plan)

The document includes a huge push for the City to acquire the waterfront lands on the west side of Budd Inlet. Currently, the city owns about 32% of Budd Inlet shorelines within the city. [PAR 8.6: With the Port of Olympia, jointly improve public recreation facilities on the East Bay, West Bay, and the Port peninsula. (Ord. #5971, 12/14/99) Also: POS 4.4 An area from the 5th Avenue Bridge to West Bay Marina, from the west shoreline of West Bay to West Bay Drive is an important scenic waterfront that needs to be planned in a coordinated manner. Creating a vision for this area will involve a variety of stakeholders including property owners. Port of Olympia and other local, state and federal agencies and the public. A plan for this area may include recreation facilities, proposed changes in land uses and multi-modal transportation improvements. A planned waterfront from Percival Landing to the West Bay Marina will allow for predictable and organized public and private investments.

On September 9, The Olympia City Council voted, and passed on first reading, to ordain the repeal of the city's 2005 Nuclear Free Zone Act. A decision was also made to pass a noise ordinance for downtown Olympia. Higher quality video is available at the city website (www.ci.olympia.wa.us). This video has some audio/video synchronization issues, but it works especially well for purposes of leaving it to play in the background.

Here's the video as posted to the Google Video:

This story has been updated with the complete collection of videos posted here: http://olyblog.net/video-city-council-public-hearing-isthmus-building-height-rezone

Have you seen the video from last Tuesday's public hearing? It's 5 hours - but if you're interested in the rezone issue, this is a must-see (yes - all 5 hours.)

I was truly impressed by the depth and breadth of the public comments presented to the Council last Tuesday.

Video from the hearing is in four parts. The introduction is just under 30 minutes, parts one and two are a little less than 100 minutes and part three is a little over 50 minutes.

Here are the videos. The video and audio isn't synched perfectly (especially the introduction (-maybe it can be repaired)). But the video does seem to work (at least it does for me.)

Here they are:

Introduction:

Part One:

Part Two: