Written by There were some warm good-bye messages for our departing mayor and retiring council president tonight, as citizen remembered their combined 44 years of public service (24 for Kathy Keolker, 20 for Toni Nelson). Then, near the end of the evening, Dan Clawson surprised everyone in attendance by announcing he was retiring from council as well, so that he could devote more time to his family and his business. Dan has given 12 years of service as a council member. His resignation is effective as of January 1.
All three retiring officials received standing ovations for their years of service, and they all received kind words from the public for their commitment to the city.
I wish them all the best.
We won’t meet as a council again until January 7. At that time, we will lay out the procedure we will follow for choosing a replacement council member to fill the remaining two years of Dan’s term.
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Interesting development!
Ke-vin! Ke-vin! You can be so persuasive, Mr. Corman. Can you talk him out of going home and abandoning us? He seems smart, courageous, and principled. His positive, fresh perspective would be an excellent choice for Renton’s new team.
What is with this team thing i voted Law, and that was it of this “team” this looks like a dictatorship of a bunch of lemmings. The city will now all be ran by one person and everyone will follow.
I think the use of puctuation and capatilzation will make your message more meaningful
I do see your point, but there should be an answer to his question.
I’ve been called many things, but never a lemming. I would not think of Don Persson (fomer deputy police chief), Marcie Palmer (activist/volunteer who just won with 76% of the vote), King Parker (knows everyone in town, ran his own business for 30 years), or Greg Taylor (President of Chamber of Commerce) as a lemming either. Anyone who makes this mistake will learn quickly that we all have our own ideas, and we don’t let others tell us what to do.
Denis Law won all of our support for mayor largely because he was NOT trying to tell the council what to do… he showed a sincere interest in listening to the council, and following council policy direction. This will be refreshing change.
Please don’t judge Denis Law’s mayoral capability by anything that has happened so far. Mayor Keolker has not even let Denis BEGIN a transition yet. Tensions have been very high at city hall. The Monday meeting was the first indication of thawing/moving on that I have seen since election season. To try to help us progress, I’ve quit blogging about the lawsuit, and the election. I’m hoping we can move forward for the good of our city
Don’t be so sanctimonious. Capitalization is spelled wrong.
sanctimonious? Come on man, the point was, without punctuation, the statement makes no sense! Spelling should be correct, but the point of his post was to alert the writer his post had no meaning.
WOW! Will he take the lawsuit with him? I see Renton having a very strong leadership. I hope whomever replaces him really jives well with the rest. I’m sure this will be very well thougt out.Dropping of the lawsuit would set Renton back on a positive trac and we would REALLY be moving forward FINALLY, PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAASE DAN.
Dan did the right thing in my opinion. I wish him and his family the best. I have a feeling that it’s not over though. I think things are going to get nasty with this law suit now that he is off council. Hang on to your seats race fans!
Thank goodness the drama’s coming to an end… at least in the Council chambers. A nice way to wrap things up before the new year. Just another example of how truth and justice will always win out in the end!
There are a lot of great citizens out there who’d be able to serve the Council with integrity. Whoever the Council chooses for Dan’s position should have a strong record of service and volunteerism in our community, and should not be encumbered by controversy or partisanship.
Dan, I wish you and your family the best. Now that you are moving on let our city move on and drop the law suit. Lets start the New Year on a positive note. New leaders that care and have alot of important issues to attend. They don’t need the law suit disrupting progress. Kathy thank you for time served and Toni you are awesome, I know we will be seeing you around alot and you will always do good for Renton.
Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
When Dan Clawson was picked to fill Edwards vacancy it was a mistake.
Please:NO failed candidates should be considered to fill a vacancy!
No offense but how much longer are YOU going to be pontificating on the city council? And exactly how much money / benefits are citizens of Renton going to be on the hook ie retirement when you do hang it up.
JoeBob, , ,cranky
Re: Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
Hmmm…I’m probably going to run for one more term. I am REALLY looking forward to having a council and mayor that get along with each other.
Don’t worry though…my service is relatively cheap. As far as I know, I am the only council member who has never accepted a penny of medical benefits (thanks to my Boeing employment), and the city has never spent a cent on travel for me. Just my basic $950 per month salary, which was even less years ago.
I did not start paying into the city pension system until about four years ago, so if I retired today my total pension at age 65 would be something like 2 (percent) times 4 (years) times $950 =about $85 per month. And I would not be eligible to get it until the year 2027. It’s roughly 1/50th of what mayor Keolker will receive as a pension.
Needless to say, I’m relying on my benevolent aerospace employer, where I have already put in 23 years of service, to help take care of me and my wife when we retire. In addition, my 401 K and other investments will help. But my council pension will give me some latte money (although a latte at Starbucks could cost $85 in 2027, so I may only get one each month).
On the subject of pay, an interesting piece of trivia is that the first time I served as council president I actually earned $250 per month LESS than all the other council members. This is because council had approved a pay raise that took affect after each council position was up for election. Keolker, Nelson, Persson, and Parker all ran for office and started receiving the higher salary. Schlitzer, Edwards, and I were not up for election for two more years. But Edwards and Schlitzer then resigned, and were replaced by Clawson and Briere, which triggered the higher salary for those two postions. This left me as the only councilman still on the lower salary while I was serving as council president.
Some weeks my salary comes to about five bucks an hour, but I’m not complaining at all. It is an honor and privilege to be able to help set the direction for out city.
Re: Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
I don’t think his concern was the money that we’re paying for you, but that you’re part of the “old group” that we’re looking forward to getting off the council.
Re: Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
With regard to me being part of the “old group”….. I never felt like I was part of any group. I was certainly not part of a Keolker, Clawson, Nelson group, as anyone who was reading my blog the last eighteen months could tell you.
I have agreed more with Marcie Palmer, Denis Law, and Don Persson. But Marcie and Denis are hardly “an old group” as they each only have four years. Don has eight years experience, which is more of a medium group.
If you mean I have just been around a while, I accept that. I have worked hard since 1994 to turn around Renton’s economy, fix downtown, improve parks and the environment, bring in opportunities like Southport and the Landing, and get the right leaders in Renton; and I look forward to serving as council president pro-tem next year, and council president the following year. We are going to see continuing great improvements in Renton, while holding on to the small-town characteristics of our city that citizens want to keep . After that, I’m up for re-election, and perhaps I’ll have to show citizens I’m not all washed up. But, ironically, I’m also the youngest council member of the whole bunch, so I can still doorbell like the best of them!
Re: Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
Me thinks you are taking way too much credit for all things good in Renton! I am sure that others were involved, yes, even those that you despise. Your vilification of others (Dan, Mary, ect.) really speaks volumes. If one were to simply read “Randy Blog”, ,you would assume that Dan is a despicable, horrible human. I know there are those on the city staff that greatly admire his intelligence, and contributions to our city.
Re: Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
Take another look at my blog lately. I don’t have anything mean about Dan on it. Incidentally, It’s now 12:25 AM, and I have just spent two more hours going though and forwarding old emails, on an old computer (which I had to get out of a closet), as part of Dan’s subpoena, to prove that I did not have any secret meeting info on it. When Dan gets proven wrong, will you encourage him to apologize to me for slandering me in the newspaper, and wasting so much of my family’s time on his paranoia? After two more hours of this, now is not a great time for you to sing his virtues. It’s late, so I may be tired, but I can’t think of who Mary is. Can you remind me? Have I been critical of someone named Mary?
And I never said others didn’t share credit with me for the good things that have occured since 1994. Those are your words, not mine.
Re: Goodbye. Goodluck. Try Differenet Method to Fill
Randy, you say:
“Hmmm…I’m probably going to run for one more term.”
Doesn’t that mean you have to file a Declaration of Candidacy with the PDC?
And where do I send the campaign donation?
Just wondering . . . . :’)
I think Dan may have made the most sane comment of his political career: this would be a great time to get some representation from Renton’s newest residents. Council could make a nice gesture by appointing someone from the new Benson Hill Annexation Area.
Council Appt-Benson Hill
This is a great thought. Mayor-Elect Denis Law already has requested that the City Attorney assess the resdidential requirements for consideration for the recently opened Council Position (#2). A mayoral candidate must have resided in the city for a min. of 1 year, I have been told. Jay Covington is getting me copies of the Council Policies regarding a Council resignation & appointment.
There has been a flurry of possibilities and interest these past 24 hours, with interest in being appointed to the Council position. This is an extremely important issue for Council to consider and we look forward to the excitement this is generating. Benson Hill may have the opportunity to be a “player” early on in their position in the City of Renton. There are also numerous great candidates within the existing City limits who have proven their commitment to Renton for years of service in a variety of ways.
The Renton City Council likes to hear from our residents and businesses. This is a great venue—thanks Randy!
Marcie Palmer
Re: Council Appt-Benson Hill
Yes, someone from Benson Hill would be perfect!
Council Appointment
A representative from Benson Hill would be nice, but it would be just as nice to get representation from somewhere other than Kennydale, Renton Hill or the Highlands. West Hill, North or South Renton, East Plateau, Maple Valley, Talbot and the other neighborhoods of Renton are just as–if not more–deserving as our newest neighbors to the South.
Let’s spread the wealth (no pun intended).
Re: Council Appointment
Agreed — choosing someone from an under-served neighborhood would be great, whichever neighborhood it ends up being.
Re: Council Appointment
I disagree.
We need someone smart and able. Residency is not important – a decent official will do fine. Renton is small enough that we all live within a mile or so from eac other.
I don’t wand some idiot in office just because they’re home is in some magic spot.
Get the right person for the job regardless of where they work.
Re: Council Appointment
Whether part of the annexation area or on Benson Hill (within Renton) or on Talbot Hill or off of Puget Drive, the SE part of Renton is long overdue for representation on Council.
Yoda?
P.S. Me thinks you talk a bit like Yoda 🙂
May I call you that?
The Changing of the Blog
It’s probably best you keep the lawsuit info to a minimum (especially the details–hate to see you waiving attorney/client privilege just to keep us interested), but I hope you will continue to dedicate space to the upcoming appointment process. I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in this and a lot of questions as to the process the Council will use when they choose someone to fill the vacant position.
Keep up the good work.