News from former Councilmember Randy Corman, your Renton City Hall insider. (All views expressed in journal entries are Randy Corman's personal views, and not the official position of the City of Renton or other city employees. Views expressed in reader comments are those of the commenter)

Posts tagged mayor’s race

A Political Grand Slam! It’s a new day in Renton!

Nov07
2007 Written by Randy Corman

The Spirit of Washington Pavilion Event Center has probably never been home to more cheering than witnessed tonight. The Event Center was the venue for an election watch party for Denis Law, Marcie Palmer, Greg Taylor, and King Parker, and all of their campaign teams. At a few minutes past 8:00, as the first returns were coming in, it became clear that all four of them were winning, and winning big, in their respective races. For Mayor, Denis Law was easily beating incumbent Kathy Keolker with a 56 percent to 44 percent spread. On city council, Marcie Palmer ran away with her race, with nearly three quarters of the voters choosing to re-elect her. Greg Taylor was ahead in the polling for an open seat almost two-to-one. And King Parker was getting almost 60 percent of the vote in his race for a city council seat.  Along with all the other positive results, 17,000 residents of the Benson Hill neighborhood were electing to join the City of Renton in an annexation vote that was prevailing by 67% to 33 %. ( Interestingly, one of Denis Law’s adult daughters lives in this neighborhood….she could not vote for her father for mayor because she currently lives outside city limits, but she was able to vote to annex to the city of Renton which will make her father her mayor. )

The party of hundreds gasped and cheered as each set of fantastic results were shown on a big screen, which was linked to a bank of computers set up by Marcie Maxwell and some well-organized helpers. Along with cheering to raise the roof, glasses clinked, and people hugged, like midnight on new years eve in New York City.

The guests were all extremely well-fed compliments of the campaigns and Eric Temple’s excellent caterers from Spirit of Washington. And we all enjoyed acceptance speeches from the winning candidates, who were honored, humble, enthusiastic, appreciative, and extremely optimistic in their comments.

It was quite a night for everyone. But I can’t help feeling that I am one of the biggest winners of all, even though I was not even on the ballot. I now get to serve with a dream-team of city officials, in a city that is ready to truly bloom culturally and economically. If there was a way to buy stock in Renton, I would suggest you call your broker and purchase some right now…I am very, very bullish on our city’s future.

What a rush. I thank you all, dear readers and fellow Renton citizens, for making this night possible.

I’ll be getting some really nice pictures from Gary Palmer, but here are a few from my own camera to give the idea of the evening.  Below the pictures, you can find the latest numbers from the King County Elections office.


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

CITY OF RENTON

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 6933 / 27552 25.16%
Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll Precincts: 65 / 65 100.00%
City of Renton Mayor
Kathy Keolker NP 2984 45.24%
Denis W. Law NP 3600 54.58%
Write-in 12 0.18%
City of Renton Council Position No. 3
Marcie Palmer NP 4388 73.70%
Shirley A. Gaunt-Smith NP 1545 25.95%
Write-in 21 0.35%

 

 
City of Renton Council Position No. 4
Greg Taylor NP 3806 62.93%
Terry Persson NP 2227 36.82%
Write-in 15 0.25%
City of Renton Council Position No. 5
King Parker NP 3774 59.22%
Cheryl E. Haskins NP 2586 40.58%
Write-in 13 0.20%
City of Renton Council Position No. 7
Don Persson NP 4778 97.67%
Write-in 114 2.33%

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

This resident is trying to avoid growing a crop of yard signs

Oct03
2007 Written by Randy Corman

The yard sign campaigns are a unique and sometimes entertaining aspect of overall political campaigns. Finding legitimate and approved locations, and then fastening the signs in so that they are sturdy and visible, but not interfering is not always as easy as it seems.

No candidate ever wins because of their yard signs, but if you don’t have any it can really hurt your name recognition and your campaign. So it’s always good for a candidate to find a few dedicated sign staff, and a team of part-time helpers.

About ten years ago the US supreme court declared public right-of-ways to be legitimate zones for political freedom of expression, so many candidates focus their signs on the city easements around major intersections, creating what we frequently refer to as “sign farms.” Occasionally, these will get hit by city brush cutting equipment or random vandals, who will destroy all the signs, and necessitate that each campaign to come out and make repairs or install replacements. Political newcomers will often take it personally when this happens, but more often than not the sign was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time…I’ve never actually seen a campaign removing the other’s signs.

The best sign locations are actually on private property, because they tell surrounding owners and visitors that the candidate has won an endorsement as well as providing name recognition. But sometimes the lines between public and private property are hard to distinguish without a survey, so the whole picture gets messy.

I enjoyed spotting this sign tonight, next to one of Denis Law’s yard signs. This is the first such sign like this that I have seen in 14 years, but I bet it won’t be the last…it seems like a good idea. Yard signs tend to reproduce if placed in a greenbelt that may appear to be public property.

 

Believe it or not, some of my most fun campaign memories are riding around with other campaign workers, putting up yard signs. The actual installation can be laborious, but the camaraderie and conversations are often the best I’ve ever had. And it is a little like cruising Renton…but with a mission. If you have never done this before, consider volunteering to help with a sign campaign for your favorite candidate sometime. You may decide you really like it.

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

Renton Airport in Today’s Seattle Times; residents speak their minds

Sep30
2007 Written by Randy Corman

Mayor Kathy Keolker’s office sent out a Request-for-Proposals (RFP) for a Renton Jet Center without council approval late last year. When the proposals started coming in, outraged citizens started turning up at council meetings, informing us that they had many, many concerns about this direction for our airport.

The council asked for more time, and for a noise study, before we proceed with a jet center or make any significant long-term leasing decisions.

Here is the latest news from the Seattle Times on this topic. You can get more background by clicking here.

Renton residents worry about airport expansion

By Karen Johnson, 9/30/07

Times Southeast Bureau
More Southeast King County News

As a flight attendant for United Airlines for 40 years, Renton resident Peggi Galster grew accustomed to airport noise and loud planes.

“When I was working, I would cease a conversation when the engines started,” Galster said.

But at her home in the Kennydale neighborhood, Galster says she has to cover her ears when planes fly overhead.

READ MORE »

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged ,

Informing the media of my response to Dan’s lawsuit

Sep20
2007 Written by Randy Corman

Having been challenged by Dan Clawson, I have sent my public response to the Seattle Times, Seattle PI, and Renton Reporter, appended onto Dan’s original public release.  (As an aside, Dan still seems to resent me for making my email public!?)

see my response to the media here

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , ,

Update on Dan Clawson’s wasteful and frivolous lawsuit

Sep19
2007 Written by Randy Corman

I have not seen the lawsuit yet, but an attorney has told me it is based largely on a post-it note that Dan Clawson found while crawling around under the council dais, and rummaging through Don Persson’s garbage can. The note said something like “did you talk to Garrett”. Apparently, Dan had the delusion that he had found O.J.’s bloody knife or something. He used this note to extrapolate that four council members had all had conversations with the Master Builders Trade Association about the legislation that was pending, and that this would constitute an illegal meeting.

Never mind the fact that I had not spoken with the Master Builders Association, or received any kind of communication with them whatsoever. Never mind that the note was not mine, and I had not even seen it. If Dan is going to crawl around like a dog under our desks pulling paper out of cans littered with Pizza crusts, he ought to at least put some rational thought into what they mean and where they came from.

When the Master Builders and I get deposed, it will become clear to all that Dan has no case, and that the whole “meeting” idea was a complete fabrication on his part. But it is already too late for him to avoid ethics violations. Even though he could have easily determined that there was no factual basis for his imaginary meeting by simply asking me a few questions, he filed a politically motivated lawsuit, and I will not consider this over until the state Bar penalizes him for it.

As a little bit of further background, Dan filed this lawsuit within 14 hours of the cantankerous city council meeting, in which Dan loudly insulted his colleague Marcie Palmer, and my resultant defense of Marcie had left Dan visibly shaking. He filed the lawsuit himself, the way Chris Clifford used to file countless lawsuits against the city of Renton when Mr. Clifford was unhappy with a vote.

I have a feeling that had Dan gone to an attorney, the attorney would have advised Dan to calm down for a few days, and to get more facts before getting himself into something he can’t get out of.

Even if there had been a private meeting, which there wasn’t, the fine would have been $100. But Dan’s lawsuit may cost Renton Taxpayers $300,000 if it goes like the City of Shoreline’s two years ago.

As for me, there is nothing I can do other than try to penalize Dan for being an idiot. I can’t lawfully admit to something I didn’t do, so I can’t make this go away. Dan will need to do that, but he seems like he may have had a break with reality.

Finally, lest anyone believe that Dan’s interest is open government, try to remember that I got accolades from across the United States for opening my council email to the public this December. Interestingly, I had resistance to this move from only one person, who insisted that our email should be private. You guessed it….Dan Clawson. I wrote a blog about it at the time, including the original email discussion between me and Dan but decided it was rubbing his nose in it after all the positive press I was getting. But I just made the blog public, since the theme of his phony lawsuit is open government.  You can see it for the first time here.  You can also see his anger-management issues jumping out of his email.

Potential legal tab in Shoreline council lawsuit “ridiculous”
By Jim Brunner
Seattle Times staff reporter

Former Shoreline Councilman John Chang
A lawsuit accusing four current and former Shoreline City Council members of holding illegal secret meetings two years ago to oust the city manager and decide on his replacement could mean a few hundred dollars in fines for the politicians if they lose.

But for Shoreline taxpayers, the case already has packed a much bigger wallop.

The city is on the hook for more than $340,000 to a private law firm for defending the council members. A second law firm was hired for $7,500 to advise the council on whether to keep paying for the council members’ lawyers. And the city itself was recently added to the lawsuit as a defendant, forcing it to hire a third set of lawyers.

If the city loses the case, it also could wind up paying the plaintiffs’ legal costs, which already top $250,000.

“Ridiculous,” Councilman Ron Hansen said of the mounting legal expenses — a sentiment that both sides seem to share.

The civil suit against council members Maggie Fimia, Robert Ransom, Janet Way and former member John Chang accuses the four, which constitutes a majority, of holding secret meetings in 2005 to force the resignation of then-City Manager Steve Burkett.

The council members deny wrongdoing and say the lawsuit amounts to harassment by disgruntled political opponents.

The case was filed by former council members Constance King and Kevin Grossman and local attorney John Hollinrake Jr. Grossman lost his council seat to Fimia in 2003; Hollinrake and King are longtime critics of the accused council members.

Recent mediation talks failed to produce a settlement. Both sides are digging in for a trial and blaming their adversaries for the mounting legal bills.

The lawsuit has become a major election-year issue for this city of 53,000, a suburb immediately north of Seattle that incorporated in 1995. Fimia and Ransom are up for re-election and have been slammed over the lawsuit in political ads.

The dispute wasn’t supposed to be so expensive. In court papers, the plaintiffs originally said they wanted to make sure “the citizens of Shoreline are not penalized” for the alleged council actions.

But after the local lawyer who filed the case moved to Eastern Washington, the plaintiffs hired new attorneys who dropped the language about protecting taxpayers and added the city of Shoreline as a defendant. State law says attorneys’ fees in such cases can be recovered only from governments.

“It is a divisive lawsuit,” said Steve DiJulio, the attorney for the accused council members. “Where it was a personal attack on the defendants, it’s now an attack on the city itself.”

But critics say the council members have only themselves to blame. The case, they say, could have been settled earlier for a small fine and an apology.

“You can point fingers in any direction that you want, but my opinion is the defendant council members have had the ability to settle this if they wanted to,” said Hansen, who had supported keeping Burkett as city manager.

The City Council last week voted to keep paying the legal bills for the accused members and former member Chang. The accused council members were not allowed to vote on the matter.

“We have to provide this defense. We’re in a contractual box,” Hansen said.

The case centers on whether a series of meetings, e-mails and phone calls among the four council members in December 2005 amounted to an illegal action under the state’s Open Public Meetings Act.

The law says city councils, school boards and other local legislative bodies must debate and make their decisions in public, although closed, executive sessions are common for discussing personnel matters. But under the law, a majority of council members cannot get together and hash out decisions in secret and then trot them out for a rehearsed formal vote in public.

The lawsuit against Fimia and the other Shoreline council members contends they did exactly that — conspiring in a series of private conversations before a Dec. 12, 2005, council meeting to force Burkett’s resignation in exchange for a $140,000 severance package.

Burkett’s ouster came after a contentious November election shifted the balance of power to a majority critical of Burkett and a city-sponsored redevelopment of Aurora Avenue North.

The lawsuit points to a Dec. 9 letter signed by the four council members to an attorney, saying they wanted to terminate Burkett’s contract and were seeking legal advice. The plaintiffs also point to dozens of e-mails and phone calls among the council members.

The lawuit also accuses the council members of deciding on Burkett’s replacement in secret.

Ransom announced at a Dec. 15 Christmas party, according to the plaintiffs, that a majority of the council had “made a decision” to hire Robert Olander, the deputy city manager, to replace Burkett. The council later voted to hire Olander, who has remained in the post.

“None of them seem to see the public-confidence problem they were creating here. Why do you feel you need to go behind everybody’s back and stage this coup?” said Michele Earl Hubbard, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Fimia says there were conversations among the council members before the Dec. 12 meeting, but they were always careful to avoid gathering as a group of four. That would have been a quorum of the seven-member council and a violation of the open-meeting law.

Tim Ford, open-government ombudsman for Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna, agreed that council members can hold some private discussions as long as they do not gather as a majority.

But Ford noted that council members are not automatically safe if they gather in smaller groups. Courts have ruled that a series of such discussions, including via e-mail, can amount to an illegal decision if a majority participates and arrives at some kind of collective decision.

Fimia, who formerly served on the King County Council, said council members have to be allowed to prepare for meetings and hold some discussions about pending issues. Otherwise they could never get anything done, she said.

Asked whether she could have handled the Burkett situation better, Fimia said she believes her political opponents would have tried to block and harass her no matter how the action was carried out.

“I don’t know what would have happened, but it might not have been any better,” Fimia said.

The case likely won’t be decided before the Nov. 6 election. Lawyers for the city, which was only recently added to the lawsuit, are expected to request that the trial be delayed until early next year to give them time to prepare.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , ,

Renton’s award-winning former Economic Development Leader, Sue Carlson, says Renton needs Denis law

Sep10
2007 Written by Randy Corman

 

Year 2000 Public Employee of the year Sue Carlson reminds Denis Law’s campaign of some of the intricate work it took to jump-start Renton’s struggling economy in the 90’s, and how we can lose our momentum today if we don’t have new leadership in the mayor’s office.

I had the honor of serving as City Council President the year that our amazing Economic Development/Long Term Planning Administrator, Sue Carlson, won the title of Outstanding Public Employee from the King County Municipal League for her contributions in turning Renton’s economic fortunes around. That year we got the veterans park and the Henry Moses Aquatic Center started with year-end fund balance windfalls. These revenue windfalls came from new sales tax collections from new retail businesses Sue had recruited. That same year also began the advanced planning for the Landing, as you can see in the Municipal League write-up (linked below).

While Sue Carlson no longer works for Renton, she has a strong passion for our community and is very active in our campaign to get Denis Law elected mayor. Sue Carlson reminded our campaign recently that she helped encourage Denis Law to start the Renton Reporter in 1993, as a means to give our city an identity, a sense of community, a way to market itself to outside bsinesses, and a way for Renton businesses to advertise.

This was around the same time that Sue was bringing our city the support of Eric Temple and his Sprit of Washington Diner Train. Mr. Temple and Mr. Law were two of the first major believers in Renton’s 1990 downtown Renaissance, and the two of them remain great freinds and strong believers in our city. (Unfortunately, this year Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad struck a deal with state DOT that ended the Dinner Train’s run in spite of council majority objections; Kathy Keolker’s campaign got a contribution from BNSF for her role, and Denis’s campaign recieved a contribution from Eric Temple for his. I and many others believe we would not have lost the dinner train if Denis had been mayor.)

Sue Carlson is widely known as one of the greatest Economic Development experts in our state, and we finally lost her only because her private sector value was so high that our city could only pay her about a fraction of her market value. Her last few years with our city were very charitable on her part, given the outside job-offers she was passing on. She is one of the many believers in Renton that are going to help Denis Law win this campaign.

see Sue’s Public Employee of the Year award described, along with her advanced work on the Landing, by clicking here

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

Autumn decorations

Sep08
2007 Written by Randy Corman

 

Thanks to whoever put up these two nice-looking autumn decorations at my home this week. They look great! But we still need a King Parker sign and a Marcie Palmer sign to go with them…so if you have either of these, and you’re in the neighborhood, please post them or drop them by!

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

Jesse Tanner’s Legacy

Sep06
2007 Written by Randy Corman

Janice Tanner reminded me that her husband Jesse received this beautiful photo collection from the city upon his retirement as Renton Mayor. This collection, which is 3 ft by 4 ft in actual size, provides a nice visual of Renton’s renaissance.

Here is a photo of it, and a detail shot. The inscription says “Jesse Tanner Mayor 1996-2003. You created a legacy for the city of Renton” What can’t be easily depicted is the development agreement for the Landing site, or the lakefront purchase by Paul Allen during Jesse’s tenure.

These are the public projects during his time in office, none of the private development like Southport, downtown condos, or the new auto mall is shown.





Click the pictures to enlarge

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged

Too much drama

Aug14
2007 Written by Randy Corman

“I’ve been waiting for Clay Bennett to flip us all off and tell us to go jump in the lake,” Prentice said.

My thoughts… “Really Senator? Is this what we should expect from Clay Bennett?”

I do not share Senator Margarita Prentice’s view that it is reasonable, even figuratively, for Clay Bennett to flip off the State of Washington. Okay… so the House and Senate would not put a hurried and incomplete Sonics arena proposal ahead of schools, mental health, justice, and other state priorities in the last legislative session…does that make it acceptable or effective to flip them off?

I know arenas are really cool, and it would have been great for Renton to get an influx of three-hundred million dollars of state money pumped into our community. But even so, Renton citizens are simply not the sore-losers that Senator Prentice’s language suggests.

Instead of flipping off the state legislature, it would be more appropriate for Clay Bennett, if he is serious about a new Seattle-area Sonics arena, to hold meetings with key members of the House and Senate to see what these elected officials would need in a revised proposal. He could also make good use of the months prior to the next legilative session communicating with other cities and potential private-sector sponsors. It’s not like the team is getting evicted or anything…they have several years left on their Key Arena lease. Clay Bennett could even patch things up with the city of Seattle if he put his mind to it. The Sonics and Storm fans, who have supported basketball for decades, deserve a good faith effort in this department…not more school-yard talk.

If Margarita Prentice is right, and Clay Bennett now refuses to initiate productive diologue with Washington’s elected officials, then I will positively conclude that it was never Mr. Bennett’s intention to keep the team in the region; and it would follow that Renton was snookered out of the tens of thousands of dollars we spent evaluating the areana proposal.

I’m proud of the fact that Renton has a desirable piece of property, large enough for an NBA arena and convention center, with the proper zoning in place. This says a lot about our city’s opportunity. But we don’t have tens of millions of public dollars to help pay for a regional sports facility, nor can we afford to start alienating the state house and senate with talk about extended middle fingers.

Here is an excerpt from today’s Seattle Time Story:

The state Legislature rejected Bennett’s proposal for a $500 million Renton arena this spring.

State Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, a vocal supporter of that effort, said lawmakers treated team owners “shabbily” by refusing to seriously consider the Renton plan. Some lawmakers also have criticized McClendon and another Sonics partner, Tom Ward, for making large contributions to an anti-gay-marriage group.

Prentice said she doesn’t blame McClendon for his latest comments.

“I’ve been waiting for Clay Bennett to flip us all off and tell us to go jump in the lake,” Prentice said.

And you can read the complete story here

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , ,

Saturday’s picnic

Aug12
2007 Written by Randy Corman

Click on the pictures to enlarge!












 

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , ,

Okay…so here is a little more about Monday’s council meeting

Aug08
2007 Written by Randy Corman

When we were having the debate about whether the council should review city contracts between 20K and 50K (see my previous posting below), we were covering a lot of ground in our debate. Don Persson explained it was our duty to make sure we knew in advance where money was being committed; I agreed and pointed out we could easily and swiftly approve contracts as consent agenda items if they were provided to us in advance of our weekly council meeting. But Dan and Terry kept insisting that for the fifty annual contracts between $20,000 and $50,000, the council should not see them, and that Don and Denis and Marcie and I must simply be untrusting. I went on to point out that often the issue is priorities more than trust, e.g. when we spend money for new economic development studies it should be for areas of interest to the council….the mayor and staff may not know what we want. The debate went back to Terri, Don, Dan, and Denis a few times, and then I began asking for the floor again but not getting recognized. Then the mayor recognized Toni, who said that our finance director does a good job keeping receipts (which is true, but a bit beside the point), but then she closed by saying something unfortunate along the lines that we must just all be idiots, and she “called for the question.”

The mayor smiled and tried to end the debate, but I did not intend to be denied my opportunity to speak or to let the idiot comment go unresolved. So I declared a point of order, and pointed out that “calling for the question” does not stop debate by itself…it is a motion that must pass in order to stop the debate. Dan Clawson, an attorney and council member immediately responded that I was wrong, as did our city attorney. I reached for my guide on Roberts Rules of Order, stood up to present the facts to the city attorney, who could now tell by my demeanor that she must be mistaken. The chambers quieted down as the city attorney read from her copy, while I read along silently on mine; calling for the question needed a “second,” and a two-thirds vote to pass. The attorney then declared the motion which called for the question dead for lack of a second. I then asked for the floor, but before the mayor recognized me, Terry Briere called “second”, and the mayor recognized her “second” even though the motion was already dead.

 

While I rightfully should have had the floor, I did not make a fuss because I knew the motion would not get two-thirds of the council’s approval after the majority had all just been called idiots.

So, we took a vote on the “call for the question,” which predictably received three yes votes, and four no votes…my colleagues were ready to let me finish my comments. But instead of declaring the motion dead, the mayor asked the clerk to determine whether she had the necessary two-thirds vote to end debate! I guess the math got away from her…she was not sure if 3/7 was as high as 2/3! The clerk sighed and said, no, the motion did not get two-thirds of the council’s support. At this point my patience was growing thin, and I asked for the floor one more time. The mayor, looking angrily frustrated, panned around the council seemingly looking for some way she could change the situation so that I would not be allowed to speak….I felt like if there were a fire alarm lever behind her she may have pulled it. I asked again for the floor, pointing out I had now counted four times in a row that she refused to recognize me even though the majority of council members would have liked to hear what I had to say five minutes earlier. Crestfallen, she finally recognized me “…Misssterrrr Cooorrrrman…”

I kept my comments brief, pointing out that none of the council were idiots, and that all all seven of us have made valuable contributions to contract language in the past. We can improve these contracts, and give service to the taxpayers, merely by the seven of us taking a look at them in our council packets. This was not an issue of winning or losing power so much as a way to use eight elected officials to the taxpayers full advantage. Toni Nelson then clarified that she had not meant to call us idiots, and Don’s motion to review the contracts passed 5 to 2 on a roll-call vote. Yay!

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , , , , ,

The truth about Sound Transit funding; where is Renton’s share?

Jul13
2007 Written by Randy Corman

 

In 1995, voters of Renton overwhelmingly joined voters of the rest of the Eastside in rejecting a six billion dollar Regional Transit proposal that focussed almost entirely on Seattle. Eastside voters said the proposal was too expensive, and they wanted a pro-rated, fair share of the funding to be spent to improve transit on the Eastside…the dollars generated in the Renton/Eastside sub-area should be used in the sub-area. This “sub-area equity” proposal went back to the ballot with a scaled down Seattle rail system and eastside Highway and Bus improvements, and was approved by the voters…giving birth to Sound Transit.

Renton voters will contribute 100 million dollars in tax money to the Sound Transit proposal approved in 1996, and the Sound Transit Board agreed that our city would receive two I-405 express HOV on/off ramps, one at Talbot and one at N 8th Street, along with expanded express bus service, in return for this huge investment. This is what Renton voters expected and deserved.

Sadly, Sound Transit began losing site of their bargain with Renton voters as they became distracted with bigger projects in Seattle and Bellevue. Mayor Jesse Tanner and several of us on council attended countless meetings to try to get Renton projects underway, but ultimately Sound Transit informed Renton that prices had escalated and they had under-estimated, and they could now only build the HOV on/off ramp at 8th street, and it would cost 80 million (with the other 20 million going to other cities).

When Jesse Tanner got this news, he informed Sound Transit that they would put the other 20 million back into RENTON projects, not send it elsewhere, and they would proceed immediately to plan and build Renton’s new off-ramp at N 8th street, before it got more expensive; AND… they would get our bus service going. When the King County Executive and the Sound Transit Board balked at Renton’s mayor telling them what to do, and threatened to ignore Renton, Jesse Tanner took the effective and intelligent step of withholding an easement that Sound Transit needed from Renton to support their north-south rail project until they returned to the bargaining table. Having been out-maneuvered by Mayor Tanner,and with the politics against Sound Transit, the Sound Transit staff capitulated and returned to the bargaining table. Renton and Sound Transit then held very productive discussions, and finally agreed that Sound Transit would build the 8th street HOV off-ramp post-haste, and that the 20 million would be used specifically to improve Rainier Avenue and Hardie Avenue so that Sound Transit buses could more easily reach our transit center from the south, something that the HOV off-ramp at at Talbot was supposed to have done.

But, alas, it did not end there. Next thing we knew, Sound Transit was telling us that the 8th street HOV off-ramp would now cost 160 million, because part of I-405 would need to be realigned to create better sight distances when the new project was installed. Sound Transit suggested that they should go ahead with the 20 million dollar Rainier Avenue improvements, and then work regional I-405 financing proposals to get the additional money. Renton reluctantly agreed to wait and see if voters would approve new I-405 money, but again Jesse Tanner made it clear that no matter what, the 100 million would improve Renton transit and not go elsewhere.

Jesse Tanner retired, and Mayor Keolker took office right around the time that voters rejected additional money for I-405. Sound Transit proposed to the new Keolker Administration that they would link our off-ramp improvements to the pending future voter approval of the mega-big Regional Transit Investment District (RTID) and Sound Transit Phase-Two proposal, a FIFTY BILLION dollar bond issue which would still need voter approval. Also, Sound Transit would prioritize our off-ramp project near the END of their list of Phase-Two projects, meaning even if we approve the 50 billion dollar Sound Transit/RTID Bond, Rentonites will not see our new off-ramp (promised in Phase one) until the year 2030, over 30 years after we paid for it. Sound Transit also determined that the Rainier and Hardie Avenue improvement, the other 20 million dollars in Sound Transit funding, was held up because Burlington Northern railroad had no interest or willingness to rebuild their Renton trestles and provide enough clearance for the new roadways.  Sound Transit is attempting to back away from their promised improvements in Renton.

But those of us on Council have not let Sound Transit off the hook for the promised money, and earlier this year Marcie Palmer, Don Persson and I told Burlington Northern Railroad and the State DOT that we would fight their abandonment of the Eastside Rail line (and eviction of the dinner train) in Washington DC if they did not rebuild the trestles in Renton, thus freeing up the 20 million in Sound Transit money. The mayor let the three of us know that she did not like our request and pressure upon the Railroad, but as a council we prevailed. BNSF and State DOT are now working to rebuild these trestles, which will at LONG LAST get Renton taxpayers some value for their Sound Transit money thanks to the work that Marcie, Don and I did at this key meeting.

A bigger issue is how do we get our remaining 80 million dollar share spent to ease Renton congestion, if taxpayers decide not to approve the Phase Two (fifty billion dollar bond commitment)?  The Council Transportation Committee certainly cares about this, and we will continue to pursue this.

 

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , , ,

The mayor’s comments a bit over the top

Apr27
2007 Written by Randy Corman

On Monday, the Renton City Council asked our council president to co-author a letter of thanks to the Renton legislators that gave us such a successful session this spring, and worked on our behalf in Olympia.

We did not know that the next morning a letter from our Mayor would appear in the Seattle Times, chastizing the entirety of the House and Senate for “lack of action, inability to put personal agendas aside, and failure to work regionally.” Furthermore, the letter seemed to go right over-the-top when reasoning that we will be beaten by foreign nations because we did not get our basketball arena…a logic and tone much too bitter by my standards. Furthermore, I feel it is condescending and misleading to admonish our lawmakers in Olympia with talk about the global economy, just because they would not vote on a tax for a sports arena.

An arena would have been cool, but it’s in the past, and there is no need to let the idea futher distract us from working together on our main priorities.

I would ask all of Washington’s fine and hardworking legislators in Olympia to please not let our mayor’s harsh and dissapointed comments dissuade you from assisting Renton in the future.

Randy

_______________________________________________

A missed opportunity in Renton
By Kathy Keolker
April 24, 2007

Special to The Times

…Last week, the Legislature refused to pass legislation that would simply give King County the local option of extending existing taxes to create a new multipurpose events center….

…Unfortunately, the lack of action in Olympia also reminds us that if we cannot put aside politics and personal agendas and work regionally to solve issues, we will continue to miss out on terrific opportunities. Today, we face competition from far and near — from foreign nations as well as our neighboring states. If we don’t take bold steps and strive for an exciting, sustainable future, we will be left behind.

We must build bridges across political party roadblocks, consider and understand our philosophical differences, set aside jurisdictional parochialism and make regional decisions that benefit our future. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is mandatory, if we are to succeed in the new global economy.

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , , ,

Proposed resolution on the Sonics Arena; further work needed

Mar21
2007 Written by Randy Corman

At the council meeting a week ago, the Renton City Council debated passing a resolution concerning the Sonics Arena.

you can read about the debate and the wording of the proposed resolution by clicking here

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged , , , , , ,

My good friend and trusted colleague Denis Law to run for mayor

Nov20
2006 Written by Randy Corman


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Renton Councilman Denis Law

I am delighted to report that my good friend and council colleague Denis Law will be challenging the mayor in next year’s election.

Denis has a stunning record of community and business achievements, and he has been a joy to work with as a councilman. I proudly supported his candidacy four years ago when he first ran for council, and I have been encouraging him to go for the mayor role through much of the last year.

He has successfully managed many small businesses, and most Renton citizens are familiar with his work. He has founded and run several award winning newspapers, and has recently started a new Renton magazine that is getting rave reviews.

As a councilman, Denis has been a consistent source of wisdom and guidance. He has a steady devotion to keeping people of all backgrounds and perspectives working together, a quality which has been important during the last year and an inspiration to those of us who know him well.

Denis knew that I had seriously contemplated a possible rematch with the mayor myself, and he was completely gracious in the way he approached this possibility with me. Had I chosen to run, he would have aggressively supported me.

But Denis is the right candidate right now. He is expertly skilled for the job, he has the time to field a winning campaign, and he’s at an excellent career stage to serve as mayor.

I studied for years to become an airplane designer, and I have been having a great time making planes and proving them safe. By the election, I’ll have 23 years behind me at Boeing, with less than ten to go to early retirement. And I’ll still have two kids in college, and two in grade school; so I want to stay on this track for a while longer.

I’ll also achieve the rank of being the city’s most experienced council member when councilwoman Toni Nelson retires next year. This will allow me ample opportunity to influence the direction of our city and contribute my ideas to our shared future.

I want to thank the many people who have been encouraging me to run for mayor again; your support and confidence mean so much to me. It’s been heartwarming to hear from so many of you, especially during this last year.

I ask everyone to now join with me and my council colleagues Don Person and Marcie Palmer and past councilman King Parker, along with former Mayor Jesse Tanner, many Renton School District leaders, and countless dedicated and hardworking members of our community in supporting Renton’s beloved and respected Denis Law for Mayor of Renton 2007.

Sincerely,

Randy Corman

Click here to read Denis’s press release

Posted in Uncategorized - Tagged ,
« Older Entries

About the author

Hi, I’m Randy Corman. Welcome to my blog!  I served on Renton City Council for 28 years, 1994-2021, with six years as Renton Council President.  I’m also a mechanical engineer and manager, and worked for the Boeing Company for 33 years, from 1984- 2017.  My wife and I have five kids and five grandkids, and we all live in Renton.  I’ve kept this blog for 17 years, and get thousands of readers each month. Please share your feedback, ideas, and opinions in the comments.

Subscribe for updates

Enter your email below to receive notice of new blog entries

Renton Community Calendar

Rules for Commenting

Your comments are very appreciated and they add value to this blog.   Please keep your comments civil and respectful; policy discussions are encouraged but avoid personal attacks.  No threats of violence against anyone, or inciting violence in any form.  No racist, sexist, or hateful comments of any kind. Be truthful. Do not make allegations of criminal, unethical, or other personal wrongdoing that you do not have proof to back up.  Avoid profane, obscene, vulgar, lewd, discriminatory, or sexually-oriented language.  Honest, respectful, good-faith discussion of public officials’ actions and their results are protected speech. Private persons deserve more discretion, so avoid any unfair criticism of them.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Calendar

January 2025
M T W T F S S
« May    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Meta

Back to Top