Is Snohomish/Developer Relationship Unethical? Resident Comments on City of Snohomish Survey
From FCS Group, Inc. 1 March, 30, 2008
City of Snohomish Public Opinion Survey – UGA Expansion
Question 9 – Survey Comments
The financial arrangement that the Snohomish City Council has with Mike Reid & Associates (developer and financer of docket proposal) gives the appearance of collusion in what should strictly be an administrative process of one Governmental body dealing with a higher governmental
body.
The contractual arrangement with Mike Reid & Associates (if such an agreement exists) gives the appearance of city government allowing a private individual to have special privileges and preferential treatment in the exercise of governmental processes. It is absolutely certain that the city of Snohomish will at some time in the near future find itself in the position where it will have to compensate Mike Reid and Associates in some special and valuable way for having carried the ball for the city in this land acquisition process. Is it the intention of the city council to declare eminent domain over the annexed area once it is acquired? If so, is it then the city council's intent to assign development rights to this chosen developer and his associates? Since it appears that this may be the intent, judging from the favoritism already shown this developer, we may have to reconsider rendering support to the city of Snohomish regarding the proposed annexation.
In as much as this survey is a document open to public scrutiny, I request that a representative of the city council contact my wife and me before any of my comments are made public. If these remarks are made a matter of record, I reserve the right to present my concerns to the media that they may exercise their investigative prerogatives.
If I may be so bold, I recommend that the Snohomish City Council abrogate all contractual arrangements with Mike Reid and Associates, that they reimburse him for financial effort and payments he has so far provided on behalf of the City of Snohomish, and that the City of Snohomish alone and entirely on its own initiative and expense proceed with the process of adding the property of interest to the Snohomish UGA.
Furthermore, we advice that Mike Reid and Associates be instructed that they must stand aside and not interfere with the organizational activities of the residents of the affected area, that he make no further attempt to obtain property by any means within Joywood Development, that he present no more documentation to the County Council, or County Planning Department except through the appropriate person or authorized committee of the City of Snohomish.
Furthermore it should be made absolutely clear to Mike Reid and Associates that they have incurred no special rights or privileges as a result of any activity done on behalf of the City of Snohomish and that they must not interfere with the activities of any other interested investor or developer, as well as existing property owners, who may have similar interests in the area under consideration by the City. It is further recommended that the Snohomish City council advise the Snohomish County Council that any maps, charts, and/or documents submitted by Mike Reid and Associates to them are for planning purposes only. The land use charts represent only one person's concept how the land could be utilized, that they do not meet with the approval of residents of the area, and that ultimate zoning may be based on different criteria that those used by the developer.
Thank you for soliciting our input. Please read it carefully, your response is anticipated, expected and welcome.
Ted and Joy Beckmeyer, Owners of Joywood Division 4
City of Snohomish Public Opinion Survey – UGA Expansion
Question 9 – Survey Comments
The financial arrangement that the Snohomish City Council has with Mike Reid & Associates (developer and financer of docket proposal) gives the appearance of collusion in what should strictly be an administrative process of one Governmental body dealing with a higher governmental
body.
The contractual arrangement with Mike Reid & Associates (if such an agreement exists) gives the appearance of city government allowing a private individual to have special privileges and preferential treatment in the exercise of governmental processes. It is absolutely certain that the city of Snohomish will at some time in the near future find itself in the position where it will have to compensate Mike Reid and Associates in some special and valuable way for having carried the ball for the city in this land acquisition process. Is it the intention of the city council to declare eminent domain over the annexed area once it is acquired? If so, is it then the city council's intent to assign development rights to this chosen developer and his associates? Since it appears that this may be the intent, judging from the favoritism already shown this developer, we may have to reconsider rendering support to the city of Snohomish regarding the proposed annexation.
In as much as this survey is a document open to public scrutiny, I request that a representative of the city council contact my wife and me before any of my comments are made public. If these remarks are made a matter of record, I reserve the right to present my concerns to the media that they may exercise their investigative prerogatives.
If I may be so bold, I recommend that the Snohomish City Council abrogate all contractual arrangements with Mike Reid and Associates, that they reimburse him for financial effort and payments he has so far provided on behalf of the City of Snohomish, and that the City of Snohomish alone and entirely on its own initiative and expense proceed with the process of adding the property of interest to the Snohomish UGA.
Furthermore, we advice that Mike Reid and Associates be instructed that they must stand aside and not interfere with the organizational activities of the residents of the affected area, that he make no further attempt to obtain property by any means within Joywood Development, that he present no more documentation to the County Council, or County Planning Department except through the appropriate person or authorized committee of the City of Snohomish.
Furthermore it should be made absolutely clear to Mike Reid and Associates that they have incurred no special rights or privileges as a result of any activity done on behalf of the City of Snohomish and that they must not interfere with the activities of any other interested investor or developer, as well as existing property owners, who may have similar interests in the area under consideration by the City. It is further recommended that the Snohomish City council advise the Snohomish County Council that any maps, charts, and/or documents submitted by Mike Reid and Associates to them are for planning purposes only. The land use charts represent only one person's concept how the land could be utilized, that they do not meet with the approval of residents of the area, and that ultimate zoning may be based on different criteria that those used by the developer.
Thank you for soliciting our input. Please read it carefully, your response is anticipated, expected and welcome.
Ted and Joy Beckmeyer, Owners of Joywood Division 4
Labels: uga
posted by Kevin Hulten at
1:15 AM
2 Comments:
Anonymous Tom Matlack says,
Well said, my friends. At the beginning of the Snohomish UGA program,I attended a Snohomish workshop with that fair city's planning commission, city council, adminstrative staff, and Mr. Reid in attendance. The table was awkwardly shaped like a big "L", but it was very clear that Mr. Reid was enthroned at the head of that table. When a long-time city veteran was asked to help set up the "throne" that veteran said "I will have nothing to do with this seating arrangement!"
Later, Mr. Reid delivered his personal vision for Snohomish's capital facilities plan, sewer plant upgrades, transportation plans, and pre-annexation agreements.
I would suggest the city of Snohomish establish a wing in their city hall for Mr. Reid and let him run their city; they could lay off some staff, and with the money they save, they could finance some of the millions of dollars his proposal will cost them.
anonymous Tom Matlack
Snohomish can have all this land. Then their citizens can be taxed to death. Clearcutters, go clear Snohomish!
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