Fire district puts con committee cart before the horse | Q&A with Mr. Federal Way

Published 3:55 pm Friday, July 24, 2015

Q: Mr. Federal Way, I heard that South King Fire and Rescue is seeking a con committee for another potential bond measure. However, the fire board of commissioners hasn’t even approved putting the measure on the general election ballot yet. Isn’t this premature?

A: Mr. Federal Way hesitates to admit when anyone other than himself is accurate, but you are correct.

Fire district staff sent the Mirror an email on Monday requesting for the newspaper to post a public notice in this week’s print edition. According to that notice, South King Fire and Rescue is placing a $39 million, 20-year capital bond measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. The notice calls on citizens interested in opposing this measure on a con committee to contact the fire district by July 31.

When the editor received this public notice, she told Mr. Federal Way she thought Mirror staff missed the commissioners’ vote to place the measure on the ballot. Mirror staff contacted fire officials, who confirmed that the board has not voted to place this on the ballot yet. They plan to vote on the bond measure at their July 28 meeting.

Not only is this public notice calling for a con committee premature, it is also confusing and misleading. Mr. Federal Way suspects that the fire district is on a timely schedule and has to dot several i’s and cross a host of t’s to ensure they can place the measure on the general election ballot in time. If this is just a matter of the fire district attempting to be timely — fine.

However, a public agency that is responsible to the taxpayers who pay for that entity should not post a public notice indicating that the measure will be on the ballot if that is not the case. The public notice should have stated that South King Fire and Rescue MAY place a $39 million bond measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, pending the board’s vote on July 28. Mr. Federal Way didn’t go to college for journalism but it doesn’t take an educated copy editor to figure out that their notice is inaccurate.

Mr. Federal Way believes this seemingly trivial public notice could cause the whole bond measure to go down in flames.

What happens if voters ultimately approve the bond? Mr. Federal Way is certain there is at least one long-time South King Fire critic who could come back at the fire district and say that the public notice was invalid due to the inaccuracy, thus the bond approval is null and void. This premature public notice could put this bond measure at some kind of a legal risk.

But this is also about public perception.

The fire district’s recent issues have already caused some voters to be skeptical of the agency, which may be why the recent bond measure failed.

If the fire district hopes to change its public image, commissioners and fire officials need to look closely at their actions and be mindful of outcomes. The result of this bond measure — IF it goes on the November ballot — depends on this.

Q: Mr. Federal Way, I found it interesting that the real estate brokerage firm involved in the sale of Center Plaza is under a “strict confidentiality agreement.” What is so special about this property and its buyer that this all has to be kept hush, hush? Why does its proximity to Town Center make me question the intent behind the “private Puget Sound investor?”

A: Mr. Federal Way thinks a list is in order — a list that details the sellers, buyers, property values, property sales and years in which the plats of land the city has deemed the downtown core of Federal Way have been bought. Is there gold buried under these here foothills?

Well, apparently the city’s vision for development has all of a sudden attracted developers and maybe they see the potential for gold. But without knowing who this new Center Plaza owner is and their intent for the land, Mr. Federal Way has to wonder whether the potential closure of Red Lobster, Starbucks, Subway, a martial arts studio and, of course, Total Vape, is something to be happy about. Where else can Mr. Federal Way get a seafood and coffee fix before picking up more juice for an electronic cigarette (jokes on that last one).

Mr. Federal Way is in the same boat with you, oh, curious one. What is planned for Federal Way’s future economy? Will this property sit idly by like the former Pal-Do World site or will it move at Godspeed like Town Center?

The answers remain to be seen but Mr. Federal Way will be watching from the corner table of his favorite coffee joint.

Q: Mr. Federal Way, have you mailed in your primary election ballot yet and who did you vote for?

A: None of your business.

Got a question for Mr. Federal Way? Email mrfederalway@federalwaymirror.com