I receive a lot of questions, and I like to share and answer them every so often since others may have similar questions. Here are a few:
Q. Why do you dislike the Performing Arts and Events Center?
A. Actually, I like it. But at $32 million, I don’t think it’s the highest priority for City Hall or the community. A full-time, full-service, city-managed Senior Center, as well as resources for the homeless, strike me as more important. Also, the financing plan appears flawed and will likely result in the city spending more Federal Way taxpayer dollars instead of using grants, tax credits or other sources that were originally planned.
Q. I get tired of all the political correctness, don’t you?
A. No. “Political correctness” is a catchphrase for good manners and the inclusion of others’ views and beliefs.
Q. Do you think building official Marty Gillis would have been fired if she were a man?
A. I don’t know, but I’ve been surprised at how often I have been asked this question.
Q. What did you think of Brian Wilson’s response to your column about favoritism?
A. Some of it was a little on the misleading side. Wilson appeared to try and distance himself, and his connection to John Fairbanks, by writing that the appointment of the mayor’s friend to the Civil Service Commission occurred during his “tenure” as acting city manager. However, the connection is much more direct. According to an October 27, 2009, letter from Human Resources Director Mary McDougal, Wilson actually appointed Fairbanks to an alternate position on the commission and had the authority to appoint him as a voting member when a quorum was needed.
Q. Why were you critical of the mayor and City Council for scheduling public meetings for the methanol plant and after the murders?
A. Because both were good political theater, but questionable governance. The public was “used” as political props for next year’s election – the hearings were for political gain.
The mayor and council had already decided what they were going to do prior to the emergency meeting on the methanol plant. Two council members had testified the night before at the hearing in Tacoma, and the mayor sent a city attorney to the same meeting to express his opposition. There was no policy reason for the meeting. Regarding the murders, the public came away with the feeling they would be part of some vast, community-wide committee that would play a role in public safety. At best, there will be a very small committee. In neither case was an “emergency” council meeting necessary.
The council appears to have pushed the mayor into both. He was right to be reluctant, although he still gained politically. Next year the mayor and council members will make sure they campaign on both of these issues, even though Federal Way’s impact on the methanol decision was minimal and no one has been arrested for the murders.
Q. What did you think about the mayor firing Community Development Director Michael Morales?
A. I think there’s more to the story.
Q. With everything that’s going on in this town, what does it say about a community when the top-ranked story for the week is about a doughnut shop opening and the second-ranked story is about the same doughnut shop’s delayed opening?
A. It says we like donuts!
Q. The city keeps saying the new downtown park was under budget and you keep disagreeing. Why?
A. Because the city keeps leaving out an important word: “adjusted.” The city kept revising the budget to a larger amount as things got more expensive. It’s easy to balance your budget when all you have to do is raise your spending limit. They need to say the project came in at or under the “adjusted budget” to be accurate.
On one final note, I want to congratulate Mayor Jim Ferrell, council members and city staff on the opening of the downtown park. Despite the cost, it is an attractive addition to our downtown and it fulfills a campaign promise. I do, however, wonder what happened to the chessboard and pieces.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is the former mayor of Auburn. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.
