City Mayor Nickels’s Secret Agenda
posted by on December 6 at 14:36 PM
As Nancy Drew reports in the paper that comes out today (not online yet, alas), the mayor’s office, unlike the city council, doesn’t have to hold public meetings. That means that Nickels’s annual retreats, unlike the council’s, are not open to the public (or reporters). When we called to find out where the retreat was being held, the receptionist responded suspiciously, “Why do you need that information?” Then she explicitly refused to confirm or deny that a retreat was even taking place. (A hot tipper had already informed us that the mayor and 30 members of his staff were headed on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Suquamish Clearwater Resort and Casino on the Kitsap Peninsula for two days, but we wanted to confirm.)
Washington State Open Public Records Act to the rescue! Within less than a day of filling a records request with the mayor’s public information officer, we got a copy of the retreat agenda. Among the priorities: Understanding Seattle’s urban agenda; discussing the city’s leadership role in addressing global and local challenges; and rekindling “our dedication to public leadership and service.” Might we suggest adding a little transparency to that agenda?
AGENDA FOR MAYOR’S RETREAT:
1. Annex White Center
2. Take over School District
3. Tell Governor to Shove It
4. Tell Frank Chopp to Shove It
5. Tell City Council to Shove It
6. Tell Sonics to Shove It
7. Close Down Nightclubs
8. Close Down Strip Clubs
9. Buy Kneepads for Meetings With Paul Allen/Vulcan
10. Buy Extra Kneepads for Meetings With Paul Allen/Vulcan
So the scoop here is that the mayor's office didn't want to send you a meeting agenda?
Maybe before he tries to take on a "leadership role in addressing global challenges" he should try fixing the goddamn potholes.
Then he could negotiate police and fire union contracts so they could actually get the staffing levels up to average.
But none of those things will actually put any money into the pockets of his developer buddies, so don't hold your breath.
Ummm...geez...the Mayor's Office can't actually pass legislation at the meeting....so...um...well...that's the whole point of the open meeting act....you know..a quorum and all. I don't believe they passed the law so you all can sit along the wall and wonder why no one loves you.
....(A hot tipper had already informed us that the mayor and 30 members of his staff were headed on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Suquamish Clearwater Resort and Casino on the Kitsap Peninsula for two days, but we wanted to confirm.)
WOW! the Suquamish Clearwater Resort and Casino? What a great tip. I can't believe their good fortune to be living so high on the hog for two days at the Suquamish Casino. If only I was a member of the Mayor's staff - I've been DYING to go to boring meetings in far flung boring places!!!!
pulleazzzzz. If you want to go....knock yourself out.
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