Did They Learn Anything? With the trashed-out Cherry Street Project nowhere near housing its first human occupant, Port Townsend City Council has gone big, very big. Last month they approved the purchase of 14.4 acres next to the first traffic circle at the entrance to the city. They envision an entire neighborhood of subsidized housing. It may have shops. It may have apartments. It may have row homes and townhouses. It may have a plaza. Michelle Sandoval said at a December City Council meeting that she would “love” a plaza, preferably with a Hispanic name.
Plaza Sandoval perhaps?
The former mayor may not get a monument-to-me anytime soon. The City still lacks over $4.2 million for the infrastructure that would open to development all 14.4 acres and perhaps be a meaningful step to extending city utilities to the Glen Cove industrial area. Construction of anything, if Cherry Street is any indication, is a long, long way off. They don’t even know what they will build or who will build it.
But there’s no need to wait to honor Sandoval and her decades of influence over the city’s regulations, taxes and vision—a combination of policies that have contributed greatly to the current housing crisis. There is an edifice available right now that could bear her name. She played a leading role in its entry into our fair town. She was its chief advocate. I’m speaking of the ill-fated, tax dollars-suck of a building called the Carmel House—the heart of the Cherry Street Project. Henceforth, so we not forget, let us recognize this shabby but iconic memorial to ineptitude and dysfunction as Casa Sandoval. In its current state it goes well with the deteriorated condition of most Port Townsend streets, another Sandoval legacy that took years to achieve and will be with taxpayers for many years to come.
Sandoval may be moving on after 20 years of elected power and influence, but taxpayers still have to pay off the $1.4 million indebtedness she and her City Council yes-people incurred. Sandoval the real estate broker will be showing houses in the neighborhood as taxpayers eat the costs of crunching and removing Casa Sandoval. They will be paying the extra charges for toxic materials mitigation inside the same building Sandoval the real estate expert led the charge to buy without ever requesting an inspection.
A Demonstration Project
Mayor Sandoval touted the Cherry Street effort as “a demonstration project.” That was early in the game, back in 2017, when taxpayers were told it would cost only a couple hundred grand and be finished and occupied in the Fall of that year. Projected costs have climbed into the millions. Almost five years later Casa Sandoval remains empty and suffers from vandalism and neglect. It has blighted the neighborhood and is now a safety hazard. Lawyers and insurers would call it “an attractive nuisance.” Kids easily get in there, where city inspectors have found holes in floors and walls large enough someone can fall through. Sometimes people who get into Casa Sandoval launch refrigerators out windows to see if they might fly.
So just what did Mayor Sandoval’s “demonstration project” demonstrate? Are the city councilors who got PT into the Casa Sandoval mess any smarter for the experience? Nope. They have no regrets and proudly declare that if they had it to do over, they wouldn’t do any thing differently.
Denial and Delusion
It’s the December 6, 2021 City Council business meeting. Council is being briefed (click for video) on the possibility of acquiring what is known as the 14.4 acre Evans Vista property. The state Department of Commerce will give them money, more than $1.3 million. With this land, they can do so much more than rehab a modest 70-year old building. They can build an entire neighborhood of affordable and workforce housing. But there’s still that unfinished Cherry Street Project hanging around, what Ariel Speser in her last days on council called “the elephant in the room.”
David Faber, now PT’s mayor, took the white elephant by its ivory tusks.
“I wouldn’t change a single thing about what we did,” David Faber proclaimed. “I am nervous,” he said, about “again” getting “the city significantly involved in a project that doesn’t necessarily have a perfectly clear end project yet—given the status of the Cherry Street project and so forth.” He did not want to get the city involved “in a long-term dragged-out morass.”
But, he would do Cherry Street all over again, the same way, no changes, no regrets.
Pamela Adams, who was in her last month of service on council and who strongly supported the Cherry Street debacle, stood with Faber and declared, “I don’t regret having trucked that, barged that over there.” (Casa Sandoval was barged across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and trucked from a landing next to the Pourhouse to its present hillside above the golf course.)
Ariel Speser, in one of her last meetings, acknowledged, “It is hard to think about this without thinking about the Cherry Street Project.” Ya think? She went on to dismiss the debacle. Failure, she suggested, was to be expected. “It is very rare that you have a successful housing project on the first try.” Since when? Is that a rule-of-thumb for private homebuilders as well as politicians?
Michelle Sandoval was “nervous” but “excited” about getting into another big “affordable” housing project. “We took a risk,” on Cherry Street, she said, “and we got a lot of grief.” (Oy, such a price to pay for wasting millions of dollars and five years in the midst of a housing emergency.) Everybody makes mistakes, she pleaded as if that excused the utter negligence demonstrated by City Council in buying a building without inspection, without a realistic construction estimate, without anyone to do the work—without any plan. This next project, she recognized, is much, much bigger. “It is going to be incredibly expensive.” Buckle up, taxpayers. Like duct tape, your money will be used to fix everything.
But everyone was relieved that “this time,” unlike the implicit “last time,” the city was doing “due diligence.” What exactly is this confidence-inspiring “due diligence” that washes away all sins and failures? Except for confirming compatibility with city zoning, conducting a cultural resources assessment, and snagging enough state funds to pay the asking price, there’s….nothing. The city has merely bought raw land with someone else’s money. It has no plans, no artist conceptions, no number or type of buildings, no street or landscaping schematics, no feasibility study to determine if the units once built can actually be offered and maintained as “affordable” and workforce housing–that magical and all-critical accomplishment known as “penciling out.” There’s no organization that can be held responsible for getting it done (or not), no builder willing and qualified to take on something so big, no reliable statement of projected costs. No money to build the thing.
Just like the Cherry Street Project.
A week after the 12/6/21 discussion, Council voted unanimously to purchase the Evans Vista property for about $1.3 million without any idea of what to do with it.
I will be writing more on the Evans Vista project. It is huge in scope and “incredibly expensive,” as Sandoval admits. This will probably be the largest project ever undertaken by the city. Let me now address those who will say that by doing this I’m trying to stop affordable housing, just as they criticized me for following, predicting and exposing the failures of the Cherry Street Project—er, Casa Sandoval. Port Townsend desperately needs affordable and workforce housing. Casa Sandoval has provided no housing whatsoever. It has absorbed resources and land and been a huge opportunity lost. Barging that building to PT was one of the stupidest things any elected body has done. The result is that the city’s largest housing project has accomplished nothing positive.
It could have been otherwise. That land where the vandalized hulk sits could have been, for instance, a terraced hillside of manufactured homes. Going simple and small, incrementally, being hard-headed, bird-dogging costs and saving money instead of indulging in a grandiose, wasteful gesture—a guilt offering for years of making PT exclusive and expensive—would have helped this city and a good number of workers who can’t afford to live here.
Because it came from the state, money for purchase of the Evans Vista property was free in the eyes of City Council. But that is how they have treated the tax dollars wasted on Casa Sandoval. Every dollar wasted is a dollar that could have but did not accomplish something beneficial.
That old adage about “those who fail to learn the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat them” rings out. City Council appears to have learned nothing. I asked the rhetorical question previously about what Casa Sandoval has demonstrated. Now I propose an answer: it has demonstrated that the City of Port Townsend is very bad at the business of building affordable housing. The cliquish, virtue-signalling, peer pressure-regulated proceedings of City Council have not produced sound decisions. There’s little reason to conclude that things will change under Mayor David “No Regrets” Faber.
The public needs to keep an eagle eye on what happens with the Evans Vista property. We’ll be here, and so will Casa Sandoval.
Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our “About” page for more information.
Good article Jim. But at least one bunch of people are very happy, the Canandians who ;unloaded their problem to us and made money. If the wind is just right on a good day you can hear the laughter coming from the border. At least they’ve been givnen something humorfuls in thsee hard times. We just spread joy ever ywhere except iinstead of home.
I’m sorry abaout the typos. I guess I’ll have to start wearing a stronger magnifier. I used to be a good administrative assistant with good typing skills.
I think you think too small Jim. Casa Sandoval does not reflect the scope of influence over 20 long years with the help of 20 year City Manager Timmons. Re name Port Townsend Sandovalia. A subsidiary of Windermere.
“Come here for axle busting fun on our rustic side roads”. Get Main Street and the Chamber on that right away. They are going to spend lots on some form of useless ads anyway.
You fail to mention the gateway “park/plaza” costing a total of 1.2 million dollars that is far from ‘green’ and used more concrete than it would take to sink 50 “elephants in the room”. No public input was felt to be needed. Faber and Howard appointed Mayor and Deputy Mayor voted for it. Now they are awarded with titles and position.
On her way out, or sideways as will be the case, Sandoval says “get involved, more public input”.
Smiley face. Clueless smiley face. No responsibility taken.
You also fail to mention, Jim, defunding and deconstruction of any parking enforcement, contrary to Municipal Code. It’s a slippery slope I have been annoyingly reminding all of for over 7 years. Government ignoring laws and codes designed in earlier times to keep Government from overstepping. Does that sound familiar in other areas these days? Perhaps parking was just a test to see if anyone was paying attention before escalating things. No one was paying attention.
No enforcement/planning/education is a package deal that prevents any planning or education. Visitors and many locals are being discriminated against, treated like fools, so Sandoval and her peers can sell real estate without parking consideration in the Historic District. “Special” people know to ignore posted signage and block my business access, along with their own in many cases. Shills and marks, I mean visitors, I deal with daily don’t know posted signage means nothing. Sandoval has a current listing now with wink and nod parking.
Smiley face.
What happened to the planning commission? There are many changes going on now that will require more, not less, parking in the Historic District.
1) Marine Science Center move,
2)Maritime Center expansion removing a parking lot,
3) 38 renovated units at Taylor and Water,
4) the Hastings building plans for Hotel expansion.
The president of Main Street bought a Six Million Dollar building. Value is impacted by parking availability. Or ignoring it. Mauro is all over Main Street which has become a quasi-City organization doing the bidding of the City/Sandovalia.
Aren’t some planning commission members on Council? Someone wake them up. More elephants in the crowded Council Chamber. Shhhhhh. Don’t make waves. All on Council vote Faber as Mayor and start playing politics. With other people’s money.
Jim, you also swore in your piece, mentioning gasp….. mobile homes. The cost of a basic 3 bed 2 bath is around $60k. 30 year roof, 2×6 walls, hardi plank siding, like a stick built. Add a concrete slab and hook ups and I think $100k would be a number to aim for. I do own 3 similar, have for years, and they provide positive cash flow and homes for 2 retired couples and a younger couple with kids, and conserve forest around Chimacum. With trees planted and as few as possible removed the new land in PT could be a very attractive mobile park. Except for the mill smell that will come to haunt those not really planning very well.
A field trip by Council to some well run places might be educational. Setting and landscaping are key.
Shared units or smaller single wides for homeless transition. Those trashing and ruining it for others get free stay in jail. Like the old days.
Or Not.
Just off the phone with someone regarding the gradual move out of PT for me to Hadlock. For me the patient, PT, is terminal. No more denial.
Remember, if a slug says it wasn’t eating your lettuce, just follow the slime trail.
I have posted this article on my FB newsfeed and in my group Rural Rebels. I hope that others will do the same thing. The population of the county has been stifled by the dictatorship of the democrats long enough.
Intentional or not, you have managed to turn a great story sideways in using her heritage to infer an insult. I do not approve of any type of slurs, and you have crossed a fine line here. An apology would be nice.
Michelle Sandoval did say publicly, at a City Council meeting linked in the story, that she would “love” a plaza and that a Hispanic name would be preferred. She may have repeated some of her comments at the subsequent December 13 meeting, but I’d have to check. Council had been informed at the Dec. 6 meeting about a “Plaza Roberto Maestas” in Seattle and she said she’d like to see a Hispanic name applied to what gets built on the Evans Vista property. No apology is required for reporting what she said. Nor do I see any slur of her heritage in the story.
Well Jim, I know of a few words in spanish taught to me by a student when I was younger, but I won’t repeat them here. I’ll be more of a gentleman and say she’s a professional woman that has made Port Townsend in the image of Martha’s Vinyard with homes only the good rich people can afford..
I am unaware of the Hispanic influence in the history of Port Townsend. Please educate me. Now that 20 year no term limit Council member and 3 time appointed Mayor Sandoval is not holding elected office, she should be able to comment here as a fellow citizen and explain a few things.
Or not.
Most know a little “official” Native history and that ill treated Chinese labor was an important part of the cheap labor that built many monuments to some non native and non Chinese egos, and a lot of public infrastructure. Names reflecting those who gave from those cultures might be more appropriate, lest we forget.
But there may never be anything to name. We will see.
Many monuments to self, and historic places are now used by current day carpet baggers as a front for personal gain. Cut to someone wanting her heritage showcased. My god. Her legacy, one of many, is on Cherry Street. Of course, also parked all day in front of the business I am moving out of town.
Eight years of sustained sound of crickets from all on Council and “leadership’.
If Jim is willing and able it might be helpful to re cap the offer some folks with ability and funds made to take over Cherry Street and see it to completion. On their dime. As I recall, all but one Council member stayed in the lock step course and refused the rescue. That council member was not part of the original scheme. The offered help was not just the rescue of “the City/Sandovalia” but of those needing shelter.
It is such a long way back to reality, where failures cost the failed directly. In this carpet bagger reality, spin and lack of public awareness fixes all.
Harvey, I attended high school in PT from 1957 to 1961 and don’t recall any Mexican students. We had Native Americans, , Scandinavians , one Chinese family (we had to have Chinese restuarant() but no Blacks. I think the town was red lined. I know Camas, where I came from was. The Camas mill had about 2,500 employees and two were black. I worked with both of them and car pooled with one as one lived in Portland and the other lived in Vancouver. It wasn’t until the mid 60s hat it changed. I assume PT was the same.
But we digress, Les. Sometimes I google Orwell Quotes and see what happens…….
“Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink the milk and eat those apples.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
Regarding the inexplicable No Term Limit Council…..“There will always be those whose instinct inclines towards submission to authority, who are happy to shift beliefs in accordance with the fashion or decrees from above. Orwell called this the ‘gramophone mind’, content to play the record of the moment whether or not one is in agreement”
― Andrew Doyle, Free Speech And Why It Matters
“You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves.”
― George Orwell, 1984
And the Leader…….“All the papers that matter live off their advertisements, and the advertisers exercise an indirect censorship over news.”
― George Orwell, Why I Write
The homeless our “unhoused”……“It is fatal to look hungry. It makes people want to kick you.”
― George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London
“Poverty frees them from ordinary standards of behaviour, just as money frees people from work.”
― George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London
Why some local “leaders” are so disconnected……“There were things, your own acts, from which you could never recover. Something was killed in your breast: burnt out, cauterized out.”
― George Orwell, 1984
Why people get the government they deserve……“I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge cart-horse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat.”
“Winston Smith: Does Big Brother exist?
O’Brien: Of course he exists.
Winston Smith: Does he exist like you or me?
O’Brien: You do not exist.”
― George Orwell, 1984
What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.
“#MOFA = Make Orwell Fiction Again”
An “intellectual” in Leader comments once told me that I did not understand that Orwell was an anarchist. I asked him to comment on some specific situations locally that Orwell described decades ago. Sound of crickets…. All of the above explains Cherry Street and so much more. At least to me.
I didn’t expect to find an interesting comparison of Huxleyan and Orwellian distopias here in the comments, but well done, Mr. Windle. Looks like we’re living both of their futures merged here in our present day.
I would love to hear your perspective sometime on what City government could be doing better at. If you feel so inspired, please email me at bthomas@cityofpt.us. I could always stop by your shop sometime if you prefer.
The Huxley/Orwell comparison are not my words. I found them or they found me, and they resonated.
Friends a few years ago sent me some Huxley, speaking to the kind of elite fascism we see in PT. I sent it on to Council and got the well known sound of Crickets.
As far as what can be done in City Government, you make a giant leap forward by making yourself available, admitting you read the Free Press, have your own mind, and are interested in real public input.
One can read both Leader and Free Press. Very different sources of information, then make up their own minds based on varied sources.
In Ancient Core Shamanism and Hermetic Principals there is a term called Shamanic Dismemberment. It speaks to one’s self losing all, and finding who you are at your core without all the support you had constructed around you. A bit like chemotherapy, taking you to the edge and killing off all the bad, so the body/spirit can rebuild.
Shamanic Dismemberment is what I am doing leaving Port Townsend and showing myself I can replicate success, my brand, not counting just dollars, in a very different environment.
I can and will take with me friends and customers, and start new projects. It is who, not where you are.
Like many I have had this cleansing a few times in life, Covid was perhaps the most recent.
This time it is a choice to start over. Some in town would benefit, or not, depending on their core self, from this process. Many would be ruined forever not sucking on the teat they depend on.
Perhaps Port Townsend and larger systems are undergoing Shamanic Dismemberment. A good outcome depends on most “cells” believing that “there is still good out there”.
In the body there are a limited number of white cells. They are needed to fight disease. Red cells are needed, but are busy doing their work. White cells can only be white cells. Both need each other.
And another stolen few words…. “I’m not trying to tell you I’ve seen the plan. Turn and walk away if you think I am. But don’t thing too badly of one who’s left holding sand. He’s just another dreamer, thinking about Everyman.
Words and actions that do not mesh in Sandovalia speak for themselves.
Stop by some time. I am at the gallery on weekends, and working towards leaving the toxic environment of Sandovalia behind during the week. A new start in a funkier place. For the third time in my life. By the way, this was by far my most financially rewarding year ever. I took no government money. The City/FWPDA will likely never know that success.
Such a fine Social Justice Warrior you are.
Woah: https://youtu.be/Md8m2b0OH1k
Your article has some reach, Jim. I don’t personally agree with the implications of “pocket lining” in the video. I believe the parties meant well and genuinely thought this would work, which I’m guessing is the minority opinion amongst your readership. But it’s interesting to see an outsider’s take on our little project.
Ben, you’re saying that the forces in City Hall aren’t criminal, just stupid. What the cause is I prefer the latter. Perhaps you’re right, but in any case they are ruining a city that once was a great place to live.
Ben,
I’m so glad you’re here. As someone who founded and ran an alternative paper, you know the power and necessity of amplifying unheard voices outside the velvet ropes of traditional media. The caliber of research and reporting on local issues such as the Cherry Street Project, the PDA debacle, the travesty of the Fairgrounds homeless encampment — and most importantly for this still-liberal but former Democrat who is stunned and sickened by the local, state and federal response to Covid — the demolition of personal freedom and bodily autonomy brought by unlawful and unconstitutional medical mandates offers hope and sanity in a world of MisLeaders.
No, I don’t believe either the notion that hauling Carmel House across the Strait carried an ulterior motive of personal profit, other than Michelle Sandoval hoping to cement some sort of personal legacy. It was a quixotic gesture, and a colossally dumb one, at that. Yet Michelle was allowed for years to profit indirectly from her civic assignments; that the most prominent realtor in town could be allowed to influence housing policy is mind-boggling. And what is the result? Michelle Sandoval perched in a 3-story mini-mansion on Morgan Hill looking down on the town of her creation: a place where no one but the most wealthy can afford to buy a home, with an out-of-control homelessness problem. And now David Faber, a sanctimonious, mean, elite little prick (sorry, but he’s a piece of work) informs us he wouldn’t do anything differently? The council is corrupt, at least in part, from this circle the wagons and admit no wrong approach to governance. It is how the PDA failed (still holding on by a thread and throwing the former CFO under the bus for $10,000 while the former Executive Director, her boss and the person responsible for the mismanagement and malfeasance, struts around the Ft Worden grounds playing petanque and enjoying his golden parachute retirement). There is so little trust and hope in local government by those of us paying attention. You have your work cut out for you, but what I know of you, there is no one better suited for the job.
I no longer live in Port Townsend- I can’t afford to live there – but I make a 22 mile RT daily commute to work in town and drive past the Cherry Street Project every day. It serves as a reminder how this once precious, interesting, artistic community of working class families and artists (I was raised on the Peninsula in the 70s/80s, my history here is deep) has become an enclave of the well-heeled woke- — performative progressive who stick signs in their yards and paint murals on the street but have no real commitment to change if it means messing up their landscaped lawns.
Good luck. I’m cheering you on.
Naming names, assigning responsibility, and using the word corruption has long been avoided at all costs. When I started in Leader comments years ago, it seemed no one was listening. The words were radical.
Those paying for the endless bad choices paid no attention to the one’s behind the Sandovalia curtain, the current corrupted version of the “City of Port Townsend”, and its illegitimate child, the Fractured For Profit FWPDA, or Timmonsville.
The veil was always thin. You always had the answer, Dorothy. Kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight.
Thanks for the honest assessment, AJ. The truth whispered becomes louder and eventually drowns lies that drone on and on.
We have been made to be addicted to the methods and flawed revenue streams of insulated professional brokers. It is easy to trace the beginnings of Sandovalia over 20 years ago. Well heeled and connected Seattle PDA folk becoming Mayor, and changing to a lifetime City Manager, first a Seattle City Council member, then Timmons for 20 years, with 20 year Council member and 3 time appointed Mayor Sandoval assisting. They were even able to annex Fort Worden, or Timmonsville.
Deleted Leader comments from the time warned of this future, suggested volunteer community building repair and transformation to housing, and envisioned “Makers Square” as a trade teaching, retail facilitating economic engine for all. Robeson at the last minute took the idea and claimed it as his own. With 17 million invested, what is Makers Square?
PDA’s have the illusion of public oversight. The State, when the FWPDA was failing audits ignored warning signs and stayed in the shadows as Timmons, Faber and Sandoval failed to do their required oversight.
Responsibility/corruption.
Timmons went in after the train wreck to do damage control of the crime scene. Playbook stuff. News flash. The State is as poorly managed as Sandovalia and Timmonsville. Lots of well paid folk, though.
Make Sandovalia Port Townsend again. Make Timmonsville Fort Worden again. More than enough talent is out there. Powers that be keep it from coming together, instead of bringing it together.
Back in the day communities raised barns together. Think of PT and Fort Worden as a series of barns. Habitat For Humanity seems to work. Several Habitat homes near me are neat as a pin and have sweat equity and proud owners.
Less administration. More imagination. Cut out the middleman/woman. This isn’t a real estate office where profit is made keeping parties apart.
Assign responsibility to prevent ongoing and future corruption. Long road ahead. Some problems are larger than just PT.
I hear your warnings about self-fortifying bureaucracies. And I follow the logic of holding people responsible. I won’t disagree with that, but my personal mandate is to map and track patterns and the systems that develop and contribute to problems and/or solutions (which is why your comment is so interesting).
I do believe strongly in the barn-raising spirit of community. Most of what we hold dear has been created either in that collective spirit of openness or through individual, long-term dedication (think of those great small businesses that have become part of the fabric of our day-to-day lives). I have some optimism that local government can play a role in enabling both, but as I’m sure you’ll agree, that often comes by getting out of the way.
(Harvey, the above comment was addressed to you and originally started with me saying how much I enjoy your writing in these comments, but it looks like I accidentally deleted that part.)
Thank you for your encouragement, AJ. I’m not a well-armored political warrior, so some encouragement will help from time to time. I’m not sure who you are, but I would welcome a somewhat less public conversation sometime. I’m looking for folks with local perspective who can see beyond teams and who don’t have to cling to poles to find their own moral footing.
I spent ten years away from PT this century and have missed a lot. I have my spidey sense and a deeper history here that gets me part way to the truth, but it’s sometimes hard for me to connect all the dots. I welcome perspective. City-policy-related communication should, for the sake of transparency in government, go to: bthomas@cityofpt.us. Personal and philosophical talk to benrthomas@gmail.com. [I hope this doesn’t come off as self-promotional. The campaign is over. I just want to represent the community the best I can at this point.]
Ben-
Ongoing conversations on the record should be welcomed by all. You are a unicorn communicating as you are. I moved from writing to Council regularly (sound of crickets as parking problems became mainstream) to using the Leader to express concerns regarding City Government not following or changing its own laws.
Some more history you might have missed.
My concerns were there for all to see in the Leader. I call it carpet bombing alternative narratives. At times anonymous folk came after me with false narratives that “the public” ate up. The public did eat it up, or things would have changed.
Nothing changed, as some benefited, and minions cheered on what they had no understanding of.
Sanoval employee Paul Rice (known by those who pay attention as a Cherry Street player) also came after me during that election telling me to “quickly shut up” as I highlighted Stinson’s bad policies. I then made a political cartoon with him as Sandoval’s Chihuahua attack dog, sent only to elected folk. He went after me on Facebook telling all “everyone knows to stay away from Forest Gems” and incited others to come after me.
Sandoval’s “community”. Nasty little attack dog who went on to help master mind Cherry Street.
During the previous election appointed Mayor Stinson would not debate or take questions.
She Refused.
Her opponent did. And won. Sorry Paul.
True “leaders” should be able to give reasons for actions or ignoring a herd of elephants in the room. Faber and Amy Howard could never sit down with a skilled interviewer with follow up questions. Their records are clear. As with Sandoval, smarmy sound bites are all you will ever get.
My experience here, and with the Pike Place PDA where I came from, is that people just don’t see bigger trends and damage done by individuals wearing the mask of political office. Harder to see in larger systems perhaps, so apparent here in PT, or Sandovalia.
Eventually I lost respect for those I was trying to help at Pike Place, and left for Port Townsend. The play went on with different cast members playing similar roles here. City-PDA, both have and had the illusion of public input. To serve the few.
Most importantly…… POWER FLOWS THROUGH YOU. NOT TO YOU.
POWER is responsibility. Being able to answer questions directly is POWERFUL. Evasion with sound bites is weak, and works here very well.
Sound bites are empty treats for those who need no substance from the information they digest. A newspaper without follow up questions or articles is only propaganda.
I hope your function on Council will be to ask difficult questions of appointed Mayor and Deputy Mayor Faber and Howard, on the record, at Council meetings. I do know though, firsthand, that records and minutes are easily edited. We will most likely see wagons circled and new members of Council going with the flow. We will see.
Why at the last online council meeting was my (or any), letter to Council mentioned but not read for the record? When did that start? Can you help to facilitate open government, where all questions and comments are aired publicly without the public having to dig deep to find out what questions are being asked, and never answered? In my case for 8 years now.
There are 2 stories I repeat, direct from the source. A council member from years said they were pulled aside by a senior member and advised not to rock the boat instead of being welcomed with fresh new ideas. The same person told me “Port Townsend has a black heart” when they contacted me during the attempt to keep the State in control of all of Fort Worden and out of local special interests. I mean “partners”. I mean special interests.
Ask, Ben, what is being done regarding the issue the State had with “partners”, special interests not paying fair market value for space at the Fort.
Ask, Ben, why Sandoval, Faber, and Timmons did nothing, contrary to legal requirements, when audits came back starting years ago showing sloppy bookkeeping and an entity perpetually in the red.
Ask why Timmons, who helped oversee the FWPDA train wreck was the best person for all of the people of the State to do damage control and take over. With his record running Port Townsend that ignores laws and is 17 million in debt. Is he the best? Really? For who?
Ask Ben, and find yourself shunned and shut out. Only more like you on Council can change what most unlike you have allowed and created. Gramophone minds. Only “the public” can make sure at election time that they don’t get new faces with the same old lock step.
Ask if Mauro, who ignores parking and has from the start as arranged with Stinson and Sandoval, should be the new Timmons. Gate keeper and City Manager for life. According to this paper he is not remotely qualified as advertised. Nice smile though.
Find yourself playing whack a mole. Most likely alone and shunned. I hope not.
Howard and Faber, the new appointed faces of POWER. Track records speak for themselves.
Gee, I hope this isn’t too much information. I didn’t cover so much…………..