Snoqualmie Valley Hospital picks partner for new site
July 20, 2011
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital officials have picked a developer to help build a new hospital on Snoqualmie Ridge. Hospital officials and the developer, Terry Moreland, have signed an initial agreement and are negotiating the final agreement.
Construction is expected to begin in January, according to Rodger McCollum, CEO of King County Public Hospital District No. 4, which manages the hospital.
“This latest process has moved forward very quickly with a lot of details to attend to, so I haven’t really had the time yet to let it all sink in,” McCollum said.
Medical marijuana ban could face legal challenges
July 20, 2011
North Bend’s ban on production and distribution of medical marijuana could come into conflict with state law that becomes effective July 22.
That law, Senate Bill 5073, permits several patients authorized to use medical marijuana to form collective gardens. But North Bend’s moratorium prohibits such gardens.
The North Bend City Council voted unanimously in early June in favor of a one-year ban after the state Legislature failed to resolve much of the gray area surrounding the state’s medical marijuana laws.
Without any guidance from Olympia, the city administration recommended that it pass a ban to give it time to determine its policy, City Administrator Duncan Wilson said.
The council passed the ordinance under the city’s emergency clause, which requires a public hearing be held after the vote. The hearing was held July 19, after the Star went to press.
The City Council is also required to develop a work plan to get the city out of any moratorium it passes.
In the meantime, authorized patients could have difficulty getting medical marijuana in North Bend.
Foes delay showdown with tribal council
July 20, 2011
A move by opponents of the sitting Snoqualmie Tribal Council to hold new elections stalled after a key organizer called for the group to stand down.
About 40 tribal members voted June 18 for a resolution to oust the current council, which they say is trying to illegally hold onto power.
The meeting had been called by the tribe’s head chief, Jerry Enick. Before the resolution could be presented to the Tribal Council, Enick delayed the impending showdown in an email sent on his behalf to fellow opposition members. The email said that he wanted broader support before moving on the council.
Enick declined to comment.
Tribal Council members and the tribal administration say that the government is acting legally and that many members of the opposition have been disenrolled or kicked out of the tribe, which has more than 300 adult members.
In response, the council is considering suspending or removing Enick as tribal chief, and has asked him to appear at its July 21 meeting. He was requested to appear at an earlier meeting, which he missed.
Enick called the June 18 meeting after the Tribal Council postponed the Snoqualmies’ annual general membership meeting in May, when new elections are typically held.
Local taxpayers could feel fallout from political fight over federal debt limit
July 20, 2011
The ongoing fight in Congress over raising the federal debt limit has some local city officials worried.
If Republicans and Democrats can’t work out a deal by Aug. 2, when the country hits its limit on borrowing money, the federal government won’t have enough money to cover all of its bills. That could bring the sluggish economic recovery to a screeching halt, increase interest rates and even cost the U.S. its coveted AAA credit rating.
Cities, states and other public entities would feel the fallout, too, according to many economists.
That has local officials worried.
“The cost of our money would go up,” Snoqualmie financial officer Rob Orton said.
Cities, states and other public entities would have to pay higher interest rates to borrow money through municipal bonds for public capital projects, typically infrastructure.
Snoqualmie recently raised $6.3 million to pay for improvements on 10 city streets. The city promised investors a 3.76 percent interest rate. If the city sold the bonds a month from now and no deal was reached on the debt ceiling, that rate could have been higher.
WSDOT fined $22,000 in worker’s death
July 20, 2011
The Washington State Department of Transportation has been fined $22,000 for the death of a highway worker killed by a falling tree.
The state Department of Labor and Industries said it levied the fine for four “serious safety violations” in the death of Billy Rhynalds, 66, of North Bend.
Rhynalds died Jan. 16 after a falling cottonwood tree struck him and his car on Highway 203 near Carnation.
Billy Rhynalds
Rhynalds was responding to a call of another tree that had fallen and downed a power line. While setting up highway cones to divert traffic, he was struck by the second tree, according to a news release from Labor & Industries.
The trees were part of a grove along the banks of the Snoqualmie River, which had flooded. The roots had weakened, and high winds brought the trees down.
Labor & Industries said after its investigation that a working spotlight on Rhynalds’ truck would have allowed him to survey the area for other hazards. It also said not all maintenance technicians had been trained regarding chainsaw safety or how to recognize hazardous trees.
The Department of Transportation has 15 days to decide whether to appeal the fine.
County library system wins nationwide award
July 20, 2011
Library Journal Magazine, the oldest library periodical in the U.S., and Gale Publishing have named the King County Library System the Library of the Year.
The nationwide honor has folks in the KCLS Valley branches, the easternmost in the system, every bit as thrilled as their coworkers to the west.
“It’s a real honor to work for this system,” said Irene Wickstrom, managing librarian for the Fall City, North Bend and Snoqualmie branches. “As a library professional you want to work for an excellent system, and that’s what KCLS represents.”
Library Journal and Gale honored the library system as the “public library in the United States that most profoundly demonstrates service to community, creativity, leadership and innovation in developing specific community programs, particularly programs that can be emulated by others.”
Wickstrom said the library system strives to provide an excellent product. The system’s embrace of innovation has pushed its level of service to great heights, she added.
Reduced price fails to draw acceptable bids on parkway parcels
July 20, 2011
Two tracts of land on Snoqualmie Ridge put up for auction in late May are still on the market.
Puget Western Inc. offered the properties at a reduced rate after an earlier attempt to sell them proved unsuccessful.
The company, a subsidiary of Puget Sound Energy, previously offered the two parcels, on opposite ends of Snoqualmie Parkway, as a pair for $2.75 million. It reduced the minimum price by nearly $1 million in the auction hosted by Realty Marketing/Northwest.
Bids came in, but all were lower than Puget Western would accept, said Tim Reinertsen, co-owner of Realty Marketing/Northwest. “You don’t know what to expect in a market like this.”
The company is continuing to market the properties for Puget Western.
Letters
July 20, 2011
Life jackets law is unnecessary
I see by the polls that more than 50 percent of the people think life jackets are unnecessary. I think those folks do not want to be forced or fined for choosing not to use a life jacket.
Passing coercive laws, in the name of public safety, like seat belts, motorcycle helmets, bicycle helmets and baby car seats, is just another money grab by the state government.
I cannot deny that these items, when used properly, may save some lives and manufacturing these items provides jobs, but this is supposed to be a free country where each citizen has a right to choose.
Ron Denaro
North Bend
Get real, no more fees for buses
July 20, 2011
The King County Council should not approve a new $20 car tab fee to support Metro or send it to the voters to decide.
The money from the fee on existing vehicle registrations for the next two years plus $70 million in reserves would maintain the levels of bus service at or near what they are right now.
Instead of more fees, Metro should make service reductions to make up the $60 million annual shortfall.
Snoqualmie Valley taxpayers are already paying to support our transportation system. Snoqualmie taxpayers currently pay a $20 fee and North Bend is considering a fee as well.
The Valley will have some service reductions without the fee, but no lines will be cut.
Police Blotter
July 20, 2011
Police target illegal sales to minors
North Bend police are going undercover to make sure local stores aren’t selling alcohol or tobacco to underage people.
Chief Mark Toner has already started notifying all businesses in the city and nearby unincorporated King County about the campaign.
In the operation, a younger-looking officer from the King County Sheriff’s Office, which provides police service for North Bend, goes into a store with an underage driver’s license and tries to buy alcohol or tobacco. Police also have minors try to buy in the operation, which will continue through the summer.
Last year, police ran the operation at nearly 30 stores, including three in Fall City, one in Preston and two at the Summit at Snoqualmie. Only five stores improperly sold to a minor or an officer with an underage license. One store was caught twice.
