Comments on: Sween House close to a resolution http://sammamishreview.com/2009/06/10/sween-house-close-to-a-resolution The Sammamish Review Fri, 25 May 2012 16:08:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Galvin http://sammamishreview.com/2009/06/10/sween-house-close-to-a-resolution/comment-page-1#comment-3390 John Galvin Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:22:46 +0000 http://sammamishreview.com/?p=6935#comment-3390 If the city council is going to allocate money for a teen center, see J.B. Wogan's article "Saved Money on road projects could bring teen center," why spend money on fixing up the Sween house that won't come on line until 2010 or 2011? The existing King County Library building will be available by then and this is money that can be used to improve that facility. What we have here is a lot of speculation and hot air without concrete plans. During the past year, the city council has not focused on the teen center at all. We don't need a lot of talk aimed at creating the perception that this city council is on top of key citizen concerns, such as the teen center. What we need is good planning. Who, what, when, and how are questions demanding answers. Since the failure of the Parks bond issue in November 2008, the city council has not discussed the teen center. What we have heard is discussion about how the Sween House will at least address the need for youth counseling services while the city tries to figure out how it will buy or build and operate a teen center. There is no specific plan and no funding allocated in this years or next years budget. There is no agreement on the purchase of the old library, or land for a new teen center. There is no agreement with an agency to run it and in this economic climate agencies like YMCA and Boys and Girls Club are unsure about funding. Lets stay focused on some facts. Taking $5.3 million out of the general fund and putting it in an emergency fund negates the savings of several million dollars on road projects. There is no clear picture about how the city will fund a teen center. This talk is little more than an election ploy. After ten years the city council has no specific plan for a teen center. If the city council is going to allocate money for a teen center, see J.B. Wogan’s article “Saved Money on road projects could bring teen center,” why spend money on fixing up the Sween house that won’t come on line until 2010 or 2011? The existing King County Library building will be available by then and this is money that can be used to improve that facility.

What we have here is a lot of speculation and hot air without concrete plans. During the past year, the city council has not focused on the teen center at all. We don’t need a lot of talk aimed at creating the perception that this city council is on top of key citizen concerns, such as the teen center. What we need is good planning. Who, what, when, and how are questions demanding answers.

Since the failure of the Parks bond issue in November 2008, the city council has not discussed the teen center. What we have heard is discussion about how the Sween House will at least address the need for youth counseling services while the city tries to figure out how it will buy or build and operate a teen center. There is no specific plan and no funding allocated in this years or next years budget. There is no agreement on the purchase of the old library, or land for a new teen center. There is no agreement with an agency to run it and in this economic climate agencies like YMCA and Boys and Girls Club are unsure about funding.

Lets stay focused on some facts. Taking $5.3 million out of the general fund and putting it in an emergency fund negates the savings of several million dollars on road projects. There is no clear picture about how the city will fund a teen center. This talk is little more than an election ploy. After ten years the city council has no specific plan for a teen center.

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