City well served by citizens and council
November 17, 2009
By Administrator
Once again, we find ourselves commending both the citizens of Sammamish and the City Council. In both cases, we are impressed by their actions on advisory committees.
Citizens have applied in droves to be members of both the Planning and Arts commissions. It is a testament to the community spirit in this 10-year-old city that so many are willing to volunteer.
Planning Commissioners work long, unpaid hours delving into minutia of land-use policy that would leave most people confused and, probably, sleepy. They take the first look at the regulations and ordinances that will define the way Sammamish looks in the years and decades to come.
They then have the privilege of seeing that work fairly consistently overturned by the City Council. In return, they get to sit in long meetings and be berated by members of the public for not listening.
Arts Commissioners tends to operate out of the spotlight. Yet, the commissioners brought us the sculpture in the Sammamish Commons, and without the hours they put in, the city would go without its beautiful and interesting exhibits at City Hall.
Dozens have applied to sit on these two commissions. It is not unusual, in other places, to have such commissions languish with empty seats. Sammamish’s civic spirit and energized citizenry will serve it well.
The City Council is also to be commended for delaying in making the appointments to these commissions. Often in government, when one group is leaving power, they make a rush of appointments in an attempt to maintain a ghostly influence even after they’ve been ushered out.
It would be easy for the current lame duck council to appoint new members to the commissions and hope to see their policies and priorities subtly continued over the next few years.
But in Sammamish, that kind of partisan rancor is foreign and takes a backseat to good governance. The council realizes that new councilmen will bring a fresh set of ideas that reflect the current feelings of the populace.
The City Council’s collegial attitude has done a service for the citizens. Sometimes, as now, the best government policies are to delay.
Once again, we find ourselves commending both the citizens of Sammamish and the City Council. In both cases, we are impressed by their actions on advisory committees.
Citizens have applied in droves to be members of both the Planning and Arts commissions. It is a testament to the community spirit in this 10-year-old city that so many are willing to volunteer.
Planning Commissioners work long, unpaid hours delving into minutia of land-use policy that would leave most people confused and, probably, sleepy. They take the first look at the regulations and ordinances that will define the way Sammamish looks in the years and decades to come.
They then have the privilege of seeing that work fairly consistently overturned by the City Council. In return, they get to sit in long meetings and be berated by members of the public for not listening.
Arts Commissioners tends to operate out of the spotlight. Yet, the commissioners brought us the sculpture in the Sammamish Commons, and without the hours they put in, the city would go without its beautiful and interesting exhibits at City Hall.
Dozens have applied to sit on these two commissions. It is not unusual, in other places, to have such commissions languish with empty seats. Sammamish’s civic spirit and energized citizenry will serve it well.
The City Council is also to be commended for delaying in making the appointments to these commissions. Often in government, when one group is leaving power, they make a rush of appointments in an attempt to maintain a ghostly influence even after they’ve been ushered out.
It would be easy for the current lame duck council to appoint new members to the commissions and hope to see their policies and priorities subtly continued over the next few years.
But in Sammamish, that kind of partisan rancor is foreign and takes a backseat to good governance. The council realizes that new councilmen will bring a fresh set of ideas that reflect the current feelings of the populace.
The City Council’s collegial attitude has done a service for the citizens. Sometimes, as now, the best government policies are to delay.
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