SNOHOMISH — Executive control and privacy issues related to public exposure of task force applicants was the theme in a 12-minute monologue to council by Mayor John Kartak at the Feb. 18 council meeting. His speech preceded unanimous passage of an ordinance to form the Midtown Planning District Task Force.
Still undecided is how the selection process will play out when it comes to how much information the council will get prior to confirming Kartak’s appointments and who will be involved in interviewing the candidates.
The public is invited to apply for the task force. The application window will close Wednesday, March 4 at 4 p.m. There is no residency requirement, and members can be under the age of 18. The intent is to open the process to a diverse panel of voices, but shape it toward a set of skills that will lead to a well-planned development.
The group will make recommendations on codes that impact development on Avenue D between Sixth Street and the Bickford bridge over state Route 9. The area is currently zoned commercial and includes a nine-acre site owned by the county, previously used as a public works yard. Sale of that property will trigger development. City planning director Glen Pickus said the public works site is going through some environmental cleanup and is not yet up for sale.
The usual method for selecting committee members, Kartak says, is by the city’s executive. In his speech to council on Feb. 18, Kartak spelled out the role of the executive, including an ability to hire and fire employees, using roles of the city clerk and city attorney as examples.
The idea to involve the council more closely came from City Council President Jason Sanders, at the council’s Feb. 4 meeting. At that meeting, Sanders proposed the council see applications prior to the meeting where they would confirm those applicants. The intent was to avoid rubber-stamping, and instead learn more about who they were confirming. Sanders and Kartak met the morning of Feb. 21 to discuss the process for task force selection.
“I’m confident we’re coming up with a solution moving forward that’s going to work for John and the council and our community,” Sanders said.
Kartak said in the Feb. 18 meeting that he was comfortable with a second set of eyes on applications from Sanders, but not a full public review, and by meeting’s end he said he may pivot to grant more access to council, prior to confirmation votes. Kartak met with Sanders two days after the council meeting to discuss options on the level of involvement council may take on application review and the interview process for task force candidates.
Kartak mentioned the city government framework, which changed from a weak to strong mayor form in 2017. Kartak wants his executive role adhered to in the selection process, and floated the idea of protecting the privacy of applicants that are not chosen. He suggested the council members gain access to those records through a public records request similar to the one used by the public, with privacy-related redactions applied by the city clerk, shielding information such as email addresses from public review.
“This is frankly one of those things where I’m going to keep it close to my vest,” Kartak told the council, of the process.
Cities and other government entities do not have full control over what is and is not disclosed, as it is governed by state laws. Information can be withheld due to hundreds of reasons, per the state Office of the Attorney General. “Many court cases interpret these exemptions, and new exemptions can be created or modified each year by the Legislature,” the AG’s website says.
In a phone interview, Kartak said that private citizens have had their contact information and addresses shared publicly in the past without their knowledge. He also mentioned those not chosen should not face the level of public exposure that would occur if council is given all applications. He said he is acting to protect citizen privacy. As for the added oversight of the council, Kartak said in a phone interview: “I can tell you that sometimes there’s not as much trust of a mayor as other elected offices.”
The Task Force activities will be open to the public with five meetings planned in 2020. It will result in a recommendation to council, and a final decision intended in December.
According to the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC), council authority includes the ability to determine how ad hoc committee members will be appointed. Ad hoc committees such as the Midtown task force are temporary and “established to investigate and advise on more short-term issues and problems,” according to the MRSC. The MRSC is a nonprofit organization that provides legal and policy guidance to governments.
Some council members pushed back in the Feb. 18 meeting, with Tom Merrill speaking in support of the council getting information ahead of time. Linda Redmon said the process when she applied for Snohomish County Tomorrow, prior to her role on the city council, was fully public, challenging Kartak’s presentation of a private process as standard. Judith Kuleta and Merrill both spoke of the need for transparency.
“I think we should welcome that (transparency) so we can give a good, well-rounded task force that will serve us well,” Kuleta said.
Application information
The Midtown Planning District Task Force members will be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The deadline to submit an application for the task force is 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 4. It will meet 6 to 8 p.m. on these Tuesday evenings: March 28, April 28, June 9, July 28 and Aug. 25. The City Council may vote on the task force recommendations in early December.
Information on the Midtown Planning District is at: www.snohomishwa.gov/706/Midtown-District
