(The following was also posted as a comment on the Mirror website.)

It’s great that the Federal Way Regional Library will reopen soon. My hope is that libraries are still relevant enough that the expansion will be worthwhile.

The real sad downside of the reopening of the regional library, in my opinion, is that at the end of this month we will lose the temporary location at the Commons. I don’t know why the KCLS feels the Commons is only good for a temporary location while Bellevue Crossings is good enough for a permanent “Library Connection” location. Federal Way has a real shortage of downtown services, and a library location at the mall was a welcome break from that trend. I am very curious what the activity was like at the temporary location, considering the mall is still by far the city’s top attraction for youth. With the return of the Regional Library, no matter how improved, visits to the library — like City Hall and too many other local services — will once again require a tedious car trip through Federal Way’s slow arterials to a semi-hidden wooded grove. What will it take for us to ever see a multi-use, service-rich, unsprawled downtown in Federal Way?

2009 hasn’t been the kindest of years to FederalWayan.

One upshot was the passage of Proposition 1, the bitterly contested power-struggle between the entrenched, corporatist city council and a new paradigm of strong leadership. We have yet another year, however, to wait for that to come to fruition. The City Council is not interested in using the people’s money to reduce their own power by spending it on something that 52% of the people want. Curious, too, is the council’s camp’s insistence that they canceled a search for a new city manager because the switch to a new form of government would obviate the need for one, despite their insistence during the campaign that one would still be necessary even with a strong mayor, and even more confusing in light of the year they have now added to that transition.

One big downshot in our opinion is the city’s impending loss of Metropolitan Market, which will close their doors for the last time on January 6. The store has been named Federal Way’s Best Grocery Store by the Mirror’s polls for five years in a row, which is also the entire time the Dash Point branch has been open. Apparently, being Federal Way’s best is not good enough for Metropolitan, which has been packed on a daily basis ever since the word of its closure went out. Given that the city government and business community has said or done nothing about this, perhaps they are right. Locals fear that the Metro location will be snatched up by a jilted LA Fitness which was denied permission to open in Twin Lakes by the city government, who apparently thinks that it’s better to have a huge vacant building than a new business — as evidenced by the growing number of large vacant buildings in town. For FederalWayan’s part, we’ll be writing to the regional manager of Whole Foods telling them about a great newly available location with an existing customer base.

The esteemed city government also denied Federal Way commuters and visitors a better driving experience in and out of Federal Way from the interstate when it killed the City Center Access Project, deciding that it’s best to kowtow to two tiny neighborhoods rather than work towards the benefit of the city at large. Lakewood, population 58,000, has 6 exits on I-5; Federal Way, population 89,000, has half that. The preferred solution for the City Council is to tear up the downtown sidewalks to expand busy 320th; yet another example of the failed, nice-to-look-at-but-wouldn’t-want-to-live 50s-era suburban folly which guides every decision of the city government.

A confusing series of events occurred in the realm of the city municipal court this past election. Embattled presiding judge Michael Morgan lost his position to Rebecca Walls, who overcame a serious lack of experience by challenging Morgan’s unpopular management style. But Walls won’t be taking over the reins — that will go to former school board president Dave Larson, who had dismissed the attacks on Morgan when they were first challenged and continued to support his fellow judge all along. Those who voted to clear out the Morgan administration by replacing him with Walls will likely end up not getting what they expected.

In February the Regional Library closed for remodeling, cutting off the city’s largest public research and study center in an age when libraries are falling out of fashion via competition from a growing wealth of easily available online material. The KCLS placed a small library in the Commons Mall, adding a small spot of quiet and studiousness to one of the city’s biggest youth attractions. FederalWayan’s only complaint about this location is the word “Temporary” on it’s signage. We think the Commons Library location should join similar locations at Southcenter and Crossroads and become a permanent LibraryConnection location.

The recent month’s distraction from the city’s ills, post-election, has been the much ado about nothing regarding the Twin Lakes Country Club. Few Federal Wayans have likely ever set foot on Twin Lakes’ property, outside of perhaps a wedding reception or office party; but the fear of losing the elite status symbol has sent the Twin Lakes neighborhood, as well as the Mirror, into a frantic tizzy — which fizzled predictably when the big meeting to Do Something About It failed to attract a sufficient number of actually concerned residents.

On the topic of local politics, both local political parties showed themselves to be out of touch with the city’s residents when they both chose to oppose Proposition 1. Whether this was the result of the influence that the backwards-looking city boosters has on these groups, or whether it was the work of a well orchestrated and ferocious pro-council coffee klatch, the upswing is that both parties ended up on the side of the minority of Federal Way’s voters.

In 2010, we look forward to RapidRide Line A, which will run from Federal Way to Tukwila to link our city up to the Central Link Light Rail line. We look forward, hopefully, to the beginning of construction at Symphony. We look forward to the opening of a presumably improved Regional Library. But most importantly, we look forward to a popularly elected strong mayor who will provide a coherent face, voice, and vision for Federal Way, and an end to the lagging, stagnant, living-in-the-past city government our city has endured for far too long.

It’s a bit of tradition for FederalWayan to indicate how we intend to vote in upcoming elections. This one should come as little surprise, but for completeness’ sake, here goes.

CANDIDATES

FederalWayan supports a straight Democratic ticket. The top candidates of our concern:

Barack Obama

Like no one else that has run in this election cycle, Obama is the first and only 21st Century candidate. Unfettered by outmoded ideas, not pressed into a mold of a previous presidency, not tied to a failed system of policies, and with a forward-looking perspective that sees to an America beyond racial, class, and even political lines. While his opponent tacitly harvests the vote of the ever-divisive, Obama engenders not just hope, but unity; and inspires people to take ownership of their country. The greatest presidents are defined by those that inspired and unified; not by those that divided and conquered.

Chris(tine) Gregoire

Even before being governor, as state attorney general, Gregoire placed Regular Joe far ahead of big business. As governor, she kept the state’s economy strong after being injured by an early teaser of a national recession and bust, without resulting in devastating cuts to government services. While that recession may seem pale in respect to what might be forthcoming, that fact makes it even more critical to retain such governing going forward. Gregoire places individual social freedoms and needs ahead of the interests of padded pockets, and to eliminate that for the alternative is to pretend that “change” doesn’t mean anything.

Randy Dorn

To repair our state’s schools (and Federal Way’s) will need a non-entrenched, non-complacent leader to focus the state’s education efforts and standards. Passive acknowledgement of an imperfect system won’t do anymore. Far from passive, Dorn is an enthusiastic voice for reform in the state’s education system, but not only that, he’s a knowledgeable everyman who has been on the ground in that system as well.

Carol Gregory

Skip Priest converted an early mayorship of Federal Way — during the years of a miniature city Republican Revolution that saw most city founders quickly unseated and now mostly long forgotten — into a state representative seat. This year, joining fellow Republicans like Dino Rossi, he wants people to think of him as a nice friendly local guy who transcends politics — and ignore his actual record of voting like nearly every other Republican congressman in the state legislature. With little else to run on except for name recognition in a city where it is excruiciatingly hard to unseat an incumbent, we have an alternative in rising star Gregory, who has stirred up the local Democrats into an eager bunch behind her campaign, running on a credentialed platform of education reform and job development, instead of photo ops of a too-well-known face.

INITIATIVES AND PROPOSALS
Sound Transit Proposition 1: YES

Light rail now, light rail forever, light rail yesterday would be even better. Roads — even roads packed with more and more magical silver-bullet buses — won’t solve any transportation problems. Light rail is always popular wherever it has been placed; no opponent of Seattle metro light rail can name one instance in the past 60 years where a light rail system has fallen out of widespread use. Forecasts will tell you no one will want to use it; but faced with dealing with difficult traffic and unpredictable buses, a dedicated transit system will become increasingly popular. Once it’s built, and becomes a regular part of transit options, you’ll find that instead of being reviled; it’ll be in demand throughout the region. And Federal Way should be part of that system. Prop 1 doesn’t go nearly far enough nearly quickly enough in doing that; but saying no to light rail expansion — again — won’t make it come any faster.

Initiative 985: NO

The name “Eyman” associated with any initiative will immediately lower my expectations. Overall, I have no love of red light cameras, but if they do serve as a valuable deterrent, Eyman’s latest travesty will lead to their decline and probable removal. Beyond that, an illogical and unresearched mandate on HOV hour limits has no effective purpose (opening carpool lanes to traffic during times they are theoretically not even necessary) other than thumbing his nose at state transportation. While some may applaud the idea of making sure that highway incomes only go to highway expenses, a holistic metropolitan transportation approach does not make such rigid limitations, as there is more than one way to skin a congestion cat.

Initiative 1000: YES

People who have limited time left in their life should not be forced by law to spend their last days of life either in severe pain, or in a debilitating helpless condition. Those who read the actual text of the initiative — as I did — will note the explicit language and careful rules of the proposed program takes it miles away from the nightmare scenarios presented by those who wish to selfishly and autocratically enforce their individual morals (more strongly held among the perfectly healthy) on the terminally ill.

Initiative 1029: NO

Proponents of the bill make the sensible point that, taken in comparison to regulations for hairdressers and dog groomers, the requirements for a home care provider are much smaller — but not, mind you, nonexistent. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the requirements for home care providers need to be jacked up to be in line with them. We can live with less hairdressers, manicurists, and dog groomers; but not everyone can live without a home care provider. Certainly the regulations we have among these trades is a little out of whack — but if so, I’d be more willing to advocate lowering those other standards rather than jacking up those for (and thereby limiting the availability of) home care providers. There will always be isolated incidents of horror stories of untrustworthy home care providers, but we do not have an epidemic of irresponsible home care providers torturing our old people. Better that our seniors have easy access home care rather than be forced to live alone without assistance, or in expensive facilities.

King County Amendment 1: NO

It would be conflict of interest, I think, for the director of elections to be directly elected. Better that the person in charge of making sure our elections are run well, fairly, and securely not have to also be part of the system. Perhaps with a single term limit, this would be more reasonable. But unlike, say, a city mayor, the elections director doesn’t represent anyone or anything, or make decisions that affect the public sphere, but is simply an administrator who needs to run a serious and focused operation of an important democratic engine.

King County Amendment 2: YES

You should not be allowed to fire someone because they are gay (or not gay) or because they act in a manner not typical for their biology. This proposal makes the county follow that principle.

King County Amendment 4: NO

Making it more difficult for citizens to enter government is not a democratic principle, any more than poll taxes or reading tests to vote are. I don’t approve of requiring any sort of arbitrary set of credentials to hold public office. If the people can’t be trusted to make good decisions, then democracy is a failure. Assuming that it is not, then the people do not need to have their candidates pre-filtered by the government they are trying to get them into. Often, those who are not entrenched in established circles do a far better job in government than do those who have been vetted by a self-important professional old boy’s club.

King County Amendment 7: NO

Again, we do not need higher arbitrary hurdles to climb for entering the democratic process. Washington has a proud citizen initiative tradition; it should be maintained and made more open rather than more prohibitive.

King County Amendment 8: NO

I am opposed to nonpartisan elections. I think we need less nonpartisan elections, not more. Some are convinced of the notion that they can determine who will govern best based on what character they can pretend to glean from a political campaign. As a result, instead of being able to vote for values you support, campaigns are run based on who is (or appears to be) the nicer guy rather than who has the best ideas and who is best likely to support your principles in the decision making role of governing. Charismatic people do not necessarily lead to good government or good policies; charisma alone is not enough. Party identification (and endorsement) is a generally reliable gauge of whether they will govern in way that you likely to approve of; even when it isn’t, it is a good gauge of who is more likely to.

If I asked you what is the most important issue facing Federal Way, what would you say?

If you work for city government, your answer is probably “code compliance”. Signs are too big, woodworkers are too loud, real estate ads are in the wrong place.

Yes, in the lovely fantasy world of city government, Federal Way is a virtual utopia, whose worst problems are signs, scribbles, and saws. A big happy community of upper-middle class Christian homeowners.

Well, that’s not the Federal Way I read about in the papers. Federal Way is a city where in the past year two people have been shot to death in public places before a dozen witnesses. Where teaching established science in schools is threatened by anti-science crusaders. Where major downtown construction has been put on hold for who knows how long. Where dozens of retail spots have lain empty for years. Where we are about to lose 1,000 good non-retail jobs at a major local employer.

What is the city focusing its efforts on?

Cutting down 45-year-old neighborhood signs, because they are too tall. Shutting down home-based, charity-donating craftsmen because they are too loud. Kicking homeless people off street corners because they are too uncomfortable to look at.

Someday, perhaps, we can replace our head-in-the-clouds city government with one that is aware of Federal Way’s real problems, focus city resources towards solving those real problems, and react effectively and quickly to the needs of a growing urban environment. Unfortunately, our city government and laws are not structured or designed to allow that change to happen any time soon. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that our city leaders will wake up and see the city for what it is: a dual-metro satellite city with real urban problems that will only get worse the longer they are ignored; the longer we waste our effort on eradicating minor inconveniences like neighborhood history and identity, instead of fighting the real threats to the city’s viability like violent crime, low quality jobs, troubled schools, and a complete lack of cohesive community. The answer is not to take a saw to old landmarks, or to ban modern science, or to criminalize poverty.

Can our city government spend its resources reasonably? Can it open its eyes and see the real Federal Way of 2008? Can we change it to do so if it won’t?

As everyone’s well aware, the Symphony project, which I drive past every morning, is on hold for up to a year.

Yeah, sure.

We’ve heard this one before, Federal Way. How long did it take for Federal Way to get a long-awaited modern movie theater? The original plan for the Century was to be done by Fall 2004. For the record, it opened July 2007. Construction didn’t even start until early 2007 if memory serves.

Ironically, the Symphony is on the site of the theater whose closure left the gap that Century filled. And it fills it adequately (well, now that it’s gotten the kinks worked out; they seem to play the right movies in the right theater and completely right-side up and forwards these days). But it sure took its time in doing so (the AMC 6 closed in 2002).

At least other city projects have been on time — the Community Center opened in March 2007, roughly on schedule — but it’s apparently not able to stay in the black. Oh, and its construction ran 27% over budget.

Engineers of all stripes know of the Designer’s Holy Triangle, which goes “Good, Fast, or Cheap.” In Federal Way, that seems to be “Remotely On Time, Remotely On Budget, or Not Completely Falling Apart”. At least we’ve been mostly on track for the latter — so far.

As for what to do about Symphony, and United Properties’ falling through, does the City really think that this is the last word? Come a year from now, will we see UP come back and ask for yet another year? With construction projects “on hold” all over the country, and even on the decline in the supposedly resilient Northwest, can we really count on them to come through on a second chance? And can the growth of our city wait that long?

I hope the Council is considering other options, instead of just rolling over for UP’s extension request.

(PS: Does anyone know what the Council’s decision is? The minutes for the July 15 Council meeting, where the request was to be considered, are still not posted.)

From FWBlog: The city is looking into ways to reduce congestion at the I-5 intersection at 320th. (Good!) The options: an exit at 312th, or an exit at 324th.

We’ve missed the open house on this issue, but FederalWayan thinks the 312th option is the best. If you look at the choices from a standpoint purely related to the commercial city center, mall, and 99 business artery, 324th looks more appealing. But those of us living in the real world know that congestion isn’t being caused by shoppers (well, except on 320th and 348th on Sundays, but that’s in-town traffic), but by people coming home from work; in other words, travel to and from the residential areas.

324th runs behind the mall, crosses 99, and then smacks into Celebration Park at 11th. The result: people trying to cram back up to 320th, or cramming into the slow road around the park. Effect: moving the traffic a half mile west.

Meanwhile, 312th (a city arterial) crosses 99, 1st Ave, and stops at Dash Point Rd and 21st — two other city arterials. In its travels it passes through lots of residential areas (like 320th does up to the same point). Also, this exit would be close and accessible to the 317th HOV exit, making 312 a route with multiple options for exiting. And a short drive up 28th gets you on Military Road.

The only problem is that, as both plans include extending the intersecting road over the highway to the other side, 312th would be brought over and end at a sleepy, pricey-looking neighborhood at 32nd Ave S. The 312th plan should include connecting the dead-end of 312th there to the 312th on the other side of a vacant lot, which would connect it straight to Military.

The 324th plan in this case looks a lot more expensive. It requires overpassing the existing 320th southbound ramps (!), then cutting a road between two Weyerhauser buildings, and (it looks like) relocating a Weyerhauser road about 300 feet.

If sea level were to rise 15 meters, Federal Way would be located on a Puget Sound island running from West Seattle to Edgewood.

What would you call it?

A couple things struck me about the rather presumptuous, self-aggrandizing press release from Federal Way Stagnates in this week’s News. (Yes, that’s me in the comments.)

First, I managed to get Ron Gintz’s name wrong in this post.

Second, there are an awful lot of people on that list that have obvious close ties to the Council — the same Council that would lose the most from a strong mayor — ranging from former Council members and at least one identifiable spouse of a council member.

Third, that Ron Gintz’s name is on the list at all. When it occurred to me that I need to go back to the Council’s archives and double check the name, I also dialed up the minutes from December 21 1993, when outgoing Deputy Mayor Joel Marks proposed a ballot measure for an elected mayor. The motion got two council votes: one from Joel Marks, and one from Ron Gintz.

And I’m curious as to why a strong mayor for Federal Way made more sense to Ron in 1993 than it does in 2008.

As for FWW, I doubt that their high-profile politicking defeated the measure. I chalk it up to the old-school Federal Way mindset that resists growth and change — after all, that’s why the city was first created, right? — and an off-season election date, and on the same ballot as a primary vote that just over half of people knew was (officially) meaningless. FWW (and ACT) needs to acknowledge that 45%, especially under those circumstances, is nothing to sneeze at.

This information is a little harder to get than one might expect. The city’s website doesn’t showcase former mayors or even councilpeople. I suppose that should not come as a surprise in the city that the Mirror once complained had no clear leaders.

Here is the list of past mayors and deputy mayors of Federal Way.

• 1989: Debbie Ertel and Mary Gates
• 1992: Bob Stead and Joel Marks
• 1994: Mary Gates and Phil Watkins
• 1996: Skip Priest and Hope Elder
• 1998: Ron Gintz and Michael Park
• 2000: Michael Park and Linda Kochmar
• 2002: Jeanne Burbidge and Dean McColgan
• 2004: Dean McColgan and Linda Kochmar
• 2006: Michael Park and Jim Ferrell
• 2008: Jack Dovey and Eric Faison

Fun Fact: All but three elections for either mayor or deputy mayor were unanimous: Mayor and deputy mayor in 1989, and mayor in 2002. All but two were uncontested (2002 mayor was uncontested but not unanimous).

While we’re at it, here’s a rough rundown of who has been city manager and deputy/assistant city manager (when there has been one):

• 1989: Al Locke
• 1990: J. Brent McFall
• 1994: Kenneth Nyberg
• 1996: (Deputy) Philip Keightley
• 2000: David Moseley
• 2005: (Deputy) Derek Matheson
• 2007: Neal Beets

Fun Fact: The longest-serving member of the city council in history was Mary Gates (1989-2003 inclusive). The current longest-serving member is Michael Park, counting time spent in office. The current member with the earliest appearance on the council is Jack Dovey, who joined the council in 1995 but did not serve from 2000-2002 inclusive.

Another Fun Dovey Fact: Of the three times the Council has had to make a mid-term appointment to replace a councilmember, twice they selected Jack Dovey, in 1995 and 2003. The other time was Eric Faison in 2001.

Fun Elected Mayor Fact: Outgoing councilmember and Deputy Mayor Joel Marks introduced a council proposal to make the mayor a publicly elected position in December 1993.

A Random Fun Fact Of Which The Significance Is Really Unclear To Me: Federal Way’s City Fathers (do we have Mothers too?) include a man named Ross Hennings.

And A Final Random Fun Fact: The Council was advised against commissioning a city logo in 1990 because of “the possible name change of the city”. Sometimes I wonder, “what if….” (Actually, it’s usually more like “if only….”)

All info compiled from a rather-non-exhaustive online search of city council minutes.

Early returns show the strong mayor proposal is coming out behind the status quo — but by a much closer margin than some predictions would have led you to expect.