Hi, I'm Randy Corman, Renton City Councilmember. I am the most senior member of the council, currently in my 25th year (I have been elected seven times). I pay for this website with my own funds. Please recognize that all views expressed in my journal entries are my own, and not the official position of Renton City Council, other councilmembers, nor the city of Renton. Thanks for reading.
Renton’s May Creek watershed offers gorgeous scenery without leaving town. Here my daughter Katie Jones rides Zeus across tributary Honey Creek, about 1/4 mile from the confluence of May Creek and Honey Creek.
I’ve written several posts in the past about the May Creek Basin Plan, and Renton’s work in this beautiful watershed to improve our parks and trails while reducing flood risks. On Monday night the Renton City Council will have an opportunity to add another puzzle-piece to the accumulated park land. The 2718 Duvall Acquisition would add another 1.7 acres to Renton’s portfolio. The action is shown as item 6(d) on this council agenda.
Eventually this park land should become more accessible to the public with future trail systems and other amenities. Renton and Newcastle both have trail systems reaching into this area, and both would benefit by further expansion and connection with one-another. Newcastle currently has a unified trail network in May Creek Basin that includes a trail paralleling May Creek along it’s north side. Renton has long-term plans to complete a south-side May Creek Trail, and for many years has been making the property acquisitions necessary to do so.
Renton’s trail map, with trails designated by purple lines. The horse picture above was taken right where it says “Honey Creek Greenway” on the map.
Council is expected to forward this agenda bill to Finance Committee at Monday’s meeting. Finance Committee will then review it, and make a recommendation back to full council. It’s a sensible and strategic acquisition under current policy, so unless there is an unexpected surprise, it will most likely be approved.
Southport’s office plaza, complete with dragon to welcome Wizards of the Coast
Two months ago I wrote about an exuberant discussion with Michael Christ, the visionary developer of Renton’s Southport, as Renton was finally going to extend Park Avenue from the Landing to his office towers. This project took longer than it should have because of complex railroad negotiations and other issues. The delay in extending Park Avenue slowed the leasing of Southport’s beautiful Class A office towers. The pandemic and work-from-home trend added further delays. Mr. Christ and I reminisced about how his project had sprung from planning work Renton started in the 1990s, in my early days on Renton Council, when our legendary Economic Development Director Sue Carlson set about diversifying our economic base for the future. Mr. Christ had embraced Ms. Carlson’s ideas and ran with them, and his results three decades later are stunning. My February 9 blog entry includes much more detail, and I hope you’ll find time to take a look at it here.
Upon news that lenders are pressing him to sell some of the property, I phoned him yesterday to remind him how much his visionary work meant to the City during my 28 years on Renton City Council, and to me as a resident of Renton enjoying his facilities. His hotel (that he personally helped design) is the first choice for many of my visiting friends and relatives, and his Dock and Brew, with it’s live music and summertime lakeside sunsets, is unmatched anywhere in the area. Southport hosts numerous weddings (sometimes several at a time), conventions, and other wonderful events, and his restaurants are among Renton’s finest. My sons hope to eventually work out of his inviting offices, and not have to commute to Seattle. He’s made an incredible, indelible mark on our city. Bringing Wizards of the Coast to the office complex was a perfect fit.
Negotiations are in the hands of lawyers so Mr. Christ and I didn’t discuss those details. But I valued the opportunity to remind him how so many of us in Renton appreciate him. My personal hope is that the lenders and any additional stakeholders will be smart enough to realize that no one–absolutely no one– could do a better job managing or growing Southport than Mr. Christ. He is the person that could best market the office space, and he’s the one who knows what Renton residents will seek in future amenities. His vision was perfect, but the unforeseeable timing issues were cruel. Mr. Christ and his wife have been the talent that has made Southport possible, and I hope they maintain a lead role in its future.
Former Renton Council Member Marcie Palmer with Southport’s Michael Christ in one of Southport’s office towers, at the 2019 Chamber of Commerce Holiday Gala. (Photo credit Marcie/Gary Palmer)
Video: This security camera video taken from Renton’s West Hill (looking across town toward I-405 and Renton Highlands) shows two cycles of bright flashes as the power goes out for 6,045 customers on April 9, 2023. While the video is low resolution, the lights can be seen turning on and off in the background (east of I-405), as automatic switching or resetting circuit breaker systems attempt to keep the lights on. (Thanks to Jay Levias Sr. for this video)
I’m curious whether aging equipment, an overtaxed power grid, an external event, or just bad luck caused last night’s weird power outage. I’ll try to learn more and share it here if I can. If any readers know more about this, please add your information in the comments.
Here’s some of what I know so far:
Around 9:10 last night, bright flashes light up the night sky near I-405 and the Landing, as over 6,045 PSE customers in Renton and Newcastle witnessed their power shutting off, turning back on, then shutting off again, then on again, and then back off. As one of those customers, my home’s appliances chimed and complained as the surges and low voltages impacted devices from my washing machine to my computers in various ways. In the 38 years in my home, this was the strangest outage I had ever seen, partly due to the rave put on by the auto-switching stations trying to keep the lights on, partly because of the brilliant flashes many saw in the sky, and partly because there was nothing about the weather that would make an outage seem likely– it was a typical Seattle drizzly evening, with no significant wind or lightning. The outage had my family dashing through the house unplugging electronics that could be hurt by high power surges.
To the credit of the hard workers at PSE, the power was restored within the hour.
Council Policy 800-09 was written and adopted by Council
In my previous entry I discussed an incident in which a Council Member emailed the Police Chief at 1:00 AM instead of phoning 911, and then publicly complained about the Chief’s half-day response time, wrongly implying the lack of immediate response to the email was somehow intentional and that it put people in danger. (Any danger was actually due to not phoning 911.) This blog describes a council policy that was violated by this Council Member’s action. Running a city is serious business, with 110,000 Renton lives in the hands of the elected leaders and the people working for them. City employees including Council Members need to make an effort to follow the policies that are put in place to guide them.
Council Member Carmen Rivera emailed Renton Police Chief Jon Schuldt’s office at 1:00 AM last Thursday morning, and then complained on Twitter that she didn’t get an immediate response. Of course Renton’s 911 system would have delivered a fast response, but apparently that’s not good enough for her.
Since this all played out on Twitter, the council has already received at least one email questioning why a council member would expect to get special, privileged treatment from the chief that other residents don’t get.
That resident is correct to question this. Council members shouldn’t expect special treatment. They are public servants, not royalty, and the systems they put in place for protection of Renton residents, like 911 dispatch, should be good enough for them. If they aren’t, they should fix them. In 28 years as council member I never asked the police chief for protection, but I called 911 a few times.
Over the past few decades the US Postal Service stopped front-porch letter delivery to Renton’s older homes, and installed these cluster mailboxes instead. As crime surges and mailboxes are repeatedly broken into, the US postal service is backing away from responsibility for maintaining them.
Every week or so I see a facebook post in which a hapless homeowner is trying to figure out how they can receive their mail after their neighborhood’s “cluster” mailbox has been pried open by thieves. Often they are being told by the US Postal Service that it is up to their neighborhood to repair or replace the mailbox cluster, even if there is no homeowner’s association, and no individual even has data on who is getting mail there.
The post office has all the information and resources needed to do it themselves of course, but they are looking for ways to shift the burden under this policy on mailboxes which increasingly declares these cluster mailboxes “privately owned”. This makes some sense for an apartment complex or a subdivision where the box maintenance was formally transferred to a home owners’ association. But in an older neighborhood where no one was ever in charge and homes were originally built with mail slots or porch-mounted boxes, the post office apparently created no plan for this repair or replacement. It takes a resident willing to sleuth out who receives their mail there, find contact information for everyone affected, confer with the postal service, hire a contractor, ensure proper permits are in place, pay for the equipment and the installation in advance, collect funds for reimbursement, and somehow get keys to everyone impacted and to the post office. If one of the neighbors is a retired contractor, engineer or architect, with good cash reserves, good people skills and no language barriers, they can get this job done in a few months. If instead the neighborhood is comprised of people with full-time jobs, without extra cash or time on their hands, it can be hard to get this task done.
Most neighborhoods can eventually find someone to step up to this role once, but now some mailboxes are being broken into repeatedly, and neighbors are growing weary of fixing them. As US mail has become less relevant, with far more bulk-advertisements than personal content, some neighborhoods are taking longer to find someone willing to step up even if they have the time, skills, and money to do so.
Some local social media users have vented frustration that the Federal Government sets tampering with the mail as a felony, yet seemingly does very little locally to investigate these crimes or help the crime victims. From their perspective, the post office moved the mailbox off their porch, put it where it can’t be surveilled from their home, aren’t protecting it, and they’re now telling homeowners it’s the homeowener’s job to find out who else uses it and pay to fix it.
I’ve heard some neighborhoods have been successful at getting the post office to fix these boxes, while others have had to do it themselves. I personally have not found a specific federal policy that helps sort this out, and I suspect individual post office managers may be making judgement calls on who gets helped. (If someone has more information on this please leave it in the comments).
My view is that the post office should uniformly take responsibility for the boxes that they installed, or get used to the idea that an increasing number of homeowners will simply give up on receiving regular US Mail deliveries. That will be the next step toward the end for the US postal service as we’ve known it for centuries– a sad day indeed.
I’ve not previously seen this story covered by a local news outlet, but a Houston, Texas news source covered it here. Apparently it’s the same across the US. I agree with Houston author Amy Davis, especially where she says, “it’s a real cluster.”
Jordan Brown, a beloved gifted artist, worked at a Tacoma cannabis dispensary, and was tragically killed a year ago in a robbery. Cannabis store robberies have become increasingly frequent due in large part to the large amount of cash on hand. These stores are not allowed to engage in traditional banking and credit card transactions. Photo: KOMO News
Along with our state, the majority of US states allow medical cannabis sales, and a growing number also allow recreational sales. But the US banking systems and credit card companies will not support these businesses, as cannabis sales still conflict with federal laws. On 4/20 a year ago, US Senator Patty Murray responded to a season of particularly deadly cannabis retail store crimes in our area by emailing the Associated Press “It makes absolutely no sense that legal businesses are being forced to operate entirely in cash, and it’s dangerous — and sometimes even fatal — for employees behind the register.” Polls show that a clear majority of voters and lawmakers support allowing marijuana businesses to engage in commercial banking.
The US House of Representatives has approved bills over a half a dozen times allowing banks to do business with pot shops, but it has stalled in the US senate. Patty Murray tried to help push a senate bill through last year that had support of a majority of senators including at least 9 republicans, but it got blocked at different times by BOTH democrat and republican senate leaders.
My wife Cathy playing with two of our grandkids at Meadow Crest Playground
Almost exactly ten years ago, Renton City Council approved a partnership with Renton School District to build an inclusive playground that all children (and the people who love them) could happily enjoy regardless of their abilities or mobility challenges. If you have not seen this playground, it’s wonderful, and my grandchildren love it. It’s won numerous awards since its completion including a Governor’s Smart Community Award.
Generous Renton organizations came together to fund an inclusive playground for children
The fictional serial killer “Hannibal Lecter” could request a parole hearing under Washington House Bill 1189. He would have to show remorse and that he has changed, which unfortunately psychopaths are very good at faking, in order to be released.
Currently forty-nine U.S. states have a “life without parole,” option for the most heinous offences in society. The only state without one is Alaska, which has a total population less than Pierce County.
Like most states, Washington has treated life without parole as a more-humane alternative to the death penalty in aggravated murder cases, and our state’s residents have largely adjusted to this change even while the capital punishment debate continues. After “Green River Killer” Gary Ridgway, received life without parole for the unthinkable cold-blooded rapes and murders of dozens of girls and young women, no criminal has yet been found to have committed worse crimes, so life without parole became a new standard for Washington’s most heinous. The ACLU was an advocate of this change, making the case that Life Without Parole gives victims closure faster than the Death Penalty because it is set following conviction, and survivors can move on without participating in endless appeals. Per the ACLU in the link above: “For these reasons, the survivors of murder victims often feel that the death penalty system only prolongs their pain and does not provide the resolution they need, while the finality of LWOP (life without parole) sentences allows them to move on, knowing justice is being served.”
Life without parole is considered such a definitive sentence in our state that the usual “risk assessment report” often required for other sentences by RCW 9.94A.500 is waived for life without parole cases, and therefore no risk report is part of the court record.
But now the Legislature is embarking on eliminating life without parole in House Bill 1189, and it’s not very well known. It’s rolled into the creation of a new parole system for lesser sentences, which might be appropriate for lower level crimes, but the two issues should each be considered separately for the benefit of the legislature and the public. i.e Legislators should be able to vote on whether to create a parole system, and vote separately on whether those who have been sentenced to life without parole should become eligible for parole. The two issues are entirely different. There is even a third issue, life without parole in the case of three-strikes offenders who did not murder but committed three serious crimes; this group should be discussed in a specific debate.
In recent weeks I’ve posted numerous entries about state laws making it harder for our outstanding Renton Police officers to do their jobs. Even with the state actions that have worsened crime, our officers have delivered extraordinary performance, going above and beyond to protect Renton’s residents and visitors. The post below is copied from the Renton Police Department public facebook page.
We appreciate the support of our community and want to share with you several life-saving awards that were handed out recently to many of our personnel. And although a little delayed, these courageous and resilient public servants deserved to be recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty, and these awards deserved to be provided to them in-person when they and their families and loved ones could all be present.
**CONTENT WARNING: The information posted below contains descriptors of violence and/or suicide that some may find disturbing. Please engage in self-care if you choose to continue reading this post.**
Renton Police next to Lake Washington Blvd; Renton Police Photo
I was recently asked whether Renton already had a vehicle pursuit policy before the state implemented the 2021 Pursuit law. The answer is an emphatic YES! I realized others may have the same question so I’m providing some background and the policy here.
Renton has had a very well-designed and validated police pursuit policy in place for many decades. We discussed the policy as a Renton Council occasionally, sometimes routinely, and sometimes in the context of insurance claims when property was damaged or in the rare cases where someone was injured by a police pursuit. (If my memory serves, we had one or two police pursuit bystander injuries serious enough to require focussed council discussion in the 28 years I was on council, and we had occasional property damage.) While the legal issues can be complicated when a reckless suspect hits a bystander with police in pursuit, our council generally considered it a city responsibility to help innocent injured parties if they got caught in the middle of a police chase, or if their property was damaged.
Immaculee Goldade was hit and killed by a stolen landscape truck, and her friend was also left for dead at the accident site. Immaculee’s parents are sharing that police would have gotten the driver off the road before the accident and saved their daughter’s life if it had not been for the 2021 police pursuit law.
Heart wrenching stories like this one are becoming increasingly more common as I’ve covered in multiple blog entries like this one here. A few weeks ago two children died as a direct result of this law as explained here.
Immaculee’s Mother Amber wrote a letter to the editor of the Lynnwood Times with the tragic details.
In October south King County mayors wrote an open letter asking County and State officials for specific assistance managing crime; the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) along with other signatories sent a rebuttal that minimized and sidestepped the concerns identified by the mayors. These letters are highly relevant today as the issues of the “Blake Decision” and police pursuit are currently before the legislature
I’ve supported the ACLU in past decades for their devotion to protecting our most basic civil liberties. But I have a few significant disagreements with their wording and their logic in this letter exchange with the mayors.
Spherical bollards protected the now-closed Fry’s building from smash-and-grab burglaries throughout its life as an electronics store
Renton police are recommending businesses consider installing bollards after seeing a growing number of burglaries in which cars are purposely smashed through windows and walls of buildings. The number of incidences has been growing exponentially since the legislature prohibited police from pursuing these burglars after they steal cars and after they crash into stores. There were a dozen incidences of this type of crime in Renton last year, and in 2023 we’ve already had three, putting us on the discouraging track to break last year’s record.
This recommendation makes sense under today’s circumstances, but it’s too bad we’ve come to this point where this is a significant concern. While bollards can be decorative and come in many architectural designs, they can also be pedestrian or bike hazards themselves, and they can limit legitimate vehicle access to storefronts when performing certain maintenance. When bollards are installed they should be substantial and tall enough to be easily seen, to prevent people from running into them or tripping over them. And some stores may want to consider them at more than just the front door– burglars have been known to drive stolen cars through walls as well as doors and windows.
Perhaps one of the best reasons to add storefront bollards is for the protection of personnel inside the store. It’s only a matter of time before one of these late-night smash-and-grabs in Renton kills or injures an employee doing inventory or restocking work.
This kind of security measure is unfortunately another large expense added on top of losses many businesses have sustained due to the pandemic, increased crime, and in the case of downtown businesses, a long period of road construction.
Renton Police Chief Jon Schuldt (Photo: City of Renton)
Last month I described how legislative inaction after the “Blake Decision” has been tragically killing more King County residents every day, as the rate of fentanyl overdoses grows exponentially, and drug trafficking has become harder to control. This week Renton Police Chief Jon Schuldt made an appeal to Renton residents to encourage our legislators to take action on this life-and-death issue.
Below is Chief Schuldt’s statement:
A police department’s purpose is to ensure the safety and health of our community. Seems like an easy enough objective, but the reality is that we are struggling, not as a police department, but as a community to reach this goal. Our opposition: current legislation and the negative effect it has had on our ability to disrupt the cycle of drug addiction.
