News from former Councilmember Randy Corman, your Renton City Hall insider. (All views expressed in journal entries are Randy Corman's personal views, and not the official position of the City of Renton or other city employees. Views expressed in reader comments are those of the commenter)

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Sound Transit Phase Two

Jul31
2008 11 Comments Written by Randy Corman

Last Friday the Seattle Times ran this story about the 17.9 billion dollar Sound Transit proposal which will be on the ballot in November.

I’m going to need A LOT of convincing to get behind such a big rail proposal, which ignores our city, in such a rough economy. This proposal effectively ensures that Renton will not see any rail service until after this next phase is complete, in about 2025. Meanwhile, we will see 17.9 billion dollars focussed on the rail extensions to Bellevue, and North and South of Seattle, leaving scant resources for any other transit. With the few bus lines Renton has operating at standing-room-only conditions, its disturbing to think of Renton voters kicking in another 300 million dollars for no extra service over the next twenty years.

As a reminder, our residents contributed about 100 million to Sound Transit Phase 1, and we are now going to be lucky to see 20 million of that spent in our city… it has been earmarked for transit improvements on Rainier Ave that are in the design stage. The other 80 million, which was targeted at some HOV direct access ramps, is now being held pending a multi-billion dollar improvement to I-405 which lacks funding…hence, we will not get our share of our own Phase I sound transit money.

Our city staff, elected officials, and other eastside elected officials have negotiated passionately to try to get Bus Rapid Transit on the 405 corridor for nearly ten years, at a cost of less than one tenth of what a rail line would cost, but Sound Transit still does not include this proposal.

Fool me once, shame on you….fool me twice, shame on me. Sound Transit has to include serious additional transit service to Renton, in line with the tax money we are paying, in order for me to get behind this newest ballot initiative.

11 Comments

Surfers and their SHARKS!

Jul20
2008 Leave a Comment Written by Randy Corman

Ah, summer time. When the surfers and their SHARKS frolic in the waters off Florida. This photo ran on MSNBC today, with an interview by the photographer who got the lucky shot.

( It truly appears to be a lucky shot… not a hoax.)

Having grown up an hour from Santa Cruz in California, I used to enjoy everything about the beach except for the idea of the sharks which occasionally dined on surfers and their equipment (usually mistaking them for seals.) The movie “Jaws”, which came out when I was twelve, didn’t really help any of us feel more secure in Great White country.

But statistically, there is virtually no risk of being bitten by a shark compared to all the other hazards we face in life. And shark populations are diminishing so seriously, that in some areas there are only 20 percent as many sharks as there were when I was in high school…. often due to overfishing on both the sharks and their food sources.

Fun summertime picture, don’t you think?

Leave a Comment Tagged

Red Dragon Spa (On Sunset) busted for prostitution

Jul20
2008 10 Comments Written by Randy Corman

Yesterday the Seattle PI reported on some prostitution arrests associated with a Renton business. An observer did not have to be a vice detective to see that the Red Dragon Spa in Renton looked suspicious. In addition to odd activity in the window and out front, their internet advertisements on Craigslist practically screamed “arrest us”.

Here is an excerpt:

“In November, detectives began investigating the Red Dragon Spa at 352 Sunset Blvd. N. in Renton after seeing it advertised on a Web site for erotic services. The ad offered three Asian girls and one Hispanic girl and a “great full hour massage for $100,” according to a search warrant affidavit filed in King County Superior Court.”

And the article includes this seedy detail:

“In addition, a registered sex offender is believed to have helped get a business license for the Renton parlor. In a license application, the sex offender, who was convicted of child rape in King County and now living in Kirkland, is listed as one of three contacts for the business, police and court documents say.”

The article includes a “sound-off” section, where many PI readers are responding to the article.

Like some of the other readers point out, the biggest problem with this type of business is the way it exploits the women and girls who get caught up in it. It’s not an issue of trying to impose puritan definitions of chastity on other people. The real issue here is that far too often these businesses are engaged in human trafficking and virtual enslavement, and they put the women (and girls) in physical and emotional peril. That is the best reason for keeping this activity illegal, and breaking up prostitution rings.

Here is the link to the story

10 Comments Tagged

Renton Lomas eye doctor’s abrupt shop closure generated 56 complaints; now in bankruptcy

Jul18
2008 1 Comment Written by Randy Corman

The ‘Oklahoman’ reports that 56 complaints have been filed against former Renton Lomas Eye Care doctor Christopher Phillips. The Oklahoma media have taken some interest in this story because of the doctor’s former marriage to Oklahoma hero Shannon Miller.

___________________________________________________________

Thu July 17, 2008

Gymnast’s ex-husband is in bankruptcy

Christopher Phillips, Olympics gymnast Shannon Miller’s ex-husband has filed for bankruptcy after closing his eye surgery business.

Dr. Christopher Phillips, 35, was the subject of critical news accounts in Seattle earlier this year because some patients complained they had no notice of the closure and did not know what to do next.

“We’ve driven a hundred miles for an appointment that we thought we had at 3:30. … You can’t get any answers. That’s the bad thing,” one patient said to Seattle TV station KIRO.

The Washington Health Department is investigating 56 complaints against the doctor, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. All the complaints have come in since the closure.

The investigations may result in discipline that could include loss of Phillips’ medical license in Washington, the Health Department spokeswoman said.

Phillips is from Oklahoma. He could not be reached for comment. His bankruptcy attorney, Gloria Nagler, said Tuesday, “I don’t have any comment. Sorry.”

Phillips married Miller in a fairy tale-like wedding in Oklahoma City in 1999. Their divorce became final in Massachusetts seven years later. Miller called the marriage a painful experience.

Phillips filed for bankruptcy July 2 in federal court in Seattle. He listed an address in Renton, a suburb of Seattle. Phillips reported he is unemployed.

He reported he has assets of $962,109 and liabilities of almost $4.7 million. The liabilities include a mortgage and $3.9 million that may be owed to patients.

Phillips bought the eye surgery business in Renton last fall but closed it five months later, according to his bankruptcy records.

Records show Phillips is considering suing the doctor who sold him the clinic. He is considering alleging fraud in the sale. He also is considering suing the media on libel and slander grounds.

See the original article here

1 Comment

Man found dead in Jones Park; appears to be natural causes

Jul10
2008 3 Comments Written by Randy Corman

Email received from  Police Chief Kevin Milosevich:

Yesterday afternoon around 3:00 PM, a older white male was found deceased in Jones Park. No signs of trauma, it appeared that he was sleeping in the park and had a seizure.

We called the medical examiner’s office. The responding technician lives just a few doors down from the park. He and his wife were out walking on the trail Wednesday evening and observed the victim in the same location, sleeping. At that time, the victim’s position was different from when we discovered him yesterday afternoon.

The ME is in the process of locating next of kin, and it appears that the victim was homeless.

If any new information is developed, I will let you know.

 

3 Comments

Open letter from the King County Sheriff

Jul10
2008 16 Comments Written by Randy Corman

 As a reminder, the city of Renton does not have policing issues…. this letter from the Sheriff affects those crimes that are under the jurisdiction of King County Sheriff –primarily in the unincorporated parts of King County–

–So don’t even THINK about committing these crimes here 🙂

 

Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Public Safety
in Peril

In March of this year the King County Executive told me that the Sheriff’s Office would need to take an 8.6% budget cut, roughly equaling $7.5 million for 2009. I have been working closely with my command staff and all of our employees for several months to identify potential areas for reductions. We have carefully evaluated every possible scenario to minimize the impact to the level of service provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to take such a hit without affecting the way we do business. If the budget situation is not resolved, it is clear that we will have to make drastic cuts to our existing service levels. This will significantly impact service levels in the following areas:

  • Domestic Violence
  • Narcotics & Organized Crime
  • Cold case Investigations
  • Neighborhood Storefront Centers
  • Victim Outreach

I will also have to raise the threshold for investigating property crimes. Although we will respond to the scene and take a case report, any property crime with a loss of $10,000 or less will not be investigated. I was forced to choose between investigating property crimes and investigating person-related crimes such as rape, robbery, assault and homicide.

We have been moving aggressively to scrub the budget and to ‘tighten our belts’. The following are some of the immediate measures we have taken to save money:

  • Reducing overtime by 15% in each Division
  • Reducing the number of pool vehicles available at each Precinct
  • Purchasing gas at pre-selected low cost stations
  • Developing a virtual block watch through the use of email groups
  • Developing online incident reporting

My commitment is to keep you informed and engaged in the budget process and any ensuing decisions. I intend to be out in the community with my criminal justice colleagues from now until November, talking to you about the budget crisis. As your elected Sheriff, it is my responsibility to protect your safety. That is my highest priority.

Your ongoing participation and communication with your elected officials is critical. To find out more about how these cuts could impact services and what you can do to help, please visit my website at:

www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff

16 Comments Tagged

Thanks for all the recent comments!

Jul06
2008 6 Comments Written by Randy Corman

I have appreciated all the recent comments from readers lately… there are online discussions occurring on many topics from the last few weeks.   Your comments are often more interesting than anything I have to say 🙂

Please peruse the comments on past articles to see what I mean.

Here are the most recent ones from the last few hours.

Thanks again!

Randy
_____________________________________________________

Somebody in Free speech perhaps? Second Berlin visitor to see Hitler figure decapitates it
Try nearly 73 million deaths in WWII: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties  (Link) (Reply)

Somebody in Friends and relatives join us to help celebrate my middle-son’s eighteenth birthday
Nice pic Randy – rock on !  (Link) (Reply)

Somebody in Some candid writing about the night helicopter rides that have generated countless complaints
There is another pressure point that the City has used before. When does AirO’s lease expire? The City has refused to renew leases of problem tenants at the airport in the past, and this tenant is certainly asking for the same. They should underst (Link) (Reply)

6 Comments

Tragic and criminal– hit and run driver killed a beloved Renton man

Jul04
2008 2 Comments Written by Randy Corman

The Seattle Times ran a story this morning about the death of a beloved Renton man from a hit-and-run accident last week.

We need for the driver of the SUV to turn themself in, and give his/her account of what happened. The truth will eventually emerge in situations like this, and there is no statute of limitations on the taking of a life, even accidentally, in our state anymore. Meanwhile, if anyone else has information about this accident on Talbot Road South, please contact the Police at the numbers given below.

And everyone needs to remember to slow down, and concentrate while driving. Keep an eye out for motorcycles and other two-wheelers in particular, as their numbers are growing fast due to high fuel prices.

The loss of Mr. Dougan to his family, friends and our community is immeasurable. Here is the Seattle Times story from this morning:

___________________________________________________________________________

Renton man dies from injuries suffered in hit-and-run accident

Daren Dougan, a Renton man who was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident last week, died Wednesday evening at Harborview Medical Center.

By Christine Clarridge, Seattle Times staff reporter

Daren Dougan, 40, was hit by an SUV while riding his motorcycle June 26.
A Renton man who was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident last week died Wednesday evening at Harborview Medical Center.

Renton police are asking for help from anyone who knows of a light-colored sport-utility vehicle with recent damage to the passenger side or who might have witnessed the June 26 accident that occurred about 11 p.m. on Talbot Road South near South 45th Place.

Police and family members said the driver of the SUV left the scene after turning abruptly in front of a Harley-Davidson ridden by 40-year-old Daren Dougan, of Renton. Police said Dougan was unable to stop in time to avoid the accident.

Dougan’s family members said he was taken off life support when physicians determined he was brain-dead. All of his organs, except his liver, which was catastrophically damaged in the accident, were harvested for donation, according to Dougan’s stepmother, Guen Cornutt, of Salem, Ore.

Dougan was a music lover who sang, played guitar and the harmonica and “had a wit you wouldn’t believe,” Cornutt said. He was a devoted brother of three, an uncle of four and a steady worker, managing a Renton-area furniture store for more than 15 years.

“He was the nicest guy,” she said. “He would literally give you the shirt off his back.”

“We’re just hoping that if people know what a wonderful man he was, they’ll take a little more time to look harder at the cars around them” in the search for the hit-and-run driver, Cornutt said.

Anyone with information on the accident is asked to call the Renton Police Department, 425-430-7500 .

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com

2 Comments Tagged ,

Cedar river logjams; input from a citizen

Jul01
2008 Leave a Comment Written by Randy Corman

An interesting email council received from a citizen–
_____________________________________________________________

I have 2 concerns regarding the Cedar River.

First:

Just downstream of the Maplewood Park there is a hazard warning sign for a hazard long gone. It makes people wonder about any other warning sign. Is it current or out of date?

Please remove this sign.

Second – A real current hazard, The logjam behind the golf course.

There is a warning about this hazard. However, the other day as I was floating this area of the river, I met a couple on a canoe that put in after the warning. They were not at all aware of the logjam.

Currently, there is a portage to the right. For this one must climb over a couple of trees. The real hazard is on the left side of the stream.

While there is an assumed risk floating on any river, the main part of the logjam I believe presents an unnecessary hazard in a very populated area. While I have not done an environmental study of the logjam, my guess is that the major portion could easily be removed without any environmental degradation and at not much financial cost.

Please remove the major portion of this hazard that could trap someone. Thank you.

Have Fun!

Leave a Comment

Friends and relatives join us to help celebrate my middle-son’s eighteenth birthday

Jun29
2008 2 Comments Written by Randy Corman

Photobucket

Christian Jones, my son-in-law’s brother, walks through my front door late yesterday afternoon. I happened to have my camera at hand when I spotted his artistic-looking silhouette.

My middle-son Kenny was celebrating his eighteenth birthday. Yep, a new Renton voter!

2 Comments Tagged

Renton Reporter: ‘Renton Relaxes Under Leadership of New Mayor’

Jun29
2008 3 Comments Written by Randy Corman

On June 30th Denis Law will have served his first half-year in the Renton mayor’s office. It’s been a productive and pleasant six months for the council, even though we have had to work through some major work projects (huge annexations, completion of the Landing, Seahawks headquarters construction, rebuilding four train trestles, etc) and many issues (transit center crime, airport leases, helicopter issues, closing of Duvall Avenue, derelict dry docks, etc). We’ve also had to appoint a new council member during this time.

Marcie Palmer, who is serving as council president for the first time this year, has also done an expert job at making this a smooth transition year.

Here is the Renton Reporter story about Denis Law’s highly-successful first six months in office.

Denis- Thanks for doing such a great job for our city!

3 Comments Tagged

An update on the Landing

Jun25
2008 24 Comments Written by Randy Corman

The Council received an update on the Landing at our Committee of the Whole Meeting on Monday night.

Financially, the road, utilities and parking garage projects are all on track, and coming in within budget. At the same time, Harvest Partners (the owner of the Landing) has been completing lease deals on schedule, and generating the new tax revenues needed to cover the city’s infrastructure. In short, the money is working out.

The more interesting part of the presentation revolved around the new tenants that are signing on, many of whom are still maintaining some privacy at the moment.

The announced tenants are all shown on this chart: (Click to enlarge)



The unannounced tenants are another good news story, although our Economic Development staff has kept a close lid on specific tenant names. In many cases, council does not even know exactly who is coming in. We do know that we have apparel stores, restaurants, a spa, a brew-pub, and many other specialty shops likely to fill out this “second-wave” of smaller spaces at the Landing.

Ironically, the pressure that Westfield is placing on the big-name mall companies is probably helping the Landing to develop into a unique and desirable spot. We are told Westfield (which owns hundreds of malls) is pressuring it’s usual national tenants to stay out of the Landing, which leaves the Landing as a mall for smaller start-ups and high-end Northwest companies. I think this will give the Landing a unique character which will keep our project from being like “Westfield Every-mall USA,” something which may work well for Renton. Especially since we are squeezed between Bellevue Square to the North, which is one of the most successful malls in the Nation, and Southcenter to the South which is about to become the biggest mall in the state. Offering unique shops will no-doubt work well for us.

Best of all, there appears to be good progress in an area that has been the most-requested feature of all…. a high-end grocery store. We are told that a high-end store is seriously considering the location, and at the same time Harvest Partners is pursuing a “Market Hall” concept to add more variety. The Market Hall would be a shared Market Space, similar to Pike Place Market (only smaller of course), or more specifically Granville Island in Vancouver BC for those of you that have been there. The Market Hall would be a great place to buy cheese, wine, produce, tea, coffee, flowers, and similar items, but would still not provide all the staples of a grocery store.

Click the image below to enlarge it, to see the concept better:



As a final note, we received an update that the second property (where the Sonics were considering an arena) is being marketed as possible office space in lieu of more retail. Apparently, the office market is perceived to be strong in our area right now. Such a use would likely bring more high-wage employment opportunities into our city, so we would support such a use.

Similarly, we are seeing some hotel proposals around the same site, and in general around the Southshore of Lake Washington.

I’ll share more when I get some more news!

Randy

24 Comments

City Memorandum on new cell phone law; Effective July 1

Jun20
2008 10 Comments Written by Randy Corman

HUMAN RESOURCES & RISK MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT

MEMORANDUM

June 20, 2008

TO: All Employees

FROM: Nancy A. Carlson
Human Resources and Risk Management Administrator

SUBJECT: USE OF CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING

On July 1, 2008 a new Washington State Law regarding the use of wireless communication devices will go into effect. Specifically, the law reads, “a person operating a moving motor vehicle while holding a wireless communications device to his or her ear is guilty of a traffic infraction.“

There are some exceptions to the law which include; public safety personnel operating an authorized emergency vehicle, the coroner, and the prosecuting attorney’s office. The law also exempts an individual that is; reporting illegal activity, summoning medical or other emergency help; calling to prevent injury to a person or property, and those who are required to use a hearing aid.

The law does not completely ban the use of wireless communications devises, as it allows the use if the devise can be used in a “hands-free mode.” Hands-free mode has been defined to mean a wireless communications devise with a speaker phone, headset, or earpiece.

City Administrators understand that many of you depend on your cell phones to communicate with your supervisor, colleagues, and customers of the City, and that many of these calls are made while you’re driving from one appointment to the next. Before we all attach a device to our phones to comply with the law, it is important to remember why this law was passed. The legislative intent of the law reads:

“The use of wireless communications devices by motorists has increased in recent years. While wireless communications devices have assisted with quick reporting of road emergencies, their use has also contributed to accidents and other mishaps on Washington state roadways. When motorists hold a wireless communications device in one hand and drive with the other, their chances of becoming involved in a traffic mishap increases. It is the legislature’s intent to phase out the use of hand=held wireless communications devices by motorists while operating a vehicle.

Your safety is the most important issue. Therefore, we would strongly suggest that you pull over to take or make a call. If it is an incoming call that can wait, let the call go to voice mail and return the call when you stop. You are allowed to use your phone while driving only if it has a speaker, or is attached to some other device which makes it hands free. Departments have been authorized to purchase the necessary adaptors to allow you to use your phone, hands free. The Bluetooth device has not been approved.

Thank you for your cooperation and please drive safely.

PLEASE POST THIS NOTICE IN AREAS WHERE EMPLOYEES DO NOT HAVE INDIVIDUAL EMAIL

10 Comments

New newsletter, ‘Renton Now’, celebrates it’s first anniversary

Jun20
2008 Leave a Comment Written by Randy Corman

Our Communications Director sent this out today. I think her marketing skills, combined with our mayor’s publishing background, are producing some informative and attractive news pieces.

Here is here note:

Attached is the June/July issue of Renton Now, your one-stop information source on city news, new programs, community events, and more. This issue celebrates the one year anniversary of Renton Now.

Renton Now was mailed this week to all Renton area residents along with the utility bill, and also sent directly to multi-family residents and Benson Hill area residents. We hope you enjoy reading Renton Now – please do forward to others and share it with your friends and family.

As part of our ongoing efforts to encourage paper conservation, we will only provide hard copies of Renton Now to employees who are not able to access an electronic version. Renton Now is also posted on our website and you can subscribe to the Renton Now page to receive an email notification when a new issue has been published. To subscribe, click the subscription icon from the page and create an account. Select Renton Now newsletter and save.

Thanks

Preeti Shridhar
Communications Director
City of Renton
1055 South Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
425-430-6569
www.rentonwa.gov

(Click on each page below to enlarge)









 

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National view of tanker dispute

Jun20
2008 2 Comments Written by Randy Corman

In Mobile Alabama they are canceling a planned ground-breaking ceremony for the Air Force Tanker finishing center. I am of course glad to hear this, as I am one of the many, many Washingtonians that is confident that our local product was the better one in the Air Force Tanker competition. Still, I can’t help but feel a little sad for the good people of Alabama, who are being whip-sawn in this race just as much as we are here in the Seattle area.

As a Renton councilmember, I can’t help but be uplifted by the latest developments. Even though Boeing moved it’s corporate headquarters to Chicago, the airplane maker’s commercial headquarters home remains right here in our beloved town of Renton. And the tanker airplane is very much a derivative of a commercial product, whether it is on a Boeing 767 platform or an Airbus 330 platform.

So we should celebrate this latest win for our home team, while remembering that there are good people, just like us, in Mobile that are dissappointed.

There are also many Europeans that are dissappointed, and they are also some very nice people; but I still question whether they should ever get the lions share of a 35-billion-dollar US defense contract when our US economy is faltering and good American-made options are available.

Click here for an interesting CNBC blog entry on this topic.

2 Comments
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About the author

Hi, I’m Randy Corman. Welcome to my blog!  I served on Renton City Council for 28 years, 1994-2021, with six years as Renton Council President.  I’m also a mechanical engineer and manager, and worked for the Boeing Company for 33 years, from 1984- 2017.  My wife and I have five kids and six grandkids, and we all live in Renton.  I’ve kept this blog for 19 years, and get thousands of readers each month. Please share your feedback, ideas, and opinions in the comments.

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