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UC zone code amendment passed, which allow traffic from a proposed automotive lube business to access Main Street, passed (Vote: Boyd, Everett, Boucher, nay; Flower, Seehuus [who should know better, as a previous PC member], Champeaux and Criswell voted yea.) Hoot Owl owner Chris Diamondes revealed he is the individual who requested the original code change (to allow automotive-related businesses in the pedestrian-friendly UC zone). He's been working on the issue for 3 1/2 years. This revision, which will also allow traffic access to Main Street, is the CIty's most-recent "designer" code developed for a specific business/owner/use rather than ensuring consistency with Sultan's current comp plan, as required by state law. Rick Cisar admitted that Bart Dalmasso was indeed the individual who had brought this proposition to him on behalf of Diamondes. (Commissioner Dalmasso had previously denied, upon questioning by myself during a PC hearing on this issue, having any "special" interests involving the requested code revision, or having any previous conversations with anyone on this issue.)

The budget workshop & council discussions made it clear that Mayor Tolson (& several council members) desperately wish to find the funding to purchase administrative-financial software for $18,000 which will upgrade the city's financials, building permits, utilility billing, etc. Amen to anything that will extricate the city from using their Stone Age accounting system which no one understands but Clerk/Treasurer Laura Koenig.

In the hearing to gain input on the City's agreement with MBA-BNI to add "known persons of interest" to noticing of code revisions, Ed Boucher strenuously objected to the need and expense to do this, as did Kay George, Rob Criswell and to some degree, Jim Flower. This ordinance will be tweaked a bit more and brought back to council for a second reading. (Interestingly, the focus of everyone's concern was that G.R.I.T. would be provided information. Rob Criswell strongly questioned "Loretta Storm's" right to receive such information. And then, in a short discussion in the hallway with GRIT Co-founder Ray Kistenmacher (when Ray suggested that we are performing a public service to the city), Rob explained, "Oh, I wasn't referring to any specific person when I said that." This prompts us to ask a question asked three years ago by Jeff Kirkman during the "Recording Wars": "WHAT are you people afraid of?"