RECORD SOUTH WHIDBEY
INSIDE: Life in pink, A12
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011 | Vol. 87, No. 90 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
FREELAND SEWER CRITICS WIN BIG Langley settles Allen, Sundberg elected to Langley City Council lawsuit
BY BRIAN KELLY AND BEN WATANABE
for $125K
South Whidbey Record
The incumbents are out in the race for two board seats on the Freeland Water and Sewer District — in a landslide. Lou Malzone was ahead of incumbent Water District Commissioner Nolen “Rocky” Knickerbocker for Position 3 on the board, while Marilynn Abrahamson was leading incumbent Jim Short for Position 1. “I think it shows that people in Freeland got involved and were motivated to vote this year,” Malzone said. Malzone and Abrahamson ran a combined campaign that largely centered on their opposition to a controversial $40 million sewer plan. In early vote tallies, Malzone had 79 percent of the vote, while Knickerbocker had 20 percent. Abrahamson was in front with 76 percent, while Short had 23 percent. “It’s overwhelming,” Abrahamson said of the pair’s strong showing. “This sends a strong message that the voters of Freeland do not want the sewer,” she said. “We will be working very closely with the residents of Freeland to determine what they want for the future of Freeland.” In Langley, R. Bruce Allen was winning against Thomas Gill in the race for Position 4 on the city council. Allen was in front of fellow council hopeful Gill with 52 percent of the vote. Gill has 47 percent of the vote. “I certainly haven’t got it locked up yet,” Allen said. “This election is not going to be over for a couple, three days,” he said. “A lot of things can happen.” Jim Sundberg was the winner for Position 3 on the city council. Sundberg, currently chairman of the city’s Planning Advisory Board, was leading Robin
BY BRIAN KELLY South Whidbey Record
Brian Kelly / The Record
Judith Light takes a break from her job at the Freeland Library to drop her ballot in the box at Trinity Lutheran Church on Tuesday. Adams in the first vote tally on Election Night. “I think that there’s some really good days ahead for the town of Langley,” Sundberg said. “And I am thankful to the many people that have supported me during the campaign, have helped me running for city council, and I appreciate the excellent opposition and good ideas that Robin Adams contributed.” Sundberg had 67 percent, while Adams had picked up 32 percent. Joel Gerlach has won the Position 4 seat on the South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District
board of commissioners, with 58 percent. “It feels good,” Gerlach said. “I’m excited about being able to do it.” “I’ve lived here 21 years, and that to me is a big deal,” he added. “It means I’ve made an impact in the community.” Jean R. Streitler, Gerlach’s opponent in the race, had 41 percent. After seeing the initial results, he was confident in the voters’ choice. “I’m happy for Joel if he gets it, there’s no doubt about that,” Streitler said. Turnout so far is estimated at 48 percent.
LANGLEY — The Langley City Council unanimously approved a $125,000 settlement agreement to end a lawsuit filed by a former employee who claimed he had been fired by the city late last year because of his age. The council voted 4-0 to approve the settlement after a 30-minute, closed-door executive session during a special meeting Monday. Frank Sullivan, who worked in the city’s public works department before he was fired in December 2010, will receive the payment in exchange for dropping his lawsuit against Langley. He had filed a damage claim against the city for $4.5 million in March, and three months later filed a lawsuit in Island County Superior Court, that alleged age discrimination. In the three-page settlement approved Monday, the city vigorously denied any wrongdoing. “This agreement does not concede it has any liability, and specifically denies any liability SEE LAWSUIT, A24
Langley’s incoming mayor continues to press for smaller salary BY BRIAN KELLY South Whidbey Record
LANGLEY — The city’s next mayor has announced his first priority: asking the city council to cut his pay. Mayor-elect Larr y Kwarsick told the council during a budget hearing that he would present a proposal for a salary cut right after Tuesday’s election. The issue of the mayor’s pay grew heated last year, after controversy arose over Mayor Paul Samuelson’s
Larry Kwarsick vacations out of state while drawing full-time pay for his work at city hall. Months of talk followed on the proper salary to pay the city’s top executive, with the council
eventually deciding to reduce the salary from $53,532 in 2011 to $53,000 in 2012. Kwarsick previously urged the council to cut his salary to $21,000, to no avail. Kwarsick, currently the city’s planning director, has said he will accept $26,000 for his work as mayor. During Monday’s first hearing on the budget, Kwarsick said he was not giving up on getting a smaller paycheck. If the council wouldn’t bring the issue back up, he would.
“I certainly will be making a proposal if the council doesn’t initiate something after the election,” he said. With the new mayor not being in city hall every day — Kwarsick reminded officials he’s still committed two days a week to his planning job in Coupeville — Kwarsick said city employees will take on greater responsibility. “My goal is to build their capacity,” he said. “They will be the assistants to the mayor
probably more than they can ever imagine.” Even so, he tried to allay concerns that he would not be in Langley as much as needed. “It’s a full-time commitment,” Kwarsick said. Still, some on the council said they were worried the mayor won’t be available to the city on a full-time basis. “I think it’s more than a two- or three-days-a-week job,” said Councilwoman Fran Abel.
“I’m not sure how concerned I am around the everyday running of the city,” added outgoing Mayor Paul Samuelson. “I am concerned about that, but I am concerned about how the city is represented outside of the city.” “I trust that you have obviously thought this all through. I trust that you will do the best possible job that you can,” Samuelson added. SEE MAYOR, A24