Patriot Bremerton
Play ball! BlueJackets host first home game and come away with a win Page 10
FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013 | Vol. 16, No. 19 www.bremertonpatriot.com | 50¢
Bremerton to impound cars of suspended drivers By KEVAN MOORE kmoore@soundpublishing.com
Motorists driving on suspended licenses in Bremerton will soon face the prospect of having the vehicle impounded for 14 days. Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan said the newly approved ordinance will allow officers to continue “focused enforcement,” or what is sometimes called “swift and certain enforcement.” “It’s focused on high rate offenders, the relatively small group of individuals that every community has, that will often drive (with) a very high frequency of offenses which sometimes can be viewed as minor,” Strachan told the city council last week. Strachan said that those “minor crimes,” such as theft, trespassing, vandalism, drug sales, mail theft, driving without insurance and others can have a big impact over the long haul. “They are sometimes viewed as minor but they are very significant
crimes when it comes to the quality of life of the victims and the people who experience them,” Strachan said. The new impound ordinance specifically targets “a layer of individuals who are driving while suspended, who are basically flouting the law and repeatedly going back to court again and again,” he said. “To get your vehicle impounded under this ordinance, you would really, really have to be a frequent f lier,” noted City Council President Greg Wheeler. The ordinance will allow an officer to use his or her discretion in deciding whether or not to impound a vehicle being driven by someone who is suspected of driving with a suspended license in the first or second degree. Those whose licenses are suspended in the third degree, often for failure to pay tickets or fine, will not face the prospect of vehicle impoundment. Bremer ton Cit y Attorney Roger Lubovich noted that the cost of the
new 14 day impound, including towing and fees, could easily exceed $900. The ordinance also allows for a waiver process for folks facing hardship. “Of course it’s reasonable to turn the vehicle over to a spouse or family member that may be impacted in a very difficult way,” Strachan noted. Lu b ov ic h a nd Strachan, noting that the city of Poulsbo impounds vehicles for 30 to 90 days, both think that a 14-day impound is sufficient. “I think 14 days is reasonable,” Strachan said. “It sends a strong message without being unreasonable or onerous. The strong message is, don’t drive on a suspended license in the city of Bremerton. That message is going to get around very quickly to drivers who drive chronically on a suspended license.” The ordinance was approved unanimously by the city council.
The colors that wave
Leslie Kelly /staff photo
In a trial run Tuesday, Marion Hersey, Flag Chairman of the John Paul Jones Chapter of the Washington State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution raises the military branch flags at Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton. On Friday, he will raise the American Flag and other branch flags at 8 a.m. and they will fly until sunset in honor of Flag Day. Taps will be played as the flags are lowered at sunset, which is at 8:28 p.m. Hersey served in the U.S. Navy as a Master Chief. He now volunteers countless hours throughout the year working on military memorial preservation and other projects.
Bremerton city council still looking at auditor position
Facilities district doles out $647,500 for three projects
kmoore@soundpublishing.com
By KEVAN MOORE
By KEVAN MOORE
The cities of Bremerton and Seattle are the only ones in the state with an internal, independent auditor. But Bremerton’s city council is on its way to putting a charter amendment on next fall’s ballot that could eliminate the position altogether.
Under that scenario, the city would rely instead on outside auditors on an as-needed basis. In Bremerton, the auditor is appointed by a committee that includes two council members, two residents and a certified public accountant whereas in Seattle the auditor is appointed by the full council. Gary Nystul has held the audi-
tor’s job in Bremerton since 2003. Bremerton city council member Jim McDonald, who sat last year on the city’s audit committee, a group that meets outside of public view while producing several reports every year, was the first one to float the idea of doing away with the city auditor. “The current charter
requirement is singularly unique and does not provide the council with effective control of the city auditor; the city auditor function is expensive; and there are other effective systems in place to measure and improve our city’s performance,” McDonald wrote in his original draft charter See AUDITOR, A13
kmoore@soundpublishing.com
Kitsap Public Facilities District board members awarded $647,500 Monday night for projects in Bremerton, Silverdale and Poulsbo. The evening’s big winner was the city of Bremerton, which was awarded $400,000
to expand the Kitsap Conference Center in the downtown Harborside District. The board also awarded $70,000 for improvements to Lobe Field in Silverdale and $30,000 to cover the cost of a newly installed press box at Gordon Field. Lastly, the See PROJECTS, A13