Covington/Maple Valley Reporter, April 11, 2014

Page 1

REPORTER

COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND

NEWSLINE 425-432-1209

LOCAL | Want your mommy? Horror Campout may not be for you [page 3]

Playing with a 10th man | Tahoma baseball finds inspiration and perspective FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2014 following the loss of a teammate [9]

A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING

Black Diamond mayor and City Council collide BY DENNIS BOX AND ERIC MANDEL dbox@maplevalleyreporter.com emandel@maplevalleyreporter.com

The honeymoon between Black Diamond Mayor Dave Gordon and the City Council officially came crashing down amid a flurry of public allegations, accusation and acrimony. The dispute soared past the boiling point after the mayor alleged two council members came to his office and demanded his resignation and threatened his job, marriage and reputation if he did not step down. One of the council members present

denied a threat was leveled, stating cedures were apparent between the the council members were offering mayor and City Council early in his advice on the possible repercussions term, but the backroom hostilities to his job, family and reputation if broke into public view at an April 3 he did not resign. council meeting. Gordon, who had no previous The council approved a resoluexperience as an elected official, tion at the meeting authorizing Dave Gordon took office Jan. 1 after a 68 percent Councilwoman Carol Benson, who landslide victory over former Mayor is the mayor pro tem, to “obtain an Rebecca Olness in the November investigatory report” of a public general election. official concerning a hostile work enviAmong Gordon’s main campaign issues ronment allegation from a staff member. was his opposition to the two YarrowBay Specific names were not disclosed on the master planned developments in the city. document, but according to multiple sourcMinor disagreements on policy and proes involved in the issue, the staff member is

City Administrator Christy Todd and the elected official is Gordon. The sources reported Todd’s attorney filed a demand letter against the city and Gordon. The sources reported the demand letter was filed after the city’s insurance company, Washington Cities Insurance Authority, returned a finding of no wrongdoing by the mayor in a sexual harassment complaint by Todd against Gordon. Though the resolution was not on the meeting agenda, text for the measure was provided at the beginning of the meeting following an executive session. [ more MAYOR page 5]

City ponders future and potential fiscal cliff

Lady Buds withdraws marijuana appeal BY ERIC MANDEL

BY KATHERINE SMITH

emandel@covingtonreporter.com

ksmith@maplevalleyreporter. com

After an unfavorable decision at the state appeals court and a mixed decision by a local hearing examiner, Black Diamond’s only medical marijuana-related business is shutting down. The owners of Lady Buds withdrew their appeal against the city’s decision to revoke its business license on April 4, three days before its scheduled hearing. In the withdrawal document, Lady Buds’ attorney Jay Berneburg wrote that business owners Vali Bauer and Angie Reed stick by their beliefs that they did not violate federal law or Black Diamond’s various moratoriums, however, the recent state court of appeals decision that allows cities to ban medical marijuana businesses gave the women no chance at a fair fight. “The city would still refuse to

Whether or not Maple Valley will go over a “fiscal cliff ” depends on who you talk to. The Maple Valley City Council and city staff are pondering the city’s own version of a fiscal cliff as talks about the Comprehensive Plan and the city’s future ramp up this month. The term, City Manager David Johnston said, caught on after it was used in a report prepared by the International Economic Development Council on the city’s future related to economic development. “We’ve been talking about this for about two or three years,” Johnston said of the broader idea behind the term. “What has to be appreciated by everybody is that the city has funded its growth with the revenue from aggressive residential development.”

Maple Valley Senior Softball’s competitive and recreational teams are swinging into spring with practices now underway and the first games scheduled for May 1. The teams took advantage of a break in the rain last week and practiced at Ravensdale Park. KATHERINE SMITH, The Reporter To view a slide show go to www.maplevalleyreporter.com.

[ more APPEAL page 6 ]

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Seniors Swing Into Spring


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