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INDEPENDENT PORT ORCHARD
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015 ✮ VOL. 124, NO. 45 ✮ WWW.PORTORCHARDINDEPENDENT.COM ✮ 50¢
City Council on fast track to find a new member they’d bring to the council. Candidates also would include Port Orchard’s City Council a resume, a description of the individual’s community has a plan to fast-track the involvement and their view of selection process for a new the issues the city is to face in council member to assume 2016. current Councilman Rob Some council members said Putaansuu’s seat. they were concerned the tight But just when that new timeframe and councilperthe press of the son is to be Christmas and appointed Candidates will be New Year’s remains holidays would unclear. asked to include discourage Council a letter of interest some potential members agreed at their that would include candidates from seeking the meeting Dec. a list of skills 8 to follow they’d bring to the seat.The council a timeframe council. sought clarisuggested fication from by council City Clerk member Bek Brandy Rinearson about the Ashby to advertise the open state’s revised code stipulations position immediately in area regarding qualifications that newspapers and on the city potential candidates must meet website. She said the issues that members now face are too before they can be considered for office. According to the important not to have a full state’s code, a candidate in a council. second-class-rated city is only Ashby proposed that candirequired to be a registered dates interested in the Position voter. 3 council seat should send letters of interest to City Hall City budget by Jan. 4. She also advocated The council voted in favor for candidate interviews on of an ordinance adopting the Jan. 7, perhaps followed by a second round with finalists the city’s 2016 budget. Council member Jerry Childs was the following week. The council’s sole vote against adoption of selection then would be voted the ordinance because of his on at its Jan. 12 meeting and concerns about a lack of overbe sworn in Jan. 19. sight of the budget and city As proposed by Ashby, staff salaries. candidates will be asked to The budget allows expeninclude a letter of interest that ditures for fiscal year 2016 of would include a list of skills By BOB SMITH
rsmith@portorchardindependent.com
CHRISTMAS COLOR AT CITY HALL
$44.925 million. The council’s Finance Committee met earlier independently to study the proposed budget, held budget interviews with city department heads and sought City Council input, according to the agenda staff report. A final public hearing also was conducted Dec. 7. Of that budget amount, slightly more than $11 million is allocated for water and sewer utilities, and $3.8 million for law enforcement, special investigations and criminal justice. Operating funds total $28 million. The city has budgeted $7.6 million for capital projects, including money for water and public recreation projects.
Transportation Benefit District
Following lengthy deliberation, the City Council agreed to an ordinance establishing a Transportation Benefit District, or TBD. Prior to its vote, the council also conducted a public hearing on whether a TBD should be established in Port Orchard. That entity would be used to generate additional funding for transportation project shortfalls. During the public comment period, Port Orchard resident Elissa Whittleton said she felt a TBD plan is being rushed through without proper public input. “There needs to be more public outreach,”
Sara Miller / Independent
Port Orchard’s City Hall Christmas tree glows a holiday hue after being lit during a Festival of Chimes & Lights ceremony Dec. 5.
COUNCIL, SEE A2
Bremerton woman leads police on chase to Port Orchard By CHRIS TUCKER
ctucker@soundpublishing.com
BREMERTON – A Bremerton woman racked up
IN THE INDEPENDENT
a series of traffic violations after she led Bremerton and Port Orchard police on a wild chase Dec. 4.
According to court documents, the incident began when the 26-year-old woman allegedly wound up in a fight
with a man she knew on Bay Vista Boulevard in Bremerton. During the incident, the woman got into a blue Nissan
INSIDE Chimes & Lights Festival. A2, A10, A27
sedan and allegedly knocked the man over with the car. Bremerton Police arrived and the woman sped off. She blew
Wayfinder signs on the way. A4
past stop signs as she drove to Oyster Bay Avenue, Arsenal Way and National Avenue. The woman then drove through a red light on Loxie Eagans Boulevard and got CHASE, SEE A2
SPORTS Boys BB preview. A13
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