Recent comments, practices, and articles raise several concerns as to just how open and transparent Sammamish’s barricade process will really be.

Given that future important public meetings concerning barricades are coming, I would suggest that 1) meetings be announced and scheduled well in advance to allow all parties to prepare for such important discussions, 2) meeting announcements be properly communicated, especially to those neighborhoods that will actually be affected – that means no last minute surprise web posting meeting announcements, 3) that the public meetings incorporate working sessions that allow parties to openly discuss, debate, and rebut information that may not be factual or fully truthful as a matter of public record, and 4) that all barricade meetings be scheduled for evening sessions as most attendees have day jobs and can’t always make last minute scheduled day meetings.

While some articles trumpet the advantages of road connectivity, I and many other residents find it most troubling that the city has yet to post on the web an easy to find city wide map indicating all the present barricades in the city.

I’ve visited most, if not all, of the city’s barricades and believe one will find a wide variation on their effects on neighborhoods should they be removed.

I especially find most disturbing the amazement reported in a recent article that city representatives and experts are surprised that speeding is a key underlying issue with many of the barricades in quiet residential neighborhoods. I believe speeders, neighborhoods, the City Council, and the police have known for a long time. There is no effective speed enforcement in Sammamish, especially in residential neighborhoods for various reasons.

In an open and transparent public barricade decision process the facts should survive public challenge and take one to prudent conclusions. Too often I have witnessed the facts related to barricades being distorted or spun to drive a preordained conclusion. I’d bet real money the neighborhoods aren’t going to accept such deception real well.

Richard B. Kuprewicz

Sammamish