The Sammamish City Council will review legislation July 7 that would allow citizens initiative and referendum powers, something residents showed they wanted in the spring special election.
The nonbinding advisory vote, which gauged how many people wanted the power to create and repeal laws within the city, passed with a 55 percent approval in the April 28 election.
A July 14 study session, where council will review any other “loose ends” regarding the ordinance, will follow the first reading July 7, Mayor Tom Vance said Monday. Council will take action on the legislation July 21.
The council was challenged to find time in its schedule with its August break approaching and an already-packed agenda, stiff with issues regarding the Klahanie annexation, the revised tree regulations and the completion of the comprehensive plan.
While Vance thinks the process is moving quickly, Councilmember Ramiro Valderrama-Aramayo says the council is dragging its feet. Valderrama-Aramayo said the content council reviewed June 15 was the same it’s hashed out in previous meetings this year.
“What are we trying to do in this study session?” Valderrama-Aramayo asked.
He shared his concern that this topic has been in a sort of agenda-scheduling limbo and questioned why council has not moved forward with drafting appropriate legislation.
Sammamish resident Harry Shedd expressed during public comment his disappointment with the council’s lagging pace, sharing Valderrama-Aramayo’s frustration.
“Nearly two months (after the April election), we’re now to discuss the same material studied over several months in the past,” Shedd said. “Why the delay in coming forth with a resolution and ordinance to place the people’s wishes into effect?”
Shedd is a member of the grassroots group Citizens for Sammamish which sponsored the initiative and referendum vote “YES” campaign.
This issue has been on the council’s table since the January retreat. The council voted February to put it on the special election ballot.
The measure passed with a 24 percent voter turnout, which Deputy Mayor Kathy Huckabay thought was a sign of the public’s general confusion regarding the exact scope and affect the initiative and referendum powers.
Valderrama-Aramayo disagrees. Historically, turnout is low for non-presidential, special elections, he said.
Since 2010, there has been an average of 37 percent voter turnout in April special elections within King County, according to county data. Data specific to Sammamish was not available.
In any case, if people were confused, Valderrama-Aramayo attributes that to the lack of in-depth material provided in the city newsletter.
Council needs a majority vote to pass the ordinance. While Vance doesn’t want to count votes before the July 21 meeting, he said he suspects it will pass.
