Questions linger over city liaison
Published 11:53 am Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Dennis Box
The Courier-Herald
The city has set up an economic development liaison office at the Bonney Lake Windermere real estate office, 20071 State Route 410 East.
Mayor Bob Young directed Administrative Services Coordinator Don Morrison to move into the new office.
Young faced considerable criticism when he floated the idea of a loaned executive last week. Initially the mayor suggested Morrison would be working for the Chamber of Commerce.
To counter the mayor's loaned executive proposal, Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman added an ordinance to the Nov. 1 City Council agenda creating an interim Department of Administrative Services. After meeting with the city attorney before the meeting, Swatman pulled the ordinance.
“I talked to every legal source I could find and I didn't come up with anything,” Swatman said. “Don will have to survive working out of a closet. Bob doesn't trust him anymore. Why he doesn't want him at City Hall is worrisome to me.”
Young said he changed the definition of the job from loaned executive to a liaison for legal reasons. He noted Morrison would be working for the city concerning economic development.
“I have been the lead on economic development in the city from day one of my administration,” Young said. “I've met with developers and businesses. I wanted to provide the economic development framework as one of my last acts before I am out of office.”
Councilman Neil Johnson questioned why Morrison would be acting on an economic development plan that has not been passed by the City Council.
“It's a good document,” Johnson said. “But we haven't passed it. How legal is that? How do you implement something that hasn't been passed by the council?”
Prior to acting as a liaison, Morrison was charged with numerous duties, including overseeing the city clerk's office and the senior center. Morrison has worked in city administration and management for about 30 years.
Last week Young said he did not have enough for Morrison to do over the next two months. Young will officially leave office Dec. 31.
Councilman Phil DeLeo said the city was paying Morrison nearly $80,000 a year to act as a city coordinator.
“Don has too much integrity and the mayor doesn't want him there to see what he's up to,” DeLeo said. “Bob has already shown he has no respect for the taxpayers money.”
The mayor has faced criticism that records and information are being removed from City Hall, which is why he would want Morrison at Windermere.
“That is a total fabrication,” Young said. “When I became mayor I stepped into an office that was totally bare. When I took office the mayor and city administrator carried box after box out of the office. Every file and drawer was empty. It was illegal and we sent a letter to the city administrator trying to get the information back. I will not do that. When I walk out of this office everything will be there.”
Swatman noted there was little the council could do to prohibit the mayor from directing Morrison to work away from City Hall.
“This is a strong mayor form of government,” Swatman said. “There's nothing we can do. It's up to the mayor, but there is some concern.”
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.
