7/29/2019 Monroe School Board member seeks more open policies

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Tribune

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

Volume 118, Number 10 Wednesday, August 20, 2

By JESSICA SPARKS andMICHAEL WHITNEY

An outspoken Monroe Schooloard members eort to shineght on district issues has or the

most part backfred, she admits,ut small victories have been

made.Board member Debra Kolrud, a

taunch advocate o open govern-ment, has been challenging board

olicies since joining the board inanuary.The Monroe School Board, perrotocol, doesnt like surprises andnly allows the board presidento communicate positions o theoard on controversial issues.The protocol policy doesnt defneontroversial issues.But a series o events leading up

o a discussion on school impactees, which are charged to devel-pers to mitigate costs associated

with growth, prompted Kolrud topeak out against what she sayss an example o the districts un-riendly public process.Kolrud wanted the board to dis-uss a resolution supporting a

eduction or elimination o theiscount rate given to developers.chool impact ees are used by theistrict to build new buildings as-ociated with growth. Currently,evelopers are given a 50 percentiscount on those ees.In 2005-06, the district received3,909 or each single amily de-ached house built in the districtsounty boundaries. For each multi-amily, two-bedroom unit, the dis-rict received $3,494. In 2008-09,

the district projects to receive$3,139 or each single amily homeand $1,383 or each multiamily,two-bedroom unit.

Kolrud is alarmed by this trend.She knew she likely didnt have the

votes to support a resolution, butwanted to get the discussion goingon whether developers pay theirair share.

She certainly has a right to con-tinue pushing or what she wants,board president Tom MacIntyresaid.

The district agreed to have a dis-cussion but wanted an attorney tobrie members in private.

Kolrud believes the school ad-ministration tried to avoid a publicdiscussion on the matter when itgave serious consideration to hold-ing three separate meetings withthe attorney in order to avoid creat-ing a board quorum, which wouldhave had to be open to the public.

In e-mails obtained by the Tri-bune between Superintendent KenHoover and board members, Kol-rud protested the decision to havethe discussions in private.

Hoover, in consultation withboard president MacIntyre, set upprivate briefngs with consultingattorney, Grace Yuan. Yuan had rep-resented all school districts in thecounty related to impact ees.

I am proposing times at 4PM,5PM and 6PM with no more thantwo board members present at atime, Hoover wrote July 8 to all fveboard members.

The reason cited was that thediscussion on school impact eeswas a politically sensitive issue,

Hoover wrote.Im sorry i I implied that the

reason or talking to our attorneywas because o potential litigation,Hoover wrote in a July 10 e-mail toKolrud. At this point, this is pri-

marily a politically sensitive issue.Kolrud objected and cited state

law which spells out what matterscan and cannot be discussed inprivate.

Since almost all issues the boarddiscuss and or [sic] deliberate canbe viewed as politically sensitiveissue we do not have the right todecide what is good or the peopleto know and what is not good orthem to know, Kolrud wrote backto Hoover on July 10. ...This doesnot support the spirit or the intento the Open Public Meeting(s) Actto conduct three separate meetingsto avoid a board quorum. We arepurposely keeping our discussionaway rom the public, which I cannot be apart o.

School impact ees tend to be po-litically sensitive because develop-ers dont like paying them.

In an interview with the Tribune,MacIntyre deended the initialidea o meeting with the lawyer inprivate, describing it as a meetingwith ones legal counsel instead o apublic meeting.

Ater Kolruds protest, the boardopened the meeting to the publicAug. 11. At the meeting, the at-torney, via speakerphone, advisedagainst proposing a reduction oimpact ee discounts until spring2009. The board went along withthis advice, not wanting to rockthe boat.

Three board members wereagainst continuing this convertion.

In a statement to the TriHoover said the district was cerned about the legal consequ

es associated with loweringagreed upon discount rate.

The (private) meeting prowas initiated in an attempt tspond to a school board memrequest while trying to ensurboard members received the inormation about Monroesmultuous history with this including past litigation that chave had a more than $1 mfnancial impact, Hoover wVarying summer schedules wvariety o people also played ain the original meeting propos

This is not the frst time Kohas challenged district policytried to get the board to updapublic records policy to alignstate law. That is temporarilhold while the district continuresearch the matter.

She also requested the remo a statement that she says iriendly and may discouragezens rom speaking to the bNew language proposed, thappears to urther limit the bointeraction with the public.proposed drat limits the nuo citizens wishing to speak tboard i they hold the same tion. And reminds citizens thaboard president may interwarn, or terminate public comi it intereres with the orderlyduct o the meeting.

Monroe School Board member seeks more open policie