Laurelhurst Community Club                                                     

Serving 2800 Households and Businesses in Seattle’s Laurelhurst Neighborhood

February 25, 2008

Stella Chao, Director

Department of Neighborhoods

City of Seattle

P.O. Box 94649

Seattle, Washington  98124-4649

RE:  Filling Vacancies on the Children’s Citizens Advisory Committee

Dear Stella:

            Could we please schedule a meeting this week to discuss vacancies that are likely to occur on the Children’s Citizens Advisory Committee?   We would like clarification on your role in filling vacancies, an apparent inconsistency in the Memorandum of Agreement in this regard and possible involvement of the City Council in the process.

Due to a direct financial conflict of interest, two members of the Children’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and one alternate will likely either resign from CAC membership or will not be allowed to participate in discussion and voting under the City’s Ethics Code.  The conflict of interest is due to Children’s recent offer to purchase their Laurelon Terrace condominium complex at a premium price that is close to three times the approximate current value of each unit and the fact that one of Children’s development alternatives involves acquisition of Laurelon and expansion of the institution’s boundaries.  These CAC members and the alternate reside in and/or own property in Laurelon Terrace. 

            If the two Laurelon property owners on the CAC resign and are replaced with the remaining two alternates, one who is a citywide rep and the other from Hawthorne Hills, “near neighbor” representation on the CAC will be reduced by 50 percent.  The Memorandum of Agreement adopted by the Council allows you to fill vacancies without City Council confirmation if the size of the CAC is not increased, the balance of interests, expertise and experiences represented on the committee are not substantially altered and those selected come from the list of alternates (other than the nonmanagement Children’s representative).  The difficulty is that the balance of interests on the committee would substantially change should you appoint the alternates to become voting members of the CAC.  And, you are charged with appointing the persons whose skills and affiliations that most closely match those of the resigning member.

            We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss these matters.  Please let us know of your availability this week.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Liz Ogden, Vice President                                           Jeannie Hale, President

5005 48^th Avenue NE                                                  3425 West Laurelhurst Drive NE

Seattle, Washington  98105                                         Seattle, Washington  98105

206-517-5862                                                              206-525-5135 / fax 206-525-9631

wizzet@comcast.net                                                    jeannieh@serv.net

cc:  Wayne Barnett, Ethics and Elections Commission; Steve Sheppard