The Yelm Community Blog received this in response to a section of the February 3, 2007 post from Kevin Farrell as a private citizen. The comments are posted here for you, unabridged in any way and relate to the NVN story of Feb. 2nd excerpted after the comments:

“I wanted to respond to the inaccurate statements that Grant Beck, Community Development Director for the City of Yelm, apparently made to the Nisqually Valley News regarding the recent meeting on Thompson Creek. I am responding as a private citizen.

In his tirade to the local media Mr. Beck stated that he contacted me once he learned the City of Yelm was on the agenda for this meeting. That’s rather interesting since it was I who called Mr. Beck, before development of the agenda, to inform him of the meeting, and to ask for the City of Yelm to participate. Mr. Beck, during that phone call, appeared to have an attitude problem, asking several times, “what the hidden agenda was” and “why I was involved”. He now knows why I am involved… because he, and the City of Yelm, are not.

Mr. Beck was provided with the agenda approximately 15-minutes after he requested it. There was no delay, no hidden agenda… just a request, verbally, for the City to participate. They decided to not provide any constructive dialouge on the flooding and other issues along Thompson Creek. His only comment was “no comment”. Pretty sad state of affairs in the City of Yelm, as far as I am concerned.

With regard to the specific statement, “I really can’t speak as to the particiaption by the City of Yelm,”, Mr. Beck wanted me to tell him what his talking points should be. Is that my job? Can’t Mr. Beck think for himself? Obviously not. The citizens affected by flooding along Thompson Creek are tired of calling upon deaf ears at the City of Yelm. There is absolutely no communication coming from Beck or other City staff on this issue. But hey, what should I expect from a group that prohibits the use of the word WAL-MART at it’s public meetings. I digress.”

Relating to & quoting the referenced February 2, 2007 NVN, who did NOT send a reporter to the aforementioned meeting,
“Also at the meeting was Yelm Community Development Director Grant Beck and engineers from the Tahoma Terra development, which has been blamed for the flooding by downstream residents.

McMurry expressed dismay that Beck did not give a presentation as was listed on the agenda, but Beck said he had to ask twice for an agenda and when he learned the city was listed, he inquired via e-mail to Ferrell, about what was expected.

‘I really can’t speak as to the participation by the City of Yelm,’ Ferrell’s e-mail stated.

Because residents have blamed Tahoma Terra for the flooding, Beck brought a Tahoma Terra engineer, and landscape architect, Bob Droll, to explain the situation upstream from the problem area.

The developers have done everything the state requires of them, Beck said, and the stream is ground water influenced.

‘The development is not the problem.’

‘Many of those people are in the flood plain,’ Rockett said.”

Ed. Note: Once again, a City of Yelm offical is very cozy with the Tahoma Terra developers (i.e. Thurston Highlands Associates owners’ paid guy at the meeting stated Mssrs. Bloom & Chamberlain did not receive the invitation to this meeting & their absence was because they were out of town. That was put asunder when it was acknowledged they knew of this meeting and its purpose prior to their departure.).

Is this preferential treatment?

WHAT SAY YOU?