As April 1st approaches with the City of Yelm’s new water rate increase of 16% going into effect, this is a good time to remind Yelm’s officials of the oath of office they took and especially this from the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), as one blog reader submitted:

RCW 42.30.010
Legislative declaration.

“The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.

The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”

Last week’s entries here demonstrate clearly the City of Yelm has not informed the people “so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”

– HARDING TO ADDRESS CHAMBER WITH WATER UPDATE — BYPASSING THE GENERAL PUBLIC!

— IF THE CITY IS OUT OF WATER, WHY DO THEY KEEP ISSUING BUILDING PERMITS?

And the key questions remain unanswered-
– Why is the city collecting monies through a water rate increase based on a 6-year Draft Waster System Plan for 2009-2015 that has not been approved by Ecology & Health!
– If the Plan is not approved, how will the city reimburse their water rate-payers for the collection of these monies, if the plan is not approved in the current form?
– Why was the city still issuing building permits & accepting applications for construction when city planners knew they were out of allocated water, even recommending to Council to seize a citizens water rights?
– Why has the public never been told the city over-pumped their water allocation in 2009?
– How is the city going to get reimbursed from a defaulted develope for the pro-rata share of the Water Study, as stated by City Administrator Badger? or recoup the developer’s unpaid taxes & fees?
– How is the city going to pay & use the Golf Course well they inherited, estimated to cost $1.6 million to return to service?

WITH INFORMATION ON THESE AND MANY OTHER QUESTIONS NEVER ADDRESSED BY THE CITY,
“The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”