Like Deets
To the editor:
Joe Deets is one of the people I have turned to for over a decade when it comes to reasonable, fact-based, objective decisions. Particularly, in these three-plus years where he and I have had roles in the Climate Change Advisory Committee for Bainbridge Island. His driven approach of acting “now” for the greatest impact for “tomorrow” is a skill, and it is cherished by myself and my fellow committee members.
He continues to have the best intentions for a viable and equitable outcome regardless of the topic being debated or issue/project being discussed. I believe at Joe’s core he does wish to leave this earth a better place by virtue of his actions, words and principles.
In this upcoming vote for our council, its citizens and our city government will be well-served by the strong efforts that Joe Deets has and will exhaust toward his legacy.
David McCaughey
Bainbridge Island
Wait and see
To the editor:
Matt Kress made an excellent point in his letter last week. Before we allow PSE to build a harmful new transmission line, let’s see what the pending rebuild of the Winslow Tap line does for electric reliability. Why? Because rebuilds work. There’s no better example than PSE’s rebuild, in late 2016, of the two supply lines that serve the island from North Kitsap.
PSE said it rebuilt the supply lines to improve reliability and to mitigate island-wide outages. That’s exactly what happened. Outages on these lines fell from seven during the four years before their rebuild to just two during the four years after their rebuild — a decline of more than 70%.
Now fast forward to the present. PSE has begun a top-to-bottom rebuild of the failing Winslow Tap line – the source of almost every transmission outage that still occurs on the island. Based on PSE’s experience with the 2016 rebuild, we can expect the current rebuild to reduce tap outages, too, perhaps by 70% or more.
Let’s wait until the Winslow Tap rebuild plays out before we commit the island to a harmful new transmission line.
David Johnson
Bainbridge Island
Support Peltier
To the editor,
I am writing in support of Ron Peltier’s candidacy for Bainbridge Island City Council. He is truly a man of the people, someone who provides a calm and balanced path forward for our community.
During his previous term on the council, I found Ron to be an effective advocate for managing growth in a fair and responsible manner. When we had an issue with our neighboring private school not following their conditional zoning promises, Ron responded quickly, even coming to our place to see the situation first-hand.
I was further impressed that he didn’t jump to conclusions, or pander to us, but rather he pointed us to the proper channels and process with the city Planning Department, and offered to assist personally if we didn’t get results.
This is exactly the kind of leader we need on the council, someone who responds to citizens, not just developers, and someone who takes a balanced and process-oriented approach to problem-solving. Ron is a decent and hardworking advocate for his community, and I urge folks to return him to City Council.
Peter Levinthal
Bainbridge Island
Vote Peltier
To the editor:
I voted for Ron Peltier in 2015, and I encourage all of us to vote for him again.
Ron worked hard when he was on council. He sought to revise the zoning code to reflect the Comprehensive Plan, as well as a rewrite of the Critical Areas Ordinance, along with supporting the establishment of the Aquifer Recharge Protection Area, plus a moratorium on development while the city made substantive changes to the rules governing subdivisions. These were all important and needed additions for environmental protection of our island.
Looking ahead, Ron is focused on sustainability, and our aquifers and transportation systems are front and center. Ron has the fortitude and the knowledge of our laws to develop a comprehensive groundwater management plan that we have needed for a very long time. Ron knows we need accurate information about our sole source aquifer in order to make cogent decisions moving forward. We should all know how much water is in the well.
When you make your decision, weigh the candidate’s abilities. It’s not just a matter of being nice and getting along. It’s conviction, proven know-how and strength. Vote for Ron.
Mary Parker
Bainbridge Island
No on Peltier
To the editor:
Before you cast a ballot for Ron Peltier please consider his past behavior on the City Council. Past actions are good predictors of future behavior, and Peltier has repeatedly been found unethical in multiple incidents. Is this the behavior we want from an elected leader?
Peltier harassed our former city manager Doug Schulze repeatedly for months posting and sharing information to degrade and belittle Schulze on social media, even after Schulze resigned and moved to California.
Peltier called the owner of Eagle Harbor Inn a liar seven times during public comment in a council meeting, then emailed hundreds of islanders labeling her mean-spirited and vindictive. Psychologists would call that “projection.”
His wife leveraged his position on the council to have truckloads of city wood chips delivered to their private property for mulch – using city resources that should have gone to our parks.
Peltier refused support for lowering the speed limit on Grow unless the speed limit on Lovell, where he owns property, was also lowered – a clear conflict of interest.
Is this the behavior we want from an elected leader? Fellow islanders, please let’s not make the same mistake again. Vote for Joe Deets, an honest and ethical person.
Ross West
Bainbridge Island
