Comments on: If You Want Something Done In Burien, Just Email Us – Here’s Proof… http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/ Daily Burien News, Events, Entertainment, Music, Videos & More Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:20:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kevin http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-30690 Kevin Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:12:02 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-30690 Sadly, Jim Bibby doesn't do his job or his homework before harassing the business owners of Burien. He has wasted a good deal of the taxpayer's time and money arguing with me about my LEGAL business sign operated by my LEGAL business. The guy needs to retire or be fired and the City of Burien needs to become much more business friendly if they want to get out of this economic depression in one piece. Sadly, Jim Bibby doesn’t do his job or his homework before harassing the business owners of Burien. He has wasted a good deal of the taxpayer’s time and money arguing with me about my LEGAL business sign operated by my LEGAL business. The guy needs to retire or be fired and the City of Burien needs to become much more business friendly if they want to get out of this economic depression in one piece.

]]> By: Steve http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18068 Steve Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:54:53 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18068 I won't try to defend Jack, he can do that himself. However, just expecting the city officials (or police or fire officials) to spend their time driving around looking for issues to fix is not being realistic. As citizens, we need to step up and contact the city officials to get things done (as an aside, the B-Town Blog does not qualify as a reasonable method to notify city officials of outstanding issues). After they are notified, then it is very reasonable to expect the issues to be addressed and to complain (to the city, not just to each other) if they are not addressed in a reasonable time. We need hold the city accountable, but can't expect solutions to problems that we have not brought to their attention. If things, that we notified the city about do not get fixed, then we need to bring it to their attention again and again until it is fixed. Maybe it is time for some of us to get involved in improving our own neighborhood by stepping up? I know I have complained about the city and its council management for some time, but never seem to have the time to get involved for long. Take a look at the city council meetings and count the citizens who attend and/or speak. Sure seems like everyone has time to complain, but no one has time to attend a meeting, let their voice be heard, or run for office to implement change (myself included)!! If we do not like the way our city administration or council operate, but do nothing to get involved to make it change (make calls, send letters, attend council meetings, or run for office), then we really do not have much right to complain. Just a thought... I won’t try to defend Jack, he can do that himself. However, just expecting the city officials (or police or fire officials) to spend their time driving around looking for issues to fix is not being realistic. As citizens, we need to step up and contact the city officials to get things done (as an aside, the B-Town Blog does not qualify as a reasonable method to notify city officials of outstanding issues). After they are notified, then it is very reasonable to expect the issues to be addressed and to complain (to the city, not just to each other) if they are not addressed in a reasonable time. We need hold the city accountable, but can’t expect solutions to problems that we have not brought to their attention. If things, that we notified the city about do not get fixed, then we need to bring it to their attention again and again until it is fixed.

Maybe it is time for some of us to get involved in improving our own neighborhood by stepping up? I know I have complained about the city and its council management for some time, but never seem to have the time to get involved for long. Take a look at the city council meetings and count the citizens who attend and/or speak. Sure seems like everyone has time to complain, but no one has time to attend a meeting, let their voice be heard, or run for office to implement change (myself included)!! If we do not like the way our city administration or council operate, but do nothing to get involved to make it change (make calls, send letters, attend council meetings, or run for office), then we really do not have much right to complain.

Just a thought…

]]> By: Jay http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18046 Jay Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:28:43 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18046 Wow... Jack, you really want me to get "ticked off" and get involved. Your a funny little man and you don't know the first thing about me and what I have done for this community and yet you want me to get "ticked off" and get involved. I don't even want to spend any more energy with you on this as I clearly understand you see me only in one light. For all you readers please understand that this blog is also a form of community involvement. We discuss issues and the commings and goings on right here in our little community. Some may think it's bitching and complaining, but I find it informative and involving. Wow… Jack, you really want me to get “ticked off” and get involved. Your a funny little man and you don’t know the first thing about me and what I have done for this community and yet you want me to get “ticked off” and get involved. I don’t even want to spend any more energy with you on this as I clearly understand you see me only in one light.

For all you readers please understand that this blog is also a form of community involvement. We discuss issues and the commings and goings on right here in our little community. Some may think it’s bitching and complaining, but I find it informative and involving.

]]> By: chester http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18044 chester Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:38:33 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18044 Jack, spoken like a true politician. First it's the citizens who are at fault by not bringing this to the city's attention. Now it's seems you have had issues with code enforcement, so it's the city's fault. Ask anyone who has had dealings with complaints with the city and you will find the same frustration. We have a city employee who wears a badge that can't seem to do the job he has been paid to do(Jim Bibby). It's time for him to step down or be fired and replaced with someone who has ethics and acts with professionalism. If Bibby worked in the private sector he would have been fired years ago. Only in government does this kind of incompetence go unchecked. Jack, spoken like a true politician. First it’s the citizens who are at fault by not bringing this to the city’s attention. Now it’s seems you have had issues with code enforcement, so it’s the city’s fault. Ask anyone who has had dealings with complaints with the city and you will find the same frustration. We have a city employee who wears a badge that can’t seem to do the job he has been paid to do(Jim Bibby). It’s time for him to step down or be fired and replaced with someone who has ethics and acts with professionalism. If Bibby worked in the private sector he would have been fired years ago. Only in government does this kind of incompetence go unchecked.

]]> By: Jack Block Jr. http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18041 Jack Block Jr. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:34:14 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18041 Mr. Branson, This ticks me off that you received no response or insufficient follow through. I've had issues with code enforcement not following through too. Sounds like that ought to be the first thing I deal with if I return to the council. You'll be hearing from me on November 4 if I win. Mr. Branson,
This ticks me off that you received no response or insufficient follow through. I’ve had issues with code enforcement not following through too. Sounds like that ought to be the first thing I deal with if I return to the council. You’ll be hearing from me on November 4 if I win.

]]> By: Claire http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18039 Claire Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:42:51 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18039 Burien City Hall makes the rules, then conveniently skirts them when it serves their purpose - always has, always will. Like ad sandwich boards: businesses are quickly warned to take them off their property because "it's against the law in Burien!" Then, wherever you go since early in condo construction, you see sandwich boards on every corner advertising the condo sales. Not so much lately, so maybe someone else yelled about it already? Now, has anyone noticed what has been sooo quietly added to our ballot for November? The City of Burien (read the fine print under the headline "Transportation Benefit District #1" on page 109 of your new election pamphlet) wants us to vote FOR raising our auto license fees $25 annually so they can build sidewalks and bike paths. They've created this "transportation benefit district #1" for the state to forward those extra dollars back into Burien's coffers. Why has this been so quiet? Probably (insidiously) hoping we won't notice - no votes means it's a hands-down shoo-in - by keeping CITY OF BURIEN away from the ballot title? Just slide it somewhere in the back of the pamphlet with a newly created district with a #1 that doesn't associate with anything we're familiar with? If you do nothing else, catch this bugger on the ballot and vote NO to TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT #1. Burien created it, we can kill it. Burien City Hall makes the rules, then conveniently skirts them when it serves their purpose – always has, always will. Like ad sandwich boards: businesses are quickly warned to take them off their property because “it’s against the law in Burien!” Then, wherever you go since early in condo construction, you see sandwich boards on every corner advertising the condo sales. Not so much lately, so maybe someone else yelled about it already?

Now, has anyone noticed what has been sooo quietly added to our ballot for November? The City of Burien (read the fine print under the headline “Transportation Benefit District #1″ on page 109 of your new election pamphlet) wants us to vote FOR raising our auto license fees $25 annually so they can build sidewalks and bike paths.
They’ve created this “transportation benefit district #1″ for the state to forward those extra dollars back into Burien’s coffers.

Why has this been so quiet? Probably (insidiously) hoping we won’t notice – no votes means it’s a hands-down shoo-in – by keeping CITY OF BURIEN away from the ballot title? Just slide it somewhere in the back of the pamphlet with a newly created district with a #1 that doesn’t associate with anything we’re familiar with?

If you do nothing else, catch this bugger on the ballot and vote NO to TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT #1. Burien created it, we can kill it.

]]> By: Jim Branson http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18035 Jim Branson Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:31:05 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18035 Mr. Block, I have been contacting the City about graffiti for about 8 or 10 years now. I have spoken to previous City Manager Gary Long, David Klein, Parks Director Larry Fetter, Scott Thomas, Myron Clinton, Parks Director Michael Lafreniere, Parks Director Darryl Faber, several council members, and code enforcement officer Jim Bibby. The answer is always, "Of course we'll take care of it. It's our job, it's the most cost-effective course of action, and we are happy to do it." In most cases, action never followed these words. There is graffiti on a sign at Seahurst Park that has been there for over a year since I first notified the parks department. When I told them about the educational signs that used to be near the restrooms, which had been vandalized for years, they finally took them down a year ago and never replaced them, giving the taggers a victory. When the Welcome to Burien sign was tagged in July, I submitted a picture to the B-Town Blog, in connection with some pictures of the vandalized trees in Olde Burien, I assumed someone in the city of burien might see it. I also assumed that, since the City Manager and the Mayor both live at around 165th and Maplewild and would normally drive by that sign on their way to work every day, they would be able to see a five foot sign covered in graffiti without my having to point it out to them. I suppose I could have reported it to code enforcement, but from first-hand experience, I have learned that Mr. Bibby only enforces the code selectively. For just one example, there is a large boat in a yard in Burien that has been there for about a decade or more. You can see it on satellite photos from the King County iMap images dating back to 2002. The boat is about 30 feet long, standing at least 20 feet high, and has not ever been worked on or restored. Mr. Bibby's response was that this does not meet the definition of a junk vehicle. (I would point you toward the ordinance, but Burien's web site has a broken link or the page is missing.) That is just one example of at least half a dozen instances where Mr. Bibby has chosen his own interpretation of the code, based on personal whim, as far as I can tell. From my experience, I would have no reason to expect that reporting graffiti to the code enforcement officer would ever result in any action. As I said previously, I just go ahead and remove graffiti in my own neighborhood to the extent that I can. From comments on this blog, and from my experience elsewhere, I know that many other citizens also remove graffiti in their neighborhoods. With all these citizens pitching in and helping, why can't they City do what it said it would do? You can't say it's because of a lack of resources, time, or money, because their own ordinance states that cleaning it up quickly saves resources, time, and money. The reason they don't do their job is because the citizens aren't holding them accountable. My editorial to the B-Town Blog is an attempt to hold them accountable. Mr. Block, I have been contacting the City about graffiti for about 8 or 10 years now. I have spoken to previous City Manager Gary Long, David Klein, Parks Director Larry Fetter, Scott Thomas, Myron Clinton, Parks Director Michael Lafreniere, Parks Director Darryl Faber, several council members, and code enforcement officer Jim Bibby. The answer is always, “Of course we’ll take care of it. It’s our job, it’s the most cost-effective course of action, and we are happy to do it.” In most cases, action never followed these words.

There is graffiti on a sign at Seahurst Park that has been there for over a year since I first notified the parks department. When I told them about the educational signs that used to be near the restrooms, which had been vandalized for years, they finally took them down a year ago and never replaced them, giving the taggers a victory.

When the Welcome to Burien sign was tagged in July, I submitted a picture to the B-Town Blog, in connection with some pictures of the vandalized trees in Olde Burien, I assumed someone in the city of burien might see it. I also assumed that, since the City Manager and the Mayor both live at around 165th and Maplewild and would normally drive by that sign on their way to work every day, they would be able to see a five foot sign covered in graffiti without my having to point it out to them.

I suppose I could have reported it to code enforcement, but from first-hand experience, I have learned that Mr. Bibby only enforces the code selectively. For just one example, there is a large boat in a yard in Burien that has been there for about a decade or more. You can see it on satellite photos from the King County iMap images dating back to 2002. The boat is about 30 feet long, standing at least 20 feet high, and has not ever been worked on or restored. Mr. Bibby’s response was that this does not meet the definition of a junk vehicle. (I would point you toward the ordinance, but Burien’s web site has a broken link or the page is missing.) That is just one example of at least half a dozen instances where Mr. Bibby has chosen his own interpretation of the code, based on personal whim, as far as I can tell. From my experience, I would have no reason to expect that reporting graffiti to the code enforcement officer would ever result in any action.

As I said previously, I just go ahead and remove graffiti in my own neighborhood to the extent that I can. From comments on this blog, and from my experience elsewhere, I know that many other citizens also remove graffiti in their neighborhoods. With all these citizens pitching in and helping, why can’t they City do what it said it would do? You can’t say it’s because of a lack of resources, time, or money, because their own ordinance states that cleaning it up quickly saves resources, time, and money. The reason they don’t do their job is because the citizens aren’t holding them accountable. My editorial to the B-Town Blog is an attempt to hold them accountable.

]]> By: Jack Block Jr. http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18033 Jack Block Jr. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:51:19 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18033 Mac and Jay, You've identified a shortcoming in how the city delivers services, the question I have for the two of you, what are YOU going to do to fix it? This hits a hot button for me. What has made Burien such a great place to live is that the people who live here get involved in their community. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this type of involvement is on the wane. A good example of this is the upcoming City Council election where only one race is being contested. Are the citizens of Burien THAT happy with the way services are being delivered or is this the onset of apathy? Does failure to act excuse city staff failing to enforce its own ordinance? No, but it also doesn't excuse someone who sees a problem, notices that it isn't being fixed, and fails to take action to address it. Jim Branson taking action is exactly what I am talking about, Thank You Jim! My question for Jim is, when did you contact the city about this and how long after did you post your editorial? BTW, when I was on the council previously the thing that made me most angry was when citizens felt that the city failed in its job and had no other recourse but to go to a City Council meeting to deal with their problem. I felt that these issues should never have reached this point. I spent plenty of porch time, unfortunately after the fact, dealing with problems. Sniping feels good but doesn't get things fixed. hope this ticks the two of you off enough to get involved. Mac and Jay,
You’ve identified a shortcoming in how the city delivers services, the question I have for the two of you, what are YOU going to do to fix it?
This hits a hot button for me. What has made Burien such a great place to live is that the people who live here get involved in their community. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this type of involvement is on the wane. A good example of this is the upcoming City Council election where only one race is being contested. Are the citizens of Burien THAT happy with the way services are being delivered or is this the onset of apathy?
Does failure to act excuse city staff failing to enforce its own ordinance? No, but it also doesn’t excuse someone who sees a problem, notices that it isn’t being fixed, and fails to take action to address it. Jim Branson taking action is exactly what I am talking about, Thank You Jim! My question for Jim is, when did you contact the city about this and how long after did you post your editorial?
BTW, when I was on the council previously the thing that made me most angry was when citizens felt that the city failed in its job and had no other recourse but to go to a City Council meeting to deal with their problem. I felt that these issues should never have reached this point. I spent plenty of porch time, unfortunately after the fact, dealing with problems.
Sniping feels good but doesn’t get things fixed. hope this ticks the two of you off enough to get involved.

]]> By: Lee Moyer http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18032 Lee Moyer Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:13:54 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18032 I agree with Jack. City employees should have noticed the sign, and potholes, etc. but if citizens don't contact the city about a problem, they are not seeking a solution, just looking for something to bitch about. If, after the contact, nothing is done, they have a legitimate bnitch. I agree with Jack. City employees should have noticed the sign, and potholes, etc. but if citizens don’t contact the city about a problem, they are not seeking a solution, just looking for something to bitch about. If, after the contact, nothing is done, they have a legitimate bnitch.

]]> By: Jay http://www.b-townblog.com/2009/10/12/if-you-want-something-done-in-burien-just-email-us-%e2%80%93-heres-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-18029 Jay Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:46:12 +0000 http://www.b-townblog.com/?p=11470#comment-18029 Jack, Your so far off track on this. What are we paying taxes for? Mac hits it right on the nose! Jack,
Your so far off track on this. What are we paying taxes for? Mac hits it right on the nose!

]]>