Laughing all the way: There’s no business like snow business
February 5, 2010
By this time last year, we had been battered by multiple snowstorms. That was when The Sainted One and I discovered that we were in decent enough shape to slide to downtown Newcastle from our perch in Olympus, buy a 12-pack of beer, stow it in our backpacks and trudge back up the hill to our house. Read more
Newcastle City Manager John Starbard fired
February 4, 2010
Former community development director named as replacement
John Starbard
Rob Wyman
At a special City Council meeting Jan. 12, the council voted 6-1 to terminate City Manager John Starbard’s contract without cause, effective immediately. The only dissenting vote was Councilman Sonny Putter.
Sworn in
February 4, 2010
From left, Councilmen Rich Crispo, Bill Erxleben and John Dulcich are sworn into office Jan. 5. Dulcich was later appointed as mayor, and Councilman Steve Buri was appointed as deputy mayor. Dulcich and Buri will serve in their respective positions for two years. By Tim Pfarr
Newcastle City Council budget cuts top $1 million
February 4, 2010
The City Council cut $1.02 million from the 2010 budget during meetings last month. Of that amount, about $820,000 was cut from the 2010 capital budget, and about $206,000 was cut from the operating budget.
Before altering the budget, the city was facing a $363,000 budget shortfall. Councilman Bill Erxleben said the City Council is not yet finished working on the budget. Read more
Talks began in December regarding new city manager
February 4, 2010
Talks regarding firing City Manager John Starbard and appointing former Community Development Director Rob Wyman as interim city manager began privately in December.
While councilmen-elect John Dulcich, Bill Erxleben and Rich Crispo said they had been in favor of making changes to the city’s management, Erxleben specifically sought out Wyman in December as a candidate for interim city manager. Read more
Judge sworn in
February 4, 2010
Newcastle Municipal Court Judge Wayne Stewart was ceremonially sworn into office by the chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court at the Temple of Justice in Olympia recently. Stewart (middle) is joined by Chief Justice Gerry Alexander (left) and incoming Chief Justice Barbara Madsen (right). Contibuted
Public Works director, parks commissioner resign
February 4, 2010
Public Works Director Maiya Andrews submitted her resignation to then-City Manager John Starbard Jan. 11 in the form of a letter, and her resignation will take effect Feb. 10.
In an e-mail, Parks Commissioner Curtis Gray submitted his resignation to city officials Jan. 14, and his resignation took effect immediately. Read more
PSE offers heating aid to low-income customers
February 4, 2010
Puget Sound Energy and the federal government will provide almost $29 million to help needy PSE customers pay heating bills. Read more
Newcastle mayor creates two new committees
February 4, 2010
Mayor John Dulcich created two new committees for the city – the Library Development Committee and the Community, Communications and Outreach Committee.
The library committee, to be temporary and similar to the YMCA Committee, was created to facilitate and ensure groundbreaking of Newcastle library. Read more
Newcastle passes 2009 audit despite citizen concern
February 4, 2010
Newcastle passed its annual audit in 2009 without trouble, although individual citizens expressed concern to the state auditor regarding the city’s finances.
Last year, Giles Velte — a Newcastle Trails Board member and former member of the Planning Commission — and Garry Kampen — president of Newcastle Trails — sent a 15-page letter to the State Auditor’s Office expressing concerns about the city’s long-term financial stability.
“Newcastle’s government is lacking in responsiveness, transparency and accountability,” the men wrote in the letter. “Resources have been wasted and the city’s financial viability is at risk.”
In the letter, the men expressed various concerns about the Coal Creek Parkway Project, operations at City Hall and the sports park project slated to take place at Southeast 95th Way. The men also expressed concerns about the city’s work with consultants, and the city’s parks, trails, transit center, incoming library and new signage.
“Our finances long term are troublesome,” Velte said in an interview. “The trend — because of neglect — is bad.”
In its 2009 final budget, the city forecasted that its year-end general fund balance would steadily decrease until reaching negative $203,693 by 2014. However, Velte expressed concern about a prior version of the 2009 budget, which forecasted the city’s year-end general fund balance to decrease until reaching about negative $3.7 million by 2014. He said this previous version of the budget was more reflective of the city’s financial state.
Last month, Audit Manager James Griggs sent a response to the men on behalf of the State Auditor’s Office.
“The city appears to be adjusting actual expenditure levels to actual revenue,” Griggs wrote in his letter, noting that the city has not used any funds from its Cumulative Reserve Fund, which the City Council must unanimously vote to use. This fund has about $1.5 million in it.
Griggs could not be reached for additional comment.
Velte said he plans to submit a follow-up letter to the State Auditor’s Office addressing his concerns. He also said the City Council’s latest action in cutting more than $1 million from the 2010 budget is being done as emergency action.
Assistant Audit Manager Evans Anglin said it cost the State Auditor’s Office $3,200 in staff time to review the letter. The city was required to pay for this expense, as the cities are required to pay for their own annual audits.
The 2009 audit examined Newcastle’s finances and records from 2008, as well as meeting minutes from 2009. Although the audit did not yield any findings or management letters — which are reflective of more serious problems — it did report three exceptions, which are reflective of less serious problems or discrepancies.
Two of the exceptions were very minor and regarded an insurance contract and travel expenses, but one exception regarded the Open Public Meetings Act, which was more serious.
Specifically, the state auditor was unable to find meeting minutes for the Aug. 5, 2009, meeting and the Sept. 2, 2009, meeting. However, City Clerk Bob Baker said this exception was the result of a small mix-up that has since been settled. The minutes for both meetings can be found on the city’s Web site.
It was also unable to determine whether the city notified its official newspaper— The Seattle Times — of a public hearing that took place Feb. 13, 2008. Finally, it found that meetings on May 5 and Aug. 18, 2009 convened to executive session without giving an estimated duration, which is required.
Councilman and Finance Committee member Sonny Putter said he was pleased that the audit did not yield findings or management letters.
“Those are very positive results,” he said. “It shows that the city’s financial statements accurately portrayed the financial state of the city.”
Director of Finance Christine Olson also said the audit went well.
In the city’s 2008 audit, workers from the State Auditor’s Office filed a management letter because the city prepared its schedule of expenditures of federal awards incorrectly. That issue, as well as issues that resulted in three exceptions in the 2008 audit, were corrected in 2009.
