FLUORIDATION ADVISORY POLL RESOLUTION
At its special meeting on July 28, the City Council voted to conduct an advisory poll of City and
PUD customers who receive fluoridated water from the City. The Council then asked staff to
recommend the process for conducting that poll. There are several items to consider.
First, Council must adopt the language that will be sent out to customers. There is no law or
regulation that governs in a situation such as this, but there are statutes that govern the language of
a ballot proposition that is binding. Those statutes are designed to assure that the language used in
a ballot proposition is neutral and easily understood. Recognizing that, staff recommends the
language of the poll follow the statutory rules for binding ballot propositions. A recommended
resolution containing such language accompanies this memo.
That language, along with a “for” and “against” statement from assigned committee chairs, would
be included in one mailing to City and PUD customers.
The second item to consider is the method of distribution. The PUD is willing to, and in fact
prefers to, distribute the same poll to its own customers who receive fluoridated water. Since that
is the case, the simple means of distribution is that the City mail the poll to City water customers
and the PUD mail the poll to its customers. The mailings should be sent out on the same day.
The next item to consider is collection and counting the polls. As of the date this memo is written,
city staff have at least two different proposals for collecting and counting the polls. However, we
have not yet been able to determine the practicability of either. We will provide supplemental
information on this topic as soon as possible.
The final item to consider is timing. Staff recommends that Council choose a public hearing date
in October that will set in motion a timeline for the advisory poll mailings. That public hearing is
intended to be the center piece for public education regarding the fluoride issue. Therefore, it
seems appropriate that the polls should go out soon after the public hearing.
Staff recommends that mailings are sent out by the end of the calendar week that follows the
hearing, and that customers have 21 days to return their votes.
See full city council agenda: http://wa-portangeles.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/2360
PORT O CALL PUBLISHER CALLS OUT DENTIST FOR A DEBATE...
The question is will Kennedy accept? Or Dale Wilson will have to do his best Clint Eastwood impersonation talking to an empty chair?
Dr. Scott Kennedy, Chief Medical Officer
Olympic Medical Center
Dear Dr. Kennedy:
Since you have taken it upon yourself to be the spokesman for those seeking to continue fluoridation of our city water supply I would like to challenge you to an open debate on the merits of fluoridating the municipal water supply.
If, as Harvard Medical School scientist conclude, children exposed to fluoridated water lose up to 14 points on IQ scores by age 14, then this important topic should be given more attention than it has received locally.
If you accept this challenge I will attempt to engage the League of Women Voters to moderate such a debate. If they are not acceptable to you as moderators then please nominate a reliable entity.
Hopefully we can secure the city council chambers as a venue for such a debate. Please let me know if you accept and also send over two or three dates in late August or early September that are available to you. Early evening is best for me.
Respectfully,
Dale Wilson
Related stories....
Port Angeles fluoridation advisory ballot has strange twist for election system
" The city voters and Clallam County Public Utility District residents will be asked if the city should continue fluoridating drinking water after May 18, 2016, when the citys obligation to fluoridate runs out under an agreement with the Washington Dental Service Foundation, a nonprofit funded by Delta Dental of Washington.But Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs said the county cannot mail ballots solely to more than 1,550 utility district addresses that receive city water because ballots are mailed by precincts, not geographic areas that contain portions of precincts."---PDN
Port Angeles City Council decides on fluoridation poll by mail rather than ballot item
PORT ANGELES — The fluoride question will not be posed to voters on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
The City Council decided Tuesday that it would be too logistically difficult to include in a ballot question those Clallam County Public Utility District customers who drink the city’s fluoridated water.----PDN
OUR CONTINUING SAGA OF THE COUNTY BELCHES
Is the second try a charm? County to hold two public hearings regarding grant funding.
H2 Consideration of Resolution reauthorizing a grant from the Opportunity Fund to the City of Port
Angeles
H3 Consideration of Resolution reauthorizing a grant from the Opportunity Fund to the Port of Port
Angeles
see full agenda: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_agenda.pdf
Agenda details: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_packet.pdf
Related Stories....
Clallam County Treasurer Barkhuis lightens stance on Opportunity Fund grants
Selinda Barkhuis is backing off on her threat to challenge the Clallam County commissioners disbursement of Opportunity Fund proceeds in Superior Court.For now.---PDN
Clallam commissioner wants report on Opportunity Fund grants, past processes
Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman wants a paper trail to show that he and his fellow commissioners have gone above and beyond the normal public process to award a pair of infrastructure grants---PDN
In other local news:
Port of Port Angeles, Economic Development Corp. reach accord on industrial recruiting
The Port of Port Angeles and the Clallam County Economic Development Corp. have made up a spat over which agency will recruit new industry to the area.----PDN
Clallam County commissioners approve $99,000 to Feiro, visitor bureau
Clallam County commissioners have approved a $99,000 debatable budget emergency to support the Feiro Marine Life Center and Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau.---PDN
Community TV Gains Momentum by Tyler
With more than four organizational meetings under its belt, the group working to bring community access television and live streaming of local events to everyday reality on the Olympic Peninsula is gaining momentum----PORT O CALL
Pot is coming to town as city ends moratorium
Sequim residents won’t have to venture too far to purchase recreational and medical marijuana.---SEQUIM GAZETTE
FAA: Wildfires and Drones Don’t Mix
WASHINGTON – Responding to recent incidents in which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as “drones,” interfered with manned aircraft involved in wildland firefighting operations, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is supporting the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service in their simple message to drone operators: If you fly; we can’t.----FORKS FORUM
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA
Agenda highlight: Ordinance 3132 Related to an Emergency Related to Water Supply and Fire Hazards; Amending Ordinance 3131
See full agenda: http://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=253
Related news story:
Water restrictions on City Council agenda for Aug. 3
People in Port Townsend could soon be asked to water their gardens every other day if the Port Townsend City Council agrees Aug. 3 to a more aggressive conservation program outlined in a proposed ordinance dealing with water supply and fire hazards.---PT LEADER
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE STRAIT
Victoria mayor faces furious Topaz Park crowd
It was no walk in the park for Victoria politicians who met the wrath of Topaz Park area residents on Thursday night over a proposed temporary tent city for the homeless ---TIMES COLONIST
$500,000 severance for boss as sewage program staff is disbanded
The head of the Seaterra sewage program will walk away with almost $500,000 in severance pay at the end of September. ---TIMES COLONIST
Review flags denial, confusion in slow response to Marathassa oil spill
An independent review of the spill of bunker fuel oil into Vancouver's English Bay has blamed cleanup delays on the MV Marathassa's initial denial it was the source, as well as miscommunication between responding agencies.----VICTORIA NEWS
DAILY DEVOTIONAL
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
Psalm 119:114 NKJV
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