by Joel Levin, Gertie Johnson Road
This past Wednesday October 19th, the Council participated in a discussion on amending COBI municipal code 15.21 concerning storm water to include properties previously considered (and assumed to be) “grandfathered” in the code. The Council unanimously agreed to send this issue to COBI administration and Public Works for work up to develop language to amend the language to accomplished this goal. It’s far from a done deal, but it’s movement in the right direction.
I am posting this information because I believe that it has important information for Bainbridge Shoreline homeowners, especially those who live on or near critical slopes. I think that this is an issue worth following.
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- Storm water code enforcement and geologically hazardous slopes.
- Why don’t we enforce existing city codes?
The video is well worth watching. You’ll see articulate citizens seeking a solution to a serious problem, and one that has impacted lots of citizens over the years. COBI has been unresponsive in the past, and has been part of the problem. The Council members contributing to this discussion — Franz, Hytopoulos, and Peters — see the complexity of the issue (property rights, public safety and risks of loss, plus the costs of remedies and repairs) and accept that policies fair to all parties have to be developed. Let’s hope it happens before the rainy season is over.