Letters

Careers

Shortage points up the need for nurses

Do you know about the nursing shortage our country faces? Around the country and the world there are a limited amount of nurses, even though they are desperately needed. Nurses are very important to every single person on this world. Nurses are the people who give that extra boost of kindness when you visit a doctor’s office or hospital and they also do so much more. We need to show the amount of limited numbers of nurses and what will happen if they diminish.

Right now our nursing numbers are decreasing. We need to get a message out to the people talking about nursing as a career. If we didn’t have nurses, then doctors would be overloaded with patients to see. Doctor’s bills will also be a lot higher because there is so few of them. Don’t you hate it when you go to a doctor’s office and have to wait, even though your appointment was half an hour ago? Well, after the nurses are gone you might actually have to wait an hour before you see the doctor.

Nurses lighten the room they walk into. They change people’s lives, sometimes with just a smile. It is the little things in life that make a difference. Nurses will be valued more and more as the nursing shortage continues. Nurses will also be paid more money than they make now because there are not many nurses.

We need to get people aware of the shortage. You can do this by suggesting to teens and young adults about having a career in nursing. Let us increase the number of nurses in the world and make the future a little bit brighter.

DANIELLE HANSON

Bothell

PRDs

Hearing examiner change hurts rights

The proposed amendments to the Edmonds Development Code regarding Planned Residential Developments (PRDs) will make it easier for developers to build on irregular lots in our neighborhoods and take away our right to appeal to the City Council.

In our neighborhoods we have many irregular lots. The City Council proposes to make it easier for developers to purchase the property and bulldoze it clean of trees.

The amendments could change the character of Edmonds. Instead of being heard by our elected representatives, some on the Council propose we talk to a bureaucrat (Hearing Examiner). If the bureaucrat decides against us our only other option would be to hire a lawyer and appeal to Superior Court.

I asked the Council members at a recent meeting to publicly state their position on the issue.

Council member Earling said the amendment was necessary to keep housing affordable and to comply with the Growth Management Act. I don’t think the GMA states that the trees in my neighborhood need to be cut down to build houses for some nameless person who would like an Edmonds address. I think Council member Earling has forgotten who he represents.

Council member Wilson stated that if the amendment was passed the Hearing Examiner would be adequate since his role would be to decide if the developer had complied with the amendment, not whether the development was unwise or not. I agree with Wilson. If this amendment passes, residential developments could be built on irregular lots in Edmonds regardless of the consequences.

Council member Marin stated that PRDs should not be decided by the Council since he doubted that any other of the other Council members could read a blueprint.

Council members Petso and Dawson publicly stated they do not support the amendment. Council members Orvis and Plunkett did not address the issue. Builders are asking for exceptions so they can develop irregular lots. They should continue to ask the City Council.

DON KREIMAN

Edmonds

Brightwater

Port keeping eye

on process

Shortly after Edmonds became a Brightwater candidate, the port Commission decided on a strategy it believes both represents its constituents and maximizes the effectiveness of its limited influence. Several principles guided the Commission to its strategy: the obligation to represent all constituents’ interests to the best of its abilities; a commitment to an objective, deliberate and fact-based process; a responsibility to behave civilly, respectfully, and equitably to all parties; the fact that the port has no direct authority or responsibility in the siting process; and a belief that working within the established decision-making processes would be most effective in influencing the outcome.

To that end, the port actively involved itself in the Brightwater process. During the past eighteen months, port representatives served on the Brightwater Edmonds Task Force, participated in public meetings, submitted a “Scoping Letter” to King County clearly defining specific concerns, completed a thorough technical review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and submitted lengthy comments. We’ve visited sewage treatment facilities and worked to understand the state of the technology. Twice we unanimously adopted resolutions in support of state legislation intended to preclude Metro from condemning property outside King County. Additionally, we have strongly supported the Edmonds Multi-modal Project, which may conflict with Brightwater at the Edmonds site.

The port has held Metro accountable for a thorough, open and objective process. And, while we regret that some disagree with or misunderstand our strategy, we nonetheless believe we pursued the only responsible course available to us. It was clear early on that the easy path would have been to agree to our critics’ demands. However, had the port assumed an “absolute opposition” stance, the result would have been to reduce our effectiveness, and we would not have been able to secure the $20,000 grant from King County used for technical review of the DEIS. Instead, the tenants and taxpayers would have funded the necessary effort. A similar grant was sought by the City of Edmonds but was denied.

The final decision is not expected until next winter and the result is not assured at this time. The Port of Edmonds continues to engage in the Brightwater siting process, consistent with its mission, responsibilities, community values and interests, and is committed to do so as long as necessary.

BRUCE FAIRES

MARY LOU BLOCK

Port of Edmonds Commission