The recession is causing plenty of job security jitters. So I suppose it makes sense that a Seabeck man would be a bit nervous about being lost on Bainbridge Island before his first day of a new job. Pulling a U-turn on the highway and striking a Lexus probably didn’t make is first day go any easier.
This week’s (very short) blotter is below.
Suspecting that City Councilman Bill Knobloch is working with a group that is suing the city, the city manager filed a preliminary ethics complaint this week over Knobloch’s failure to disclose whether he has conflicts of interest.
“I honestly believe Bill Knobloch is somehow assisting or supporting the lawsuit with the city,” City Manager Mark Dombroski said, referring to a lawsuit brought by the Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance over the city’s use of utility funds.
Dombroski, whose last day with the city is Friday, requested an advisory opinion this week from the city Ethics Board because Knobloch has failed to submit an annual conflict of interest statement required of all elected officials. While Knobloch filed his 2008 statement, he is six months overdue for turning in his 2009 statement. All other council members have complied with the requirement. If Knobloch is found to have violated the city’s ethics code, Dombroski can then file a formal complaint to the council.
While Knobloch shares some of the alliance’s concerns about utility spending, he strongly denies a connection to the alliance.
“That’s false,” Knobloch said. “(Dombroski) is in attack mode. He’s trying to marginalize me.”
