Picket signs are so 1995. It seems when folks want to voice objection or poke fun at big government projects, the t-shirt is en vogue.
Seattlites have the “South Lake Union Trolley” aka SLUT. Bremerton has the Bremerton Underground Transit Tunnel, aka BUTT.Now Poulsbo’s got a hole. In this case it’s not really an acronym, just a take off on what the “hole” is. The foundation for Poulsbo City Hall.
Ed and Sandy Habecker wore the shirts during a city council meeting in which they expressed their discontent for the now $15.9 million project. I missed the meeting, but talked with Ed. In a nutshell, he’s not pleased with the moving target that has been the budget, and the fact that it’ll be more expensive than a plan that voters turned down to build on 10th Avenue.
On Wednesday the council is expected to vote on whether to issue another series of bonds, which will get the ball rolling (or not, depending on the vote.) on building the actual building. Right now, there’s a big hole in the ground at 3rd and Moe.
I just find it interesting how the t-shirt has become a canvas for political discourse.
– Derek Sheppard
Come on people the Poulsbo Community voted and won the election to build city hall downtown. Please quit beating your drums, we don’t want city hall in a dilapitated building on 10th Ave, it’s ok for our money to go to a nice new modern building with some Norweigen flare to be built in our quaint little town on the fjord as long as the Democratic process was followed right? Quit being such sore losers.
Gee, Beav, that was a thoughtful comment.
Poulsbo voters need to be reminded that Mayor Quade said she would support the majority of the council when they voted to build on 10th Street in November 2005. So much for the representative government Poulsbo once new, rather than the manipulative one we have now. Just how did she do that? The voters also need to compare what they will get now with what they would have gotten in 2005: 30,000 sf in an uncongested area easily accessible to all of the city. Total cost, along with the site prepared for a new city police station: $12.601-million, with a financing plan that could have worked then. Oh, and lots of parking (more than the 124 that the planning department demanded on 10th per Ms. Quade and Ms. Lord) with parking underground in an area that would have allowed for a future 10,000 sf expansion. So, what are you going to get now, citizens of Poulsbo? The “process” was manipulated by the vocal minority with the willing participation of a few council members. What happened to the city council taking responsibility for their decisions and being responsible for a good plan, financially responsible and something of which they could have been proud, rather than a city hole?
Gee Wiz Beaver, I think you got it all wrong. The people of Poulsbo were sold a bill of goods by the incoming mayor, Kathy Quad, who voted against the 10th ave plan in Nov 2005 when other council members all voted for it. She then entered office in Jan 2006 and began using all the powers of her office to stop the 10th ave project – which she accomplished. The people were told it would be cheaper and better for the community downtown and the local sign painter painted some pretty signs to help the cause. The community voted on that info alone. Golly Wally, how did that work out for our community? If the original plan had gone forward, the City would have been in the new building for over 18 months now. We could have taken advantage of lower construction costs and lower interest rates and it would have been financed over 20 years. We would even have enough property and money for a new police station with money left over. Instead we have a hole in the ground, not enough money to build the original plan, and even if we decide to move forward, we will have to finance over 25 years. You do the math, Beaver – I think the real loser in all of this is the Poulsbo community.