As Black Diamond residents living on Lake Sawyer, we are very concerned about YarrowBay’s developments. These two large developments will destroy the rural character of our city by clearing large areas of forest and increasing the current population by a factor of four. We also voted for three new city council members who feel the way we do and who were elected by an overwhelming majority in November 2011.

The biggest problem that we now have is that our current mayor continues to support the developments proposed by YarrowBay. It is often very difficult to tell that the Mayor and attorneys for the city do not work for YarrowBay. We are not aware of any instance in which the Mayor has opposed any proposal made by YarrowBay.

Currently, due to the strong mayor form of government, Mayor Olness has significantly more power than the City Council. The Mayor hires, and can fire, city employees, thus controlling the flow of information. She also controls access to and communication with the legal firm that provides attorneys for the city. This imbalance remains despite the fact that all five council members try to take a cautious and protective approach regarding the developments whenever such matters are brought forward.

The current structure is so unbalanced that the Mayor, not the elected council, controls the organization and flow of City Council meetings. It is important to remember that this imbalance exists no matter who serves as mayor.  This is not just a question of whether the YarrowBay developments will proceed.

The Mayor and city staff members have discretionary authority that allows them to excuse violations by YarrowBay or allow broad discretionary variances. Often, developers attempt to change the rules of the game by seeking variances to restrictions already imposed or agreed to. It is imperative that YarrowBay be held to the restrictions/agreements already completed. No variances or any kind should be granted for any reason.

We urge all citizens of Black Diamond to support Proposition 1 by voting ‘yes.’ This would change our current strong mayor form of government to one in which a city manager would be appointed by the City Council. The passage of Proposition 1 will give the citizens of this community the tools we need to protect our future.

Mark and Susie Davidson

Black Diamond