Whale Report & Misc Items - 11/20/08

Whale Report #1. Yesterday morning, while some of us were at a county meeting, a single whale came through Illahee. According to Don Deitch, the whale came through around 11:30, surfacing about every quarter mile, and was heading north toward Brownsville. Don said he didn't see any white on it as it was out a ways in the channel, which would have identified it as an orca, so he just called it was a smaller sized whale.

Whale Report #2. The second whale report came via an email and is quoted below:

We spotted a single Orca at 11:48 AM today, 11/19 just outside the entrance to the Brownsville Marina. It was spouting.

Chris Dunagan Email. We passed on whale report #2 to Chris Dunagan and he had an interesting response which is also quoted below. (We hadn't yet talked with Don Deitch, so we didn't pass Don's sighting information.)

Can you give me a description of exactly what she saw or maybe a phone number. I'm always interested and willing to make a phone call or more, but I've heard too many reports about single orcas to assume that's what we have here.

STILL, I ALWAYS LISTEN TO REPORTS AND CHECK THINGS OUT, BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO MISS SOMETHING. chris.

Report on Ron Ross's CKCC Presentation. Ron Ross had asked the Central Kitsap Community Counsel (CKCC) for time to discuss the Illahee Community Plan. There were a good number of people there from Illahee who attended. Ron did not like the boundaries that had been established. He lived in Illahee as a young person, and developed a number of the Illahee areas, including University Point and Illahee North. He felt the community should have followed the CK School District boundaries. He thought the southern boundary should have stopped at Illahee State Park. And he didn't think the western boundary should have been Highway 303. He had made copies of the existing zoning map that showed the boundaries and distributed them to all in attendance. He also made copies of the view protection section and distributed them to the CKCC board, but not to the rest of us. He didn't expand on what he didn't like about the view protection section. Ron said he was going to present this information to the County Commissioners at the Public Hearing on Monday (11/24/08) evening.

Response to Ron's Comments. Jim Aho was added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting in case he wanted to respond to Ron's comments. Jim did respond and said the process began in early 2006, continued into 2007, and was taken over by the county in 2008, and information on the Plan has been in the news and available to everyone. He said the goal of the facilitators was to let the community decide what it wanted and the community established the boundaries. He went on to say the boundaries were discussed and established early on using primarily the Port of Illahee's boundaries. In the nearly three years of deliberations the boundaries have not since been an issue, except in 2008 when several residents wanted to include some more Illahee Creek watershed areas, which would have been an expansion of the boundaries, which was subsequently voted down.

Other Comments. At the end of the meeting public comments were taken, and Tom Brittell talked about how this country was founded on communities and communities are the building blocks of society, and that there should be more community plans, not less. He essentially said the Plan has been a very positive thing for the Illahee community. Also, Jim Sommerhauser commented on other positive aspects of the Plan.

Response To Realtor Letter? We have been asked if there was a response to the Realtor's letter that questioned aspects of the Illahee Plan. The community was waiting for the county to respond, since the letter was addressed to the County Commissioners and DCD. When it looked like the county was not going to respond, a response was prepared, which was sent to the Commissioners on Monday. We will see if we can send it out on Friday.

Important Monday Evening Meeting. Remember the County Commissioner's meeting on Monday (11/24/08) evening at 7pm, where there will be public testimony on the Illahee Community Plan. It should prove to be enlightening and entertaining with the Illahee Plan on the agenda, and some other public meetings on issues from Kingston and Manchester.

Wildlife Information. We are constantly reminded that it is the wildlife information that people enjoy most about these updates, so thank you to those who gave us the whale information, and keep passing information on.

CKCC Members. Since Illahee is within the Central Kitsap Community Council's geographical boundary we have added the members to community's email list. If you would like to be removed or are receiving duplicate copies, please send us an email.

Jim Aho

CKCC Meeting Wed Nov 19th - 11/18/08

Ron Ross To Speak On Illahee Community Plan. We heard a rumor that the Illahee Community Plan was on Wednesday's CKCC agenda, and that they were not in favor of it, so we emailed their Chairman, Jon Pearson, to see if we could have some equal time to speak. We did not hear from Jon, but did receive a copy of Jon's email which is attached below. It confirms that the Plan is the first thing on the schedule and for Ron Ross to have 5-10 minutes for a presentation. Ron Ross is not a proponent of the Illahee Plan so it will be interesting to hear his thoughts.

Council Support? It will also be interesting to know if the Council supports the Illahee Community Plan which goes before the County Commissioners on Monday 11/24/08.

Meeting Place. The Central Kitsap Community Council (CKCC) meets from 7-9 pm at the CK Water/Fire District office on Newberry Hill Road.

Thanks For Passing Information On. We want to thank those who pass this kind of information to us so we can get it out to the community. This is short notice for a Wednesday evening meeting, but we just received the subject email on Tuesday morning.

Jim Aho

Below is the referenced email:

From: Jon Pearson
Sent: Mon 11/17/08 7:24 PM

Hi. We have now gotten two presentations for sure and possibly one more.First on the list is Ron Ross with 5-10 minutes on the Illahee urban area plan and then second is Sara Lingenfelter (SP?) from DCD with about 20-30 minutes on the Puget Sound Partnership.. I didn't know how many of you were familiar with the whole program,so I asked her to do what she calls the PSP 101 talk.After that we will have a bit of discussion on what we want to present to the legislators on the 10th..

On that subject,I have confirmations from Sherry,Christine and Kathy. Senator Kilmer is otherwise occupied that night,but wishes he could be there and Larry Seaquist isn't coming as it isn't in his district.So,it looks as if we're rolling on that one and we are difinitely set up for the Jennie Wright Gym as Superintendent Lynch is moving the study session set for that evening to the board room..

See you all on Wednesday evening..

JonP.

Miscellaneous Items - 11/17/08

Timely Meeting Reports? We have been asked to provide more timely updates regarding past meetings.

Website Meeting. The website advisory committee met on Saturday 11/15/08, which is comprised of representatives from different groups working in Illahee. They will probably summarize the results of their meeting. One of the suggestions to get more activity on the website, was to link some of the Update information to the website. This means you simply click on a statement such as more information and you will be automatically brought to the website and the information. From there you will be able to comment and your comments can be seen by others who might read the update. This is evidently called "blogging." More information on this later.

Illahee Community Club Quarterly Meeting. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) holds quarterly meetings in the middle month of each quarter, and met on 11/16/08 at the Sylvan Way Library. There were approximately 25 in attendance and presentations on a possible settlement regarding the Illahee Dock Outfall and the Timbers Edge sewer line were given. 2009 officers were elected, with a goal to have the Board find co-officers for the President and Vice President. Co-positions are already in place for the Treasurer and Secretary.

Timbers Edge Sewer Meeting 11/17/08. This was a very selective situation/hearing. The ICC at the Timbers Edge Hearing on 8/28/08 noted that the sewer line running through Illahee affected many more people than just those who received notice of the project. The two lawyers were told to fix the situation with a possible extension of the hearing to cover the sewer issues. There was a stipulation agreement, that was subsequently reinterpreted by the county, and upheld by the Hearing Examiner, to only let those person who resided within 200 feet of the shoreline along the sewer run, and who hadn't been notified of the first hearing. There were two property owners who requested the hearing, and one who retained Ryan Vancil to represent him, which allowed the Hearing to proceed this past Monday morning.

Expert Testimony. The expert testimony at the Hearing authorized by the appellant, covered concerns for doing the right thing with the sewer installation, such as durable piping because we are in an earthquake zone, putting the sewer pipe under the stream bed rather than over the culvert because the culvert could be washed out in a major storm, and requesting compliance with the recently approved Central Kitsap Wastewater GMA Compliance Plan in the placement of sewer line and pump stations. Pretty standard items that the community has found they cannot take for granted any more. There is no guarantee that the developer or the county will necessarily do the right things, though some have more faith with the Public Works Wastewater Division than they do with the Department of Community Development.

Timbers Edge Closing Arguments. The closing arguments for the Timbers Edge Hearing are due on December 8, 2008. Some in the ICC want to try and help summarize the issues for the Club's attorney, so if anyone is interested, let us know and we will pass your name on.

On the Website. We will attempt to put the expert testimony presentation and paper on the website, as there is some good information that should be of interest to all Illahee residents.

Watch Your Mail Boxes. We had the following report come in about people seen looking in neighborhood mailboxes.

Thought I would pass on this bit of information of an event that occurred in my neighbor hood last week. Last Thursday I was walking to my mail box to retrieve our mail. (Our Mail Box is in a group of four.) A car was just pulling away from the group of Mail Boxes. I didn't pay much attention as sometimes neighbor's park there waiting to pick up kids from school buses. As they went past me I waved and they waved back. They drove on up the hill and stopped at the next group and opened a mail box. They then proceeded on up the hill to the third group of mail boxes and opened another mail box. Then proceeded up the hill and turned around. By then they must have figured out that the mailman had not yet delivered the mail. Then they turned around and came back down the hill. I tried to get the plate nos. but was unable. I debated whether or not I should call the cops or not, I really had no evidence. But it has been bugging me.

Next Extremely Important Date. Next Monday, November 24,2008, the Illahee Community Plan will come before the County Commissioner's 7 pm meeting for public comment. It is important to get as many community members as possible to attend to show the community's support. Several of us will be attending the Commissioner's Work-Study session on Wednesday and hope to get a better feel of where the Commissioners are coming from on the Plan, and will report back soon after the meeting. We were hoping that the final draft would be on the county's website by now, but at last check it wasn't. It is still good enough for reviewing, knowing that some minor edits and formatting in the current version, have been identified and will be corrected in the final draft.

Keep Passing Information On. Keep us up on what is happening in your neighborhood.

Jim Aho

Various Illahee Items - 11/12/08

Illahee Community Club Meeting on Sunday. The Illahee Community Club will hold its quarterly meeting on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm at the Sylvan Way Library. ICC members and anyone living in Illahee are welcome to attend. There will be updated information on the appeal of the Illahee dock outfall to the Shorelines Hearings Board and the Timbers Edge Sewer Hearing scheduled for Monday (11/17/08), among other information.

Community Plan Emails to Commissioners. This is a reminder that your emails to the County Commissioners are important, as is your attendance at the County Commissioner's Meeting on November 24, 2008 at 7 pm. There was a paragraph in the Plan that needed updating and a draft was received that was enlightening and informative so we have attached it below.

The Illahee Community Plan is the culmination of over 30 months of effort that began when the initial community citizens' group met with county representatives in March 2006. The effort continued with the organization of a Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) and preparation of draft documents that culminated in an initial draft of the Plan in July 2006. During the following six months (July-December 2006), Illahee zoning issues were the subject of discussions with the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners. In 2007, the CAG began an update of the Plan guided by a county and city (Bremerton) planner. The county planner resigned early in the process, leaving the Plan to be updated by the CAG and completed in September 2007. With county staffing unavailable until early 2008, the September 2007 draft was submitted to local editors, which resulted in a third Plan update being issued in February 2008. That was the starting document for the county's subarea planning processes that began in February 2008 and completed with an August 2008 final draft for review by the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners.

3rd Street Wetlands. We have been asked about the 3rd Street wetlands and have a photo to show what happens to low spots during the rainy season. If it wasn't for the straw covering the ground, it would look like a lake or a real mud hole. There was a comment that sometimes the best and kindest thing the county can do is help people by denying building permits in wetland areas. After viewing the area, we would agree.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 11/8/08

Noise From Gillnetters. We had reports from some Midwest people that is sounded like it was pheasant hunting season in Illahee on Friday with all the shotgun blasts. It was also reported there were a few less seals on the area floats on Saturday morning. Evidently the shotgun noise was coming from the gillnetters protecting their catches from the seals.

People Passing Away. We haven't always known what to do when local Illahee residents pass away. Do we wait for the obituary to show up in the paper, which sometimes can be weeks, or do we just pass on whatever we know? There will be a website advisory group meeting soon that will discuss what should be reported. We have decided to pass the information on when we receive it as sometimes neighbors aren't always aware or they may be on travel.

Helga Wright Passing. We were notified Friday of Helga Wright's passing. It doesn't seem like it was very many years ago when her husband died. It was quite sudden. The following was received from one of her neighbors:

Helga Wright passed away yesterday afternoon. She was admitted to Harrison Tuesday for stomach problems, operated on Wednesday and because of severe complications wasn't expected to survive much longer. Her family decided to take her off life support 2 PM yesterday. We'll miss her.

CAG Near Final List. We have completed compiling the list of Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) members that were involved with the Illahee Community Plan between 2006 to 2008. The county supplied the 2008 list, and the community supplied the names from 2006 through 2007. Since the names will soon be listed in the Plan we have printed the list here. If you helped and your name isn't on it, please let us know asap as the names will be sent to the county on Monday, 11/10/08.

John & Marilyn Adair, Elysa Aho, Kay & James Aho, Irene & Jack Aylward, Vicki Bartlett, Barney Bernhard, Audrey Boyer, Emily Boyer, Dale Boyle, Cynthia Brackstad, Jim & Kathy Brady, Tom Brittell, Bob & Julie Brooke, Michael D Brownell, Steve Bryant, Hugh Coe, Terry & Julie Cox, Delores Crist, Gwen Detweiler, Don Dietch, Dolores Doninger, Dedrick & Deloris Easely, Merrill Evans, Kathleen & Martin Francom, Michael Greer, Barb Gutierrez, David Haynes, James & Sabine Hazel, Bob & Carol Henning, Cindy Holben, Steve Jackson, James & Sandy Jacobson, Don Jahaske, Robert H & Doris B Jarvis, Berni Johnston, Laurie Jones, Teresa Jones, Bill Kettenring, Irwin & Judy Krigsman, Merilee Kuklinski,Laural Kuklinski, John & Peg Lesser, John R. & Arlene Lind, Sharon Looper, Lynn Lund, Rodney & Marina Mansfield, Mike Mantzke, Dennis M May, William & Pat McCauley, Danya McConnell, Wayne & Jan Morris, Larry Newton, Michael Nicolaus, Arden Norvold, Nancy Nystrom, Joe & Joyce O'Hara, Tom & Katie Proteau, Tom Rutter, Steve Ryder, George Schaefer, Christie Schultz, Dennis Sheeran, Lenny Smith, Lynn Smith, Jim & Judy Stelson, Cathy & Paul Stensen, Chris & Lynn Stone, Anthony Strickland, Jim & Alice Trainer, Hazel Witte, Rob Woutat, Dan & Mary Ann Wright

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 11/6/08

Frustrated Gillnetters in Illahee Waters. We have a couple of reports about some gillnetter boats in the Illahee waters. The first was on Wednesday when a sea lion was seen taking salmon from the gillnet. The sea lion would splash the salmon on the surface of the water and the fisherman were seen trying to scare it away with their flare gun. On Thursday evening there must have been a seal or a sea lion bothering another gillnetter because there were two shotgun blasts about 5 pm. The fisherman have told us they can defend their nets with shotguns and they evidently sometimes have to.

Seals on Area Floats. The seals are back on area floats, with one float along Illahee having numbers in the mid teens nearly every morning.

Break-in Email. We have received a number of responses thanking us for sending out Ed Hamilton's information about the break-in at his mother's house and reminding us to watch out for each other's homes. Thank you Ed for the email.

Dock Outfall. There is progress being made on a possible settlement to the outfall at the Illahee dock. A settlement agreement document was in the process of being prepared by the Illahee Community Club, when another much more detailed document was being prepared by the attorney for MT Illahee. Now it looks like it will take some time to work on settling on the agreement writeup. We think the attorneys must love this all the way to the bank. The good news is we have the potential to have settlement that can be a win-win situation for all parties, if we can now settle on the writeup.

Sewer Hearing on November 17th. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) has retained a wastewater expert to watch out for the Illahee Community's interest when the Timbers Edge project runs a sewer line over a mile long over Illahee Creek and through the historic section of Illahee. New notices were reportedly received by residents within 200 feet of the shoreline where the sewer line will be run, but they were not sent out to other residents along the route, even though the Kitsap County Code says residents along the sewer line are required to hook up. The ICC's lawyer complained to the Hearing Examiner (HE) about this but evidently the Examiner is not concerned, and the hearing seems to be going ahead for November 17th. For those close to these issues, they are upset with the county and the HE on the notice situation.

Citizens Advisory Group List. The final Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) list needs to be completed this weekend and turned in early on Monday. We need to hear from everyone regarding how you want your name listed, and if you want your name on the list. We just reached the number 90 and need to hear from the rest of you soon.

Keep those reports coming in!

Jim Aho

Gillnet Photos - 11/4/08

Thanks to John Lind for these additional photos taken from shore of the gillnetting that took place north Illahee on Monday.

Important November Dates - 11/4/08

Important Illahee Dates. November is a really busy month for Illahee residents and we thought it would be helpful to list all these dates early in the month so people can mark their calendars. Let us know if you have any questions on these meetings, or if we missed any. Jim Aho

November 4. Meeting with Public Works to discuss the Central Kitsap Wastewater GMA Compliance Plan.

November 7-9. Final days to finish Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) list for the Illahee Communilty Plan.

November 13. Port of Illahee monthly meeting at 5 pm at Fire Station on Old Military Road.

November 15. Illahee Community website advisory group meeting at 5940 Illahee Road at 10 am.

November 16. Illahee Community Club quarterly meeting, Sylvan Way library at 1:30 pm. Officers for 2009 will be elected. The settlement option to the outfall at the Illahee dock will be presented, along with other Illahee issues.

November 17. Timbers Edge sewer hearing at County Administration Building at 9:30 am. Note that the Illahee Community Club has requested a new notice and hearing because of the first one being untimely and did not notify all those affected by the proposed mile long sewer line running through Illahee.

November 17. Date discovery requests need to be served with regards to the Illahee Community Club's Appeal to the Shorelines Hearings Board regarding the proposed outfall at the Illahee dock. Note that the deadlines were extended to accommodate settlement discussions that are ongoing and will be presented at the ICC meeting on 11/16/08.

November 18. Illahee Forest Preserve meeting, lower level of Parks Department Office, at 6:30 pm.

November 19. Work Study briefing of Illahee Community Plan for County Commissioners, Port Blakely Room, 9 am, no public input.

November 24. Public Hearing for the Illahee Community Plan, County Administration Building, 7 pm. Illahee residents are strongly encouraged to be in attendance. The Commissioners will decide whether to approve the Plan based on the input at this Public Hearing. Three minutes is allotted for each person to speak. A speech is not needed, only a statement that you support or approve of the Community Plan.

Wildlife Update - 11/3/08

Squid Fishing. Squid fishing is a nightly event at the Illahee Community Dock. We are attaching some photos of squid taken this weekend.

Juvenile Salmon Jumping. Along the near shore areas juvenile salmon approximately 12 - 15 inches in length were seen in schools with some of them jumping completely out of the water. They were assumed to be salmon rather than cutthroat because they were in schools and because of their silvery color.

Dog Fish, Sand Sharks, Spiny Dogfish Sharks. We watched a gill netter take small sharks from his net today. We attended a lecture recently by Vincent Gallucci of the UW fisheries department who sited some interesting statistics about the small sharks that are so abundant in our waters. They don't get very big with a maximum length of 54 inches, but they are long lived approximately 80 - 100 years with documented ages from 85-107 years. Local females don't reproduce until age 35 and have live litters of from 6-12 pups. Their gestation period is nearly 2 years, longer than elephants. They have essentially been fished out on the east coast and there is concern by some for their numbers on the west coast. They were originally caught for oil for lamps in the 1800's, and then for vitamin A in the 1940's, and now are caught for fish and chips in England with their bellies to Germany where they are pickled and sold in bars. This is from memory from the lecture so we're hoping someone will check this out on the Internet.

Gillnetter Success. We have long wondered how the gillnetters are doing when they set their nets in Illahee waters. We went out in a kayak today to watch the operation and have a few photos of the Sea Spirit out of Suquamish. The salmon were all chum with some dark and some still bright. They had a small pellet gun to try and discourage a seal from raiding their catch. They found the chum were running more on the Bainbridge Island side than towards Illahee. The one set we watched the total catch after about a half hour, was 7 chum salmon and one dogfish. They had done better earlier they said.

We have some other photos of the gillnetter boat taken from the shore and will semd them out when they come in.

Jim Aho

Friday Morning Break In - 11/3/08

Illahee Break In. We just received the following report of a home break in along Illahee Road (north of the Illahee Dock) on Halloween morning. This is a disturbing event and Ed (Carol's son) has written a very informative letter to the community about what they have learned and what to watch out for.

Dear Neighbors,

Last Friday, Halloween morning, Carol Hamilton's house (in the 5800 block of Illahee Road) was burglarized. The robber broke in her back door and took jewelry, a digital camera, financial papers and some cash. Carol was not at home at the time but saw a dark colored, imported sedan (i.e. Toyota or smaller sedan) driven by a white male in his late 20s or early 30s leaving her driveway at a very high rate of speed. This car leaked a huge amount of oil and gas in her driveway.

The police investigated and told her how these thieves work. There was some good information related to how these thieves operate that can allow all of us, as neighbors, to protect our neighborhood.

Specifically, these thieves will target a house that appears empty. They will park their car in a hidden place and approach the front door and knock to see if anyone is home. If someone answers they will make an excuse about having the wrong house. This should be considered highly suspicious. Often these people work in pairs posing as a couple. There were footprints at the front door of Carol's house to suggest this is what happened.

Upon verifying that no one is home the thief(s) will gain access. Typically, high theft items are cash, cameras, jewelry and bank records. The bank records are used to attempt to steal someones identify. Items taken in Carol's robbery were very similar to items taken from homes on Big Valley road as reported in last Saturday's paper.

In Carol's instance the thief opened and searched drawers that were in office areas and in all the bedrooms. Special attention was placed at areas where financial information, checks and credit card data were found. Areas ignored in the search were basement areas, kitchen cabinets, and the living room. Unique items of value were not taken; only cash or items that could quickly converted to cash along with financial information was taken. The thief was likely on Carol's property for about 15 minutes.

What can we all do? While it is unlikely this person would return to our immediate neighborhood thieves like him will. If you see people behaving in the manner described above – knocking on doors or acting lost – try to get a description of the individuals or the car they are driving. If you believe they are acting suspiciously you can relay this information to the Police.

If you may have any information related to the theft at Carol's please email her son, Ed Hamilton, at edhamilton23@gmail.com and he will pass the information onto the investigating officer.

CAG Members? - 10/31/08

Appendix to the Illahee Community Plan? We are helping finalize the Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) list, which we think will be included as an Appendix to the Illahee Community Plan. This list will attest to our efforts to involve as many residents as possible in the development of Illahee's Plan.

The 2008 CAG List Is Small. The county has only a small list of members for 2008, especially in comparison to the number of those who participated in 2006 and 2007. Part of the problem is a number of the 2008 participants failed to sign in at the meetings or to check the box that they wanted to be CAG members.

2006 & 2007 CAG Participants. We are in the process of verifying the CAG participants for the years of 2006 and 2007. We had about 80 residents who indicated their CAG interest on the initial questionnaire that was distributed in the community, and more who volunteered afterward.

Notices Have Gone Out. We have sent out a number of emails and letters to verify name spelling and to make sure recipients wanted their names included.

Participation Requirements? Some have asked what the participation requirements are. They are basically to have been involved in some way with the development of the Plan. Some have been quiet at meetings, some have been unable to attend meetings but reviewed emailed materials, some monitored the process to make sure we didn't stray from what they wanted in the Plan, and some were more materially involved such as with writing, editing, critiquing, and attending meetings. All this help was needed and greatly appreciated.

Website Access & Updates Used. When we first started working on the Plan, many indicated they were unable to attend all the meetings because of work or other obligations and asked to receive Plan information electronically or by mail. We created a website for the information and emailed information to all those who provided an email address.

Letters Used Early On. We tried to communicate with letters early on for those without email, but stopped because of the time and expense of mailings. We know that decision affected some of the early CAG members, and we regret they were not provided the same amount of information as those with email. We do know, however, that many residents who received email updates shared them with their neighbors without email.

Didn't Receive a Notice? If you didn't receive an email notice or a letter this week, and participated in some way with developing the Plan, please let us know right away. We want to recognize all CAG participants.

Let Us Know By Nov 7th. Please email us quickly as our deadline to complete the CAG list is November 7th. You can also call Jim Aho @ 479-1049 or Mary Ann Wright @ 475-0330.

Dennis Sheeran & Jim Aho

Citizens Call to Arms Letter - 10/30/08

Last Update Entry. In our last update, see below, we said we would try to obtain more information about a reported citizens letter, and if possible, obtain a copy to pass on.

Illahee Community Plan Letter? We heard there is a group working on a letter to distribute to Illahee residents regarding the recent opposition to the Illahee Community Plan by the Realtor Board and the KAPO Executive Director. We will try to find out more and if possible print the letter.

Reason for the Letter #1. Evidently this letter was drafted for some residents to copy and distribute in their neighborhoods. We saw one email where the person was going to change the title to something they felt more comfortable with. We heard there were some who felt their neighbors were not aware of the controversy and wanted to use the letter as a way to explain what was happening.

Reason for the Letter #2. Another person was more frank in describing their reason for helping with the letter, i.e., that the Update we issued regarding the subject did not adequately stress the importance of having residents write to the Commissioners or the necessity of residents attending the public meeting on November 24th.

The Letter. Note that we try to maintain impartiality in the Updates we issue and as such try to just report the facts. We do, however, pass on most of the information we receive, with little or no editing.

Keep the Information Coming.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 10/29/08

Boat Information. Last weekend we had residents ask about an anchored boat named the "Rogue" that was here for a few days. It turns out it is a fish processing ship that buys fish, most likely from the all the gillnetters that were in the area. Someone sent in the ship details which are noted below:

Data found in current database.
Vessel Name:ROGUE USCG Doc. No.:944290
Vessel Service:FISH PROCESSING VESSELIMO Number:8990809
Trade Indicator:Coastwise Unrestricted, Fishery, RegistryCall Sign:WAI6526
Hull Material:STEELHull Number:14
Ship Builder:GIDDINGS BOAT WORKS, INC.Year Built:1989

Length (ft.):85.6
Hailing Port:SEATTLE WAHull Depth (ft.):8.4
Owner:LIGHTSHIP INC
16721 104TH AVE NE
BOTHELL, WA 98011-4020Hull Breadth (ft.):24.4
Gross Tonnage:162
Net Tonnage:103
Documentation Issuance Date:March 25, 2008Documentation Expiration Date:March 31, 2009

Seals or Sea Lions Barking. Our report on whether the barking is from seals or sea lions brought the following response:

Do not know if the reported barking is from the California Sea Lion critters that have been fall and winter visitors to Shilshole Bay and the marina in Ballard to feed on the fish at the ship canal, but I can assure you that their constant barking is a real nuisance. They congregate there for the salmon and Steelhead runs and rest on the breakwater at the marina and sometimes on the boat docks and on boats. 800 to 1000 # critters can be a problem at the marina. There would have to be a plentiful supply of fish to attract them here. Sea Elephants can also be seen at times near Shilshole Bay, they are really big and ugly.

Illahee Community Plan Letter? We heard there is a group working on a letter to distribute to Illahee residents regarding the recent opposition to the Illahee Community Plan by the Realtor Board and the KAPO Executive Director. We will try to find out more and if possible print the letter.

Jim Aho

Ship and Salmon - 10/25/08

Anchored Ship South of Schutt's Point. We have had several inquires about the ship anchored just south of Schutt's Point. One email said the name of the ship is the Rogue and it is out of Seattle. Let us know if you have any other information. When we had a large ship anchored in Illahee last year someone went out to the ship in a kayak to get the information. We are attaching a photo of the ship taken by George Schaefer for those who haven't seen it yet.

Chum Coming In. We received the following report about chum in Johnson Creek:

We found two apparently spawned out dead male chum salmon in Johnson Creek yesterday afternoon (Friday, Oct. 24). The salmon were splashing in and up Johnson Creek all night. Apparently the run is on early. Based on this report we will start watching for spawning salmon in Illahee Creek.

Gill Netters. The gill netters have been out at night for at least the last week and we are told they usually leave about 4 am. Today, Saturday 10/25/08, they were also out during the day. We had a report of salmon jumping in the bay which confirms the report that the chum seem to be coming in early this year. In case your aren't familiar with this type of fishing we have attached a definition and a picture of a typical boat.

Gillnetting is a harvesting technique employing fine-filament nets that are set like a giant badminton net across the path of migrating salmon. The top edge is held up by floats, and the bottom is pulled down by a heavy lead line forming a wall in the water that entangles fish by their gills.

Reports Received. Attached are a some reports to pass on from your Illahee neighbors.

Thanks for the link on the cougar siting. I live between the Cheney Estates and the park, and I certainly will be more cautious with my evening walks! I have noticed a drop off in raccoons here, and that could be the answer......... something big is eating them. Can they jump a 6 foot fence?

A week ago, we saw a sea lion heading from Illahee State park, north toward Illahee dock, he had not yet passed, what to me as a child was Scutts Point. There was also one seal in the bay that we could easily see. I am also hearing the barking, and to me it seems to be coming from the private docks on Bainbridge, across from the Point.

We also have deer or had deer on our property, and in the past 3 months have seen very large scat, perhaps it was cougar, certainly not any common droppings that we usually run across. Our geese are thinning out leaving a two groups that occasionally merge together to form 17 geese. .....

Keep the reports coming. We will pass them on.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 10/24/08

Seals or Sea Lions Barking? It that time of year when the waterside barking begins. We had the following report:

Was walking the dog this evening about 11:40. We were going uphill on Varsity. Suddenly from out in Port Orchard Bay to the north of University Point toward Battle Point on Bainbridge, came the barking of perhaps two rather large-sounding seals. Any idea why they would be barking at night? Pretty sure this is the first time I've heard them like that at night. The barking went on for about ten minutes. (Is it called barking?)

Same Question Was Asked Last Year. We went back into our archives and found the following entry and don't remember whether the question was ever answered.

11/26/07 Post - Seals or Sea Lions barking? There has been a noisy seal or a sea lion barking for the past few weeks. We don't know where it is resides, but it can be heard throughout much of Illahee at different times day or night. We don't know if it is a seal or a sea lion so if anyone has any information please let us know. Some of the long time residents don't remember this happening in the past.

Cougar Report in the Kitsap Sun. This is a story that hits close to home as we have three major wildlife patches in the area, the Cheney Estates to the South, Illahee State Park, and the Illahee Preserve, along with the Illahee Creek riparian corridor that is forested with steep slopes that keep it quite rugged for residents, but great for wildlife. We have attached the link to the story in the Sun. http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/oct/23/forester-cougar-may-have-lived-in-east-bremerton/

Another Cougar Report? We received the following report but have left off the location at the request of some other nearby residents.

Regarding the cougar sighting reported near Sylvan Way, late this summer my next-door neighbors discovered a dead deer behind the large granite erratic downhill on the at the curve to my house. They noted that something was feeding on in it. A cougar attack? Any way of determining what was feeding on at this late date? Also, this summer I witnessed a standoff between my neighbors' dogs and a coyote, much growling and bristling fur and hair. The coyote ran off when it saw me.

Road Dedication Ceremony. Yesterday, Thursday 10/23/08, was the ceremony for the Gilberton Creek culvert. In addition to Josh Brown, the Central Kitsap County Commissioner and Randy Casteel, the Public Works Director and some of his staff, we had a bald eagle looking on for awhile and a St Bernard checking on the goings on. We are waiting for a picture of the eagle, and have included several photos of the event. We will publish more photos of the event later. The road work and the culvert installation look great. Soon we should see grass coming through the mats on the hillside.

Illahee Community Plan Schedule Correction. There was a correction of the schedule date for written testimony that was sent out today. It read as follows:

What I intended to type in my email was that the written record for the Board of County Commissioners will be open until 4:30pm on November 25, 2008. Thank you again, for bringing my typing error to my attention and note that all original recipients of the original message are receiving this revision.

Excerpts From Endorsement Letters. We have received info copies of several endorsement emails written to the County Commissioners and have provided excerpts for your information. Some of the emails are long, and some are short, like the last one.

Excerpt #1 I am not responding to their opinions of "what's wrong with the plan" sections, as others can better address those. The Illahee Community is unusually strong in its ability to unite and communicate with each other. We use several methods for disseminating information throughout the community: Postings on roadways, hand-delivered invitations to participate, continuously updated e-mail reports on community interests (not only for this plan but for anything we find interesting such as Wildlife Reports), US mail, Web sites, word of mouth, and community meetings. I am strongly in favor of working with the County to further preserve our natural resources and beautiful community through this Illahee Community Plan and have been actively involved and well-informed about each step even though I am severely handicapped and often home-bound, thus showing that most of those not involved in this planning process were simply not interested or did not have the time to do so. There has been no selective inclusion or exclusion from any of our community groups and activities but rather the opposite, with a reaching out to try and include as many and diverse a representation as possible.

Excerpt #2 We would like to take this time to comment on the Illahee Community Plan in the most favorable light. For the following reasons, we support and applaud the efforts of this project on the behalf of Kitsap County DCD and the many residents of Illahee who gave support and structure to a product which will form the basis of community ideas and a sharing of vision for the future of their community. Three years of community planning went into this project by community residents who strongly felt the need to be active participants.

Excerpt #3 Now that we are down to the final process I ask as a member of the Illahee community for you to support the sub area plan as provided by county staff.

Keep sending in your reports. We get the most comments from our wildlife updates, so your reports and pictures are solicited.

Jim Aho

Next Steps For Community Plan - 10/23/08

Important Dates. Some very important dates have been provided concerning the approval process for the Illahee Community Plan. We have attached the email notice we received from the county planner, Katrina Knutson.

Important Responses Needed. With the recent opposition to the Plan by KAPO and the Realtor Board, we can't emphasize enough how important your written and/or public testimony is.

Jim Aho

Thank you for your continued participation in the Illahee Community Plan process. This email is to inform you of the next steps in adoption of the plan.

The Board of County Commissioners will be holding a work-study on the draft Illahee Community Plan on November 19, 2008 at 9:45am. This meeting will be located in the Port Blakely Conference Room at the Kitsap County Administration Building (619 Division Street Port Orchard). Public testimony will not be taken at this meeting. However, staff will provide the Board with all public comment received to date at this meeting.

The Board will hold a public hearing on the Illahee Community Plan on November 24, 2008, at 7pm. This meeting will be located in the Commissioner's Chambers at the Kitsap County Administration Building. Public testimony will be taken at this meeting.

Please continue to send me your comments on the Draft Illahee Community Plan. The Board's written public comment period for the Draft plan ends on November 21, 2008 at 4:30pm. (Oral testimony will be taken at the public hearing.)

It has been a sincere pleasure to work with all of you. I look forward to receiving your comments and will see you at the above mentioned public meetings.

Best,
Katrina

Katrina N. Knutson, Associate Planner
Kitsap County
Department of Community Development
Policy and Planning Division

Kitsap Sun Article & Blog - 10/22/08

Kitsap Sun Article. The Kitsap Sun has just published an article entitled "Property, Realtors Groups Question Illahee Plan." We know that some of you are out of the area and some don't received the Kitsap Sun newspaper, so we wanted to provide you with the link ot the article that was published today Wednesday, 10/22/08. http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/oct/21/property-realtors-groups-oppose-illahee-plan/

Kitsap Sun Blog. We found more information about the controversy regarding the Community Plan on Brynn Grimley's blogsite. http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/2008/10/21/illahee-plan-opposition-personal-vendetta-or-professional-concern/

Community Letters. We have had three community members provide us copies of their letters of support for the Community Plan. We are considering providing portions of some of them in an upcoming update to show that at least the community supports the Plan even if outside groups may not.

Please Keep Us Informed. Thanks to all who keep us informed on the happenings in Illahee. Please continue to send us information.

Jim Aho

Illahee Community Plan Support - 10/21/08

How To Show Support? We have been asked how Illahee residents can show support for the Illahee Community Plan.

Emails and Letters? If it takes a letter and email campaign to the Commissioners, like the Realtor Association and KAPO are doing, then residents should consider doing likewise.

Attend Commissioner Meetings? The opposition groups also show up at the Commissioners meetings, so when the Illahee Community Plan has its public input meeting sometime in November, it would be good to have the community well represented at that meeting. We will let you know the exact date.

Plan Is On County Website. If you haven't had an opportunity to review the latest and final version of the plan, it is on the County's website. If you use the following link it should bring you to the appropriate location: www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/community_plan/subareas/Illahee/

Emails Are Appropriate. You can email your comments on the Illahee Community Plan to the County Commissioners, and the County Planner, Katrina Knutson, at the following addresses:

"Jan Angel" jangel@co.kitsap.wa.us, "Steve Bauer" SBauer@co.kitsap.wa.us, "Josh Brown" jwbrown@co.kitsap.wa.us, "Katrina Knutson" KKnutson@co.kitsap.wa.us. It can be a simple statement that you support the Illahee Community Plan, if that is how you feel.

Other Options? If you have other suggested options, let us know.

Jim Aho

Requested Additional Information Re KAPO Allegations - 10/20/08

Requested Information Regarding Mullinex Property. Many of you have requested more information about the Mullinex situation that was mentioned in the KAPO letter and the allegations made by Ms. Henderson. We have obtained permission to print the contents of a response to KAPO by a nearby neighbor that provides more in depth details. If you are in a hurry and want to skip the historical details in the letter, read the last three paragraphs. Let us know if you have more questions and we will try to obtain answers.

October 19, 2008

Dear Ms Henderson,

After reading your comments in your letter to the Board of Commissioners about the Illahee Community Plan and referencing the "Mullinex family ", I am compelled to respond.

The property now owned by Shaun and Alida Mullinex was originally owned by Joe Yank. Mr. Yank owned a large farm acreage and later his daughter had an equestrian facility and the land now owned by the Mullinex's was pasture. Part of the farm was sold to Dr. David Relling (Mr. Yank's son-in-law at that time) in the 1950's and he established his veterinary practice, still known today as Relling Small Animal Hospital. The other part of the farm was sold to a Clifford Burlingame in 1973. Mr. Burlingame was a builder and his plan was to place his home on the western part of the parcel (the parcel now owned by the Mullnex's) alongside Perry Avenue. But, these plans were not allowed by Kitsap County because the property was too wet for development. What is most unfortunate is that while the Burlingame children recall these interactions with the county there are no county records as no building permit was applied for. It was the way things were done in those days (1970's); honesty and integrity were integral to a person's word. Mr. Burlingame had this parcel appraised during this time. Because of the appraisers notes (on file in county records) stating that this parcel of land was essentially unbuildable due to the stream, surrounding topography and wetlands, the property taxes for this parcel were significantly reduced. Someone on behalf of the Mullinex family should have encouraged them to obtain this information. Over the course of the next 25 years, according to Mrs. Burlingame, many ideas were considered for ways to use this property. One of these was a Christmas tree farm, but alas the trees died- they were too wet. Another idea was to turn it into a pet area, but this proposal was nixed by Kitsap County officials as the pet feces would contaminate the stream. The stream was considered a primary source of water recharge to the area wells as well as feeding into the acknowledged South Fork of Illahee Creek. What finally grew along the stream were (now large and productive) blueberry bushes- blueberries love moisture.

In 1998 when Mr. Burlingame passed away the property went into an estate and that parcel now owned by the Mullinex's was purchased for $25,000 by the Heidners. Several of the Burlingame children still live in the area and can provide more factual details of this transaction. In July of 2005 the property went up for sale about six years after the Heidners had purchased it. They made a tidy profit, selling the land for $115,000.00 to Shaun and Alida Mullinex.

Our property borders the entire Mullinex property to the north. When we purchased our property in 1999, my cousin Paul Drury worked for the county as one of their storm water engineers. He commented to us about the beautiful stream- the stream that meandered across our property going northward under Burrett Street connecting to the main fork of Illahee Creek and southward onto the adjoining property now belonging to the Mullinex's continuing southward feeding into one of the North Perry well sites. We have a short article written by the Burrett's daughter and provided to us by the listing real estate agency (John L. Scott) from whom we bought the property. She had written about "her father purchasing the land from the Phillips . . . their apple orchards . . . and the wonderful year around stream". I began to research the area talking with our neighbors and anyone who knew more of the area's history eventually learning about the stream being the South Fork of Illahee Creek. When the For Sale sign was posted (John L. Scott Realty, Agent Bob Arnold), a call went out to the seller's agent by those that knew of the nature of this land not only to provide this information but to ensure that this information was ultimately passed on to any possible buyers. Of note, the still natural state of this entire watershed area of which this parcel is only a part of is well known to many in the area. The Category Wetland rating was not something placed upon this land by anyone other than Kitsap County. This agent's response was most unfortunate, as he made it quite clear that he had no intention of disclosing such conditions to the prospective buyers. In fact, he responded vehemently that when the sewers would come to this area, everyone would sell out. Because of his response, I chose to do some research on disclosure and learned that apparently disclosure is only required by real estate agents when it involves buildings or other structures and does not transfer to land for development. It is up to the buyers to research raw land.

When the Apex Septic service began to dig the various holes for percolation studies that July of 2005, we were quite interested to see how this would transpire. These holes were dug along the west side of the property bordering Perry Avenue and contiguous to our wetland property. It was also the very site that Mr. Burlingame had wanted to place his home and was denied this by the county because of the boggy terrain. We chose to take pictures of these holes- these holes remained wet throughout that summer of 2005.

In November of 2005, Mr. Mullinex came to see the property. According to Shaun he was told by the seller's agent that the wet, winding area was a drainage ditch.

I will never forget the day they arrived from Hawaii, straight from SeaTac driving directly out onto their property to see their new home site. My heart sunk when I met this wonderful family and being a Vietnam era veteran I was even more disheartened to learn of their active duty military status. And as the months ensued and I learned more about them and about Alida's health I was deeply saddened and more than angry. I could not for the life me understand how this could have happened. This saga still continues today and what I write next is from what Shaun and Alida shared with me over these next months.

Most interested in this property they placed a deposit, more than they wanted to but were encouraged to do so by the seller's agent because property was selling fast and they needed to secure this if they truly wanted it, was dependent upon an approved septic design. While in Hawaii, their real estate agent was called by the seller's agent telling them that a septic design had been approved. The septic design that was approved by the Kitsap County Health Department showed the house located in the middle of the property on top of the stream and surrounding wetlands. In January of 2006 at the sale closing they thought an approved septic design sufficient enough for them to proceed to purchase the property. It was not until their building permit reached the next phase did they learn about the true nature of their land. Yes, subsequently the county worked very, very hard not to deny them in any way their right to build upon their property. What has not been disclosed in all your recriminations, Ms Henderson, is what they are allowed to build. The home area allowed would be quite different in size compared to their original plans and located in the very eastern back of their property. Their dream home designed to accommodate any handicap, given Alida's diagnosis, no longer a possibility. Any enjoyment of the surrounding land for lawn or play would only be a very small area due to the need to mitigate and fence the stream and wetlands. The area proposed for the location of a possible Glendon Septic system was in the far NE corner of their property. This area is often very wet and borders our land of which we have pictures documenting the standing water. The area proposed for the reserve drain field would be accessed by coming from the main system across/under the stream and uphill to the western boundary of the property- again, the same area of this lot that had heretofore been undevelopable much less an appropriate location for a drain field.

I would remind you again, at this point, that the wetland categorization comes from Kitsap County documents and not from any other source. Had there been any moral fiber in the nature of the seller's agent for disclosure on this land or perhaps by law a requirement to compensate for the lacking of such integrity, the Mullinex's in all probability would never have purchased this property. Therefore, your inflammatory comments about the vigilantes in the Illahee community being responsible for the plight of the Mullinex family are totally unjustified. What is inexcusable here is how the seller's agent failed this family. It wasn't ignorance on his part, he had been made fully aware of the conditions of this property, and chose his course of action. That is to whom you need to direct your comments on the plight of this family. And, while Kitsap county representatives have done everything they could to help Shaun and Alida; the county is somehow, through a process that I cannot comprehend, culpable. How the Health Department could have approved such a design given all the county maps available documenting this watershed area for the stream, its wells that are a part of the North Perry Water District, Critical Aquifer Recharge Maps, Hazardous areas maps, etc. is again, something I simply do not understand.

As for your statements about the Illahee Community individuals which you maligned in your letter as well as those statements you made about them in two public meetings; those statements need to not only be formally retracted by you, but accompanied with an apology and in such a time and place that they may be viewed in the same venue as they were delivered.

Furthermore, if I had had any reservations about the sub area plans which you have castigated in your letter to our Commissioners especially regarding the Illahee Community Plan, they have disappeared. It is community plans, carefully researched, well written, and empowered by the letter of the law; that will protect the citizens of this community from agents that wish to hide, conceal or otherwise ignore any conditions that might interfere with the development of raw land. I, now, not only fully support the Illahee Community Plan I will make every effort to see that it is not only passed by our Commissioners but that it is maintained.

Linda Drury Hinde

Cc: Commissioner Jan Angel, Commissioner Steve Bauer, and Commissioner Josh Brown (via email)
Katrina Knutson, Associate Planner, DCD (Cc:email and letter)
Barney Bernhard, President, Illahee Community Club (via email)
Shaun and Alida Mullinex (via email)

Status of Hearings & Appeals - 10/18/08

Update Request. We have been asked to provide an update on the status of the Hearings and Appeals being funded by local residents through the Illahee Community Club (ICC).

SHB Appeal. The Shorelines Hearings Board Appeal is going through the interrogatory process at the same time the parties are trying to come to a possible resolution. We think the two parties are very close to finding a way to resolve many of the problems now and in the future and are waiting on the county to make sure they are supportive. If the county concurs with the plans, the ICC Board will need to approve, along with the Port of Illahee. Having seen the plans, we think both groups will be happy with the proposed resolution.

Timbers Edge Hearing Status. This one is going to be a little more difficult to explain, so we have broken it down as follows:

The Plan on August 28th. If you remember, the Timbers Edge Hearing was rushed by the applicant and the county. The ICC was only able to obtain one expert witness for the Hearing and the Hearing Examiner gave the community until September 30th to get written expert testimony into the record. The plan was for the applicant to then have until October 15th to rebuttal the expert testimony, and final arguments were to complete on October 30th.

Written Expert Testimony. The ICC was able to get four written expert witness reports into the file by September 30th.

Applicants Response by October 15th? We didn't hear that the applicants met their October 15th response date and will need to report on that latter. We will contact the ICC attorney on Monday to find out what happened.

The Sewer Notice Problem. The sewer issue that was addressed at the beginning of the August 28th hearing was the lack of sewer notice to residents along the sewer line. A stipulation agreement between the two lawyers was for the county to issue a new notice to residents along the new sewer line and if anyone requested a sewer hearing it would be scheduled.

Notice to Some Residents. A sewer and stormwater notice went out, but it didn't go to all the residents it was supposed to according to the stipulation agreement, but instead went to only about half of the residents. Evidently the county interpreted the notice recipients differently from the stipulation agreement.

Sewer Hearing Requests. The notice that went out also went out late. It was dated on September 18th, but not received by local residents until September 26th, with some out of town residents receiving it on October 1st. In spite of the county not giving the necessary 14 day notice, several residents along the way evidently did request a sewer hearing and a sewer hearing date of November 14, 2008 was scheduled.

Another Notice Required? Many residents are confused with what is happening. We talked with a resident on Saturday who was not notified and yet lives in the area where notices were to be sent. We will check on that situation on Monday. Those who were at the August 28th hearing thought the Hearing Examiner made it clear that residents along the sewer line should have been notified and that was the reason he asked the two lawyers to work on the stipulation letter. We therefore feel a new notice needs to be sent to all the residents along the new proposed sewer line.

A New Hearing Date? If a new notice is sent out then it would seem like a new hearing date might be needed? This is where it becomes even more confusing.

Plan for November 17th. We have been told to nevertheless plan for the November 17th hearing date. While it seems like a long time, there are many sewer issues that need to be researched and understood and the time will go fast.

Sewer Town Hall Meeting Requested. As other residents learned of the sewer plans for Illahee, some requested a Town Hall meeting for the county to explain the sewer infrastructure plans for the Illahee Community. The request was reportedly made on October 13th at the County Commissioner's meeting. We are attempting to get a copy of that request.

We Support A Town Hall Meeting. We support a sewer town hall meeting and would hope the county would schedule one very soon.

Jim Aho