Sun Article & Misc - 11/26/08

Illahee Community Plan Report. We were hoping for others to report on Monday's public hearing regarding the Illahee Community Plan, but no one took up up on the offer so far. We do have a link to the Kitsap Sun's coverage.

End of Article Comments. There are comments at the end of the Sun article that have been interesting and we were asked to respond to one of them. It is easy to register and respond. This is something like we are attempting to do with our illaheecommunity.com website under the blog section.

Hearing Pictures. We are fortunate to have a photographer in Illahee who was at Monday's public hearing and hope to have pictures when he returns from Thanksgiving travels.

Illahee Property Rights & Realtors. We have residents in Illahee who are concerned about the battle between Illahee and KAPO and the Realtor Board. There are a number of participants who are property rights advocates and while we have realtors in Illahee, we had none that came forward to help with the plan. We do know that residents do not always agree with their organizations positions on some issues and they aren't sure whether to support their group or the community. We watched at least one person at the hearing, from outside Illahee, change his position. He was a supporter of the Plan until KAPO opposed it. It appeared to be a political decision and we understand that some choices aren't easy.

Property Rights Concerns. The majority of Illahee residents are property owners and are respectful of their and other's property rights. They also understand the need for zoning and other regulations that keep order and maintain quality of life. It is that balance that we think the Illahee Plan ensures. We worked hard to make sure everyones voice was heard and in the end we think we ended up with a document that was supported by most Illahee residents. We still don't understand why we have the opposition from the KAPO group on this issue. If you have any further questions on this issue please let us try to respond.

Beach Carcasses? We have a request that if you see a fish or seal, or other marine animal carcass on the beach to notify the Suquamish Tribal biologist. We have attached the email request we received below:

I met with Alison O'Sullivan, Biologist, Environmental Program for the Suquamish Tribe last night and she would like you to coordinate local people who find dead carcasses along the Illahee Shoreline to contact her immediately. Her phone number is 360 394 8447 and her email address is aosullivan@suquamish.nsn.us

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Jim Aho

Battle in Port Orchard - 11/25/08

KAPO & Realtor Board Fight Illahee Plan. There was a knock-down-drag-out battle Monday evening in Port Orchard as the Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners (KAPO) and the Realtor Board set out to derail the Illahee Community Plan. The battle took place before the County Commissioners at the public hearing for the Illahee Plan. There were about 20 KAPO and Realtor Board members who rallied around their presenters, and about 50 Illahee Community members who supported those who got up to speak. It was an exciting hearing that was pushed to the end of the Commissioners' agenda and didn't get started until about 9 pm and ended after 10 pm.

Supporters. The supporters of the Plan were predominately from Illahee, with a few others from other communities there in support of the Illahee community.

Opposition. The opposition were predominately from outside Illahee, with the exception of the owner of Allied Storage, who said he didn't consider himself a member of Illahee and that he didn't receive any of the notices sent by the county.

Realtor Letter. Two of the opposition group covered the items in the Realtor letter that was covered earlier in these Updates. The community response to their letter was also previously covered in an earlier Update so it is not presented here.

KAPO Issue. The primary focus of the KAPO opposition was that there is no need for community plans; that once you start giving each community a say in their destiny, where do you stop as there are many communities who would like to have a plan?

Boundary Issue. Ron Ross brought up the boundary issue. He stated he grew up in Illahee through the 1940's and he does not consider the areas to the north and south of historic Illahee, part of Illahee. He said it would have been more appropriate to use the CK School District boundaries rather than the Port of Illahee boundaries. He also didn't like the fact that the western boundary extended to State Highway 303.

Community Response. The basic community response was that the Illahee Community Plan has been in the news and meetings have been held for nearly three years and if any of these groups had been interested they could have participated. The community thanked Katrina Knutson for her efforts, and also Cindy Read, who developed the maps for the Plan.

Written Comments. Written comments will be taken until December 5, 2008. This is part of the public hearing testimony and the written comments are important.

Final Decision. The final decision on the Plan will not take place until December 22, 2008. It will be interesting to see if the Commissioner's give the community a present or a lump of coal for Christmas.

Other Perceptions? It is always nice to have others comment on their perception and observations on events like these. We will publish whatever you pass on to us.

Jim Aho

Illahee Plan FAQs - 11/22/08

Questions Regarding the Illahee Plan. We continue to have questions asked about the Illahee Community Plan and sub-area plans in general. In the early days of the plan we had so many questions we developed a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document to pass out. We recently provided it to a late comer in the process and they stated it was a "fabulous document" and helped them better understand the reason for sub-area plans. Even though the document was prepared nearly three years ago, it still is helpful for those just becoming aware of the Illahee Community Plan and wanting more information.

Attending The Public Hearing on Monday Evening. We have heard that a number of you are planning on attending the Commissioners' meeting on Monday. Thanks to all of you who can make the meeting.

Jim Aho

Illahee Community Plan

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Thank you for your input and questions to our efforts to develop an Illahee Community Plan and establish a Citizens Advisory Group (CAG)! Through questions asked at our initial meeting, as well as comments, phone calls, emails, and some research, we have compiled this list of Frequently Asked Questions. These FAQs are intended to provide responses to the most commonly asked questions. If you have a question not included here, or simply would like to discuss particular concerns or questions further, please do not hesitate to contact us.

1. Why are you proposing this Illahee Community Plan? The Growth Management Act permits counties to recognize and define areas and communities with unique characteristics and qualities, and they can develop their own "community" or "subarea" plans. In Kitsap County there are a number of subarea plans listed on the county website. Some of which are Manchester, Kingston, Suquamish, and Keyport. The Illahee Community has been in existence for over 90 years, and along with its history, has unique physical characteristics and features that qualify it for special recognition.

2. Why do we need a community plan? The county has a Comprehensive Plan guiding development in this area. Some of the land uses designated for this area may not be what residents expect or want. With a community or subarea plan, residents have an opportunity to participate in restructuring the land uses for this area to make them more compatible with the desired character. Also, without this plan, it would be more difficult to provide features such as open space corridors, trail connection and other services in a coordinated manner.

3. What is the Comprehensive Plan? The Comprehensive Plan is a policy document and a long-range guide for the physical, social, and economic development of a county or city. Kitsap County's Comprehensive Plan projects the future growth and associated development for the next twenty years. The Plan addresses topics such as where to new homes should be built, the location of commercial and industrial development, utility and service requirements, as well as many other elements that affect our quality of life. Kitsap County is required to review their plan every ten years, as required by the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) [RCW3.70A.310]. They are currently in the process of a 10 year update, which is required to complete by the end of 2006.

4. Why is this plan being done now? Is there some major development planned? This plan is being completed now because of the impending deadline for the 10 year update. If we don't act now, we must wait another 10 years. This plan is not intended to address any pending or anticipated proposals. In fact the Illahee area is at near "build out" conditions. We do want to have a plan in place for land use, so appropriate development can take place. We feel this area is an extremely unique area and needs a more detailed plan.

5. Does the County have preconceived notions of how this area should develop? Yes, they have designated this area as an urban growth area in the 1998 County Comprehensive Plan. The existing plan slates most of this area for high density residential development, with a zoning classification of 5 to 9 homes per acre. However, there are questions about how this high density classification should fit with the semi-rural nature of this area and whether there are other classifications needed in this area.

6. When were the planning decisions made for this area? When the County last established their Comprehensive Plan in 1998, we feel they used a broad-brush or blanket approach to defining future land use in this area. Their planning was done before the establishment of the Heritage Park and before the culverts were replaced on Illahee Creek in support of salmon runs. With the major changes that have taken place in our area over recent years, it is time we look at our area in more detail.

7. Why did you change the name of your project from "Illahee Subarea Plan" to "Illahee Community Plan"? We were asked by Kitsap County officials to do so. They said we were too late in the planning process to use the "subarea" title and still be considered as part of the 2006 Comprehensive Plan Update, which is due on December 31, 2006. They did say that if we developed a "community" plan in a timely manner that it could be considered as part of their 2006 update. There is a lead time necessary to create a standard subarea plan and the county normally has a consultant work with the community to help with its preparation. We simply came to the table too late to take advantage of this service.

8. Why didn't you start the subarea process earlier? The "critical mass" did not come about until late 2005, which was already too late for the subarea process. Our "critical mass" was essentially a number of events that made us realize the need to establish ourselves as a community and be involved in our future. Some of the major events leading up to our decision were: The creation of the Illahee Preserve as a Heritage Park. The new culvert for Illahee Creek increasing the viability of salmon runs. The purchase of approximately 90 acres of creek corridor lands with grant money. The Port of Illahee grant application to determine how to control storm water in Illahee Creek and other local watersheds. A salmon grant approved to restore portions of Illahee Creek. A primary and possibly secondary wildlife corridor area at and between Illahee State Park and the Illahee Preserve. Our 90th anniversary as a unique community in Kitsap County. These items, coupled with watching others in the county define themselves as unique subareas; have resulted in a resurgence of community pride, community activism, and community independence.

9. What do the terms "community" or "subarea" stand for? "Community" or "subareas" are just terms used to refer to a specific area within the Growth Management Area. Each community or subarea must establish the boundaries for their particular geographical area within the larger Growth Management Area. In our case, the area we are considering for the community of Illahee is the boundary already established for the Port of Illahee and two logical fringe areas.

10. What does it mean that this area is within the larger Growth Management Area? A Growth Management Area (GMA) is an area on a map denoting areas of urban development. Cities and the county have defined their Growth Management Areas. It helps the governing bodies plan for providing public services and facilities in the future. We are within the Kitsap County GMA, but the boundaries are subject to change. The city of Bremerton could likely consider expanding its GMA boundary to the north, and Silverdale could someday be looking at becoming incorporated and would likely be expanding its GMA boundary south to the Bremerton GMA boundary. As such we could find ourselves future residents of either Bremerton or Silverdale. Note: A proposal by some members of the Silverdale subarea committee did propose that its boundaries should be expanded east to the water and that would take in the Illahee area.

11. What issues will this plan address? The Illahee Community Plan will focus on issues involving land use, transportation, utilities, parks and recreation, storm water, greenways, and any other appropriate issues.

12. What are the biggest challenges for this plan?

a. Residents and property owners who have different preferences and visions for the area need to come together to work out future solutions they all can support.

b. While everyone so far has been enthusiastic about this effort, some community members may be skeptical about this plan, and yet we need everyone to be involved.

c. Planning is difficult because of how we may feel about our rights as property owners. On the one hand, people often do not want to be told what to do with their property. On the other, they want neighbor's property to remain unchanged. How can we reconcile these two views?

d. Our goal is to have a 70 to 80% approval rating of the community plan. This will require communication with nearly everyone within the community boundaries.

13. Will the County be involved in this plan if we as a community prepare our own plan? The County will be involved with this plan because the County will need to make decisions about this area's future. Community plans help the counties make decisions about the services they provide, and about land use development within their boundaries. This plan will address the various needs of the community, and the best way to provide for those needs. Ideally, residents and property owners will come together to figure out how to plan for the type of area people want to see in the future while at the same time protecting property owners' rights to sell and develop their properties.

14. How did you get this effort started? What were the steps and what is being planned? First, we began by discussing issues with neighbors to determine the general interest in the concept of a community plan. Next we held a public meeting to determine if there was broader interest, which resulted in unanimous consent, and the establishment of a Citizens Advisory Group. We will be conducting further public meetings to involve as many people as possible. Our goal is to have our community plan completed by summer of 2006.

15. How can I get involved and remain aware of the process and plan decisions? Sign up to receive project updates and meeting announcements. And, feel free to call any of the project contacts with questions at any time.

16. How do we know this process will make a difference? Your question asks whether the County will listen to the community. First, the County Commissioners won't approve this plan unless it has strong community support. If for you, listening to the public means we do what you as an individually want, this may not happen. This is because there are many different people involved in this plan, and a successful plan will mean people with different wants and needs and priorities come together to work out their differences and plan a future all can live with -- including the County.

17. Will community members be kept informed of all stages of the planning and will we get to vote on the proposals? If you sign-up on the emailing list, we will keep you informed of all stages of the planning process. The plan presented to the County Commissioners will be the result of public involvement where community members influence the alternatives to be studied, how they are evaluated, and what goes into the final plan. Community members need to help create this plan, not vote on it.

18. How are these plans for the future decided? Community residents and property owners work together with County staff to create a plan they can support. Typically, the plan doesn't include everything any one person would want or not want, but represents a fair and realistic compromise that hopefully most people can live with. Review and approval by the County Planning Commission and by County Commissioners is needed before any plan is adopted.

19. How will this plan benefit homeowners? Homeowners will benefit by being able to envision what their future looks like with regards to land use regulations and the natural resources within the area.

20. Will this plan pave the way for development? The reality is some development will occur on the community's vacant lands with or without this plan. There is no legal, feasible way to prevent development other than outright property purchase by the County, which is unlikely to happen on most parcels. With that said, this plan will help us identify the type of development most compatible for the different areas, and set up standards to regulate its layout and design.

21. What is your timeline for completing the plan? Our goal is to complete the plan by summer of 2006. Our brief schedule is as follows:

February Present Proposal at Initial Public Meeting

March Distribute Questionnaire to Community

Present Proposal at Expanded Public Meeting

Present Proposal at County Public Meeting (Mar 27)

April-May Develop Draft Community Plan (by Citizens Advisory Group)

June Distribute Draft Plan and Present at Public Meeting

July Present Final Plan to County

Note that even though the Draft Plan was completed in July 2006, it has taken until 2008 to complete the county processes.

Misc Items & Realtor Letter Response - 11/21/08

Whale Report Update. Some additional information on the whale sighting on Wednesday.

The Orca was in the shallow end of the Marina not far from Illahee Road. We pulled over as did another truck behind us. It was just 'hanging out' and so close you could HEAR the spout as well as see it. No mistaking it was an Orca and it was all by itself. We figured the rest of the pod was around somewhere.

Illahee Community Plan Public Meeting. We have added about 20 email addresses to our Update list and so we are repeating that the Illahee Community Plan will have a public hearing before the County Commissioners on Monday evening, 11/24/08. This is a regularly scheduled Commissioner meeting and there is a full agenda that includes several public hearings so the meeting room will probably be full and it may be good to get there before the 7 pm starting time. When the public testimony is opened, there will likely be those presenting for and against the Plan. Comments are limited to 3 minutes. We are hoping for a good turnout from the community. If people don't want to speak, they can turn in written comments. The deadline for written comments is normally a week after the public meeting.

Decision Will Be Later. The Commissioners will not make a decision at this meeting, but at a later meeting in December.

Location of Commissioner Meeting. The Commissioners' Chambers are in the new County Administration Building which is across the street from the old court house. The chambers are to the right as you enter the front door of the building. The address is in the following linked Kitsap Sun article regarding the meeting.

Realtor Letter Response. In October the Kitsap County Realtor Board sent a letter to the Commissioners with concerns they had with the Illahee Community Plan. We obtained their letter from the county and included it in an Update on 10/15/08. The community was waiting for the county to respond, but likely because of limited staff time, no response was issued, so the earlier co-chairs of the Citizens Advisory Group responded. We have had residents ask when the response would be available for them to see, so we have provided it at the end of this email. (Note that the Realtors had a number of concerns so the response, though succinct, is lengthy.)

Jim Aho

October 31, 2008

Board of County Commissioners
County Administration Building
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366

Subject: Illahee Community Response to Realtor Board Letter of October 3, 2008

Dear Commissioners:

The following is a response to Kitsap County Association of Realtor's Board letter dated October 3, 2008, from the co-chairs of the Illahee Community Plan efforts in 2006 and 2007. We have followed the letter's numerical items with a brief restatement of their concern, followed by our response, and then a concluding comment.

Concern #1. "Need for this Sub-Area Plan." The Realtor Board's concern is that there are too many sub-area plans and extra rules and "there is no need for another sub-area plan with its own set of rules."

Response. The GMA permits subarea plans and the county has endorsed subarea plans in the past. This is an issue that goes beyond the Illahee Community Plan, and to stop this Plan after three years of work is illogical. Such a decision would be tantamount to deciding to scrap a new house just before final inspection.

Conclusion. This is not the forum to discuss elimination of sub-area plans as a county-wide policy.

Concern #2. "Public Participation." The concern was that there was limited opportunity for public participation.

Response. The Plan has been in the county wide news from its beginning with articles in the Kitsap Sun. It was discussed widely during the 2006 Comprehensive Plan Update as the community came before the Planning Commission and the County Commissioners with a draft Community Plan in July of 2006. An entire chapter (Chapter 17) of the 2006 Comprehensive Plan Update was devoted noting the Illahee Community including a map of its boundaries. In 2007 the Plan was part of a County Resolution for its completion as part of the Update in 2007, but was unable to complete because of the resignation of the County Planner and staff work load. The 2008 effort has had numerous articles of its progress published in the Kitsap Sun. Additionally, the Plan has been available on the Illahee community website since 2006. The Central Kitsap Community Council has been briefed in 2006 and 2007. The meetings have been open to all of the public and have included those outside the Illahee boundaries. As for opening up community plans to county-wide voting - this makes no sense. For instance, why would someone in Holly care about Illahee issues?

Conclusion. There were ample opportunities for public participation for nearly three years.

Concern #3. "Planning Area Boundary." The concern appears to be "no rationale was presented to justify the planning area boundary ..."

Response. The boundary discussion occurred early in 2006 and then again in 2008. As stated in the Plan, the CAG followed GMA and other guidelines, which were simple and listed in the writeup. We would agree that the explanation was brief and more rationale would likely have helped the Board better understand the establishment of the boundaries. The major guideline was to utilize any governmental or public jurisdiction boundaries, which explains the extension of the boundary to State Highway 303. The boundaries are essentially the boundaries of the Port of Illahee, with two "logical extensions" that again fit the guidelines that are to be followed.

Conclusion. The boundary rationale was presented and approved by the CAG in both 2006 and again in 2008, and represents the most logical and appropriate boundary delineation possible as provided for by GMA guidelines.

Concern #4. "Compliance with County-Wide Planning Policies." The concerns center around the fact that the Plan does not mention the "County-wide Planning Policies adopted by Kitsap County Ordinance 403-2007 on November 19, 2007." The specific concerns are discussed below.

General Response. The first draft of the Illahee Community Plan was completed in July 2006, nearly a year and a half before the Ordinance was adopted. Nevertheless, the Illahee Community Plan meets the requirements of Kitsap County Ordinance 403-2007, and specifically the Realtor Board items noted below.

Concern #4A. Subsection B.4.d discusses transfer of governance of areas to associated Urban Growth Areas through Urban Growth Area Management Agreements (UGAMAs) and the question is whether there is an agreement with Bremerton regarding the Illahee area.

Response. There is not an UGAMA between the County and the City of Bremerton regarding the Illahee area. In 2007 the County planner, with the City of Bremerton planner in attendance, coordinated and ran the Illahee Community Plan meetings, until such time as the County planner resigned. Throughout the entire process Bremerton city officials have been kept informed by the community and the County regarding all aspects of the Illahee Community Plan. The Community Plan concept aligns with Bremerton's concept of community centers.

Conclusion. An UGAMA agreement has not been established for the Illahee community.

Concern #4B. The concern raised was there was no discussion regarding "Contiguous and Orderly Development." Though not stated in their concern writeup, this element is to ensure the coordination of development regulations and standards between the county and cities and also regionally.

Response. The Illahee Community provides the City of Bremerton, Kitsap County, and the Suquamish Tribe email notices and updates on Illahee issues. Furthermore, the Illahee Community Plan's matching the zoning and plans of the Wheaton Way corridor area with the City of Bremerton is a prime example of working for development that is orderly and contiguous. Additionally, besides monitoring local city and county issues, the Illahee Community is on the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) mailing list and monitors inter-jurisdictional planning efforts regionally. To discuss and explain items such as "contiguous and orderly development" in a community plan is beyond what a community plan should contain.

Conclusion. The Illahee Community Plan's Wheaton Way corridor zoning is an example inter-jurisdictional planning that documents the application of contiguous and orderly development, without trying to explain it.

Concern #4C. The concern appears to be that "Affordable Housing" was ignored and the Plan should have a "more substantive analysis."

Response. Affordable housing, or below market rate housing, was discussed at great length during 2006 as the CAG looked at trying to balance zoning designations with the numbers of people being allocated to specific areas. The solution was to increase zoning densities in areas where the infrastructure and services were available. Higher density zoning was proposed along Trenton Avenue and Almira, with senior and low income high rise buildings proposed along Almira. Those decisions were affirmed again in 2008.

Conclusion. Below market rate housing was properly and adequately considered.

Concern #5. "Property Rights." The concerns are with the wording of the private property rights statement and the "Community Tree Protection Standards."

Response. The property rights statement used in the Plan was adopted early on from the 2002 Manchester Community Plan in order to use a statement that has gone through previous scrutiny. In retrospect, with the addition of view protection overlay in 2008, an additional sentence from the Manchester Plan could have been added to address the new overlay regulations, which read as follows: "New regulations included in the Plan allow the sensible development of land without inappropriate financial impacts."

As for the tree protection section, there were some very strong feelings expressed on both sides during discussions in 2006 and 2007. The final decision was that this should be a voluntary decision by land owners whether they wanted to participate or not. A further inspection by the Realtor Board of the Plan will note the voluntary aspect of the program.

Conclusion. Illahee is comprised of many private property rights residents and the statement in this section is sufficient to ensure property rights are respected and protected.

Concern #6. "Natural Systems." The concern is that too much space in the Plan is devoted to the natural features in light of the Critical Areas Ordinance that already covers these features. There is a concern that the Goals and Policies are redundant and not necessary. There is a concern that some policies are not policy and should therefore be in the text.

Response. This is one area where the community plan is doing what it is supposed to do, which is highlight the features of the community and the area. There are some unique features that deserve coverage over and above simply stating there are critical areas throughout much of Illahee. Illahee has many natural systems, resource lands, and critical areas that limit development and these areas need to be described in a community plan.

Deciding what specific policies should or should not be included is the decision of the CAG. Not everyone agrees with every aspect of a document of this size and we could discuss these items and, depending on who is in attendance, writeups could change. This is a case where it would have been helpful to have this input during the meetings, rather than afterward.

Conclusion. The abundance of natural features of Illahee are what make this area unique and worthy of special attention, which includes coverage in the Illahee Community Plan. Policy statement write-ups were prepared by the CAG and if problematic can be corrected during future updates.

Concern #7. "Transportation." The concern is with duplication of Goal and Policy items that are in the County-wide Plan and that they should be removed.

Response. Not everyone in the Illahee community is familiar with County-wide Plans. As such there are duplications for the community. That is what the CAG wanted included in the Plan.

Conclusion. Duplication of Goals and Policies is appropriate in a community plan.

Concern #8. "Public Infrastructure." The concern is that there is no discussion about capital improvement financing for infrastructure and how much will be spent by Kitsap County and the City of Bremerton.

Response. The future infrastructure plans for Illahee, specifically for sewers, are referenced. This issue has been a concern of some for years and has been discussed at various meetings. The community was told that there is generally insufficient density in the Illahee area for the county, or the city of Bremerton, which would be responsible for the areas to the south, for there to be a push for sewers in the near future unless new housing developments came on line. Community members met with both city and county engineers in 2006. County personnel worked with the CAG in 2008 to rework the chapter to suit current thinking and plans.

Conclusion. The discussion of capital improvement financing was not considered appropriate by the CAG or the County for inclusion into the Illahee Community Plan.

Final Comment. The Realtor Board had every opportunity to be involved with the Illahee Community Plan from the beginning in 2006 until fall of 2008, a nearly three year time frame. They had a chance to bring their concerns before a very interested and involved Planning Commission, but did not do so. The questions and concerns raised by the Realtor Board have logical and reasoned explanations and answers, which have been provided.

We, therefore, respectfully request the Board of County Commissioners approve the Illahee Community Plan.

Dennis Sheeran & Jim Aho

Illahee Dock Outfall Settlement? - 11/20/08

Settlement of Illahee Dock Outfall Appeal? It appears there will be a settlement of the Illahee Dock Outfall appeal to the Shorelines Hearings Board (SHB).

Background For New Readers. There has been an ongoing issue with a development in Illahee that planned to install a second stormwater outfall at the Illahee community dock. The issue made the papers, went through a hearing before the Hearing Examiner and the County Commissioners, both of who approved the new outfall despite community and Port of Illahee objections.

Appeal To The Shorelines Hearings Board. The Illahee Community Club (ICC) felt neither the Hearing Examiner nor the County Commissioners understood the gravity of the public health aspect of their decision to allow essentially untreated stormwater to be dumped onto a public beach and swimming area, and appealed to the Shorelines Hearings Board.

Port of Illahee Trespass Suit to Superior Court. The Port of Illahee was also involved in their own way in that they filed a no-trespass lawsuit in Superior Court as the development proposed installing their new outfall directly under the Illahee Community Dock.

Parties Remained Cordial. Despite the legal wranglings the parties remained cordial and several members wondered if there wasn't a way that we could resolve our differences.

Engineer Berni Johnston's Efforts. Berni Johnston, the engineer from Team Four, continued to met with two Illahee community engineers in order to see if something could be worked out. Berni was a member of the Illahee Community Plan Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) and understood the community was not against the development, but wanted stormwater cleaned and infiltrated rather than tightlined to the bay, along with some zoning issues.

Community Understood Need For Stormwater Infiltration & Outfalls. The community understood that with the underlying soils in Illahee that 90-95% of the rainwater, that comes slowly, can be infiltrated back into the ground and into the aquifers. They also understood there would always be a need for stormwater overflows to Port Orchard Bay for the major storm events like the Dec 3, 2007 storm.

Another Option Surfaced. It was during those discussions to minimize the impact of stormwater in the area that another option surfaced. It was noted that much of the existing volume problem was from the Illahee North detention pond overflow that should have gone to a Berg Street right-of-way outfall, and that that outfall will eventually be needed to handle any future development in the basin. By doing what should have been done years ago, the proposed outfall at the dock would no longer be needed.

One Remaining Community Issue? Only one smaller pre-existing stormwater pipe coming from above the development would probably end up being connected (tightlined) to the stormwater overflow going to the newly proposed Berg Street outfall. This is only item, and a small one at that, that could not be accommodated with a bioswale option in the settlement agreement. This small sub-basin will require some community effort and possibly an upslope rain garden to take care of water treatment and infiltration.

Benefit to the Developer. There are also benefits to the developer, in addition to not having to fight the ICC or the Port of Illahee in court. The Berg Street outfall should be an easier installation. No pre-treatment Vortechs vaults need to be installed. The developer is also using stormwater applications that better respect the environment and Puget Sound.

Overall Benefits. The overall benefit of this settlement is to the environment which includes the aquifers, which are overallocated in Illahee, and to the waters of Puget Sound, which are being adversely affected by stormwater discharges tightlined to the salt water. This settlement is a step in the right direction that goes beyond what is legally permitted to doing what is environmentally right. In the end we think it will be even less expensive, in spite of the legal costs, except for the community and Port whose legal costs are significant. Ironically it took a dedicated community and one dedicated engineer to make the settlement happen.

Status of Settlement? The basic technical agreement exhibit needs to be finalized. The legal document has been prepared and reviewed by the lawyer teams and is ready for signatures from MT Illahee Corporation, Kitsap County Commissioners, Port of Illahee Commissioners, and the Illahee Community Club Board of Directors, and is expected to be completed by Monday, 11/24/08.

Jim Aho

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.