23
TIL from a retired city planner about how Bothell's community board actually works
I was at the library last Tuesday and got to talking with a guy named Frank who used to work for the city planning office here. He told me that most people think the community board just rubber stamps whatever the council wants, but he said that's totally backwards. He said the board actually killed a big development proposal back in 2017 because local residents showed up and spoke out at a meeting. Frank said the board members are just regular folks from the neighborhood, not political appointees or developers. That really hit me different because I always assumed the board was just a formality with no real power. Now I'm wondering how many other things I've been wrong about with local government around here. Has anyone else had a conversation that made you totally rethink how our community board operates?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
butler.finley23d agoMost Upvoted
Oh man, so the community board is actually useful and I've been skipping those meetings for free pizza somewhere else.
5
charlie_ellis23d ago
Right? I could have been eating pizza AND having actual opinions this whole time.
4