Conflicted Planning Commission

12/9/24 Blaine Water Coalition letter to Blaine City Council:

Dear Samuel, 
Please enter this letter into the record for tonight's city council meeting and today's planning commission interviews. 

Dear City Council Members,

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed appointments of Sam Randhawa and Donald Enos to the Blaine Planning Commission. As representatives of the citizens of Blaine, it is critical that you ensure the Planning Commission is balanced, ethical, and representative of the community's diverse interests. Unfortunately, the current composition of the Commission and the addition of these two candidates raise significant concerns.

Overrepresentation of Development Interests

The Planning Commission is already heavily weighted toward developers and real estate professionals. This creates an imbalance that prioritizes development over the public interest, often sidelining critical considerations such as environmental protection, community well-being, and equitable development. Appointing two more individuals with clear ties to these industries exacerbates this imbalance and further undermines public trust in the Commission's ability to act impartially.

Conflicts of Interest

Both candidates have professional backgrounds that suggest inherent conflicts of interest:

  • Sam Randhawa has a direct interest in real estate and development, which could compromise their ability to objectively evaluate projects that impact Blaine residents.
  • Donald Enos, whose professional email domain indicates involvement in development-related activities, presents similar concerns.

These conflicts of interest are particularly problematic because Blaine's Planning Commission does not have a robust Code of Conduct to guide members in recusal or ethical decision-making. This absence of oversight has already led to past incidents where decisions were influenced by personal or financial gain rather than community benefit.

Lack of Accountability

In previous cases, Planning Commission members with ties to development have failed to recuse themselves from decisions where conflicts of interest were evident. Without proper accountability mechanisms in place, there is little assurance that these appointees will act in the public interest rather than their own or that of their industry peers.

Need for Diverse Representation

The citizens of Blaine deserve a Planning Commission that reflects the community’s broader interests, including those of long-term residents, environmental advocates, and underrepresented voices. Appointing these candidates continues a troubling pattern of excluding these perspectives, which is detrimental to inclusive and equitable planning for Blaine's future.

Request

For the reasons outlined above, I urge you to vote NO on the appointments of Sam Randhawa and Donald Enos to the Planning Commission. Instead, I encourage you to seek out candidates who represent a broader spectrum of the community and who are free from conflicts of interest. It is vital that the Commission embodies fairness, integrity, and true accountability to the people of Blaine.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I trust you will make the right decision for the citizens of Blaine.

Otto Pointer, Alias under the Anti-Slapp Act
Blaine, Water Coaltion


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