Our city council’s role in the lawsuit | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 12:24 pm Monday, December 22, 2014

To the editor:

Recently Kim Hendrickson published an e-mail titled “Althea and Bob’s Win, Our Loss” in Gary Tripp’s Bainbridge News Wire. The piece is both an attack on Bob and Althea and a defense of Councilman Steve Bonkowski and Councilman David Ward.

Keep in mind that both Bonkowski and Ward violated the city’s Governance Manual and refused to turn over public records from their personal e-mail accounts. Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jeanette Dalton specifically stated: “The hesitation of council members Ward and Bonkowski to turn over public records is of grave concern to the citizens of Bainbridge Island.”

Two different courts found that they intentionally and wrongfully deleted public records and concluded that their conduct constituted serious violations of the law. Ward’s behavior was especially offensive in that he admitted to giving false testimony under oath on two occasions and disposed of crucial evidence, specifically his computer.

In a sense Hendrickson is correct in that the citizens of Bainbridge did in fact lose. We elected individuals who stated and implied that they were honest men of integrity who would conduct the city’s business, our business, in an open and transparent manner. Since being elected they have fallen far short of their campaign promises. Unfortunately the damage and losses incurred by the city were in fact avoidable.

If one is to point an accusatory finger at those responsible for this damage and loss it is not just Ward and Bonkowski but our city council.

Remember, Althea and Bob approached the city about a settlement less than a month after the suit was filed and offered to drop the lawsuit with no attorney’s fees or sanctions if Ward and Bonkowski would produce the requested e-mails. They refused. All the costs and fees that resulted are a result of their refusal to obey the law. This decision was supported by our city council and one can only wonder whether the council was delusional or made this decision based on bad legal advice or both.

The settlement cost of approximately $500,000 is the large tip of a financial iceberg. Our city council’s reckless behavior has cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars beginning with the termination of City Manager Brenda Bauer and the resulting expense to search for her replacement. Now we have the Bonkowski and Ward debacle and the yet to be disclosed costs of the multiple attorneys hired to represent the city, Bonkowski and Ward in the lawsuit. These three items alone will probably cost us well over a million dollars!

So in a sense Hendrickson is correct in that we are losers but not because of Bob and Althea but rather the illegal actions of Bonkowski and Ward and the poor decisions of our city council. Hopefully in spite of the continued presence of Bonkowski on the city council we will learn the real costs and the reasons for the decision to fight the lawsuit. We deserve truthful answers. The question remains is the council up to being truthful?

BOB SEABY

Bainbridge Island