To the editor:

I hope I may be forgiven some confusion after reading Cecilia Garza’s well-written piece about the council determining new rules to help save trees.

Timing is most important in virtually everything in life as well as governmental rulings. Having watched how a small forest of lovely trees were swiftly demolished for the new shopping center at Highway 305 and High School Road, where was the council’s concerns when that took place?

In the series of steps taken that finally resulted in one person’s power to rule on that new commercial development after over-ruling the unanimous decisions of the planning commission, apparently the council was not empowered to have a say.  Now it will belatedly flex its muscles.

The public learned some important lessons with recent events that included the Shoreline Management Plan, the new shopping center and now the tree decision.

First, we’ve learned the huge and questionable power of a single vote to determine rulings of major community impact;

Second, we’ve learned the council, despite more than apparent deep community division on issues that will have lasting importance, could not or would not be sufficiently innovative collectively or individually, to see the legitimate need to seek total community expression beyond a few moments per person at public hearings; and, Third, we’ve learned how the collective thought and hard work of council anointed and appointed commissions and committees could be demeaned and erased by one person.

That this response was generated by how some trees will be treated in the future hopefully will stimulate council thought and public demand for actions and means that more realistically reflect community thought, timing  and overall fairness.

JOE HONICK

Bainbridge Island