In the end, the vote to enter into a contract with camp organizers and camp sponsor Northshore United Church of Christ for a 60-day stay on public land failed. Councilwoman Gina Leonard voted yes; Councilmen Mike Roskind, Scott Hageman, Chuck Price and Deputy Mayor Hank Stecker voted no; Councilman Don Brocha abstained and Mayor Cathy VonWald was absent.

The Rev. Paul Forman, Woodinville resident and pastor of Northshore United Church of Christ, which hosted the encampment on city property in August 2004 and re-offered to host it there starting May 13, apologized to the council for asking to use city land on such short notice, again.

In 2004, Forman told the council, “It was an emergency situation. Tent City 4 has run out of options, and we had to act on very short notice.”

Last week, he told the council, “One of the things that we hoped at that time was we would never find ourselves in the position again where we would have to be doing it on the scramble, where there wouldn’t be sufficient time for us to move through the permitting processes in an orderly fashion. ... It is an urgent matter. It is a matter that is not of tent city’s doing. The rug got pulled out from under them again. When things go wrong and times are hard, you turn to your friends.”

Forman addressed costs the City of Woodinville absorbed when tent city was here in 2004. It cost $92,000, this according to a report published by the city, he said. It cost $3,600 for gravel, water and electricity and those other out-of-pocket expenses that were needed to the host the camp, Forman said. He said $30,000 was spent on legal fees; the balance was allocated to staff salaries, costs for policing, processing applications, etc.

“At least half of the cost had nothing to do with tent city,” said Forman, “but was totally in the hands of the opponents. They had the right to do the things they did, like sue the city and take up staff time processing papers and everything. But (for) the people who want it to be cheaper to have the camp here, they could do it by not suing us.”

Al Taylor wondered what kind of action the city was taking to hire a land-use attorney or a geological technologist to help the city grapple with Brightwater sewage treatment plant issues. He wondered if he should mention the moratorium that stops permitting activity in the R-1 zone until the city can come up with a policy and plan for growth. He wondered when a temporary encampment ordinance would be done. It has been in the works since early Fall 2005, he said. He said that one activity that would tie up a great deal of city time and money was the application from tent city organizers to use city park land for 60 days.

“Given all that is on the city’s plate,” said Taylor, “it is a discretionary request that can be turned down by a simple legal answer of no. It is consuming our time and will probably get in the way of work that really needs to be done. Citizens of Woodinville do not want to dilute efforts of an already taxed city staff and do not want to accept the burden of paying for a Share / Wheel camp again.”

Christina McMartin said, “Because I help pay for your salaries, I expect you to stand up for my rights. In this regard, I do not expect you to bow down before the aggression and coercion of the group known as Share / Wheel. In 2004, the council made the best of a difficult situation. You spent almost $100,000 of city money to treat them with dignity and grace. Now, in exchange for that kindness, Share / Wheel has turned around and slapped us very hard in the face and said, hand it over again – or else.”

She said, “The city must maintain authority over land-use decisions. You cannot give certain groups special privileges at the expense of others. You cannot spend my money to help the guests of Pastor (Forman) and his church. … I am one of the working poor in this city. I may live in a house that has cardboard on the ceiling, where the fences are falling down and where the rain leaks in. My kids know that we have to go to the food bank again this summer, as we did last year. I’m wearing the same shoes and the same shirt as I did the last time Share / Wheel came barging into this town. I don’t have much, but I have a voice and a vote, and I’m asking you to hold Share / Wheel and the church 100 percent accountable to the laws of our city and follow due process and protect the rights of the citizens of Woodinville. I want you to do your jobs.”

Mike Stickney will have a direct view of tent city if it moves to Pastor Forman’s church. He asked the city not to allow tent city’s use of either site they have chosen.

He quoted from a letter sent to Communications Director for the City of Woodinville Marie Stake by Pastor Forman written on or about April 30: “NUCC (Northshore United Church of Christ) shall sponsor TC4 (Tent City 4) on the City of Woodinville vacant park land for 60 days beginning on or about the 13th of May. In the event the City Council does not authorize the church’s use of city park land for TC4, NUCC will host TC4 on church property for 90 days without a permit illegally.”

Stickney called the letter verbal extortion by NUCC and Share / Wheel and implored the council to stand up for the rights of the permanent, true citizens of Woodinville and not give in to the demands of, what he called, “radical social terrorism.”

He said, “It is a sad day when it has become acceptable to break the law.”

Brian Boyd lives a quarter mile from NUCC. He said, “I think I have a hard time with the process here. I don’t have an issue with people that need a place to live. I can totally understand that. I have a hard time with the process. I have a hard time with not seeing true democracy here. … I think the City Council needs to flat out say no.”

Stacy Meyer said, “If you are going to spend $100,000 on tent city every time they come back – because you will run into neighborhoods and a city filled with people who are not in agreement with this – why don’t you take that $100,000 and give it to the Salvation Army … rather than our spending (it) on temporary housing every year and a half.”

Paul Meyer said, “I understand that they’re in an emergency situation. I don’t quite buy that. That is what they say. As was said earlier, it’s a manufactured emergency. The citizens of New Orleans had the rug pulled out from under them. They were victims of circumstances beyond their control. They have the right to emergency funds, to considerations. Tent city is a victim of poor planning, poor management.”

Mickey Gendler is the attorney representing Albert Dykes who owns the property adjacent to the proposed tent city site on city land.

He said, “What’s happening regarding tent city is terribly unfair, primarily to the city and its residents, and to us. Here we are, with one week’s notice, barely time to get back up to speed on this. … From the first speaker on, they’ve apologized for treating you unfairly. We didn’t give you notice and we’re sorry about that. But you know what? They made a commitment to give you notice. They made an agreement. That was the deal. Does that mean anything? Apparently not.”

Gendler said that the impact tent city would have on Mr. Dyke’s property is truly extraordinary. Woodinville Business Center No. 1 is in the process of negotiating a lease with Jumpin’ for Fun, which specializes in children’s birthday parties. They want to lease 90 percent of a building that the company just built, 13,000 square feet, which represents a lot of tax income for the city, he said.

“They’re not going to want to do that if they’re faced with being next to a homeless encampment,” said Gendler, “not just for the next 60 days, but what about next year and the year after that? Is this going to be a regular festival at this supposed park land in the City of Woodinville? Pastor (Forman) mentioned litigation costs. Now he’s directly aiming that at me and my client because we sued the city the last time. … Litigation seems to follow tent city everywhere they go. Do they blame it on the residents everywhere?”

Mike Pell said he lived 100 yards from NUCC. He is disgusted with Share / Wheel tactics.

He said, “I was shocked that any group, anywhere, could come to Woodinville and attempt to strong arm the city to the tune of $100,000, again. How could this happen? City Council, how could this be possible? You’ve had two years to put laws on the books to stop this from happening, again. How could you let the citizens that have elected you to this office be taken advantage of, again, less than two years later.”

Bruce Glenn and his wife have a small startup company called Jumpin’ for Fun. He said, “We are currently negotiating with (Mr. Dykes) for a long-term lease for a large space in Woodinville Business Park. The entry into the space looks directly across Little Bear Creek into the proposed tent city site. Jumpin’ for Fun offers private parties and open play for children, using inflatable slides, obstacle courses and climbing walls as entertainment. We also cater to church groups and homeschoolers and business groups. We expect thousands of children to pass through our doors on a monthly basis. In addition, we’ll employ up to 25.

“… As a Christian man, I am sensitive to the plight of the homeless. My wife and I give to many charities. As a businessman, I also have an obligation to my employees and customers to provide a safe and secure environment. If tent city is allowed in the proposed Little Bear Creek location, which, again, would be right out my front door, the perception would be, right or wrong, that my business would be an unsafe place to bring their children. I have not signed a lease yet and will not till I am assured by you that tent city will not be located near my business, now or any other time in the future. Without those assurances, I will be forced to find suitable space outside the City of Woodinville to do my business.”

Ellen Murphey lives near NUCC. She told the council, “People have said they are sorry for the situation they have put you in, and they have put you in a very, very uncomfortable situation. … (Tent city’s) situation (however) is a very regular situation and very foreseeable. … They have come back to the City of Woodinville, approximately the smallest city in this Western Washington, to again try to force this city to cave in to their demands.”

Jim Albers lives in Redmond and serves as moderator at NUCC. He told the council that there was no other site that could be ready by Saturday, May 13. He said there were three alternatives: one, for the encampment to disband and find their own way; two, to consider repeating the success of 2004 on city land, which provided a place for camp residents that was near jobs and transportation; or three, to site tent city on NUCC property, far from jobs, far from public transportation, and where congregants would have to arrange special transportation to ferry residents to public transit on weekends.

Kathryn Frazier, a senior at Chrysalis School in Woodinville and a voting member of NUCC, lives outside city limits. She said, “As a youth of this community, I have such pride in the things we have done to support those who might not have the opportunities that the majority of the people in this city have. We sometimes as a world and country and community tend to turn our eyes away from things we do not understand or know. But this city stood up and took care of those who needed shelter and gave them a place to stay. … They are not scary. They are not mean people here to take advantage of taxpayers. They are not here to take advantage of … what we have. They are here to teach us something and to bring us together as a community. And although I respect all views that were stated here tonight, I think that the right decision, in my belief, is that we help support these people for 60 days.”

A woman who did not sign up to speak came to the podium. She said she was a resident of Woodinville.

“I am not here to speak against or for tent city,” the woman said. “I am here to speak for the process of permitting. I, as a homeowner, believe that I have the right to (make) additions and do work on my house, but there is a permitting process for me to follow … that will make sure that myself and my family are safe. The church has their right to host the homeless on their territory, but to do so, the church has to go through a permitting process to make sure the community and the residents of the homeless encampment are safe, that public health and safety concerns are addressed, that there are enough showering facilities, hand washing facilities and so on. That’s why we have a permitting process, and I believe the church has to follow that before they can host homeless encampments on their (land).”