Bardin says news article had errors and omissions
The Olympian wrote an article about my personal records and the Planning Commission’s secret meetings with developers that I exposed. I’m writing to correct as many factual errors and omissions as space allows.
For the original public records request, I combed through my home email (at the time, commissioners were not issued city email accounts) and provided all 143 records that were city business. The city of Olympia left each commissioner to review their own records and identify which were public and which were not. I explained that other records were personal; the city attorney accepted my explanation.
Later, Jeanette Dickison (formerly Hawkins), who often works for developers, demanded my personal records, including records shared with two friends unconnected to city government and even records with my own private attorney. Dickison waited almost a year, then made her demands just in time for the election.
Despite the article’s claim, I signed no declarations.
At home, City Council members and staff have a right to privacy, while their public business must always be in the open. I have lived up to that principle.
Here’s what the Olympian actually should cover in this election: How do we make downtown more safe and attractive, protect and enhance neighborhoods, acquire more parks and open natural spaces, write a responsible city budget, set a minimum wage allowing people who work hard to support a family, increase public involvement in city decisions?
I’m running for City Council to enact the best answers to those questions.
This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Bardin says news article had errors and omissions."