South Lake Sammamish Update

Anne McGill and Al Ericson of Issaquah Parks attended the February 27th SLSA meeting to discuss the transfer of Meerwood Park and Timberlake Park into the Issaquah system.

The meeting was also attended by local dog owners concerned about the Issaquah ordinance that allows the department to post "No Dogs" signs in parks at their discretion.

Not to worry: Based on resident feedback, Issaquah does not plan to post "No Dogs" signs in either park. However, dogs must be on leashes and dog waste must be collected and disposed of properly. The department may consider a dog ban at Meerwood Park in the future if there are too many complaints.

No resolution of the Comcast cable TV rate dispute

Submitted by Jeff Parsons, Greenwood Point Resident

Comcast continues to insist that cable TV rates in the Greenwood Point, South Cove, and other neighborhoods annexed by the City of Issaquah are still governed by the King County Franchise Agreement, rather than the City of Issaquah's Franchise Agreement. This is significant, because the Issaquah franchise provides for much lower rates than the County franchise. The City of Issaquah Cable Commission believes that Comcast is wrong, and has repeatedly said so (see the minutes of their October 26, 2006, January 24, 2007, and February 28, 2007 meetings at http://www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/Agendas.asp?CCBID=4). However, the City Cable Commission is unwilling to force the issue, because of upcoming franchise negotiations and potential legal costs. As a result, Comcast has effectively been allowed to decide the issue for itself, and charge our neighborhoods whatever it feels are the appropriate cable TV rates, without any oversight.

While the Commission's position is understandable, it leaves homeowners with few options. One option is to formally dispute the rates on your cable TV bill, by including a letter with your bill each month that lists the Issaquah cable package prices (which I've posted at http://www.theparsons.com/comcast/) and your current package prices, and include a check based solely on Issaquah prices. Comcast may offer you a credit (as it did in my case), or it may simply ignore your letter and consider your account delinquent, at which point you'll have to decide whether to pay the full amount or take Comcast to small-claims court, to avoid any harm to your credit rating.

Another option might be to initiate a "class action" suit, but it's unclear where the money or interest for such a suit would come from, given the community's tepid interest in the issue so far. It's also unclear whether we could take any action against Comcast collectively; our only legal option might be to compel the City to enforce its franchise agreement and sue Comcast -- not a very "neighborly" option. Besides, only a handful of homeowners have expressed any concern, and only one other homeowner besides myself has ever attended a Cable Commission meeting to discuss the issue.

It's possible that this issue will become moot in 2008, if the City is able to re-negotiate a favorable franchise agreement that explicitly covers our neighborhoods. However, there is no guarantee that Comcast won't continue to claim that the County franchise covers us until 2010 (which is what they claim today), nor is there any likelihood that we will ever recoup the money we have been overcharged through 2008.

Spring SLSA Meeting - May 31st in Greenwood Point

Our second SLSA quarterly meeting of the year will be held Thursday May 31st, 7pm, at the Greenwood Point Home of Deborah Parsons.

Home of Deborah Parsons
4126 187th Ave SE
Issaquah, WA 98027

Our special guest will be David Fujimoto, Director of the Issaquah Resource Conservation Office (RCO) as we discuss waste collection and recycling services available in Issaquah and the various services offered by the RCO.

Neighborhood Natural Yard Care Classes - Start April 26th

You’re invited! Come learn from local experts about practical techniques and strategies to care for your yard for a healthier and safer landscape for kids, pets and our streams and lake.

Free Natural Yard Care classes

for residents in South Lake Sammamish (South Cove, Greenwood Point, et al.), Montreux and Cougar Mountain neighborhoods

3 Class series starts Thursday, 4/26. Additional classes on 5/10 and 5/24.

Location: Cougar Mountain Academy auditorium (next to Cougar Mountain Zoo)

Great yard care tips, expert advice and prizes!

Keep an eye out for a colorful postcard in the mail or contact the Issaquah Resource Conservation Office to register:

425/837-3402 or rco@ci.issaquah.wa.us

Sponsored by the City of Issaquah Resource Conservation Office and King County.

Spring Recycling Event - May 5th at Issaquah High School

Sat, May 5th, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Issaquah High School
700 – 2nd Ave SE

Recycling event for those hard to recycle items: batteries, electronics, concrete, sinks and toilets, scrap metal, tires and wood. For households only, no businesses. If you don’t want to wait in line, or for items not accepted at this recycling event, check out these other options:

King County Solid Waste, “What Do I Do With?” website

For electronics, Take it Back Network

Household Hazardous Waste

Sell or giveaway items that are no longer of use to you: Craig’s List and Freecycle [D2]

Watch the RCO website for more information or call (425) 837-3400.

This e-mail was compiled by David Bangs and sent via the South Lake Sammamish Association e-mail list. To submit a posting, subscribe, unsubscribe or update your contact information, please e-mail and mention either your address or the name of your neighborhood.

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