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Councilmember Dean Hachamovitch Sticks Taxpayers with $7,500 Gate Appeal Bill, Total Cost to Taxpayers Over $10,000

We learned in the August City Council meeting (8/9) that most of Hachamovitch’s gate appeal bill was “forgiven” by the City.  Prior to being sworn in January, he sued the city for a declined gate permit that would have blocked a long-standing turnaround and access to a fire hydrant on a small lane. Last year when he withdrew his appeal, he was presented a bill for $8,000, of which $7,500 was the attorney’s fees charged to the City for the appeal. Recently he was forgiven the $7,500 in attorney’s fees, and the City had to spend an additional $3,000 in legal bills to be assured they were complying with the law. Sadly, taxpayers got stuck paying over $10,000 in City attorney fees defending Hachamovitch’s unsuccessful gate permit. Did Hachamovitch “secure special privileges” (RCW 42.23.070(1) (RCW Link) as a council member being forgiven $7,500? How do other taxpayers and residents feel after having to pay their own appeal bills? We will let the residents and voters be the judge. Certainly, under current Clyde Hill rules other residents have had to pay appeal bills. Hachamovitch now wants to change those rules for everybody (master fee resolution), but only after he had his own debt forgiven, likely to hide the fact he secured a personal benefit as a council member the rest of residents could not.

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