Ever since it was revealed that the [Bothell] Mayor [Joshua Freed], and [Councilman] Mark Lamb, and some of their cronies, had secretly purchased the rights to buy and develop the back-nine of the Wayne Golf Course, it appears that all decisions by the City Council are suspect. The lack of openness and transparency is apparent to the other council members and to the public in general.

The decisions by the council, may or may not be in the best interest of our citizens. The fact that the mayor finally released a letter concerning the sale agreement with the golf course back-nine, did not help matters.

To think that our own mayor would be involved in attempting to place houses and pavement on the back-nine of this course is a disaster. The front- and back-nine areas are the last remaining open space in all of south Bothell. They remain an oasis in the massive amount of development occurring all around us. To actually see trees, grass and wildlife, without clear-cutting of the forest, is a real bonus.

The fact that the mayor, city manager and some of the Council, would attempt to place developments on the course is exactly the opposite of what the Bothell Citizens would want.  The need for the open space and the river area is talked about continuously by the council, but their actions speak louder than words.

If the mayor was a real citizen of Bothell, he would be do everything possible with the other citizens to keep this open space. The citizens are told that we have a “robust” parks and recreation system, but the reality is that the politicians want development, not parks (or golf courses).

Clear-cutting of the trees and paving it over seem to be the new normal. Look at the houses just south of the golf course, no trees and all pavement.

Debra Tadlock, Bothell