City Council - Regular Meeting

Hey, hey, hey. Okay. I'd like to call to order the

study session of February 23rd, 2026 at 6:05 p.m., please. All members are present. Uh tonight's study session we are going to be um looking at the council vacancy and uh doing interviews. So I'd like to call in city administrator Jason Wilson.

Thank you mayor and council. Just wait a moment for my presentation to come up. As the mayor mentioned tonight we're going to be going through the interview portion of the council vacancy appointment process. As just a reminder, uh tonight's process is governed by uh state law as well as your own council rules which were adopted under resolution number 1695. Uh the city received seven applications for the council vacancy. All have met the minimum qualifications under state law, which means that they've all resided uh within the summer city limits for minimum of a year and they're also registered to vote. Uh as a reminder where we're at in this process, we advertised, we collected applications. Tonight we're doing the interview and then we'll do the appointment and swearing in in the coming weeks. Also, as a reminder, under state law, if you don't fill this vacancy within 90 days, which would be the end of March, then it does uh turn over to the county council to who's required to appoint a member to this body. Uh so tonight we're doing the interviews. We did establish the order of the interviews through random draw. We did that in the presence of the applicants in the other room right before this meeting started. uh the applicants not being interviewed have been asked to remain in the conference room. Um but we can't require that of them. So I think most of them probably will but they also could at their uh own discretion choose to stay in this room. All of them were provided the questions in advance uh last week so they've had ample time to review those. The interview questions uh are here on the screen. They're also in front of you on the dis. These are questions that council approved back in uh January at their at the January 12th study session. There are some things that uh you need to consider tonight. Uh first off, historically council has limited applicant responses to five minutes uh per person. Uh that's something I know a couple of you have have reached out to

me inquiring is 5 minutes appropriate uh or um is more time uh a better better option and that's going to be up for council to discuss here in just a minute. The other thing is historically uh we do not ask the applicants the questions. We provided them and that they do it more of in a presentation style. They just make sure they answer all five of them during their their their time limit. Uh I would recommend that we continue that model. It actually then saves time for the applicant and doesn't uh take away uh any of their time to speak to you while you ask your questions. After uh the interviews tonight, we will have an executive session. As a reminder that executive sessions discuss qualifications of of the applicants, there is no straw voting. Um and there is no action scheduled tonight after the executive session. At next week's meeting, uh you do have the option of starting the meeting with an executive session once again just to discuss qualifications. After that, we'll go through the nomination process. I'm not going to go through that in detail uh here tonight. We'll spend a lot of time going through the process for that next next March. But I did want to point out that the public does have an opportunity to comment uh after nominations, but before a vote of the council. And then we you'll go through the voting process. Once again, won't go into all the detail tonight on that. Um, but it does require a majority vote. And then assuming that you select somebody next week, they'll be sworn in on March 16th at the regular council meeting. So, that I'll turn it back over to you, Mayor. Once again, the two items that we need some guidance on tonight are time per applicant as well as the uh the question answering uh process, doing it more of a presentation style than a question answer format. Thank you. Does anybody have anything they want to talk about in regard to the

format? Are we is that acceptable? The format as suggested? Okay. And then what about the time duration? Is there any discussion you want to have about the time duration? We have seven uh applicants and right now we're suggesting five minutes per applicant. Sounds good. Okay, just a minute, Mr. Ranky. Yeah, I would just suggest we extend the time a little bit at least. Five minutes isn't very long um to know about somebody. So, I would suggest either seven or 10 minutes. I'd be fine with either one of those. Thank you.

Uh I will say, does anybody want to add to that? I would say 10. 10. Okay. Uh Council Member Kenna. Uh yes, I would uh back Mr. Rankkey's uh proposal that maybe 10 is appropriate. It gives not only us a little bit more time, gives the public a little bit more time to um kind of see these candidates in action and you know uh we have the chance for follow-ups outside of that potential amount of time. Is that right, Jason? Yeah, I was going to touch on that. Uh after you have this conversation, I'll go through some dos and don'ts as far as questions go. So does everybody agree? Let me ask this. Who is there anyone that doesn't agree with 10 minutes? The first seven.

Deputy Mayor Elpers. I p prefer seven, but I would concede to 10. Sounds like Deputy Mayor Elpers is conceding to 10. Do I have 12? Just kidding. Okay. So, 10 minutes. Accurate. 10 minutes. All right. Thank you, Mayor. We'll let the candidates know that they have 10 minutes.

Um, on Mr. Kenna's uh question, you are allowed to ask clarifying questions. So, if you after the applicant answers the questions, uh you can ask follow-up questions as long as they are clarifying in nature based either on their oral or their written responses. It would not be advised or appropriate necessary to ask a question of one candidate that isn't covered in their written or oral material that you don't ask the others. Does that make sense? Okay, with that, mayor, uh, we'll just need a minute to grab the first candidate and we'll be ready to go. Council, go ahead and hit your button. Council member Kenna,

can can I ask Jason, are you uh monitoring the time and and letting it letting the candidate know or letting us know when time is up or they've got one minute left or something? Sure. Uh, every candidate can monitor their time right here on the lectern. There's a countdown clock that even changes color as you you get towards the end. Uh the mayor also has a clock on her her screen. Uh we typically don't give a minute notice, but would that be sufficient for tonight? Sounds good to me. Okay. Thank you. And mayor, is your count your clock visible? Um would you mind looking? I see two zeros right here. So it's uh is it right up here? On this one. Okay, perfect.

Oh, countdown. Okay. So, I just push start and it'll start. Thank you, ma'am. We are ready.

Mayor, I'm sorry. Uh, our city attorney did point out one one thing that I forgot to mention, so I really appreciate her. Uh, follow-up questions of clarifying nature are limited to three minutes per applicant per your rules. Total total. So, no more than 13 minutes total. It'd be Yes. Essentially, thank you. Yep. Boy, thank you. So, you guys, when you want to ask questions, we're just going to do you're going to hit your button and then I'll do next on. Okay. You queue up. Get in the queue. So, we're not asking these questions. No.

No. They're going to come in and it's just the It's just the over and aboves. You guys are a tough crowd. You get one more you got to deal with. Cats. Straight cats. Mr. Malcolm is first. Uh, yes. Mark Malcolm is first if you guys would like to know that. Thank you. Yes. No. Okay.

Do you want me to read you the order real quick? No, I'm good. I just Oh, you can. Okay. It's going to be Mark Malcolm, Travis Fulk, Nick Berman, Travis Butcher, five, Matthew Richardson, Burl Eddie, and Amy Hope. And Mark Malcolm. Yes. Number one.

Hello. Hello, mayor. Hello, council. Hello, city administrator and team. Uh, I'm Mark Malcolm. I'm a resident here in Sumar for the last six years. And as both a resident and a member of the planning commission, I've seen firsthand how cities like Sumar are often asked to meet state requirements designed for much larger communities. I believe we should actively advocate for practical flexibility and rightsized policies that respect some scale, character, and history. Um, that means working closely with the mayor, city administration, and council to engage our state and county partners while building coalitions with cities facing the same challenges. And I believe the local government to be the highest level collaboration of people uh working together in place, not merely the lowest rung of a hierarchy of governments. I think it's a really important endeavor to work here in the council. Um, I'm focused on making Summer one of the easiest places in the region to start to grow a small business, especially in our main street core. We should be looking carefully at permitting timelines and necessary red tape, cost barriers, and how we market the downtown area uh for local businesses so they can thrive better. And ultimately, my goal is simple. Help ensure SAR remains a prosperous, well-run city where people want to live, work, and invest. Um, I'm committed to doing the work necessary to help that happen. Um, regarding my philosophy on building consensus, um, as one of seven votes, building consensus starts with shared information, mutual respect. My approach is to focus on the underlying data and the real world impacts of the decision. I tend to rely heavily on metrics, analysis, and comparisons with similar communities so that the discussions are grounded in objective information and rather than assumptions. So when we're considering something like a tax or a fee or a new regulation, I believe it's important that the council clearly understands the full impact, how it affects residences, uh, businesses,

and the city's long-term financial health. Uh, presenting the information in a transparent way helps create productive conversations, makes it easier to find common ground. Um, and it's equally important is listening to the colleagues and understanding their priorities. Consensus usually comes from combining solid data and thoughtful discussion and willingness to refine ideas until we arrive at a solution that the majority of the council and the community will support. um in regards to public or community service. So, beyond my formal answers that I submitted, um there's a few false small things that I think matter to me, but I also think makes for a better kind of citizen. Um I make it a point to shop local whenever possible, especially for holidays and gift giving. Um I can't if I can't find something in town, I tend to look for things made in Washington. That's just kind of my mantra around, you know, uh supporting local comm uh economies. Um I also, here's another small thing, but it's not anything I've written down anywhere else, but uh I uh started an annual uh Guptal Avenue block party for my neighbors, and we uh meet once a year and share food, break bread. Um the output of this is kind of interesting because these are people that have lived near each other for years, but have barely interacted and sometimes didn't really know each other. Now we all know each other by name. we have some relationships and every now and then you're a recipient of a big good or two uh because of that. So it's kind of a little small thing but it's a thing I think that's really improved the the quality of life in our street. So those are the kind of small efforts that help build the sense of community that makes a place like Sar special. Um my approach to difficult decisions well uh public service inevitably involves difficult decisions. I have a great deal of respect for anyone willing to step into the arena and take a position on challenging issues. In my view, those discussions should always be

grounded in respect and a shared understanding that everyone involved is trying to do what they believe is best for the community. Disagreement is part of the process, but it should never become personal. My approach is to fully evaluate the facts, listen carefully to staff, colleagues, and the public, and then make the best decision I can based on the information available and the long-term interests of the city. Not every decision will be popular, and sometimes it may even conflict with my initial perspective. But leadership requires being willing to weigh the evidence and stand behind the outcomes. So earlier in life, sports taught me an important lesson. You can't dwell on wins or losses. You learn from them. You move forward. You stay focused on the next decision. In my professional life, I've learned that compromise can often lead to better and more durable solutions. But not every issue should be a compromise. My goal is to advocate strongly for what I believe is right and while respecting the process and committing to the support uh to support the final decision of the council. That balance of thoughtful judgment, respectful debate, and unity once a decision is made is how I approach tough choices. And uh regarding anything else you guys should know about me, I feel like this is like a dating profile question or something. Um I grew up in a small Washington town but have spent a fair amount of time in larger cities. Um and though I spent my career behind a desk, I do love to do remodeling and residential repairs and actually have started a small business doing that uh in my retirement. Um I'm a history buff. I'm an avid cook. I'm a proud father and grandfather. Uh I enjoy the arts, especially as a musician. I'm a drummer. I guess not a musician, it doesn't count. Um, and when I go on vacation, they tend to be adventures more than they are for relaxation. Um, and just I'd like to leave with you. U just the idea that I always show up. I'm always prepared and I love to have fun. So, any questions I can answer for you

guys. Thank you. Any additional questions from the council? Mr. Evers, council member Evers. Thank you. No, I'm I'll answer anything. I don't not a question really, but um I just like your self-deprecating humor on the drummer because it's like what my joke was always, you know, what do you call a guy that hangs out with musicians? A drummer. So anyway, I I just appreciate that. Thank you. Any uh council member Kenna?

Yeah, Mark. uh in your application you mentioned uh and you touched on it a little bit in in your presentation tonight, but you uh in your application you mentioned uh growth that pays for itself and strengthens and not strains city services. So um I'm curious to learn more about that from your perspective about uh the plan from the planning commission and your time there and how you see Sumar where it fits with um the growth management act, the state housing needs as well. So could you spend a little bit of time talking about that? Um, sure. I think as a participant on the planning commission as well as, you know, being in the audience a fair bit with city council discussions and decisions, there's a um, it seems like we're constantly um, stretching that dollar and and and really worrying about how we pay for that next needed necessary thing. Um, and I'm not sure what the what the outcome is, but I know the effort and the trajectory I'd like to see is is to be very mindful about those decisions and to be um, you know, there's a sense of compliance that we have a lot with the state things. And I just I see Carla right now and andy and in some of the reports that are coming out on how we're going back to the state and saying, "Hey, can we think about this differently for our circumstance?" So I look at that and think how can we be creative and how can we be um you know improvisational with how we you know land on these things but also being from the fiscal standpoint making sure we're being super sound. Um I think with everything that's going on with federal funding and even state funding to a degree there's a I think it's more important than ever for us to be as self-reliant around how we fund and do things as much as possible and be thinking in that mindset as we move forward with stuff. So I think that's probably what the framing I'd want to bring to that. Does that answer or give you some insight?

Yeah. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Thank you. So he's got 50 seconds. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Malcolm. Thank you everybody. Thank you.

50 seconds on our timeline. Yeah, I got to do this. Uh, city administrator Wilson, can you help me with this timer real quick? Actually, the clerk will reset it. She will. Y Thank you. Good. Thank goodness. I got to learn how to set this clock. Travis Folk next. Yes, it is uh Travis Folk. Thanks, Matt. Go ahead. Pardon. Yes. I think I heard her say that. So, just when it starts to back up then

Okay. Hi. Just one second. We're going to reset the timer. Okay. Okay. Thank you. All right. We're good. Thank you.

All right. I'm Travis Folk. This will be the first time I've ran for any kind of political office, anything like that. So, seems like there's a whole room full of people that have been here before, been involved in politics. So, uh the first question is, uh why do you want to serve on the city council? Is there something particular you hope to accomplish while serving the city? Um why is serving the city important to you? It's I've lived here 23 years, watched my kids grow up, went the school district. I um never had really time to commit to something like this and finally they're old enough now. They're growing and kind of commit time. I really want to be more involved in the city of Sumar and what it's become and where it's going. Um I work local 3 minutes from my house. We're a small summoner business too. So know five or six business owners. So something I just want to be a part of and involved in. So uh I won't take the 10 minutes. That's a promise. So, um, as far as the city council, um, you have legal authority, cast one vote. Um, what's your philosophy on how to insensus on majority support of a program, policies, regulations? Um, really, it's to listen to gather all the information. Um, and that's all you can do is make a, you know, listen to what everyone has to say, gather all the information and vote the way you think you should vote regardless. Um, but the main thing is listen. So, I hear a lot of I probably go to three, four houses a week for my job. So, I hear bunch of different feedback from people what they want, what they don't want, what they like in Summoner. Um, so it's really listening, I think, is the main thing. Um, let's see.

For as far as uh volunteering, community service stuff I've done, it's been it's over years like I've done all this stuff at once. Um, I volunteered Cal Food Bank for a couple years. um did rampathons throughout building. I'm in the remodeling industry. Rampathons all the time, mostly in the Seattle area. Um that's where my work was back then when we were doing them. Um Homes for Humanity. I've helped out um they sometimes they would be building next to us and this was more local. Um when my dad and I had a construction company and we'd always help them out. They'd always come over for me. I'd mainly help them get through all their inspection stuff like that. Um so would help them out there. Um my dad and I also um helped with a program in Auburn and it was for uh battered women. So we'd go in there, fix their houses, doors, fences, stuff like that. Um so we did that for quite a while. And I'm still active with a send a vet. It's a uh for veterans, disabled veterans. They go hunting, so they do big fundraisers. So they can hunt in like Idaho, Washington, Montana, Alaska. Um, so I help them with their charity event every year with that. So, um, let's see. And let's see. Um, the council matters sometimes in making hard decisions. They are not the uh publicly or popular. They may go against staff, counsel, recommendations, even your own personal prospect, perspective. Um, really the way I make decisions like this even still is, uh, gather the facts. I ask lots of questions. Um,

I make a chart, good, bad, you know, what's the benefits of this? What's the bad part of this? um how does it impact not only what's going on now but our future and what other divisions does it impact you know if we make this decision will maybe impact traffic you know police you know wherever else it goes um and look at past experiences reach out to other people with experience also to find out what they're thinking um but I kind of use that same process used it most of my life and I still use it even on my jobs and just simpler forms terms of it, but it's always the same process. Let's see. Um, pretty I kind of told you already. Um, just about myself. Grew up I lived here for I grew up in PA, lived here for 23 years in Sumar. Kids went through school here. Um, now I finally just kind of have the time to give back to city of Sumar and help serve and that's kind of why I'm here. So, like I said, this will be the if you want the least political experience, it's right here. So, but um I think I have a lot to offer um just from my like I said, working in Sumar, being around people all the time, knowing business owners. So, I think I have a wide variety of of experience that way. So,

thank you. Yep. Any questions, Council Member Hawksteader? Travis, uh, I just wanted to thank you for for uh, having a business in SAR. That's a that's that's always enriches our community. It's it's a big step. I know. Um, I have a small business myself. Uh, and then I just want to commend you on your all that community service. I know you were pretty humble in it and it's not that didn't all happen at one time, but um, you've really helped a lot of people. Oh, thank you. Council Council Member Kenna. Uh, Travis. Yeah. Um, following up on your application, um, I know, uh, one of the questions was about your priorities for the city and what those might be.

Um, I was hoping you could take one of them. I They were, uh, infrastructure, growth management, uh, public safety and community well-being, and then, um, housing affordability was in there as well. I think maybe homelessness as well. Could you take one of those issues and just kind of, uh, expand on a little bit and share what your perspective is there? um things that you might be chasing down if if on council. Uh yeah, can you read those again? I actually should have brought my res that with me and I did not. Yeah. No, no worries. I actually thought I did. Uh infrastructure and growth management was one. Public safety and community well-being and housing affordability.

Um well, the housing affordability is the most important to me because that's kind of my industry what I'm in. And um I feel there's kind of a lot of red tape to that. Um, I think there's ways probably we could speed up the process to let people uh work their way through construction. Um, it seems like a lot of the requirements now are actually driving house pricing up instead of making it more affordable. So, it's kind of as far as that goes, that's my concern on that. Um, safety, it's always a concern. I've met three or four of the Summoner cops. They're actually all really nice and um helpful. Um, but it seems like we kind of uh I it seems like we have more of the homeless around this area than there used to be in the past. Um, and to I don't have a direct answer for that. I'd kind of have to sit down and I mean if we had the answers, it'd be wouldn't be a problem, right? But it'd be nice to kind of address I don't know what we can do for the future to help solve some of that uh problem. So,

okay. Thank you. Okay. Well, we have 40 seconds. Any other questions? Wow. I cannot I'm sorry, guys. I lied to you. Hey, Council Member Evers. Hey, Travis. Um, I just want to thank you for putting your name in the hat. That takes, you know, something right there. And And the fact that you're from Pup will not be held against you by me. I I was born at Good Samaritan Hospital, lived there through kindergarten, and I'm married to Pop Viking. So, just want to let you know there's But I just appreciate you putting your uh name in the hat. Oh, thank you. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Travis.

Okay. Uh, next is Nick Berman. Okay. Ready?

Yeah. Okay. Thank you.

All right. Greetings, mayor and council members. Um, so I'd like to address uh one question first. Uh, why do I want to serve on city council? Uh I am motivated by a strong sense of community and a desire to serve the community that I live in. To me that means being a voice for others representing their concerns at at the city council level. My experiences fighting to save the Ryan House. I heard from many Sumar residents who felt like their voice was not heard and that motivated me to stand up for them and to stand with them to ensure that all members of the community feel like they have a say in the decisions that are being made. I feel a similar similar sense of duty. I felt a similar sense of duty when I ran for office myself last year. I talked with residents. I listened to them. I heard their concerns and a lot of the things that they addressed and they shared with me. They shared some great things about living in Sumar, but they also shared some things that we can do better. Some areas that Sumar can strive to be better. All of this has deeply affected me and sticks with me every day. Motivates me to take action to serve them, to be a voice for them, represent their thoughts and their ideas at the city level. As many of you know, I've been attending council meetings, study sessions, committees, and commission meetings both in person and virtually for a number of years now as a member of the public. So, if you stop and think about that for a second, if you look at commissions and committees, council events, that's 7 to8 meetings a month. I bet I've attended 150 to 200 meetings in the past couple of years alone. I've been active and involved in local government as a public citizen and have dedicated myself to learning the process of how local government works, but I've always been involved from the outside looking in with little

power to actually adjust the levers myself. So now I feel like the time has come to put a lot of that knowledge that I've gained over the last few years into practice and in essence I'm ready to go to work for the community. As far as working together and building consensus with others, my philosophy is that that's an absolutely necessary part of taking action as a group and getting something accomplished. You need to talk to other members of the group, hear their concerns and listen to their voices, but also focus on what you have in common and not what you have that's different. So despite your differences with other people, you can always look at what you have in common. you have more in common than what you have different. And especially in a community like Sumar, I think there's many things that we have in common that we all share together. Uh council members want what's best for the community. I mean, that's that's obvious because they're serving on the council. So if we look at all the shared common goals that we have and the uh uh the approaches that we take, we may have different ideas on how to get there. But if we focus on what brings us together, we can work together to achieve these common goals. And looking back at what I helped with on the Save Ryan House effort, we put a group together of people from all different backgrounds, different age groups, different political ideologies, different levels of involvement in government and politics, different education, different experience, some long-term summoner residents, some relatively new residents to the community. And when we didn't have the expertise or the knowledge, we went and sought out experts who did have the information that we needed. We didn't always agree on everything and didn't always agree on the path forward, but we worked together as a group to find the best solutions, the best way forward as a group.

back to the uh the Ryan House. We've pivoted from our initial efforts and now we are looking to work as a nonprofit on preserving the history, finding a new museum for the community that we can all share together as a community and make the history of the community accessible to the public. Once again, my record of community service extends to other areas. Uh I've been an active participant in a few different groups. Uh one of them uh was a group that attended Heritage Lobby Day at the state capital in Olympia, meeting with state legislators and um working to advocate for the heritage arts and science community. I've also participated in efforts to help improve voter rights and increase representation at state and local levels. I've been a vocal advocate for women's rights in different volunteer positions that I've been a part of uh not just uh not just here but also in uh previous places that I've lived. Uh I had an experience here in town where I encountered a young lady late at night who needed a place to get shelter and there wasn't an option here in Sumar to take her to. So, I did the best I could to find a place and we ended up driving to Tacoma in order to get her the shelter that she needed. I also have experience making difficult choices and choices sometimes make you unpopular with people. I know that very well. Um, getting involved in the effort to save the Rin House was extremely unpopular for some people. But more importantly, I was able to stay involved. And even though that required uh making difficult decisions in my personal life, I faced a lot of headwinds, soulsearching moments, a lot

of difficult times, but I stuck with it because I believed it was the right thing to do. I believed in our community. I believed in our ability to come together and to work together for the best for the community of Sumar. Even though the path was not easy, I stuck with it because doing the right thing is not always the easy thing. I may not originally be from Sumar, but I chose to live here and be a part of this community. I want to emphasize that that was a choice. I've lived here for 5 years now, and I feel a strong sense of pride living here in Sar. I attend the parades and the events here. I cheer on the sports teams. I was at Husky Stadium when the high school football team won the national champion or the state championship. Don't want to get ahead of myself. That won the state championship. The last two times I was there in person. I was there in person when the the high school girls went to state in Tacoma. I live here. I shop here. I work here. I'm part of the community. The folks at Fred Meyer know me as the customer who comes in late at night after my shift's over. Probably one of the last people to to shop there at night. My pharmacy is right here just down the street. I picked up a prescription there just a few days ago. Uh, and even after all that has happened, all that's been said in the last few days or last few years, all that's happened, I'm still here. I'm still fighting to make our community better. I haven't gone away. I'm still active and engaged and involved. I I'll leave it at that and let you ask any questions that you may have.

Thank you. Any questions? Deputy Mayor Elers, this is I just you kind of addressed on this and it's not a super substantial question, but I did see on your application that you did mention like I think you lived in Boston, Utah, Wisconsin, Oklahoma. Uh so I did you did say that you chose Sar for a specific tell me how you found Sar because I don't see that you worked here. Your job was here. I just was curious. Yeah, it's kind of interesting fact. So

yeah. So, okay. So, I I lived in Seattle before I moved to here and I had some friends who lived in Sumar here and I would come to the daffodil parade and uh participate in some events with the community with through my friends and then when they moved away their their apartment became available and I actually, you know, kind of thought about this. I'm paying the same amount of money that I'm paying in Seattle that I would be paying to live here and I'd be getting four times the amount of space. I'd be getting parking. I'd be getting washer and dryer. I'd be getting so many things that I'd be paying the same amount for. Um, and I thought, well, this is a no-brainer. Like, I've I've loved it when I visited Sar and it just seems like there's no reason to not jump at this chance. So, I did like and I I moved here immediately once once they left for Florida.

Council member Kenna. Hi, Nick. Uh, thanks for joining us tonight. And, um, I wanted to go back to something you mentioned earlier. um I think towards the beginning where you talked about your campaign for council last year and some of the things you heard from the community um some of the nice things the the successes we have in our community but also some of the challenges and the opportunities or the areas where folks are concerned. Could you address a little bit more about what was kind of eyeopening for you and maybe um some lesson lessons learned about you know running in that campaign?

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean there were a lot of things that were eye opening. I mean, just the amount of effort, time, money that you invest when you make a decision to run for office. Um, that was eye opening, but it was also rewarding because I would kind of psych myself up to go out on the street and talk to people or go door todo. And then afterward, I felt like, wow, like I really connected with some people and they shared some really, really important things with me, like things that they really liked about what somebody does. like a lot of the things that were really good that they shared with me were about the parks. They really felt like the parks were were very wellmaintained and they were happy with the parks. Um, but when it comes to other things that could be done better, um, I distinctly remember one particular person talking about the roads in front of his house and how he said that this this road, he's complained about it many times. It's got lots of potholes. It's it's kind of like broken up gravel. And he said that nothing ever gets done about it. And it sticks to me to this day. Like I I could go to the house today and remember talking to the person, the address, the location, and and like I want to do something like I want to go back and say, "Hey, we we can fix your road, but you know, I can't do that right now.

Thank you." Mhm. Okay. Anyone else? Time's up. You okay? Do we have time? I was just going to say thank you for putting your name out there, Nick. And this is um I was in the past life. I was unaccounted before and all my friends their joke was always you know all you do is you know people call up and yell about potholes they know all the other things are involved especially in in Sumner so um that that that is that's something that I think is is very important to take care of the roads and people's streets right in front of them and that's a big priority so thank thanks again

okay thank you thank Next you guys.

Mhm. Uh Travis Butcher. Hi. Okay. Are you ready? Let's do this. Okay.

Uh, hi. My name is Travis Butcher. Um, so why do I want to serve on the city council? Um, well, I've been a resident here for 10 years. Um, and my background has led me to this point. Um, I uh studied political science um at Western Washington University and I work for King County now as a senior business systems analyst and uh in that realm uh I just love problem solving. Um we deal with 90 different uh union contracts there and I have to take um analyze those contracts and turn them into business processes. So, um, we've got, you know, you probably have your own, um, HR system. Um, and, um, you know, at King County, we have to pay, um, 17,000 employees. It's about $2 billion worth of annual payroll. Um, but it's really cool to be able to work with wastewater, work with transit, work with public health, work with the sheriff, all having different needs and making sure that they're met and, um, that we're obeying, um, all laws and contract language. Um, uh, is there anything particular I want to accomplish working on the city council? Um, not necessarily. I like this opportunity because I am not a politician and I would love to just be here for two years and kind of I've loved to see um in the 10 years I've been here uh I've been really impressed with uh the government here and um all the great work that's been done and I just want to um kind of hold that seat for two years and just be a kind of steady voice um to to get you through to um the next election. Um, why is serving the council important to me? Um, this is a cool thing that happened to me when my wife and I were in the

market for um finding our forever home um where we wanted to raise a family. I decided to um take the commute down to Tacoma back up to Seattle to see what that was like on the Sounder Train. And living in the Pacific Northwest, I always knew about, you know, cities like Auburn, Puallup, uh, Kent. Um, but there was one stop here in Sar that I, you know, you guys don't make the news too much. And, uh, that's a good thing.

Yeah. Um, but the train rolled up and, uh, I saw this cute little um, uh, train station, just a beautiful downtown, and that the rest of the train ride um, you know, I I looked up homes for sale. I told my wife to go look at one and we put in an offer sight unseen. I never even stepped in the home. I just knew um based off of just seeing the town and uh doing just quick research that um this was a great place for anyone to raise a family and um you've proven it to me. I love this city and um it's just a really great place and I want to continue um to have everyone have that opportunity. You know, I I I want somebody else uh anyone whether they are in the market for a uh apartment, any of the new town homes, I want them to have that same feeling that I had um when I rolled through and I said, "Wow, this is a great place." Um uh as a council member, um what's my philosophy on how to build consensus? Um well, working at King County government, uh like I said, we've got 90 different uh unions, uh 17,000 employees. Um you could imagine how many uh uh department directors uh um and and everybody has their own agenda. Um and just everyone has their own um uh um uh a way of um their natural being. Um they train us on what's called a DISC profile, which is just your natural leaning. Some people are more assertive, some people are more uh analytical. Um, and just having a good understanding of the people that you're working with um, uh, really helps diffuse a lot of situations. Understanding that, hey, somebody might be real outgoing and and abrasive, but that doesn't make them bad. Everybody brings something to the table. Um, and I feel like most of the problems that we

have when we're trying to come to consensus is not understanding people's different um, personalities or or just a misunderstanding about facts as well. Um, let's see here. Describe any community public or community service. Um, my whole life has just kind of uh, incrementally um, gone through public service. Um, I started my career as a a parks worker up in uh Bellingham, Washington. So, parks maintenance, um, I know exactly what your parks maintenance people go through. You know, I wore the gear, I drove the truck, I was a representative for the city. I knew that, um, you know, my actions on the clock, uh, represented people's tax dollars at work. Uh, and so, um, I understand when they're filling out maintenance logs, what's that what that's what's that's like. Um, after that, I worked for Watcom County, um, as an elections clerk for three years. Um, and, uh, as you all are, elected officials, uh, you probably know the election process and there is a lot of, um, kind of misunderstanding on on elections. And the great thing is um that's where I first learned that information is so good at diffusing um uh uh kind of highly political situations. And um one of my favorite things to do in that position was uh I loved the challenge of when somebody was very upset to listen to them because from where they were at they were really upset about something and being upset about something is valid. um uh I didn't want to dismiss their concerns, but kind of listening to them and kind of showing additional piece of informations and watching those situations get diffused. Um uh it was really great and and I loved the challenge of of of calming people down. It was a really cool thing

and I hope I can bring some of that um to this position. Um and then after that I've spent 17 years at King County um as a senior business systems analyst and um it's a highly technical position working with our HR system uh working with big data and stuff like that. So um that's my background. um making hard decisions. Um yeah, this is this is something that I deal with every single day at my work. Um a lot of times when you work with software, you're at the mercy of um what they provide you with updates. Uh you can imagine we've got 17,000 employees. Um when a system change comes through, um it doesn't impact everybody the same way. And so it's kind of the same thing that you might have on the city council. you might make a decision that doesn't really impact or it's not very um out in front in some people and uh but for a small minority um it really affects them and um those are situations that I find myself in. A specific example is the vendor changed um the way that the time sheets were delivered. And you know, change is hard for a lot of people. And uh some more than others and everybody processes change differently. And while this change uh didn't harm very many people, there were some people that uh had to it it really impacted the way they did their work. Um they charge out to very many different projects and it was just totally useless to them. Uh, and so listening to them, uh, getting their

feedback, going back to our vendor, um, and being able to, um, put in really meaningful service requests based off of the feedback from the public, or not public, but their employees, um, were able to make, uh, changes for that system. And so, um, you know, that's just an example of, you know, some other people in those positions might say, you know what, it's good enough for 80% of the county. These people will eventually get used to it. And that is true. Eventually, sometimes, you know, cooler heads prevail with time, but um to be able to listen to people um that's something that I'll be able to bring. Um, and is there anything else that would help you get to know a little better? Um, you know, uh, I'm I'm just really excited to have this opportunity. Um, my wife, uh, and I, we've we've raised our kid here. He's now, uh, at Daffodil Valley Elementary. Um, I've been inspired by my wife who um is volunteering at the uh at the the Sumar um uh food pantry and um you know I'm doing my best as a volunteer as a watchdog but this is a great position for me um because you know the meetings at night uh it's really good and um I wouldn't have applied if I didn't think that I brought value to this position. So, I thank you all for your time.

Thank you. Okay, we've got 10 seconds left. We three minutes. Back to three. Are we done? Mayor, you actually Oh, three minutes. Okay. Any questions? Okay. Council member Ranky. Yeah. Travis, just uh real quick, you mentioned that you would keep the seat for two years on the appointment. Does that mean that's all you wanted or did you run in two years for an additional term limits or you just want to do two years?

I one thing you'll get to know about me is uh I am a very uh cautious person and I don't like to put myself out there. That's why I thought this appointment was really good. I do not envision myself running um in two years. Um uh you know I uh I mean I can't say anything but I I I can say that's why you haven't seen me apply before because uh I think I'm two years and done. Thanks, Council Member Kenna.

Yeah, thank you Travis. That makes sense because you're an analyst, right? You got to really overanalyze. I'm an analyst as well. I get it. Um going back to your application uh in the priorities you may have for the city, I know I think it was your top one was maybe economic vitality. Um, is there a way you could expand upon that and and if you have any ideas about what you might be interested in um once you get up here, what that might look like if you were to get up here. Um, you know, as far as economic vitality,

you know, that's a that's a good question. It's uh I I've I've been in public service my whole life. I've never run a business. That's one place where I, you know, am lacking. And you know, we do have experts uh and uh we have a great downtown um uh business association. Um and um I I it if we all had the answer to it, you know, we'd be in a lot better place. I I thank you for the question. I wish I had a better answer for you, but um I you know, I know I just know that um you know, I'll take the information that's given me and do the best I can. Yeah. Okay. Anyone else? Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Next is Matthew Richardson.

No, no, no, no. Sorry. She's got to set my timer.

Hello. Good evening. Are you ready? I am.

Okay. Well, good evening. My name is Matt Richardson and I uh as you know from the application, um I was on council for a number of years. Uh the the short um u explanation of my experience is basically um I was a deputy mayor for a year. I was on council for almost eight years. I was on the planning commission for six. I was our city's delegate to the Pierce County Regional Council for four years and also elected at uh by that body to be their vice chair for three of those years. Um the first question I guess we'll get right to it and that is uh why do I want to serve for the city council? I think for me it comes down to um experience. Uh I had a long uh record of doing a lot of really interesting and good things for the city that we're benefiting from now today. Some of them were budget decisions that put us in a good position where we are now. I served with uh Mr. Everest on on my first council for just a couple years before he left. Uh but that council at the time had a lot of experience. There was a lot of people on that council that were um on council for eight or more years. Um and the things that we did there um were interesting because there were so many budget items at the time that really were going to set us up for the future. And one of them, one of those decisions was what to do with the um the uh golf course. And uh the golf course is a big issue for us to sell it or not sell it. How much was it draining from the budget? How much was it not draining from the budget? Of course, it was very

popular at the time because it was a golf course. It was a walking course. It was a link style course. It was a park in a way for the city. We had to let that eventually go. Um some of the other things that we did that were um important at the time um we're trying to find incentives for targeted developments. And one of the things that I' I've noticed uh in Sumar at this point is uh we've had about 20 years now of prime um location vacancy along uh mainly Main Street, but there's a lot of other areas that even back when I was on council, uh we thought these were going to be solved into the future in the very near future. And that hasn't happened. No fault to anybody at all. It's a very competitive environment. We all know that. Uh but the issue for me kind of is is one of my primary uh things here as far as um seems to be maybe not out of place but has to be taken on very actively is to um recruit and um get targeted developments and to consider what the candidates coming into the city might need. Uh that was always a big issue for us on the council, how to balance what they needed, what we could give them. A lot of this was tax exemption, zoning help. Um one of the big issues we dealt with was my council uh voted and brought into into existence was the YMCA. Uh there was many study sessions um many uh executive sessions, emergency sessions even a couple of those about how to get the zoning and the land needed for the YMCA. It almost got built up on Church Lake Road if if any of you remember that. uh it was almost built up there and the city at the time, the

council had to really rally around the idea of of how we were going to make a decision on something that might have been unpopular in the beginning for a long-term goal. And uh those are one of the the difficult aspects of being on the council. We'll get to that later a little bit, but you all know exactly what I'm talking about. And I think that at this point um what's most important to me is to continue to make a Sumar that we all know to be Sumar. I have five kids here. Uh they've all graduated from Sumar High School. Uh I built my first home here on Daffodil in 1996. uh my second home in 2005 which burned and I just have uh have in the last couple of years fixed that up again. And um it's important for me to come back to um the city council to help. I really am a helper. I'm almost 60 years old now and uh I I just feel like um the experience will be a good thing at this point for uh the council. Um, a second thing would be being one of seven votes is always an interesting process. For me, it really comes down to information, listening, and open-minded alternatives. We have to be inclusive. We have to be respectful. Answers that come at the end of discussions sometimes come from people we we we we we wouldn't wouldn't know would have an answer until you we've listened to everybody. We all have such different experiences. Um and we won't know what those what those answers will look like until we listen to everybody. That's what I really learned when I was on council for that number of those number of years.

Um, number three, I would say, uh, let's see here. Um, I already discussed the house. Um, let's see here. Depending on written. Okay. Um, I guess we'll just move to number four. I don't have anything for really number three. I mean, I've listed it already. my experience is is is kind of there, so it's kind of redundant. Uh, number four, um, I'm I'm a team player. I'm a I'm a teacher. I've been a teacher for more than 20 years. I've been a coach for almost most most of those years. Um, I was elected deputy mayor by a majority of my council that I was on. Um, also um um elected by the Pierce County Regional Council for the vice chairmanship that I was on. And in all of those uh on all those boards, it really comes down to really listening. The more I was on council, the more I realized the more you listen, the better off everything's going to be really in the end. Decisions get made at the end. There's questions for staff. There's questions for each other. There's motivations, not bad motivations, but motivations or perspectives about things. Uh having gone through a houseire myself, I have new perspectives about the fire department. I can guarantee you that. I uh have new perspectives about um permitting and zoning and by the way our permitting and zoning in the city is excellent. Um so that's that was a nice nice find on that for that process. Um we also managed the uh East Pierce Fire and Rescue merger at the time the industrial area reszone for the north part of Sumner. These were these were

very huge decisions as you as you know from the past. Um and all the things that we are dealing with come down to several things but mainly money zoning summer's character and public engagement in my opinion and the more we have of that summer university began when I was out when I was on council. It was something that we started and I'm glad to see it still going. I'm a graduate of that of that college. Uh and it is a good college in a way. It's a college. And one other thing I didn't mention, I I have a certificate of mun municipal leadership from the association of Washington cities. That was something that I wanted to mention that you you may not have known uh from number uh number two. Um, making decisions. Um, making unpopular decisions that lead us to popular goals is a tough one. Conversely, making popular decisions leading to unpopular goals is another big problem because you're doing popular things that people want you to do, but they lead to things in the end that aren't good for the city and only you know it. Only you know it or the city staff knows it. And this is why public engagement, open process is so critical and something that Sumar does very well by the way been doing it very well for a long time. I don't run into very many people in the in the 30 years I've spent living here that ever say not really that I've I'm uninformed or I can't get the information or I was excluded from something or there was no way to actually get my voice heard. That's not something I really hear out there in my

30 years. I think Mark might agree with that. We've been on council um a a lot of us have been on the council to know that we do a good job in communicating. I think our newsletter is very good. Our open discussions university is a great tool to make sure people hear what's going on and I think that's something I want to continue to be a part of. Uh again, I have a servant heart about me. Uh I want to be part of that process again and uh I thank you for giving me the chance to um sir your time is up. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions? All right. Thank you. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. Burli. Burli is next. Burl. Burl. Eddie. Eddie. Burl. Eddie. Shut down. She was on it. She was like flies on stink, man. It's good. Hello. Good evening, Mayor and council members. Okay. Are you ready? Well, let's do it.

Okay.

Have I even got a clock here? All right. Uh, question number one. Why do I want to serve on the city council? Um, I have an interest to serve on the city council because I have a learning mindset. I really enjoy doing new things and bring in new experiences. Um, I spent a lot of time working in public center type jobs and so I've thought this might be a good time to start transitioning and shifting into what more can I do in the community that I live. Um, I have a not young family anymore, but medium, the youngest is in high school. And so being able to see the kids continue to grow in this city is something that's important to me. and being able to see how that they're able to grow up and maybe I can be a part of how the city continues to take shape um is something that's important to me. And so um I guess another last piece on that is I really enjoy solving problems. And so if there are problems to be had like you would typically find in any type of organization, um I'd like to be able to dig in and be able to understand how can I be a part of the solution? What does that look like? and uh um really kind of see the the fruits of my labor as it were. Um I think I've answered number one. Any questions there before I move forward? Number two looks at a philosophy of building consensus and majority support for programs, policies, or regulations. Um what that speaks to me is it's around engagement. How do you start working with other people? How do you build relationships? How do you start getting into a space of uh collaboration and engagement with one another? Um without the ability to work in a space where you understand you're working with other humans, people and how that you know they want to operate and show up. Um if if you're not able to understand that, reflect and be able to have those types of conversations openly, um you're you're going to find yourself in a

difficult position to to move forward. Um I guess another aspect to that is um trying to understand other perspectives and so it's inviting the stranger in some of the trainings that you might have been in yourselves like really trying to to pull in other people's perspectives and opinions. Um and another thing I like to really try to embrace because I manage a team within my current organization. Anything you do can't be done in a silo. you have to operate and understand what other people are doing. There's always going to be some cross-pollination that needs to take place and take shape in order to manage solutions effectively. And so, um, communication is definitely key in really working with other people in that space. So, any other questions there? Moving forward to number three, uh, describe any form of public community service I have expending written. Okay. So, previous to my current role at Sound Transit, I was in six years with the military, um conducted three different tours uh with the uh United States Navy. Um upon departing that uh with a quick stint, I then shifted into uh the the transit space. And so, I've been working with Sound Transit for 17 years. Um, a lot of the projects that we work on impact passengers, the daily public folks that ride our services. Um, I specifically work with a technology team to help ensure that passengers are able to buy fairs. So, the ticket vending machines, the things that you see out there at the platform, my teams are managing those systems. We help put them in place, make sure that people are able to use them effectively. the security systems that you see out there at our platforms. Um we're ensuring that the upkeep and maintenance of those systems are operating. So again, for public safety, ensuring that we have those

types of systems in place, the emergency systems, uh such as uh emergency call boxes, that sort of thing. Um so we're ensuring that we're taking the public's perspective. Anytime anyone's out there, we want to ensure that they're being taken care of and um able to use our services effectively. Um, I guess also in that space you you can potentially get into an environment where you might put something in place and set it and leave it and forget it. Um, I also try to encourage folks to have have that perspective of continuous improvement. And so it's, hey, where are we at today? Where do we need to be tomorrow? What does it take to get there? And start ensuring that folks are having those types of conversations um, in that environment. I will note that this would be my first stint on a community council of this nature and so this would be new to me. So, but I would be excited to help support. Number four, council matters sometimes making hard decisions. So, working through difficult decisions and what does that look like? Um, so when I looked at that question, I would view it as breaking it down from you have to make sure that you have the right information in order to properly work through a decision-making process. Um, you have to engage the right people. Again, referring back to the conversation around collaboration, engagement, you also have to come in from a perspective of you have an opinion and your opinion isn't always what matters, right? you can have an opinion and you can bring that forward, but you do have to step outside of that and start to reflect openly like can I change right and are you willing to shift your idea and your opinion in order to make something bigger and better than what you're already bringing forward and so I think with that kind of perspective um you're able to make better informed decisions doesn't mean you have to like what comes out of a decision-m process but you can

hope that you have a fair and equitable uh assessment that does take place. How we doing on time format? Um, one other thing that you might look at is kind of building a systems approach. So, sometimes people can go kind of off on their own and make their own decisions just ad hoc. I like to bring more of a logic approach. If I can find a way to model things, have a system that's in place that allows me to help bring better decision-m not only does it help myself, but it helps reflect for others in that space. How did he come up with that decision point? Right? Right. And if you're able to have an open conversation around how we've got to where we're at and maybe the assumptions that were layered in there, um maybe they can point your flaws in that whole system, you're able to have a better conversation instead of just, well, this is what I think and deal with it, right? Oh, examples. Um I guess a couple things would come to mind as I manage a team. Um setting new operating hours has been a challenge. Um, we've had to shift as an agency. We're growing and so we've had to have some good conversations around HAP. As a result of that, we need to shift hours. Obviously, not everyone likes to have change in that space. And so having conversations with people that their day-to-day lives are going to be changed as a result of the new hours that they have to come to work on um required a lot of conversation and collaboration engagement around new expectations, new standards and why are we working through kind of next steps while also reflecting on how that was going to impact uh the staff. And so having more open conversation which allowed me to step back and say okay well maybe we need to shift it to the more um uh agreeable understanding on both both teams parties. So um given that the time I want to move on to the next one number five. Oh anything else I would like to add? Um I guess the big part of it is I do really enjoy

problem solving. um I really do kind of digging into matters at hand and trying to to help solve issues that that that might be presented. Um and that when I am engaged in something, I do take it to heart. I really enjoy taking personal responsibility and accountability to seeing through. Um and so I will consistently work through something until it's um gotten to its fruition or there's a shift or a change or or something else. Um, so I am open for any questions. Any questions? Council member Kenna.

Sure. Uh, thanks so much for your time tonight and for applying. Uh, I I was going to go back to your application. Uh, you talked briefly, um, about, uh, working on a divisional strategy team initiative to approve approve improve team dynamics for employees. I was wondering if you could kind of expand on maybe, um, what that was. you know, uh, we go back to the conversation about like hard decisions and public input versus staff recommendations and just kind of some difficult environments sometimes. So, that kind of was of interest to me to hear more about that initiative and what role you played and if there was an outcome. Yeah, we had a few of them, but the probably the most successful one was a number of years ago, we um I I managed a team and it's a broader team now, but originally it was a team of technicians and it was a singular role. Um that role um became bigger and harder to manage because uh of the number of systems that each individual once you got hired on had to to to learn. And so in order to help improve employees um engagement and their desire to continue to stay with the the company and continue to grow, we built out a tiered level. We worked with our HR team to help determine what would that look from an equitably an equitable standpoint. Um we then built out a knowledge management uh framework so that we can actually um have appropriate buckets of knowledge that once you got hired on this is what you need to do in order to get to the next phase and the next phase and um we were able to exercise that appropriately or get that executed I should say um within our HR team and and actually have that we're one of the only teams that you are able to walk through that kind of a series just automatically through our internal kind of review and engagement process in that space. Um, no other team is able to do it. You have to go through additional loopholes in order to to to properly

um what they call as a reclass but basically getting those promotions. And so I feel like that was a a successful venture. Uh and then when going down to that knowledge management space um a couple years later we worked with multiple teams to build out knowledge management um framework uh elements. So again, you're defining the roles, you're understanding responsibilities to help clarify for folks what am I really doing here? How does success show up for me in my role? And we started to help build that that framework out. Um, so thank you. Thank you. Good. Deputy Mayor Elers.

Yeah. Hey, thank you uh very much for coming. I quick question. You've mentioned a couple times that you really enjoy problem solving. Outside of your uh work, can you give some examples of things like problem solving, things that you like doing? Uh, I like woodworking. So, my wife wanted me to build out some uh shelves in a uh a bench area. Um, and so actually this was a Christmas project that was really fun to to engage on and so I had to figure it out as it were because I'm not a woodworker by trade. Um, so I had Sir, thank you. Your time is up. Sorry about that. Thank you. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Amy, Amy home. Amy home. Three minutes total for the responses. Push my button. Shoot.

I'm bringing up the rear. I know you're all very excited. Are you ready? ready. All right. Okay.

Good evening, council. Thank you for uh taking the time to speak to all of us. Um as to the first question, I want to serve on city council because I am deeply invested in the future of this city and the community. Um I believe I've demonstrated this by running for council this past fall. During the campaign, I was able to connect with many city members, um, citizens, hear their concerns, understand what their issues are, everything from preserving old growth trees to the, uh, developments that are going on in our city right now. Um, and that information informed how I ran my campaign. And so what I would say is that I want to serve on city council because 45% of the Somar voters that voted in the fall chose me to serve on city council. Obviously I lost to Mr. Evers. So it was not successful. But um even so I did I was able to connect with enough people um and they did hear what I had to say and they did believe and trust in me enough to vote for me. So, uh, I also believe that my experience, um, and my training to critically and objectively evaluate situations and issues makes me an excellent addition to the council. If appointed, uh, I would support making changes to the regulatory environment um, that would support new businesses and attract new businesses to Sumner, specifically food businesses, restaurants, that kind of thing. Um, I still want to make inroads to having a farmers market. I still want to have a community garden in possibly one of the vacated spaces that are in town. Um, and I would support and improve uh public transportation infrastructure in the city. Obviously, I'm not privy to the internal financial discussions that go on, so I can't speak specifically to that, but that's something that I would um want to support. I would also foster a positive relationship with our local

authoritative bodies, specifically the police department. Um, and then housing is obviously an issue for me because I care care a lot about it. Um, I would I would like to make uh would like to support more avenues for lowincome housing, specifically potentially tiny homes, the ADUs that we're working on. I supported the mobile home park overlay on the planning commission because I know how important it is to offer those kinds of housing um to all different factions of our community. And so I would support more of that through zord zoning or ordinance or other regulation. Um as to the second question, my philosophy on creating consensus is sort of one I've crafted over a lifetime. I would say um in my current work as an eviction defense attorney. I am tasked uh with listening to the tenant, listening to the opposing council, listening to the landlord, and taking all of those issues and information in turn to create a path forward that works for everyone. So, it doesn't always mean that everyone is happy or grateful or even likes the outcome. That's not always the case. But uh what I would say is that I defend tenants against eviction but I don't ignore the needs of the small business owner and the land owner and the landlord. Um consensus with respect to opposing parties is difficult but it is a skill that I have learned um to hone over the last two years specifically. Uh, as to the third question, I served on the planning commission since last spring and I have learned a lot about the internal decision-making process of the city council and the commissions and everyone's jobs. The most important thing I think I have learned is that uh unanimous decisions

are not the always the best way to move forward. constructive debate, um, discussion and definitely differences of opinion are part of the job. And I, um, I find that if I am able to speak up and ask questions and leave no stone unturned, that is the best way to represent other voices in our city and our citizens. I think it's my duty to do that. And so I um, I would like to ensure that all avenues to any decision are heard. That's what I have tried to do on planning commission. Um, second, also for this question, um, I want to say that I have a really deep commitment to the safety and welfare of the public. I worked for the attorney general's office a couple years ago as a law student and I'm about to return there as an assistant attorney general in a few weeks. And I say all of this to say the work that I have done and um the work I will be doing focuses on ensuring that the public is safe and protected. It goes beyond volunteering. It goes beyond you know spending my time um doing something just because just to do it. It is a core value and it has driven my career. So it is really important to me. Um, as to the fourth question, I have a lot of experience making difficult decisions and having a lot of difficult conversations with people. Um, over the past 18 months, I have represented almost 200 indigent tenants um, in eviction proceedings. For context, my clients do not choose me. I am appointed to them and they come into their case thinking certain things. They have preconceived notions about things. They may think something is right or wrong and I have the difficult duty of explaining to them that not always what they think is actually correct or legally relevant. Um

so I have had a lot of difficult decisions to make. Um if my clients share something with me that may help their uh defense, I cannot disclose that. I have a duty of confidentiality. I have other legal duties that I have to uphold. And because of desperation, sometimes I am the party to blame. And so I a lot of times deal with derogatory remarks made towards me or offensive comments um from my own clients, from the landlord attorneys. But in the end, objectively, none of that matters because none of it is about me. It is about finding a way that all the parties can move forward together and resolve the situation. And so that is always facilitating a resolution is always my final goal. Um regardless of whatever my personal feelings are or personal feelings of everyone else involved. Um I would just like to end by saying um I think I wrote this in my application but I realize that I did not grow up here. Many of you did. Um many of the applicants uh for city council did grow up here. I specifically chose to live here. My family and I specifically chose to move here. We moved here because we love this place. I love Sar. I ran for city council because I love Sumner. I applied for the last vacancy because I love Sumner. And the only thing that I want to do is serve the city to the best of my ability. Um, and even though my candidacy was not successful, um, I would reiterate that over that time I did make a lot of connections and relationships to a lot of people in SAR and I think um, I would be able to contribute on city council in a meaningful way. So, thank you for your time. I will concede the rest of it if you have any questions for me.

Thank you, Council Member Evers. Just really really quick, Amy. Thanks for the You're awesome. Um, really quick, it isn't really relevant to I guess serving on the council, but you are you you said you're going back to the attorney general from your job that you've been at. Yes. In a couple weeks. Okay. I just Yep. I will be in government compliance and enforcement representing the liquor and cannabis board. So, it would not conflict with any of this, but it is government compliance and enforcement. So, thank you. Yeah. Anything else, Council Member Kenna?

Hey, Amy. Thanks for your time tonight. Um, in uh your uh speech, but also in your uh application materials, you mentioned your campaign for council um and some of the community uh engagement and feedback that you received um along the way. And I was wondering if you could kind of share with us a little bit more about, you know, what you heard uh positive or negative, otherwise concerns, opportunities from the community that they're looking forward to. um just kind of expand on that a little bit more.

Yeah. Uh I heard a lot of different things. A lot of people are very concerned about the amount of um development that is occurring all at the same time. Um my understanding of that is because of things being backed up with COVID. It sort of all happened at once and so it kind of looks like it's all together but it has been in the works for a long time. Folks are really concerned about the traffic uh and the parking. the traffic specifically down Thompson. I think down valley um perhaps enforcement of the um speed limits might help that out. That seems like an issue. Protection honestly protection of the old growth trees that were torn down over here for Hops Alley. That was a concern for some folks. Um I do know that in other places you there there are provisions to be able to protect those old growth trees. I'm not sure if we have um explored that avenue, but I do know that there are ways that other cities have dealt with that. So, I mean, it would be a thing to consider potentially. Um and then some stuff about the comp plan and I would say I think I have to explain myself uh the comp plan on planning commission. I voted no and I voted no specifically because there were voices that needed to be heard that I felt that council needed to be aware of and uh that is why we Mark Malcolm and I talked about that and we voted no on that. It wasn't because technically I don't believe in it. Again, it's not about me. It's about what I have heard from some citizens and I was passing that information along and I thought it was important for council to know. So, I mean that gives you a little bit more insight as to what I think my job is.

Thank you. Any other questions? Council member Hawksteader. Amy, uh, thank you for applying. I I appreciate your persistence. I I know many of us up here have uh have um had gone through this process as well where we had to go through a very I'm sorry, Mr. Hawker. The three minutes is up. Oh, you got me, Michelle. Thank you. Thank you, Amy. Okay, thank you. Just pretend I answered whatever you All right. Thank you all for your service and your time. I appreciate it.

Okay. So um in a minute I'll adjourn the study session into an executive session for 20 minutes for the purpose of evaluating the qualifications of a candidate for appointment to elective office per RCW42.30.1101H. There will be no action to follow. So, I'll go ahead and adjourn this meeting to go into executive session at 7:32 p.m.