Recap of 2021 Candidates' Night

 

The Haller Lake Community Club and the Broadview/Bitter Lake Community Council co-sponsored Candidates’ Night on September 2, 2021 via Zoom again this year. HLCC President  Karen Bamert and BBLCC President Angela Fava welcomed guests and moderated the event. The following candidates participated in the evening’s discussion:

Both Mayoral Candidates - Lorena Gonzalez and Bruce Harrell

Both City Council Candidates for Position 9 - Sara Nelson and Nikkita Oliver

City Council Candidate for Position 8 - Theresa Mosqueda (Challenger Kenneth Wilson did not respond to our invitation to the event)

Both City Attorney Candidates – Ann Davison and Nicole Thomas-Kennedy

Participants submitted questions in advance but also were able to submit questions via chat during the event. The topics on the constituents’ minds included homelessness, public safety and property crime, the future of the Seattle Police Department, and our diminishing tree canopy.

All the candidates agree that more needs to be done to improve safety along the Aurora Avenue corridor. Gonzalez, Mosqueda and Oliver called for measures to address speeding and allow more space along the roadway for pedestrians and alternative means of transportation.  Harrell reminded participants that it is a state highway and many proposals have already been attempted but said he would take full advantage of the $2 Million DOT study and look at every possible capital improvement. Nelson would like to follow Shoreline’s model.

The candidates for City Attorney had a difference of opinion as to the role of the office. Davison said the City Attorney is the legal advisor for the city’s legislative body, whereas Thomas-Kennedy said that the position has various executive decision-making functions of its own, including prosecutorial discretion. Davison called for more collaboration across various city departments and agencies to improve public safety and police reform. She said that we do not get anywhere with reform by demonizing people. Thomas-Kennedy said that we need to take away from law enforcement the kinds of tasks that they are not qualified to offer, such as substance abuse or mental health counseling and social work. She is interested in reducing the criminal side of the office and increase the civil side to litigate those the issues that are most harming Seattle, including wage theft and abusive property owners. She would support any reform measure that doesn’t increase SPD’s budget.

Both mayoral candidate suggested that addressing homelessness is a priority for them and that they support more money being spent on this crisis. They differed on what the source of the funding should be. Harrell would earmark 12% of the general subfund. Gonzalez would like more progressive revenue streams so that large corporations in the Seattle area are paying their fair share. Both Gonzalez and Mosqueda called for the need for more unity between the Mayor’s office and City Council and felt that the lack of unity caused unnecessary delays in addressing the homelessness crisis in the last year.

Mosqueda, Nelson and Oliver all agreed that increasing housing density and protecting our tree canopy are not mutually exclusive. Mosqueda would like to focus on creating urban centers that reduce the amount of distance people need to commute. Nelson called for a new and improved tree ordinance. Oliver shared that this was race and economic equity issue that needs to be addressed in all neighborhoods of the city.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Junction Point Homeless Shelter Off 128th Street

Image
 I was able to tour the Catholic Community Services Homeless Shelter, Junction Point, last week.  This shelter is located at 1132 N 128th St. near Stone Way and 128th St.  There shelter is a series of small, individual building for the residents that look something like "tiny homes".   I met up with Sharonda Duncan, Division Director within CSS Homeless Services.  She manages 4 of CCS's shelters around Seattle.  This shelter became active last June.  It has capacity for 49 individuals, men or women who are 50 years old or older.  The shelter is currently at full capacity. The shelter does utilize volunteers from the community.  They can use help with their plants/gardening and putting together hygiene packs and move out packs for the residents.  If you are interested, you can visit the shelter and ring the door bell. This is a shelter that moved from the old Junction Point location along Elliot Avenue.  The Elliot avenue shelte...
Read more

Green Tips From The Community - November 2024

  Let’s build soil! This time of year gives us a great opportunity to build our soil. If you haven’t picked up your leaves yet, please consider using them. Also, how about woodchips in your yard? Nature is amazing at building healthy soil if we get out of the way and let it. Healthy soil is rich in nutrients and does a get job managing water.    It helps grow happy plants and creates an ecosystem system within its self. Here are a few ways you can help nature build your soil…. Leaves - if you still have leaves on the ground, leave them. You can put them under your trees and shrubs, in your home composter, turn them in your garden bed or spread a layer of them on your garden paths and top them with arborist woodchips. These lovely leaves are great at making soil! Arborist woodchips - woodchips are excellent at building healthy soil. I say arborist woodchips because woodchips you buy at the store generally aren’t great soil builders. Reason… arborist chips come untreated, s...
Read more

From The Archives - December 2024

As a teen floating around the Lake on my all wood paddleboard I made in the 1960s, I couldn’t help but notice the many flowering lily beds tucked on shorelines.  The bright green pads fashioned as designer plates looked stunning against multi- colored full-open flowers.  Add blue dragonflies whizzing about to get the full effect.  R. C. Byers, an early Haller Lake pioneer dating to 1910s, was known as the “lily man” not to mention he built his own cabin, cleared land, and replanted trees, shrubs and…25 varieties of lilies.  A story appeared in Sunset magazine “The Lily Grower of Haller Lake” claiming his status.  Our own Shawn MacPherson’s aunt, Anne Segale, told her local kids would sell Mr. Byers lilies at Pike Place Market. Today many Lake homeowners have the coveted lilies, well, perhaps some are coveted. They spread from Byers's shore front to around the Lake over 100 years.  It’s a tedious job to clear lilies. I’m told people spend several sessio...
Read more

Baldwin School Report

  I interviewed Guillermo Covajal, social worker at Baldwin.  Twenty elementary schools are considered for closure in SSD for 2025-26.  In any case, the new and large Baldwin will take on twice their number of students.  Not a done deal yet, but Broadview looks to close sending their staff and students to JB.  District officials will speak at Baldwin on October7, at 6:30 under the topic “Well Resourced Schools.”  With the huge school deficit, the meeting will cover cost saving measures. We’re off to a good start with 3rd grade science.  Our overarching theme is saving orangutans from lost habitat due to palm oil production.  Students look at three islands as refuge.  They study the landscape, collect climate data and do weather experiments. Randy Baldwin Liaison
Read more