A total of 22 local residents are looking to fill the vacant Position #5 seat on the Olympia City Council.
The successful candidate will have an opportunity to help tackle the city's challenges with housing affordability, homelessness, city budget, public safety and labor issues.
The City of Olympia has released the combined rankings for applications to fill the vacant seat.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the council will review the applications in order to finalize the selection process, which includes scheduling interviews for Monday, Jan. 13.
The successful applicant will serve a 10-month term on the council, with the option to run for election in November.
The new council member is expected to be seated at the Tuesday, Jan. 14, meeting and participate in the council's annual goal-setting retreat later this month.
As part of the application process, the candidates responded to supplemental questions from the city.
Their responses highlighted issues they believe are crucial for the city, offer support for existing city initiatives, and propose approaches to address current challenges.
Timothy Leadingham, a federal employee, advocated for affordable housing in the city by promoting multi-family, multi-story developments near public transportation areas while reducing parking space.
He supports the restoration of Grass Lake Park and reintroducing natural vegetation and forests in other parks, such as Yauger Park.
Kelly Green, Advancement Vice President for South Puget Sound Community College, emphasized the importance of cross-jurisdictional collaboration to address challenges like affordable housing.
Green believes the city can make more progress through unified regional efforts that balance goals and priorities, budget realities and staff resources.
James Lewis, who serves as vice president of the Bigelow Highlands Neighborhood Association, said the high cost of housing requires multiple solutions.
Lewis proposed incentivizing new construction and encouraging residents to add dwelling units by reducing impact fees, as a means to increase supply and keep rentals locally owned.
Tammy Adams, who serves on the Olympia Planning Commission, shared her vision of equitable, sustainable and safe housing.
Adams emphasized the importance of bringing together diverse perspectives to accomplish shared housing goals that are fair to all stakeholders.
Lani Bertino, who dedicates her time mentoring to women in technology, proposed creating small housing projects and/or homeless camps with facilities.
To address homelessness and addiction, Heather Spradlin, a community volunteer, said one of the solutions is providing more direct services in the encampments or tiny home communities.
She mentioned offering recovery services, skill trade workshops, as well as employment assistance to improve community health and safety.
Daniel Garcia, who serves on the Olympia Planning Commission, supports expanding affordable housing options by partnering with nonprofit developers, revising zoning codes for higher-density housing, and leveraging state and federal funding.
Garcia also supports increasing assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness by improving emergency shelters and providing crucial services, including mental health care.
As a contributor to Olympia's long-term financial strategy, Jim Lazar's focus would be on responsible budget management.
Lazar said the long-term financial strategy calls for terminating programs that are not delivering the intended benefits. He is also concerned about the increase in city employees from 500 to more than 700.
Lazar aims to maintain current staff levels, only adding positions with new funding sources to operate the programs. Lazar said Olympia needs to manage its budget expectations and recognize the limits imposed by state law.
Tela Hogle, an advocate for LGBTQ+ youths, wants a review of tax codes for sustainable and equitable funding.
In his review of Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan, Zachary Lynch highlighted the city’s limited revenue from business and excise taxes.
He proposed analyzing how much money spent or generated within the city that is being paid out to major multibillion-dollar corporations and what future sources of revenue could be considered to maximize the amount of dollars remaining and circulating only within Olympia.
Lynch is an advocate for marginalized and vulnerable groups, and is actively involved in various nonprofits and community organizations which support underrepresented communities.
Katrina Schmitt, a Olympia Design Review Board member, stressed the need to prioritize the safety and well-being of residents.
She proposed collaborating with law enforcement, community leaders and mental health professionals to address the root causes of crimes, enhance community-based safety initiatives and expand crisis response options.
Michael Marstrom, who has an extensive background as a school principal, supports continued de-escalation training for Olympia's police force. He advocates providing law enforcement with the necessary tools to uphold laws.
Tanzania Zenzali-Marshall, who serves as a member of the Thurston County Board of Health, proposes improving public safety with increased community policing and expanded mental health resources.
Timothy Adam Harrison, who served as a state board member for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), proposed community oversight.
Caleb Gieger, who works at the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, believes in maintaining effective oversight of the police.
Gieger emphasized the importance of community trust, while acknowledging the police's role in public safety. He aims to mandate an annual report on police activity, which would be presented to the council and published for residents.
Max Lambert raised a public safety concern about the issue of unleashed dogs in Olympia’s public spaces. Lambers said many dog owners unleash their dogs in city parks, neighborhood streets and elsewhere, allowing dogs to run free with little or no control.
This practice creates safety problems for people and other dogs. Lambert is currently the Director of Science for the Nature Conservancy’s Washington chapter and was previously a senior research scientist with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
As an environmental scientist, Bridgette Valdez-Kogle said the city must be adaptive and proactive to protect future generations from environmental pollution.
The city should prioritize development and businesses that meet strict environmental standards and increase access to green programs, in-home environmental assessments and audits, and retrofitting buildings to be more sustainable.
Isaac Wagnitz, who served as a worksite leader with the United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 367, backs the Workers' Bill of Rights proposed by labor and community groups.
Despite concerns, he believes that it would not harm small businesses. He said some businesses and nonprofits support it, saying it would increase Olympia residents' spending power and benefit the local economy. This could lead to more local government revenue and improved housing stability.
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RondaLarsonKramer
Nicely done article. This obviously took a lot of work.
Tuesday, January 7 Report this
longtimeresident
I really appreciated knowing the backgrounds of these individuals, whether in their work capacity or as volunteers. Thank you!
Tuesday, January 7 Report this