Federal Way council candidates sound off on PAEC vote, more at Mirror’s forum | Slideshow
Published 11:36 am Monday, October 12, 2015
The Federal Way Mirror hosted a forum for City Council candidates on Wednesday at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club.
Participating candidates included:
• Lydia Assefa-Dawson (incumbent) and Mark Greene are competing for Federal Way City CouncilPosition 1. Assefa-Dawson was appointed to the council last year to fill a seat vacated by Mayor Jim Ferrell. Assefa-Dawson serves on the Land Use and Transportation Committee, the Committee to End Homelessness and the State Advisory Council on Homelessness. Greene has a long-time record of political involvement and most recently lost to Congressman Adam Smith. Greene has a background in the Revived Citizens Party and supports the labeling of genetically modified foods.
• Julie Hiller and Mark Koppang are competing for Federal Way City Council Position 5. While Koppang has ran for the City Council before, Hiller is a political newcomer. Koppang has served on multiple committees, including the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Civil Service and Independent Salary commissions and Kiwanis. Hiller is a businesswoman who leads the Human Care Ministry and serves on the board of Light of Christ Community Garden.
• Dini Duclos (incumbent) and P.K. Thumbi are competing for Federal Way City Council Position 7. Duclos was elected in 2007 and appointed as deputy mayor in 2010. Duclos serves as chair of finance for the Economic Development and Regional Affairs Committee and is a member of the Parks, Recreation,Human Services and Public Safety Committee. Thumbi serves on the Arts Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission and applied to be appointed to the vacant council seat last year but the seat was filled by Assefa-Dawson.
Among the questions, council candidates were asked about their top issue for Federal Way.
• Assesfa-Dawson: While Assefa-Dawson agreed that Federal Wayans need jobs that provide a liveable wage, she said the solution should be in education. Instead of being utilizers of services, those same people can participate as contributing members of society.
• Greene: Affordable housing and providing a living wage to its citizens are Federal Way’s top issues, he said. Because low wages don’t provide a good lifestyle, Greene said the city should bring innovative solutions-based businesses that focus on the environment to help solve that issue.
• Hiller: She wants there to be opportunities for career potential and the development of jobs for the Federal Way citizens but she also believes in looking after those who are in need of more basic care. She said the city is not doing all that it can to take care of its homeless population and believes there should be a balance in city government.
• Koppang: Bringing family wages jobs to Federal Way is a key issue for Koppang. He said there’s various policies the council can focus on to do that but one way to solve that problem will be to work together with Weyerhaeuser to bring in a company that provides those jobs. Koppang also said he’s concerned about the events center’s lack of funding but since the bid was already awarded, he’s committed to solving those problems.
• Thumbi: He also believes economic development is an issue in Federal Way and wants to see traffic improvement along South 320th Street. Thumbi emphasized the importance of helping small business and added he has concerns with the Performing Arts and Events Center’s current financing plan.
• Duclos: The long-time councilwoman said the city’s top issue is downtown redevelopment. She said the city is starting to turn that around with the recent bid award of the Performing Arts and Events Center and the purchase of the former Target site. She also mentioned the purchase of the Cratsenberg property will be positive for the city.
Members of the audience asked if candidates believe there should be a citizen vote on the construction of the Performing Arts and Events Center before approval.
• Assefa-Dawson: She said it would take too long for a citizen vote, as the project is set to break ground soon, but thinks that implementing this approach for a different policy decision in the future is a good idea. “But we’re doing the right thing now,” she said.
• Greene: He believes the people of Washington state were some of the first who started initiatives and that any time there’s a “grand event,” that the “people ought to be part of the process.” He doesn’t support the events center because he believes the city should take care of basic needs before spending a lot of money elsewhere.
• Hiller: She said there is “no good reason voters are not getting a vote.” She’s frustrated with the lack of progress in acquiring certain funds for the events center, however, noted she’s not an anti-Performing Arts and Events Center person. She believes there’s been an indication from citizens that they want a vote and it’s being ignored.
• Koppang: He said he understands the desire for the vote but stated the city is too far along and has spent too much money on the project that implementing a public vote would be “devastating” for the city. “Everybody wants a voice,” he acknowledged but at this point, that voice would not serve the people. “It’s time to move forward.”
• Thumbi: In spending $30 million of taxpayer’s money, he believes the least the city could do is allow those taxpayers a vote. He has concerns about the project’s funding.
• Duclos: She said the events center discussion started during her first term on the council but the project was shelved after a change in government and the Great Recession. Although this caused the city to hold off on progress, the mayor’s Blue Ribbon Panel’s results and her conversations with businesses provided context that going forward was the right decision. She said not everyone will always agree.
Weyerhaeuser property replacement?
• Assefa-Dawson: She doesn’t want business to disrupt the campus’s gardens and greenery with huge development.
• Greene: He doesn’t know but will think about it and provide an answer on his blog.
• Hiller: She hopes to see a worldclass company such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing or Amazon come to Federal Way. Or possibly a future-thinking tech company.
• Koppang: Because it’s private property, Koppang said it’s for the free market to decide. But whatever company it is, he wants it to provide family-wage jobs.
• Thumbi: He doesn’t see why the city can’t make it a Silcon Valley and wants city officials to think big.
• Duclos: She wants to see a med-tech research or educational facility or college located at the campus.
The Mirror will host one more public forum for candidates in the general election. The second candidate forum will also be held at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club, 3583 SW 320th St., Federal Way. Audience members will be able to ask the candidates questions.
The forum will run 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 14. This forum includes: Bill Fuller and Roger Flygare for South King Fire and Rescue for Fire Commissioner Position 2; Angela Griffin and Claire Wilson for Federal Way Public Schools director of district No. 2; and Rep. Carol Gregory and Teri Hickel for 30th Legislative District House of Representatives Position 2. General election ballots will be mailed Oct. 14. The election is Nov. 3. To learn more, visit kingcounty.gov/elections.
