Candidates for Carnation City Council

The City of Carnation has five council seats up for election

because of the city's plans to change from a council-mayor to a

council-manager form of government. Once the new council is elected, the

members will appoint a mayor to serve as a representative of the

community.

Until recently, all positions were unopposed. However, last

week Joan Sharp announced that she would run against Mary

Osterday for position 3 in November.

In preparation for the General Election, the Snoqualmie

Valley Record contacted the candidates and asked them to respond to

the following four questions:

• Why are you running for the Carnation City Council?

• What background and experience will you bring to the

council and how will they benefit the residents of Carnation?

• What are the top three issues facing Carnation?

• How do you plan to address and solve these issues?

The following are the responses from the candidates:

Mary Osterday

I am running for city council because I know I can make a

difference in the quality of life for the citizens of Carnation. I have

attended nearly every council meeting for the last 11 years and I

have participated on mayor-appointed committees.

Because of my council meeting attendance, I am already

familiar with the past, present, and future issues the city faces. I have

lived here for 19½ years and am familiar with the city's history.

Through my attendance, participation and familiarization with

the processes, I will provide the citizens with the most knowledgeable

candidate. This will also have the added advantage of a very short

learning curve to become productive.

The top three issues facing the city are financial accountability,

public safety and sewers. For financial accountability, we need to prioritize

and reduce unnecessary spending. Regarding public safety, proper

management and performance measures are important. And for sewers, we need to

set goals and objectives and set timelines for achievement.

I also want to provide more usable park space by doing something

with the park properties we already have. I want to provide kids with areas

to skateboard and play basketball off of the street.

Joan Sharp

I believe I can offer Carnation the type of thoughtful positive

leadership that is needed. I have the background, skills and interest to serve

effectively and am willing to prioritize the demands of governance with those of

my family and job.

The background and experience I bring includes 20 years'

residence, which provides grounding in where we've been, that will help in the

assessment of where we need to go and how to get there.

Through my work in the non-profit and public sectors, I have had

considerable experience in policy development, public processes at all

levels, developing and maintaining collaborations, community building and

decision making.

My experience has also taught me that we'll all get a lot farther by

focusing on opportunities rather than the deficiencies.

Having been a part of the "good governance" movement in

Carnation as a member of the citizen's committee that recommended the

council-manager form of government and as an advocate for better police

services, I have a strong interest in assuring

that the city sustains the forward momentum it has achieved recently.

Key issues facing Carnation:

Sewers. It's very likely that critical decisions regarding a

Carnation sewer will be made by the Council we elect on Nov. 2. This

is an issue that has repeatedly come up, leaving some bitter

divisions while remaining unresolved. It's important that the process used

to consider the issue is fair, comprehensive, open and thoughtful

so that, regardless of the final decision, we can all feel as comfortable

as possible with the outcome.

Continuing to improve city services by emphasizing

accountability and customer service. We need to keep a close eye on the

changes implemented recently to ensure that they are living up to our

expectations. Is the contract with the County for police services

delivering the desired level of protection and professionalism? Is our

restructured council-manager form of government providing the

improved responsiveness we hoped for? And where is the next, best

opportunity to reform government to better serve our citizens?

Community building. Like the other Valley cities, Carnation

has gone through major changes related to growth. We need to continue

to look for ways to enhance the sense of community that is threatened

as our traditional rural, small town way of life gives way to the

new realities of the 21st century. The city can be an active partner in

solving problems, promoting respect for diversity, the value of

community involvement and supportive relationships, in making sure our

priorities put people first.

And the inevitable, flooding and the issues related to living in

a physical environment dominated by water. We must keep this issue

in focus, and stay alert to the threats and opportunities related to this

reality.

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