Though the local political discussion has been dominated by the City Council District 1 race for months, you’ll be voting in many other races this summer/fall – among them, Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors Position 6, representing West Seattle and South Park. Marty McLaren, the Puget Ridge resident first elected four years ago, confirms to WSB that she plans to run for re-election. And her first challenger has come forward today: Leslie Harris, a native West Seattleite and longtime local political activist, who announced via her personal Facebook page, from which we quote with her permission:

My reasons are that we can do so much better for our kids and families and communities.

We need to put more dollars in the classrooms. We need to address the cycles of high stakes testing. We need to address the current and looming capacity crisis. We need to address the decades of maintenance backlogs. We need more transparency and more follow-up to unanswered questions. We need to replicate what is working and move away from failures. We need accountability and leadership. I have attended board and committee meetings at the central office for over 10 years, worked on other Directors’ campaigns and do understand the commitment for what is essentially a volunteer position.

With 30 years active in the Democratic Party, as a District Chair and several years service on the State Democratic Central Committee, State President of my professional association and two terms on its national board, and 13 years of PTSA, several years on a school building leadership team, recent lengthy service on a local contemporary dance company board, over 20 years on community college advisory boards — I understand board policy making functions and fiduciary duty. I know how to read budgets and ask questions and drill down to the critical facts.

Harris, who is a veteran litigation paralegal, says her website will be live by week’s end at harrisforschoolboard.com.

(CM Clark in West Seattle last month, speaking to Southwest District Council)
12:01 PM: City Councilmember Sally Clark already had announced she wouldn’t run for re-election – and now, she’s leaving early. She’s resigning in two weeks to take a new job with the University of Washington, described here by the UW. Council President Tim Burgess is expected to talk later today about the process of appointing someone to fill the remaining months of Clark’s term.

2:16 PM UPDATE: The timeline and details of that process have now been announced – from an open application period starting tomorrow, to an appointment on April 27th. Read about it here.

Exactly two months after our first report on a city proposal meant to facilitate three more encampments in Seattle, the final version of the plan won unanimous City Council approval today. Here’s the news release that followed:

City Council unanimously adopted legislation today allowing for new interim use permits for as many as three transitional homeless encampments on property owned by the City of Seattle, private parties, or educational major institutions in most of Seattle’s non-residential zones. The encampments will serve some of the 2,813 people homeless in Seattle, providing a safe and managed site for people to sleep and reside.

The encampment proposal originated from the Mayor’s Emergency Task Force on Unsheltered Homelessness, which was based on a bill proposed by Councilmember Nick Licata in 2013.

Read More

(WSB photo from Saturday’s mayoral visit)
As reported here in-depth on Saturday, Mayor Ed Murray spent about 2 1/2 hours in West Seattle that day, including a walking tour of The Junction and Triangle, and a “coffee chat” with about 20 in attendance. After all that, we had the opportunity to ask the mayor a few questions one-on-one. Ahead, our questions – inspired by recent reader comments and community-meeting discussions – and his replies:

Read More

Announced by the Department of Neighborhoods‘ district coordinators – Mayor Ed Murray is making a quick conversation stop in West Seattle on Saturday (March 28), his second visit this month (first one was at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting – here’s our coverage, with video). It’s a public event, 12:30-1 pm at Chaco Canyon Organic Café, northeast corner of 38th/Alaska.

2:18 PM: Thanks for the tips: West Seattle entrepreneur Dave Montoure has announced via Facebook that he is no longer running for the District 1 City Council position. That leaves 10 candidates. We are seeking comment; more to come.

3:01 PM: Via e-mail, Montoure confirms his withdrawal, and also gave us permission to republish the statement he posted on his personal FB page:

Friends, family and fellow small business owners. A little over six-weeks ago, I entered the campaign race for Seattle City Council District 1. It’s been a great experience and I have learned a lot from talking to old friends and new acquaintances. However, it is with regret that inform you that I have decided to withdraw from the campaign.

My passion for issues that affect small, independent businesses and the greater prosperity of West Seattle is strong as ever, and I have come to believe that right now, I’m a better advocate as a private citizen than as a politician. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work as simply, Dave.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

3:37 PM: Added photo from Montoure’s original campaign announcement. And for the record, here’s where the District 1 race stands now:

CANDIDATES: David Ishii (back as of 3/9/2015), Pavel Goberman (declared 3/5/2015), Tom Koch (declared 2/19/15), Lisa Herbold (declared 2/11/15), Shannon Braddock (declared 2/11/15), Brianna Thomas (declared 2/11/15), Phillip Tavel (declared 2/4/15), George Capestany (declared 11/11/14), Amanda Kay Helmick (declared 10/20/14), Chas Redmond (declared 12/20/13). Filing deadline is May 15th; primary election is August 4th. Along with voting on the D-1 position, West Seattle/South Park also will vote on the two “at-large” spots, Positions 8 and 9.

The next District 1 Candidates’ Forum is scheduled for the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting on April 8th (7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy).

(UPDATE: All video now added – at-large candidates’ pitches plus full District 1 candidates’ forum)

(District 1 participants, post-forum. From left: Helmick, Thomas, Redmond, Tavel, Capestany, Koch, Herbold, Braddock, Goberman)
10:04 AM: We’re at the morning’s second big West Seattle event (first one here) – the VIEWS-presented City Council candidates’ forum at the Senior Center of West Seattle. First, a short segment with at-large candidates before 10 of the 11 District 1 hopefuls are grilled.

(VIDEO CLIP ABOVE: Alex Tsimerman, followed by David Trotter)
At the microphone first, Alex Tsimerman, well-known for his appearances during public-comment periods at City Council meetings. He contends a “mafia” controls government and should be overthrown.

Second, David Trotter (above), who begins by saying the minimum-wage law “codifies poverty … by exempting most of the businesses in the city.” He, like Tsimerman, has filed for at-large Position 8. (Note: Trotter is a West Seattle resident.)

(VIDEO CLIP ABOVE: Jon Grant, followed by John Persak and Tim Burgess)
Up third, Jon Grant (above), who also is running in Position 8. He is a tenants-rights activist who accuses city leadership of giving “utmost deference to developers.” He says candidates need a “level playing field” if democracy is to be preserved.

4th Position 8 candidate, John Persak (above), who also speaks of development concerns, and then goes on to transportation, “a huge issue for West Seattle … we have to figure out ways to give incentives for people to take other means of transportation, not to force them out of their cars, but to give incentives.”

And the 5th candidate for Position 8, current City Council president Tim Burgess (above), says he wants to “keep doing this work” because he wants to “keep getting good things done.” First thing he touts is the transit-funding measure.

(VIDEO CLIP ABOVE: Bill Bradburd, followed by Lorena González)
10:20 AM: On to at-large Position 9. Bill Bradburd, who says he got involved when a “big box shopping mall (was planned) for Little Saigon,” is speaking, and development is his big issue – “I want to bring back a community voice to the neighborhood-planning process.” He draws the first audience applause of the morning by saying that the city should be charging impact fees.

Second and final Position 9 candidate here, also the first woman to speak, Lorena González. She talks about her advocacy background and “progressive values” and commitment to fighting for gender/racial/economic equity. (Note: González is a West Seattle resident.)

(VIDEO ABOVE: ENTIRE HOUR-LONG, NINE-CANDIDATE DISTRICT 1 FORUM)
10:29 AM: Emcee Michael Taylor-Judd from VIEWS says 10 of the 11 District 1 candidates RSVP’d, though one is not here (David Ishii) so far. Pete Spalding from VIEWS reads a brief statement from Dave Montoure, the one candidate who said he couldn’t be here, because of a “long-planned family vacation,” per VIEWS. Taylor-Judd then explains the organization, which has been around to some degree for six years, but is now trying to ramp up into a peninsula-wide community-building group.

Each candidate will be asked for a quick one-minute introduction involving their community work (present/past). First, Amanda Kay Helmick, a Westwood resident, co-chair of WW-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, co-founder of West Seattle Transportation Coalition. Second, Brianna Thomas, a Junction resident, who lists her boards as Working Washington, Washington Bus, 34th District Democrats, Church Council. Third, Chas Redmond, a Gatewood resident, whose volunteer work includes the Junction Association’s upcoming historical survey, plus producing Alki, Delridge, Morgan festivals. Fourth, George Capestany, who lists his fabled goat feeder on Jacobsen Road as his most-recent community work, as well as work he’s done with children with autism (including one of his own). Fifth, Lisa Herbold, a Highland Park resident, who notes she has worked as assistant to Councilmember Nick Licata for 17+ years and also was on the Neighborhood House board. Sixth, Pavel Goberman, who says he immigrated from the USSR, and is in the health/fitness business. Seventh, Phillip Tavel, a Morgan Junction resident, who says he’s working on the Morgan Junction Community Festival and has long done Wednesday night trivia at Talarico’s, where a fundraiser for the Y is coming up next week. Eighth, Shannon Braddock, an Admiral resident, who is and has been on the WestSide Baby, West Seattle Food Bank, and Lafayette Elementary PTSA boards, and is chief of staff for County Councilmember Joe McDermott. Ninth, Tom Koch, who mentions that he helped with the Admiral District Adopt-A-Street cleanup last weekend.

10:43 AM: Question for each: What form of transportation do you primarily use, and what WS transportation issue would you work on first? The answers:

Thomas – Bus/walk. Increasing access to some of the WS bus routes – like the hourly 22, and Alki, with no service in the evening.

Redmond – Bus/walk. Would work with SDOT to add lane to the offramp to 99 from the West Seattle Bridge.

Tavel – Car. Increasing access to bus routes – mentions the 37 and “other underutilized areas of WS.”

Herbold – Bus (Route 131). Making sure Bridging the Gap renewal has more money for sidewalks, pedestrian improvements, Fauntleroy Boulevard project.

Goberman – Transit because, he says, he can’t get a driver license due to problems in Oregon that affect him here. That seems also to be the problem he’d work on.

Tavel – Car. Increasing bus access to West Seattle so it’s “not 90 minutes to Fremont” – “for our bus system to work, you have to be able to get anywhere.”

Braddock – Car/bus. Renewal and expansion of Bridging the Gap levy and would continue to fight to make sure state is providing viaduct-mitigation money for extra bus service; also mentions expanding Route 120 service.

Koch – Walk/drive. Get development projects to “pay their fair share” so there would be more money for expanding transit. (He says $200 million “left on table” without development fees. Draws applause.)

Helmick – Walk/bus/drive. West Seattle Corridor Project; would like to see a busway to get buses moving from WS to downtown, plus rapid transit for WS.

10:52 AM: First lightning-round question: Are patrol boundaries for SW Precinct too large?

No – Helmick, Redmond, Tavel,
Waffle – Koch, Braddock
Yes – Others (except Goberman, who doesn’t raise his)

Second lightning-round question: Do you support the new homeless encampment ordinance?
Waffle – Helmick
No – Capestany, Tavel
Yes – Everyone else

Ever testified at a City Council meeting?
Thomas Capestany Herbold Goberman Tavel – no
Others – yes

Support city advocating for legislation enabling rent control?
Helmick Capestany Tavel – no
Braddock – waffle
Others – Yes

Do you support renewal of Bridging the Gap levy?
All – Yes

Should Seattle develop its own broadband utility?
Herbold – Waffle
Capestany – No
Other seven – Yes

Non-lightning round, with Dorsol Plants of VIEWS taking the podium: What’s the most common crime in D-1 and what would your priority crime problem to work on be?

Redmond – Property crime; would work with police on Block Watch programs
Capestany – Breaking and entering; agrees with Redmond, and work on community spirit, mentions “diligent” older neighbors
Herbold – Home and car break-ins; restore community-service officer program that SPD had before the recession
Goberman – Break-ins; need more punishment to reduce crime
Tavel – Property crimes but most disturbing thing is rise in robberies; get more police out there, walking, bicycling beats, patroling
Braddock – Property crimes; need more police officers and need officers to be out of their cars, on the streets; also educating neighbors and getting them more involved with each other
Koch – Agrees with Tavel, property crimes BUT robberies most disturbance; applauds increases in police budget but not breakdown in trust between police and community, so will hold SPD accountable
Helmick – Property theft; police-hiring system needs work to screen for people who don’t just look at community as enemy/suspicious/doing something wrong
Thomas – Property crimes; better use of technology to look at what’s happening and who are we stopping/where/why, also wants to look at the concerns about the depolicing of South Park

Next question: How do we protect the history and character of West Seattle while still protecting business and enabling affordable housing for future generations?

Capestany – Fan of development to some degree but keep in mind that what works in other neighborhoods doesn’t necessarily work here.
Herbold – Growth goals have come with an unfulfilled promise; supports impact fees and linkage fees so development pays its fair share; opposes Director’s Rule on redefining parking requirements.
Goberman – Worried about money taken by politicians, has a plan to create jobs but doesn’t want to see environment destroyed.
Tavel – Growth is going to happen, but has to be responsible, intelligent, sensitive to community, whose interests should get more weight in this. Developers can get a weekend retreat with politicians but citizens get 2 minutes’ access only.
Braddock – Supports impact/linkage fees, thinks developers need to be brought to table in community talking about what we want to see, be “cooperative.”
Koch – Wouldn’t be running if city had done decent job on development issue. Has built affordable housing without public subsidy, has built public schools. “We’re doing everything the wrong way here … community is not listened to … the process is broken.” Says city has had right to impose impact fees for 25 years but “hasn’t gotten around to doing it.”
Helmick – Interested in preservation districts like Pike-Pine. Need to build more buildings because if we don’t, prices will keep going up. But doesn’t have to be “canyons,” can be townhomes like in Westwood.
Thomas – Agrees with most of what’s been said. Diversity of housing stock important – needs to be ‘accessible and affordable,’ and while Amazon’s economic engine is important, some cultural challenges are “leaking into our neighborhoods .. that we need to address.” Families need “someplace to grow into.”
Redmond – Transit-Oriented Development doesn’t work, need the transportation to go along with the development. Working directly with developers can make a difference, as has been done in Morgan Junction (where he’s been on the neighborhood council).

11:12 AM: More lightning round. First question – Do you support the current body-cam pilot project with SPD?
Helmick is lone “no”

Would you support allowing police to not carry firearms while patrolling in West Seattle?
Helmick and Thomas are the only “yes”

Do you support construction of third stadium in SODO?
Only yes answers are Capestany and Herbold

Are you capable of communicating with voters in a language other than English?
Goberman, Redmond, Capestany, Koch say yes

Do you support SPD using Guardian One helicopter in WS?
All yes except Thomas says no

Would you work to help make sure dogs could use pools before public pools are closed for cleaning (which has been tried at some)?
All answer yes or waffle, with some quizzicality about the question itself (submitted by community, ViEWS explains)

11:17 AM: Not lightning round. “Inside District 1 is a neighborhood with lowest life-expectancy in the city. Name it and say what you would do to fix it.”

Herbold – South Park, continue fixing Duwamish problems
Goberman – not sure but would do his best for all citizens of West Seattle/South Park
Tavel – South Park, knows the air quality is even worse than the river quality, speeding up Duwamish cleanup and regulating industries would be most important
Braddock – Duwamish Corridor, continuing to restore public-health clinics is important
Koch – same community in his answer, city budget priorities are important, and collecting more money (development fees) could help with this problem too
Helmick – Delridge, because there’s no access to good fresh food; Delridge Grocery will be starting up and trying to bring fresh food to Delridge, also, improving walkability in area, bike lanes, must be done
Thomas – South Park, “children can’t breathe,” and Delridge, “kids can’t eat.” Need to fix those problems, city hasn’t been able to incentivize a grocery store on Delridge; also in SP, air-quality problem
Redmond – Both Delridge & SP have serious health problems. City could help with providing race/social-justice funding for Delridge Grocery as it does for other kinds of enterprises/activities. For SP, stronger pushback against EPA Record of Decision, remove more toxic material from the river before we cover it up.
Capestany – South Delridge. Get healthy food. He thinks the area should have three grocery stores.

(By the way, the correct answer to “lowest life-expectancy in the city” is – North Delridge. In the 60s.)

One more question: What plan do you have for the city’s own Myers wetland (Taylor-Judd mentions the “Save Myers Park” meeting happening simultaneously)?
Goberman – Not familiar with it
Tavel – Does need to be protected
Braddock – Agree with protecting it, but we’re having trouble with maintenance in other parks, need to study more
Koch – Protect it
Helmick – Very familiar with this area, wetlands protection important, once land is gone, it’s gone, for preserving it
Thomas – Not familiar with it
Redmond – Preserving wetlands very important, not much preservation in that area
Capestany – For preserving any wetland
Herbold – To preserve it, the city first has to look at not selling it.

(P.S. Read about the Myers Parcels here.)

11:28 AM: The event is now breaking into “speed-candi-dating” in small groups. We’ve recorded the preceding part of the event on video and will add here when it’s ready, later today/tonight.

11:59 PM: We’ve now added all of our video clips embedded inline above – three clips totaling all of the Position 8/9 candidates’ quick pitches, and the full hourlong unedited District 1 forum. As far as we know, your next chance to see the candidates together will be at the District 1 forum the 34th District Democrats‘ are planning for their next meeting, April 8th.

Another one of those days where the news started early and we haven’t published the usual daily list of calendar highlights. From everything you’ll find on our Event Calendar page (continuously updated, so check any time), there are two big things happening tonight. One, the Police Chief’s visit, already mentioned in our just-updated-again coverage of today’s big SPD news. The other: Mayor Ed Murray is expected at tonight’s 34th District Democrats‘ meeting, which also will include “quick-draw questions” for District 1 City Council candidates. Here’s the agenda; the meeting’s at 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).

VIEWS, the West Seattle group organizing the second local City Council candidates’ forum of the season this Saturday (March 14th), has sent the final official announcement with details on how it’ll work:

Come meet and hear from your Seattle City Council District 1 & At-Large Candidates

10 of 11 District 1 candidates confirmed to attend along with Bradburd, Burgess and Gonzalez! (added) And Persak

VieWS has partnered with The West Seattle Senior Center on a weekend opportunity for friends and neighbors to learn what is happening on our Peninsula, and walk away more informed about upcoming elections!

9:00 – 10:00 Meet & Greet Candidates / Breakfast Available [by donation]
10:00 – 10:15 At-Large City Council Candidates address audience
10:15 – 10:30 Welcome from VieWS and Forum Agenda/Rules
10:30 – 11:45 City Council District 1 Candidates Forum
11:45 – Noon Wrap up with a brief bit of Speed Candi-dating!

After brief candidate introductions, moderators will ask questions on a variety of subjects covering Transportation, Quality of Life, Public Safety, and Human Services. We will also feature two “lightning round” opportunities for candidates to answer YES or NO to some high-profile issues that we are concerned about (e.g., Do you support the new homeless encampment ordinance? rent control?). Finally, we will wrap up with an opportunity for you to meet in groups with a couple of candidates in a “speed dating” opportunity for the folks at your table to ask your own questions of the candidates.

The forum is at the Senior Center of West Seattle (Oregon/California).

BACKSTORY: This is the second candidate forum of the season in West Seattle; we presented the first one on February 5th at Highland Park Improvement Club (WSB coverage, with video, here), and the number of candidates has since grown from 4 to 11. The filing deadline is in mid-May; the primary, which will reduce the field to 2, is on August 4th, with the general election following on November 3rd. West Seattle/South Park residents will vote on District 1 as well as at-large Positions 8 and 9; you can find the newest candidate list any time on the right side of this city webpage. Not registered to vote? Do it now!

The list of candidates vying for your vote in the first-ever District 1 City Council race is now up to 11. But the newest name isn’t entirely new – last fall, David Ishii appeared on the list of candidates, then in December moved to an at-large race, and then on Monday called to tell us he was awaiting word on whether he could move back to the D-1 lineup. The city website shows he has done just that. His website describes Ishii as a “Vietnam-era vet, political activist, artist, sculptor, poet.” He’s run for council before.

IN THE DISTRICT 1 RACE NOW: David Ishii (back as of 3/9/2015), Pavel Goberman (declared 3/5/2015), Tom Koch (declared 2/19/15), Dave Montoure (declared 2/17/15), Lisa Herbold (declared 2/11/15), Shannon Braddock (declared 2/11/15), Brianna Thomas (declared 2/11/15), Phillip Tavel (declared 2/4/15), George Capestany (declared 11/11/14), Amanda Kay Helmick (declared 10/20/14), Chas Redmond (declared 12/20/13). Filing deadline is May 15th; primary election is August 4th. Along with voting on the D-1 position, West Seattle/South Park also will vote on the two “at-large” spots, Positions 8 and 9.

CANDIDATES’ FORUM THIS SATURDAY: The field has almost tripled since we hosted its first formal forum a month ago. The second one is next Saturday morning (March 14th), presented by VIEWS at the Senior Center of West Seattle, starting with an optional benefit breakfast at 9 am (VIEWS is nonprofit); the forum is set to start around 10:15 am. Updated information on the forum is centralized on this Facebook event page, including which candidates have RSVP’d.

1:57 PM: An 10th name has turned up on the city website as a candidate for the new District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Council seat – Pavel Goberman. Though his website, getenergized.com, describes him as a “Portland fitness guru,” and he has run for offices in Oregon in the past, the Seattle candidacy declaration puts him at a Highland Park address.

IN THE DISTRICT 1 RACE NOW: Pavel Goberman (declared 3/5/2015), Tom Koch (declared 2/19/15), Dave Montoure (declared 2/17/15), Lisa Herbold (declared 2/11/15), Shannon Braddock (declared 2/11/15), Brianna Thomas (declared 2/11/15), Phillip Tavel (declared 2/4/15), George Capestany (declared 11/11/14), Amanda Kay Helmick (declared 10/20/14), Chas Redmond (declared 12/20/13). Filing deadline is May 15th; primary election is August 4th. Along with voting on the D-1 position, West Seattle/South Park also will vote on the two “at-large” spots, Positions 8 and 9.

2:48 PM NOTE: Thanks to Diane for correcting us. Somehow we leapfrogged #10 and declared this to be the 11th – Goberman is candidate #10, and we have corrected that above.

If you have something to say about the city’s proposed rule changes regarding encampments for homeless people, tonight’s the night to say it. 5:30 pm at City Hall, the council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee will listen to comments during an evening meeting devoted entirely to a public hearing on the proposal (here’s the agenda).

The goal of the rule changes as they’re written now – see the legislation here – is to enable up to three encampments, up to 100 residents each, at city- or privately owned sites no closer to each other than a mile.

Since we first reported on the proposal a month ago, it’s been discussed at multiple committee meetings, and at least one more is planned. We listened in on the most-recent one, last Friday. These maps – further clarifying sites that might qualify if the new rules pass (adding overlays such as the mandated human-services and transit-stop distances) – were part of the agenda:

Many of the questions at last Friday’s discussion involved how a proposed encampment would be proposed, reviewed, and approved, including questions such as, what if more than one potential provider wanted to use a specific city-owned site.

There also was discussion of whether other types of property could be made eligible – right now, the proposed rules specify city-owned or privately owned, but, it was asked, what about other government entities, for example? (The West Seattle sites used by the encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville” had included state- and port-owned sites over the years.) Also asked – if an encampment “is working well,” could the proposal’s one-year limit be modified for a renewal or extension? And one housing organization, LIHI, had sent a letter expressing concern about the proposal ruling out use of parks and parking lots. A city staffer said in response that they expected they wouldn’t have trouble finding “suitable opportunities” among other types of properties.

Whatever other issues arise at tonight’s public hearing – which is for public comment, not a vote – the PLUS committee plans to discuss the proposal again next Tuesday (March 3rd). Meantime, signups for the 5:30 pm hearing will start at 5 pm – here’s the official notice. It’s in the council chambers on the second floor at City Hall, 5th/Cherry/James.

One week after announcing his run for the new District 1 City Council seat, West Seattle restaurateur Dave Montoure debuted his “stump speech” to a crowd of supporters at Easy Street Records.

He joked that he never expected he’d be doing an in-store performance someday at Easy Street, whose proprietor Matt Vaughan introduced him:

Here’s Montoure’s speech, hitting the themes he stressed in his campaign announcement last week:

His key points: Bringing “middle-class jobs to the peninsula,” especially by “reinvigorating … underutilized manufacturing and industrial land.” He mentioned repeatedly that he wants West Seattle to lead the city in “sustainable business practices” such as the food-composting program launched by businesses in 2008 when he led the Junction Association, and stepping up community-based policing, which he described as “a different shade of blue.” He dinged current city leadership for having no “game plan” for West Seattle’s transportation challenges, and for allowing public infrastructure to fall into disrepair while private investment such as development booms.

THE BIG PICTURE: Montoure is among 9 candidates so far for the District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) seat. Filing deadline is in mid-May; the primary, from which two finalists will emerge, is August 4th, while the general election is November 3rd. In addition to enterprised campaign coverage, we also plan to cover as many open-to-the-public D-1 candidate speaking/Q-A appearances as we can, so that you’ll often see and hear from those vying for your vote in this first-ever election. Next one we know of is at tomorrow night’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting, 7 pm at HP Improvement Club, with candidate Amanda Kay Helmick on the agenda.

The list of contenders for the new District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Council seat has just grown again: The ninth person now in the running is Tom Koch, who describes himself as a “land-use expert(,) former preschool teacher, and current small-business owner.”

In his announcement, Koch says, “Having worked on land use issues for 29 years, I can tell you there is much more we can be doing in our city to protect our neighborhoods. … No one currently in this race has the same level of ‘hands-on’ experience I would bring to the council when dealing with issues of affordability and development. I am not afraid to say that developers aren’t paying their fair share and we can do a better job promoting smart and fair growth in our city. … Currently, we subsidize developers through a combination of higher taxes and degraded services. We can’t afford more massive projects which refuse to pay their own way. Let’s do the right thing, use our authority to mandate development impact fees and end this absurd practice.” Koch says he also has worked for “both a democratic congressman and county supervisor” and “is a seven-time game show contestant including Jeopardy, Sale of the Century, and Wheel of Fortune.” Like the other eight candidates, he is a West Seattle resident.

IN THE DISTRICT 1 RACE NOW: Tom Koch (declared 2/19/15), Dave Montoure (declared 2/17/15), Lisa Herbold (declared 2/11/15), Shannon Braddock (declared 2/11/15), Brianna Thomas (declared 2/11/15), Phillip Tavel (declared 2/4/15), George Capestany (declared 11/11/14), Amanda Kay Helmick (declared 10/20/14), Chas Redmond (declared 12/20/13). Filing deadline is May 15th; primary election is August 4th. Along with voting on the D-1 position, West Seattle/South Park also will vote on the two “at-large” spots, Positions 8 and 9.