Previously you had a chance to read what the candidates for Position # 2 had to say in answer to 4 questions posed to them. Today I’m posting the responses from candidates for Position #1. Do tell.

(Please note: the questions were emailed to all the candidates on the same date & time – July 15th. I requested that they please respond by July 22nd because voters were receiving their ballots. Though I sent a follow-up email, I have not received a response from Sean Kelly. When I do, I will post.)

Again, the questions:

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and feel need to be maintained. Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.
2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council?
3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?
4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years? (some examples, but don’t feel limited to these: Public safety – Fire & Police, crime, managed growth in both residential and business areas, parks & recreation, roads/sidewalks

Herbie Martin:

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek, WA?

 To my understanding it’s about 8 years since my property has become part of Mill Creek taxable income property.

What are the three most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and feel need to be maintained?

1. Excellent city to raise a family and live.

2. Excellent city to walk and accessible to all the freeways

3. Excellent city to be connected to Seattle and other forms of public transportation

Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.

 Needing to improve the sales revenue for Mill Creek.

2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council?

I have served our country in the United States Army for 20 years of faithful service.

I am serving Washingtonians for 12 years, those most in need.

I would like to serve where I live and play. I have served mostly in Seattle, WA, but want to be closer to home.

3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/ will not?

I bring to the city council’s table a reflections of diversity none of my opponents bring to the city council.

I bring my professional and personal experiences to the city council respect and valuing diversity.

I bring my God’s given talent of engaging people from all walks of life and making the connections.

4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years?

1. Fiscally responsible economic development is vital for our City’s future.

2. The community support of future annexations, that are currently on the table for considerations.

3. Mill Creek city needs to bring in some kind of business or  a major attraction to bring people from the surrounding area to stop and spend money in our city.

 

Lynn Sordel:

1.  I have lived in Mill Creek for nearly seven years with my wife Linda, daughters Carrie and Kristin. We moved here from Orlando, Fl when I was hired in my current position of Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts for the City of Lynnwood.

The three most important aspects of life here are the reasons we selected Mill Creek to be our home. First, we love the character of the community. The environment is amazingly beautiful and the fact we can walk trails or ride bikes safely is wonderful. We love the community based events the city sponsors as they connect us to each other. Finally, we love the Town Center as just about everything we need is there.

Mill Creek’s quality of life is unparalleled. We believe our community has a great deal of pride and our citizens feel safe.  There is a sense of being here and we have a vibrant economic base. I feel very fortunate to live in a community where our citizens are engaged and participate in the many activities and events offered by the city.

Finally, I also feel strongly about the city’s strong leadership. We have highly trained and dedicated staff. Our fiscal matters are stronger than most city’s and we are seen as a model by others. I know this to be true because of my work and connections.

I do think our traffic can be challenging and we will need to work with the county to explore ways to improve this matter. Our bus service has been hit hard by the recession too.

 

2. I am running because I want to preserve and enhance our quality of life. I want to devote my time and energy to help Mill Creek thrive.  I have been fortunate to spend over 30 years working in the public sector and I know how to create sound public policies. That is critical today. Finally, I love this city and will focus on the issues that matter.  Those decisions will represent what is best for Mill Creek. I have no other political ambitions and will not use this position to enhance a political career or opportunity.

 

3.  I bring 30 years of public service to my candiacy. My knowledge of municipal government is my strength. I understand the complexities of government and know how to get things done. My career has placed me in key leadership situations, and I have a reputation of being able to get things done. I am approachable and listen. I am not impulsive and think things through.

I have also volunteered with the city and served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. This was an appointed position by council.

Finally, my experience, knowledge and energy have provided me with a positive outlook. I love working with people and love partnerships and collaboration. I also know how to look for efficiencies and have been challenged to make tough decisions.

 

4.  The priorities for the next 5 years begin and end with a prudent and responsible fiscal policy. The city must continue to look for ways to be even more efficient because an efficient government is of the utmost importance to our citizens. A focus on the optimization of budgets, innovation in service delivery is critical. I am also a strong advocate of using new technology where appropriate. The city will need to evaluate its resources and priorities. Costs will continue to go up, so there will need to be a continued effort to look for efficiencies.

Our public safety matters are also important. They are essential services and they should also be part of self-analysis to look for efficiencies.  Our EMT and fire services are also important components of our quality of life. We are fortunate to have highly trained police and fire employees.

Our business community needs to know the city cares about their welfare. We need to continue our efforts to promote them and ensure our codes and regulations are conducive to a vibrant business environment. Again, we should continue to self-evaluate our codes and regulations to allow the business community to succeed.

Our open spaces and recreational activities are vital to our quality of life. We enjoy civic events that connect us and I will continue to support them. These events also bring people into the city and helps our local economy. I am a strong advocate of tough laws that protect our trees and open spaces.

Finally, I also believe the city’s infrastructure will require attention. Our roads and sidewalks require care and maintenance. We will continue to require a solid capital plan to maintain these key elements that connect our community.

In closing, I am excited about this opportunity. Since my appointment to the City Council last November, I have made an impact and, because of my experience and knowledge, my “learning curve” has been short.  Our citizens deserve people who care about their community. I honestly believe my experience, knowledge and leadership skills give me an advantage. We will face many new challenges ahead and I am the best prepared candidate for Position 1 to represent our citizens.

 

Thank you to all the candidates who took the time to respond. We do live in an exceptional city. Please learn all you can about the candidates & what they offer to bring to the governance of Mill Creek, and make an informed decision.

I asked the three candidates for Mill Creek City Council Position #2 these 4 questions.:

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and believe strongly need to be maintained. Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.
2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council?
3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?
4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years? (some examples, but don’t feel limited to these: Public safety – Fire & Police, crime, managed growth in both residential and business areas, parks & recreation, roads/sidewalks)

The following – in alphabetical order by last name – are the responses I received:

Douglas Carlson —

I have lived in the area since 2008 and am interested in lending my time and talents to the community as a way to give back to the community that I love. The city of Mill Creek shares a name with the town Abraham Lincoln’s parents and siblings lived and has borrowed the same type of small town feel.  It provides residences for engineers, lawyers, doctors, and politicians who appreciate our location and conveniences. I would like to provide services and ammenities that will preserve that kind of environment for the future.  One issue needing to be addressed is storm water and improper drainage in the community.  It is my opinion that swampy conditions can have adverse health effects on the residents of Mill Creek.  My experience in government service uniquely qualifies me to serve as a city council member. I have devoted my life to community health and government service and I can objectively consider every matter brought before me while considering the viewpoints and voices of all of my fellow residents of Mill Creek.  My priorities over the next 5 years include providing essential services and recreation, ensuring community health and promoting education and trimming non-essential services.  I would seek additional revenue such as the new utilities tax on entities within city limits. I feel as though structures in Mill Creek that do not incorporate things like solar paneling for power generation into their construction ought to be responsible for providing the funds we need to operate while our town becomes more and more self reliant. Some of the new state revenue generating initiatives such as I-502 are designed to fund future efforts in emergency medical and law enforcement programs.

Donna Michelson —

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and believe strongly need to be maintained.  Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.

My husband and I have lived in Mill Creek 34 years where we have raised our family.

1.  We feel safe, secure, serene and comfortable whenever we are in Mill Creek.  This is certainly due in part to our responsive and available Police Department and the Fire Department close for any emergency.  These public safety services of course must never be compromised and always maintained.
2.  We must maintain our “community within a city” feeling. We are a city but we still have the small town feel.  I do not want to lose that community feel and believe it is in part due to the walkability and natural beauty of our city and the Town Center.  I believe the Town Center brings the community together with opportunities to gather and enjoy the shopping, dining and the ever growing and well attended community events.  We need to keep encouraging everyone to support our businesses and restaurants in our entire city (not just in Town Center) to help them thrive.  Making it easy to do business in our city needs to continue with our capable experienced staff being the contact point to assist with questions/issues.
3.  We must maintain and preserve our aging infrastructure.  Our city is 30 years old now and we are no longer a young city enjoying “new things”.  We do not want financial surprises when it comes to pavement.  We need to preserve our pavement to extend its life.  This needs to be done on an ongoing basis before it becomes in need of expensive repairs.

2. Why are you running for re-election to the Mill Creek City Council?

I have enjoyed representing the citizens of Mill Creek and it truly has been an honor.  I believe I am approachable and always willing to listen to concerns and issues as I am out in the community on a daily basis.  I was part of formulating our city’s first Strategic Plan, our “road map” to help guide the future of Mill Creek and would like to be part of the team as we move forward in its implementation.

3.  What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?

After living in Mill Creek for 34 years (4 years before it was even a city) and being on the council for 14 years, serving 2 years as Mayor and 4 years as Mayor Pro Tem, I have garnered a lot of experience and history.  I have seen a lot of changes and growth.  I think Mill Creek is fabulous and very well respected.  There are a few things that I think could have been done differently and history, experience and my continuity on the council will help us work thru future issues and challenges.

4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years?

1. East Gateway Urban Village:  We need to keep working to do the best we can on this last undeveloped parcel of land in Mill Creek.   Because I was on the council as Town Center developed I have history to help guide this developing area.  We of course need to attract businesses and restaurants as this can really pay off in the economic development arena. Our staff can help by making it easy to do business in Mill Creek.
2. Maintaining service levels while controlling costs for all of our city services.  This is an ongoing challenge but one we continually address.  This means of course always maintaining our Public Safety as a number one priority.
3.  Preservation of our infrastructure.  Again, as I mentioned above, we must continue to preserve our roads and sidewalks, which we are doing on an ongoing basis.  This cannot be put off for the future.  (I compare pavement preservation to that of taking care of your teeth; get a filling as your need it before you need an expensive root canal and gold crown.)  This must continue to be a priority.

Jason Wingert —

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek?

For over ten years, I have been a resident owner of a successful insurance and financial services agency in Mill Creek. [and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and feel need to be maintained. Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed?] Mill Creek offers safe neighborhoods, clean parks, a walkable community, convenient shopping, local dining and a great sense of community.

2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council? ?

I have always had a passion to serve and I will bring my business experience to help solve the challenges we face.

3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?

As a citizen and local business leader, I have been listening to the concerns of Mill Creek residents for over ten years.  I understand how to solve problems, implement new initiatives, and operate within a budget.

4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years? (some examples, but don’t feel limited to these: Public safety – Fire & Police, crime, managed growth in both residential and business areas, parks & recreation, roads/sidewalks)

My priorities are a strong police and fire presence to keep our neighborhoods safe, a business friendly environment to help our local economy grow, real fiscal responsibility, which means providing essential city services with low taxes and a great cost effective parks and recreational program.

 

Stay tuned.  Responses from the candidates running for Position #1 will be posted soon.