[0:00] All right. The special council meeting
of September 8th, 2026 is now called to
[0:05] order. If anyone attending the meeting
here in the council chambers would like
[0:08] to borrow some amplifying headphones,
please let us know. All right. I don't
[0:13] see anyone. Uh we are now going to stand
for the pled of allegiance.
[0:22] I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[0:28] republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible with liberty and
[0:35] justice for all.
[0:40] » All right. Thank you. Mary, will you
please do roll call?
[0:43] » Yes, I will.
>> Council member Blush
[0:45] » here.
>> Council member Aniscoco
[0:47] » here. Mayor Sherman
>> here.
[0:49] » Deputy Mayor Staff is absent this
evening. Council member Gilmore
[0:52] » here.
>> Council member Gutierrez
[0:54] » here.
>> All right. I have a statement on behalf
[0:56] of Deputy Mayor Staff. She says, "In
honor of fairness and equality to all
[1:00] applicants, council members, and to our
community, I fully recuse myself of the
[1:04] entire council interview and appointment
process at this time. Thank you to every
[1:08] applicant that showed interest and
commitment to serve this wonderful
[1:11] community. I look forward to working
with our next council member.
[1:17] So, next, the city manager, Mark
Ziggler, has details for us about the
[1:21] interview process.
>> Great. Thank you, Mayor Council. Um, as
[1:26] we discussed, uh, last week at the
council meeting, um, the regular council
[1:31] meeting, um, we discussed a group
interview process with all 10 of the
[1:36] applicants at this time. um as of right
now. Anyway, we had two applicants
[1:42] withdraw uh late last week and then we
have two applicants that haven't shown
[1:46] up to the room tonight. So, I'm open
suggestions if you want to move further
[1:50] without those group interviews. But,
I'll talk about that first. We talked
[1:53] about a group interview process. It'd be
one question. All the candidates,
[1:57] applicants would be in the room asked
the same question. We moved to an
[2:02] executive session at that point where
the council would um exit the chambers
[2:06] to go to a meeting room in the civic
center and discuss the qualifications
[2:10] that the applicants come in and make a
decision on on where to move forward
[2:15] from there. Um that process would be a
nomination period where we take the
[2:19] council would give nominations. Um at
that point the mayor would ask to close
[2:23] the nominations if it felt felt like
that you know there weren't any forward.
[2:26] we we'd close the nomination portion
with a motion and a second and then
[2:32] choose uh go through a voting process to
choose the members and move forward from
[2:36] there. At that point, we proposed that
we'd go into individual question and
[2:41] answer sessions where we'd have
individual applicants here in the room.
[2:44] Um the rest of the applicants we'd move
um outside uh for transparency um sake
[2:50] and then go through a short interview
process with each individual applicant.
[2:54] move then again to executive session and
come back in to make the final decision
[2:59] as
nobody candidate walked in. I guess in
[3:04] the meantime right now um we have six
six applicants so I'm certainly open to
[3:09] suggestions if we want to stay with the
agenda as proposed or move just move
[3:13] into um the individual interviews um
I'm open to that. So, since we have the
[3:21] six that are here, I propose that we ask
them all the questions um instead of
[3:26] just the one and then narrowing it down.
>> Second.
[3:29] » Yeah. Do the group interview.
>> All right. Great. Okay. So, our process
[3:33] at this point would be to ask Mary to
draw names. We have random names on um
[3:38] the raffle tickets. You're not
necessarily winning anything other than
[3:43] other opportunity to sit up at the table
earlier than others.
[3:47] » Yes. Um, so we'll have we'll draw the
six names out of there. Mary, you can
[3:51] just leave. You don't have to take
anybody out unless you already did that.
[3:54] » I didn't.
>> Okay. You don't take anybody out. We'll
[3:56] just skip through that.
>> Okay. I think maybe
[3:58] » All right, we're at seven.
>> Okay, we're at seven. So, sorry.
[4:03] » We will go back to the original plan. Is
that
[4:07] » You want to interview all of them?
>> Yeah, I think we interview all of them.
[4:09] Why not?
>> Does everybody else want to still
[4:11] interview all of them since all seven
are here?
[4:13] » Yeah, might be able to do the regular.
>> Okay, go ahead. We can nominate them.
[4:17] body gets a chance.
>> So, as I said, so Mary will pull the
[4:20] names. That'll be the order. First name
will be first first up. They'll take the
[4:24] hot seat and we'll move through those.
If uh the applicant that is not in there
[4:30] uh is in there but not here, we'll just
skip on to the next number. So, right.
[4:34] » Okay. So, we'll still assign them a spot
to see these.
[4:37] » No, no, no. We'll just skip through that
just so you don't have to dig through
[4:40] and pull them out if that's okay with
council.
[4:42] » Yep.
>> Yeah. Perhaps. So if we agreed that
[4:45] we've reached the deadline, then
basically there's seven people.
[4:49] » We're going to go ahead and ask them all
the questions.
[4:51] » Oh, no, that's fine. I mean, but we if
the eighth person comes in in the next
[4:55] five minutes or are we done now?
>> I don't know who it is, honestly. So,
[4:59] » I am very much hoping that um we don't
have to change the rules at this point.
[5:04] » Yeah.
>> Okay.
[5:07] » All right. So I
>> is that is that a consensus then council
[5:11] that we'll proceed with the individuals
that are that are here at this point?
[5:14] » Correct. Okay.
>> All right. Sounds good.
[5:16] » I appreciate the clarification.
>> All right.
[5:20] » Okay. So
>> if you will, Mary.
[5:21] » Okay. Are we good? I'm gonna do it from
the corner here. Turn the microphone on.
[5:26] It's my bowl.
>> Okay.
[5:30] » We got faith in you.
>> The chief is watching over.
[5:33] » That's right. Legit, guys. Okay. So
first will be applicant seven which is
[5:40] Jason Sap.
>> Okay.
[5:44] » And then
next
[5:47] will be applicant two which is Walter
Dilk.
[5:59] » Okay. This I think is the applicant that
is here. Mr.
[6:03] Y okay three.
[6:09] » Next is applicant six which is David
Reza Reza.
[6:22] Applicant eight which is Pete Stevenson.
is fourth
[6:30] and then fifth will be applicant five
which is Kenneth Moley.
[6:41] Sixth will be applicant number four
which is Sam Lumis.
[6:48] And our last interview slot will be
applicant three, which is Ross
[6:53] Gallagher.
[6:57] » Pardon me.
>> That's it.
[6:59] » That's it. Terrific. Okay,
>> let me make sure I have everybody here.
[7:04] You just give me a quick minute to get a
paperwork straight and everybody here to
[7:08] get their paperwork straight if they so
choose.
[7:10] » So, um, I think everybody's doing
anyway.
[7:13] » Great. At
Hopkins, if you don't mind, we are going
[7:16] to ask you other than Mr. Sap is your
first to get to step up to the to the
[7:20] plate here. Um, we've got a table. I've
got some water we'll take out with you
[7:24] if you don't mind and we'll come out and
get you when we're when we're finished
[7:27] and uh for for fairness and
transparency. Um, we appreciate that.
[7:36] » Thank you.
[7:41] Feel
this overkill now.
[8:04] » This computer is ridiculous.
>> You don't need it right now, do you?
[8:10] But they're all here.
>> Yeah, they're right here.
[8:14] » Oh, yes. Let me clarify that, too.
[8:19] » All right.
>> Here's a hard question.
[8:26] » No, I got to talk to those.
>> I wor
[8:33] already.
>> So, we'll rotate through questions.
[8:36] » Okay.
[8:42] Okay.
[8:48] » Council, do you all have
copies of the questions? Yes.
[8:53] » Yes. Yes. Yes.
[8:59] » Make I'm going to make sure somebody
gets off the ladder before we start.
[9:03] » Oh, bit of a distraction. All right.
Done.
[9:07] I hope you followed all safety
protocols.
[9:10] » Check this out.
[9:13] » All right.
[9:17] » Thank you.
>> It's actually not bad.
[9:23] » All right. And before we get started,
does anybody need a cough drop ahead of
[9:26] time?
>> All right. Seen that. Okay. Great.
[9:30] » And council, for clarification on the
questions, there's number one and
[9:34] there's an alternate. Just skip the
alternate. Okay.
[9:36] » That you'll see under number one here.
>> Got it.
[9:39] » Just skip that one and then um
>> and then we'll move on.
[9:44] » Pardon me.
>> So, I'll do the first and then George
[9:46] will be the second. Third. Is that how
we're going to do that?
[9:48] » That that works for me. And then and
then you'll have a second one. Mayor.
[9:51] » Oh, great. Okay. Sounds good.
>> So, I'm going to ask question number one
[9:58] and then we'll go this way, George. And
all the way through if that works,
[10:01] everybody. Great. Then everybody gets to
ask a question at least one. Okay,
[10:06] fantastic. Are we ready?
>> Yes, ma'am.
[10:10] » All right, so um we're going to ask
question number one, Jason. Do you have
[10:15] any specific local issues that motivated
you to apply for the council vacancy?
[10:22] » Um I'd have to say
my biggest
[10:30] issue that
concerns me is our
[10:36] um
emergency management plan.
[10:42] I think that that is something that
needs u
[10:46] immediate attention
and I would like to see us be able to uh
[10:53] turn that into a robust
uh plan for our community so that we're
[10:58] not caught off guard in case the
unspeakable should happen.
[11:04] All right.
>> Go ahead.
[11:07] » All right. Given the homelessness and
affordable housing are complex
[11:10] legislative matters with divided
community perspectives, what approach
[11:14] would you take to these challenges as a
council member?
[11:18] » Uh, as a council member, um, I think
that we need to
[11:25] try to look at this as a systemic issue.
Um, I believe that we'd have the
[11:33] resources available, nonprofit
organizations and and all the, like I
[11:39] said, the resources that are available
for the homeless and and the unhoused.
[11:44] Um, we need to make sure that those
resources are presented to those people
[11:50] that are in the highest need and that
they're available,
[11:56] that they know what those resources are.
I know if that would entitle community
[12:02] outreach um or just you know some some
form of
[12:08] disseminating that information but um
I'm aware that we have about believe the
[12:14] last count is 2,180
services that are available to people
[12:19] here in in our area in Mason County.
there's services tailored to just about
[12:27] every individual situation.
So I think I think we need to make sure
[12:32] that those services are available for
those people and if if they refuse the
[12:36] services
um repeatedly and we need to look at
[12:41] some other alternative um method to to
try to help these people is I do believe
[12:48] that we need to get
our community to be healthy and
[12:54] thriving. Everybody needs to be doing
well. So that's that is
[13:00] concern that I I have as far as how we
can reach out to these people and give
[13:04] them those services.
>> Great.
[13:09] » Can you describe a time when you had to
balance your personal beliefs with the
[13:12] broader interest of the community?
[13:17] Um,
I mean,
[13:26] my personal beliefs
typically take a backseat to the facts.
[13:32] Uh, I don't I don't let my my personal
opinions are my own and I don't assume
[13:40] that anybody shares those other than me.
So, I I tried to the facts and and try
[13:47] to try to make my decisions based on the
data instead of what my personal beliefs
[13:55] might may be because my my beliefs could
change. Um I'm openminded. So if I'm
[14:00] presented with new information that I
wasn't previously aware of, I I can
[14:06] change my mind and and come to different
conclusions. So personal beliefs aren't
[14:11] aren't something that that drive my
decision making.
[14:15] solely. It's going to be more on the
facts and data that represents.
[14:22] » Thank you.
[14:29] » Sorry, just taking a quick note.
>> No, you're fine.
[14:33] » All right. Question number three.
Actually, I guess this is four. What
[14:37] policy area do you believe will have the
greatest impact on the city's future
[14:41] over the next three to five years?
public safety would have to be my answer
[14:46] for that one. Um, I think we we
obviously have some contention on some
[14:54] of the resources that we've given our
police department here recently. Um, I
[15:00] think that we need to
we need to hammer that out and
[15:06] straighten it out so that everybody's,
you know, on the same page or at least
[15:10] we have a shared uh opinion on on how we
should handle that situation. But I I
[15:18] believe that that public safety uh over
the next 3 to 5 years would be the
[15:25] greatest impact for our city. We need we
need to a strong um police force that
[15:31] that is uh enabled to enforce our
ordinances and and regulations here in
[15:40] the city.
[15:43] » Okay.
>> All right. How would you prioritize the
[15:47] allocation of city resources while
balancing community expectations for
[15:52] services during periods of limited
revenue or budget constraints?
[15:59] Um
[16:02] well
the community expectations for services
[16:08] fluctuates. Uh it's going to go up and
down with public opinion. Uh our
[16:14] resources are
pretty static. What we have to work with
[16:20] is what we have to work with. So, we're
going to have to make the best decisions
[16:25] with those resources to provide
community services for the general
[16:34] community and not not
um cater to any specific uh groups or
[16:42] individuals.
We're going to need to
[16:47] focus on on the revenues that we do
have. We have um
[16:53] you know, we have a budget currently
that's that's
[16:58] in a in a decent
state, but you know, that that could
[17:03] change um with, you know, taxes
depending on what the the
[17:11] governor or the state legislature
decides to to pass uh with their laws.
[17:16] So, we could be restrained on on
the our ability to utilize those funds.
[17:25] So, we would we would have to look at
what's necessary for the greatest uh
[17:32] impact for our community and I would I
would say those things would fall in um
[17:38] areas like public safety uh like our our
pavement index um you know our water uh
[17:47] infrastructure
has really
[17:51] » focus a lot of attention on that
especially since we're looking at
[17:57] expanded
housing market here in the midst of
[18:03] » All right.
And then it looks like
[18:08] um I get to the next question which says
is what does ethical public service mean
[18:13] to you and how would you practice it as
a council member?
[18:19] um ethical public service. Uh that I
would interpret that as being
[18:27] transparent and and open.
[18:32] I would practice that as a council
member by following all the rules and
[18:39] and regulations and policies that we
already have in place for council
[18:43] members such as, you know,
all your communications are open to FOYA
[18:50] requests. And
yeah, other than that, you know, ethics
[18:57] would be
[19:07] I would I would have to say
maintaining, like I said, a transparent
[19:13] position so that that people know where
you stand, you know, as far as any
[19:18] policies or issues go.
[19:24] » And I think that's everything. Can I can
I suggest that they get like one minute
[19:28] closing and tells us about who they are
>> because the public doesn't know. We we
[19:32] we know
>> it's up to the council. Absolutely. We
[19:36] just we have to allow everybody to do
that.
[19:38] » Like just like one minute or something.
>> I mean,
[19:41] » can we get a clock?
>> Mark.
[19:45] » I got two. That's why he gets the big
bucks.
[19:48] » Can we get a
>> I mean we know who they are.
[19:55] Do you want it? No. Do you want it? Do
you want it specifically at one minute
[19:59] or just kind of raise my hand when we
make one and then we can good?
[20:03] » Okay. Go ahead. Tell us a little bit
about yourself at about one minute,
[20:07] Jason.
>> All right. My name is Jason Sap. I'm a
[20:11] husband and a father of six children,
ages 19 to one. Um, I'm work here
[20:19] locally. Um, we've lived here in
Shelton. My wife and I moved our family
[20:24] up here in 2018. So, we're living here
for eight years. Um, the first couple
[20:32] three, four years we lived uh in the UG
and then we moved downtown and we've
[20:38] been participating in the local
government for the last two and a half
[20:44] years. Um, I'm I'm here because I want
to make sure that Shelton is a thriving
[20:52] community and one that is safe for
families of all backgrounds to raise
[20:58] their children today and and tomorrow
and in the future.
[21:05] » Perfect.
>> Right on.
[21:06] » Great. That worked out really well.
>> Thank you very much.
[21:10] » Thank you. Appreciate it.
Thanks. Good suggestion.
[21:15] » That's because we don't know. Nobody
else knows,
[21:18] » right?
>> Yeah. Give them an extra 60 seconds.
[21:24] » All right.
[21:49] All right. Thank you for coming.
[21:54] » Are you ready?
>> I am ready.
[21:56] » Okay, great. So, I'm going to start you
off with question number one.
[21:59] » Awesome.
>> Uh,
[22:01] you're Walter Scott Dilk, correct? Okay.
And
[22:06] » my name.
>> Perfect. I want to make sure we got the
[22:07] right person every time. Great.
>> Perfect question. All right. So, um,
[22:12] first question for you is, do you have
any specific local issues that motivated
[22:17] you to apply for the council vacancy?
>> Good question. I, um, I do have a trans
[22:24] son and I think, uh, pride proclamation
is probably the major focus of why I put
[22:36] my hat in the ring. I also was a boy
scout in Grace Har County when I was
[22:43] growing up. I grew up in Westport and so
civic responsibility was something that
[22:50] I cherish and felt like I wasn't able to
do in the past. So I really when I saw
[22:58] this opportunity I thought okay that's
what I want to do.
[23:03] » All right.
Given the homelessness and affordable
[23:08] housing are complex legislative matters
with divided community perspectives,
[23:13] what approach would you take to these
challenges as a council member? Well,
[23:17] initially I want to say foundationally I
think um homelessness
[23:23] and addiction and mental health are my
key focuses in my career and um they all
[23:33] surround the the problem of homelessness
and um I think that kindness over
[23:44] anything else is the most most important
thing we can do making sure our citizens
[23:50] are cared for and not push them off to
Olympia or whatever other community they
[23:57] might have. So having a functional
response for their health health and
[24:03] safety.
[24:06] » All right. Can you describe a time when
you had to balance your personal beliefs
[24:10] with the broader interest of a
community? Um there's all types of that
[24:16] in my career as a therapist, a mental
health therapist. I um I
[24:23] have been therapist for many different
types of people and it's a single
[24:30] oneonone event unless I'm doing a couple
which I do um on occasion and they have
[24:38] many different beliefs and system and um
both political and religious that I
[24:46] don't aspire to or don't
necessarily agree with, but if they work
[24:52] for that client, then they have to work
for the people. And I think being a
[24:57] representative is balancing at all the
time. I do think that um even though we
[25:06] may see things differently, it's it's a
good politics is about finding the
[25:13] compromise.
>> Thank you.
[25:24] All right. What policy area do you
believe will have the greatest impact on
[25:28] the city's future over the next three to
five years?
[25:31] » Was that policy?
>> Yes. What policy area? Um
[25:36] well ex I mean growth I think is the
most important thing I think you know to
[25:42] um have a a serviceable community we
need to um be available for people
[25:51] moving in and expansion and um support
that and all that that brings. So I
[25:58] think being an attractive community is
important in that regard.
[26:05] I'm gonna interrupt. Scott, I apologize.
The questions are right in front of you
[26:09] if you need to reference any of those.
>> Thank you.
[26:11] » Um, we're on number four now.
>> Yes.
[26:14] » Okay.
>> Okay. Is that
[26:19] okay? How would you prioritize the
allocation of city resources while
[26:24] balancing community expectations for
services during periods of limited
[26:29] revenue or budget constraints?
prioritizing obviously we need to
[26:34] prioritize safety and health right um in
my perspective I think that means all
[26:41] kinds of health including mental health
that's my key area but I also think that
[26:47] you know safe water making sure the
police force is available and other um
[26:57] necessary
needs like power and infrastructure and
[27:03] all of that are probably the priorities
in any community including Shelton
[27:09] Washington.
[27:12] » Thank you.
>> All right. And then
[27:16] next question is, what does ethical
public service mean to you and how would
[27:21] you practice it as a council member?
ethical is something that is
[27:28] fully um core to my value system. Um
overarching and unchanging because I
[27:37] believe ethical is morality.
Um I don't necessarily abide by a faith
[27:44] anymore but I do abide by an ethical
consistently overhonest
[27:51] um principle in which guides my
everyday. So, I'd say that um balancing
[27:59] that as a council member means
making sure things are running according
[28:06] to rules, making sure um we engage in
the community in a
[28:15] disclosing important
information that is necessary for making
[28:23] a good decision about any kind kind of
policy or important concept to the
[28:30] community.
>> All right. And then our last question
[28:35] for you is you have one minute to tell
us what you'd like to tell us about
[28:38] yourself.
>> All right. So I, as you know, I'm
[28:43] Scottdale. I grew up in Westport,
Washington. So not too far away. Um,
[28:48] Grace Harbor. I've been in Olympia area
before I moved here. um most of my life
[28:55] where I graduated both from both
Evergreen State College and St.
[29:00] Martins's University for a masters in
counseling psychology. Um, I, as I
[29:08] mentioned before, in my community in
Westport, I was
[29:14] member of the scout troop and have a
foundation of
[29:20] moral, ethical, responsible decisions.
Um, some things that uh I value are
[29:29] family,
um, friends,
[29:34] community.
I enjoy walking. I have a dog that many
[29:39] of you have probably seen
cuz I walk down railroad almost every
[29:46] day.
>> You're at a minute. You'll
[29:48] » wrap it up right there. I appreciate it.
All right. You good? Okay.
[29:51] » Thank you so much.
[29:56] So, uh, David
[30:28] Hello council.
>> Hello
[30:33] David.
>> Is your last name different on your aim
[30:38] tag than it is on here?
>> It is David Resa.
[30:41] » Okay. Thank you.
>> Res is normally easier. So I put that
[30:44] down just so
>> Okay.
[30:46] » Pronunciation. Also, sorry I was a
little late, guys. I have a
[30:50] four-year-old.
>> All right. Okay. Are you ready?
[30:55] » Okay.
>> And the questions, David, are right in
[30:57] front of you. If you need to reference
those throughout the interview, feel
[31:00] free. We'll start at the top. Even
though they're
[31:02] » there's a redundant number there for
number one. We'll start at the top.
[31:06] » So, we'll start with question number
one. And do you have any specific local
[31:09] issues that motivated you to apply for
the council vacancy?
[31:13] » Uh, not exactly. Um, I had a specific
local issue with the food trucks that
[31:18] made me interested in city council. Um,
but I don't
[31:25] I wouldn't say it made me want to be a
part of city council. It just let me
[31:29] understand who's in it, how it works.
Um, I always pretty much just thought
[31:33] there's a mayor and the mayor controls
everything. And I I really like this.
[31:37] It's like a little bit of a democracy in
it and some checks and balances and I I
[31:42] just think that's an awesome thing. And
uh that's actually what made me want to
[31:46] do it. But I found you guys from local
issues.
[31:51] » All right.
>> Given that homelessness and affordable
[31:55] housing are complex legislative matters
with divided community perspectives,
[31:59] what approach would you take to these
challenges as a council member?
[32:04] » Um okay. So
that's difficult. I I have my own
[32:09] opinions on a lot of stuff, but what I'm
really interested in is figuring out
[32:13] what the town themselves want. And I've
noticed it's really divided on this. We
[32:18] have a lot of uh lot of people who live
here who all they want to do is help
[32:23] them and they they want to do um more
programs for the homeless and unhoused.
[32:30] I think that's what they prefer. And the
other side of town just can't stand
[32:34] them. Couldn't care less. And I I think
it's
[32:38] my opinion wouldn't matter as much as
what the town wants and what the people
[32:43] want and I I'd have to vote and care
more in their direction. Um, so my I
[32:49] mean my approach I think would just be
to listen to what the town folk or the
[32:54] constituents is the right word. I like
town folk. We're a small town, you know,
[32:58] other than we have a Walmart, we're
really a small town. So it it it's more
[33:02] what the town folk would want and what
they would like to do with that. Um I I
[33:08] think what I would need to also do is be
part of the research in it like all the
[33:12] study sessions that you guys have. I
think we my best bet would be to listen
[33:16] really good to everything like that and
then try to figure out what the people
[33:22] themselves want and weigh the two
together. You know, you got to care
[33:25] about the people, but the facts and and
what's uncovered in study sessions
[33:30] matter almost as much. And I'd weigh
them together before I put anything to
[33:34] vote. I wouldn't just use my own
personal opinions uh for
[33:39] uh affordable housing or grants or
anything like that or what to do with
[33:44] homeless or unhoused. Uh and I I think
it would also depend on how they are
[33:48] homeless and unhoused. If they're just
vagrants or if they're transient or if
[33:52] they're uh addicted to substances and
they actually need help. It it would it
[33:57] would vary kind of case by case.
[34:03] Can you can describe a time when you had
to balance your personal beliefs with
[34:06] the broader interest of a community?
>> Yeah. Um,
[34:11] this ties back straight to my business.
Um, well, I own a trucking company. That
[34:15] that part's not it. I'm also a part
owner in a food truck and we sell
[34:20] seafood. I do not eat seafood. Um, do
not care for seafood one bit. But when
[34:25] we wanted to open this, we actually went
online and we went on Shelton Talks, a
[34:30] local group in town, and we asked the
town to take a vote on what kind of food
[34:34] they wanted, if they wanted a new pizza
place, a seafood place, uh if they
[34:38] wanted a barbecue place, and our highest
votes ended up being to do a seafood
[34:44] place. So, we now own a seafood truck
and serve seafood and cheese steak
[34:49] sandwiches, which was, I believe, the
second highest vote. uh regardless of
[34:54] what my personal beliefs were for it.
>> Okay.
[35:04] » What policy area do you believe will
have the greatest impact on the city's
[35:07] future over the next 3 to 5 years?
Um,
[35:13] whatever we do with housing, um, I
believe,
[35:18] uh, council member Miguel said we are
one of the top 10 growing, uh, zones in
[35:23] the nation. So, I think that everything
aside, um, most important thing is how
[35:30] are we going to handle that growth? I
think our businesses at this point can
[35:35] pretty much handle it. our housing. I
don't think can um I think what we need
[35:40] to do is focus on
what we can do for developments in town.
[35:45] I I think we're kind of pretty tight in
town. I think a lot would go to the
[35:49] county and we'd probably have to work
with them on how to uh expand our public
[35:55] utilities to assist with that. Um, but
any
[36:00] any infrastructure that we have in the
city limits would need to be figured out
[36:06] pretty soon before we have too many
people here and all of our public
[36:10] utilities end up um overwhelmed and
unable to handle it.
[36:20] How would you prioritize the allocation
of city resources while balancing
[36:24] community expectations for services
during periods of limited or budget
[36:29] constraints?
[36:32] » Oh man, that one's a good one. Um,
I guess I would go I think we would
[36:38] triage it. I think we would start with
like most important emergent kind of
[36:43] needs which would basically be like um
how to handle sewer, how to handle
[36:49] garbage, um law enforcement
and
[36:55] our roads and bridges would be the most
important first and that would be like
[37:00] level one. Um I would when we have
limited revenue and budget, I would look
[37:05] at where we can trim fat. um what we can
do if if there's any assets that we can
[37:12] that we own that we aren't making use of
if we're able to rent them or lease
[37:16] them. Um
any sort of grants we can get. I
[37:22] remember hearing in city council that uh
the city has issues. Sometimes they're
[37:26] too busy to try to find grants. I think
we can try to find some grants to help
[37:29] make that up depending on what they are
and what the problems are. And then I
[37:35] would put stuff like
um events that are net loss. I would put
[37:41] those on the back burner until the city
is not net negative um in order to try
[37:47] to help balance the budget as good as I
can. I mean I need help with the rest of
[37:52] the council to figure out what that can
be trimmed and what can't. I think that
[37:57] would be the best way is to start with a
triage and go from like level five
[38:02] urgent to level one. Very nice to have
but unfeasible.
[38:08] » All right.
Uh what does ethical public service mean
[38:12] to you and how would you practice it as
a council member?
[38:16] » Um I think the best thing to do is to
not be part of quidd proquo. I don't I
[38:22] think that um anything that would
benefit my businesses financially, which
[38:29] I don't think my trucking company really
does much work in town, so I ignore
[38:33] that. Um our food truck is in town and
there's a lot of uh there's a big mess
[38:40] going on with that right now. I would
not want anything to do with that while
[38:45] I'm on council. I would I mean I'd make
my opinions heard, but voting wise, I
[38:50] would want to recuse myself from
everything involving that. Um or anybody
[38:55] I know if it's someone I know personally
and a vote comes to do something with
[39:01] them or something that would affect
them, whether it benefit or hurt them,
[39:05] uh or their business, I I just think I
want nothing to do with it. Uh, I'd make
[39:10] it very clear to the council and or the
public if need be that I have an
[39:15] interest in this or I know somebody that
means something to me that has an
[39:20] interest in it and I have no comment on
it or I I want nothing to do with it
[39:25] when it comes time to do something for
it. I think that's the most important
[39:30] part of being in council is that is you
can't do what's beneficial for you. You
[39:35] have to do what's beneficial for the
town folk themselves.
[39:44] Just a second.
[39:52] Okay. And so our last question for you
is in approximately one minute, what
[39:58] would you like us to know about you?
>> Oh man. Um, let's think. Um, I don't
[40:05] know. I am I've been here for 5 years. I
was a big believer on if you come
[40:12] somewhere, you don't change it to what
you had before. Um, so like I immigrated
[40:16] from Canada to the US and became a US
citizen when I was four, I
[40:22] do not believe anything that we had in
Canada specifically should be forced on
[40:26] our country. And since I'm an immigrant
here and I was a guest here for so long,
[40:31] I had no business changing that. Um, I
moved from a very Republican state to
[40:35] here and I don't believe I should force
all of what I had there growing up onto
[40:42] a town if they see it differently. Um,
so that's my biggest I mean I've been
[40:48] here 5 years. I feel like I I deserve to
change a little bit of stuff as long as
[40:53] the general consensus of the town agrees
with it. But I believe that anything I
[40:58] grew up with, since I voluntarily moved
here, I I should follow what this town
[41:04] wants over what I want myself. And I've
always felt like that pretty much
[41:09] anytime I've voted um
or uh taken part anything like that.
[41:16] » All right. Well, thank you so much.
Appreciate that.
[41:31] How about that?
[41:55] questions.
>> All right,
[42:00] Peter Stevenson.
>> I'm here today.
[42:02] » So, good. Welcome.
So, are you ready?
[42:06] » Um, give me just a moment to look over
these questions
[42:11] » and we will verbally ask them also.
>> Yeah.
[42:15] » All right.
Okay. So, question number one, do you
[42:19] have specific local issues that
motivated you to apply for a council
[42:23] vacancy?
>> I mean, specific motivation on issues
[42:29] being things that have happened in
public like uh the fact that Goose Lake
[42:36] caught fire. Uh that that piqu my
interest learning about the super fun
[42:40] cleanup site, you know, that that
definitely motivated me to take a closer
[42:44] look. Um, but no, I'm uh I'm here
because I want to improve Shelton and I
[42:51] think I can be an asset to doing so.
>> All right.
[42:57] » Given that homelessness and affordable
housing are complex legislative matters
[43:01] with divided community perspectives,
what approach would you take to these
[43:04] challenges as a council member?
[43:14] I mean the elephant in the room is the
over
[43:17] overlappinging of problems of mental
health issues, homelessness and drug
[43:22] addiction can't be ignored. It's not
easy to untangle. It's not easy to
[43:27] separate. But human beings are human
beings. Everybody needs a place to live.
[43:33] I advocate doing what we can for the
folks that can accept the help extended.
[43:42] All right. Can you describe a time when
you had to balance your personal beliefs
[43:46] with the broader interest of a
community?
[43:50] » Um, yeah. I uh I myself am agnostic. I
don't believe in a god, but I don't see
[43:58] proof that there isn't one either. And
that's come up a lot in everyday life in
[44:04] simple terms of taking the pledge of
allegiance to that flag earlier in this
[44:08] council game. Now, under God, I don't
personally believe in, but I understand
[44:13] the ethic behind it and I appreciate
that.
[44:16] » Thank you.
>> All right.
[44:20] » What policy area do you believe will
have the greatest impact on the city's
[44:24] future over the next three to five
years?
[44:30] That's a complicated question. The
policy impact that I think could
[44:35] greatest impact
I mean if if we're talking about 3 to
[44:42] five years
[44:46] I think it would be education reform. I
mean every every day I drive past the
[44:50] banner that celebrates our literacy rate
and I'd like to see that number continue
[44:55] to rise. I think that does the improved
public. I think that's the most benefit
[45:01] us directly.
[45:06] » How would you prioritize allocation of
city resources while balancing community
[45:11] expectations for services during periods
of limited revenue or budget
[45:16] constraints?
[45:25] I mean when it comes to priority alloc
sorry nervous I apologize when it comes
[45:31] to prioritizing what funds to distribute
obviously we can't have lights and
[45:38] generators turning off so people's lives
and unfortunately products in some cases
[45:44] come first you know uh that being you
know a supermarket loses power I would
[45:49] prefer to keep those freezers on rather
than lose the stock of the entire
[45:53] supermarket. Um I I think I would take
those examples and try to apply that to
[45:59] the town's budget. What cannot be
sacrificed and what unfortunately could
[46:05] we provide the volunteer power to cover?
[46:12] » All right.
And my next question for you is, what
[46:17] does ethical public service mean to you
and how would you practice it as a
[46:20] council member?
>> Uh, ethical public service for me is
[46:26] doing the best that I can for what my
constituents believe is the appropriate
[46:31] path forward while also
following the guidance of the law.
[46:37] I
genuinely think there are a lot of
[46:41] people that are too quick to go, let's
burn it all down. And There are also way
[46:46] too many people that are saying it works
perfectly.
[46:49] So
for ethical public service, yeah, I I
[46:53] want the job to be done transparently
for the betterment of the community.
[47:05] All right. And then our last question
for you this evening is you have
[47:09] approximately one minute to tell us
whatever you want to tell us about you.
[47:14] Um, yeah. My name is Pete Stevenson. Uh,
I grew up in New York. Um, about 20
[47:20] minutes outside of New York City. Uh,
I've been in Shelton for over a decade
[47:26] at this point. When I was 21, I got my
wilderness emergency medical technician
[47:31] license.
Uh, I did urban and wilderness EMT work
[47:37] for about five years before I decided I
had had enough. Uh, I moved out to
[47:42] Washington to pursue college and uh, I
picked Evergreen.
[47:48] Wasn't for me. It's a little bit too
heavy. But, uh, I ended up falling in
[47:54] love with the town of Shelton. I really
like this place. I like the fact that we
[47:58] are the gateway to the Olympics. Spent a
lot of time outdoors.
[48:03] And it really bums me out that, you
know, we have nothing NLES affiliated,
[48:10] Outwardbound affiliated like Shelton
sits on one of the greatest national
[48:15] parks in the country. People should be
flying from all over the planet to see
[48:19] it.
>> All right. Thank you so much.
[48:23] » Thank you for your time.
>> Yeah. Thank you.
[48:31] » Questions. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
[48:36] A lot of money.
>> So, so after this next one, can we take
[48:40] a five minute for a bathroom break?
Okay, great. Is everyone good with that?
[48:44] » Okay, great. Okay.
[49:19] There's the questions for you, but we
will also ask you in person. All right.
[49:24] So, Kenneth Mullet, correct?
>> Yes.
[49:26] » All right. Welcome this evening.
Are you ready?
[49:30] » As ready as I can.
>> All right. So, question number one is,
[49:34] do you have any specific local issues
that motivated you to apply for the
[49:39] council vacancy?
>> Uh, I think uh primarily in kind of a
[49:45] lived experience uh had a a tenant who
had a struggle to pay her rent. um
[49:51] single income. She had a large family
and you know at some personal
[49:57] strain uh you know supported her in what
she was doing and recognizing that her
[50:02] community don't necessarily have a lot
of that available. There weren't
[50:06] necessarily other options. If she had
fallen from where she was, there wasn't
[50:12] a lot of options to pick her up. Um and
aligned with the strategic plan that
[50:18] decides to put out you know managing the
city's growth or keeping character and I
[50:23] think the character is leading kindness
you know if you have the the ability you
[50:27] know extend it as you can and then
manage growth so people don't fall
[50:31] through from where they are and they
have places they can catch and strateg
[50:40] » given that homelessness and affordable
housing are complex legis legislative
[50:44] matters with divided community
perspectives. What approach would you
[50:47] take to these challenges as a council
member?
[50:51] » Excellent question. Uh I think I know as
a council we recently voted on
[50:56] approaches to uh uh reducing at least
the impact of the unhoused. Um I think
[51:04] one is that we follow through with plans
we have made. you know, regardless of
[51:08] how we approach them, uh they were made
thoughtfully uh and considerably and and
[51:13] we need to follow through to find the
effect of that. Um I think there's also
[51:16] been recommendations to have uh
mitigation sites. Uh I think that one
[51:21] has a lot of efficacy. I know there's
challenges there, but I think mitigation
[51:25] sites where we can colllocate services
that can both address and mitigate and
[51:31] and again with humanity uh and respect
and also respect for our community, its
[51:37] livability, its walkability and its
enjoyability. So, uh, answers are stick
[51:43] through the plans we've already put the
time, attention, and effort to to both
[51:47] come up with and and we just follow
through regardless of how we approach
[51:52] that decision. You know, follow through
on these choices to find the positive
[51:56] outcomes.
>> All right.
[51:59] » Can you describe a time when you had to
balance your personal beliefs with the
[52:02] broader interest of a community?
[52:08] uh in in here uh balance meaning uh
where conflicts with my personal beliefs
[52:15] » um I yeah so what you believe in
something but you're that it's better
[52:20] for the community to do it this way but
>> I guess I guess a relevant example might
[52:28] be having paid attention to many recent
council meetings a lot of citizens very
[52:34] feel very strongly about flat cameras
and I personally have a conflict view.
[52:38] Uh I know those block cameras are uh a
force multiply and in a rural community
[52:44] with limited resources, it's tough to
effectively uh maintain peace and law
[52:49] with those limited resources and these
tools are are force multipliers.
[52:54] At the same time, uh you know, I've
personally been a victim of two debt
[52:59] breaches uh at a large uh credit company
and while I was getting a security
[53:04] clearance and you know, the Clance
housing agency had every sensitive bit
[53:10] of information you can conceive about me
and not in those situations did I have
[53:14] any control over that breach but I was a
victim and felt the effect of it. Um, so
[53:19] you know, I have a personal concern of
uh, you know, how that information is
[53:24] housed and and where it is, but where
were those concerns satisfied? Um, or if
[53:32] as a community we decided that safety
and what those spot cameras provide uh,
[53:37] maybe offset or outweigh those. Um, much
like uh, you know, the ordinance
[53:43] regarding to the unhoused, right?
whether I believe it or not, you know,
[53:46] if I'm on the council, that's what the
decision was extensively the decision of
[53:50] the community in general and any follow
through.
[53:55] » Thank you.
>> What policy area do you believe will
[54:00] have the greatest impact on the city's
future over the next 3 to 5 years?
[54:05] » Uh, I think the ones that contribute
most to increasing the tax base, which
[54:09] we desperately need. Um and not just
that uh in and in in route to that uh uh
[54:16] providing more uh looking at the list of
the employers who employ the most you
[54:22] know is limited in their ability to grow
and and meet the growth that we
[54:27] anticipate uh uh that we will see in
Shelton um can't necessarily match that.
[54:33] So, uh, the the short answer to that is
increase one our tax breaks and then our
[54:39] tax base and then increase the diversity
of where that comes from. Um, and you
[54:45] know, I I read ahead and that's in the
strategic plan. Uh, I think it's a
[54:49] robust strategic plan. I appreciate it
goal of both matching that growth, being
[54:54] prepared for it, but also keeping
character shelter.
[54:59] Uh, a big reason why I'm here is that uh
in one in 2016, June 4th, I rolled down
[55:06] my my driveway in my new house and there
were 26 community members waiting to
[55:11] help me move in. And 3 days later, uh, I
left uh a large family uh in a place
[55:19] they were not from and didn't know, but
I left him in in hands that I was I was
[55:23] confident and comfortable with. And
that's never changed. Shelton's a place
[55:26] I call home the longest in all of my
life. Um, and my kids life. Um, and so
[55:32] that's important to me. Um, and so, so
again, to circle back, uh, increase the
[55:37] tax base, uh, both contributes to and
and the diversity while keeping the
[55:43] character of the city. I would love to
appreciate.
[55:47] How would you prioritize the allocation
of city resources while balancing
[55:51] community expectations for services
during periods of limited revenue or
[55:57] budget constraints?
That that question comes from something
[56:01] that is faced by the council all the
time. Uh my my best answer there is is
[56:07] seek to find
[56:11] as council members you're representative
of the citizens of Shelton. Um and if we
[56:18] are engaged enough locally and we find
out what what they mean, you know, what
[56:24] feeds again feeds that growth, what
builds that character. Um and uh
[56:33] and then make decisions that might be
difficult. Uh
[56:38] though faced with those difficult
decisions, um ensure that we've done the
[56:44] work to to make sure that difficult
decision isn't just us making a
[56:49] difficult decision without having
researched and gain
[56:55] informed ourselves of the best path. And
once you're faced with that, decide and
[57:00] and cuts are are hard but necessary.
Everybody would love for every resource
[57:06] to be fully um fully funded uh
longevity, but that's that's simply not
[57:11] the case. So easy answer to that is
integrity, informing myself and and
[57:18] honestly seeking the
the will input uh the best outcomes for
[57:25] the city in general.
All right. Okay. And the next question
[57:31] is, what does ethical public service
mean to you and how would you practice
[57:35] it as a council member?
>> Ethical public service uh
[57:41] when we go
when we're alone at night and it's just
[57:46] us in our pillow, you know, we have to
sleep with our own conscious. I think
[57:49] that starts there. I I appreciate having
you clean conscious where I don't have
[57:54] to worry about um what I've done how
they come back. I think that ethical
[57:59] public service means that you what you
do particularly in public service is and
[58:04] should be transparent that you shouldn't
be afraid of that that you should learn
[58:08] from that transparency. Uh embrace it.
Um
[58:13] uh and how would I practice it? I would
continue uh in an intentional life where
[58:19] um I don't want to live with regret. You
know, I don't want to have uh anything
[58:23] that I hold in secret that I won't tell
in public. Um and I approach it with
[58:29] thoughtful, honest uh and and and true
to myself uh services.
[58:37] » All right.
[58:41] And our last question for you this
evening is you have approximately one
[58:48] minute to tell us whatever you'd like us
to know about you.
[58:53] » Questions.
>> So, so again since the day I moved in
[58:58] and this town in actual hands and effort
embrace me openly. I've I've traveled uh
[59:06] fairly extensively professionally and
personally and
[59:10] overlapping a time I've been in Shelton.
Even though I've been in places that I I
[59:14] had a current and a past love for,
there's something always draws me back.
[59:20] There's there's aspects of of this city
that I appreciate, I love, and I would
[59:24] love to see grow. Um, I respect
everybody up here. Um, it is not an easy
[59:29] job. Uh, it's a lot more guts than
glory. And
[59:34] if chosen, I look forward to both
building bridges in the community,
[59:40] finding ways we can increase our
collaboration and and meet that
[59:44] strategic plan that robust, you know,
many hours in creating strategic plan
[59:50] because the character of Shelton was
delivering the guy. Uh, I fell in love
[59:54] with the character of Shelton on June
4th, 2016. And as I rolled up and and I
[59:59] didn't know any one of those people and
since every stranger has only been a
[1:00:04] stranger very shortly, I've only had
positive interactions here and I would
[1:00:09] love to to extend that.
>> All right. Thank you so much.
[1:00:13] » Let's go get it.
>> All right. So, we're going to take a a
[1:00:19] five minute we're going to take a five
minute bathroom break and then we'll
[1:00:23] come right back to it. All right. Great.
>> Session for our council interview
[1:00:28] questions and the next up is Samuel
Lewis. Would you rather be Sam or
[1:00:33] Samuel?
>> Sam.
[1:00:34] » All right, Samuel. We have the questions
for you there and then we are going to
[1:00:38] ask them verbally to you. Um, let me
know when you're ready.
[1:00:42] » All right, cool. Great. Um, question
number one. Do you have a specific local
[1:00:47] issues that motivated you to apply for
the council vacancy?
[1:00:51] » Um,
technically I've been considering it for
[1:00:56] years for various different reasons, but
this time around actually the answer
[1:01:01] would be yes. um mostly uh around the
homeless issue with the different uh ups
[1:01:08] and downs with homeowners, homelessness,
businesses and so on and so forth and
[1:01:14] what to do about that. And and the
reason why is because when I was
[1:01:18] considering
um applying for the council member,
[1:01:23] somebody that I didn't even know called
and asked if I actually apply
[1:01:30] because I have the knowledge of the
homeless issue and I've been working on
[1:01:34] it for years. So just ask me.
>> All right.
[1:01:42] » Right. Given that homelessness and
affordable housing are complex
[1:01:45] legislative matters with divided
community perspectives, what approach
[1:01:49] would you take to these challenges as a
council member?
[1:01:54] » Actually, that's a good question. Um,
and to me, they're
[1:01:59] kind of two separate issues. Um, they
seem to be one in that you got
[1:02:05] homelessness out here and then you need
housing and affordable homes to put them
[1:02:09] in. But there's also agencies that are
working toward getting the homeless
[1:02:16] housed in different manners like uh
[1:02:22] different uh types of
renting houses to put multiple people in
[1:02:28] them or building smaller community type
housing. And so the the people working
[1:02:34] on the homeless issue have multiple
avenues that they can work with and with
[1:02:40] doing their thing too. And then
affordable housing just needs to happen
[1:02:45] for not just for us, but I mean that's a
national issue. It's just basically got
[1:02:50] to at least in Washington state anyway
where we got to have more affordable
[1:02:54] housing. So we just need to make sure
that we have legislation and ordinances
[1:02:59] and whatnot that will step up and help
us out with making sure that happens.
[1:03:06] Can you describe a time when you had to
balance your personal beliefs with the
[1:03:10] broader interest of the community?
[1:03:14] » Actually,
that's a tough one. Um,
[1:03:23] actually I can't come up with an issue
on that that I can think of. Um, if I
[1:03:30] did, it would be probably around the
homeless issue that I have my own
[1:03:35] thoughts about how things should go, but
I also know that some of my thoughts
[1:03:40] just aren't going to work. And so, my
thoughts are based on my own beliefs.
[1:03:46] But I see that uh there are people out
there that just aren't going to measure
[1:03:50] up to that. So, that's about as close as
I can get to answering this question.
[1:03:55] There's just things that just need to be
done with the that maybe I might not
[1:04:00] agree with
[1:04:03] my own theology but just necessary.
>> Thank you.
[1:04:12] » What policy area do you believe will be
will have the greatest impact in the
[1:04:16] city's future over the next three to
five years?
[1:04:21] Um actually it goes back to the question
you basically been asking um getting the
[1:04:30] homelessness to be noted an eyesore
issue um and also not a impact on city
[1:04:38] resources with the fire department
police so on and so forth. If we can
[1:04:43] minimize that, there's more money in the
budget to go with other things. But
[1:04:48] also, if we can get
the building codes and all that good
[1:04:54] stuff in order so that there could be
more building and um housing popping up
[1:05:01] around
[1:05:06] businesses and whatnot.
Just get our zoning and all that good
[1:05:11] stuff. ironed out a little bit.
[1:05:16] » How would you prioritize the allocation
of city resources while balancing
[1:05:21] community expectations for services
during periods of limited revenue or
[1:05:25] budget constraints?
[1:05:31] Um,
in my mind, some of it's
[1:05:37] a general that uh
there are some city services like the
[1:05:43] police and the fire department. Well, I
know some contracted out, but those
[1:05:47] things just have to be funded and and
funded to the point where that they're
[1:05:52] effective and not restricted. And then
there's city staffing and whatnot that
[1:05:59] that just needs to happen. I mean, you
got to keep the city running. So, there
[1:06:03] are some things that you just got to pay
for. Then there's other things that
[1:06:07] might be able to go along the wayside. I
mean, can't too many people complain
[1:06:14] about the library. I don't see where
that's very expensive at all.
[1:06:19] But there are some things that the city
does pay for that, you know, just put on
[1:06:25] the back burner for a while.
>> All right.
[1:06:30] What does ethical public service mean to
you and how would you practice it as a
[1:06:34] council member?
>> Ethical um that simply means just
[1:06:41] taking into consideration the people
that um
[1:06:46] people in and who you're working for.
You're not working for yourself. You're
[1:06:51] working for the the community and the
people that are affected by your
[1:06:56] decision. So, you put your own personal
purposes and your own personal desires
[1:07:04] aside as you serve those that you've
been appointed to to serve. So,
[1:07:12] basically just put the people first and
your own wants and desires.
[1:07:18] at all.
>> All right. And then our last question
[1:07:24] for you this evening is it's not really
a question. It's an opportunity for you
[1:07:29] to tell us a little bit about yourself.
We'll give you about one minute to tell
[1:07:32] us whatever you want to tell us about
you. Um,
[1:07:37] on the homelessness issue, that's
probably my biggest strength, I would
[1:07:42] think, is that I've been working with
the homeless since pretty much since
[1:07:45] I've been in shelter for the last 18
years. I started working with
[1:07:51] the shelter down here and I've gotten to
know what works, what don't work, and
[1:07:58] and some pretty good ideas on how we
could move forward. And I realized none
[1:08:03] of it is easy and there's no single
solution and there's really no real
[1:08:08] solution but there's things that can
help and so that's been my motivation
[1:08:14] for years upon years. put a lot of
research into not just what would work
[1:08:19] here, but also looking at what works
everywhere else. And so, um, about
[1:08:26] myself, that that's probably where I put
most of my energy and time is working
[1:08:32] with the homeless. on several different
boards and I I also am the president of
[1:08:40] nonprofit runs the shelter
the emergency shelter.
[1:08:46] Um so
>> about a minute Sam if
[1:08:50] » that's it
>> you can wrap it up
[1:08:52] » and so I I would think that that would
be my strength and my motivation and
[1:08:56] really what I'm all about.
>> All right thank you so much we
[1:09:00] appreciate it.
[1:09:24] Will the real Rosa please stand?
[1:09:41] Good evening,
[1:09:47] Ross Gallagher, I presume.
>> Yes.
[1:09:50] » Perfect.
>> Um,
[1:09:52] » that's today.
>> Great. Yes,
[1:09:55] » the questions that we will be asking are
also in front of you, but we will ask
[1:09:58] them to you verbally also. So, let me
know. Are you ready? Perfect. So, I'm
[1:10:03] going to start with question number one.
Do you have any specific local issues
[1:10:08] that motivated you to apply for the
council vacancy?
[1:10:15] » No, I wanted to work with the board.
I've worked with
[1:10:20] previous boards and
I feel like my background is a good
[1:10:26] asset to the city.
>> Okay.
[1:10:32] » Given that homelessness and affordable
housing are complex legislative matters
[1:10:35] with divided community perspectives,
what approach would you take to these
[1:10:39] challenges as a council member?
[1:10:43] But
I keep changing laws
[1:10:48] and all that and I I'd have to study up
on it and also
[1:10:54] add my influence on making a decision.
[1:11:02] » Can you describe a time when you had to
balance your personal beliefs with the
[1:11:05] broader interest of a community?
[1:11:10] But I'd like to end Seven Street
Speedway,
[1:11:16] but uh
[1:11:23] no, my my police
is for the future of Shelton.
[1:11:29] Uh I've lived here 59 years
and I've seen a lot of things happen.
[1:11:36] Even when Simpson pulled it up and
They had formed an intergovernment
[1:11:42] council
and Nep and some of the other electives
[1:11:47] wanted
figure you know we got to kind of roll
[1:11:51] the sidewalks up. So they had a meeting
at the high school
[1:11:56] and they decided
is this a retirement community
[1:12:02] or employment or blue collar or
terrorist?
[1:12:07] That's 40 41 years ago and we still
don't know what we are.
[1:12:16] What policy area do you believe will
have the greatest impact on the city's
[1:12:20] future over the next three to five
years?
[1:12:25] » Well, I've been involved in a lot of
things. I'm the guy that actually
[1:12:27] designed Boner
[1:12:32] and
but finding a balance with the community
[1:12:38] that's very difficult.
There's too many factors coming at you
[1:12:43] all the time.
But I've dealt with budgets. I've dealt
[1:12:48] with the six million deficit the county
when I was county commissioner.
[1:13:01] All right. How would you prioritize the
allocation of city resources while
[1:13:07] balancing expectations for services
during periods of limited revenue or
[1:13:11] budget constraints?
>> I don't see that.
[1:13:16] » Number four.
>> Number four.
[1:13:22] » Oh, number four. Excuse me.
[1:13:32] This budget is set up with property tax
and sales tax
[1:13:39] and you do get some revenue from the
feds,
[1:13:44] but we have to prioritize
what the needs are
[1:13:49] and a lot of people want law
enforcement.
[1:13:54] So like when I was county commissioner,
I had to lay off
[1:13:58] couple three or four deputies. That
wasn't too popular,
[1:14:03] but we just have to move along.
[1:14:11] » All right.
And my next question for you is, what
[1:14:16] does ethical public service mean to you
and how would you practice it as a
[1:14:21] council member?
>> I do it every day.
[1:14:26] I've done it in the past. I've been
elected the elected official.
[1:14:31] for 15 years,
but I still practice ethics. Anything I
[1:14:37] do.
[1:14:45] » All right. And our next question is off
script. You won't see it. It's not so
[1:14:49] much a question as it's an opportunity
for you to tell us in about one minute
[1:14:53] whatever you want us to know about Ross
Gallagher.
[1:14:59] You came prepared.
>> Like I previously mentioned, I did
[1:15:04] elected for 15 years of service. I've
lived in this community for 59 years.
[1:15:11] I've been married for 47.
I resigned.
[1:15:18] I was a state senate finalist
back in 1996.
[1:15:25] I was on make mason transit board change
and expanding the board what I do in my
[1:15:32] service. I was president of the aging
area agency on aging. I was a board
[1:15:39] member on board which is pollution
stuff. I was on the subcommittee of
[1:15:44] growth of manhood
and I've testified a few times in the
[1:15:49] senate hear.
>> All right. Thank you so much for your
[1:15:54] time.
[1:16:03] » All right.
>> So, we're at the point of an executive
[1:16:07] session. So, you you' announce that at
this point we're scheduled for 15 15
[1:16:12] minutes and we'll
>> we'll uh enter back into the chambers
[1:16:16] after 15 minutes.
>> So, I know they're not in here, but I
[1:16:18] want to say thank you to all our
candidates. We are we're moving on to
[1:16:22] the executive session to discuss the
qualifications of the applicants and uh
[1:16:27] hopefully appointment to an elective
office pursuant of RCW42.30.1101H.
[1:16:36] The executive session will last 15
minutes. We will reconvene at
[1:16:41] Oh, somebody do some math for me.
>> 37.
[1:16:46] » All right. 7:37.
There will be action to follow. All
[1:16:51] right.
>> And we can go in the back. Aaron, if
[1:16:54] you'll let
[1:17:22] Oh yeah,
[1:17:26] » I was going to but thank you for just in
case because I appreciate that.
[1:17:48] Wow.
[1:18:08] Are we ready? All right.
>> All right. We are back in session. I
[1:18:13] just want to say thank you so much for
everybody who um applied tonight. That
[1:18:19] was that was super exciting to have so
many people care about our community um
[1:18:23] and then want to get involved. that is
um that that shows that our community
[1:18:29] has some some members that really care
and that's really important to us on
[1:18:33] council. So, thank you so much for that.
>> And I also appreciate everybody who came
[1:18:37] and applied. That is great. Last time I
didn't think we had um three people, not
[1:18:42] 10. So, that was pretty exciting. Thank
you everybody for applying for uh for
[1:18:46] this. Appreciate the work of whoever we
picked.
[1:18:49] » Anyone else?
All right. So, we are off and running.
[1:18:54] Um, at this point, council members, the
floor is open for nominations. No second
[1:18:58] will be needed.
All right. Nominations.
[1:19:03] » I nominate Jason Sap.
>> All right.
[1:19:06] » I nominate Kenneth Mobley.
>> All right.
[1:19:09] » I nominate Walter Scott Dil.
>> All right. I nominate Sam Lumis.
[1:19:18] » And I move to close nominations.
>> All right.
[1:19:23] Let's do that. Okay. So, can we get
>> You need a second to close.
[1:19:28] » All right. Can we get that second?
>> All right. Second. We have a motion and
[1:19:33] a second to close nominations.
Um, so we have four nominations. Is that
[1:19:39] correct, Mary?
>> Yes.
[1:19:40] » All right. The first candidate who
receives it will be three votes tonight
[1:19:44] will be appointed. If no single
candidate receives three votes in the
[1:19:49] first round, the process will be
repeated until a candidate receives the
[1:19:53] required number of votes. City clerk
Ricker
[1:19:57] » Ricker
>> Ricker will begin the roll call vote.
[1:20:01] Sorry, I usually say your first name.
>> Would you like me to do this up there?
[1:20:04] Is that easier than in the corner?
>> Wherever you're most comfortable.
[1:20:09] » Okay,
so do the roll call vote. Council member
[1:20:13] Blush.
Oh. Um, Jason Zap,
[1:20:18] » Council Member Anisco,
>> Kenneth Moley,
[1:20:22] » Mayor Sherman,
>> uh, Sam Lumen,
[1:20:27] » Council Member Gilmore,
>> Kenneth Moley,
[1:20:30] » Council Member Gutierrez,
>> Kenneth Moley.
[1:20:34] » All right. Uh, it looks like we have
three votes for Kenneth Moy. So,
[1:20:41] congratulations, Kenneth Moley. we will
be on our city council. Thank you so
[1:20:46] much.
[1:20:49] All right.
Once again, I want to say thank you to
[1:20:53] everyone who participated, who cared
enough, and for showing up tonight cuz
[1:20:58] honestly, not everybody did. So, thank
you so much. All right, we are going to
[1:21:03] uh adjourn this meeting at was that 7:41
p.m.
[1:21:07] Awesome.