By Gwen Davis

Who are you going to vote for Seattle City Council District 1? To date, nine candidates have joined the race to replace retiring Council Member Tom Rasmussen. This past week we asked the candidates two questions:

What are the top two issues in West Seattle that are most important to you?
What do you have that your competitors do not?

Here is a summary of how each candidate responded to the questions.

Dave Montoure

Montoure’s two main issues are development and public safety.

“Impacts of development and assuring that public investment in our infrastructure keeps pace with private investment in our communities [are important to,” Montoure said.

Montoure also said that crime and public safety are among his top concerns.

West Seattle needs a 24/7 emergency medical facility, he believes, especially given the high number of elderly people, children and families who live in the area.

What makes Montoure the best candidate?

“I have a proven record of volunteer civic involvement,” he said. “I remain vested in our local economy and provide jobs in our community.”

Montoure has done volunteer work with several organizations in West Seattle including the West Seattle Food Bank, the Senior Center and the ACS Discovery Shop. He was president of the West Seattle Junction Association and served as chair of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He also served on several boards, including the West Seattle Trusteed Properties, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the Capitol Campaign Committee of the West Seattle Family YMCA.

Additionally, Montoure was born and raised in West Seattle. He graduated from West Seattle High School and after moving away for college and work he returned and made West Seattle his home.

Tom Koch

Koch’s two main issues are growth and giving West Seattle a voice in city government.

“The onslaught of development has worsened traffic, failed to provide affordable housing and made it tougher to find parking,” he said. “Worse still, the city has failed to mandate development impact fees to pay for transportation, schools, parks, etc. meaning existing residents are subsidizing developers. “

Koch said that 80 jurisdictions in Washington State have these fees but Seattle doesn’t.

“Why not?” he asked.

Koch has a background in land use and has experience as both a small business owner and pre-school teacher. He also put himself through college by being a game show contestant.

Koch said that the voices of West Seattle and South Park are not heard within the city

“Our interests and concerns are frequently ignored,” he said. “This must stop.”

What makes Koch the best candidate?

“I bring 29 years of experience working on land use and have a record of delivering affordable housing, transit, open space, trails, parks and schools,” he said.

Koch said he understands good planning along with the business side of development.

George Capestany
Capestany’s two main issues are transportation and development.
“To get out of West Seattle it’s almost like there are code times for when you can leave,” he said regarding one of the transportation problems he’d like to work on. “But lots of things need to be addressed such as metro and the light rail.”

“The council says we’ve done so much, but I’ve lived here for 10 years and with the influx of people moving to West Seattle, nothing is moving fast enough to alleviate the traffic,” he said. “West Seattle is also physically separated from the city. You have to cross a river to get to where you live. The majority of people take the West Seattle bridge but there’s been no increase to accommodate additional transportation.”

Capestany would consider converting a piece of property near the bridge to a large park-and-ride, in order to ease access.

Regarding development: “We need infrastructure to accommodate the number of people who are moving in,” he said. “We also need development for small businesses that bring in revenue and tax dollars.”

But Capestany said that development needs to be done right. “Some people are upset with the character of the housing they’ve put up,” he said.
“Responsible development is design. I don’t think micro-housing works in West Seattle.”

What makes Capestany the best candidate? “I’m not a politician,” he said. “I think outside of the box. I’m looking at this as a regular guy. I’m probably more ‘regular’ than the rest [of the. I’m more like the voter than they are. This is my first stint at public service so my awareness isn’t tainted or skewed by work with city government.”

Amanda Kay Helmick
Helmick’s two main issues are transportation and growth.
“We live in a peninsula surrounded by water and having transportation around the water is the biggest problem that West Seattle is facing,” she said. “There hasn’t been improvement or investment in creating a better transportation system for West Seattle and South Park.”

Helmick is cofounder of the West Seattle Transportation Coalition (WSTC) and said she’s been working with organizations around the city to make transportation better, including current work on making access in and out of the city more efficient.
“Right now to go north or south we all take one lane, to either 99 or I-5,” which slows traffic, she said.
Helmick wants the bus system to be strengthened.

Regarding residential growth, Helmick said she wants more affordability.
“West Seattle is traditionally an affordable place where people could come and get married and buy a house,” she said. “It was affordable then and I’d like to maintain that for families.”
Helmick also said that wants to maintain parks and green space.

“We have plans in place already,” she said. “We have the Urban Village network that has set goals that were derived from the community and how people would like to shape it. But there needs to be funding for people to be able to do that.”
What makes Helmick the best candidate? “I’m the only candidate currently working on issues for West Seattle,” she said. Aside from her work on the WSTC, Helmick represents Delridge on the City Neighborhood Council and is chair of the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council.

Chas Redmond
Redmond’s two main issues are transportation and equity regarding housing and wages.
“At the very top is transportation; access in, out and around West Seattle,” he said.

“We need transportation for people who do not have means of getting around town,” he said. “We need to find additional ways to allow people who have two or three jobs get around better.”
“My second highlight is the whole issue of affordability and equity of housing, wages and other economic issues,” he said. He thinks the city’s small businesses could help.

“I think the Seattle Office of Economic Development can hold a series of training seminars on a regular basis for small businesses owners,” he said. “Basically, a small business owner could walk in and find out how to accommodate higher wages but not lose money in the process.”

These types of seminars would help small businesses grow and further equity at the same time.

“Housing could be made a little more affordable and market-rate housing could be intermingled with lower subsidized housing,” he said regarding more ideas on how to spread housing equity.

Redmond would also focus on creating additional jobs in West Seattle. “We have a couple locations in West Seattle where we could attract more higher-paying jobs: internet jobs or software jobs,” he said.

One advantage West Seattle has in attracting jobs is the views it offers: “We have scenic locations for offices, which could be a draw.”

What makes Redmond the best candidate? “I have 30 years of experience working for large government associations,” and experience relating to hundreds of other organizations, he said. “I worked in big league management and have business relation expertise that I think would work perfectly with Seattle, and keep international trade flow going strong.”

Shannon Braddock
Braddock’s two main issues are transportation and development.

“The biggest logistical aspect of neighborhood and business development boils down to equity and social justice,” she said.
Braddock said she’s enthusiastic about the state of transportation and would work to enhance it even further.

“On the local scale, I’m very excited the city supported Prop. 1 and will have regular check-ins and updates throughout the course of the year,” she said. “I know we have issues on connections and I want to be certain we address all of those and make sure we have follow-up.”

However, Braddock said other organizations need to be held accountable for their end of the deal. “The state has a responsibility for viaduct mitigation – those connections are important.”

As far as development: “I’m interested in enhancing development on the residential side, as well as looking at zoning work and creating more affordable housing,” she said.

What makes Braddock the best candidate? She knows the importance of bringing people together.
“Make sure you have all the right stakeholders at the table,” she said. “ have the ability to work with different folks at the city, the county and the state, and know how to bring in other organizations and make sure all those voices are at the table.”

Brianna Thomas
Thomas’ two main issues are transportation and development.

“Extending the bus line all the way into the city would really help transit,” she said. “[As well expanding service hours in a way that would work for West Seattle.”

Currently, only those with a normal business hour schedule can take full use of public transportation, she said.
Additionally, the Rapid Ride program and bus service overall should be strengthened and expanded.
As far as development, Thomas said that “the integrity of West Seattle” is important.
“There needs to be thoughtful planning,” she said. “Putting in more apartments and micro-housing [at the is more feasible than dropping micro-housing on other places,” for example, she said. “Let’s be thoughtful about the type of development that’s going up.”

Furthermore, finding support for families needs focus.
“Let’s put up more units for working families,” she said.

What makes Thomas the best candidate? “My activist background and my whole career working for issues and collations on the ground,” she said.

Thomas is also a typical West Seattleite who has an intimate understanding of what’s on the minds of most people.
“I’m a renter and I’m transit rider,” she said. “My perspective of looking at these problems is different [than the other. I’m representative of folks moving into West Seattle and of people who are there now.”
Thomas also said she’s lived in all different neighborhoods in West Seattle. “That’s what makes me unique,” she said.

Phillip Tavel
Tavel’s two main issues are transportation and jobs.
“Number one is making sure that there’s a basically viable alternative to a tunnel viaduct and making sure we have a bus system to take care of West Seattle,” he said.

Bringing work to West Seattle is also important.

“We need to bring more jobs over here in West Seattle, especially in tech,” he said. “The truth is Seattle has the richest tech industry in the country and it’s quite untapped.”
Leading organizations need to work collaboratively on this issue.

“The biggest thing is sitting down and talking with tech entrepreneurs and tech companies that are downtown Seattle and around the area about utilizing South Park,” he said.
Additionally, West Seattle has South Seattle College which could create a plethora of job training opportunities.

“We need to work with local high schools and programs to help educate people the way they want,” he said.
What makes Tavel the best candidate?

“My business experience,” he said. He owned businesses for several years and had a lot of management experience, he said. “I am [the only who has successfully dealt in business and dealt with millions of dollars.”

Tavel also said his range of experience from teaching physics to being an attorney makes him well suited for the city council position.
“One of the things that got me into this is: I think it’s time for new blood in Seattle,” he said. “Too many people have made a career out of politics and we need new blood.”

Lisa Herbold
Herbold’s two main issues are immobility and income inequality.

“When I speak of income inequality I’m not speaking just about jobs but about opportunity,” she said. “My background is in community organizing, neighborhood issues and ensuring public resources are distributed fairly. [It’s fighting neighborhoods that don’t get attention other neighborhoods get,” she said.

Herbold said immobility encompasses problems with transportation, infrastructure and investments.
“Specifically, I’m interested in looking at enforcement of labor laws and minimum wage,” she said. “I want to see good enforcement of workers’ rights in West Seattle.”
Additionally, Herbold wants to mitigate negative development impacts, such as when open space is taken away.

“Those are things that need to be funded,” she said. “Infrastructure investments are not keeping up in our neighborhood.”

Furthermore, “developers need to be good neighbors and make this city one where everyone can live,” she said. “We also need to make sure developers are meeting needs for affordable housing.”
What makes Herbold the best candidate?

“I have the experience of working within city government for 17 years,” she said. “I know how government works and I know how to help citizens be effective advocates. A big part of my job is not only to make things work in city government but also to teach citizens how to [advocate for in government.”
Herbold said she has experience in progressive policy making, nonprofits, schools and raising a family in West Seattle.