Independent candidate for King County Council, District 4, Ed Pottharst, said he admits he doesn't have all the answers to the diverse transit, maintenance and education problems afflicting Ballard and other neighborhoods. But he believes that by working together with community groups and other organizations, the issues can be resolved.

"Accessibility is the key to success," he said in an interview last week. "It's all about helping to build a community, and I want to bring that sort of ethic with me to the King County Council."

Being a King County council member is about serving the public to the best of your ability, Pottharst said, and the only way that can be done is to be more accessible to the residents of the district.

Pottharst noted that throughout his campaign, going door to door to introduce himself to the District 4 communities, such as Ballard and Magnolia neighborhoods, he has been surprised to learn that so many people are unaware that the King County Council even exists.

"To me that's very unfortunate," he said. "(King County council members) can be a very valuable resource in terms of making connections with the city and organizations."

Making connections and creating collaborations is something Pottharst said he is very familiar with.

His background lies heavily in community coordination. In 1999, Pottharst started a position with the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods as a neighborhood coordinator and through that position conducted numerous community projects.

"I communicate, that's my job," he said. "I acted as a catalyst, attended community meetings, set up mentoring programs, planned new parks, and worked hard to scout out underrepresented people and connect them with their communities."

Here in Ballard, controversy has existed over the addition of the Burke Gilman Trail and the consequential missing link.

"We ought to be able to fill in the missing link," Pottharst said. "I am not convinced there can't be a way around this. There have got to be other places in the country where they experienced a similar situation."

Pottharst, an avid bike commuter, said it is a high priority for him to find ways bikers, the maritime industry, and drivers can coexist peacefully, and safely.

"There is a way to complete the Burke Gilman Trail and at the same time accommodate the businesses," said Pottharst. "But, there must be willingness between the city and the companies."

He said he views the maritime industry as very valuable to the county.

"I believe it is an important industry and we need to make sure that land is available for it to flourish, he said. "At the same time we need to have urban centers throughout the city. I don't think they are incompatible."

Pottharst also has ideas about the Seattle Monorail Project, who's board is now attempting to meet Mayor Greg Nickel's deadline of September 15 to come up with a feasible finance plan that will satisfy both the city council and citizens.

"I still would like to see the monorail built in some way or another," he said. "(These large projects) take a lot of time, energy and money over a period of many years to get the first (major mass transit system) up and running. Research has shown this is a common pattern for large mass transit projects. Seattle seems to be stuck in the preliminary stage."

He added that the monorail project might have to seek additional funding and may need another public vote.

"I think the project had one strike against it for only allowing one source of funding," he said, referring to the motor vehicle excise tax, which is currently the projects one source of paying back it's estimated $11 billion debt.

"I am still holding hope for monorail," he said. "We need transit that avoids surface streets."

The viaduct is another issue the candidate hopes to explore as a King County council member.

He prefers to take a strong look at tearing down the viaduct and replacing it with a throughway.

"We need to open up the water front," he said. "I'm not keen on a tunnel option because it is simply too expensive and we don't have the funding."

A throughway, he said, would still allow traffic to flow about 35-40 mph on the surface level yet also allow the waterfront to be opened up some.

"Vancouver, BC has a lot of throughways that run through the city, and they are able to move a lot of traffic," said Pottharst. "It really helps preserve a sense of whole for the city. The viaduct slices through the heart of the city and downtown."

But what Pottharst really wants to focus on as a King County council member is connecting with the community and providing a sense of availability to his position.

"I want to ask people what the problems are, figure out and discuss opportunities and actively enlist those opportunities," he said. "I go where people are, I don't wait for them to come to me."

He cited the Ballard Neighborhood Service Center as an example.

"I think people would love to see the city and county staff use (the neighborhood service center) as a place to hold public meetings where they work with the community to address their concerns or just answer general questions."

The communities need to take advantage of all neighborhood service centers; there are five in District, 4 he added.

He said the big difference between City Council and County Council is that connection with a specific area of the city that a county council member is given, while there are nine city council members to represent and address the concerns of the entire city.

"People don't know where to go for help," he said. "I think it's sad that so many people don't know who their King County council member is and I want to change that."

Pottharst's opponent, Larry Philips (Dem), has served14 years on the King County Council, and has done many good things, said Pottharst.

"But 14 years is long enough," he said. "I would like to see someone very visible in District 4, and Phillips is not."