ELECTION | Dembowski faces voters, Fray and Wilson [6]
.com
REPORTER
NEWSLINE: 425.483.3732
K E N M O R E˜
Awards | High school seniors awarded scholarships from Northshore Youth Soccer Association [7]
FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013
Councilman Van Ness faces challenge from Mooney, Smith BY MATT PHELPS
mphelps@bothell-reporter.com
The Reporter submitted four questions to each council candidate. Here is how they answered. For the entire Q&A, visit Kenmore-Reporter.com and search “Vote 2013.”
K
enmore City Councilman Allan Van Ness was elected to Position 6 in 2005 and won re-election in 2009. This year he will face environmental activist Elizabeth Mooney and former certified public accountant Ken Smith during the Aug. 6 primary.
While Mooney and Smith may agree on many things, the primary focus in their campaigns gives voters a distinct choice. Both have chosen to focus on their strengths during the campaign. Smith said the top three issues facing the city are its fi-
nancial position, strategy and economic development. He said that no one really knows the financial position of the city as it uses “checkbook” accounting. “It does not give us the complete picture of all our assets and all our liabilities,” Smith said. “It does not tell
us where we really are … The city council needs to promptly figure out its real financial position, not just the balance in the checkbook in order to fulfill its duties to the residents of Kenmore.” He said this issue plagues many businesses, non-profits and municipalities. Once the
city can show a precise financial position, other issues can be approached and a strategy for economic growth can be devised, said Smith. The three biggest issues facing the city for Mooney are health, public policy towards [ more KENMORE page 11 ]
Ecology, Health get tough questions at Kenmore meeting BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@bothell-reporter.com
Rep. Gerry Pollet addresses a panel from the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington Department of Health during a town hall meeting at Kenmore City Hall on July 11. MATT PHELPS, Kenmore Reporter
Kenmore residents recently met with state officials for the first time since sediment testing results from the Kenmore waters of Lake Washington were released in January. During the question and answer session, residents and even some elected politicians had some pointed questions for representatives from the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Health on July 11 at Kenmore City Hall. Ecology spokesperson
Larry Altose noted that the study was a screening to determine if the areas where people and animal recreate are of concern to their health and not the end of testing for many areas. Ecology’s testing revealed just two locations, one at Harbor Village and one at the North Lake Marina, had elevated levels of contaminants out of the 34 sites tested. The Department of Health concluded from the testing results that contact with the sediment or water is not expected to harm people’s health. But some of the most [ more TESTING page 3 ]
Three candidates vie for Ewing’s seat on Bothell City Council The Reporter submitted four questions to each council candidate. Here is how they answered. For the entire Q&A, visit Kenmore-Reporter.com and search “Vote 2013.”
When Patrick Ewing announced he would not seek re-election to the Bothell City Council, it came as a shock to many. But it also opens an opportunity for three residents to make a difference in their community. Bothell is going through tremendous changes in the
downtown core with the realignment of State Route 522 and the Bothell Landing project. Position 5 is one of three Bothell Council seats on the ballot, but the only one with multiple candidates. Nadia Mustafa, Steve Booth and Tris Samberg will face off during the Aug. 6
Kiddie Academy® prepares your child for school and for life with our Life Essentials® curriculum.
primary for the seat, with the top two vote getters advancing to the general election in November. While the seat does not have an incumbent, two of the candidates have strong name recognition. Samberg previously held council Position 2 and was a Planning
Commission member. She lost in a bid to unseat Mayor Mark Lamb in 2011. Booth is a current Planning Commission member, while Mustafa is a stay-athome mom. All the candidates see the top three issues facing Bothell differently. Mustafa said that
one of her biggest concerns is the lack of communication between City Hall and residents. “As the city grows, I want residents to know they have a major say in how that growth occurs,” said Mustafa. “I firmly believe Bothell’s [ more BOTHELL page 5 ]
Kiddie Academy® of Bothell 425.485.7200
kiddieacademy.com/bothell
INFANTS • TODDLERS • PRESCHOOL • BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL • SUMMER CAMP
814843
BY MATT PHELPS
mphelps@bothell-reporter.com