8 • JULY 2016
McGuire appointed as latest addition to City Council
NEWS
By Craig Howard
Splash Editor Never before in the history of Liberty Lake had this many applicants filed to fill a position on City Council. Never before had the sitting council taken two weeks between the first series of candidate interviews and the announcement of an appointee. Ultimately, Jessica McGuire – a self-described “stay-at-home mom” – took her seat at the City Hall dais on June 21, winning out over eight fellow council hopefuls. “She brings a different light,” said Mayor Pro Tem Shane Brickner of the newest city leader. “She’s someone who has been attending council meetings. She’s invested as a citizen.” While McGuire may not have the level of business or budgeting experience possessed by several others who applied, Brickner said the appointment addresses the governing board’s hope to feature more diverse representation of a growing city now with a population of just over 9,300. “This is a step toward maintaining the balance we brought up a year ago,” Brickner said. “There have been other council members without business backgrounds and they’ve brought great ideas to the table.” After an executive session near the beginning of the June 21 meeting, council members emerged to offer nominations for the position left vacant after longtime Council Member Keith Kopelson stepped away from the dais in May for health and family reasons. Council Member Dan Dunne nominated Phil Folyer, followed by Council Member Bob Moore who nominated Jim Bawmker. Brickner nominated McGuire. With Folyer and McGuire moving on to the second round, McGuire received votes from Council Members Cris Kaminskas, Odin Langford, Moore and Brickner. Council Members Hugh Severs and Dunne cast votes for Folyer. McGuire took the oath of office shortly after and was soon taking detailed notes on the remaining agenda items from her new council chair. “This is a real great honor and opportunity,” McGuire said. Following the meeting, when going through some required paperwork, McGuire was surprised
Councilmember Jessica McGuire to learn that council representatives are paid $400 a month. “I thought I would be volunteering,” she said. Like Brickner, Kaminskas said McGuire would bring a refreshing and valuable perspective to Liberty Lake government. “I think she’ll stand up for her opinions but also be open to change by the facts,” Kaminskas said. “She represents a segment of our community, younger stay-at-home moms, that is not represented on
the council. Someone needs to speak for their point of view. If we are going to truly represent our residents, we need a wider variety of council members.” All nine candidates went through an interview process at City Hall at the June 7 council meeting with City Administrator Katy Allen asking each applicant the same series of questions in an allotted time of 15 minutes per person. Topics included reasons for running, budgeting history, city priorities and opinions on the proposed Town Square Aquatics and Community Center. In addition to McGuire, Folyer and Bawmker, the list of applicants included Richard Haugen, Charles Matthews, Jeff Sitton, Thomas Stanley, Gary Green and former Council Member Josh Beckett who revealed during his interview that he has been battling cancer since January. The news came as a surprise to Beckett’s former city colleagues. “I’m doing a lot better,” Beckett said. While answering her questions, McGuire said she had first met and interviewed Mayor Steve Peterson and City Administrator Katy Allen as part of an applied civics class. Since then, she has been a regular attendee at City Council meetings. “It’s been really interesting to see how everyone works together,”
The Splash
McGuire said of the collaboration at City Hall. When it came to the budgeting topic, McGuire mentioned how she had worked for her family’s general contracting business in California, “taking care of the books.” She views public safety as the top priority of the city followed by safe roads. “What I really want to make sure we are doing is really hearing the citizens and making sure communication is good,” she said. McGuire, who is married with one child, moved to the Inland Northwest from San Diego three years ago. A resident of the Rocky Hill neighborhood, McGuire said she is thankful for the roundabout being built at the nearby Mission and Molter intersection. When asked about Town Square, McGuire admitted she was not a fan of the project at first based on the price tag. After some research and talking to neighbors, she now supports the initiative. “In talking to longtime residents I can see it has a lot that would appeal to all types of citizens,” she said. As far as the most important goal Liberty Lake should emphasize over the next four years, McGuire said the city would be well off “top keep taxes and regulations friendly so the community can grow.”
A total of nine candidates applied for a vacant position on the Liberty Lake City Council last month. Position 6 on the governing board had been occupied since January 2012 by Keith Kopelson who stepped away in May for health and family reasons. Council hopefuls went through an interview process at City Hall on June 7. City Council eventually appointed Jessica McGuire (second from left) at their June 21 meeting. Photo by Craig Howard