2 • AUGUST 2016
NEWS appointed?
The Park Bench
A: My first thoughts? Oh gosh, this is funny but I believe I was a bit in shock in the best of ways. I remember thinking to myself earlier that day that I’d done what I sought out to do and that was to learn and enjoy the process of applying. So when Mayor Pro Tem Brickner nominated me I thought, “Oh that’s nice of him to do but one of the other nominees will be appointed, not me.” In fact, my husband had to nudge me when it was announced that I was being appointed because I didn’t believe it.
Community Commitment – McGuire joins City Council ready to lead and listen By Craig Howard Splash Editor Over a year before she was appointed as the latest addition to the Liberty Lake City Council, Jessica McGuire made it a point to attend most meetings at City Hall, studiously taking notes on an array of topics from street maintenance to sales tax. After Council Member Keith Kopelson announced that he would be stepping away from the dais in May for health and family reasons, McGuire became one of nine residents to fill out the application paperwork. Never before in the city’s history had so many applicants vied for a vacated council position. McGuire and her husband Ben moved with their son, Zayne, to the Spokane area from San Diego in July of 2014. By December, they had found a home in Liberty Lake. McGuire began attending council meetings after interviewing Mayor Steve Peterson and City Administrator Katy Allen as part of a civics class assignment. She soon realized that attending meetings “was a great way to keep in the loop with what was going on.” On June 7, McGuire went through the first round of interviews at City Hall with her eight fellow applicants. Some had backgrounds with multi-million dollar budgets and executive roles, others brought experience from the planning commission or City Council. McGuire, a self-described “stay-athome mom” brought a refreshing tone to her answers, showing an insightful grasp of municipal topics and emphasizing the importance of keeping citizens informed. When the interview portion of the meeting was over and council moved on to other city business, several candidates left the building. McGuire and a few others remained, a gesture that was not lost on those around the dais. The entire field of nine would return on
The Splash
Jessica McGuire was appointed to the Liberty Lake City Council by a 4-2 vote on June 21. McGuire replaced Keith Kopelson who resigned from the governing board due to health and family reasons. She will serve the remainder of Kopelson’s term through December 2017. Photo by Craig Howard
Q: Are there any issues and/ or concerns that you would particularly like to work on in your first few months as a council member?
June 21 for the decision of council, marking another first – it had never taken two meetings to decide on a board replacement.
families from our street out on the street spending time together while the children are playing. For us in this stage of life, this is a dream come true. We love the Farmers Market, the local stores, the perfect weather that includes seasons and ease getting to downtown Spokane or Coeur d’Alene.
A: My focus will be driven by what the community says is most important. Council works for the citizens and with the citizens and right now the topics that I’m hearing about the most from the community are in regards to neighborhood safety and multifamily housing.
Q: Prior to your appointment, you became one of only a few citizens to attend council meetings on a regular basis. Do you have a theory why more citizens don't become more involved in local government?
Q: Several council members have said your appointment brings more diversity to the group and that you provide increased representation for a demographic (mothers/ housewives) who comprise a considerable portion of Liberty Lake's population. How do you feel about that carrying that mantle?
When she was announced as the newest council member on June 21, by a vote of 4-2, McGuire took her place at the dais, arguably the most surprised person in the room. She had come to the meeting that night, prepared to “applaud for the one who won.” McGuire grew up in Orange County, California and worked for a time keeping the books for her family’s general contracting business. After high school, she attended community college but soon opted for “real-life experience,” working in several fields, including a stint as an insurance agent. Later, she became trained as a labor coach, or “doula,” helping to deliver newborns. Early in her council tenure, McGuire has stressed the need for City Hall “to be accessible to residents.” When she attended council meetings as a citizen, her neighbors went to her for the latest city news. Now she’s one of seven leaders determining the legislation that affects over 9,300 of her fellow residents. “I want to encourage citizen participation,” McGuire said. “There’s just so much information I wish more people knew about.” Q: What were some of your first impressions of Liberty Lake when you moved here in late 2014? A: We fell in love with Liberty Lake right away. It has many of the elements that we grew up with and that we wanted for our son that wasn’t an option if we stayed in California. On our block, a few days a week, you ‘ll find a handful of the
A: I can only speak for myself, but I had a misunderstanding that government is intimidating. But the truth is our form of government, which is unique and a truly amazing design, needs citizens’ participation to work properly. When Mrs. Powell asked Benjamin Franklin in 1787 if we were going to have “a monarchy or a republic” and his response was the ever-classic, “A republic if you can keep it.” How we keep it, I’d argue, is by being involved. Q: When Keith Kopelson announced his resignation, did you know right away that you would be applying for the open council seat? A: I was in the audience that night and I was surprised by the news of Mr. Kopelson stepping down. He’d been such a fixture for me in all of the meetings that I’d attended. I didn’t know that I’d be applying that evening but I spoke with my husband after the council meeting about the possibility of applying. We both felt that it’d be a great honor if I was given the chance to be on council and to focus and enjoy the process of applying and interviewing. Q: What was your first thought upon learning that you'd been
A: What an honor that that was said and that I might be able to help be that voice. I thought for a long time that being a stay-athome-mom brought limitations in some capacities but in this situation I believe that Mayor Pro Tem Brickner along with Council Members Kaminskas, Langford and Moore see the importance of having a more balanced representation of our city within council. Q: Finally, what have you enjoyed most about your first month as part of the Liberty Lake City Council? A: I’ve enjoyed meeting so many familiar faces that I’ve never actually shook hands with. Mrs. Katy Allen introduced me to our library director, Mrs. Mogen, Police Chief Asmus and many of the staff throughout the city the week after I took the oath. I’d like to personally thank Mrs. Ann Swenson (city clerk), Mr. RJ Stevenson (Finance director) and Mrs. Katy Allen (City Administrator) for all of their help getting me up to speed these last few weeks!