By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Last night’s Seattle City Council District 1 candidate forum at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center was a first even in this election year of many firsts – first one with audience-feedback clickers, first one specifically and pointedly insisting that candidates explain how they would outline and take action on particular priorities for Delridge, aka eastern West Seattle.

The forum was organized by, and held in the regular monthly meeting slot for, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council, whose chair Mat McBride energetically emceed it over the course of almost two hours at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

There to answer the questions and goodnaturedly endure the feedback were seven of the nine D-1 candidates you’ll see on your August 4th ballot – left to right across the stage, Phillip Tavel, Shannon Braddock, Arturo Robles, Lisa Herbold, Jody Rushmer, Karl Wirsing, Chas Redmond. McBride explained that Brianna Thomas had RSVPd to participate as well but had to cancel at the last minute because of a family-health emergency.

Each person in attendance was offered a clicker-type device to be used after each candidate’s reply to a question, with four options for rating the reply, with the results then shown on the big screen behind the candidates. Here’s what the clicker (borrowed from the city Department of Neighborhoods, which uses them at certain types of meetings, according to district coordinator Kerry Wade) looked like:

Each of the seven participating candidates had randomly drawn a specific Delridge-priority question to answer in the first round, then got to choose which one of the priorities to address in round two, and finally, it was “talk about whatever you want” for round three. Our first clip has the introduction to the event plus the first round:

Ahead, highlights of the replies from our as-it-happened notes, plus video of the second and third rounds:

Chas Redmond – how to strengthen the relationship of trust between Delridge and the city? Each department “would take a different approach,” he observed. Focusing on the relationship with the Department of Planning and Development, he suggested that the Department of Transportation should be brought in too so that housing and transportation issues are discussed together. Parks is important too, he said, since Delridge is the district with “the most wild space,” but he’s not sure Parks has “a full understanding of what its mission is.” He’d like to talk with City Light and Seattle Public Utilities about getting word of their low-income assistance programs to more of the people who could benefit from them. And for Department of Neighborhoods, he’d like to return to a mode in which district coordinates could be advocates and partners for neighborhoods.

Clicker evaluation – “typical politician” won out with half the attendees choosing it. (The other options were “Did the candidate hear the question?” “I guess that’ll work” and “Delridge, all the way.”)

Karl Wirsing was asked to “create and promote a Delridge neighborhood and community identity.” He pointed out immediately that this is where he lives. He said “creating our own little ‘mini-Junction’ neighborhood” would be vital, and mentioned the Brandon Node business districtlet, home to businesses that he sees as representing “the beginning of a neighborhood core.” He mentioned that thousands of cars pass through on Delridge Way daily, so the issue is what to do to make them want to stay, or come back. Getting everyone out into the same spaces can and will build community, he said.

Clicker evaluation – “typical politician” and “I guess that’ll work” tied with 9 each (participation was up to 28 this time).

Jody Rushmer drew a question asking him to discuss “develop business associations to spur economic development.” Identifying himself as a West Seattle resident since 1977, he mentioned how much it’s changed, and yet Delridge “hasn’t had as much development in this neck of the woods,” which he said could be considered kind of a positive, compared to the “overbuilt” situation he sees in The Junction. Delridge still has easy ingress/egress in his view and reasonable housing prices, so he’d build coalitions with everyone, including developers, to “get them to build more of what we want, when they build.” He is concerned about some current initiatives – unspecified – that could add significantly to the cost of building housing. He thinks Delridge eventually “will look like the rest of West Seattle” in terms of development, so now is the time “to jump in” and talk with developers.

Clicker evaluation – “I guess that’ll work” took the lead with 10 responses out of 30 total.

Lisa Herbold was asked about “create or maximize places and events where diverse groups can come together to build trust and reciprocity.” First, she said, people need to have faith that leaders have their best interests in mind. “The district system is a good system to get us nudged in that direction,” she suggested. Addressing issues such as inequality and police reform will help in a big way, she said, spending much of her reply time on the latter topic. “Creating trust … also can mean physical places, like Youngstown,” she said, observing that it’s done a “fantastic job” of building its programs around community needs, “particularly youth.” If elected, she said, she wants to see City Council committees have at least one meeting a month “out in the community,” and that the councilmembers should regularly have “office hours out in the community.”

Clicker evaluation – “I guess that’ll work,” with 12 out of 30.

Arturo Robles was asked to talk about how to “promote a Green Delridge.” He expressed concerns about people saying what they think people want to hear. So, he said, “what is being done now, and where do we want to be?” is important to evaluate,” as well as taking “the long-term view.” He said that community gardening is being done already, and “we should try to encourage people to use public transportation.” Or maybe a Farmers’ Market in the Delridge area. He also said recycling, “not using plastic bags,” would be steps in the right direction.

Clicker evaluation – 16 out of 35 for the most-chosen option, “Did the candidate hear the question?”

Shannon Braddock was asked to talk about how to “conduct outreach and serve populations that cross class, ethnicity, and cultural lines and communities.” She said Delridge more than any other part of the area requires going out into the community to do that work. She then talked about a recent trip to Korea with her daughter, who she had adopted from there, and how people who spoke English reached out to her. She talked about her involvement with the West Seattle Food Bank and the challenges of divining whether people from different cultures would feel comfortable coming there for help, or of knowing what kind of foods people would want. “It’s all about listening and putting yourself where you need to be to get the work done,” she declared, adding that she is aware of how she isn’t intimidated by some seemingly simple things that might be difficult for others.

Clicker evaluation – 15 of the 35 respondents chose “Delridge all the way.”

Phillip Tavel‘s priority to address – “Strengthen the schools.” He immediately mentioned he’s a former teacher, the son of educators: “Schools are the backbones of our communities and we do not put enough time and energy into improving them.” He said Delridge has the rarity of being a neighborhood where you can go from preschool through college. Strengthening schools could involve looking for outstanding people in the community and getting them involved with schools. He said an event like this could have been promoted to more if people had gone into the schools and invited students here. Another way to help schools: Help with fundraising, and get more of what’s needed, like wi-fi hotspots and computers for “equal access to technology and information.” He also talked about the value of vocational education and reaching out to local businesses to get them involved.

Clicker evaluation – 14 of 36 responses brought the leading answer, “Delridge all the way.”

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SECOND QUESTION
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This time, each candidate got to talk about a priority that they were NOT asked about in round 1.

Chas Redmond – Said he’d like to see a Delridge “boulevard,” and also Brandon as “its own green street,” plus a better connection to Camp Long and a new gate, so people will realize they can go all the way to 35th. Snake Hill needs a better walkway/bikeway; a public space by Cambridge in South Delridge needs more attention.”

Clicker evaluation – “I guess that’ll do” and “Delridge all the way” tied, splitting almost all of the 37 total replies.

Karl Wirsing talked about law enforcement, saying that we’ve been having a difficult national conversation in recent months, dealing with “just how we interact with our police officers in our community … I’m a big believer in law enforcement …” But the relationship in this area “has a lot of work to do,” he said, also expressing surprise that Seattle doesn’t have its own police academy. Police need more to be “community ambassadors,” he said.

Clicker evaluation – “typical politician” and “I guess that’ll work” were close to tied.

Jody Rushmer chose to talk about strengthening schools – “it really starts and stops with putting money into the facilities right now,” he said, decrying that politicians have been “dragging their feet” on doing that right now. Why so many drug dealers right now? he wondered – “our education system plays a large part in that … we should all be embarrassed about the state of our schools.” He said he’s spent time volunteering in them, and knows “the things teachers are facing today are scary. … I’m tired as a voter and taxpayer that the solution continues to be levies and new taxes … Someone needs to dive into the budget and find out where the money we are spending is going now.”

Clicker evaluation – “Delridge all the way” led with 12 of the 37 responses.

Lisa Herbold chose to talk about fostering business associations: “We need to do more to … (encourage) living-wage jobs,” she said, citing a study that $27/hour is what’s needed for someone to be able to afford a “median-priced apartment in the city.” More “neighborhood-specific business associations” seem called for, including one specifically for Delridge, she thought. She also mentioned workforce readiness, and talking to businesses to determine their needs.

Clicker evaluation – “typical politician” led the field

Arturo Robles addressed the school issue, saying he had heard from a family in South Park whose children weren’t helping out enough at home – he wondered what factor legal status played in that, for immigrant families.

Clicker evaluation – “Did the candidate hear the question?” came out in first again for him.

Shannon Braddock – She too wanted to talk about the schools, and mentioned her three children who are all in schools, and family support. A school “is not about the building itself, but strengthening the (community related to it).” She spoke about the Seattle Police report (published here this afternoon) following up on the Denny visit by the police chief, and about the recent announcement that Delridge will get a speed-enforcement camera by the Boren Building (reported here last week). Building a school “through community engagement” is the best thing to do, she declared.

Clicker evaluation – 18 of the 37 respondents chose “Delridge all the way.”

Phillip Tavel – “create and promote a Delridge community identity” – he said he would focus on two things, the multicultural elements of the community, including having festivals have representation from as many of the cultures as possible. He mentioned last year’s “All Nations” soccer game (the West Seattle Cup), and thought it would be great to do that again. And he said turning the Delridge “food desert” into a plus, with a Farmers Market, gardens, and more, would be one thing to take on.

Clicker evaluation – 11 of 37 respondents chose “Delridge all the way.”

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THIRD QUESTION
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Each candidate was given up to three minutes to discuss “whatever they want.” No feedback clicking for this section.

Chas Redmond chose yet another of the priorities – neighborhood identity – even though it was a totally open topic – “What is Delridge? It means hills and valleys. Why aren’t we concentrating our neighborhood identity on the fact Delridge HAS the hills and valleys.” So he thought that should be the emphasis point for Delridge’s identity. He talked about all of Delridge’s “crosscurrents,” and its status as a “microcommunity unto itself,” as well as its pluses, such as, “arguably the best golf course in the city.” He says Delridge has many attributes that should be shown off.

Karl Wirsing said he considers himself an outsider and yet he was evaluated as a politician so he needs to work on that; he went on to bring up the issue of “spurring business development in Delridge” – many people are eyeing this corridor, he said, while others are worried that “it’s not ready,” though that’s sort of a chicken-and-egg situation – “it’s not ready” because “nobody’s done it,” he said. He said it’s time to get people here involved so “the feedback loop stops” and things move forward. Right now, he said, there’s a “window to change the way the city develops for decades – to be a model city” in many ways, or “to be a cautionary tale, a city that has outgrown itself.” It’s time to “think big, think boldly,” he said.

Jody Rushmer said that this area hasn’t gotten enough attention but needs to be assertive and make sure that what’s happening is what it wants to see happen. He also urged people to do a lot of research before choosing a candidate, and said that as a lifelong resident “this place means a lot to me.” He said he often gets the question, “why are you running?” and last night “the easiest answer came to my head … it’s time for one of us to stand up, it’s time for (us) to be sure the decisions made will benefit us as a community … it’s time someone from our district stood up in those meetings and represented our interests.”

Lisa Herbold said that the city’s biggest issue is “affordability .. I decided to run because I don’t want this to be a city that’s only for the very wealthy.” She said that while out doorbelling, she hears from people who are moving out of West Seattle “because either of the unaffordable housing or congestion problems … I’ve worked in city government for a while now and this is different, different from what I heard in (the past).” She said that parking policies should be re-examined – “that you don’t have to provide any parking in frequent transit areas, need to be examined for their real-world impacts.” It sounded like a good idea but may not work in practice. And, she said, the buildings “being built in this city” need to be evaluated for whether they’re really providing affordable housing, not just “market-rate housing.”

Arturo Robles talked about taking the risk to put himself out there, and said he believes everyone onstage feels the same way, “that government can make a difference, that the decisions made in City Hall impact everyone.” He spoke about being a person of color and said that district elections mean more chance of getting elected. “It’s a real opportunity we have here.” He said his priorities include children and the elderly, and ensuring that the services needed for both those populations will be there.

Shannon Braddock said she is running because she believes government can partner with residents and businesses “to make a positive impact on people’s lives.” She’s lived here for 17 years, she said, and is enjoying the doorbelling, community meetings, and forums, as “part of this experience (running)” because “I learn something every time (and) listening is a big part of this job.” She said one of the “key thing(s) I bring to this race” is that she has been involved in “a lot of constituent relations” in her job as chief of staff for King County District 8 Councilmember Joe McDermott – she’s already working on a “districted” elected official’s staff. “Our job is to help those residents navigate the system … and it affects all those big issues as well.”

Phillip Tavel said that he hopes people will go home and talk to their neighbors, families, friends about paying attention to the race (given, as he had pointed out earlier, while about 40 people were in the room, thousands more voters were not). He talked about choosing to move to Seattle 18 years ago, and his love for it, and his concern about problems he sees as “getting worse.” He said, “When I first moved here, Seattle felt like a giant town” – having lived in “urban environments” such as Manhattan and San Francisco – but “a lot of our growing pains, crime, traffic, homelessness, is because Seattle is in an ‘urban adolescence’ right now.” It could be set up as “one of the greatest cities in America going forward,” if the right actions are taken now. He said, “It’s time to put someone who has not been part of the problem into office” with the advent of district elections.

And with that, Mat McBride declared it “an outstanding forum” after an hour and a half. (He also shouted out to Alon Bassok, an at-large Position 9 candidate who lives in the Delridge area and was in the audience.)

Your next chance to see and hear and talk with City Council District 1 candidates is in the “candidates’ corral” at the Morgan Junction Community Festival this Saturday. The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is presenting a forum at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) July 15.