Incumbent Bill Nelson will face Richard Sinclair for the Ward 3 Position 6 seat on the Hoquiam City Council in the November general election. Both candidates were supplied with a list of questions; however, multiple attempts to contact Sinclair over the last month have gone unanswered; therefore, only Nelson’s answers appear here.
What is the biggest issue facing Hoquiam?
Nelson: “The biggest issue would be the fire department. Our ambulance fund has not been doing too good, so we have to figure out how to get it back on track or get together with Aberdeen (to form a regional fire authority). We’re asking too much of our businesses (regarding increased fees to support emergency services).”
Do you have solutions in mind to address the homeless?
Nelson: “We do have camps on the Little Hoquiam and Hoquiam rivers. I wish I had a solution. I know Portland passed a no camping law and they’re trying to get people into permanent housing, but they have a lot more money than the City of Hoquiam.”
Would you support a crude oil operation at the Port? What about biofuels?
Nelson: “No, I do not support crude oil. Biofuels I don’t have a big problem with but I don’t want to see the Port turn in to a big tank plant.” He also talked about what any expansion at the Port would mean to the already crowded east Aberdeen traffic, saying any expansion plans to increase train traffic should come with a plan that includes putting more rail lines at those facilities to cut down on the amount of time the area of Walmart is cut off from access by trains. “There is a year delay in a lot of projects because the Legislature didn’t pass a capital budget, and we don’t have the funds to do it ourselves.”
A little more about Bill Nelson:
“I’ve lived here all my life, except for my time in the Army. I did four years in the service and a little extra time in the Gulf War. My mom and dad live across the street from me, my brother Jeff is the county environmental health guy, and I live with my wife. I have three grown stepchildren, one of whom still lives in Hoquiam.”
