Occupation: Semi retired former beauty salon owner, millwright, carpenter, welder.

Relevant experience: I am currently a volunteer writer for Senior Sunset Times. I serve on the Board of Directors for Gentle Paws Animal Hospice and Shelter. I help keep our shorelines clean by volunteering to pick up trash with Clean Streams and Memes. I have volunteered with Grays Harbor brain injury support group, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Multiple Sclerosis Association, and many others. I currently attend every City Council meeting and every other meeting that I am able to here on the Harbor. I make myself available to my constituents because what they have to say is very important to me. I listen and will vote accordingly.

1. Describe your thoughts on the city’s response to the complex homeless issue, including its purchase of the S. Michigan St. property, its handling of federal court rulings directing the city’s response, and what you, as a city council member, would do to tackle the issue over the next several years.

I believe the city acted too quickly in purchasing the property at 421 S. Michigan. We are now stuck with two properties as a result of poor actions on our behalf. We have paid out over a half million dollars in property purchase and clean up of the River Street and Michigan Street properties. I also feel the city acted poorly from the beginning, by removing all of the riverfront dwellers without making sure there was somewhere that they could go, especially given that we had a court judgment restraining our police from enforcing ordinances.

If we can collaborate with organizations who specialize in supporting the homeless, I believe we will have much better results than by trying to take it on as a city. There are several stakeholders that I have spoken with who have indicated that the city has not met with them. I really think we need a round table discussion or forum where all parties can bring their ideas and specialties to the table. The taxpayers have already paid far too much money trying to support the TASL. There is also grant money available for homeless issues that we need to be applying for. Having a better plan in place, along with the financing is crucial to keeping costs down. I am not in favor of growing the tent camp. I am in favor of getting these folks into treatment or whatever programs they need to be successful, thus reducing tax payer giveaways. Most needle addicts come with pretty wretched life stories that brought them to where they are. Helping them get straightened out will help the entire community, whereas continuing on supporting their habits will not.

2. The city is moving forward with its quest for a City Administrator. Do you believe such a hire is a good investment for the city? Do you support the idea of a City Administrator?

Aberdeen needs a full time mayor who has his finger directly on the pulse of this community. Someone needs to be at the helm full time. I believe it is time to look at paying the mayor a living wage so that the city can be run more smoothly and eliminate any need for a city administrator. We have competent folks leading their departments who report to the mayor. At this time, I feel an administrator would be just more taxpayer money spent on something that can be accomplished by the person elected by the tax paying public.

3. Aberdeen faces a lot of complicated issues in the coming years (infrastructure improvements, catching up with a constantly changing economy, lack of affordable housing, etc.). As a council member, what would you do to address what you feel is the most pressing issue facing the city in the near future?

I feel hands down that the lack of family wage jobs on the Harbor is the number one issue facing every one of us. We do have many jobs available, but most are minimum wage, often times requiring parents to work two jobs just to pay the bills. This leaves children unattended and that leads to problems. If we can work at bringing a few large employers who pay family wage jobs, we can bail ourselves out of the mess that generations of no planning or savings has gotten us in to.

We need over $75 million in water and sewer repairs. Many of our roads are full of potholes and disintegrating. Our police and fire stations are antiquated and too small. We need a bigger jail and city hall is also antiquated and needing updates and expensive repairs. The money for these projects comes from the taxpayers. When the taxpayers have higher wage jobs, they pay more In taxes.

Right now, we are about to start seeing lower income people forced out. The current plan is to double water and sewer rates over the next four years. Most of us were just handed a 20% or higher increase in our property tax bills. LeMays has increased their rates twice in the last year. Many of us haven’t had raises in years. How are we the public supposed to keep coming up with more? Family wage jobs is the key to a better Aberdeen. More people working and more people earning more money. We have to do something to incentivize industry into locating or relocating here in Aberdeen.