City Council Position 5
Candidate Bios
CANDIDATE • MUNI LEAGUE RATING (Download the Muni League 2009 Quick Card)
Karen Tennyson • Rating: Very Good
Amy Walen • Rating: Good
On the issues
How the candidates stack up when comparing their positions on the issues.
Candidate Question Number One:
Should public money be directed toward charities?
If so, how does a government choose the charity?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
Directing public monies to non-profit organizations that address the needs of citizens is a part of responsible government process. At all times, governments owe their citizens careful due diligence before allocating taxpayer funds to any purpose. When economic times are bad (as now), we need to be more conservative about the amounts and the recipients.
Just as with any spending, the government must have a thoughtful priority ranking of “must haves” and “nice to haves.” For example, Kirkland’s support of Hopelink, KITH and like organizations, which support our less fortunate citizens with food and housing, helps the community as a whole. As another example, the Kirkland Performance Center receives funds from the city to help support their programs. The KPC contributes to the economic health of Kirkland by increasing the use of restaurants and other businesses in Kirkland by patrons attending their events. Neighborhood grants enable worthwhile projects, that in many cases, reduce costs to the City for maintenance or infrastructure.
As a member of the Council, I would first insist on proper review of all requests for funds, including a copy of the Organization’s tax return, financial statements and overall budget. We do not do this now, and from my perspective, it is an essential first step in evaluating need and accountability. Second, I would evaluate each request and determine its priority as a need for the City, and our overall ability to provide funding, if at all. There cannot be entitlements; approvals or reductions in funding should not be based on “what we’ve done before” or across-the-board percentage increases or decreases. Our decisions should be based on what is appropriate and what we can afford for our City now and in the future.
Amy Walen
Short Answer: It depends on the definition of “charity”.
One of the fundamental reasons for the foundation of a city is to pool resources to pay for services that are for the betterment of all – police, fire, safety, the infrastructure required for civilized life. A city’s resources are basically held “in trust” for these purposes, and should never be used to enrich a particular group. I personally support Komen for the Cure, Salud (providing health care for farm workers), and other causes that I believe in. It would be never be appropriate for a Council member to use the influence of his office to recommend the use of public funds to contribute to his personal causes.
A “charity” is defined as “a foundation created to promote the public good”, and under this definition, there could be a “foundation” that the city could support with public funds if it furthered the city’s mission. The City currently commits funds to provide affordable housing in East King County through nonprofit agencies, such as ARCH.. The Comprehensive Plan states that the City should support these agencies and their effort to provide affordable housing to Eastside residents, particularly low-income.
The “pooling” of resources can greatly amplify the effectiveness of the initiative, beyond what either party could achieve alone. The goal should be to leverage assets to achieve their best possible utilization – getting the most out of what you have, and to promote public-private collaboration.
To determine whether a cause should be supported, the Council must refer to the Comprehensive Plan, its stated Mission: “the enhancement of Kirkland as a community for living, working and leisure, with an excellent quality of life which preserves the city’s existing charm and natural amenities”, and the framework prescribed for it to act within, under state law.
Candidate Question Number Two:
In principle, do you believe that “the ends justify the means?” Please give an example which best illustrates your perspective.
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
Yes, at times, the end does justify the means. Consider, for example, the case of Daniel Ellsberg, when he released the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. His actions were for the greater good and changed the course of our involvement in the Vietnam War and led to the end of the presidency of Richard Nixon. While at one time, Ellsberg was on trial, facing twelve felony counts posing a possible sentence of 115 years, the case was dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, which led to the convictions of several White House aides and figured in the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon. I hope that if I were ever faced with such a choice, my moral convictions versus the law, I would have the courage of Daniel Ellsberg. Courageous Americans throughout history have always been willing to put their lives, fortunes and reputations on the line for beliefs they have held. This, to me, is the American Way.
Amy Walen
Short Answer: Yes
The purpose of the Council is to govern the City on behalf of its owners, the citizens. The Councilmember’s job is trusteeship of the resources of the City, and leadership, not just stewardship, (going along). The focus of the Council must be the ENDS to be achieved for the City’s owners.
As a community, we come together and decide – what values do we share, and hold dear? These values are stated in our Vision statement, our priorities and goals. Once established by a community, its Council should actively pursue the desired outcomes, and must take a long term view of the City’s future.
Because individual interests can be harmed by government action, there is a need to elect a diverse group of citizens to the Council that will represent a wide range of interests, reflecting the population that it serves. The Council should create outreach with citizen groups to hear, to learn, and to reach compromise on controversial subjects. Council members must understand their fiduciary responsibility to their constituents. They must conduct their actions within the law, and must act only after careful study, consideration of all points of view, and reference to their stated Vision. The Council must conduct activities openly in public.
The example that illustrates my point of view is acquisition of park lands. At several points in our history, our City leaders had the foresight to set aside valuable land as green space. At the time that those decisions were made, there must have been considerable opposition to this use of public funds. Today, one of the hallmarks of our City is its parks and walking paths.
The future depends on the choices we make, the leadership and courage we provide, and the character and integrity we demonstrate through our actions.
Candidate Question Number Three:
Currently, there is a projected $8 million deficit in 2009. To balance the budget, either the citizens will be asked to pay more or the city must reduce spending. Which do you prefer? Specifically, name some taxes you would increase and name some programs you would cut in order to balance the budget.
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
The $8 million deficit is for the biennium 2009-10, not just 2009. First, the City needs to carefully consider what additional cost-cutting measures can be implemented, without compromising public safety. Temporary closures of City Hall, is one option. Furloughs for staff would also be a way to save money. Renegotiating union contracts, as has been done in other cities, could also be part of the solution. The City could make these adjustments, without having to have a reduction in force that only continues to feed the recession. While these options are not pleasant, they could provide solutions to the continuing issue of budget deficits until the Council makes significant changes to the entire process that will result in balanced budgets.
It is difficult to cut programs, but that is inevitable, at least for the short-term. However, it would not be responsible for anyone to postulate which specific programs or positions would be reduced, suspended or discontinued, without careful consideration of input from the public, staff and other Council members, in the context of the budget in its entirety.
The City is limited in how it can raise revenues and over the past year, it used most of the measures available to it to balance an even larger shortfall. This is a tough time to raise taxes for citizens and businesses and should be the choice of last resort.
Amy Walen
In order to balance the budget I would prefer to reduce spending and generate more revenue through sales taxes.
Generate more Revenue: Around 30% of the city’s revenue comes from sales taxes, yet many of us do our shopping in Redmond, Bellevue and Woodinville. I would help devise a plan to revitalize the Totem Lake area. I could envision a “University Village” style development from the Totem Lake mall area up to the Evergreen Hospital and medical buildings, with major retail at ground level, offices and affordable housing in the floors above. We should work with a developer to design a beautiful village that would attract “clean” businesses that would serve our citizen’s needs. This would enable us to do more of our shopping in our home town, and attract neighbors to our city to do their spending. We want to create a community where we can live, work, play and raise a family.
Cut Expense:
Creating an economic engine for our community is a long-term solution. In the short-term, we must do what the city is working on right now – cutting expense.
As a Council, we should set the priorities for the City’s resources then ask the staff to implement the policies we set. As a council member, I would work with the City Manager to prioritize- first, public safety (police, fire), then public services (water, sewer, garbage) and so on. Ensuring that the core services are provided is our ultimate responsibility. We should take this “priorities approach” to each activity that the city is involved in. In a time of economic hardship, our city’s staff members understand, as every householder does, that the maximum possible efficiencies must be obtained from the resources available. I would ask each department to identify where efficiency could be improved.
Candidate Question Number Four:
Families are feeling the economic crunch. Utility fees keep going up, but the city wants to put an additional utility fee increase on this year’s ballot. Do you agree?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
The City Council held a public hearing on this issue on Tuesday July 7. I encourage citizens to read the information on the City’s website, watch the recording of the July 7 meeting, and provide feedback to the Council, by sending written comments to them. A decision as to whether or not this will be on the ballot, will need to take place by August 11 if the Council decides to have it on the November ballot.
The utility tax increase is an option that requires a vote of the citizenry and gives the people a voice and a choice– do they or don’t they approve of this proposed tax increase as a way to reduce the budget deficit? No one likes having their taxes raised. However, the level of services offered by the City needs more than the 1% increase in property taxes allowed by law, and if we want the level of service currently offered, we may have to pay more. Ultimately, if the Council does place this on the ballot, Kirkland citizens will send a message to the City about whether or not they believe this is the right fiscal choice for their City.
Amy Walen
We should compare our level of service to other cities – how many police officers per 1000 of population? Firefighters? City employees? Kirkland operates very efficiently – the city provides a high level of service, with low overhead.
We are currently experiencing an unprecedented economic challenge. Revenues are down, and we can’t depend on an increase in the foreseeable future. We are forecasting a budget deficit, and the city is working on a number of initiatives to close the gap. There are very difficult decisions being made, and jobs will be lost. The council and staff are examining each program, and determining whether they are “core”, “essential” or “discretionary”. More than ever, we need our Council to be financially savvy, creative in problem-solving, consensus building, and ensuring that as a community we come together to solve our common problems.
We must keep funding for public safety our #1 priority. We must also ensure that we don’t defer necessary improvements of infrastructure so that in the long-term our cost is much higher.
Under the “priorities in government” analysis, funding for Programs that many of us love may be eliminated- maintenance of neighborhoods signs, long-term park planning, the summer concert series, economic development co-ordination and many more. This is where giving citizens the choice comes in – do we want to increase the revenue we give the city to work with, or do we want to make do with less. The 2010 budget is predicated on the passage of this private utility tax increase.
By placing this increase on the ballot, the city is giving citizens a choice: pay more, or cut services. This will enable citizens to have a direct say in what level of service continues. I agree that this is an appropriate decision to be made directly by the citizens of Kirkland.
Candidate Question Number Five:
How would you work to improve cooperation between the city, citizen’s groups and developers and improve the process on downtown development projects?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
Downtown Kirkland belongs to all of us. Many development issues have caused a schism between the city, citizens and developers. The issues are largely about fairness and vision..
One of the primary causes of contention is that city staff have been pushed beyond the vision of our Comprehensive Plan. Prior to a development proposal becoming public, City staff and the developer have worked many hours making agreements and coming to a common view of the project. Quite often these discussions are dominated by the developer’s interest to maximize every advantage. The citizens come to the table without the benefit of having a voice in these earlier agreements, which often results in an adversarial relationship between the neighbors and the city-developer interpretations. As a Councilmember, I would endeavor to establish a process that involves the public earlier, and requires staff to work with these stakeholders equitably.
The second major issue deals with vision. The vagueness of our current rules make them more palatable to pass and more uncertain to implement. A provision that can be interpreted one way by citizens and another way by a developer can lead to a development that is starkly out of character from what was expected. We must clarify vague provisions to express our vision better.
Involving the public earlier and clarifying our codes are proactive approaches to improving the predictability of development.
Amy Walen
The Kirkland community has proven that it is passionate about how development takes place. We love our city, and are prepared to defend it against inappropriate development. On the other hand, none of us want our downtown to fade. We must distinguish buildings of historical significance and protect them as part of our heritage, and allow redevelopment of other buildings that does not violate our long term vision of the downtown.
The process of redevelopment requires:
From the Public Sector
- Land use regulations that make it feasible for the development to occur.
- Adequate infrastructure for the new development.
From the Private Sector
- A market for the finished product.
- A willing property owner.
Under this analysis, we can identify why development downtown has been challenging. Our current process does not yield predictable results. If I purchase a home in Kirkland with a view of the lake, and the code states that my neighbor to the west cannot build more than 28 feet, I should be able to depend on not losing my view. Similarly, if I am a builder and I propose a development that complies with the guidelines set out in the building code, I should be able to depend on obtaining approval.
Any time there are disparate interests, there is a need for leadership and consensus building. This is the role of the council member. The council should avoid becoming involved in the minutia of the planning process, and instead, focus on building community consensus in a development project. We should get citizens involved very early in the process of a proposed development. It seems to me that if citizen input were sought, truly heard and incorporated into the plan, we could complete a project that we were all a part of and are proud of.
Candidate Question Number Six:
What changes would you like to see in downtown Kirkland, the major neighborhoods, the waterfront, Totem Lake and the BNSF corridor to look like in 5 years? 10 years?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
The Comprehensive Plans for the downtown business district, Totem Lake, North Rose Hill, Market, Norkirk, Highlands, and the 85th and Market Street Corridors have been recently updated. I am proud of having served as an active participant in this process as part of my leadership role on the Planning Commission.
I support the vision of the citizens who participated in these plan updates I also strongly encourage citizens to read them on the City’s website or they are welcome to contact me directly for more information. The other neighborhood comprehensive plans are woefully out of date. I would work to make it a priority that all neighborhood plans be updated as quickly as possible. The City does not have major or minor neighborhoods – all of our neighborhoods are important and deserving of thoughtful long-term planning and vision.
As for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway corridor, this is in current flux. The likelihood of light rail is a very remote possibility, at this time and for far into the future. The removal of the Wilburton Tunnel has eliminated for the forseeable future the prospect of having a commuter corridor that runs from a connection to the Sounder and light rail transit options to the south and the Sounder north connection in Everett. Having a DMU diesel engine, as has been proposed, pass through our neighborhoods for a very small commuter population is currently economically unsustainable and would stretch the county’s limited resources further, without adding much relief in commuter traffic on 405. To keep the existing rail in place makes the space unusable as a trail , inviting vandalism and vagrants. Developing the trail into an active bike/pedestrian pathway would add a marvelous resource to our city and add to the quality of life for our citizens.
Amy Walen
Please bear in mind the 300 word limit. I would be happy to discuss my vision with anyone, in detail…amy@amywalen.com, or 425-381-1909.
We are a sales tax based economy. We can afford better, more comprehensive city services if we generate more revenue. This is the kind of revenue that places the least burden on our citizens – they control their own contribution, and people outside Kirkland contribute as well. We should encourage “clean” businesses that provide jobs and services to our citizens. Kirkland people should be able to buy everything they need in their own city.
Bellevue = Retail
Woodinville = Wineries
Redmond = Microsoft
Kirkland = Lakefront
Downtown Kirkland
I believe that our goal should be upscale, boutique-style retail, restaurants and galleries that are turned toward the lake and allow us to walk along the lake front. We can maintain the “resort town” feel, honor our history, and still update our buildings, by allowing redevelopment that fits Kirkland’s character.
Neighborhoods
We should continue to have our neighborhoods define their own character, and respect the unique qualities of each of them.
Totem Lake
In my view this area should be targeted for immediate attention. The council and city manager should actively work with the property owner, offering incentives to redevelop. I can image a University Village type development, multi-storey, with major retail below, and affordable housing in the floors above. Tree lined bike paths would connect this complex with the hospital and medical buildings. This would be an attractive, urban community.
BNSF
The success of the Burke-Gilman path creates a model for this corridor. At some time in the future it may be needed to solve regional transportation needs and therefore must stay in public hands. In the meantime, I believe it should serve our community as a multi-use recreational path.
Candidate Question Number Seven:
Given the budget deficit, should the City of Kirkland consider outsourcing some services to private enterprise if it could save money? If so, which services would you outsource? Which would you not? Are there any city services which you believe could be shared or pooled with adjoining cities?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
The City of Kirkland has been forward thinking in taking advantage of outsourcing and pooling services for many of its functions. However, these actions only make sense when it produces an overall cost savings for the city.
As a general rule, with respect to services which are necessary on a regular basis, it costs more for contract services than it would to have the work done by employees, and can also compromise overall efficiency. For more occasional or special services, however, it makes better overall sense to use an outside provider. For example the planning department regularly uses consultants to help with non-recurring projects. The city does not employ automotive service technicians on its staff because these needs are occasional, and so it makes better fiscal sense to use an outside vendor to provide those services for our fleet of vehicles.
The city currently participates in pooled resources for various services, e.g. NORCOM, jail, etc., that show a significant cost savings. Decisions of this sort must be balanced for overall cost savings and efficiencies, and the best overall interest of Kirkland citizens.
It is important to note that by state law, the only employee that the City Council has authority over is the City Manager. All other employment decisions are the authority of the City Manager, and the law specifically prevents the City Council from “interfering” with those decisions. The City Council is responsible to provide ongoing feedback on program management and contracts that are put out for bid and should insist on accountability from the City Manager, who is specifically charged with keeping the Council informed on all such matters.
Amy Walen
In our current economic condition, we must examine every city service and ask ourselves – what is the most efficient way of delivering the desired result?
Outsource
We currently outsource our garbage service, and I believe this is a very effective partnership. First, we have a responsive partner, and we’ve negotiated a fair contract. Similarly, services such as laundry, janitorial, maintenance of city equipment – may be provided by contractors more efficiently than we can provide ourselves, simply because we are hiring the “expert”, with all the equipment and expertise to do the job.
Not Outsource
Some city services are provided based on a contract of trust between city hall and citizens. We should not outsource any service that could compromise the fulfillment of our primary duty, protecting public safety. For example, access to the city’s database and citizen privacy should be protected. Our obligation to keep our citizens safe comes first – of course, fire and police service should never be outsourced.
Share with other cities
The more of any product that you purchase, the more negotiating power you have. The “hardware” it takes to run the city – computer equipment, office supplies, landscape maintenance equipment, all are purchased by cities in our jurisdiction, and we can drive the best possible bargain by negotiating together.
We can also afford better equipment if shared- for example, expensive street cleaning, fire fighting, and road maintenance equipment.
We recently made the transition to regional 911 dispatch. We should consider regional fire service – the fire departments in each city already come to each other’s aid and may be able to operate more efficiently together. Cities that share lakefront could work together on water safety.
We should ask ourselves the question, “How can we deliver the very best level of service at the best price”?
Candidate Question Number Eight:
The Level of Service (LOS) for the annexation areas are significantly below the City of Kirkland’s LOS. If annexation passes, the newly minted Kirkland citizens will demand and deserve equal services for equal taxes paid to the city. What solution will you be advocating if annexation passes? If you favor raising LOS in the annexation areas, how will you pay for it? If necessary, would you consider lowering the LOS in existing Kirkland?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
Annexation of the PAA poses some very difficult problems without obvious solutions. The level of service (LOS) issue is significant in that it is one of the first issues that will need to be resolved. There are many aspects to the LOS – public safety is one and city services are another. The levels of city services in current Kirkland are already being reduced due to the recession. Implementing annexation in this context will be the challenge of the next decade.
Even with a reduced level of service for public safety (compared to Kirkland), the PAA will experience service that is superior to what they currently receive from the County. We have been promised that when annexation happens, all calls will be answered. It remains to be seen how this is handled in the real world. How do you reduce service in one area and not affect the other?
If annexation is approved, revenue from the annexation area will not cover the costs associated with the city’s new responsibilities. The Sales Tax Credit (STC) from the state, is what is necessary to make the annexation “work.” A significant issue with the STC is that it is not a fixed dollar amount and will fluctuate with the sales tax revenue generated in Kirkland. But the rubber will really meet the road in 10 years, when the annual STC that Kirkland will be receiving from the state ends. Before that happens, we will have to figure out how we will solve the funding discrepancy. We will be one Kirkland and the decision will have to be made by all of us. It will need to be up to us to decide if a tax increase is the best way to solve the problem or a reduction in services or a combination.
The council must make any future tax increases or reductions in service a very public debate, if they are necessary. Having a council that is responsive to grass-roots concerns for services is important to our future. I have worked long and hard to understand the concerns of a large cross-section of Kirkland. I will work for your interests.
Amy Walen
The fact that LOS in the annexation areas are significantly below our City’s LOS is part of the reason that annexation must proceed.
When we annexed the Totem Lake business corridor, we took part of the PAA’s ability to form its own city and support its own services. We are a sales tax revenue based economy, and until that changes, we need to make choices:
- Keep our current revenue structure and accept lower LOS. With an $8,000,000 shortfall anticipated for 09/10, and with the gap between revenue and expenditure expected to continue, we already have to make serious cuts. This gap will continue with, or without annexation.
- Maintain LOS and change the tax structure – eg, charge higher property taxes (overcoming current legislative limits). We must accept that our community is a desirable place to live, and commute to a job in Bellevue, Redmond, or Seattle. We could become a “bedroom community” for commuters who work & shop in other communities. This would will allow us to pay for our lovely parks and facilities, city & human services, but may make it impossible for our long term residents to live here.
- Keep our LOS without passing tax increases onto our residents. We should work towards a sustainable economy – where Kirkland citizens can buy everything they need at home, generating revenue to pay for services. There are areas in current Kirkland & PAA that can be redeveloped to attract the kind of “clean business” that generates revenue, not pollution & gridlock.
If annexation passes, I will advocate equal services for all Kirkland residents. That said, what differentiates me from other candidates is the ability to work towards compromise. I advocate gradual equalization of LOS, allowing fire, police, and city departments to realize efficiencies, covering the new service areas without doubling overhead.
Candidate Question Number Nine:
Annexation will be voted on by the residents of Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate. If annexation is passes, do you support grandfathering of the cardroom in Kingsgate and allowing it to remain open? Why or why not? Do you support changing Kirkland’s laws forbidding card rooms?
Candidate Responses:
Karen Tennyson
No I do not support the grandfathering of the existing card room in the annexation area. Nor do I support changing our ordinances to allow card rooms and casinos in Kirkland.
When our city council voted to not allow casinos and card rooms in Kirkland, this ordinance was meant for all of Kirkland. The fine folks in the PAA deserve the same protections as the rest of Kirkland. The revenue from the casino has made it attractive to those in the city who favor annexation and they have included it in the figures to make annexation look more attractive.
It is rumored that another casino will have gone through the permit process prior to annexation and will also be grandfathered in the PAA. The presence of a second casino will make it easier for challenges to our current ordinance.
Although some members of the current council would have you believe that the existing casino is a benign establishment, it is not. And though many people can gamble without a problem, some cannot. And for those, families and lives can be destroyed.
Amy Walen
If annexation passes, our city will approximately double in population. As in any relationship, there will be a period of adjustment, and a need for compromise.
Annexation will allow us to:
- Realize efficiencies in the provision of services – we may nearly double, but we need not double our overhead expense.
- Focus on uniting our community, assimilating new neighborhoods, and making our new citizens feel welcome.
The selection of a new city manager will be the most important decision that will be made by our new Council. This person will help us to:
- Identify a course of action to ensure that our economy is sustainable.
- Create/continue the culture at City Hall as a “customer service” organization.
- Ensure that city services are provided in the most cost effective manner possible.
I support “grandfathering” the card room. My main concern has been public safety and potential crime. According to my discussions with our law enforcement officials, the card room has not posed a threat.
To many citizens, the cost of annexation is the main concern. To remove an operational business that generates 7 figures in revenue per year would not serve the interests of current or potential citizens. Also, as a matter of integrity, it would be wrong to close a business that has operated legally within the PAA for years.
I would oppose regulations affecting the PAA without their representation or collaboration.
We elect our Council to make policies that achieve our community vision. There are many of us, and we will not always agree, but we elect our representatives to study issues, listen, then to make considered decisions. As a community, we have decided that gambling houses do not belong in Kirkland. For this reason, I would not support changing our laws to allow card rooms.
