What I Did/What I Will Do
Priority 1: Make Issaquah Affordable
Issaquah’s high cost of living creates barriers to our city’s future success. Housing is foundational to the health of our community. The absence of attainable local housing destroys community cohesion by forcing teachers, firefighters, police officers, counselors, bus drivers, and other vital workers into long and unsustainable commutes. It is vital that the City Council move beyond acknowledgment of the need to 1) provide sustainable housing in a growing economy and 2) provide services that make it possible for more to both live and work in Issaquah.
As a city councilmember, I voted to:
Priority 2: Keep Issaquah Moving
As a former King County Department of Transportation community relations planner, I understand the importance of mobility for local communities. Issaquah’s transportation challenges are two-fold: 1) increasing mobility options for residents and workers within the city and 2) managing pass-through traffic coming from north and south of the city. We must recognize and revise strategies to address significant COVID19 impacts (tele-commuting and severely reduced funding) on partner transportation agencies.
As a city councilmember, I voted to:
Going forward, I will support:
Priority 3: Build A Welcoming and Healthy Community For All
The safety and security of all citizens is the top concern of the Issaquah city council. Issaquah’s increasing diversity is a strength we should capitalize upon. Increasingly, the impacts of climate change, globalization, gun culture, and technology must be addressed as public health issues. I will encourage a community in which we share and value each person’s unique stories, gifts and talents within a framework of a caring and compassionate municipal government.
As a city councilmember, I voted to:
Going forward, I will support:
Priority 4: Increase Citizen Engagement
As Issaquah grows and welcomes newcomers into our community, our city needs to increasingly focus on how we can inform, engage, and incorporate residents into city and community decision-making.
As a city councilmember, I will support:
Issaquah’s high cost of living creates barriers to our city’s future success. Housing is foundational to the health of our community. The absence of attainable local housing destroys community cohesion by forcing teachers, firefighters, police officers, counselors, bus drivers, and other vital workers into long and unsustainable commutes. It is vital that the City Council move beyond acknowledgment of the need to 1) provide sustainable housing in a growing economy and 2) provide services that make it possible for more to both live and work in Issaquah.
As a city councilmember, I voted to:
- capture a .01 percent sales tax from King County for local use in combatting homelessness and building affordable housing. This measure re-directed millions in tax revenues to Issaquah to address affordable housing and homelessness concerns.
- adopt a completely revised Title 18 land use municipal code that encourages climate action and increased affordable housing development.
- require landlords to provide a six-month notice of rent increases to tenants.
- financially support residents and businesses devastated by the impacts of the pandemic
- leveraging partnerships and bold collaborations with governments, faith-based organizations, community organizations such as A Regional Coalition of Housing (ARCH), and the business community to increase affordable housing.
- measures, such as a blanket Multi-Family Tax Exemption, streamlined permitting, and reduced parking requirements, that will enable increased housing production.
- preservation of open spaces and additional parks and recreational facilities.
- completion of the Transit Oriented Development and Opportunity Center featuring over 200 affordable housing units supported by a sliding scale health and mental health services center.
- the continued creation of a Creeks to Peaks network of walking and bike paths.
Priority 2: Keep Issaquah Moving
As a former King County Department of Transportation community relations planner, I understand the importance of mobility for local communities. Issaquah’s transportation challenges are two-fold: 1) increasing mobility options for residents and workers within the city and 2) managing pass-through traffic coming from north and south of the city. We must recognize and revise strategies to address significant COVID19 impacts (tele-commuting and severely reduced funding) on partner transportation agencies.
As a city councilmember, I voted to:
- double the city's investment in road and pavement maintenance in the 2023-2024 budget. Although this investment was trimmed in the 2025-2026 budget as the city faced reduced revenues, road and pavement maintenance funding continues to be significantly higher than when I joined the council. Well-maintained roads and sidewalks reduce overall costs and increase safety.
- continue the MetroFlex "first mile-last mile" van project for 2025-2026. Transit provides a significant solution to traffic congestion.
- stay the course on the long-promised Sound Transit light rail station scheduled for Issaquah in 2042. To achieve this significant transit infrastructure, Issaquah must commit to long-term strategies, planning, studies and collaboration with Sound Transit and Metro.
- stay the course on the widening of SR18, spreading traffic flow to manageable levels and reducing traffic congestion on Front Street through the Issaquah-Hobart Road.
Going forward, I will support:
- implementation of Issaquah’s Mobility Action Plan.
- restoration of transit services lost during the COVID19 pandemic;
- increased options for alternative transportation services, including transit, bicycling, and walking;
- continued regional planning efforts to resolve transportation issues in collaboration with adjacent municipalities and communities in unincorporated King County. I currently represent the city of Issaquah and Sound Cities Association on the Eastside Transportation Partnership (past chair) and King County Regional Transit Committee.
Priority 3: Build A Welcoming and Healthy Community For All
The safety and security of all citizens is the top concern of the Issaquah city council. Issaquah’s increasing diversity is a strength we should capitalize upon. Increasingly, the impacts of climate change, globalization, gun culture, and technology must be addressed as public health issues. I will encourage a community in which we share and value each person’s unique stories, gifts and talents within a framework of a caring and compassionate municipal government.
As a city councilmember, I voted to:
- establish a new Equity Board with a broad mandate to review all city programs and projects through an equity lens.
- establish Behavioral Health Specialist positions embedded in the police department to conduct outreach to homeless individuals, people with substance abuse and mental health crises, and fragile seniors, among others.
- create an Emergency Manager position to coordinate a broad range of city and regional efforts in response to emergencies, such as the recent "bomb cyclone" event, and to prepare city residents for future natural and man-made emergencies.
- support the Issaquah Police Department and Eastside Fire & Rescue during challenging times for public service agencies. During my time on the council, the IPD adopted body camera technology, significantly reduced retail crime, and successfully recruited personnel with the support of the council for hiring bonuses, facility enhancement and increased recognition of their efforts on behalf of Issaquah residents.
- Focus on regional collaboration to help protect the health and welfare of Issaquah residents. I have served as your representative on the Eastside Human Services Forum (former chair) and as a Sound Cities Association representative to the Healthier Here Board of Directors, the Community Connections Advisory Group, and an alternate to the King County Board of Health.
Going forward, I will support:
- the vision statement in the city’s Strategic Plan which recognizes Issaquah as a “welcoming community.”
- events that encourage community cohesion, such as Concerts on the Green and the Salmon Days festival.
- strong community police, fire prevention and emergency services.
- partnerships with marginalized communities, such as racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, people with substance abuse disorders and mental illness, and neurodiverse individuals.
- incorporating “youth voice” in all city boards and commissions, as a means of transmitting democratic values to our young people as well as incorporating new experiences and insights into city planning.
- bold partnerships with the business community, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations.
Priority 4: Increase Citizen Engagement
As Issaquah grows and welcomes newcomers into our community, our city needs to increasingly focus on how we can inform, engage, and incorporate residents into city and community decision-making.
As a city councilmember, I will support:
- Regular council listening sessions and community outreach activities;
- Neighborhood involvement in safety, traffic and transit decisions affecting their area;
- Increasing the range of languages and culturally sensitive materials used in city documents, web-based, digital and social media platforms;
- Helping to ensure that all citizens have equal access to city services and leadership opportunities.