Monroe City Council hopefuls agree on several key issues

MONROE — Six candidates are vying for three contested seats on the City Council. The hopefuls are looking at ways to develop the economy, provide for infrastructure and solve social problems in the growing city.

The contenders all want the city to continue investing in downtown with revitalization projects, such as the recent improvements to streets and sidewalks and reducing the cost of doing business.

They agree that traffic is a problem. The candidates want to work with state legislators and neighboring cities to get money to finish improvements to Highway 522 and other projects to alleviate congestion. They have different opinions about building a bypass to divert U.S. 2 traffic around town but agree that such a project isn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

The hopefuls also want the city to continue to educate the public about aggressive panhandling and help the homeless with social services.

Incumbent Councilman Jim Kamp is facing opposition for the Position 4 seat from political newcomer Shayne Bradley. They are competing for a four-year term.

Kamp, contract project manager at Boeing, was appointed to the council in 2011 and then elected to a four-year term. He wants to hire more planning staff and improve parks when the city can afford it.

Kamp, 58, also wants to see to it that there are ways to get from one end of town to another without having to use U.S. 2. The council is accomplishing that north of the highway with the almost complete extension of Tjerne Place but still needs a thoroughfare south of U.S. 2, he said.

Bradley, a Microsoft software engineer, wants to encourage more shops and restaurants downtown and promote outdoor opportunities to get people to stop in Monroe. He’d like to relocate nonretail businesses to an area outside of downtown.

Bradley, 51, wants to change rules for the city’s ethics board and prohibit council members from voting on issues involving campaign donors. Although he doesn’t have evidence of issues now, he said, the change could give people a way to deal with future problems and improve government transparency.

Incumbent Jason Gamble is being challenged for the Position 6 seat by Patti Gibbons, who is making her first run for public office. They are facing off for a four-year term.

Gamble, a director at Comcast, is finishing his first term on the council. If re-elected, he hopes to draw businesses, such as craft breweries, into the Fryelands and North Kelsey areas by investing in infrastructure.

Gamble, 38, said the biggest issue facing the city is accommodating for its growth. To develop the downtown, the council has reduced fees to encourage remodeling of buildings, and changed rules to make it easier to do business. In the future, Gamble said, the city could also put in a parking lot to make downtown more accessible.

Gibbons, owner of Heavenly Soap in downtown Monroe, said she’s running because the City Council isn’t listening to people. If elected, she would work to bring to town more popular businesses. She also wants to attract a hotel, to accommodate visitors during events.

Gibbons, 56, said she’d look into changes to improve traffic, such as making Main Street a one-way road or by extending Hill Street. Gibbons suggests the city and businesses work together to keep Monroe clean.

Two political newcomers, Kirk Scarboro and Patrick Daniels are facing off for the two-year, at-large position. The councilman who holds the seat now, Kurt Goering, is not running for another term.

Scarboro, a retired U.S. Navy veteran and Monroe School District transportation supervisor, said he’s running because he wants to work as a team on City Council.

“If the facts aren’t on my side, I’d like to be a big enough man to not whine about it,” the 67-year-old said. “And I’d like to see the other side do the same.”

During his 17 years with the schools, Scarboro said, he had to deal with changes and make them work for people. If elected, he wants to address affordable housing and ensure people’s property rights are protected.

Daniels, a manager at a Bellevue shoe manufacturer, wants to make Monroe a destination by marketing the downtown and U.S. 2 corridor to increase the number of retail shops and restaurants. To improve the economy, he said, he’d make it easier to open a business by reducing permit fees, improve infrastructure and bring more events to town.

Daniels, 56, also would like to see more jobs in Monroe because most people commute out of town to find work.

Councilman Ed Davis is running unopposed for re-election to Position 5.

Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.

Position 4

Jim Kamp

Age: 58

Occupation: contract project manager at Boeing

Website: jimkamp4monroe.com

Shayne Bradley

Age: 51

Occupation: Microsoft software engineer

Website: shayneforcitycouncil.info