Around Town

Their Way or the Highway

Helping Edmonds figure out ways to improve and pay for its transportation systems is the task of the eight volunteers on the newly formed citizens advisory transportation committee.

Members are attorneys William Angle and Stephen Bernheim; Stacy Gardea, a mortgage broker; Kristiana Johnson, a retired transportation planner; businessman Don Kreiman; Sharon Minton, who works at the University of Washington; Henry Moravec, a retired naval architect; and D.J. Wilson, who teaches at Edmonds Community College.

Mum’s the Word

So politically passionate were those who passed through the portals of Gail Welfringer’s insurance agency during the last presidential election she was compelled to take a stand.

“Check Your Politics at the Door Please” reads the sign on the door of Welfringer’s Main Street Insurance, Inc. in downtown Edmonds.

The election has passed, but the sign remains.

“It’s such a political town,” Welfringer observed, adding it’s “economic suicide” to discuss with customers where you stand on controversial issues from candidates to building heights.

Heavy Hitter

Work continues at city hall on the possibility of Edmonds hiring a government-relations specialist to help Edmonds nab federal funds for city projects.

Stephen Clifton, head of community services for Edmonds, said he is contacting other area cities about their experience with a helping hand in Washington D.C. He’s finding out the cost of the service and whether it seems to be a good use of public money. So far, Clifton noted, responses have been positive from cities with a federal lobbyist/government specialist.

Depending on what the specialist does, the cost could be around $2,000 a month and up, Clifton said. It’s possible to retain professional services only certain months and for certain projects, he added.

There’s no way to say whether funds have been snagged by other cities because of their lobbyists but Clifton said his contacts at other cities have said there’s no way to say they weren’t a big factor.

Clifton received the go-ahead from the city council earlier this month to look into the cost of hiring a specialist on a parttime basis. He’ll give the council an update on his progress at their Aug. 2 meeting.