BRIER — Mayor Wayne Kaske loves to smile and laugh with his grandchildren and the City Council also has a funny bone. What issues frustrate them though?
These questions and more were asked of them recently.
A retired electrician, Mayor Wayne Kaske, 62 is married to Marlene and has two grown children and does love to laugh with his grandchildren, he said.
When he’s not working at city hall, Kaske said he loves to travel across the United States in his RV and he keeps himself posted on local politics.
According to Kaske, the most pressing issue for Brier right now is revenues for the city and dealing with the people’s initiatives, he said.
It frustrates Kaske that there isn’t more community involvement on the city’s commissions and boards. Adding, he has no pet peeves to speak of.
Kaske would like Brier citizens to know, “contrary to some belief I am a caring person about my family, my church, my country, my community, and the residents who live here.”
Mayor pro-tem Gary Starks, 51, is married to Leona and has two grown children. He said he is currently semi-retired and likes to dabble in photography and cooking in his spare time. You name it, he said, he likes to cook it.
“Barbecue is my specialty,” Starks said.
For Starks, the most important issue for Brier currently is dealing with the number of initiatives coming up that will affect Brier and the growth management act, he said.
Starks said nothing in particular makes him laugh or gets him frustrated, he added, “I don’t have any pet peeves.”
Starks would like the citizens to know “I’m here to represent them— whatever policies that we enact in the city of Brier I’m here to see that they’re fair and equitable to every citizen.”
Council member Robert “Bob” Colinas said he has been married to his “high school sweetheart, Debby, for 26 years.”
They have two grown children. A daughter Marlo, son Tony and his wife Alicia.
When he’s not working as the parks superintendent for the city of Lynnwood, Colinas enjoys spending time with his bride canoeing and hiking.
“I also look forward to hunting and fishing with Tony and close friends,” Colinas said regarding his hobbies.
Colinas has worked for Lynnwood for 25 years.
“The most important issues facing the city of Brier is finding reliable funding of the basic services and continuing to protect the quality of life that we share in our city,” Colinas said.
Colinas loves to laugh, he said “laughter itself is contagious—being with friends and family, enjoying a good joke or sharing something funny that has occurred in our day often causes me to laugh.”
On the other hand, it frustrates him when people do not get involved in their own government, “such as not voting because they think their vote doesn’t count,” Colinas said— “it does!”
He added, my pet peeve is poor work ethics— not taking pride in what you’ve done.”
Colinas would like citizens to know that he has grown up in Brier and “I enjoy all this city has to offer. I want to continue working to maintain a balanced city, one that we all can enjoy and be proud of for years to come.”
Council member Sasha Doolittle didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
Council member Carlton “Skip” Gipson, 53, has been married to his wife Sheila for 27 years and has three children, Carl, 23, Karissa, 21 and Tyrone who is 7-years-old.
Gipson said his hobbies are “whatever a 7-year-old likes to do.”
When he’s not playing with his youngest— Gipson is the facilities director for the city of Everett.
For Gipson, the most important issue facing Brier right now is financial stability.
“This City Council is committed to finding ways to maintain a reasonable level of service with minimal financial impacts to its citizens,” Gipson said.
For a laugh or to make others laugh, Gipson said he likes to use literal meanings of words.
“For example: We were talking about pet peeve’s at the council meeting the other night. I said, ‘I have a pet dog but didn’t know what a pet peeve was’— when people laugh I laugh.”
Speaking of pet peeves, Gipson said his are “people who talk to much and people who interrupt.”
When very little or nothing gets done at meetings—this frustrates Gipson he said.
Gipson would like to let Brier citizens know that “I am enjoying being their City Councilman. It has been an opportunity to get involved in the community, meet new people and in some way make a little difference in their lives-hopefully in a positive way.”
Council member David Jordan, 42, and his bride for over 18 years, Luesa, are “happily married and blessed with one son, Nicholas who is 3-years-old.” Jordan added, he also enjoy his brother and sister-in-law and their seven children who also live in Brier.
When Jordan isn’t working as a prototype machinist for a medical device manufacturing company on the eastside he is camping in their RV or “bolting expensive performance parts on my 70 Camaro, any chance I get,” he said.
Pedestrian safety tops Jordan’s list of most important issues for Brier right now.
“A while back, a Brier Elementary school student was injured by a car while walking home on a street near the school that had no sidewalks,” Jordan said, “We have made great strides in the last few years in the building of new sidewalks and I am proud to have been involved in this effort. Until this task is completed citywide it will remain at the top of my list.”
Seeing life through Nicholas’ eyes is what makes Jordan smile and laugh.
What doesn’t make him smile is when people who only want to complain about issues but are absolutely unwilling to get involved in the process of finding the solutions.
“We live in a terrific community and it takes people willing to serve to keep it that way,” Jordan said—get involved— make a difference!”
Jordan’s pet peeve for today he asks “Ok—why is a can of tuna fish half water and half tuna? Water I have by the gallon, it’s the tuna I want. Put twice as much tuna in or use a can half the size,” he said.
Jordan would also like citizens to know “I am a congregational member of Brier Community Church and would not be caught dead without my faith,” he said, also “family is very important to me.”
Council member Gary Morgan, 46, finds just about anything “people find amusing”—funny.
He and his wife Kelly have four children, Garhett 16, Riley 8, Stone 6 and Sydney is 2.
Morghan said he’s not really a hobby guy and he doesn’t have any pet peeves.
When he’s not spending time with his family or on the City Council, Morgan is the Archdiocesan housing authority treasurer, and he also has a home business as a data chef for accounting and consulting.
Morgan said finding revenue sources is what is the most
important issue facing Brier right now.
“In a time of real tax limitations, it is finding the right balance between spending and contracting,” he said.
Traffic into Seattle is what frustrates him the most.
Morgan would like Brier citizens to know “that basically I am a fair and reasonable guy, with a very good sense of humor.”
Council member Scott Warner, 73, and his wife Marilyn enjoy having all of their family live within an hour drive of Brier. The Warner’s have four daughters and four son-in-laws and five grandchildren.
While Warner has been retired for 12 years, he worked as a research chemist with Battelle Memorial Institute for 38 years.
For fun Warner likes to hike, garden, travel and he dabbles in botany and “birding.”
And “puppy dogs playing” really gives him a giggle.
Most important issues currently for Brier: “dealing with recent major tax decreases and complying with the state Growth Management Act,” Warner said.
It frustrates Warner not being able to get as much done in a day as he would like to.
Warner said his pet peeve is “people who consider our democratic form of government as an enemy, rather than a system to participate in to work for the common good.”
Warner would like citizens to know he is interested in long-range planning for Brier.
“For example, I don’t think Brier residents want a traffic light at Brier Rd. and 228th St,” he said. “We need to plan ahead to install a properly designed roundabout that would be safer for both vehicles and pedestrians, handle traffic more efficiently, be much better aesthetically, and be less expensive than a traffic light. If we drag our feet and don’t plan ahead, we will end up with a traffic light whether we want it or not.”
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