Community Corner

Sumner Council Primary Candidates Answer Voter's Questions

Katharine Rode shares the following with Patch readers:

Three of the four candidates replyed to my family's 5 questions.  

Their responses are below, unedited.  

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Ed Hannus

1.  Sumner's biggest issue is three fold. Namely: Traffic, Retail Development and Commuters.  The City can do little about traffic until the State and County get serious about building more capacity. Sumner is the hub of Highways SR 410,162, 167, and 512.  There is the issue of Trains and the noise they make when rambling thru town. I don't believe the Federal Government will ever step in and help resolve the issue.

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2.  Sumner's future in ten years will be little changed.  Residents will always support and love to live in the  Small Town atmosphere.

3.  Transparency is an individual issue and to encourage the residents to increase their participation in community issues  is difficult.  All we can do is to continue to encourage the community members  to respond to an issue that impacts them either physically or mentally.

4.   I have spent about $1700 on each campaign that I participate in as an Elected Official.

5.  All residents of Sumner  come from a variety of foreign nationalities.  My individual nationality is 100% Finnish.  I am a second generation Finlander .  I don't and never will base my decisions on nationalities.  As long as those individuals are legal Americans.

Earle Stuard

1.  What do you think is Sumner’s biggest issue and how would you fix it?

There are many issues facing the City of Sumner.  To name a few:

•  Citizens are displeased with the lack of attention by the City Council given their specific neighborhood;

•  The impact of Sounder Station parking on streets in neighborhoods up to a half mile away have many residents up in arms;

•  The sale of the golf course will bring millions of dollars into city coffers, and many want to use the money to fund their pet projects;

•  There are many pet projects getting far too much attention of the council’s time and energy;

•  The debate of Industrial/Residential Density vs Preservation of Ag land rages on;

•  Moving forward from the recession into a time of prosperity will likely cause the city budget to grow and prudent decisions are imperative.

In my mind the biggest issue facing Sumner is what the Tacoma News Tribune called “a sometimes dysfunctional Council.”  The lack of respect often shown by some on the council toward other council members and staff, and the displays of obscenities are uncalled for and totally unproductive.  I would fix this issue by living up to my campaign slogan: “the voice of reason.”  I will treat each council member with the utmost of respect, even if they disagree with my point of view.  I would work to achieve compromise on key issues for the benefit of the City. The Council needs a fresh new perspective.

2.  How do you see Sumner 10 years in the future?

I see the City fully recovered from the recession period of 2007 - 2011 and as strong as ever with the unique charm of downtown preserved by a combination of public and private support.  The City’s budget structure will be built around a “budget by objectives” format and will rely on significant public input.

I see a major shift in the age of Sumner residents with many of our age old friends passing the baton to a younger generation who will continue to love Sumner‘s character and history.  

I see the East Main Street corridor fully developed with a combination of street level retail businesses and residential units above.  

I see a healthy mix of commercial and residential growth, co-existing with agricultural activities and award winning parks to allow citizens to enjoy outdoor activities during the year.

3.  Transparency:  What will you do to encourage public participation in issues that face Sumner?

In order to achieve transparency in government operations, it is critical to provide ways for citizens to give their input.  This can be accomplished by members of the Council reaching out to the public in forums where expression of thoughts and ideas is encouraged.  I intend to make a regular visit to different areas of the city and touch base with our residents by door belling, by holding open houses and listening to what people have to say.  So many of our citizens don’t think the Council cares about their opinions.  We have to listen.

When I am elected, I will sit down with city staff to better understand their processes of gathering public opinions.  I will learn from my peers on the Council about what has worked in the past and encourage anything that will promote the exchange of ideas and information to the public.  

My observation is that many citizens feel like the Council makes decisions behind closed doors and is not open to public input.  This perception needs to change and I will work very hard to break down the barriers (real or perceived.)

4.  How much was spent on your campaign?  I.e. signs, mailers. Etc.

My campaign expenses to date are:

- Signs $953

- Mailers $919

- Handouts $113

5.  According to the 2010 Census, Sumner has a Hispanic population of just over 10%. Since you are running for an “At Large” position, how will you best represent all residents of Sumner?

The key to representing all residents of Sumner is to give them an opportunity to know me and for me to spend time getting to know them.  Admittedly, there are some residents who have no desire to spend time with elected officials, but everyone needs to be invited to let their voices be heard.  Holding neighborhood meetings is an excellent way to get together and listen to the public.  If I anticipate discussions with Spanish speaking citizens, I will bring a person to translate for me so the people can hear what I say in their native language.  I honor and respect all people, and will listen to each and every one who has a desire to share their thoughts with me.  

Melony Pederson

What do you think is Sumner’s biggest issue and how would you fix it?

Trust; between Council Members, between the Mayor and Council Members, Staff and Council Members and most importantly Citizens and Council Members. The erosion of trust on all levels can be restored with intentional direct conversation. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a fantastic leadership program that has given me tools to start the conversation with all parties. I will diffuse as much as possible and actively work to reach out and invite citizens back into the democratic process.

How do you see Sumner 10 years in the future?

So much is possible in 10 years! I see a strong complete Main street from historic downtown to the Windmill. This of course will be possible with the YMCA as an anchor drawing development opportunities to fill in the gaps. We’ll finally have the parking conversation behind as we will now have a strong shuttle system picking up commuters from the church lots around Sumner. More people are riding their bikes to town now that we have a strong, clear, safe bike path from Bonney Lake and Orting to the train station. The Red Apple block will have a thriving organic market, residential development and new pocket park. City Council meetings are packed with citizens of all ages and backgrounds. There is a rich authentic dialogue in town and a strong sense of belonging.

Transparency- What will you do to encourage public participation in issues that face Sumner?

The first step in gaining public trust again is to acknowledge what’s been happening, re-establish the commitment the council and mayor have to the city and move forward.  I’ll do everything possible to adjust how meetings are held to allow for a dialogue between the public and council as opposed to the current reporting style.  There’s also an opportunity to share with the community via the website, Sumner connection email, etc. to share what all the commissions and committees are up to in town to not only show what everyone’s working on but to encourage volunteerism.

How much was spent on your campaign?  I.e. signs, mailers. Etc.

I spent $450 on signs and $15 on half sheet hand outs. I designed the signs for re-use in the future if need be for myself or anyone else in my family that would want to run.

According to the 2010 Census, Sumner has a Hispanic population of just over 10%.  Since you are     running for an “At Large” position, how will you best represent all residents of Sumner?

Representing all residents starts with outreach and intention. My ideal would be to infuse an ‘Ethnic Fest’ in the Rhubarb Days summer long festivities. Not only is there a need to include the Hispanic population but all other ethnicities in our city. This would be a first step, an icebreaker so to speak. The other piece of intention is to get everyone at the table to share concerns and ideas for the city. There’s a way to reach out to these communities within ours through the school system and religious establishments to invite greater participation.

Thank you to the candidates for sharing their thoughts and happy voting.



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