And the new City Councilor is...

...going to be one of these 5 candidates:

1. Randy Arthur
2. Dave Beckett
3. Ed Brockman
4. Charles Collins
5. John LaMott

Photo courtesy of the Lake Oswego Library

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, the Council voted to narrow the list of 13 applicants for the vacant City Councilor position to 5.  The top 5 candidates received 4 or more votes - all others received 3 or fewer.  The outlyer on the council was Jon Gustafson who voted for none of the candidates on the above list, while the rest of the council each voted for 4 or more.  

The top 5 candidates will be interviewed at a Special City Council Meeting next week, September 8.  Hopefully a new councilor will be voted on and approved by the end of the evening.  Councilor Gudman pointed out that with a list of 13 questions, at 3 min. for each response, the interviews would last over 3 hours.  Yikes!  Do you have the stamina to watch?

All 13 applications for the vacant council position are in the staff report for this agenda item which can be found on the City Council interactive agenda.  There were a wide variety of applicants, and as I read through them, I mentally made a list of my top contenders.  Some of the new faces had little or no involvement in city affairs, and while I was intrigued with the some of their comments, if I were on the council, I would not select a person who wasn't up to speed with city affairs - especially for a short-term appointment.  

I hope that those who were not selected will get involved in city government in some way This city needs all of its citizens to be engaged and involved, not just the well-to-do and connected. 

The list of interview questions is comprehensive and reads like questions citizens would ask a candidate running for office.  In this case, the Council is the electorate.  This will give you a look at what issues are the hot button concerns in the city.  

1. How should the funds in our two urban renewal districts be used? Does street improvement and parking seem appropriate?
   How about construction of police and LOCOM facility?
   
2. If selected would you run for re-election?
   
3. Do you have any thoughts of how the Foothills area should develop? Would that be through
   public or private financing?
   
4. From what you know of the process involved in the Wizer Block decision, did the process work well or do you have suggestions for improvement?
   
5. Should there be a city-owned building in Lake Grove? If so, what should it be?
   
6. Does the City have too much, too little, or the right amount of parks and open space?
   
7. Do you support or oppose allowing members of the general public having access to Lake
   Oswego for boating?
   
8. Should the Tree Code be modified? If so, how?
   
9. If you are familiar with the Sensitive lands program, what do you think of the Council’s
   direction?
   
10. How do you balance individual property rights and societal restrictions? 
11. Regarding transportation, where should we be spending our resources – roads, pathways, bike trails, mass transit?
    
12. You would be a member of the Budget Committee. While the automatic 3% increase in
    assessment happens yearly, the Committee has not increased the tax rate. Do you agree with
    this decision, or favor increasing that rate?
    
13. What factors are necessary for the economic health of Lake Oswego? Should we try to limit
    commercial development?