Positions 2, 4, and 6 are up for vote in November.
Position 2
Katherine Ross
Sitting council member. No response submitted. Contact: katherine4snoqualmie@gmail.com, www.katherine4snoqualmie.comElaine Armstrong
No response submitted. Contact: elainearmstrongforsnoqualmie@gmail.com, www.elainearmstrongforsnoqualmie.comPosition 4
James Mayhew
Sitting council member. No response submitted. Contact: Vote4Mayhew@gmail.com, www.vote4mayhew.comFuzzy Fletcher
Contact: fuzzy4council@comcast.netDo you have any direct experience with disability?
Yes. My wife had 3 strokes in 2016 and is on SSI. I have also worked with the youth from the TLC program in the Snoqualmie School district. I helped the youth volunteers work in the dining room and kitchen at the Mt. Si Senior Center in North Bend, WA. from 2015-2017.
1. HOUSING: How would you make affordable housing available to people with developmental disabilities?
I am on the work group for Snoqualmie Valley Supportive Community for all. We are working on better and more complete use of human services funds that are available in the Snoqualmie Valley. One of my main platforms is alternate types of housing, these can include accessory dwelling units on existing properties and other types of housing. I also support increased finding for group homes where a caregiver is available to help and or assist residents. I believe the existing funds allocated by the city should be increased across the board to help those in need. This is the disabled, seniors and those that have a restricted incomes, like being on SSI. I am open to ideas from the disabled community on other types of workforce and affordable housing. I will also look into Habitat for Humanity type homes. I was mayor from 1998-2005 during which time the city waved all inspection and building fees for a 20-home Habitat build. These type of cost saving can lead to reduced costs in housing.
2. SHELTER: How would you ensure people with developmental disabilities have a safe place to sleep and stay?
Sheltering of all types is insufficient in the Snoqualmie Valley. I do support our faith-based partners in their endevors to shelter and feed those that are homeless or in need. I would endorse and help craft opportunities for a disabled shelter in our area. Perhaps the city can champion the idea of a smaller, more well-suited faith-based approach, where one shelter for those that need it is at one church or mosque and a smaller disabled shelter is at another faith-based building in the same area, this separate shelter would have different rules to allow care givers of all genders or orientations to give care and also use the shelter if they are in need.
3. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING: How would you ensure people with developmental disabilities are receiving case management and the support needed to escape homelessness?
I support housing that comes with case management. I do not think the city should be in the business of telling anyone in the disabled community, neither those that are disabled or their caregivers or case managers how to live their lives, but I would support open doors for organizations that provide this care. Organizations like Friends of Youth or Encompass or others may benefit from added financial support of human services funding or less restrictive laws to all maximum help to go to those that are in need.
4. SAFETY: How would you ensure the safety of people with developmental disabilities in police interactions?
On-going and in-depth training by our police department in association with organizations that provide help and care for the disabled, would be helpful. Once someone understands the issues and limitations of others, I believe tensions are reduced and more meaningful interactions can occur.
5. SAFETY & JUSTICE: Would you support cross-training among professionals in the courtroom, police departments, victim assistance agencies and schools to prepare the justice community for situations involving people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities so they can receive equal justice?
Yes, I would support this.
6. ACCESS & ACCOMMODATIONS: How would you ensure access to straws in public areas?
My wife uses a straw all day long to hydrate, so I understand. While I am in favor of reducing use of plastic such as plastic shopping bags, I understand the need for hydration and believe a law can be written to allow plastic flex straws to be available upon request from restaurants and others that sell or supply hydration beverages to disabled and others that need to use these types of straws to hydrate.
7. JOBS: What would you do to increase job prospects for people with developmental disabilities?
I would continue to support and encourage local businesses to hire disabled. Our local Safeway hires disabled and gives them a flexible schedule, to help in keeping them employed in our community
8. SAFETY: How will you ensure your city's streets, sidewalks and intersections are safe and accessible to everyone?
Snoqualmie Public Works Department is constantly working on keeping sidewalks and other spaces clean and accessible for all, this includes curb cuts for wheelchairs and walkers and those that have issues with walking. My wife is one of the local citizens that reminds the public works and parks department to keep up on their maintenance.
9. TRANSIT: Do you think Lyft, Uber and other ride-share companies should be required to include wheelchair accessible vehicles in their fleets?
No, these are private companies, if they choose not to accommodate all possible passengers then they lose the business and don't deserve to receive any extra help or funds.
10. TRANSIT: What will you do to expand transit service and improve reliability?
I was a shuttle driver for the Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) and worked with the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe to start the shuttle and van service in the Snoqualmie Valley. This service is the best of it's kind in King County and employs many people. Each shuttle that operates under their banner is wheelchair accessible with the drivers trained to accommodate and make sure each rider is safe and secure while on the shuttle. I will continue to support this organization.
Position 6
Sean Sundwall
Sitting council member. No response submitted. Contact: sean@runsnoqualmie.com, www.sundwall4council.comWilliam E. Donaldson
Contact: william@donaldsonforoffice.com, www.donaldsonforoffice.com/Do you have any direct experience with disability?
Yes. My brother suffers from severe thought disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, and substance abuse. He is living with Supplemental Security Income. My mother suffers from chronic depression, alcoholism, addiction and regular suicidal attempts/threats. My brother-in-law is severely bipolar. I helped raise my best friend's autistic brother since I was age 6 and continue to guide him to this day.
1. HOUSING: How would you make affordable housing available to people with developmental disabilities?First, I support a Federal Universal Basic Income which can be supplemental to SSI for disabled citizens.
Second, we need to address the rampant profiteering that is taking place (particularly in this region) in the housing industry to bring costs down across the board. That can begin by reformatting the way we develop in the 21st century so that we use fewer (expensive) synthetic materials and turn to more sustainable (negative carbon footprint), housing materials which bring down the costs of construction. Counties and municipalities need to make an effort to work with more eco-friendly developers - especially those concerned with affordable housing needs.
Third, our State needs to do more to address mental health. We need to invest more into group housing and mental health treatment to get addicts the treatment they need. Many of the homeless people living in King County today are suffering from drug addiction. If they received the treatment they need, they can become productive members of society. We can provide jobs for disabled citizens in the public sector, whether that be habitat restoration, reforesting, maintenance of our parks and trails, or waste management solutions, our governments can afford to invest more into sustainable civilization, and our disabled citizens can help to fill the need for entry-level jobs.
As a City Council candidate, I am concerned that my City's parks are not ADA compliant. I will work to address this failure, and I will do more to enforce awareness about mental health. I am an advocate for lower cost, sustainable housing utilizing new, eco-friendly materials and methods; hempcrete, recycled plastic paneling, shipping containers, 3D printing, etc.
2. SHELTER: How would you ensure people with developmental disabilities have a safe place to sleep and stay?
Our society needs to stop viewing homeless people as a problem, and rather as a symptom of our culture. We live in a region that maintains enormous wealth. The lack of care and rehabilitation shown by our collective society toward those most disadvantaged among us is a consequence of low priority. Our governments need to turn to those wealthiest among us to aid with finding care and shelter for our homeless and disabled.
With an expanded and robust affordable housing effort, I believe we will surprise ourselves with what can be done to address these needs.
3. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING: How would you ensure people with developmental disabilities are receiving case management and the support needed to escape homelessness?
We need to expand our supportive housing efforts. We need to understand that the homeless and mental health challenges we're facing are a top priority for our region. I believe by changing the way we view this issue, we will garner support from the public and private sectors in doing better.
The solution is not to raise taxes - in many ways that leads to further homelessness. We need more assistance from the Federal Government. Most importantly, we need to seek aid from charities, philanthropists, and crowd-funding efforts to bring relief to this situation.
4. SAFETY: How would you ensure the safety of people with developmental disabilities in police interactions?
Our police forces need to exercise non-lethal deescalation tactics prior to even drawing their firearms. There's a great deal of anxiety and fear surrounding police encounters today. We also have a culture that encourages discharging firearms. First-person shooter video games, action films which feature ruthless gun violence, glorification of war and "anti-terrorism" - much of this problem is cultural. We have to remember that committing an act of violence as a law enforcer is a worst case scenario option. Our police academies need to pursue non-lethal options far more meaningfully, similar to European practices. Our officers carry tasers, sprays, batons, etc. but very often reach for their guns as a first option in an encounter. This is a violation of ethics, and it is not representative of what we believe as a society. Law enforcers that show violent and/or reckless tendencies need to be held accountable. I would much rather see a suspect shot by a shotgun loaded with rock salt or rubber bullets than with lethal ammunition. In many cases (especially those in close proximity), a non-lethal shotgun is the more effective deterrent anyway.
5. SAFETY & JUSTICE: Would you support cross-training among professionals in the courtroom, police departments, victim assistance agencies and schools to prepare the justice community for situations involving people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities so they can receive equal justice?
I think it's very important that we do not make a habit of using someone's disability as an excuse for lighter sentencing, or in avoidance of sentencing. Just because someone has a disability, that does not mean they don't possess malice or intent to harm and/or break the law. Judges and juries should be made abundantly aware of the existence of a disability during a trial, and attorneys should never hesitate to consider one's disability in their defense. To answer the question directly, yes, I believe our justice community should be as educated as possible about mental and developmental disabilities.
6. ACCESS & ACCOMMODATIONS: How would you ensure access to straws in public areas?
I'm opposed to the continuance of petroleum-based plastic straw distribution in our communities. This is the first I've heard an argument against plant-based plastic straws and in favor of oil-based ones. I think we should pursue the most hypoallergenic compostable straw options available, and in the meantime, if the argument is being made that the availability of a petroleum-based plastic straw amounts to a life or death situation, then it is not unreasonable to expect the disabled individual or their caretaker to have that tool on their person at all times. I don't think it's wise to rely on objects made available from food/drink vendors for the immediate continuity of lives. I disagree with your marginalization of the environmental impact of plastic straws and I believe it is in the best interest of our planet to discontinue the widespread production of these products. People that have a severe objection to this are welcome to wear single-use or reusable petroleum-based plastic straws around their necks, carry them in bags, etc.
7. JOBS: What would you do to increase job prospects for people with developmental disabilities?
I think the State and the Federal Governments can do more to employ our disabled population. In particular, I'd like to see organization arise that are committed to providing jobs for these citizens centered around habitat restoration and environmental protection. I am also an advocate for a national universal basic income.
8. SAFETY: How will you ensure your city's streets, sidewalks and intersections are safe and accessible to everyone?
I live (and am running for office) in a city that has non-existent sidewalks on a number of major roads, and the overall sidewalk maintenance is something that concerns me. I'd like to see more time, attention, and resources dedicated to maintaining/building this infrastructure. As our awareness of various disabilities grows over time, I expect we'll come up with new, innovative solutions for disabled citizens.
9. TRANSIT: Do you think Lyft, Uber and other ride-share companies should be required to include wheelchair accessible vehicles in their fleets?
No, those are privately owned and operated organizations and while a strong argument can be made in favor of this sort of legislation, it would cause immense financial damage & fiscal sustainability problems to this industry. I don't believe the public can afford to fund this effort either, at least as it pertains to privately owned vehicles and businesses. With the advent of autonomous vehicles well underway and truly autonomous driving on the horizon, the technology will soon be upon us to address this concern. Soon, we'll be able to maintain a fleet of publicly owned autonomous driving vehicles (some of which can be outfitted for disabled citizens), and regulations can be imposed to ensure the availability of those vehicles to every community.
10. TRANSIT: What will you do to expand transit service and improve reliability?
I have proposed and am advocating for a New Snoqualmie Transit Center which is focused on providing direct connection to the Sound Transit Light Rail and improved King County Metro services for our community. I'm an advocate for greater utilization of public transit, which means investing more into this infrastructure and ensuring it is affordable and available to everyone.
