Woodinville City Council elections?

One of our core charters at the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce is to represent the Woodinville business community at the city, county and state levels of government. Towards this end, the Chamber has set up a City Council Candidates Forum for our October business luncheon at Chateau Ste. Michelle and formally invited all candidates to attend. We asked all candidates to respond to 11 questions and gave them a reasonable deadline to send their answers back to the Chamber.

The questions we asked deal with their knowledge and actions with the business community and about the reasons for their candidacy. Woodinville gets approximately 65 percent of its operating budget from the retail sales taxes, so the viability of its business community is extremely important.

The questions we asked are as follows:

1. How will you stay connected to the business community in Woodinville? (please be specific)
2. How will you create a thriving business community? (please be specific)
3. What are your thoughts about the Economic Development Plan for Woodinville?
4. What are your thoughts about the Downtown Little Bear Creek Master Plan?
5. What is the number one issue you are most concerned about and can do something about?
6. What is the number one asset you would bring to the city council?
7. What is the number one asset you would bring to the community?
8. Why are you running?
9. Why would someone want to vote for you?
10. What does community mean to you?
11. Looking ahead 10 years, how are your efforts going to affect Woodinville?

The Woodinville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors stands on these important election issues:

1. We support the City of Woodinville CIP and, more specifically, projects as they relate to transportation to address congestion at the city “choke points.” We support action and implementation of these projects, not continued debate and delay.
2. We support adoption of the Economic Development Plan to strengthen our city and its commerce. Again, implementation of the suggestions in adoption of the plan itself.
   For Woodinville, Economic Development is a vehicle to fuel well-being for residents, businesses, our municipality and community partners. Good economic development trickles down to everyone by providing opportunities for services and amenities both short and long term. It considers the city as a whole and relies on participation of many segments to achieve the desired outcomes.
3. We support the adoption of the Downtown/Little Bear Creek Master Plan to bring “mixed use” development to enhance a well-planned city core. Well-planned development can give us work, live and play opportunities all at the same time.
4. We support Woodinville Parks and Recreation projects, including the Carol Edwards Community Center renovations and the sports field projects. Investment in our community via recreational opportunities only enhances its economic vitality.
5. We support the ongoing work of the Tourism Task Force and a tourism overlay that addresses the sensitivities of the valley and its businesses. The city should be open to uses that both directly and indirectly attract both locals and non-locals to our tourist district year round.

Our Oct. 18th business luncheon is open to the public by reservation that can be made by calling the Chamber at 425-481-8300 or on line at www.woodinvillechamber.org.

You can hear three candidates who are expected to attend, Liz Aspen, Randy Ransom and Scott Hageman, discuss the future of Woodinville and the sustainability of our business community.