Councilman Fred Butler announces re-election campaign
March 29, 2011
NEW — 5:15 p.m. March 29, 2011
Fred Butler
Longtime Councilman Fred Butler, a respected authority on regional transit issues, announced plans Tuesday to run for a fourth term.
The incumbent candidate, a Squak Mountain resident and a retired U.S. Army colonel, joined the City Council more than a decade ago, and served on the board as Issaquah experienced a population boom.
“I want to continue to serve the citizens of Issaquah and the region with my enthusiasm, energy and experience to make Issaquah a better place,” he said in a statement. “I am committed to working collaboratively to solve problems. I pledge to work hard, listen and help when I can.”
Butler, a Sound Transit board member, served last year on a regional effort to guide King County Metro Transit service in the decades ahead. In addition, then-County Executive-elect Dow Constantine tapped Butler to serve on the transition team as Constantine shifted from the County Council to the top county office in 2009.
Maureen McCarry receives city’s top environmental award
March 22, 2011
Maureen McCarry smiles March 21 as her husband Tom Knollmann and the City Hall audience applaud her for receiving the Ruth Kees Environmental Award. By Greg Farrar
The latest recipient of the top environmental honor in Issaquah acted as a guiding force — in public and behind the scenes — in the long-running effort to shape neighborhoods and preserve undeveloped land.
Leaders elevated Maureen McCarry into the pantheon alongside other important conservation activists, and bestowed the Ruth Kees Environmental Award for a Sustainable Community on the former councilwoman at a City Hall ceremony March 21.
City Council interviews applicants Tuesday
February 28, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. Feb. 28, 2011
The nine applicants for a City Council vacancy face the council Tuesday night, as the process to select a successor to former Councilwoman Maureen McCarry nears a coda.
Candidates face the council in public interviews scheduled for a special council meeting at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 135 E. Sunset Way. Then, after the 10-minute interviews, council members could recess into a closed-door executive session to discuss candidates’ qualifications.
Under state law, the council can discuss candidates’ qualifications in a closed-door session, but interviews and the decision must occur in public meetings.
Many candidates bring experience in municipal government or a keen understanding of council business to the interview process.
The vote to appoint a member to the council is scheduled for March 7, though the appointee might not join the council until later in the month. The salary for council members is $700 per month.
Issaquah recreation facilities remain open; meeting rescheduled
February 24, 2011
NEW — 11:40 a.m. Feb. 24, 2011
Despite the snowstorm, Julius Boehm Pool and the Issaquah Community Center open for regular hours Thursday.
Some community center classes and programs may be canceled, so participants should call 837-3326 for updated cancellation information.
The city has rescheduled the Planning Policy Commission meeting set for 6:30 p.m. to March 3.
The commission had been scheduled to discuss the transportation vision outlined in the Central Issaquah Plan, a sweeping document meant to guide redevelopment in the 915-acre business district in the months ahead.
The discussion is on the agenda for the March 3 meeting.
Read more
City Council candidates offer varied skills for post
February 15, 2011
Interviews start March 1 for nine council contenders
Candidates offer assorted skills for the open City Council seat created after Maureen McCarry resigned in late December.
The candidates bring backgrounds in community, military and municipal service to the interview process.
The midterm opening for the Position 5 seat attracted nine candidates.
Candidates face the council in public interviews scheduled for March 1. Then, after the 10-minute interviews, council members could recess into a closed-door executive session to discuss candidates’ qualifications.
Under state law, the council can discuss candidates’ qualifications in a closed-door session, but interviews and the decision must occur in public meetings.
The vote to appoint a member to the council is scheduled for March 7, though the appointee might not join the council until later in the month. The salary for council members is $700 per month.
McCarry created the vacancy late last year after she resigned to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
City Council calls for candidates to fill seat
January 11, 2011
City Council members turned to a time-tested plan last week to appoint a resident to the seat left vacant after Maureen McCarry resigned late last month.
The resignation left the council shorthanded until at least March. The schedule adopted Jan. 3 sets applicant interviews for late February and includes more than a month for potential candidates to mull a decision.
The process is similar to the steps used to fill a vacant council seat in 2006 and another in 1998. Read more
City seeks civic-minded citizens for volunteer posts
January 11, 2011
City leaders seek civic-minded citizens to serve on municipal boards and shape environmental and land-use decisions, guide the future of municipal parks, and foster relationships between Issaquah and the international community.
The city has openings on 11 boards and commissions. Not all applicants must be Issaquah residents. Read more
City seeks civic-minded citizens for volunteer posts
January 6, 2011
NEW — 4 p.m. Jan. 6, 2011
City leaders seek civic-minded citizens to serve on municipal boards and shape environmental and land-use decisions, guide the future of municipal parks, and foster relationships between Issaquah and the international community.
The city has openings on 11 boards and commissions. Not all applicants must be Issaquah residents.
Candidates can pick up the application at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way, during regular business hours.
Applicants must submit signed and completed applications and city forms by noon Jan. 31.
In the weeks ahead, city staffers contact applicants and schedule interviews for February.
Maureen McCarry resigns from City Council
December 20, 2010
NEW — 10 p.m. Dec. 20, 2010
Maureen McCarry
Maureen McCarry — a soft-spoken but strong advocate for environmental interests — resigned from the City Council on Monday night as she fights amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
McCarry served on the council during a hectic stretch, as members decided long-term decisions related to transportation, economic development and the environment.
The former Harborview Medical Center executive and Squak Mountain resident shaped choices related to annexation and the addition of a Swedish Medical Center campus in the Issaquah Highlands.
The council post also afforded McCarry the opportunity to observe the complicated Park Pointe transfer-of-development-rights process up close as a member of land-use committees.
Delve into long-term plan for business district at open house
December 7, 2010
Rowley Properties proposal encompasses almost 90 acres
Rowley Properties and city planners embarked on a bold effort in April to shape growth in the decades ahead near Interstate 90 and state Route 900.
Now, the city and the longtime Issaquah developer seek opinions from residents about the potential impacts redevelopment could cause to traffic, mountain views and the environment. Planners scheduled a Dec. 15 open house to gather input from residents.
Participants can listen to presentations from the Community Advisory Group, the citizen panel appointed to shape the process. Organizers also plan to present information about possible environmental impact studies for redevelopment on the site.
Beyond the open house, residents can also provide input later, as the project progresses through policy discussions and environmental studies.
