Fred Butler enters race for Issaquah mayor
January 22, 2013
Fred Butler, a City Council stalwart for 13 years and a voice in important debates about the future of Issaquah, entered the race for mayor Jan. 17.
Fred Butler
The contest could hinge on the vision for the decades ahead, as city leaders seek to position Issaquah for redevelopment and attract more jobs to the community.
Butler, 72, served on the council at major junctures in recent history, as members debated the defunct Southeast Bypass road link, how to preserve forested Park Pointe on Tiger Mountain and, late last year, a 30-year redevelopment blueprint called the Central Issaquah Plan.
“We are in the process of evolving from a small town to a small city, moving from suburban to urban,” he said in a Jan 17 interview. “Because I’ve been involved in a lot of the planning and the development of the urban villages and the Central Issaquah Plan, I believe I’m in a pretty good position to help implement the direction that we are going in.”
Fred Butler launches campaign for Issaquah mayor
January 17, 2013
NEW — 6 p.m. Jan. 17, 2013
Fred Butler, a City Council stalwart for 13 years and a voice in important debates about the future of Issaquah, entered the race for mayor Thursday.
Fred Butler
The contest could hinge on the vision for the decades ahead, as city leaders seek to position Issaquah for redevelopment and attract more jobs to the community.
Butler, 72, served on the council at major junctures in recent history, as members debated the defunct Southeast Bypass road link, how to preserve forested Park Pointe on Tiger Mountain, and late last year, a 30-year redevelopment blueprint called the Central Issaquah Plan.
FISH hires new executive director
May 31, 2011
Jane Kuechle spent many hours as a girl on family road trips to out-of-the-way Oregon places.
Jane Kuechle
“Wherever we went, we would stop whenever we saw a salmon hatchery,” she recalled.
Kuechle, a longtime leader in local nonprofit organizations, is about to spend more time at a salmon hatchery. The expert in fundraising and nonprofit management is the next executive director of Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, the nonprofit group responsible for education and tours at the downtown hatchery.
Fred Butler announces re-election campaign
April 5, 2011
Longtime Councilman Fred Butler, a respected authority on regional transit issues, announced plans March 29 to run for a fourth term.
Fred Butler
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, 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.
On the Issaquah council, Butler serves as deputy council president, the No. 2 position on the board.
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.
King County shifts agencies to biennial budgeting
March 21, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. March 21, 2011
Like the state and some municipal governments, the King County Council has taken a step to shift the county to a biennial, or two-year, budgeting process.
Officials said the shift to biennial budgeting extends the planning period county departments to further examine and define budgets.
The longer timeframe also allows the executive and council to improve program evaluation, enhance performance management and encapsulate cost-savings during the budget process.
The council unanimously adopted legislation to set the schedule for county agencies to transition to a biennial budgeting process. The county Department of Development and Environmental Services, the county permitting agency, is scheduled to be joined by the Department of Transportation in delivering a biennial budget for the 2012-13 cycle.
City councilman enlisted to envision future of mass transit
March 16, 2010
King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed Issaquah Councilman Fred Butler to the new Regional Transit Task Force meant to advise county leaders on the future of Metro Transit services. Read more
Councilman enlisted to envision future of mass transit
February 27, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Feb. 27, 2010
King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed Issaquah City Councilman Fred Butler to the new Regional Transit Task Force meant to advise county leaders on the future of Metro Transit services.
The executive announced the appointment and 27 others Monday. The panel includes elected officials and representatives from business, labor, education and human service agencies, as well as Metro riders.
Constantine also appointed AtWork! Chief Development Officer Jane Kuechle to the group. The nonprofit organization operates a recycling facility in Issaquah. AtWork! helps people with disabilities learn marketable skills and find and maintain jobs.
