Maple Valley City Council Position 3 debate | Part 2

This is the final installment of the newspaper debate for Maple Valley City Council Position 3. The candidates are Kathi Turner and Les Burberry.

The candidates answered three questions prepared by The Reporter editorial staff.

Question 1

Describe what you believe will be the No. 1 problem (or problems) facing Maple Valley during the next four years; also provide your solution. If it takes money to solve problems, where will the money come from in the budget?

Les Burberry

Transportation is the biggest hurdle we have to overcome for our citizens. Every day we each spend enormous amounts of time and fuel commuting. Changing the commute picture will add time for our families and dollars back in our wallets.

The first solution is to bring small and medium sized employers into Maple Valley. This will reduce the pressure on our roads going outside the city. Employment here in Maple Valley will increase our daytime population and increase sales tax revenue from purchases we would have made in other cities. And businesses in Maple Valley will distribute the burden of road infrastructure improvements more evenly between the private business sector and residential homeowners. Tax revenue increases from these two sources will help fund the internal road improvements that we need, but this will not fund the total need.

The second solution is more difficult, but it can be done. We already pay one of the highest gas taxes in the nation into our state transportation coffers, but we have benefited from it only marginally. We must put together a coalition from South East King County and effectively lobby for our fair share of road improvements to state Route 169 (Maple Valley Highway) and state Route 516 (Kent-Kangley Rd) that our citizens deserve.

Kathi Turner

The most important problem facing Maple Valley during the next four years is transportation. Our city has very well maintained roads and we have been able to keep maintenance costs to a minimum because of the partnership that we have with our neighboring cities and making sure that we utilize our resources wisely. With the potential for our neighboring cities population to double in the next few years, our top priority should be to increase the capacity of our roads. Our city cannot fund state highways, so my focus would be to form a regional coalition to lobby our county and state officials to secure necessary funding for improving Hwy 169 in the next round of transportation project discussions. We also need to make sure that we are competitive in the grant process and are shovel ready if and when they are awarded. These three things; collaboration, lobbying and being prepared hopefully will make Maple Valley successful in obtaining transportation dollars.

Question 2

The best use of the city-owned Legacy site has been discussed by the City Council for many years.

Describe your plan for the best use of the property for the residents of the city. How much would your plan cost and how would it realistically be funded? Should the city consider selling the land and using the funds for other programs?

Kathi Turner

I believe that the city owned Legacy site needs to move forward with development. It is a blank canvass for us to create something amazing for our residents. The property should not be sold. I believe a combination of open space, active use space and a commercial area would best suit our city. The site also needs to remain aesthetically pleasing and provide trail access for walking, jogging and cycling. The city must entertain the idea of a public private partnership to fund this development and we need to look at all viable options.

The Legacy site, golf course, Lake Wilderness Park and our city retail areas would all be connected via trails and sidewalks for a walkable city for everyone to enjoy. All three sites could provide a plethora of events and services for our residents. The city staff could then market our city for sports tournaments, mountain biking races, events such as Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, Color Run and other outdoor events. These types of events bring in fees, corporate sponsors and participants who will spend dollars locally. Another possibility would be to attract a hotel which would add to our city’s business community and provide a much needed service for our residents. I would propose that the city use a percentage of the hotel’s occupancy tax for maintenance and operation costs for parks and recreation since the parks bond does not cover those costs.

Having an open mind to all possibilities and finding our community’s vision is what is most important in moving forward.

Les Burberry

The Legacy Site is a 50 acre treasure located in the center of the city across from Rock Creek Elementary School. It includes majestic woodlands and views of Mount Rainier and Lake Wilderness. It provides the community a unique opportunity to showcase to the region Maple Valley’s best.

Its value lies in what it can mean to the community and not just the price it would bring at market. It has the capacity to be a catalyst for the rest of the town center. It is imperative that we have a broad base of citizens contribute to the content of its configuration.

Once that content is agreed upon we should solicit proposals from developers to build out the site through a public/private partnership. I envision a community focal point that showcases the natural beauty of our area and reflects the unique character of our environment. It would include civic buildings and businesses, park like settings and restaurants, broad plazas and outdoor terraces. And it should be funded primarily through the partnership. If municipal buildings are included they should be funded through the offset of the cost of buildings that we currently lease.

Question 3

Discuss any issue you believe should be highlighted or discussed.

Les Burberry

Maple Valley is already an exceptional community. We have beautiful homes, eye popping mountain views and an awesome educational system. I would like us to set a new standard in how we do politics and government. A standard that teaches our children this is what engaging in my community looks like. A standard that says we can have broad participation of our citizens with civility and intelligence where the best ideas win. A standard that tells the rest of the state, Maple Valley does local government like no one else. When we can claim that standard then nothing will be too hard. And we will have demonstrated to our children what politics should look like in the rest of the state and nation.

Kathi Turner

Here are a few of the issues I see with regard to economic development:

First, let’s start with a yearly business expo where the city staff, City Council, Economic Development Committee (EDC), chamber of commerce, local businesses and the school district meet to discuss the future of Maple Valley. This is where discussions should take place, in a forum where everyone can participate, set long and short term goals, discuss obstacles and formulate a plan of action.

Second, the city, along with the EDC, should be marketing our city to potential businesses and future employers for our residents. The city’s impact to business is limited to zoning, permitting and codes and we must ensure that these factors are not a barrier to incoming businesses and employers.

Third, the city must work with the school district to encourage and invite programs that provide apprenticeship, manufacturing and certificate programs for our students as well as for adults. Thinking “outside the box” and continually adapting to our every changing world and job demands will set us apart from other areas and attract other like-minded business people.