The Municipal League of King County

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224

Seattle, WA 98104

 

2004 Board of Trustees

 

Putnam Barber, Chair

The Evergreen State Society

Rita Brogan, Vice Chair

PRR, Inc.

Beth M. Arman, Secretary

Renton Technical College

Sandra Driscoll, Treasurer

Kent and Federal Way City Attorney, retired

Tom Albro

RailSafe

Jeff Ballaine            

Home Street Bank

Vaughnetta Barton

Citizen Activist

Elma Borbe

Citizen Activist

Jill D. Bowman

Stoel Rives LLP

Patricia Bowman

Human Resources Mgr. (ret.)

Bruce Carter

Judge Pro Tem, Seattle

Kevin Carter

Safeco

Peter Coates

Building and Construction Trades Council

Chris Cooper

The Children’s Museum

Paul Demitriades

Boeing Company, retired

Keven Franklin

King County

Norma Jean Hanson

Norma Jean Hanson Paralegal Services

Rowan Hinds

Mayor of Issaquah, retired

Andee Jorgensen

Renton Technical College

Robert S. Klein

McNaul, Ebel, Nawrot, Helgren
and Vance

Tami Landburg

Kaplan Companies

Steve Marshall

Snohomish County PUD

Wendy Morgan

Consultant, retired

Robert Neate

Puget Sound Energy

Jennifer Piccolo

Citizen Activist

Bob Roberts

President Emeritus, Renton Technical College

R Todd Slind

CH2MHill

Lucy Steers

Public Participation Consultant

Harold Taniguchi

King County Department of Transportation

David Tarshes

Davis Wright Tremaine

Kate Tate

Weyerhaeuser Company

Philip Thompson

Perkins Coie, LLP

Mark Troxel

City of Seattle

Wes Uhlman

Wes Uhlman & Associates

Rich White

Boeing

2004 CANDIDATE BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR NON-JUDICIAL CANDIDATES

 

The Municipal League of King County requests every candidate who participates in the candidate evaluation process to submit background information prior to his/her interview with a candidate evaluation committee.  The questionnaire is the basis of the League’s research and interview process.  The League’s ratings are non-partisan; they are based on standards of Involvement, Effectiveness, Character, and Knowledge, all of which have been developed and refined over the past 90 years.

 

A printed version of the questionnaire is available for candidates who prefer to use the traditional format.  To obtain a hard copy, please contact the League office.  A copy of this questionnaire will be provided to Candidate Evaluation Committee members to help them prepare for your interview.  Candidate responses, except the confidential section, will be available to the general public at the League website. 

 

The Municipal League requests the following materials from candidates.  Please check to make certain you have sent in your:

 

      Candidate Questionnaire

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Resume (education, employment, and professional activities)

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

               Check here if you DO NOT want your resume posted on the Municipal

                   League website

      Campaign Materials

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Constituent Newsletters and other publications

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

      Photograph

          Sent by:         Email             US Mail          Fax            Not Sending

 

Note: Electronically submitted questionnaires are strongly preferred. All materials can be emailed to rebecca@munileague.org.  They can be processed and made available on-line far more rapidly than handwritten or typed submissions.

 

For non-electronic submissions, please print clearly and legibly and return the application as soon as possible in order to allow the committee the greatest amount of time to prepare a complete report on your skills and experience.

 

If you have not yet been contacted to schedule an interview, or if you have questions about the candidate evaluation program, please contact the League office at 206-622-8333.

 

If you have a disability and require accommodation to participate in the candidate evaluation process, please contact Rebecca Cooper at the League office.

2004 Candidate Questionnaire

 

SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

Russell

L.

Hanscom

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

Kent City Council, Position 6

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

14 months; I have worked in the city for five years.

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

22 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Hanscom for City Council

 

Address:

 

9523 S. 237th Place

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Kent, WA  98031-2983

 

Campaign Phone:

 

253.859.9567

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

253.856.8043

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

rlh@russellhanscom.us

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.russellhanscom.us

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

 

Public Office

Elective or Appointive?

Dates Held

Leadership Role (if any)

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

State Representative, 31st District

 

1996

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 SECTION III

 

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.      In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

 

I'm running for Kent City Council because I have a strong passion for politics and the desire to make Kent a better place to live.  Personally creating a well-balanced home environment for my family isn't enough. I want to be part of creating a strong, healthy and safe community for my family as well.

 

As a member of Kent City Council, I will focus on three areas:  Public safety, business development, and wise fiscal use of taxpayer dollars and resources.

 

Public Safety - I doubt anyone cares more about public safety than a parent. Public safety, however, is more than making sure there is adequate funding for police and firefighters. Public safety is dependent on economic development.

 

Business Development - As a small business operator with 50 employees, I have a deep appreciation for not only keeping jobs in the community but attracting businesses that offer more jobs as well.

 

Wise fiscal use of taxpayer dollars and resources - Several actions of the Kent City Council over the past two years have been very disheartening and disappointing to watch.  The council has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars and then raised utility taxes by 35%.   Zoning and land use decisions have, at times, been arbitrary if not capricious.

 

For example:  It's unheard of to lose 300% of your investment on prime real-estate in the Puget Sound area.   However, in November 2003 and January 2004, the City of Kent lost 300% on its investment of prime, downtown acreage. The city bought the land for about $22 a square foot then sold it for $5 a square foot for a total loss of $7.4 million. (A 300% loss is a very conservative estimate because I am excluding clean-up and other area improvements that were made to the property.)

 

Another example is when the Kent Parks Department realized one of their projects was in jeopardy they asked the council to rezone the city-owned land from residential to commercial. The Land Use and Planning Board voted 5-1 to reject the rezone.  Public testimony was overwhelmingly in opposition to the rezone. The council, however, ignored the Board’s and public’s position and voted 4-3 to rezone the property. And, at the same meeting, they denied a private property owner across the street the ability to increase his commercially zoned property from two acres commercial to four acres commercial. I believe this was politics at its worse.

 

The city council should not only represent the views of its citizens, it has a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers to make sure their funds are spent wisely and appropriately. As a member of the Kent City Council, I hope to make Kent a community where all citizens can work with city government and its leaders on issues affecting the quality of life in Kent.  

 


 

2.      Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

Strong communicator, decisive, compassionate, trustworthy and leadership, all traits people who know me, might use to describe me and all characteristics essential to the position of council member.

 

As the executive director of an assisted living/retirement community, I am frequently forced to make difficult decisions -- but making difficult decisions is only half the battle.  Key to my success is the ability to be a good communicator in any given situation.   A good communicator must not only be able to articulate their thoughts, but listen to others involved.

 

Many of the decisions I make in my position dramatically affect an individual's quality of life, whether terminating someone's employment, or having to ask someone to leave their home and go to a nursing home or other facility that would better meet their needs. I carefully examine and explore all alternatives and options in any given situation and make it a priority to listen and observe before acting.  Once a decision is made, I focus on clearly articulating my position so that everyone has a clear understand of the result. 

 

I'm decisive. I am not paralyzed by analysis of an issue. I'm a quick study and can summarize the whole picture of the cost and benefit of a decision.  I can also live with ugly consequences of a good decision.

 

My entire professional career has been focus on caring for and helping people. My mother raised me to be compassionate to the less fortunate and to always root for the underdog. My father taught me that compassion does not necessarily mean enabling people, but to give them every opportunity and the encouragement to succeed. I enjoy helping people immensely.

 

I'm a leader.  In my current position, I supervise 50 employees. My leadership philosophy is not dictating what people should do, but engaging and involving them in the process so that they have some ownership in the outcome.  With staff input, I determine the direction of the organization and build the plan to accomplish our goals.

 

Overall I build rapport with people quickly. I am honest and direct. People know where they stand with me and know they can trust me.

 

3.      Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. 

 

1.Becoming a father has been my greatest accomplishment to date.  Each night when my two oldest sons sprint into my arms and shout "Dad, you're home!"  I’m so proud of the father I have become.  Being a good father is about total dedication and attention to your family and your livelihood. 

 

I am 100% dedicated and determined to make Kent a wonderful place to live, not just for my own family but for others as well.  Being a member of the Kent City Council is more than just simply showing up for meetings. As a member of the city council I will be actively engaged in the decision making process.  I’ll pay attention to the citizens’ concerns, I'll research and study the issues and I’ll make sure I read the agenda packet before arriving to the meeting.

 

As with becoming a new father, I am filled with the energy and excitement to take on the challenges of being a member of the Kent City Council.

 

2. DELETED FROM WEBSITE---CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIATRY INFORMATION

 

3. The City of Kent had plans to build an extreme "X" park directly in front of and adjacent to our assisted living and retirement community.  My view point - bad idea. A skateboard park right next to our retirement facility was not going to be a good selling point for our residents and their families.

 

The city had two acres and the design of the park was exclusive to a small number of users and did not allow proper buffering for our business. To abbreviate a very long and complicated story, I convinced the owners of Arbor Village to donate an acre of land from our campus (worth $180,000) towards the park.

 

Working with the parks department we were able to compromise on the park’s final design.  The park will now have walking paths for seniors, raised garden beds so seniors can garden, and enough space to make it a family gathering park as well.

 

I'm very proud of orchestrating a win-win for the city, the business I operate, and the citizens of Kent. (I'll bring illustrations to the interview.)


 

4.      Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.

 

Community

 

• Member: Kent Rotary Club (2002-Present)

• Member: Kent City Chamber of Commerce (2003-Present)

• Member: Washington Health Care Association (2000-Present)

• Member: Department of Social & Health Services; Aging and Disability Services

  Administration Boarding Home Advisory Board (Serving second one year term)

• President: One Clubhouse Lane Homeowners Association (1999 and 2000)

• Chairman: Everett Clinic Foundation Golf Tournament (2000)

• Community Member: Mukilteo School District Budget Committee (2000)

• Project Advisor: Leadership Snohomish County (2001)

• Participant: Leadership Snohomish County (2000)

• Faculty: Institute of Healthcare Improvement (1997)

• Presenter: Cambridge Health Resources (1997)

• Faculty: National Managed Heath Care Council (1997)

• Presenter: American Journal of Health Promotion Conference (1997)

• Member: MHA Program Admissions Committee (1995)

• Publication: Psychosocial Assessment Chapter in: Triage Nursing. Mosby

• Guest lecturer: University of Washington School of Nursing (1993)

• Basketball Coach: Hiawatha Community Center (City Champions 1996)

 

Professional

Present -        Executive Director, Arbor Village

Oct.  2000       Olympus Assisted Living, Kent, WA  (www.arborvillage.us)

                        •Total responsibility for financial, administrative, and operations of an 89-unit                                assisted living and retirement community. 50 staff and annual revenues of approximately  $2.5M.

 

Oct. 2000-       Practice Manager, ENT, GI, General, Plastic & Vascular Surgery, Walk-In Clinic

Jan.  1999       The Everett Clinic, Everett, WA (www.everettclinic.com)

                        • Managed departments with annual revenues of approximately $18M.

                        • Supervised over 40 clinical and reception staff.

 

Nov. 1998 -     Disease Management Coordinator, Quality Management & Improvement (QI)

June 1997      Providence Health Plans, Seattle, WA

 While I was with Providence Health Plans (PHP) I was directly responsible for the management of three quality improvement initiatives. These programs needed to be rapidly developed (I was hired one year before an accreditation survey) and demonstrate meaningful improvements.

•  The pediatric asthma program reduced asthma ER visits by 50% and asthma hospitalizations by 75%.

•  The diabetes disease management program showed statistically significant improvements in Hemoglobin A1c testing, HbA1c test results, and preventive foot exam screening rates.

•  PHP was given a full accreditation score of 93/100. I was directly responsible for standards worth 10% of the overall score and those standards received a score of 10/10. Approximately sixty percent of the Medical Directors presentations on QI to the accreditation surveyors were slides I prepared.

•  Not only was I successful in helping the organization's numerous quality improvements, but in saving costs as well. By initiating and researching an exclusive contracting relationship for diabetes supplies, the organization would have saved $100,000 to $300,000 in 1999.

 

 

  1. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

 

The City Council is responsible for seting the vision, strategic plan, and the goals for the city. The council determines the budget for the city. The council also determines zoning issues and the implementation of the Growth Management Act. Members of the city council are elected at large so all decisions must be made with the entire city in mind.

 

The most important duty of the council is to dtermine how money for the budget will be raised and how that money will be spent.


EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website.  It includes a summary of the candidate’s education.  Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined).  The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry.  Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired). 

 

Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.

 

Associate of Science, Nursing  Walla Walla College 1987

Bachelor of Science, Nursing Walla Walla College 1988

Master of Health Administration, University of Washington 1993

 

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement.  Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below.  We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted.  Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined).  It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.  If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed. 

 

Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report.  If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.

 

  Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.

 

     

 

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org).  Mail and fax numbers are listed below.  If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.

 

Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League:  a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials.  Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.

 

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

 

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

 

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org