The Municipal League of King County
810 Third Avenue, Suite 224
Seattle, WA 98104
2005 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 206-264-1070.
If you have a disability and require accommodation to participate in the candidate evaluation process, please contact Rebecca Cooper at the League office.
2005 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
Janet
M
Way
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction,
position/district number):
Shoreline City Council
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
17 years
5. How long have you resided in King County?
24 years
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?
Partisan Nonpartisan
7. If partisan, please indicate party: _____
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
Campaign Name:
Citizens to Elect Janet Way
Address:
519 NE 165th St, # 100
City/State/Zip:
Shoreline, WA 98155
Campaign Phone:
206-365-4477
Campaign Fax:
206-365-4477
Campaign E-mail:
<janetway@yahoo.com
Campaign Website:
_____
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
Shoreline City Council
2003
_____
_____
_____
_____
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:
* Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?
* Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought? Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?
* Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer? Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?
* Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt? Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought? Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?
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 have decided to run for the Shoreline City Council because I feel that our neighborhoods and the people in them need to have more of a voice in our local government. The City of Shoreline was formed just 10 years ago in order to give our citizens more local control. Many of our neighborhood residents feel that their needs are not being met though, and that their opinions aren't considered valuable by the some elected officials and staff. Our people want to feel that their taxdollars are being spent wisely and on projects that matter to their neighborhoods as well as the city overall. They want the schools to be fully funded and for there to be reserves in the tax capcity to serve our families.
We need a positive agenda that responds to specific needs of our citizens, whether it's creating more safe walkways and bikeways or responding in a timely and effective manner to drainage problems. We need public processes that work for the public interest. I have experience in public forums which have brought about positive results. We need the public process to be more than just for show. We need participation which results in outcomes which work for the long term. I have the experience in making positive change for neighborhoods, for our parks and openspaces, trails and safe streets.
I beiieve that we in the Northwest can and should be at the forefront of true "sutainable solutions" when it comes to development. We know that the future of the salmon and orca whales in our waters are the indicators of whether our communities will have a quality of life which is worth passing on to our grandchildren. I want to be a part of these solutions as a decisionmaker.
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
I am a tenacious and patient worker in the public
sphere. In the past 16 years, I've shown the
capacity to work hard for the long term to raise important issues, but also to work with individuals of all stripes to craft quality solutions.
I'm not afraid to take a stand that may not be popular for something I believe in. I also believe that I can have empathy for people on all sides and appreciate hard and sincere work for any position. Therefore I believe i'm able to be flexible and work for positive outcomes.
As a parent and small business owner, I think I have a lot of tolerance for different views and have an appreciation for practical solutions. However, I think we sometimes need to look for possibilities that are creative and reach for the sky. As an artist by training, I have the ability to picture outcomes that may not be apparent to some with less vison.
I have great belief in the capacity of people to accomplish more than they expect, and I think it's always wise to expect the best of our government and strive for better solutions.
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.
I would have to say that after raising two wonderful boys, my next best accomplishment would have to be working with my colleagues on a solution for the Northgate Southlot to include the Thornton Creek Daylighting project. This project has succeeded beyond our wildest imaginations. We've worked for 6 years and now have achieved collaborative development project for the Northgate community, which will provide a truly sustainable solution for people, business and fish. I now serve as a member of the Northgate Stakeholders Committee, and we have worked collegialy to craft an outcome which works for the entire community. This includes solutions for the environment, transportation, housing and commerce.
Overall, I'm proud of giving our neighborhoods in Shoreline a voice in decisions made on a local and regional level. I have sought to include many of the members of our neighborhood group in the public process on issues from parks, housing, education and government
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.
Small business owner - commercial arts studio - 1982- present Washington Photographic Artists Guild - president
-1989-91
• taught numerous training seminars including Winona School
• received numerous competition merit awards Founded Paramount Park Neighborhood Group, served as president - 1989 - 2005
• received over six grants from city, county and private grantors for improvements in park
and educational partnerships
• conducted twenty UW and Shoreline Community College tours and classes Founded Thornton Creek Legal Defense Fund, and served as president- 1999-2005
• Succeeded in ground breaking solution for Thornton Creek at Northgate -2004
Co-founded South Woods Preservation Group
-
• Working to preserve 17 Acres of Urban Forest
next to Shorecrest HS for Environmental
Education and Community
Advisory Boards -
• Northgate Stakeholders - 2004-05
• Seattle Urban Nature Project - 2005
• Thornton Creek Watershed Oversight Committee -
1996-2005
• Shoreline Parks and Recreation Advisory Board -
1999 - 01
• KC/Metro Transfer Site Advisory Board - 2002-03
• Fircrest Master Plan Advisory Board - 2002 Member of Shoreline and Northgate Chambers of Commerce
- 2002-2005
Member of Shoreline Solar, Sierra Club, Seattle Audubon, League of Women Voters, Master Advocate for the Envornment Training - 2003 Adopt-A-Stream, Streamkeeper of the Year Award - 2001 Cub Scout Den Leader - 1995-97
5. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.
Which are the most important duties and why?
The duties of City Council in Shoreline are to meet weekly, deliberate collaboratively and make decisions on the city's policies and budget. The Council sets priorities and goals for the city government and allocates tax dollars to fund city programs, staff departments and pay its bills. The city council is responsible for updating it's Comprehensive Plan ensuring that it is in compliance with the Growth Mangement Act and for passing legislation that protects it's citizens, neighborhoods and local environment. The councilmembers also set the tone and can create philosophical directions for the staff. The council is also responsible for hiring the city manager. The councilmembers also can choose to serve on regional boards and participate in other community activities.
I believe the most important duty of the councilmember is to make wise decisions regarding the spending of taxdollars. I think it is imperative that the council give oversight on direction for large capital projects to ensure that spending stays on track. Another important responsibility for councilmembers is to effectively represent citizens who need services or who wish to improve the city or their neighborhood with good policies, that will sustain the community.
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.
Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Moore College of Art, 1972
- additional training at Praxis School of Art, Burien and School of Visual Concepts, Seattle Master Advocate for the Environment, Audubon 2003
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.
I'm a successful owner of a business called Metamorphix Studio, since 1982. I am active in Shoreline and Northgate Chambers, and work in support of agriculture through farmersmarkets. I work hard through neighborhoods for sustainable solutions. I've provided environmental leadership in our urban area to protect our watersheds by founding Thornton Creek Legal Defense Fund and Paramount Park Neighborhood Group, among others which resulted in on-the-ground solutions and partnerships that benefit people, wildlife and businesses.
_____
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: 206-264-1070 Email:
rebecca@munileague.org
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: