The Municipal League of King County

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224

Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 264-1070 cec@munileague.org

2007 Board of Trustees

Bruce Carter, Chair
Judge Pro Tem, Seattle Municipal Court

Robert Klein, Vice-Chair
Short Cressman & Burgess PLLC

Norma Jean Hanson, Secretary
Norma Jean Hanson Paralegal Services

Sandra Driscoll, Treasurer
City Attorney (ret.)

 

Angela Avery, Community Volunteer

Dan Berger, Municipal Attorney

Jill D. Bowman, Stoel Rives LLP

Bill Breitenstein, Financial Executive (ret.)

David Brentlinger, Weyerhaeuser Realty Investors

Steve Call, Cascade Water Alliance

Mary Gates, Consultant

Albert Israel, Mass Mutual Financial Group

Rachel Jackson, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Chris Johnson, Office of the Attorney General, WA State

Mark Koenig, Consultant

Rick Lewis, Intel

Steve Marshall

Eric B. Martin, Davis Wright Tremaine

Bradley Meacham, Microsoft

Dan McDonald, MWH Americas

Kristen Peterson, Washington State Hospital Association

Kathy Putt, Comcast

Ramsey Ramerman, Foster Pepper

R. Todd Slind, CH2MHill

Will Smith, T-Mobile

John Spady, Dick’s Drive-In

Lucy Steers

Gary Strannigan, Safeco

Harold Taniguchi, King County Department of Transportation

Michael Teter, Perkins Coie, LLP

Wes Uhlman, Wes Uhlman & Associates

Jason Van Nort, Puget Sound Energy

Jen Watkins

Rodney G. Wendt, Koegen Edwards LLP

Rich White, Boeing

Nick Williamson, Encrypted Key Technologies

 

2007 CANDIDATE 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 cec@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.

We request that you return the Candidate Questionnaire

by June 22, 2007

 

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 the CEC Coordinator at the League office.

 


2007 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

Jean

H

Godden

 

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

 

Seattle City Council, Pos. 1

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

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

 

Fifty-three years.

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

Fifty-three years.

 

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

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Friends of Jean Godden

 

Address:

 

PO Box 21522

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Seattle, WA 98111

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206-383-3022

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

n/a

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

contact@jeangodden.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

http://www.jeangodden.com

 

 

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)

Seattle City Councilmember

 

Elective

 

2004-present

 

Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee

 

Mayor’s Charter Review Committee and Seattle Board of Adjustment

 

Appointive

 

1970-1974

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 
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 am running for reelection because I am passionate about working for a Seattle that preserves and enhances the environment we cherish – at the same time helping to make it affordable for families and continuing to create and protect family-wage jobs. When I ran in 2003, I promised to raise the standards and expectations of the Seattle City Council and to focus on issues that matter to working people and their families. I believe I have delivered on this promise and been an effective and ethical advocate for the people of Seattle.

 


 

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

 

In my years as a journalist, I learned to approach each new subject with an open-mind, to gather information from an array of soruces and to question conventional wisdom and hasty conclusions. I have been told that I am overy curious and an eternal optimist. But on the good side, I am a soft touch for children, pets and worthy causes. I tend to be a workaholic, first to arrive and last to leave the office. I think I am easy to work with, although I ask a great deal of those who work with and for 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. 

 

            Energy Leadership: I went to work to find the right leadership for Seattle City Light, reduced electric rates by 8.4% despite resistance from the Mayor, reduced the utility’s long term debt by 15%, and encouraged City Light to purchase greenhouse gas offsets meeting its zero net emissions goal for the last two years.

            Technology Leadership: I led the charge for the City’s Comcast Cable Franchise Renewal Agreement, resulting in the strongest “Cable Customers Bill of Rights” ever, which ensures better customer service, privacy protections and discounts for low-income and disabled customers.

            Environmental Leadership: As a staunch environmentalist, I worked to pass the Environmentally Critical Areas Ordinance. This important piece of environmental legislation strengthens protections in ecologically sensitive areas. The ordinance expands buffers to 75 feet in riparian areas along salmon-bearing streams and restricts pesticide use within 50 feet of shorelines, streams and waterways.  

 


 

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.

 

Seattle City Councilmember, 2004 to present

Seattle Times city columnist, 1991-2003

Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist, 1983-91; business editor, acting editorial

editor, editorial writer, restaurant critic, urban affairs reporter, features         

reporter and op-ed editor. 1974-1983

Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild membership and service, 1974-2007

University of Washington Communications Visiting Committee, 1980-81

Seattle League of Women Voters public relations director and newsletter Editor, 1968-71

Municipal League Candidates Evaluation Committee, 1972-73

Mayor’s Charter Review Committee and Seattle Board ofAdjustment, 1970-74

Lake City Community Council Director; Lake City P-TA president; PTA Legislative Director, 1962-68

 

 

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

 

The Council is the city's policy maker, responsible for the passage of ordinances and resolutions. Perhaps the most important duty of the Seattle City Council is to oversee the preparation and implementation of the budget. How a city spends its taxes is the result of a series of important policy decisions. The Council also has a critical oversight role over the city departments.

 


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 Arts, University of Washington, summa cum laude, 1974

Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, 1950-53.

 

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.

 

Seattle City Councilmember, 2004 to present, Association of Washington Cities Board, King County Regional Policy Committee, Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild membership and service, 1974-2007, University of Washington Communications Visiting Committee, 1980-81, Seattle League of Women Voters public relations director and newsletter Editor, 1968-71, Municipal League Candidates Evaluation Committee, 1972-73, Mayor’s Charter Review Committee and Seattle Board of Adjustment, 1970-74.

 

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (cec@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:  Jason Thibedeau

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                 Phone: (206) 264-1070                      Email: cec@munileague.org

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