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 15, 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

Holly

Anne

Plackett

 

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

 

Mayor of Redmond

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

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

 

26 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

37 years

 

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

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  n/a

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Friends of Holly Plackett for Redmond Mayor

 

Address:

 

7524 137th AVE NE

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Redmond, WA 98052

 

Campaign Phone:

 

425-881-7422

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

n/a

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

hollyplackett@yahoo.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.hollyplackett.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)

Redmond City Council

 

Elective

 

2000-2003

 

Vice Chair of Council

 

Redmond Planning Commission

 

Appointive

 

1993-1998

 

Chair and Vice Chair

 

King County Citizens Advisory Commission for Homeless Encampments

 

Appointive

 

Summer, 2004

 

Co-Chair/ Co-Presentor

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

Mayor of Redmond

 

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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.)

 

My vision for Redmond encompasses my three primary reasons I am running for Mayor of Redmond: 1) Restore trust in Redmond City government. We need to build an open government process in Redmond that accepts and responds to citizen input before the City Council or the Mayor make decisions. Public discussion should be convenient, timely, and considered part of the planning process.            As an important part of restoring trust in  Redmond city government, we will continue to organize formal neighborhood associations in Redmond.  They lend themselves to problem solving and encourage new leadership in our city and region.

 

2) For business, I will create an environment where small businesses, as well as major employers, maintain a substantial role in a vibrant economy for Redmond residents. I am a strong supporter of small business and I am personally meeting as many of the 4,882 licensed businesses in Redmond as possible during the course of this campaign. As Mayor, I will work to ensure a fair tax structure for businesses. Additionally, under my leadership as Mayor, we will implement the final decisions of the Downtown Master Transportation Plan. This plan will produce a pedestrian friendly, well-connected street grid that encourages and supports our downtown area's small and medium size employers. It should be coordinated with the purchase and development of the Burlington Northern Railway in the heart of our downtown. Both trail and transportation options need to be pursued for this potential amenity.

 

3) For  all of Redmond, I would like to work with our community to attract a branch of the University of Washington or Cascadia Community College to Redmond. Two years ago, Lake Washington Technical College built a single building in Redmond.   I would like to see that campus expanded in our city.  Additionally, Nintendo hosts the DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond with over 800 students now enrolled in their computer simulation and animation degreed programs. I will work with our residents and businesses to explore opportunities to expand that campus within Redmond. Local educational opportunities add vitality to a growing community.

•          

•          

 


 

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

 

While serving on the Planning Commission and the Redmond City Council, and  other community commitments, I have built a reputation of fairness, responsiveness to resident’s issues, and creative solutions to our challenges in Redmond. I have the right combination of skills that will make me a successful mayor:

•     a positive attitude

•     a dedication to doing my homework

•     a great respect for all people

•     a patient approach to the democratic process

•     a willingness to share this leadership role with a wide variety of dedicated city staff, community volunteers, and elected city council members.

 

 

 

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. 

 

While on the Redmond City Council, my significant accomplishments were:

•           In early 2000 the Redmond City Council had the opportunity to assist King County Housing Authority in building 300 affordable apartments above an existing Metro Park and Ride lot on 156th in Redmond. [A Transit-Oriented Development].  King County requested that Redmond waive $2,000,000 in impact fees to make this project feasible for development. I was proud to support this initiative and encouraged the majority of the council to vote for the fee waiver. Today, The Village at Overlake provides some of the most affordable apartment living on the entire Eastside, as well as increased transit use by the residents of the project.  I am very proud of my early support for this first-of-its kind project in the Puget Sound area.

•           During my first year on the council, I learned that there was a sidewalk project on our Capital Improvement Project list that would provide a safer walkway to a junior high in my neighborhood.  This project had been on our CIP list for over 12 years!  I worked with my fellow council members to push this project to the top of the list and over $3.2 million dollars was set aside to complete this project in the summer of 2004.  This project was completed due to my constant attention as well as the support of two other determined council members.

•           I started a newsletter that I sent out every other month via email to over 200 constituents in the Redmond area.  This was a first. It set a new standard for our Redmond residents to exchange ideas on the projects and issues coming before the City Council.

 

I have attached a separate sheet with additional information about my community activities that add further to my qualifications to be Mayor of Redmond.


 

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.

 

Spring, 2004 - Board Secretary for The Family Resource Center, the non-profit organization that houses 18 human service agencies in downtown Redmond. Recognized as "Board Member of the Year" for 2006 for the work I did on their annual fund.

 

Summer, 2004-Selected to serve on King County's Citizens Advisory Commission for Homeless Encampments and served as Co-Chair of the Committee in the final presentation to the King County Council.

 

Currently serving as a member of the King County Transit Advisory Commission advocating for improved transit on the Eastside.

 

I have also been active in establishing our Grasslawn Neighborhood Association. In our first year we hosted a community meeting on the proposed Property Tax Levy Increase in April, 2006.

 

January, 2000 to December 2003: Completed a four year term on the Redmond City Council. Elected Vice President of the Council in January, 2002.

Served as Chair of the Parks and Human Services Council Committee and  member of the Public Administration and Finance Committee.

February, 2002 - Selected to serve a one year term on the Regional Transit Committee through the Suburban Cities Association.

Fall, 2001 - selected to represent Redmond on the Founding Executive Board of the newly created Eastside Human Services Forum.

Summer, 2001 - Selected to serve a two-year term on the Association of Washington Cities Legislative Committee.

1998- Served one year on the Citizens Advisory Board for ARCH, (A Regional Coalition for Housing).

1993-1998 Served five years on the Redmond Planning Commission, including one-year as Chair

Fall, 1997- Selected as an Executive Committee Member, Lake Washington School Modernization Program.

1994 Graduate of the Leadership Redmond Program

Served on the 1992 Redmond Governance Committee

Member of Sisters on the Eastside, a multi-culture women's group that works on issues of social justice.

Founding member of the Redmond Historical Society.

Together with husband Mark, hosted Five Community Forums for the City of Redmond.

Co-Blockwatch Captains – 1997-1999.

Precinct Committee Officer 1985-present

Served as Chair of the 48th District Democrats 1986-1988; prior was secretary, newsletter editor and Vice Chair for the 48th District

Voter Registrar,  Elections Inspector in Redmond, 1998, 1999.

 

 

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

 

A directly elected Mayor has a unique role in local government. I believe the most important duties include:

1) Visionary Leadership -- a mayor needs to view the future as the present and gather citizen input as to how their community wants to improve the quality of life for its residents in the decades to come. A Mayor needs to keep the long view on issues and continually strive for methods, processes, and implementation of projects that will complement the envirnoment, fit strategically within the resources at hand, and benefit residents of the community.

2)Fair administration -  The mayor should implement decisions of the majority of the city council and move needed projects forward. An effective leader knows when the battle is over and is directed by the decisions made by the residents and the elected city council members.

3) The third duty that I think is important comes from the Mayor's Handbook published by the Municipal Research Center:  "Use the dignity of the mayor's office to help your community get past contentious issues".  I think this is very important in our democratic society.  Building understanding and having the patience to wade through very difficult divisive issues with an eye and ear towards justice and fairness is a key duty of a mayor.

 

In 2003, our community revisited the governance issue and debated whether or not Redmond should change from a strong mayor form of government to a city-manager form of government. The voters defeated this measure and we remain a strong-mayor form of government. I supported the majority opinion in favor of a strong mayor form of government. However, given the opportunity to be Mayor, I will look closely at the organization of the mayor's office to determine if our Redmond residents would benefit by having a deputy mayor. This position would have the responsibility (and authority) to manage more of the daily duties of the mayor. This style of management, delegating a portion of the day-to-day operations to a strong deputy mayor, is something many residents in our city support .  I would be open to this style, should I serve as Redmond's Mayor.

 


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.

 

High School Graduate;  Portland State University 1 year. Numerous classes: banking, insurance, leadership training.

 

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 (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