Meet the Brier City Council candidates: Kevin Davis, Position 5

Ahead of the Nov. 7 general election, MLTnews sent out questionnaires to help voters learn about each candidate campaigning for the Brier City Council.

Kevin Davis is campaigning for the the council’s Position 5 seat against incumbent David Marley, who is seeking re-election 

Q: Why are you running for Brier City Council? What do you hope to accomplish?

I’m running for Brier City Council to support the community and give the residents a new voice and perspective. I have several items that I would like to accomplish based on my observations and concerns brought up by community members for example; increased support and funding for our parks board to support existing and new events, I would also advocate for improvements to our existing parks. I would advocate for improved transparency and communication to our current and forecasted budget. I would also like to see immediate action taken by revising municipal code 17.52 to better preserve and protect native trees.

Q: What experiences would you bring to the council and how are they relevant to the position?

I have professional experience working in the private and public sectors for the state, city and county in leadership roles with an extensive background in the application of existing codes and regulations. I also bring a background in labor relations and collective bargaining, our city workers could use an advocate, not an adversary and by doing so the residents benefit. I also have the experience of being born and raised in MLT and Brier and have had the privilege to raise a family here.

Q: What is your vision for Brier?

My vision for Brier is for the city to maintain a country feel with greenbelts, access for the remaining horses and improvements to parks and trails. We also need to preserve the safety of the community by ensuring a public safety presence.

Q: In your opinion, what is Brier’s most pressing issue and what are your solutions for addressing it?

I would say that the passing of HB 1110 may be the most pressing issue for the residents of Birer due to the existing minimum lot size requirements. The city will need to adapt to be compliant with the laws. To comply, I would support keeping the minimum lot size requirements. and allow backyard cottages and ADU’s with owner-occupant restrictions.

Q: How do you plan to encourage residents to become more civically engaged?

I would encourage civic engagement by being available and surveying the residents for what they want in the community. I just saw the Mountlake Terrace Vision 2044 survey and believe we need similar outreach here.

Q: The neighboring city of Mountlake Terrace is preparing for growth with the arrival of Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link light rail. How do you think this growth will impact Brier – if at all – and if so, how would you help to prepare the city for it?

The light rail will impact Brier in many ways by increasing traffic flow through Brier, in particular, 228th Street Southwest. I suspect that this will open up more discussion about opening 236th Street Southwest to Mountlake Terrace which is currently restricted to emergency vehicles. Route 111 is the only remaining bus route in Brier. I would like to see an expansion of public transit from the Canyon Park area to the MLT transit station to reduce the amount of vehicle traffic along 228th Street Southwest on weekdays.

Q: How will you work to promote equity both within city government and for Brier residents?

We have a very diverse community, and I have had the privilege of raising a diverse family in Brier. The city government must be welcoming and open to the community. I would also like to mention that I have a concern that the lack of affordable housing and historically low wages the city pays its employees in comparison to neighboring cities adversely impacts their ability to afford to live in the city they work for.

Q: Are Brier’s current levels of staffing for its police department adequate? If so, expand on your thoughts and – if not – how might the city pay for additional policing?

The city has an appropriate number of pockets for police staff but continues to have challenges recruiting and retaining police officers. There are several reasons we have retention issues within the department, the officers are one of the lowest paid in the state, previous contract negotiations have been contentious, and there are few opportunities for advancement. I would like to explore expanded partnerships with the county and neighboring cities for training and opportunities to rotate staff.

Q: What are the most pressing environmental issues the city currently faces and your proposals to address those?

Our largest environmental issue is the clearcutting for new construction, we need to adopt code similar to Lake Forest Park and Edmonds to preserve the remaining tree canopy we have.

Q: Where can people contact you to learn more about your campaign?

I can be reached at votekevinforbrier@gmail.com.

— By Cody Sexton

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