Candidates for Montesano City Council positions gathered for a meet and greet on Oct. 4, discussing challenges, roundabouts, infrastructure repair, community activity, downtown development standards and the city’s relationship with businesses.

Incumbents Clint Bryson and Ian Cope were seated with council hopefuls Barry Iverson, Robert Hatley and Kim Cristobal. Incumbent Tyler Trimble did not attend the forum, and his challenger Ray Meyers has dropped from the race though his name will be on November ballots. Cope is being challenged by Barry Iverson. Hatley and Cristobal are both contending for the same seat.

Ballots will be mailed on Oct. 20. The polls close on Nov. 7.

Challenges

The candidates first were asked to describe what they saw as the biggest challenges facing the city in the next 10 years.

Bryson said the city’s biggest challenges would be dealing with the waste water treatment facility (currently the Wynoochee River is eroding its banks and encroaching on the facility) and infrastructure maintenance.

Cope said the challenge facing Montesano is the same as the challenge facing many communities — operating within a budget. He noted that the city needs to grow, but the growth should be tailored to what residents want from their city.

“When you talk to people, they don’t want to see some big box store… they want the small town atmosphere that this community is known for and people love,” Cope said. “We have a tremendous asset in Lake Sylvia, Friends Landing, that people can get to to get outside and enjoy themselves… Marketing the city for its outdoor opportunities is a way to help with that.”

Iverson said the biggest challenge is “sustainability of the existing infrastructure.” He also noted that the city should be supporting current businesses and “making sure they have what they need.” He suggested the city should do a cost benefit analysis of its current assets.

Hatley agreed that the waste water treatment plant is a concern. Beyond that, he said the city should look to bring people into Montesano where they have jobs, not people who live here but have to commute to other cities for work. Hatley, who works from home, said telecommuters would be a good fit for Montesano and the city should look to attract them.

Cristobal, a nursing instructor at Grays Harbor College, said the city needs more small businesses and those businesses need to be retained. She commended the current council for its work to manage the city’s budget (which had faced a deficit last year) and she added that managing the city’s budget would be essential moving forward.

Roundabout

A traffic revision is on the table for the intersection of the Highway 12 offramp and South Main Street, and a past drawing showing a roundabout at the intersection has some residents upset. Moderator Paul Boys asked the candidates if they support a roundabout or a rest area.

Cope, Iverson and Hatley all said they’re opposed to a roundabout at that intersection.

Bryson didn’t outright oppose a roundabout, but he said he could empathize with people who are opposed.

“I understand the concerns about a potential roundabout — my grandmother probably wouldn’t be able to stay in her home if she would have to deal with a roundabout,” Bryson said. “I’ve heard this from people. They don’t like them… I understand the fear of the unknown when it comes to traffic circles.”

Cristobal said she’d like to know more details before taking a position.

“I would like to see both the study that show there’s a problem at the intersection and to hear more public comment,” she said. “I’m not especially fond of a roundabout per se, but I would like to see both of those.”

All of the candidates were opposed to a rest area, except Cristobal who didn’t outright state her support for it.

“In terms of a rest stop, I am in favor of some means of bringing people into the community,” Cristobal said.

Infrastructure

The candidates were asked by an audience member if the city should focus spending from the city forest revenue on infrastructure.

All of the candidates agreed that the city should prioritize fixing infrastructure. Of the candidates, the resounding opinion was a need to better plan for repairs.

Iverson said the city could focus on expenditures they can control to cover expenditures they can’t control in the future.

“The number one controllable expense in any organization is payroll,” Iverson said. “When you have instruction to pay at a certain pay scale for a new employee from the council and then you approve tens of thousands beyond that, next thing you know five years later you have $100,000 going toward one individual employee that could be spent internally toward other efforts of infrastructure.”

Community

Another audience member asked how the council could get the community involved. She noted the small crowd of about 20 people that gathered for the meet and greet.

Cristobal said the city could better use its website to get the information out.

Cope agreed that the city’s website is lacking.

Bryson said the city should look to all possible avenues for better communication.

“We need to find what works for our different demographics and go to where the people are — that might mean knocking on doors every once in a while,” Bryson said. “We need to make sure people know that they’re invited. To welcome them to engage… and they need to know that you’re going to hear them. That you’re going to listen and take in what they have to say.”

Business

The candidates were asked why somebody would want to start a business in Montesano. The candidates chose to answer the question in a way that debated whether politics get in the way of business.

Both Hatley and Iverson agreed that politics interfere with business.

“I think politics always get in the way of everything,” Iverson said. “For someone who wants to invest in a Montesano business right now, they should be hesitant because when you have grants specifically being discussed for pet projects and things… I would be very hesitant, and I would be very apprehensive about starting a business in Montesano with that type of politics at play.”

Bryson and Cope both said they would want to hear from business owners.

“People love Montesano, they want to be involved with Montesano, and they want to see Montesano succeed. For the community spirit we have here, it’s a natural place to look for a small business,” Cope said. “Politics can get in the way, but I’ve seen politics help people too.”

Cristobal pointed out that the city is a community while also noting the difficulties business owners face.

“We think that our property and our house ends at our property line, but really, each of us is part of a larger community — We can’t really be so narrowly focused that way,” she said. “Not all of us can be a business owner, and I appreciate those of you who can.”

Downtown plan

The city’s planning commission has drafted a comprehensive downtown plan. Some residents have voiced their concerns that the plan is too detailed and restrictive, and it could hinder new businesses. The council was asked if it supported the detail of the downtown plan.

Iverson said it was an example of “politics getting in the way.”

Hatley agreed that the downtown plan “stifles business.”

“You have to fall in line or you don’t have a business. That’s pretty much the way it is… This is very dangerous,” Hatley said. “The code is ridiculous.”

Bryson said he didn’t have a strong enough understanding to commit to answer at the forum, but he planned to do the research.

“Codes can be good if they’re not too far reaching — we don’t want terrible looking buildings either,” Bryson said. “I will commit to understand it before I vote on anything. Other than that, I would just be speculating.”

Cristobal said she was against “overly prescriptive” standards, but she noted that some businesses and homes “could be cleaned up.”

Cope said in the past he had supported strict standards and codes because he was frustrated by the city’s abatement process. Recently, the city has cracked down and is enforcing city code against derelict properties.

“Cookie cutter, everything looking the same? No,” Cope said.

Parking

All of the candidates agreed that Montesano doesn’t have enough public parking, especially during big city events like Festival of Lights.

All of the candidates said they weren’t sure what the solution might be. Bryson floated the idea of using buses like the Lake Sylvia Fall Festival had, where people parked at Simpson School and then rode a bus to the state park for the festival.