Editor’s note: The Black Diamond City Council Position 4 candidates, incumbent Craig Goodwin and challenger Brian Weber, answered three questions this week prepared by editorial staff.

Ballots for the general election must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

Question 1

What is the No. 1 problem facing the residents of Black Diamond over the next four to 10 years? What is your proposed solution? What will your solution cost the public and how or where will the funds be found?

Pat Pepper

The No. 1 problem is YarrowBay’s massive development plans. This development controls every other issue. We should use every available policy and law to better control and manage development. We must avoid impacts, not just try to mitigate them.

Take transportation for example. Even if every proposed road improvement were built, we would all still be gridlocked by YarrowBay’s additional 60,000 vehicle trips a day. And most of those proposed road projects aren’t even designed yet, much less funded.

Lake Sawyer is another example. Last year City Hall approved one of YarrowBay’s subdivisions with variances and concessions that would increase pollution and flooding to wetlands that feed into Lake Sawyer. Local groups like Save Black Diamond rallied and proved scientifically to the hearing examiner that the city erred in allowing the use of obsolete engineering standards. With no help from their elected representatives, citizens helped reduce some of the risk.

We need a City Hall that respects input from the people, especially those hundreds of people who have spoken up at public hearings over the years about the excessive negative impacts of the YarrowBay development.

Our next step is to use every legal authority that the city has to limit YarrowBay’s development to avoid gridlock, environmental degradation and crushing new taxes for infrastructure. State law combined with the energetic application of local regulations and conditions suggest effective steps to use this authority. Steps have not been taken because City Hall has lacked the focus and will to do so. The voters can change that on Nov. 3.

Ron Taylor

The most critical issue facing Black Diamond is financial stability. Making sure that we maintain a balanced budget is paramount. Past councils did not have good foresight or long range planning. I and other council members instituted long range budget projections that were instrumental in showing corrective measures that were needed to keep portions of the city budget from going into deficit. We must not ask our citizens for bailout money and we must manage our revenue with all the expertise that we can muster.

The problem with any bedroom community like Black Diamond, which is primarily residential and has little commercial activity, is that it costs more to provide services than the revenue generated. Commercial property and commerce, on the other hand, generates more revenue than is required to provide those services. Thus, a healthy mix of residential and commercial property is what sustains the local government. We have the residential but we sorely lack the commercial activity to stimulate our local economy. We must take measures to invigorate and invite business to Black Diamond. Deserved or not Black Diamond has gained a reputation for not being business friendly and making their permit process difficult. We must change that reputation. Good government should be a benefit to its citizens, not a burden.

Question 2

Why are you the better candidate for Black Diamond City Council over your opponent? Describe what experience or expertise makes you the best candidate.

Ron Taylor

I have eight years of experience as a leader in Black Diamond government. I have an intimate working knowledge of the city processes, budget, needs and pitfalls. I will be fully engaged for citizens from day one and do not need a long learning curve to come up to speed. Also, my career in maintaining large scale infrastructures with budgets in the millions gives me understanding of large projects and budgets.

I have a lifelong history of leadership and community service. Having trained and served in firefighting and law enforcement services. I have an excellent working knowledge of police and fire services and what is necessary to support them. I have helped the city identify and define an alarming lack of sufficient fire protection and gone on to lead the charge to correct this. We have to step up and address this service that has been overlooked and allowed to atrophy for decades.

I work well with a variety of people. The current council is working well together and has been accomplishing good, productive legislation. It’s a team that we should keep together. Still, I do speak up and challenge conventional thinking when it is in the best interest of the citizens that elected me. As a steward of the citizen’s tax money and the policies that affect their lives and property I refuse to allow myself or others to not be accountable.

Pat Pepper

It is time for fresh energy for Black Diamond and the issues facing us all. It is time for civility, collegiality and community.

I have professional qualifications and diverse experience solving problems, overcoming difficulties, generating creative solutions and a tenacious work ethic. I want to do more to hold developers accountable and protect us against irresponsible development practices.

I have had the great privilege of talking, working and exchanging ideas within our Black Diamond community. I would be honored by your vote.

I am a retired local public school educator having worked in the both the Kent and Tahoma School Districts. As a long time volunteer and community leader, I have held board, chair, and president positions for a local arts community non-profit the Evergreen City Ballet and the Renton Municipal Arts Commission. As a member of the Black Diamond Planning Commission, I have earned a reputation for excellent detailed analyses and commitment to preserving Black Diamond’s quality of life and rural character.

Some of my qualifications are graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, B.A. and M.A. in education; Pepperdine, Taft Institute of American Government; Seattle University, administrative certification.

Question 3

Describe your ideas, plans and/or proposals concerning how the City Council and city will need to deal with the two YarrowBay master planned developments, The Villages and Lawson Hills. Is there a concern of the city facing litigation regarding the development and City Council action?

Pat Pepper

The master plan development is subject to literally hundreds of technical and legal decisions over its life. This includes subdivision and building permits that must comply with all legal requirements that are applicable. How our city administration makes these decisions will determine the scale, timing and impacts of the development.

The city should not let the developer opt out of promised impact fees totaling over twenty million dollars. The council needs to take action soon, or these funds will be lost and the taxpayers will pick up the tab.

The Master Planned Development Review Team should be re-focused and better managed. Recommendations submitted by regional land use experts to community members earlier this year should be fully implemented.

The city is pursuing the assumption of water rights from portions of the Covington Water District. That takeover would effectively transfer several million dollars of costs away from YarrowBay and put them on the backs of ratepayers.

The city must update its storm water management standards from 2005 to the newest 2012 standard. We want to ensure that YarrowBay’s development will not pollute our wetlands, streams and Lake Sawyer.

Of course there is concern about potential litigation. However, the costs to the public of not taking action far exceed the risk of litigation. When you add up the costs associated with longer commute times, higher taxes and fees for every public service, and reduced property values, the costs of defending our rural town pale by comparison.

Every public service, every tax bill, and everything we like about our community is directly related to how we manage and control future land development.

Ron Taylor

Whether you agree with them or not the master planned developments have been signed and sealed and are here to stay. Our job at this point is to maintain diligent oversight of the conditions of the developments to assure that all requirements are met.

There are a number of provisions and conditions in the development agreements that will help us shape and direct the progress. But, we have to be paying close attention and make sure that we exercise those measures. For example, we have to make sure that YarrowBay does every traffic study that they are required to do and only allow development to proceed when traffic issues are mitigated.

We also have to closely watch our economic health. Our budget is already stretched. We have to make sure that development indeed pays its own way because we cannot afford a burden on the city or citizens. Current models show that this will be a challenge. Further, we cannot afford to bank on money that might come into the city through one time sources like permits. When those funds do come in it will not be a sustained money flow. We can’t be lured into a false sense of security from one time revenues. Therefore we must keep our budget balanced on its own merits so that it can remain healthy independent of development.

I will not support any action that is not legally defensible. It is not realistic or necessary to make YarrowBay “go away”. On the other hand, I will not be intimidated or back down when it comes to the good of our citizens and health of the city. I was elected to first and foremost be an advocate for the citizens and health of the city.