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Ward 1 candidates hope to serve community
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| Klamath Falls City Councilwoman Trish Seiler, left, says she is most proud of improvements at Veterans Memorial Park. Jeff Woodwick, who also is running for the Ward 1 seat, said he is most proud of developments such as Ridgewater. |
Trish Seiler, Jeff Woodwick square off
By MEGAN DOYLE
H&N Staff Writer
A contested race for a city council seat is pitting incumbent Trish Seiler against challenger Jeff Woodwick.
The winner will represent Ward 1, which encompasses pockets around the city including a section of downtown, Lynnewood, Stewart Lenox and West Klamath Falls area neighborhoods.
Both say they want to serve the community and understand the dedication it will take.
Candidates responded to questions from the Herald and News, readers and each other.
Trish Seiler
Age: 57
Occupation: Owner and operator of Seiler Consultants (strategic planning, program development, management, grant writing, fundraising and board development.) Teaches grant writing and strategic planning.
Political experience: Klamath Falls City Council, 2001 to present
Why she’s running: “I love the work. My whole career has been about building a healthy community.”
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: “The bottom line message to the community: use or lose it,” Seiler said. “The partnership we created that ensured a pool of dollars in support of Sky West’s services is essentially a back-up plan.”
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: “We need to remember that those who are negative or complain, care about the community,” Seiler said. “It means they cared enough to come forward and voice their concerns. If they didn’t care, and we didn’t provide a forum to listen to their concerns, we could lose out on the information they may have to share.”
Q: What area are you most proud of?
A: Veterans Memorial Park. With grant money and donations, the fountain was added and additional property was acquired by the city adjacent to the shoreline. The land also will be used to connect the area’s trails, she said.
Q: What area needs improvements?
A: The area of West Klamath/Stewart Lenox needs a lot of attention, Seiler said.
It was never anticipated that the area would be the next big draw for development, she said, and the city needs to keep up with infrastructure.
Opponent’s question to incumbent:
Q: Do you feel you’re a good political fit for the voters in this area?
A: “I represent everyone in Ward 1 regardless of political affiliation,” Seiler said.
“My greatest expertise is bringing together people of all persuasions to tackle neighborhood and city issues.” For example, the residents of Stewart Lenox were promised a park 30 years ago when the area was annexed into the city, she said. In her first term on City Council, she worked with area representatives and city staff to build Warford Park, dedicated to the neighborhood as a great recreational amenity for children and families.
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: “If a developer wants to be on city water or sewer, we require they annex,” Seiler said. “If they want our services, we require they annex.”
The money for streets is not interconnected. A citizens committee has been established to determine how to address growing concerns of street repairs needed.
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
A: “I have a vision for Klamath Falls and the Klamath Basin that provides good paying jobs for our citizens, educational opportunities for children from pre-school through higher education, economic development that includes industrial and commercial expansion and collaboration with regional, state and federal entities to meet our future needs in transportation, infrastructure and public safety.”
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
A: “The focus already shifted,” Seiler said. She said the community is open to sustainable industries and is looking into solar power projects.
“We aren’t called the city of sunshine for nothing,” she said.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: The city needs to pay attention to infrastructure, Seiler said, but code enforcement doesn’t go out looking for problems.
“We do rely on the community to help us identify where the problems are,” she said, noting law enforcement is the same way. “This is one of those areas where government can’t do it all.”
Jeff Woodwick
Age: 42
Occupation: Jeld-Wen product designer
Political experience: Vice-chair Klamath County Republicans, Klamath Basin Homebuilders Association board member
Why he’s running: “I’m always involved in politics,” he said. “I’m running because I have a keen interest in local policies.”
“I’m interested in serving the community.”
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: “If we want to sustain air service, we need to make sure people are flying to and from Klamath Falls,” Woodwick said. He said he would not be quick to offer subsidies to private businesses.
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: Woodwick said he would like to see blighted areas of the city cleaned up through an organized program. He would like to develop a program that could sustain itself.
He also would like to see the airport utilized more for sport aviation.
Q: What area are you most proud of?
A: Woodwick is most proud of the developments in the city, but seemingly outside of the town’s core, such as Ridgewater along Highway 140. It is an area that is expected to grow.
Q: What area needs improvements?
A: “There are a number of streets that are still not paved,” Woodwick said. Those streets are in the West Klamath/Stewart Lenox area and in the Conger neighborhood.
Opponent’s question of the challenger:
Q: Will you meet with me for a cup of coffee before the election to talk about how we see our respective roles in the future of the community?
A: “I’d love to have coffee and talk about our respective roles in the future of our community,” Woodwick said. “I’m fairly busy for the next few days, but I will plan to call and find some time before the election. I’d enjoy the opportunity to get to know you better.”
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: It has been a long-standing policy of the city to mandate the annexation of any new developments that receive city water or sewer services, Woodwick said, adding that often new streets are paid for by the developer.
“I’d agree that there is a dire need in some areas of the city for street maintenance.,” he said. “The city, over time, has allowed growth in some areas of the budget to overwhelm line items traditionally earmarked for maintenance.”
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
A: “I’d like to see city government become more aware of the economic impact of their policies,” he said.
“Government is most efficient when it focuses on and advances solutions to the economic health of the community.”
He believes forward planning is key for growth. “More can and should be done to partner with OIT in creating an entrepreneurial program tied to the campus,” he said.
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
A: The city could expand its program of pre-approving shovel-ready light industry sites, Woodwick said. “We could also work to remedy the underrated population actually in our local economy,” he added. “Currently outside businesses see our population published in terms of those living inside the city limits.”
“I do not believe that heavy tax subsidies should be the tool used to get employers to locate here,” he added.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: “We need to formulate a realistic plan aimed at improving the overall aesthetic appeal of our community,” Woodwick said. “I believe that a lot can be accomplished without significant impacts on city or county budgets.
“I’d propose that we develop a voluntary programs that is revenue neutral or nearly so. I believe that such an effort would gain a momentum of its own over time as more people begin to take pride in the look and feel of our community. Initial attention could be focused on key view corridors and expanded into every area of our community.”
The winner will represent Ward 1, which encompasses pockets around the city including a section of downtown, Lynnewood, Stewart Lenox and West Klamath Falls area neighborhoods.
Both say they want to serve the community and understand the dedication it will take.
Candidates responded to questions from the Herald and News, readers and each other.
Trish Seiler
Age: 57
Occupation: Owner and operator of Seiler Consultants (strategic planning, program development, management, grant writing, fundraising and board development.) Teaches grant writing and strategic planning.
Political experience: Klamath Falls City Council, 2001 to present
Why she’s running: “I love the work. My whole career has been about building a healthy community.”
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: “The bottom line message to the community: use or lose it,” Seiler said. “The partnership we created that ensured a pool of dollars in support of Sky West’s services is essentially a back-up plan.”
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: “We need to remember that those who are negative or complain, care about the community,” Seiler said. “It means they cared enough to come forward and voice their concerns. If they didn’t care, and we didn’t provide a forum to listen to their concerns, we could lose out on the information they may have to share.”
Q: What area are you most proud of?
A: Veterans Memorial Park. With grant money and donations, the fountain was added and additional property was acquired by the city adjacent to the shoreline. The land also will be used to connect the area’s trails, she said.
Q: What area needs improvements?
A: The area of West Klamath/Stewart Lenox needs a lot of attention, Seiler said.
It was never anticipated that the area would be the next big draw for development, she said, and the city needs to keep up with infrastructure.
Opponent’s question to incumbent:
Q: Do you feel you’re a good political fit for the voters in this area?
A: “I represent everyone in Ward 1 regardless of political affiliation,” Seiler said.
“My greatest expertise is bringing together people of all persuasions to tackle neighborhood and city issues.” For example, the residents of Stewart Lenox were promised a park 30 years ago when the area was annexed into the city, she said. In her first term on City Council, she worked with area representatives and city staff to build Warford Park, dedicated to the neighborhood as a great recreational amenity for children and families.
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: “If a developer wants to be on city water or sewer, we require they annex,” Seiler said. “If they want our services, we require they annex.”
The money for streets is not interconnected. A citizens committee has been established to determine how to address growing concerns of street repairs needed.
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
A: “I have a vision for Klamath Falls and the Klamath Basin that provides good paying jobs for our citizens, educational opportunities for children from pre-school through higher education, economic development that includes industrial and commercial expansion and collaboration with regional, state and federal entities to meet our future needs in transportation, infrastructure and public safety.”
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
A: “The focus already shifted,” Seiler said. She said the community is open to sustainable industries and is looking into solar power projects.
“We aren’t called the city of sunshine for nothing,” she said.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: The city needs to pay attention to infrastructure, Seiler said, but code enforcement doesn’t go out looking for problems.
“We do rely on the community to help us identify where the problems are,” she said, noting law enforcement is the same way. “This is one of those areas where government can’t do it all.”
Jeff Woodwick
Age: 42
Occupation: Jeld-Wen product designer
Political experience: Vice-chair Klamath County Republicans, Klamath Basin Homebuilders Association board member
Why he’s running: “I’m always involved in politics,” he said. “I’m running because I have a keen interest in local policies.”
“I’m interested in serving the community.”
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: “If we want to sustain air service, we need to make sure people are flying to and from Klamath Falls,” Woodwick said. He said he would not be quick to offer subsidies to private businesses.
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: Woodwick said he would like to see blighted areas of the city cleaned up through an organized program. He would like to develop a program that could sustain itself.
He also would like to see the airport utilized more for sport aviation.
Q: What area are you most proud of?
A: Woodwick is most proud of the developments in the city, but seemingly outside of the town’s core, such as Ridgewater along Highway 140. It is an area that is expected to grow.
Q: What area needs improvements?
A: “There are a number of streets that are still not paved,” Woodwick said. Those streets are in the West Klamath/Stewart Lenox area and in the Conger neighborhood.
Opponent’s question of the challenger:
Q: Will you meet with me for a cup of coffee before the election to talk about how we see our respective roles in the future of the community?
A: “I’d love to have coffee and talk about our respective roles in the future of our community,” Woodwick said. “I’m fairly busy for the next few days, but I will plan to call and find some time before the election. I’d enjoy the opportunity to get to know you better.”
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: It has been a long-standing policy of the city to mandate the annexation of any new developments that receive city water or sewer services, Woodwick said, adding that often new streets are paid for by the developer.
“I’d agree that there is a dire need in some areas of the city for street maintenance.,” he said. “The city, over time, has allowed growth in some areas of the budget to overwhelm line items traditionally earmarked for maintenance.”
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
A: “I’d like to see city government become more aware of the economic impact of their policies,” he said.
“Government is most efficient when it focuses on and advances solutions to the economic health of the community.”
He believes forward planning is key for growth. “More can and should be done to partner with OIT in creating an entrepreneurial program tied to the campus,” he said.
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
A: The city could expand its program of pre-approving shovel-ready light industry sites, Woodwick said. “We could also work to remedy the underrated population actually in our local economy,” he added. “Currently outside businesses see our population published in terms of those living inside the city limits.”
“I do not believe that heavy tax subsidies should be the tool used to get employers to locate here,” he added.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: “We need to formulate a realistic plan aimed at improving the overall aesthetic appeal of our community,” Woodwick said. “I believe that a lot can be accomplished without significant impacts on city or county budgets.
“I’d propose that we develop a voluntary programs that is revenue neutral or nearly so. I believe that such an effort would gain a momentum of its own over time as more people begin to take pride in the look and feel of our community. Initial attention could be focused on key view corridors and expanded into every area of our community.”
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
Jeff Woodwick wrote on Oct 30, 2008 1:22 AM:
" 'what I know' is right, I'm no longer serving on the board ot the Home Builders Assocaition. In my interview with the Herald and News, I said that "I have served on the Board of the Klamath Basin Home Builders Association."
Their mission is laudable and the people are wonderful. The downturn in the housing market made it all but impossible for me to serve as an active board member.
A little known fact about the Home Builders Association: Most of their members volunteer time, working for more affordable housing. Members, including myself, often worked annonomously to protect home prices from a constant government effort to hide the financing of almost everything imaginable into the cost of your home. It is a fight that is ongoing and one that I fear we are loosing. "
Their mission is laudable and the people are wonderful. The downturn in the housing market made it all but impossible for me to serve as an active board member.
A little known fact about the Home Builders Association: Most of their members volunteer time, working for more affordable housing. Members, including myself, often worked annonomously to protect home prices from a constant government effort to hide the financing of almost everything imaginable into the cost of your home. It is a fight that is ongoing and one that I fear we are loosing. "
what I know wrote on Oct 10, 2008 3:58 PM:
" Jeff is no longer a board member of the Klamath basin home builders assn. I am not sure if he is still a member or not.
also..fireye seems to have an answer for EVERTHING except his/her own unemployment. "
also..fireye seems to have an answer for EVERTHING except his/her own unemployment. "
Dennis wrote on Oct 10, 2008 8:42 AM:
" I'd like to ask Jeff Woodwick about his affiliation with the Klamath Home builders Assoc. and what effect this would have in his decision making when it comes to development vs. the adverse effects upon its neighbors. Also if a zone change is needed to approve a development would he also support this at the detriment of near by neighbors that had bought their property under a different zone code. And what rights do these neighbors have under Prop. 49. if this zone change effects their ability to use their property as intended or they have lost property value. Also does he support high density development in the UGB when its neighbors are on lots that are measured in acres. And what is the meaning of the Annexation Criteria of Transition mean to him in this situation. "
Fireye wrote on Oct 10, 2008 12:42 AM:
" The first thing I would do would be to start trimming unneeded paper pushers and get down to the basics which are: Education, Transportation, Medical, communications.
Invest the ALL the money saved from trimming into energy research and get a deal going with OIT to build and research all the different energy resources we have available here.
Work on things like magnetic drives, hydrogen, cold fusion and some of the other thousands of free energy devices held in the U.S. Patent office. It would not take long to get a good prototype going and then start manufacturing and selling them OURSELVES.
You cannot go wrong in the energy business with a little persistence.
No 1 goal should be to provide free power to the civilian population and sell the rest.
It does not take that much money to get something like that going especially using students and the payback of it would be enourmous.
Then we would have the money to make Kfalls the most computer literate city in the state maybe.....what a swap THAT would be!.
Devote as much resources to energy research and in the long run it would work.
We have wind, sun, geothermal and a Technical Institue in our back yard. Lets use them all and enjoy the benefit of being an independant city so we don't have to kiss nobodys behind for conditional money.
Did I mention Hemp? There is a few more millions to be made there as well in fuel, medical, food and a whole host of other textiles. It is time to be real or we are going to get left in the dust with what is headed our way. "
Invest the ALL the money saved from trimming into energy research and get a deal going with OIT to build and research all the different energy resources we have available here.
Work on things like magnetic drives, hydrogen, cold fusion and some of the other thousands of free energy devices held in the U.S. Patent office. It would not take long to get a good prototype going and then start manufacturing and selling them OURSELVES.
You cannot go wrong in the energy business with a little persistence.
No 1 goal should be to provide free power to the civilian population and sell the rest.
It does not take that much money to get something like that going especially using students and the payback of it would be enourmous.
Then we would have the money to make Kfalls the most computer literate city in the state maybe.....what a swap THAT would be!.
Devote as much resources to energy research and in the long run it would work.
We have wind, sun, geothermal and a Technical Institue in our back yard. Lets use them all and enjoy the benefit of being an independant city so we don't have to kiss nobodys behind for conditional money.
Did I mention Hemp? There is a few more millions to be made there as well in fuel, medical, food and a whole host of other textiles. It is time to be real or we are going to get left in the dust with what is headed our way. "
RSS
Jeff Woodwick wrote on Oct 30, 2008 3:07 AM:
You asked, "What effect my (past) affiliation with the Home Builders Association would affect my decisions?"
In general, I would say that my experience as a member certainly helped me understand the depth and breadth of issues confronting the private sector as they ask for permission to build a new piece of our economic infrastructure. The process of gaining government approval for a private project should never be as daunting as the process of actually building it.
Private property rights are essential to our economic freedom and autonomy. They are, however, not absolute nor independent from public approval processes. It is vital to our economic interests to keep private property rights as reliably whole as possible.
Conversly, private property owners should be able to expect that zoning rules near their property will not change without significant public review, input, and support. A decision to purchase a property is always based in part on the approved uses of adjacent properties. If zoning can be changed on a whim, what value or certainty does zoning add to a community?
In general, I would opposed zoning changes that would have a significant adverse effect on its neighbors.
I would typically support land uses that were in compliance with the zoning and at the same time, not very popular.
I don't know many people that fully understand Measure 49. All that I know is that its passage maintained some narrowly crafted property rights for a few while undermining property rights for the rest. A few with very large parcels might be afforded the right to build a home or two under M49.. "