Citizens in the Town of Yacolt were given the opportunity to submit their questions for an Oct. 6 candidate forum, and candidates were given the chance to address most of those questions during the forum, held at Yacolt Town Hall.
Cindy Marbut, Town clerk, moderated the forum and said there were more than 60 questions submitted by citizens and many of the similar ones were combined. The questions were divided into one of three categories – questions for the mayor candidates, council member candidates and questions for all candidates.
Each candidate had 2-3 minutes to respond to the questions that were directed to them. The general election is Tues., Nov. 8, 2011.
The following candidates are running for Yacolt Town Council positions:
Jimmy Robertson
Position No. 1
After Marbut stepped down from Position No. 1 to become Yacolt Town clerk, Jimmy Robertson applied for the position and was appointed by the council members in February. Robertson is running for re-election to Position No. 1.
Current council members who are running for re-election did not attend the Oct. 6 candidate forum. In a previous interview with The Reflector, Robertson said he was excited to be appointed to the council and he was looking forward to being more involved with the community.
In his candidate statement for the Clark County Voter’s Pamphlet, Robertson wrote that he will strive to keep Yacolt a great place to live and raise a family and said he would like to continue serving the community with the help of the citizens, the mayor and fellow council members.
"One of my goals as a council member will be to make sure the Town is in compliance with the state auditor’s office by overseeing the budget and making sure the Town’s funds are spent in a way that best fits the needs of the Town," Robertson wrote.
During a past interview, Robertson said one of the issues he expects to face on the council is the ongoing issue with the sewer system. He said he would also like to see the Town grow and portray the message that Yacolt has the atmosphere for small businesses to succeed and thrive.
Jeff Hall
Position No. 1
Openness, honesty, morals, ethics, integrity and transparency were just a few of the qualities that Jeff Hall said he would bring to the council if elected. Hall said that as a husband and father, he would like to do what’s best for Yacolt and represent citizens accurately without the fear of outside influence or persuasion.
According to Clark County Superior Court records, Hall has a record of felony convictions, the most recent one occurring in 2008. In December 2000, Hall was convicted of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and was also convicted of unlawful possession of less than 40 grams of marijuana, which was a misdemeanor. Hall was sentenced to 90 days in jail as a result of the charges.
In August 2001, court records confirm that Hall was convicted of felony telephone harassment for threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail. In September 2008, Hall was again convicted of felony second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and was also convicted of misdemeanor unlawful hunting of big game in Cowlitz County. Hall served nine months in jail as a result of that conviction.
Hall was unable to be reached for comment before The Reflector’s deadline.
The issue of the sewer system was brought up during the forum and Hall said he is in favor of preparing for the future with the sewer, whatever that may be. He said he is definitely in favor of applying for grants and preparing for the possibility of a sewer system in the future.
Hall said he will aim to bring stability to the council by attempting to create more transparency within the council and said he hopes to do that by consistently speaking with people and holding to truthful and factual information.
"I’m worried that there are a lot of agendas that are based on misinformation or rumors," Hall said. "I’d like to see council meetings that need to go for four hours go for four hours. If an issue needs the time, it should be that way."
During the forum, Hall listed his top three goals – to continue improving the Town’s audits, to continue to generate growth and keep the water in the Town as clean as possible until a sewer system is absolutely necessary and to improve safety in Yacolt.
Hall said he decided to run for council to prevent himself from being a hypocrite.
"I saw things I didn’t agree with and I thought there had to be some way for me to get involved," Hall said. "I don’t have an agenda and there’s not a strong opinion that is going to leave my home. I’m here for the Town."
Patrick Spence
Position No. 2
If elected to council position No. 2, candidate Patrick Spence said he will determine what the majority of the people want by simply asking them. Spence said he doesn’t mind talking to people and looking up the answers for them if he doesn’t already know.
"Since I’ve put my name in for this position, I’ve had countless people stop by when I’m outside cutting my grass and ask me questions," Spence said. "A lot of things I’ve heard have been rumors and such, so I go to the source and try to get the answer."
Spence said the issue revolving around the sewer system is one of the things people have asked him about. He said several of the citizens who have talked to him about it have heard several rumors and don’t actually have many of the facts.
"I’ve looked into it and there are two things that will immediately push us into the future," he said. "If we incorporate any more areas outside of our Town limits now, or if the bad stuff in the water and wells starts to spike more."
In order to continue to encourage the economy to grow and to continue to add activities for children, Spence said he would like to see the school used for more youth-oriented activities outside of teaching. He said he’d like to see some organized basketball and other games.
"The school just sits there when class isn’t in session and it can be used," Spence said.
Spence said he decided to run for the council position because a lot of what goes on needs to have people who have a little common sense, and he said he has been told he has some common sense.
"An ounce of common sense is worth more than a Ph.D. in engineering," Spence said. "I listen to people, I’ve listened to parents and teachers, I just try to keep it simple."
Jerry Newell
Position No. 2
Because he intends on living in Yacolt with his wife and children for many years to come, Jerry Newell said one item on his agenda is to bring more activities to the town’s children and families.
"To bring positive change you need to bring positive events," Newell said. "We need to give people reasons to be positive, things like the Fourth of July Rendezvous and other town events that we hold."
The possibility of the Modoc Railroad Academy coming to Yacolt was brought up during the forum and Newell said he was originally in favor of the academy coming, but now he is not sure.
"I looked into it and checked some things that the people from the academy said when they came here," Newell said. "The things they’ve said don’t appear to be on the same level of the truth. They have a bad reputation and it wouldn’t really bring any jobs to the Town because they are actually bringing their own staff."
Newell said he is running for the council position because he didn’t agree with what he’s been seeing at the meetings.
"Rather than just complaining, I’m trying to get involved and do something about it," Newell said.
Vince Myers
Position No. 4
Born and raised in Clark County, Vince Myers said after he returned home from serving in the U.S. Navy for 24 years, he and his wife decided to settle in Yacolt because of its quiet, friendly and close-knit community atmosphere.
"I am committed to maintaining that community," Myers said. "Yacolt is a wonderful place to live and deserves the best from its elected officials."
In his three goals for the Town, Myers included creating a greater flow of information, adding more community events and improving business appeal in the community. He said active listening is crucial when trying to determine what people want and would like the council members to take advantage of current technologies such as possibly having a message board on the Town website.
"The council meetings are designed for the elected officials to discuss the business of the people," Myers said. "I’d like to see, at the end of the meetings, more council members stick around and talk to the people who are still around, answer their questions."
Myers said he decided to run for a council position because he enjoys giving back to the community and he would like to help make things better for everyone all around.
"I would definitely like to show the people of Yacolt that we are conducting their business in their best interest," Myers said. "We need to collect all the facts and put them out there."
Gary A. Brooks
Position No. 4
Candidate Gary Brooks said that for better decisions aimed towards Yacolt’s future, he believes he is the solution. Brooks said he will strive for Yacolt to become fiscally accountable, improve and develop economic growth and will actively involve the citizens.
"We need to get all citizens involved," Brooks said. "There should never be a problem with the council being a team, but we also need to include the citizens."
In order to encourage growth and keep youth involved in the community, Brooks said he thinks Yacolt needs a teen center or children’s center. He said there are always children getting kicked out of the post office parking lot because they are riding their skateboards there or trying to do other sports-like activities.
"We also need to get the kids to help make money for these projects," Brooks said. "They could mow lawns, wash cars or other things."
Brooks said citizens in Yacolt should vote for him because he is running in order to bring more fun to the council meetings. He said he is honest and sincere, and he believes the majority of people appreciate that.
"The meetings have gotten way too serious," Brooks said. "People are leaving with a frown instead of a smile, and I will make sure everyone is leaving with a smile."
David Ayers
Position No. 5
David Ayers, a current member of the Yacolt Town Council, is running for re-election to position No. 5. Ayers, who has lived in Yacolt for more than 30 years, was appointed to his position in February, taking the place of late council member Ron Madler.
Current council members who are running for re-election did not attend the Oct. 6 candidate forum. In his candidate statement, Ayers wrote that he would like to see more community activities in order to encourage people to want to visit the Town of Yacolt and to bring in more revenue. He also wrote that he will work with the Washington State Auditor’s Office to see the Town receive clean audits and he would like to see more positive media attention given to Yacolt.
Ayers is the owner of the Red Fir Inn in Yacolt, and in a previous interview with The Reflector, he said he was excited to be appointed to the council.
"There was quite a few really intelligent people who applied for the council positions," Ayers said. "Everyone had something to offer."
Ayers previously said that he had worked with other council members on various occasions, and he felt he would work well with the other members of the council.
Richard (Rick) Urias
Position No. 5
A seven-year-resident of Yacolt, Richard Urias said he is running for a council position because he hopes to bring to the council more team spirit and hopes the new council will be able to work together with the community to help it grow and be a great place.
Regarding growth, Urias said he believes the community is very split on the issue of growth.
"Some people would like to see us the size of Vancouver and there are others who really don’t want us to grow at all," Urias said. "Funding is always a tough issue, but I believe our community events bring a lot of interest to the Town."
Urias said he believes Yacolt should be prepared for the possibility of a sewer system in the future. He said no one knows what the future holds and people in the Town should be proactive in their approach.
"Not only do we need to be prepared, we need to be active in that preparation for the upcoming event," Urias said. "We need to keep a proactive approach in keeping our waters clean, dirty water will bring the event that much faster."
In his three goals for the council, Urias included improving communications, maintaining financial stewardship and making sure the council members continue to work as a team.
