PORT ANGELES — Candidates Bruce Emery and Cherie Kidd —both vying for the position of director of the Department of Community Development — found themselves in agreement on several issues while each said their experience is what set them apart.
In a candidate forum at the Port Angeles Noon Rotary Club on Wednesday, both candidates emphasized their own work histories as reasons voters should choose them.
Emery was a former planner for DCD before being recruited to work for a private development company, and Kidd served on the Port Angeles City Council, including as mayor.
“I’m running for director of community development because I am the best qualified candidate for this particular position,” Kidd told the crowd, noting she had also served as chair of the Clallam County Planning Commission, a volunteer advisory board that makes recommendation to county commissioners regarding planning and regulatory issues.
Kidd stressed her leadership abilities, citing her work on the city council as well as running a small business for many years with her husband.
Kidd and her husband are owners of AAA Affordable Storage and U-Haul on Bean Road.
“I have 16 years experience in leadership in this county,” Kidd said. “For 12 years, I have had a good working relationship with all three county commissioners.”
Kidd said she would work to increase staffing at the department — particularly in code enforcement — and wanted to making permitting easier, as well as examine county building codes.
“I want to go through the building codes, some of them need to be updated,” Kidd said. “We have building codes that are just not in the best interest of you, the consumer.”
The candidates were in agreement on several issues, including the need to simplify permitting, strengthen code enforcement and rework county zoning rules.
Emery said that having worked for both DCD and a development company meant he’s worked “on both sides of the counter,” and said that experience gave him insight into both the county’s process and the needs of developers.
Working for Port Angeles-based private developer North Pointe Construction, LLC, Emery said, had given him experience bringing development projects to completion and working with local governments.
“In that time working for North Pointe, I have managed and overseen infrastructure installation projects, I designed and brought to fruition community development plans. I’ve also participated in advising both the City of Port Angeles and the City of Sequim in their land use codes,” Emery said.
In response to a question about how to address the need for affordable housing in the community, Emery suggested building higher-density housing, but limiting that kind of development to the county’s urban areas so that much of the area remains rural.
Emery said the county will update its comprehensive plan in 2025, and that will give the county the opportunity to expand its urban growth areas under the state’s Growth Management Act, which puts limits on urban expansion.
“There’s an opportunity here with the demand that’s occurring in Clallam County,” Emery said. “The key here is that, in urban areas, we accommodate new growth. We don’t want that pressure going to the rural area, impacting this beautiful quality of life we have here.”
To the same question about affordable housing, Kidd said she wanted to work with state lawmakers regarding new building codes being handed down by the state. Many of the codes are well-meaning in their efforts to increase sustainability, but new codes add costs for builders, she said.
“We need to work with our legislators to see if we can back off some of these regulations, spread them out a little more,” Kidd said.
Changing zoning codes to allow more multi-family housing and having the county build out infrastructure would also help spur construction of affordable housing, Kidd said.
In the Aug. 2 Primary Election, Emery and Kidd were the top two vote-getters in a four-way race. According to the Clallam County Auditor’s Office, Emery received 30 percent of the vote and Kidd 28 percent.
Washington’s general election is Nov. 8. Voter registration is available at votewa.gov, and the state allows for same-day voter registration on Election Day until 8 p.m. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 19.
________
Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at psegall@soundpublishing.com.
Cherie Kidd.
