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Port Orchard City Council incumbent Jay Rosapepe faced two challengers in the Aug. 3 primary for the Position 2 seat currently held by Bek Ashby. Now, the current at-large member who is vying for a seat with a term of four years instead of two, faces one opponent in challenger Randy Jones, who came in second in the three-way August race.
Rosapepe received 58% of the vote during the primary, and Jones received 34%, with Alex Ayala coming in third with 7%.
The Kitsap Sun asked candidates to submit answers to a questionnaire for the upcoming election, and their answers to those questions are printed as submitted.
Jay Rosapepe
Age: 67
Current employment: Port Orchard City Councilmember
Q: What’s one thing in Port Orchard you see that could be improved?
A: My own personal issue is I wish more people would be involved in city government, from attending city council meetings to voting in off year elections and serving on city committees. I see a lot of negativity on social media that could be dispelled if people reached out to the city for answers and did not just assume that what is on social media is the truth. We have many hard-working people in city hall and out in the field who work tirelessly to update the city’s website, keep roads repaired, infrastructure working, and the community safe. But we cannot carry out the work of the city without informed community involvement.
Q: If you had to identify one problem or issue facing Port Orchard, what would it be and how would you work to address it as a member of the City Council?
A: Port Orchard faces several challenges that are interconnected and competing for limited resources. Some of these are infrastructure, such as water and sewer, affordable housing, and homelessness. Regarding affordable housing, we continue to make changes to our codes to allow accessory dwelling units (ADU) and congregate living. With infrastructure, we have increased impact fees and rates for new developments, so our existing residents don’t bear the burden of the cost of new development. These small steps, in addition to continuing to adjust our municipal code to have more options for developers, will help improve access to affordable housing and ensure the infrastructure is in place as the population increases.
The city continues to work with non-profits and county agencies to address the mental and substance abuse issues that contribute to the homeless population. The goal is to increase overall health and well-being of individuals in need of additional resources.
Q: Many new large-scale residential projects are planned around Port Orchard. What are the challenges that come with new growth and how does the city respond to them?
A: This is not a new issue as Port Orchard has been growing for years. The mayor, city staff, and city council have been diligent in ensuring we have the infrastructure, such as water systems, sewer systems, parks, and roads, are in place to support that growth. One important piece of this is ensuring that we review and update our impact and connection fees so that we do not overly burden existing residents with the cost of growth. We continue to plan and complete design work so that when federal and state funding are available, our projects are competitive in the funding and award cycle.
Q: The city has big plans for a community center that would transform downtown Port Orchard. Based on the plans so far, do you think improvements need to be made before the plan is implemented? How does this fit into the rest of the city?
A: The community center is only a piece of the puzzle in downtown redevelopment. The relocation of Kitsap Bank headquarters with additional new jobs, the upgrade of the marina pump station, shoreline master planning, and the downtown subarea plan all are integral to the success of the downtown redevelopment efforts. Numerous citizens I have talked to while doorbelling throughout the community want a downtown that is redeveloped, vibrant and active. In addition to the community center plan, we need to ensure we have the infrastructure completed and financial resources to serve all the residents and businesses of Port Orchard and not just the downtown redevelopment project.
Randy Jones
Age: 62
Occupation: Owner/skipper venture charters vessel Joker in Port Orchard since 1997 and vacation rentals.
Q: What’s one thing in Port Orchard you see that could be improved?
A: Without transparency for our citizens behind that door to the left of the Mayor, the problems we hear about infrastructure and water shortage were not being dealt with or mismanaged. Giant projects the bike path of destruction taking homes and businesses. A government campus 300+ acres smack dab in the heart of the city, that could threaten yet more imminent domain. Certain individuals have a financial windfall they could make. Especially historic downtown and surrounding homes are at stake. The existing council has (some but not all ) have an ‘us against them attitude.’ They are in charge, not the people. This is what I want to change along with the help of the current stifled other members. My opponent publicly berated and belittled a citizen. If I did this with my customers, Yelp would be the end of my business. As it should be. My opponent did not get that, I faced my customers on my boat for six hours at a time, I know who’s paying my bills. I’ve sat back since 2011 watched and attended the meetings. I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t sit back and just complain any longer. I want to represent the homes and businesses facing losing all they have known and worked for to a handful of people at city hall and their developer. What for a bike path and 300+ acre bureaucrats eutopia of unfathomable tax dollars? If you could see the smug indifference that my neighbors and I saw from the mayor and city engineer it would be crystal clear. It keeps the owners of Whiskey Gulch restaurant, my neighbors and myself up at night. I’m typing this at 3:30 am.
Q: Many new large-scale residential projects are planned around Port Orchard. What are the challenges that come with new growth and how does the city respond to them?
A: New residents are where the four of us are different from Rosapepe, Diener and Trenary; they all have had their fingers in planning and what has happened up to now. Obsessed with the bike path and the 300+ acre Government campus, we are hearing about infrastructure and water shortages. Those four people that got us here are saying we don’t want growth. They should have been focusing on what happens at the end of their bike path at the Annapolis sewer treatment plant in eight months when 6,000 new toilets flush at the same time. These projects are being borrowed and funded by millions of tax dollars to feed the egos of a few of the council members the mayor and their developer. We have to focus on housing, not that ridiculous drawing on the wall of the city council showing Port Orchard as glass buildings where the historic port orchard was. It even shows Port Orchard Marina gone for a sandy beach. By the way, we have a beach like that where the bike path now ends.
Q: The city has big plans for a community center that would transform downtown Port Orchard. Based on the plans so far, do you think improvements need to be made before the plan is implemented? How does this fit into the rest of the city?
A: The next city council will be responsible for running checks and balances on this community center. We need people playing devil’s advocate on this and being fiscally responsible. Don’t count on Port Orchard’s 15,000 people, Washington state and Washington DC to cover their tunnel vision and $50,000 pieces of art that might arise (remember that triangle at SK). No private property should be taken away for this. As a small business operator for 20 years in Port Orchard I know the consequences of not living within your means. I didn’t have a government or large company to take the loss of bad decisions. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. If we are to do this let’s do it responsibly. Bremerton Harborside is a beautiful facility just a single ferry ride away from Seattle, yet even before COVID there were long stretches you could have hid a body in there. Of course, there will be some events and use and since Port Orchard council seems to want to follow Seattle’s example. It will be a good use when extreme weather comes for the homeless to take cover.
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