Councilwoman Kathi Prewitt gave Charles Peterson a gentle punch in the arm after he wound up a surprise announcement May 23 with his decision to seek a sixth non-consecutive term as councilman.

What was that for, he asked. Prewitt told the older councilman that his sentimental windup had her assuming he was stepping down.

Not this time. Despite some health issues—two hip and one knee replacement over the last three years that took Peterson off his feet for three months—Snoqualmie’s longest-serving elected official says he’s not ready to go. His announcement drew spontaneous applause from the council and audience.

“I’ve always got unfinished business,” said Peterson, a former Weyerhaeuser employee who started on the council in 1967 and was Snoqualmie’s mayor from 1974 to 1982 before retiring, sort of, to the planning commission, then returning during the council expansion in 2003.

He cited interest in ongoing projects like park and infrastructure improvements as reasons to remain on board.

“I love my city,” Peterson said. “I like, to the best of my ability, to work with people and make it better. If you’re going to be involved in something, you should step up to the plate and be part of it.”

Running again

Peterson, who announced his campaign at the same time that fellow Snoqualmie councilmen Jeff MacNichols and Kingston Wall floated their bids for positions 2 and 4, respectively, is among more than a dozen local elected incumbents planning to run again.

In North Bend, Ken Hearing previously announced his plans to seek a third term as mayor.

Councilmembers in North Bend’s positions 1, 3, and 5 have all served four-year terms and must run for re-election. They are Jonathan Rosen, Dee Williamson, and David Cook, respectively. Positions 6, and 7 held by Jeanne Pettersen and Chris Garcia, are on the ballot since the seats were filled by appointment in 2010. Garcia announced in April that he would neither run for Mayor nor seek re-election to his Position 7.

Rosen and Pettersen have confirmed that they intend to run for re-election. Cook has filed for re-election.

As of press time, North Bend and Snoqualmie have two contended races. In North Bend, Piper Muoio and Ryan Kolodejchuk have filed for Garcia’s seat. In Snoqualmie, Kevin Ostrem will challenge Jeff MacNichols.

In Carnation, three city council terms are expiring this year, positions 1, 3, and 5. Incumbents Fred Bereswill, in position 1, and Lee Grumman, position 3, have indicated that they plan to run again. Stuart Lisk, in position 5, will not be running for a fourth term, however, resident Erin Chamberlain has filed a declaration of candidacy for City Council Position 5.

“I am currently serving a two-year term on the planning board and think city council would be a great way to step up my involvement in the community,” she said by e-mail.

Grumman is currently serving as mayor, a two-year term that is filled by council appointment at the council’s first meeting in January every other year.

Council philosophy

Peterson, who was given the key to the city in 2009, encourages citizen involvement with the Snoqualmie City Council.  If people have problems with city policies or projects, he prefers them to air issues publicly.

“Look us in the eye and tell us,” Peterson said. “Citizens come up with a lot of good ideas. We’ve got to listen to them and implement them.”

A downtown Snoqualmie resident, Peterson refutes any notion that the council is defined by neighborhood interests, in particular by Snoqualmie Ridge.

“The council works hard,” he said. “There’s none of this ‘I live here, we should do this,’” he said. “If anything, those folks on the Ridge are bending over backwards to help downtown.”

Besides infrastructure, Peterson said he is also watching to make sure the city follows a conservative financial policy.

“I want to make sure we stay within our budget boundaries,” he said.

School races

Both Valley school districts will put three positions on the ballot.

All three incumbents on the Snoqualmie Valley School Board will mount re-election campaigns for November. Districts 2, held by Caroline Loudenback, 3 by Craig Husa, and 5 by Dan Popp will all be up for votes.

“We have so much to be proud of about the quality and richness of the education that the Snoqualmie School District is providing,” Husa said via e-mail to the Record. “At the same time, our work is never done and we have so much to continue to work on in preparing our kids for success in the 21st century.”

In the Riverview district, Dan Pflugrath, representing district 2, has decided not to run for a fourth term. Incumbents Carol Van Noy in district 3 and Danny Edwards in district 4 have indicated that they will run for re-election.

Candidates, incumbent and newcomer alike, have until the end of the week to formally file for candidacy on the fall ballot. Candidate filing for city and school board positions began Monday and continues through 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 10. Interested persons may file in person, by mail or electronically.

For more information, visit the King County Elections website at www.kingcounty.gov/elections or call the elections office at (206) 296-1565.