Snoqualmie City Council interviews six for open vacancy

By Conor Wilson • September 24, 2021 1:30 am
File Photo Natalie DeFord/ Valley Record Snoqualmie Council members are sworn in, Feb. 2020. From left: Bob Jean, Katherine Ross, Bryan Holloway, Matt Laase, Sean Sundwall.
File Photo Natalie DeFord/ Valley Record Snoqualmie Council members are sworn in, Feb. 2020. From left: Bob Jean, Katherine Ross, Bryan Holloway, Matt Laase, Sean Sundwall.

The Snoqualmie City Council recently interviewed six candidates for its vacant council position at a special meeting and decided to make a further decision on the appointment at its upcoming meeting Monday, Sept. 27.

The six candidates are looking to fill the vacant Position 6 left by former Councilmember Sean Sundwall, who resigned from his position Aug. 30. Sundwall’s replacement will be selected by a vote of the council and will not involve Snoqualmie residents.

The selected candidate will serve on council for the remainder of Sundwall’s term, which ends in December 2023. Sundwall also got his start on council via an appointment, filling the vacancy left by Councilmember Charles Peterson.

“We have a fantastic set of six applicants who have some fantastic qualifications,” Councilmember James Mayhew said at the Sept. 16 meeting.

The candidates looking to fill the vacancy include: Greg Balmer, A former downtown Snoqualmie Cafe owner; Rob Wotton, a Umpqua bank manager in North Bend; Catherine Cotton, a veterinarian and volunteer EMT with the Snoqualmie Fire Department; Cara Christensen, a former attorney and member of the city’s planning commission; Bryan Carlisle, a hotel manager; and Jeff Mihal, a guest service director at Church on the Ridge.

With the eventual appointed candidate and the upcoming November election, the council is expected to have at least three new members on its seven-person council by the beginning of next year. Of the four seats up for election, only two have multiple candidates running. Councilmembers Matt Laase and Bryan Holloway, who currently hold the Position 5 and 3 seats on council, both face challengers in the upcoming election.

Councilmember Katherine Ross, whose seat is not up for election this year, is running for mayor and could vacate her seat, if elected. Peggy Shepard, Ross’ opponent, has chosen to run for mayor instead of her council position, which expires at the end of the year. Councilmember Bob Jeans is not seeking reelection.

The council could have up to six new members by next year, only Mayhew’s seat has no possibility of changing hands.