Six Vancouver City Council candidates squared off at Thursday night’s League of Women Voters forum, fielding questions about homelessness, marketing the city to tourists, the city’s preparedness for an oil train accident and other subjects.
Several dozen people were in the audience at the Vancouver Community Library, where moderator Carol Keljo addressed the council candidates in pairs and gave them a time limit to respond to a series of questions. It was not intended to be a debate, Keljo said.
The candidates were Councilor Bart Hansen (position 4) and challenger Justin Forsman; Councilor Bill Turlay (position 6) and challenger George Francisco; and Ty Stober and Linda Glover, competing for a seat (position 5) that Councilor Larry Smith will vacate at the end of the year.
Regarding the city’s increasing problems with homelessness and overnight camping in public places, Hansen and Forsman agreed that it doesn’t make sense to give homeless people citations for camping, suspend their drivers’ licenses when they don’t pay the fines or even send them to jail. Forsman, who has been homeless at times as a child and an adult, said the city needs more shelters. Perhaps when the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay closes, that building could be used for emergency housing, he said.
Hansen said connecting the homeless with social services was important as well as the city’s working with churches and local groups to help provide shelter space. He wasn’t sure it was the city’s “100 percent purpose” to deal with homelessness, but the city should be a part of the solution, he said.
All the candidates were asked whether they felt the city was being marketed appropriately and whether they had ideas for marketing and branding.
Stober said the Vancouver should capitalize on its rich heritage and create a “freedom trail” that leads tourists around town to different significant sites, similar to the Freedom Trail in Boston. All hotel rooms in Vancouver and Portland should be stocked with brochures touting Vancouver’s historic sites, he said.
Glover said the city should find an identity to market itself with, citing as an example Spokane’s brand as the Lilac City. Francisco felt a contest should invite the public to submit ideas for a city brand/identity.
Turlay proposed a Senior Games tournament for senior citizens, who often have disposable income and are willing to travel. But the best way to market Vancouver was to tell friends to visit, he said.
Forsman suggested a trolley that would take people to see Fort Vancouver and other attractions. Hansen wanted to promote the downtown Farmers Market and events at Esther Short Park, saying that those keep people coming back.
In response to a question about whether the city’s livability was important to attracting business and residents, Turlay said the city needs attractive parks and good streets. Both he and Francisco agreed that city parks, neglected after Great Recession funding cuts, need repairs and irrigation.
Francisco said livability starts with well-paying jobs and good schools, the latter of which Vancouver already has. People want walking trails, parks and crime-free neighborhoods, he said.
Asked whether the city is prepared to respond to an oil train accident, Stober and Glover said no. Stober said the city needs state lawmakers to help unlock Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funds to ramp up its emergency response ability. Glover said she’d discussed the matter with Vancouver Fire Chief Joe Molina and concluded there was no way to put out such a fire without foam trucks. The city needs people, equipment and training, she said, adding, “We’re not doing enough.”
