Clark County’s latest county councilors had been sworn in Tuesday, simply forward of the council’s first assembly of the 12 months.
Camas resident Matt Little changed Gary Medvigy because the District 4 councilor after defeating challenger Joe Zimmerman by 49 votes within the November normal election. Vancouver resident Wil Fuentes changed Karen Bowerman because the District 3 councilor after beating Chuck Keplar for the seat.
The election of Little and Fuentes marks a change to the as soon as predominantly Republican council. Whereas each think about themselves moderates, Fuentes is a Democrat and Little is an impartial.
Little stated he was honored to be elected and was trying ahead to attending to work.
“I think we’re going to have a lot of new ideas,” Little stated Tuesday. “We’re going to be more open to public input, and we invite the public to get involved in our decisions.”
Fuentes and Little will each should steadiness their full-time jobs with serving on the council.
Fuentes works as a program supervisor on the Vancouver-based nonprofit Fourth Plain Ahead.
He stated he hopes to carry a capability to construct relationships and work collaboratively along with his fellow councilors and different elected officers to the council.
“I was a planning commissioner for five years in the city of Hillsboro (Ore.). So I hope to bring some of that experience, some of that skill set, to this county council and dig a little bit deeper into our planning process,” he stated. “Protecting our environment and our natural resources is important for me.”
Whereas he wouldn’t think about himself an skilled in useful resource administration, Fuentes stated it’s one thing he cares about passionately.
Little serves as director of public coverage at Geese Limitless, a nonprofit devoted to conserving waterfowl habitat. He stated his expertise in pure useful resource administration and planning will information his work on the council.
“I just want us to look farther out into the future and plan the community that we all want to have long, long after we’re gone. I think right now, we’re making too many short-term decisions,” Little stated.
Little stated he needs the council to plan past the 20-year time-frame specified by the expansion administration plan.
“That’s a fragment of time in Clark County’s history,” he stated.
Fuentes and Little put the time between the election and the primary council assembly of the 12 months to good use. Each attended a three-day coaching session provided by the nonprofit Municipal Analysis and Companies Middle for newly elected officers. Each have additionally finished in depth studying and analysis on county points.
“I spent most of that time just reviewing the material that staff put together and just sifting through our website, through the comprehensive plan, learning as much as I possibly can,” Fuentes stated. “I’m on information overload right now.”