Councilmember Shari Winstead carries the flag for Shoreline at the Association of Washington Cities conference

Councilmember Shari Winstead carries the flag for Shoreline
at the Association of Washington Cities conference

By Shoreline Councilmember Shari Winstead

On June 26 - 28, 2013 I attended the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) conference in Kennewick, Washington. AWC is an organization that brings together elected officials - mayors and councilmembers - from all over Washington state. Representatives from 131 cities and towns attended the conference.

It always feels a bit like a lesson in Washington State geography, meeting and talking with elected officials from far away towns and cities unfamiliar to most of us. Places like Kahlotus (pop. 190), Latah (pop. 195) and Cusick (pop. 210).

It was also good to speak with elected officials from our larger cities, such as Everett, Seattle and Tacoma. Everyone has different and similar experiences in managing their city, so there is always a wealth of information. You can learn more about AWC by visiting the website.

This year I was asked to give a presentation titled: "City elections: Your role in getting to the ballot." Debbie Tarry, Asst. City Manager, and I shared Shoreline's experience with our three ballot issues - the Parks Bond in 2006, the levy lid lift in 2010, and the SPU Acquisition in 2012.

Many cities are anticipating going to the ballot with similar issues, so it was an honor to be able to share Shoreline's experience to help those cities understand the appropriate and legal steps needed to take a measure to the ballot.

About 60 people attended the session, and we had a lot of great follow up questions. These types of presentations really show people that our young city is growing up, and that Shoreline is moving in a positive direction.

A conference like this is always full of great information. There are many work sessions to choose from and we take full advantage of the opportunity to learn from experts and our peers in other cities.

The first session I attended was on mastering the skills of being a councilmember -"How to be a Change Leader at Council Meetings," taught by Ann MacFarlane, Professional Parliamentarian (and Shoreline resident!). This session focused on the best way to get a group to make a decision, as well as resolving differences and exploring and managing conflict, recognizing that different opinions are very healthy - and necessary. Ann is a wonderful teacher, and if you are on a Board of any type, you should contact her. She is really great at helping people understand how to be effective and play by the Rules (Robert's Rules, that is!).

On the first day of the conference there is an opening lunch with a Parade of Flags. It is quite moving to see a flag from every city being represented at the Conference. I was honored this year to be Shoreline's flag bearer!

I also attended a session on economic development entitled "Visualizing your downtown through the Main Street lens.” We learned about how other cities are creating a downtown or town center, and making it a place where people want to be. These are fabulous sessions because we learn about statewide resources and tools that can help Shoreline. Other sessions on Day 1 included preparing for natural disasters and streamlining business licenses and taxes.

At the end of Day 1, I acted as facilitator to the Large Cities Roundtable session, where we discussed issues such as creating new revenue, engaging youth in government and accommodating at-home workers.

The second day started with the Municipal Excellence breakfast, where Shoreline was honored to accept an award for cost saving collaboration with the City of Kenmore. The police departments in our two cities recently came together to share command and administrative resources. The combined savings to date for both cities is over $640,000!

Day 2's work also included a general session titled "Shifting Gears and Changing Lanes.” Presented by Jay Gubrud, the session discussed the inevitability of change and taught us skills on how to learn from it and embrace it. Other sessions for the day included learning how to engage citizens in budget decisions, how to engage our youth in government, and building a fiscally sustainable community (or how to deal with fiscal bumps in the budget road and how to be ready when the economy turns around).

Day 3 was "just" a half day, but with valuable information about the current status and future of coal trains, Health Care Reform, and the draft rules that are just being released for marijuana sales.

Sound like a lot of information? It was! After the conference we are all full of renewed vigor and energy to keep up the work on making Shoreline the best place to live. Thank you for supporting your City Council members in our quest to serve you better.

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Shari Winstead was elected to the Shoreline City Council in 2009. She has lived in Shoreline since 1992 and has served the community in many ways over the past 22 years.