Brooks running for re-election

Responsible growth of Lake Stevens a priority BY PAM STEVENS | EDITOR With the primary election ballots being mailed to homes on August 2, the Journal will be bringing information on each City Council Position 3 candidate before ballots are required to be mailed in on August 21.

The upcoming primary elections include that of City Council Position 3 which is being sought by Kerry Watkins, John Spencer and incumbent, Steve Brooks.

Stephen Brooks was elected to the city council in 2003 and has been involved with the community in various organizations including the Lions Club and Aquafest Committee. He also serves on Snohomish County Tomorrow Steering Committee, which addresses county wide planning issues under growth management act (UGA).

He decided to run for city council because he felt that he could make a difference.

“When I first decided to run for city council it appeared to me that the council was out of touch with the desires and needs of our community,” Brooks said. “There were a lot of complaints about unmanaged growth in Urban Growth Area outside the city limits, with little to no economic growth within the actual city. I felt this was not a good situation and I wanted to become part of the solution.”

Over the past four years, Brooks has contributed to the strength and growth of the city and is proud of his part in helping build a new police station and master planning the new civic center location.

“The new civic center location on Grade Road can be developed into a place everyone will be proud of for years to come,” Brooks said.

Brooks looks to the future of Lake Stevens with great pride and excitement realizing that the city will only get better as it grows, as long as it has good leaders at the helm.

“Lake Stevens and its current Urban Growth Area are slated to become the fourth largest city in Snohomish County, as this growth occurs it would be better to manage it locally rather than depend on the county to manage it for us,” he said. “Lake Stevens is a prime location to attract businesses providing good jobs for families. I see businesses that capitalize on the lake as becoming a vital part of our future along with family-friendly businesses such as a movie theater or bowling alley.”

Brooks knows the importance of keeping the lake clean and protected and has served on the committee, formed in May 2006 to work on improving the Critical Areas Ordinance as mandated by the Growth Management Act.

“There is not a person in this community not concerned with protecting the environment and the lake, myself included,” he said. “According to Brent Kirk, former Drainage District 8 Administrator, Lake Stevens is in better shape today then it was 20 or 30 years ago. Much of this has to do with getting people around the lake off of septic systems and hooked up to sewer along with educating the public.”

Making downtown Lake Stevens an integral part of the city’s future is a priority and Brooks hopes that through his past performance others will see the good that he is trying to accomplish.

“One of my top priorities is to keep moving forward with the civic center plan. This plan calls for a new library, which I feel is important for our area. We are almost the only city in the county without a skate park for our youth and I would like to work on that,” he said.

Brooks and his wife Judy have been married for 27 years and have lived in Lake Stevens since 1985. He works for Intermec in Everett as a Lead Engineer in the System Integration and Test group.

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