Cap Hill Community Council Elections are TONIGHT!

It's time to vote! The polls will be open at the Cal Anderson Shelterhouse TONIGHT from 7-9pm. You can vote and run if you're in a hurry, but if you have the time please stay for a candidate Q&A, ice cream courtesy of Molly Moon, and a delicious super-local salad courtesy of the ROW Harvard Ave. Collective Garden.

On the Campaign Trail

Hong and Jen on the campaign trail - bringing the message to the people at the June Capitol Hill Art Walk.

Our Platform

These four points form the heart of our vision for the Council in the coming year.

1. Provide leadership development opportunities for the members of our community.
2. Engage in organized advocacy for the residents of Capitol Hill.
3. Organize/sponsor events and programs of interest to the community.
4. Serve as a forum for residents to organize and pursue issues of interest.

While there are many issues and activities that the Council can and will take on, these planks make up our central mission. These guiding statements will serve as organizing principles for us as Council officers amid the activity and change that is Capitol Hill.

Our New Poster - Soon on a Telephone Pole Near You!

Meet the Candidates!

President Candidate: Jennifer Power

Candidate Statement

My primary goal with the Council has been and always will be encouraging community connections. I’ve been doing this ever since I moved into the neighborhood – once I graduated from college I joined the POWHat (Pine-Olive Way-Howell Area Triangle) neighborhood association and shortly thereafter I became an at-large member of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Council. I also started working with the Community Council shortly after it re-formed through Unpaving Paradise, CHCC’s joint project with the P-Patch Trust to raise money for the park-to-be at John and Summit.

During my time with these groups, I’ve met and worked with my neighbors, local business owners, members of the City government, and Capitol Hill community organizations like the Chamber of Commerce on issues from neighborhood planning to pedestrian safety. I’ve shown that I’m able to work with many different kinds of people in the effort to accomplish important neighborhood goals.

There are as many visions of Capitol Hill as there are residents of the neighborhood. I feel that as Council president my duty would be to bring these views together into a constructive conversation. We are at the threshold of a time of great on Capitol Hill. We need to consolidate our vision as a community in order to mold the future of our neighborhood ourselves rather than leaving it in the hands of others.

Candidate Experience

• POWHat Neighborhood Association organizer – 3 years
  
• Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Council At-Large Representative – 2 years
• Capitol Hill Community Council Open Space Committee Chair/ Unpaving Paradise organizer -1 year this August

Candidate Goals

• Collaborate with the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Council and other neighborhood organizations in the Neighborhood Plan Update, ensuring that there is adequate neighborhood outreach and that the Update addresses residents’ needs and concerns.



• Work with the Chamber of Commerce and other neighborhood organizations to ensure that neighborhood concerns are heard during the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station planning and that the development above the station will serve the neighborhood’s needs.



• Continue the Capitol Hill Community Council/ Unpaving Paradise’s participation in the development of the John and Summit Park and P-Patch.



• Find and develop opportunities to improve neighborhood livability, like pedestrian streetscape improvements and new neighborhood green spaces.

Vice-President Candidate: Hong Chhuor

Candidate Statement

I’ve been a resident of Capitol Hill for almost 9 years now and have witnessed some of the changes that our community has undergone. Every so often, I’ll hear somebody talk about how great Capitol Hill “used to be” and it makes me wonder what is causing its deterioration; this curiosity has inspired me to stand up and do something about it.

For the last year, I’ve served our community and the Council by overseeing the finances of this organization in my role as Council Treasurer. When it became necessary, I also stepped up to the challenge of serving as Interim Secretary. I want to continue to do my part in helping to invigorate Capitol Hill so that we may re-establish our claim to be one of Seattle’s most vibrant cultural, artistic, residential and commercial centers.

Candidate Experience

• Capitol Hill Community Council Treasurer: 2008-2009
  
• Capitol Hill Community Council Interim Secretary: January 2009 – Present
  
• CHCC Committees: Executive, Open Space, Bylaws, Technology
  
• Unpaving Paradise: Steering Committee
  
• Account Services Group: Parametric Portfolio Associates: 2007 – Present
  
• US Fulbright Junior Researcher: Thailand – 2006-2007
  
• Associate Financial Representative: Northwestern Mutual – 2006
  
• National Association of Securities Dealers: Series 6 & 63 Securities Licenses (inactive)
  
• Washington State: Life & Disability Insurance Agent’s License (inactive)
  
• BA in History with Departmental Honors: Seattle University – 2005
  
• BA in Business Economics: Seattle University – 2005
  
• Minor in Medieval Studies: Seattle University – 2005

Candidate Goals

I envision Capitol Hill becoming a real community again; where people know each other and greet each other in shops and on our sidewalks. As it stands, we’re very much fragmented as a community and as I’ve seen from personal experience, this creates some challenges when it comes to organizing. For the next year, my primary goals are as follows:

• Strengthen the presence & visibility of the Council.


• Forge lasting partnerships with businesses & other organizations on the Hill.
  


• Expand the community’s voice in the Sound Transit development process.
  
• Sponsor FUN events (community garage sales, game tournaments, etc.) that build connections.
  


• Serve as a conduit for the community’s input in the crafting & implementation of the Neighborhood Plan Update.

Tony Russo: Treasurer Candidate

Candidate Statement/ Experience/ Goals coming soon!

Clark Smith: Secretary Candidate

Candidate Statement

As Capitol Hill residents we all have one thing in common. We choose to live on Capitol Hill. We could have lived anywhere, but we choose to live on Capitol Hill. While that in no way means that we are all alike, it is reasonable to assume that we share some common values. These similarities lead me to believe that a well ran Community Council could have a significant impact on the community. I would like to use my previous organizational and event planning experience to help build a stronger Capitol Hill.

Candidate Experience

• Large scale event planning including booking, production management, and marketing
  


• Speaking in front of large crowds
  


• Working directly with the aging community on First Hill/Capitol Hill
  


• B.A. in History: Knox College
  


• Minor in Business and Management: Knox College

Candidate Goals

• Plan, sponsor and execute events that build community.
  


• Strengthen and build relationships with local businesses.
  


• Facilitate wider coverage for events associated with the Council.