City briefs | Tana Senn resigns, Council vacancy to be filled Jan. 20

Published 11:32 am Tuesday, January 13, 2015

New councilmember to be chosen Tuesday, Jan. 20

Next Tuesday, the Mercer Island City Council will vote to select a new City Councilmember.

Eleven Islanders applied to fill the vacancy left by Tann Senn on the Council. The candidates – Megan Coppersmith Szerwo, Darren Gold, Bradley Jennison, Ralph Jorgenson, Andrew Lamb, Steve Marshall, Terry Pottmeyer, Carl Silverberg, Matthew Tardif, Joel Wachs and Wendy Weiker – addressed the Council at a special meeting on Jan. 6.

Most are Island parents and professionals who want to get involved in their community. Some currently serve on city commissions and boards – Marshall on the Planning Commission, Wachs on the Open Space Conservancy Trust and Library Board and Weiker on the Utility Board. Pottmeyer has been on the YFS Foundation Board and president of the School Board. Jorgensen co-chaired the 2014 school bond committee and served on the school district PTA Council.

Others have experience in local government, both near to Seattle and far away. Silverberg is a political strategist for the President of Ghana. Swerzo has worked for the City of Seattle, Seattle City Council and King County Elections. Jennison served four years as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some (Marshall, Jennison) grew up on the Island, and some (Tardif, Gold) are recent transplants. Some are youth sports coaches (Lamb, Jorgensen). All are united in their belief that more needs to be done to protect and enhance the Island’s quality of life, from improving public safety and water quality to monitoring downtown development and I-90 tolling.

The Council will vote to approve its newest addition on Jan. 20. The person chosen can elect to be sworn in then or on Feb. 3, but will be able to participate in the Council’s planning session on Jan. 23-25 in any case.

City commends service of Tana Senn

During a  ceremony at the Jan. 5 City Council meeting, councilmembers and city staff bid farewell to Tana Senn, who will soon turn her attention from local to state politics.

Senn was appointed to the Council in January 2012, and elected to her position in November 2013, serving three years. In September 2013, she was appointed to the Washington State House of Representatives and was re-elected to that seat in November.

While she covered both positions for many months, she is now focusing full-time on representing the 41st Legislative District, which includes Mercer Island.

Senn’s background in communications and government relations served her well during her Council tenure, and she took special interest in Town Center, Island-wide sustainability, recreational facilities and playground upgrades, the city’s Shoreline Management Plan and the Youth and Family Services (YFS) school counselor services.