The Kenmore Reporter newspaper conducted a Q&A with all the city council candidates for a story that ran in the newspaper published July 5. Here is the Q&A with Nigel Herbig in its entirety:

What do you see as the top three issues facing the city of Kenmore?

1. Sidewalks: I want to applaud the council for their recently-passed 20-year sidewalk plan. It is a good first step – but it is only that – a first step. I know we can do better.

Too many of our major roads aren’t safe for pedestrians, and our kids can’t walk safely to school. Our sidewalk network is spotty, patchy, and in some places completely non-existent. My daughter goes to Kenmore Elementary, and I talk to the other parents who are frustrated that their kids are actively discouraged from walking to school – the school tells kids not to bike and doesn’t have a bike rack, because they don’t think it’s safe.

I hear stories about the Kenmore Junior High cross country team running on the side of the road on 68th. That’s not safe, that’s shameful, and something I can fix. It’s a safety and quality of life issue. Our kids deserve to be able to walk safely to school now, not in a generation.

2. We need to open up our waterfront. Kenmore is brimming with potential – we have a great location right on the lake, yet some of our best waterfront property is taken up with industrial uses. It is a long-term project, but we have to work with the property owners to open up our industrial waterfront – for our health, our environment, and our quality of life.

3. Community involvement: We need to get more people involved and invested in Kenmore’s future. Our new city manager has been doing a laudable job, especially with getting people involved in planning our parks and playgrounds, but there is more we can do. I will work to make our government more accessible and transparent, and make sure everyone’s voice is heard when the council makes decisions that effect Kenmore’s future.

How do you feel the city handled the acquisition and sale of the Kenmore Village property and what would you have done differently?

The sale of the Kenmore Village property is a momentous event for the city. That parcel of property holds the future of our downtown. I have high hopes that the developers chosen will be able to follow through and create a signature city center for us.

That said, I’m not a fan of the city acting as real estate speculator. While I think we will get great things from this particular deal, at the end of the day we are losing money on it. Instead, the city should have driven development through zoning changes, incentives, and building out the infrastructure (sidewalks, utilities, etc.) to entice developers.

In your opinion, what is the best way to spur growth in the city and build a sense of community between businesses and the local government?

Right now we are primarily a bedroom community; people sleep here at night, but go elsewhere to work during the day. I want to see more office space in our downtown. People working here during the day will make it easier for many of our small businesses to succeed – our coffee shops, our restaurants, etc. They would have more customers and a more steady stream of income if more people spent their days in Kenmore.

As far as building community between the businesses and the local government goes, I think the council could have done a better job listening to small business owners’ concerns with the new business registry. In my view, the council failed to show a benefit to our businesses when they put the registration in place. If we are going to levy a new fee, we need to be able to show that people are getting something of worth back for their investment. I am not sure that this is the case with this business registration fee.

If you have an issue that is important to you please tell our readers about it and what you would like to do about it as a council member?

See my thoughts on sidewalks above. A walkable community is very important to me, and to the vibrant, active downtown core that Kenmore so desperately wants and needs.

What is your campaign website address for residents to learn more about you?

Visit www.nigelherbig.com. They can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HerbigForKenmore