Visitors to the June 1 Edmonds Museum Summer Market may have noticed a new booth with a familiar face. Mayor Mike Rosen unveiled the “Ask the Mayor” booth last weekend.
“Listening to the community is a top priority of my administration and what better place to engage with the public than at our popular summer market,” Rosen said. “I lost count after speaking with over 100 people. And despite the rain, I enjoyed a steady stream of visitors of all ages. Some people had questions. Some had comments. But they all had a smile.”
Residents can visit the “Ask the Mayor” booth at two more upcoming markets this summer: July 6 and Sept. 7. Rosen will be on hand both days and said in a city news release that he looks forward to speaking with residents and visitors
This is such a great idea. I wanted to ask a question but there were several people ahead of me. He is approachable and candid from what I could hear. I’ll try again. Thanks for posting the next dates.
Produce, Pizza and Politics all at one convenient location. It’s a beautiful thing! Good on the Mayor for doing this.
The mayor is definitely trying to up his game with public relations. Instead of what it looks like handing out candy, it might be more useful if he has a tip-jar as the city desperately is going to need the money.
What would you do Brian if you were mayor? Please elaborate.
Matthew, great question. I would get rid of two or three of the Directors which are currently implementing Mayor Nelson’s policies which was part of the reason why Nelson was not reelected. I would take ownership for the city’s policies instead of hiding behind “staff recommendations”. I would immediately call for the suspension of Landmark 99 project as it’s completely financially irresponsible and probably illegally conceded. I would only meet the bare minimum State legislative development and housing mandates. I would schedule public meetings at times which are not inconvenient for working people to attend. I wouldn’t put out phony self-serving surveys to the community. I wouldn’t hold phony public meetings which are more like timeshare presentations. I would insist a police presence is known at the neighborhood city office, instead of hiding cars in the back of the building. I would be honest with the public and saying that red light cameras were a revenue scheme. I would insist that the Blue-Ribbon Committee suggest some IMMEDIATE substantial budget cutbacks. I would have advocated for the most conservative environmental policies for CARA. I would have made sure bicycle lanes were painted straight the first time. I would allow volunteers back into the marsh. I would get Yost Park trail repairs done. I could think of a few more but that’s a good start.
Very solid post Brian. Under our form of government and city code, the mayor is in in charge of all departments and employees, with authority to designate assistants and department heads. Therefore, any recommendation made by a city department and/or city employee must be considered the mayor’s recommendation.
As such, I support immediately ending the use of the term “staff recommendation”. I hope city officials will agree to label all Executive Branch recommendations as the “mayor’s recommendation” from this point forward.
Another reason I think this is in everyone’s best interest is because the mayor takes an oath of office. I think it best that all recommendations made to City Council and our advisory boards be labeled as owned by somebody who has taken an oath of office.
It is hard to understand the 2023 Council’s thinking on June 27, 2023 when it voted 3-1-2 to agree that the deposit was fully refundable for only 6 months. All knew it was an election year. By requiring the deposit be fully refundable for 7 months, whoever won the mayoral election would be the mayor who would recommend whether to continue exploring acquiring Landmark.
The good news is Mayor Rosen has the authority to recommend to council that given our current financial situation, “we should walk away from it.”
Brian, isn’t it just too obvious to figure out what our Mayor and Council should be doing vs. what they are doing all the time. It’s sort of almost like appearances are way more important than realities to these people. I’d sure like to hear all the great ideas that have been discovered by the Blue Ribbon Committee too and how soon they will be implemented. I’ll bet if the Mayor wrote a clear and concise OP – ED about just where he stands on all these issues – the budget, RFA, the Marsh, the Parks, Landmark, etc. MEN’s board of directors would be more than happy to publish it for all to learn and understand. That would be easier than standing in a both for hours at the market and lot’s more efficient in terms of talking to everyone. Mayor Earling had a regular column during his time in office so it’s not unheard of. He supported Mayor Rosen. I wonder if he has suggested that to Mayor Rosen?
What a fabulous idea and kudos to the Edmonds Historical Museum, sponsor of the Museum Summer Market, for making this happen!
It’s wonderful to hear positive comments about our mayor from the readers. Kudos to all.
I’m thankful we have a mayor who actually likes people and enjoys their company, who doesn’t stay bunkered in his office. Mayor Rosen understands being open and accessible is important to the job and to his ultimate success.
It’s too bad you can’t just give a compliment instead of using it as an opportunity to take a swipe. Give it a rest.
Fabulous idea!
Correction to previous comment: “standing in a ‘booth’ for hour’s.” Also, my point isn’t that the Mayor doing this is a bad thing because it most certainly is a good thing. I’m just saying that casual conversations with someone having great power and influence at a fun event where the natural vibe is fun, relaxed and non-confrontational is much more a Public Relations activity than an actual attempt to really make one’s views and plans for doing his job well known to ALL citizens and getting as much feedback (negative and positive) as possible. Lots of people at the Summer Markets aren’t even Edmonds Citizens to begin with. It’s important to see this as what it is, not what you might want it to be.
Loved seeing this and so did others. It allows personal connection even if it’s brief and he can gain valuable feedback or viewpoints from community members beyond just the loudest few or those entrenched in city politics.
I agree the City Boards have become too politicized and outsized influence. Hopefully the mayor will look for a more broader view of the community.