Christensen, Landsman in only competitive Richland council race

Richland has two races that appear to be contested on the Nov. 3 ballot, but only one of them is competitive.

First-term Pos. 6 Councilman Terry Christensen, a retired Pacific Northwest National Laboratory worker, is being challenged by Donnie Landsman, a compliance and policies officer for Hanford subcontractor Energy Solutions.

Pos. 7 candidate Dori Luzzo Gilmour, a stay-at-home-mom and former tasting room manager and assistant winemaker at Terra Blanca, is running against Greg Jones, who resigned from the council in August to take a job in New Mexico. The council appointed former Councilman Ed Revell over seven other applicants, including Gilmour, to fill Jones’ position until the end of the year.

If Gilmour gets more votes than Jones, she is the winner. But if Jones get more votes than Gilmour, it would again be up to the council to appoint a replacement through the next election in 2017.

Two councilmen, Phillip Lemley and Brad Anderson, are running unopposed. But their vote totals are still relevant, since the winning council member with the fewest votes will be up again for election in 2017. The others election winners get four-year terms.

Council members will be paid $1,123 per month in 2016.

Landsman vs. Christensen

Christensen, 72, is proud of the direction the city is heading, with state money available for a Duportail Street bridge over the Yakima River. He said the future looks positive with a consultant working on a plan to better develop the Columbia riverfront, downtown and Swift Boulevard. He said his community involvement sets him apart, including the Tri-Cities Girls Fastpitch Softball Association, Richland Rod & Gun Club and the Richland Bomber Boosters. He also served 10 years on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission before being elected to the council in 2011.

“I try to work within the parameters of what we’re trying to do as a team,” he said. “We do have a long-range strategic plan in place that helps us focus on where we want to go.”

Landsman, 52, was involved in politics in Olympia and on the local level as a precinct committee officer for the Benton County Republican Party. He does not like to see how short Richland’s council meetings have gotten. He said the council has had average meetings of 45 minutes in 2015, and dozens of items are crammed into the consent agenda, where they are passed without discussion.

“The citizens are not informed about actions the city council is taking,” he said.

The council holds open workshop meetings each month and sessions before council meetings, though not all issues are discussed there.

Landsman also would like to see Richland go from an all at-large council to having a mixture of at-large and ward positions.

“Yakima and Pasco recently went through redistricting,” he said. “I think it’s very appropriate for Richland to do that voluntarily.”

Duportail bridge

The state awarded Richland $20 million, which is expected to be available in 2017, as part of its $16 billion transportation package. The city has to come up with the remaining $18 million for the project.

Landsman would like to see Richland look at ways to build a bridge using just the state money, or as little local money as possible. That includes looking for a less expensive location for the bridge, which is intended to connect the bustling Queensgate area with central Richland.

“By the time we get around to it, it could be an obsolete idea and be needed somewhere else,” he said. “If we’ve got $20 million, maybe we put it out for bid and see if we can get a better deal for $20 million.”

The city is now trying to get a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant to help pay for the bridge, said Christensen, who serves on a sub-committee dealing with capital improvement projects. It is also looking at three other funding scenarios so the city will have its share when the state money is available.

“Our feeling is that if we don’t use the money when it becomes available, we might lose it,” he said.

George Washington Way traffic

The city recently put out three options to relieve traffic near the George Washington Way interchange with Highway 240 and Interstate 182. But Christensen said the best way to deal with traffic there, which backs up with Hanford workers during evening rush hour, might be to complete the Duportail bridge, which could give another option to people driving to south Richland or Kennewick.

“When the bridge comes in and people have a choice, what will happen?” he said.

The city responded to negative feedback about the three proposals and is now looking at new options, Christensen said.

He also would like to see Richland discuss the effects Hanford traffic has had on George Washington Way as part of the community involvement process of renegotiating Hanford contracts to see what the Department of Energy can do to help.

Landsman disliked that one of the city proposals for widening George Washington Way involved buying and demolishing the Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet and Music, while another proposal would have led to homes being torn down.

“I’m absolutely against the city of Richland displacing any residents or businesses in order to do improvements,” he said.

He would like to see improvements made to bypass highway to divert traffic from George Washington Way.

“Hanford traffic is an issue that is best addressed by solving the No. 1 problem — a bypass that doesn’t live up to its name,” he said.

Marijuana

Landsman believes that the state constitution mandates that cities follow its initiatives, including the one that authorized legal marijuana sales in the state. That goes against the ban on recreational marijuana sales in Richland, which the city council, including Christensen, approved by a 3-2 vote last year.

Landsman also points to the taxes cities and counties are bringing in from marijuana sales.

“They’re buying it somewhere,” Landsman said. “Either they’re going to Prosser or other legal stores, or they’re buying it off the black market. There’s no better way to protect yourself than to regulate and zone it properly.”

Some council members recently brought up the idea of taking another look at allowing recreational marijuana sales in the city since the state legislature recently approved giving some tax revenue to local communities.

Christensen said he isn’t adamantly opposed to allowing marijuana sales, but voted against it because the majority of Benton County and Richland voters opposed it in 2012. He now is willing to listen if the issue is raised again.

“I take great pride in trying to represent the people, and not trying to bring my own personal attitude,” he said.

For more election stories, go to tricityherald.com/election.

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Christensen, Landsman in only competitive Richland council race."