Cheney City Council Seat No. 2

Age: 46

Employment/Business/Other Experience:  Environmental Services Manager for T-O Engineers an Ardurra Company; Senior Biologist / Project Manager. Over 23 years of experience as an environmental consultant in the Spokane Region.

Community Service: Completed AmeriCorps Program at Turnbull NWR; Water Conservancy Technical Advisory Group Member; Board of Adjustment; City of Cheney Planning Commission (Chair from 2014-2018); and, Youth Sports Coach (2010-2020).

Education:  B.S. in Environmental Biology (1999) and Master's Degree in Public Administration (2010), both from Eastern Washington University.

Family: Vikki Barthels (wife); Ashley Barthels (Daughter); Ryan Barthels (son); Pete Barthels (father) and Theresa Barthels (mother). All family listed are Cheney residents.

Disclaimer: The following questions were answered by candidates in 100 words or less. We did not edit the answers other than to enforce word count.

1. In 2021 you voted against a motion to accept vaccine mandates for city employees and volunteers (to exclude elected officials).  Why did you vote that way then, and how would you vote in the future should a similar measure come up? During the 2021 COVID Vaccine Mandate council deliberations that lasted several months, I was "Pro Vaccine, but Anti-Mandate." The enforced Mandate would have compromised personal choice to make one's medical decisions and could have resulted in the loss of a significant portion of the City of Cheney's full-time staff and volunteers. The Mandate was clearly not in the best interest of our community.

2. Your opponent is part of the cohousing organization, and a supporter of cohousing.  What are your thoughts on cohousing?  Can it benefit the city of Cheney?  How and why or why not?

Cottage or bungalow communities are a form of co-housing that share some facilities (e.g., a common barn or garden). These smaller homes in a courtyard layout are becoming popular across Washington State and represent a practical form of middle housing.

My opponent is trying to develop a co-housing development immediately outside of our city limits (near Paradise and Normal Park Roads). I strongly opposed her development in December of 2022 (linked to Resolution Y-092) because City residents should not have to subsidize her development, specifically significant traffic improvements. I have no problem with Co-housing developments that pay for themselves.