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Candidates back transparency for council‑developer meetings; several oppose one‑on‑one private meetings
Summary
At the forum candidates largely agreed that councilmembers should avoid one‑on‑one meetings with developers on matters that subsequently come before council and that discussions about development should happen in public meetings to maintain trust.
Candidates at the League of Women Voters forum broadly supported transparency around elected officials’ contacts with developers and opposed one‑on‑one meetings on matters likely to come before council.
Margie Ellis said she does not find one‑on‑one meetings appropriate for sitting council members and recommended that discussions be held in public forums or recorded work sessions: “No. I don't believe having meetings 1 on 1 with the developers as a sitting council member is appropriate… That's what public meetings are for.”
Nick Stevens said one‑on‑one meetings are “completely inappropriate” and argued for stricter requirements on disclosing developer contacts, noting past council debates about requiring disclosure of such meetings. He tied the issue to campaign finance and public trust: “You shouldn't be going to their Christmas parties… You look at some of these campaign finance reports… they're receiving tens of thousands of dollars from developers and then meeting with them… and then in a few weeks, voting on one of their projects.”
Other candidates said private mediation or convening stakeholders outside a public hearing might be appropriate for crafting solutions, but that the substance should be disclosed publicly. Karen DeVinny and Susie Rumor emphasized that the community builds more trust when deliberations happen in open, recorded settings.
Why it matters: transparency rules around elected‑official meetings with developers affect public trust, perceived conflicts of interest and fairness in land‑use decisions.
