Federal Way council interviews five candidates for parks commission, recommends appointments

Federal Way City Council President Susan Honda opened a special meeting of the council to interview five candidates for vacancies on the Parks and Recreation Commission and to discuss which staggered seats each appointee would fill. The interviews closed without formal votes; council members said they would move recommended appointments at the regular meeting later that evening.

The council heard two incumbents and three new applicants. Incumbent chair George Vino said he has served on the commission since 2019 and as chair since 2024, and described priorities including evaluating playgrounds and increasing accessibility. "We've given advisory advice to the council about what park should be prioritized," Vino said, citing recent park tours and the commission's role as an advisory body. Vice chair Karen Bgado, who applied for reappointment, highlighted planning work on the parks and open-space plan and projects such as Brook Lake House and the wind-phone memorial, calling the parks commission ‘‘one of the feel-good commissions that really gets to handle a lot of things.’’

Among new applicants, Jeffrey Tani, a U.S. Army veteran and retired immigration officer, said he uses and values Federal Way parks and praised Panther Lake and the BPA trail. "These parks are really amazing and I enjoy walking in the parks," Tani said. Karina Martin, a lead paralegal and parent, said Federal Way "is near and dear to my heart" and advocated for more inclusive play features — ramps, accessible swings and softer surfacing — to support children with disabilities. Michaela Berg, a stay-at-home parent of two, described daily park use and urged more programming for children under four and more family-friendly playground layouts: "We are regularly at parks. Rain or shine, we're always outside."

Council members discussed logistics for filling six open position numbers (3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) and noted that positions 3 and 5 expire in 2028 while the others expire in 2029. Several council members said they favored keeping experienced commissioners in their current longer terms and placing new appointees into seats that balance continuity and longer parental representation. The recommendation the council coalesced around was to reappoint George Vino and Karen Bgado to their current (longer) terms and to assign the newly recommended appointees as follows: Jeffrey Tani to position 3, Michaela Berg to position 5 and Karina Martin to position 8. Council members emphasized this was a recommendation to be moved and voted on at the regular council meeting because the special meeting may not take formal votes on appointments.

The city clerk clarified timing and term-start details: positions beginning immediately were discussed (seats three, five and eight), while a separate seat that begins May 1 would have its normal term cycle. Council President Honda closed the session and reminded applicants the council meeting at 6:30 p.m. would include the formal motions and votes; applicants were told they would be contacted afterward about the outcomes.

The council did not take a formal vote during the special meeting. A motion to appoint the recommended candidates is expected at the regular council meeting later the same evening, when the council may act on the appointments.