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ABOUT Pete
As a lifelong Seattle resident, this city has helped shape who I am.
For the last 35 years, I have been a leader in the nightlife/hospitality industry. I owned the Red Door in Fremont for twenty years. My experience as a small business owner has honed my ability to solve problems and provide service to others.
I’ve been civically engaged throughout my career, with a focus on improving public safety and supporting small businesses. I’ve served on many boards, including the Fremont Neighborhood Council, the North Precinct Advisory Council, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, the Seattle Restaurant Alliance, and the Washington Restaurant/Hospitality Association. I helped form the Seattle Restaurant Alliance and the Seattle Nightlife & Music Association.
I am currently Executive Director for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. I believe the small businesses increase the quality of life of our community and form a key part of the fabric of our shared neighborhoods. I will always champion these small businesses and businesses throughout Seattle.
We are in a pivotal time as a city and I am running because we need a more pragmatic, problem-solving approach to shape our shared future.
I live in Fremont with my wife and two cats.
PETE'S PRIORITIES
Reducing Homelessness
With thousands experiencing homeless in our region, reducing homelessness has to be every candidate's top priority. While we have seen small steps in the right direction in the last year, we have more work to do to get people inside and make our neighborhoods safer.
We can continue to increase shelter space, expand programs like JustCare, increase hotel room programs, and expand mental health and drug treatment programs. We must help those who are hurting and, at the same time, hold accountable those who are doing the most harm to those who are unhoused.
Keeping Neighborhoods and Small Businesses Safe
Everyone deserves to feel safe and protected, whether at home, in a business, or in a public space. We should expect better coordination, responsiveness, and accountability from our City. A safe community starts with establishing safe spaces, emergency preparedness, and implementing the most appropriate response to people in need. Not every situation needs to have an officer with a gun and a badge.
We can and must work with our police officers, drug treatment professionals, and mental health counselors in conjunction with local businesses and residents to increase public safety. Community police teams should be reestablished along with ensuring we put our highly trained officers where they are most needed to protect and serve.
Expanding Housing Affordability
Our housing stock needs to catch up with demand. Skyrocketing housing prices have created a pipeline to homelessness and made Seattle unaffordable for working people and their families. We must increase access to affordable housing and keep costs down for everyone. We must work with the state, county, non-profits, and the business community to urgently increase affordable housing stock throughout the region.
The city should be helping to increase the speed and production of all forms of housing. Often the City makes the process more challenging with a slow and complex regulatory process to navigate. The city should work to relieve these issues and improve the process to expedite more housing.
UPGRADING AGING
INFRASTRUCTURE
Like many other places in America, our city has an increasingly aging infrastructure. District 6 is a district of bridges. Too often, this kind of policy only interests people once it's too late, but I am committed to ensuring our city budget doesn't continue to backlog these critical projects.
After witnessing the negative impacts on neighbors in West Seattle, this area needs our attention.
Increasing
ECONomic VITALITY
With nearly 40 years in the private sector, I am keenly aware of the economy's cyclical nature and the pressures our local businesses face.
Our local businesses have faced increased safety and criminal activity in the last several years. Our city council needs to work in coordination with our local businesses and our first responders to ensure our business community is operating in a safe environment.
Many of our local businesses close down yearly due to increasing regulations and the need for more city support. City Hall should work with our small businesses to eliminate hurdles, reduce bureaucracy and promote our neighborhood business communities.
Ensuring
Civility
I share Mayor Harrell’s vision of One Seattle, a Seattle where we embrace our differences and celebrate our community. Our city conversation has become too divisive and too polarizing. We need not follow in the unruly civil discourse that has devolved in the other Washington. While we have different opinions and ideas, I firmly believe every one of us wants a thriving and vibrant city.
I will do everything I can to listen, be respectful, support other good ideas, and find areas of agreement as I work on policy objectives, the budget, and legislation as a Seattle City Councilmember.