Washougal council seat draws community-minded candidates
Jennifer McDaniel challenges incumbent Nikki Costa for Position 5

By Heather Acheson, Post-Record staff

Two women who hold community involvement in high regard are running for the Washougal City Council Position 5 seat, which will be decided as part of the Nov. 6 General Election.

Washougal Downtown Revitalization Implementation Committee Board member Jennifer McDaniel is challenging incumbent Nikki Costa, who has served on the council for the past three years.

Both candidates cite the management of growth and bringing in quality jobs as two of the top issues Washougal will be facing in the coming years.

Nikki Costa

Costa, 41, was appointed to the seven-member Washougal City Council in September 2004 to replace Steve Sanders who had resigned in August. She then ran unopposed and was elected to the position in November 2005.

Costa, employed by Clark County, said she makes a strong councilperson because she cares about the community and has the ability to be impartial.

“I think I bring a fair-minded set of ideals,” she said. “I don’t have a set agenda.”

“I have spent my entire adult life working in public service, and I see that as an extension to serve the public and the citizens of our area,” she continued.

At the time of her initial appointment to the council, Costa listed downtown re-development and the effective management of growth as two of her top priorities. Today, those remain among her areas of concern.

With the city’s $6.5 million investment in downtown infrastructure and visual character, Lone Wolf Development’s building project that will add retail shops and housing, and the efforts of individual merchants to improve the look of their businesses, this once downtrodden part of town is making significant strides.

“I’m pleasantly surprised to see that core area is becoming livable,” she said. “It’s a safe place to be and has attractive development that we all can enjoy.”

Costa also has a special connection to downtown. Twelve years ago, she purchased several residential properties in the downtown area and rehabilitated them from locations where illegal drug activities often took place to rental homes that are of good quality and affordable.

But downtown is just one element of the city’s economic base. Costa said the key to the future success of the city as a whole would be finding a balance between commercial, retail and residential development.

“We need to attract the right businesses into town that will contribute and be a good neighbor and not at the cost of current businesses that are there,” she said.

The Port of Camas-Washougal’s 65-acre RiverWalk project, which has been touted by some as having the potential to offer an economic boost to the city, has not been without its controversies.

Costa said she is concerned that there is not enough known about the project — particularly how it will impact the waterfront.

“How does everyone get to make their own assessment and opinion when there is not enough information on the drawing board?” she questioned.

“If it is something that is mixed-use and inviting, where everyone has a sense of belonging, then it might be something to consider,” Costa continued.

Last year, Camas and Washougal entered into an inter-local agreement to become partners in building a community center for both cities. Costa said this is a concept she favors.

“I support the partnership idea, and I think there is no question that the kids in this area need somewhere to go and something to do,” she said.
Costa indicated that she had hoped to give the taxpayers the opportunity to vote on the formation of a Metropolitan Parks District to fund the community center. Although that funding method has been tabled for the time being, she still believes there is a need for a recreational facility in the community. The amount the citizens are willing to fund to have it, however, needs to be more clearly defined.

“[In a recent city survey] everyone said they wanted it, but didn’t say how much they would pay for it,” Costa said. “We need to find out, what is our level of economic commitment from our citizens?”

Overall, Costa said she believes the citizens are satisfied with how the city is being run. She is proud of the effort city employees put into leading the day-to-day operations of city business.

“We’re efficient, we’re swift, we’re not letting things languish and we’re responsive,” she said.

Since April 2006, Costa has worked as the operations manager for the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office. She had previously worked at the Clark County Jail since January 1994 — most recently as a commander.

Costa moved to Washougal from California in 1994. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from the Washington State University campus in Tri-Cities, and a master’s in public administration from Portland State University. She and her partner have a 9-year-old son.

In addition to her position on city council, Costa serves as a representative of Washougal on the C-Tran Board. She is also a volunteer for the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Ore. — a non-profit organization that provides after-school programming and summer camps for girls ages 8 to 18.

Jennifer McDaniel

Since moving to Washougal with her husband and two young children from Texas 2½ years ago, McDaniel has wasted no time in getting involved in her new hometown.

She volunteers at Gause Elementary School, and is on the outreach leadership team for Hearts for Home — a mother’s group. A resident of downtown Washougal, she was appointed to the Downtown Revitalization Implementation Committee Board in January.

“I think being involved in the community is one of the best ways to get to know your community, how they live their lives, and what their hopes are for the future,” she said.

Running for a seat on the city council is a logical next step in the stay-at-home mom’s desire to be tapped-in to the city.
“After being involved in the DRIC, I wanted to take it a step further,” she said, adding that she hopes to bring a fresh pair of eyes and ears to the council.

McDaniel, 41, said she is concerned that Washougal residents aren’t as familiar with the council members and city issues as they should be. To that end, she said if elected she would work to improve the city’s Web site, expand on the city’s current yearly newsletter, and send out direct mailers on a more regular basis.

“I want to listen to voters so that they are familiar with the city council,” she said. “And the city administration should be more accessible.”
She said she believes one of the top issues the city is facing is attracting new businesses to the area that pay “living wages.”

“I really want to work hard to attract another larger scale industry that will bring better jobs to the area,” she said, adding that the city could explore businesses that complement the area’s current natural assets — the Columbia River and the Gorge.

Another important issue is growth, and providing the infrastructure to handle the addition of new homes and businesses.

“Basically, we need to plan for the future as far as infrastructure goes,” she said.

Regarding the proposed RiverWalk project, McDaniel said the proposal has the potential to provide local citizens with many positive economic and recreational opportunities.

“I’m definitely for the growth potential,” she said. “I think it would bring a lot of opportunity for Camas-Washougal. The riverfront area is currently underdeveloped.”

Another project McDaniel said has great potential is the joint Camas-Washougal community center.

The Friends of the Camas Washougal Community Center, she said, should continue their efforts to generate private funding to support a new facility. In addition, opportunities to secure state and federal grant monies should be explored. She said she doesn’t believe Washougal citizens are ready to vote in a new tax for this purpose.

“[The Friends of the Camas Washougal Community Center] are on the right track,” she said. “I think a community center is desperately needed here.”

Born in New Orleans and raised in Houston, McDaniel earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Houston in Texas.

Prior to becoming a stay-at-home mom, she spent several years working in the hospitality industry.