Meet new Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly, who officially sat down at her new desk on Tuesday. The Reporter had a chance to ask Pauly some questions on behalf of the community.
What are you most excited about in the next four years?
I am excited to work with the community on our vision of Issaquah in the year 2040 — working to preserve what we love today, and changing what we don’t. I heard, loudly and frequently, the desire to protect our natural setting as we grow, and to find ways to help residents get around town.
The pressure on our town has built up significantly over these last years, as an extremely desirable place to live and learn, and as an ever-congested pass-through route to southeast King County cities accessing Interstate 90. We must protect our neighborhoods and address our historic and increasing congestion issues — for those that live here, and those that will live here in 2040.
What did your first day on the job look like?
Tuesday, Jan. 2 (after Reporter deadline) was my first day on the job. The move from council member to mayor is a move from policy maker to managing the team that executes the policy. I need to meet the city team and begin work on executing the policy that council has approved, within the budget that was allocated. I hope to make plans for meeting as many of the staff as I can within my first 30 days.
What do you believe Issaquah’s most important issue is right now?
Growth and traffic. Not all new development in town the last few years has met the expectations of the community. We are working to raise the bar with new code and regulations for the valley floor. Traffic congestion has been an issue for the last 40 years, but in the last five, we have seen dramatic increases in congestion, both in volumes of cars, and in the length of rush hours. Drivers are frustrated and looking for relief and enforcement of current laws to address the issue.
What will you do within your first month to help solve that issue?
Issaquah is an amazing place to live. We expect development that makes our community better, not just denser. In January, our council and staff will continue work on the standards for design in Central Issaquah on the valley floor following up on strong community feedback from the first three years of development under the new Central Issaquah code.
Also in January, we begin planning for the additional transportation resources the council approved last year: the addition of a transportation planner position and a new Transportation Advisory Board. We need actionable ideas that make it easier for you to move around town.
I wish I had a list of quick fixes to give to our residents. But, it took a long time for our community to get to its current state and it is going to take small steps in a different direction to begin to reduce and control traffic flows. I will be meeting with local elected official from the county and state in my first week — sharing our story of traffic congestion and its significant impacts on Issaquah. I will be advocating for new funding regionally and talking about how Issaquah is going to improve local flow however we can, as we wait for the longer-range plans of the state and county to be funded and constructed.
What are some little known facts about you that you’d like your constituents to know?
My full name is Mary Louise but my family and grade school friends call me Lou. So, Mayor Lou would work just fine. As a family, from the north country, we all grew up as avid curlers (played on ice!) and have two national and one world champion in our family history. It’s my favorite winter Olympic sport! And yes, it is a sport.
