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Ruth Gillett Interview Ms. Gillett provided an opening statement that highlighted her long-time residency, interest in addressing resident/ward issues, and energy for increasing political engagement and voter turnout in the ward now that she's retired from a career in public service. Councilmember Kepple thanked Ms. Gillett for her career& service, and asked Ms. Gillett how she would be effective in Ward 4, which is the city's most socioeconomically diverse ward. Ms. Gillett expressed a commitment to be inclusive to stakeholders in the ward, looking to engage residents in a door-to-door campaign and to provide outreach to naturally existing community groups. Councilmember Baker asked Ms. Gillett what unique challenges Ward 4 faces, compared to the rest of the city. Ms. Gillett responded citing housing livability as a key issue. She noted that lower income people are paying a higher dollar now for substandard housing and expressed concern about code enforcement to enhance housing quality and curb appeal. She stated Ward 4 has a significantly older population due to ethnic populations and people liker herself who are aging in place, adding that there is concern amongst her age cohort that there's no single floor housing available for them to stay in Lakewood. Councilmember Rader inquired of Ms. Gillett how a city could do environmental justice issues alongside of things like affordable housing, considering the added costs of composting, clean energy aggregation, etc. Ms. Gillett cited her experience on the Keep Lakewood Beautiful Board, which brough Rust Belt Riders, a local business,to increase composting accessibility through establishing drop off spots throughout the city. She noted that not everyone can afford solar panels and that her dream would be to have a citywide composting program. She expressed support for the city's sustainability plan and other associated initiatives. Chair Litten asked Ms. Gillett whether she would run for the seat whether she was appointed or not, and if there was an area that she lacks in on which she would like to improve upon. Ms. Gillett replied she was uncertain about running and stated she would like to gain a better grasp on municipal budgeting and to work with the administration to better understand how public resources are spent. Councilmember Bullock asked how Ms. Gillett would approach larger developments like the former Lakewood Hospital site, and how the city could benefit from her experience in county government. Ms. Gillett stated she would provide updates on projects to people in her ward, noting the importance of evaluating how a project could impact property values, the quality of life, and grassroots ward issues. In her experience with the county, she learned the importance of building relationships with administrations and elected officials in order to get things done based upon mutual interest and trust.