Two-week notice laws and the environment are in; chemical plants and campaign spending are out. At least, that’s what one might think after witnessing the Oct. 11 electoral debate in Sumner.

The Courier-Herald hosted a debate for candidates of six offices up for election in November: one open position on the East Pierce Fire District board, two seats on the Sumner School District board of directors, and two seats on the Sumner City Council (Mike LeMaster and Joe Gerace were invited, but unable to attend to debate for their seat; a fourth open seat, currently occupied by Cindi Hochstatter, has no challengers).

Environmental preservation and retail business development were the popular issues in the city council debate between Nancy Dumas and Jon Swanson, and Curt Brown and Melony Kirkish.

The council debate kicked off with a semi-hypothetical question asking whether each candidate would support a chemical tank storage center—a “tank farm”—within city limits (semi-hypothetical because the question focused on a city contract for a tank farm; in reality, North Star Chemical owns land in proximity to the former Fleischmann vinegar plant with possible plans to build a facility).

Dumas, Swanson and Brown gave a resounding “no” to the prospect.

“Within one-and-a-half miles of the proposed site, we have a library that children go to,” Dumas said. “We have a high school, we have two elementary schools down there. We have a middle school as well.

“In the event of an emergency…there is not a haz-mat team that can make it downtown in Sumner. Our children will have to be down there, headed up: that is not acceptable.”

In contrast, Kirkish stressed the need to know more about any plans for such a facility.

“This is a perfect example of development issues that come up in cities all the time,” she said. “There are other issues to be considered as well. Not that I’m saying I want hazardous chemicals anywhere near us, much less our children. But there needs to be clarity over what chemicals would be stored there and whether it’s going to happen at all. There are property owners rights that you have to be very careful of when you’re on a council, not to impede on the owner’s right to develop.”

The candidates were split on the subject of whether “big box” retail stores belong in Sumner.

Brown stated he wasn’t sure that large chain retailers would fit into the downtown corridor, but  also said such stores might fit in Sumner’s north end.

Kirkish said she felt full-sized large retailers wouldn’t fit into the community and that there were precedents of such retailers tailoring smaller versions of their stores to match accepted specs.

Dumas opposed large retailers on the grounds of support for small business owners.

Swanson supported large retailers for the tax revenues they could bring. He added that he wasn’t certain big box was a looming issue for the city.

“If Costco comes in, they look at rooftops, meaning the potential customers that could bring them business. If there’s not enough rooftops, they won’t move in.”

On a question of preserving agricultural lands and open space, the conversation shifted to the proposed Orton Junction site south of state Route 410. Kirkish, Brown and Swanson supported the proposal; Kirkish, with the caveat that the development would be an opportunity for environmentally friendly design.

Dumas said she had no issue, per se, with a YMCA (a major potential stakeholder in the project) but believed that if a large amount of tax revenues funded an independent entity’s development, the issue should go to a citywide vote.

The council debate ended on a somewhat lighter note with a question asking what each candidate had spent on their campaign thus far and how they planned to clean up their signs when all was said and done. Dumas, Brown and Kirkish reiterated their low-to-no-budget approach to campaigning, in light of a poor-performing economy. Brown said he was considering sending out a mailer to Sumner households. Swanson has spent “a couple hundred dollars” on signs, saying he believes the willingness to spend on campaign materials demonstrates an enthusiasm for the elected position.

All candidates agreed they would promptly clean up any signs in the public view.