Jensen runs for mayor to lead community

COULEE CITY — Otto Jensen is running for election as Coulee City mayor because he wants to use his leadership skills to help the city prosper.

“I was elected mayor in the year 2000, but because of some health issues, I resigned in 2005,” he stated. “These issues have now been cleared up and I have received a clean bill of health from my doctor.”

Jensen has more than 30 years of experience in city government to help him meet the demands of the position.

“In addition I have worked in Olympia as the executive director of the Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs for 10 years,” he stated. “During this time I have learned how city and state government works and how to get things done. When I served as mayor, the town was able to secure funding for sidewalk replacement, building of a walking trail, construction of a new fire station, acquisition of a new fire truck, installation of an additional 22 full service RV sites in the city park and other improvements to the town’s infrastructure.”

His goal is to establish transparency among Coulee City government and to get people involved in city business. He wants to improve efficiency of staff and balance the budget without using reserve funds.

A challenge he expects for the position is finding funds for infrastructure maintenance, providing public safety and fostering growth.

“I hope people vote for me because they share the same vision and goals for our town that I do and have the trust in me to see these goals are met,” Jensen stated.

His priorities for the city include additional police presence, stronger enforcement of city ordinances, improved streets, finish the installation of water meters and program them to be read on a monthly basis.

He stated the next project for the city should be to increase the amount of water storage to meet fire protection standards recommended by the state.

Jensen explained how the city can improve services to citizens.

“The city does not have enough money to hire additional personnel and therefore in order to improve service we must learn to work smarter and do more with what we have. In my opinion, we should create a police reserve program where we can utilize volunteers to serve our community.”

He explained it’s important for the city to review all expenses carefully because they are bound to a limited tax base with a growing inflation rate.

Jensen shared his view on communication between the city and the public.

“Communications with the public can be improved by better utilization of our local newspaper and through the use of our Web site,” he explained.