Four apply for open Grand Coulee council seat

Only one person applied to be mayor when it came open this spring. But the council will have a few more choices for the open Grand Coulee City Council seat and may appoint a new member as soon as next week.

Those seeking the spot were asked to write a letter explaining their interest, which was due Monday. The council will interview candidates at their regular public meeting at City Hall on Aug. 20, 6 p.m. They may take a vote to appoint the new council member at the same meeting. 

Four people applied, and all four will be interviewed. The candidates are: Kimberly Christensen, Kerri Kruis, Janet Christy, and Tim Snead.

Christensen has applied for a council vacancy before, in early 2022, but the council at that time appointed Anita Eylar instead. Christensen also ran for mayor of Grand Coulee in 2023 but did not advance out of the primary election.

In her letter, Christensen outlines seven specific goals she wants to accomplish while on council, including a “Crown Point rehabilitation project,” additional signage around town, a community center, and creating a “city ordinance officer/clerk” position. Her letter also referenced the wellbeing of children in foster care.

Kerri Kruis is also a second-time applicant for a council opening. In her letter she wrote that she has lived in the area for 38 years – 28 of them in Grand Coulee – and that she has “no plans leaving this area, and I love and care about our city.”

Janet Christy recently retired from the Bureau of Reclamation and had a career in the military, according to her letter of interest. She said she has lived in Grand Coulee for 11 years, has volunteered for Colorama and flag raising at Spring Canyon Cemetery, and that she “would like to be more involved in the city where I live.”

Having moved to Grand Coulee in early 2019, Tim Snead is the newest to the area, but he brings an extensive background in local government. He served as a Grant County commissioner from 1993-2004, and was the administrator of the city of Quincy for 14 years after that.

“If I am fortunate enough to be selected, I will serve to the best of my abilities while putting the interests of Grand Coulee residents at the forefront,” he wrote.

The interviews will be open to the public, when council members will ask additional questions of the candidates before deciding whom to appoint. There is no Q&A with the community at large, but members of the public can make comments on this and other agenda items at the August 20 meeting.

Whoever is appointed will serve on the seat through the end of 2025 and would need to run for election that fall in order to retain the position.