Sumner council member resigns. Applications to fill her seat are being accepted
The Sumner City Council has a vacant seat.
Three-year council member Melony Pederson left Washington earlier this month, city spokesperson Carmen Palmer said. Pederson told The Puyallup Herald she is moving to Wisconsin to be closer to family.
Council members spoke of Pederson’s work on the seven-person council in her last meeting Dec. 7.
Council member Charla Neuman said Pederson has a rare combination of understanding land-use issues and human-services issues and how they come together to better the community.
“Melony always represents the underdog,” Neuman said in the council meeting. “She thinks of everything independently and fairly.”
Council member Cindi Hochstatter told Pederson she will miss her positive attitude.
“You’ll always be missed here,” Hochstatter said.
“She has brought an articulate passion for planning and serving our community, especially people typically underrepresented in government,” Mayor Bill Pugh said in a weekly newsletter.
The council presented Pederson with a plaque for her community service.
Pederson said leaving the council was more difficult than taking four cats, a dog and five humans across the country.
“This was the absolute hardest part about moving,” Pederson said in council.
She elaborated to The Puyallup Herald that she was elected to serve for four years, and not fulfilling that was difficult. She won the seat by 14 votes in 2016.
“It’s the fact that that I asked the voters to elect me and I couldn’t fulfill the term,” she said.
Sumner is looking to fill the last year of Pederson’s term, or until Dec. 31, 2021. Applicants must have resided within the city for at least one year and must be a registered voter.
Council members receive a monthly salary of $1,100 without benefits.
Applications must be submitted before Jan. 12. Staff will record interviews the following week before council review and ask follow-up questions on Jan. 25.
Pederson wants her replacement to know that there are many resources between the council and city staff to help through the transition, and the community is engaged.
“People in Sumner are always willing to share what they see and reach out, all they have to do is talk to people,” she said.
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
