Following the abrupt resignation of former Yelm City Councilor Trevor Palmer on April 1 — only after the longtime area resident received his orders for military deployment — four area citizens stated their cases for Palmer’s vacant Position No. 6.
The four applicants interviewing before the Yelm City Council on Tuesday, May 6, included Kayla Russell, David Johnstone, Karl Sabaria and Ashley Spelker.
Before each of the candidates interviewed individually for the vacant position, Councilor Stephanie Kangiser proposed that the Tuesday, May 6, study session be recorded in order for the council to review the interviews before they vote on Tuesday, May 27. She added the video recording would be important for councilors to use in review, as the next city council meeting will be a joint session with Yelm’s planning commission.
No action on Palmer’s vacancy will occur during the council’s meeting on Tuesday, May 13, at the Yelm Community Center. The move in location from Yelm City Hall to Yelm Community Center is in conjunction with the joint session with the planning commission.
“If we could record it for internal use, perhaps it would be nice to review that before we’re actually making our votes,” Kangiser said.
Councilors Brian Hess and Joshua Crossman were in favor of recording the study session, while Councilor Tracey Wood proposed some questioning before the session was ultimately live streamed on YouTube.
“I don’t want to get into any danger areas where we’re making decisions we’re only supposed to be making in council meetings,” Wood said.
Mayor Joe DePinto stated he felt comfortable with the decision to record the study session even though the council previously voted last December to eliminate live streams and recordings of study sessions. This led to Wood asking if recording this session is different than what was previously discussed in December.
“I’m not asking to go back on anything. I’m just asking to do this meeting just to have it recorded internally so that perhaps we could review it as councilors,” Kangiser said. “There’s nothing that would be published or anything like that.”
However, the council meeting was in fact published live on YouTube on Tuesday, May 6, at 6 p.m. until the conclusion of the meeting. You can view it at https://tinyurl.com/YelmCouncil1. The video was listed with an incorrect date of April 22, 2025.
KAYLA RUSSELL
The first applicant of the night to interview was Russell, who stated she hasn’t missed a Yelm City Council meeting in a year. She has previously ran for council in 2021 in a race against former councilor Holly Smith and Steffen Burney. Last August, Russell was also appointed to the Yelm Civil Services Commission, and she also sits on the Yelm Parks Committee.
Russell is also the chair for Head Start’s Policy Council in Yelm. She said nothing can go through Head Start without going through the policy council first.
“I love what they do and what they represent. We’ve really learned to meet people where they’re at, and that’s my favorite part of being a person now,” she said. “I realize I probably wasn’t doing that before, and now I do that. I can talk to anybody and understand where they’re coming from. You don’t talk to just talk, but you talk to listen.”
Wood said he knows Russell is busy with her obligations and it “amazes him” how she stays informed. He asked her if she’ll have time to commit to Yelm City Council meetings if appointed by council.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have time. I already know I have the time to commit to that,” Russell said. “I think by talking to people that’s how you stay informed, and by asking questions.”
Councilor Joseph Richardson said he’s encouraged that Russell applied. He noted she has experienced “rejection more than once” in applying to the council, and what was driving her to apply again.
“I wasn’t possibly thinking I’d never apply again or stand here again. I was positive that I’d never stand here again,” she said. “But I talked to my dad, who had a heart attack and had to be brought back, and you live one life. If you give up on those dreams, you’ll always think about the what ifs.”
Crossman admitted that Russell tends to have more knowledge than most on what’s going on in Yelm, and asked why it seems like she knows more than the average person.
“I don’t know if it’s that I know more,” Russell said. “I just use the resources available. I think I’m really good about reaching out to you guys, and you might think I’m annoying. I attend the meetings. I don’t think I’ve missed a single city meeting in over a year, including council meetings and study sessions. I tend to refer back to them often.”
Kangiser asked each applicant the same question during the interview process. She first asked Russell if she was faced with a decision that was popular with voters, but in her view it’s “harmful in the long run,” how would she handle the situation?
“Through conversation. Sometimes, you don’t have all the information and you’re like, ‘this is my choice. This is where I stand.’ But you have that conversation and things start to look different. You start to understand a different perspective,” Russell said. “This job isn’t about me. This position isn’t about me. It’s about our citizens. It’s about our city and about what their wants, needs and desires are ultimately.”
Hess also asked the four applicants the same question — but it wouldn’t come without council discussion first. Hess stated that many executive orders have been written by President Donald Trump, one of which relates to “ending radical and wasteful government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and preferencing,” according to whitehouse.gov.
Hess said many of the grants that the City of Yelm has recently applied for include language that’s relative to DEI, and that the council now has to consider if they’re going to rewrite each grant application to remove DEI language or if the council will allow grant applications to remain the same.
“I’d like your view, because when you come onto the city council, you’re going to be faced with that. So I’d like to see your views on it,” Hess said. “A letter went out to the state of Washington and to all the committees stating ‘you cannot have diversity, inclusion or equity in any of your statements.’ If those are in the grants or if the grants are reviewed to find out if they’re going to be reimbursed, they may be denied. This is a serious issue.”
Russell responded to Hess by saying she hasn’t seen any DEI-related issues in any of her committees or commissions.
“We have dealt with it at Head Start and that level. The rule is the rule. Just like we have codes. We have to follow our codes, right?” Russell said. “If we’re getting these things that say we’re not doing DEI here — reword it, go back, work it, figure it out so that we can still get the same grant with the same answers. You just reword it. Is it more work? Yes. Is it time consuming and annoying? Sure. But if we need the grant, we need the grant. We’re going to have to follow the rules.”
Like Wood, Councilor Terry Kaminski asked Russell if her time is committed throughout the week with anything else, and if she’d be flexible to go to meetings “at any time of the day.” Russell answered yes and said that she’s “blessed to be a stay-at-home mom.”
DAVID JOHNSTONE
The council’s second applicant of the evening, Johnstone, is a lifelong resident of Thurston County and has called Yelm home for over eight years. He’s been appointed to Yelm Planning Commission twice, and brings over two decades of experience managing operations across various industries. He’s also served as an HOA president.
“I approach problems with a systems-level perspective, and I believe in building things that work efficiently,” Johnstone said. “I aim to lead with integrity and rely on my firm moral compass to guide my actions, even when it’s not the easiest path. I anticipate your curiosity as if I will file as a candidate. I intend to complete the interview and use that experience to make a fully informed decision.”
Wood told Johnstone that it sounds like he has a lot going on, and he was curious if he’ll have enough time to absorb information presented at council meetings given his responsibilities in appointed committees.
“It’s definitely a concern,” Johnstone said. “I’m definitely going to have to resign from the planning commission. I’m running to make the commitment.”
Crossman was curious why Johnston wants to leave the planning commission to join the council, noting he’d like to join the commission once his time as councilor concludes.
“I don’t want to leave the planning commission, and, honestly, it was a hard decision to submit my application because I don’t feel that I’ve fully left my mark, or contributed as much as I possibly have could,” Johnstone said. “I definitely think having someone on city council who has had some experience in the planning commission would be a good way to bridge that gap. There is some disconnect in some sense, especially right now as we try to work on the comprehensive plan.”
Kangiser asked Johnstone how he would handle a decision that was popular with the voters but harmful in his view.
“I would need to do some more research to fully figure out what my obligation is with regard to if it’s the city, or just the voters,” Johnstone said. “I would assume it’s both, but I’m not entirely sure which one supersedes. I can’t fully ask that, but it would definitely be hard to make a decision that I knew was not in the best interest of the city.”
Hess also repeated his initial question about DEI language being used in city grant applications. Johnstone told the councilor that he’s not familiar with policies in place in relation to DEI, and so he “can’t really speak to that.” Johnstone added he’d like to come up with “whatever the best solution is for the people of Yelm.”
Crossman also asked the applicant what kinds of businesses are important to attract to Yelm and how he’d “maintain fairness” for existing small businesses.
“I definitely think that’s tricky. I think we’re at a stage where we need more commercial resources. So trying to get more restaurants, more stores, more resources so that you don’t have to drive 20 to 30 minutes for things you need while still preserving our local businesses,” he said.
KARL SABARIA
Sabaria, the third applicant, said he’s interviewing for the vacant position on council to be the ears and the voice of the Yelm community. As a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, Sabaria said he’s spent years advocating for soldiers and aims to bring the same commitment and energy if elected.
Sabaria added he’d fight for better schools, stronger businesses — with an emphasis on small businesses — and smarter local growth. He said children and teachers deserve more resources in the classroom and that he’d look to secure funding to help local schools and youth programs.
Sabaria admitted that Yelm’s small businesses are the heart of the city and he believes in reducing “unnecessary costs” to encourage more businesses to come. But as more businesses arrive and housing opportunities grow, Sabaria believes roads and infrastructure must grow just as rapidly.
Kaminski thanked Sabaria for his service and noted she had no questions for the applicant. She was followed by Hess, who asked the applicant for his views on DEI language in city grant applications.
“Well council member, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter what background a person has. If they’re the most qualified, I believe they should be given the opportunity to show themselves and show what they can do. I’ve seen it in the military. It doesn’t matter what a person’s background is. Everybody has potential to make it up in terms of moving up — whether it’s promotion, getting selected for a higher position — everybody has potential, regardless of what background it is,” Sabaria said. “What I look at is what can I bring to the table? As well as how can I possibly affect everyone else around me?”
Kangiser asked Sabaria what his game plan would be if there was a decision that’s popular to voters but harmful to the city in his view. He told the councilor he’d look to find common ground and negotiate a way to alleviate the long term negative effects of whatever the decision may be.
“If it was absolutely going to cause harm, it would be something I’d be against,” he said. “I’m always open to having a conversation. I’m always open to coming up with a solution to find middle ground.”
Crossman asked the applicant what he views as Yelm’s greatest challenge over the next five to 10 years and how he’d address it.
“From what I’m seeing, obviously growth is one,” Sabaria said. “With growth, I believe we have to address the infrastructure and the logistic portions of it such as building roads necessary to accommodate for the overload of growth that Yelm is receiving.”
Richardson told Sabaria it appears he’s advocated for many throughout his service time. He noted there’s a lot of data, information and emotion involved in a role as city councilor, and asked Sabaria what skill sets and abilities he brings to the deliberation table.
“I look at everything as a whole. How the data came to be. Where it started. What was the reason why the research was conducted to be able to reach this data?” Sabaria asked. “I’m more of a solution type of guy, than I am about politics.”
ASHLEY SPELKER
Spelker, the final applicant, said her interest in joining Yelm City Council is rooted in a “deep commitment to youth because they’re the future of Yelm and this community.” For nearly a decade, Spelker has called Yelm home. She’s been involved in the community as a youth cheer coach and as a booster club member at local elementary schools.
“I believe our youth are the heart of Yelm’s future, and I want my children and their children to grow up in a town they’re proud of and where they want to return to raise their children and families,” Spelker said. “Yelm is growing and with that growth comes opportunity and responsibility to preserve the close knit small town spirit that makes this community special.”
Wood asked Spelker if she’s able to dedicate her time for this position in his final question of the evening.
“Thankfully, I have a very strong village here who are picking up my children from their sporting activities right now,” Spelker said. “Yes, I feel like it’s important that I should make time for that in order to build in our community.”
Richardson stated some of the life lessons we remember the most are rooted emotionally and connected to personal trauma, and asked Spelker if there’s a life lesson she’d share about herself or working with youth.
“My life lesson is being present,” Spelker said. “I didn’t have active parents, and so I am an active parent. My kids only have me. They don’t have a very active father, and that’s OK because I’ll pick up the slack anytime I need to. My village is super, super important to me. My kids are very well aware that they are a priority, and with them being a priority, the town we live in is a priority.”
Crossman asked the applicant how she would address concerns from citizens about “maintaining Yelm’s small town charm.” Spelker said she believes the city’s parks and recreation department ”does a lot of that for us” already.
“I think building on that and focusing on a lot of our small businesses to maintain their structure,” Spelker said. “My kids love going to shiplap and getting a donut and I love getting a coffee, and they were saying they were struggling. That’s our first stop in the morning, going and supporting these local businesses.”
Kangiser asked the applicant how she would handle a decision that was popular with residents but potentially harmful overall. Spelker told the council she’d go with her gut and do what she thinks would be helpful in the long run regardless of pressure from the community.
“A lot of people don’t see what goes on inside. They only see what they think they want to see,” she said. “Going with your gut and following the instinct of making sure that’s going to be a future change and it’s going to build to your future is important, versus having a popularity contest of, ‘I voted with you because you wanted it that way.’”
Hess asked Spelker for her perspective on language relating to DEI in grants that the city has applied for. She told the councilor she’d have to do a lot of her own research first to make sure the city is moving in the right direction with the grant process.
“If we are reapplying for a grant, we need to find out the why and how we’re going to make sure we get that grant process submitted,” Spelker said. “I’m very independent when it comes to politics, so I don’t have a lot of say on either side. I’d really have to dig into what topic I specifically have to make sure we’re making the right choice.”
