The Sammamish Kiwanis Club is close to finalizing an arrangement to hold a public forum for Sammamish City Council candidates prior to the elections in November.

Kiwanis’ Doug Eglington told The Reporter on Wednesday that the Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church on Southeast 8th Street had agreed to provide a room for a forum on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 7.

“It is now a matter of assembling the other pieces,” Eglington said.

Those other pieces will include finding a suitable group to video-record the event, and arranging for a moderator. The City of Sammamish has said that it would televise any forum on Government Access Channel 21.

According to Eglington and Lori Barnett of Citizens for Sammamish (CFS), the League of Women Voters has tentatively agreed to moderate the event. At this stage there is no formal partnership between CFS and Kiwanis regarding a candidate forum.

Barnett said this week that the Chamber of Commerce has agreed to co-sponsor the forum.

She added that CFS is interested in “promoting healthy debate.”

“We are awaiting final word on whether or not a local organization is able to sponsor this debate,” she said. “Even if that happens, CFS may decided to organize a public question and answer discussion between all of those running, new candidates and incumbents.

“We feel that a candidate debate may be too formal an event for many people to feel comfortable attending, and a more inviting, less intimidating Q and A discussion may be helpful.”

Barnett said that CFS has contacted Mike Rutt, Tom O’Dell, Jack Barry and Don Gerend, who have all agreed to a discussion organized by CFS, and will be looking to contact the other candidates soon.