Your locally owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Then and now: After the North Bend explosion Page 6
January 1, 2015
Mayor eyes budget without Ridge revenue By Sam Kenyon For Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson, the new year will bring one overarching issue that will impact nearly every other action taken by the city: the drop in tax revenue that will occur after the completion of the Snoqualmie Ridge. “I think the impact will be more on city government and us to watch our finances carefully,” Larson said. “We will have to make sure that we’re lowering it at a sustainable level of city operations.” Estimates say the completion of the Snoqualmie Ridge build-out could be completed as early as the middle of 2016. But the mayor and City Council are preparing now for the inevitable loss of city revenue. “If, for example, we’re getting sales taxes from new refrigerators and microwaves and everything else being put in a new home, and the new homes stop being built, well, that sales tax disappears,” Larson said. The city could have potentially had a revenue crisis if it had built the Snoqualmie Ridge tax revenue as a continuing stream of income into its operations budget. However, the Ridge revenue was carefully
kept separate. The city has used the revenue from the Ridge in several ways that are designed to not cause sustainability problems once the revenue stops. The revenue was invested in a variety of one-time capital investment projects and programs. One example was creating a purchasing and ownership program for city vehicles. “We effectively created our own internal rental car department where all the city vehicles of all the departments are owned by the fleet department and rented out,” Larson said. That allows Snoqualmie to build the maintenance and replacement cost for all the vehicles into the initial setup cost, which lets the city build up funds toward the inevitable replacement of the vehicles in a few years. That way, no one department, such as the police, for example, gets charged for a new fleet. Such a program is hard for most cities to start because they don’t have the initial seed money. Snoqualmie used Ridge revenue to start their program. “It’s the seed money that helps get that program started,” Larson said. See BUDGET, Page 8
Courtesy of Seattle Public Utilities
Bruce Richards, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife field officer, demonstrates how a bear trap works during a presentation at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center. The ‘bear’ is a volunteer wearing a bear fur pelt.
Education center’s family day introduces the wonders of wildlife Give your family one last holiday gift — a trip to the wild side. Learn what wildlife lives in the nearby Cedar River Watershed at Wondering About Wildlife, a free event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center. The drop-in-anytime day includes presentations and activities appropriate for all age levels. There will be crafts, presentations about the animals that live in the area, nature walks and hands-on activities. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Karelian bear dogs will be at the event. The dogs help keep wild animals — such as bears — in the wild. Children and adults can learn about owls. Experts will help visitors dissect owl pellets
Auction to fund dream trip to Disneyland By Sam Kenyon It started off as a joke. Oh, wouldn’t it be great if … Then, it slowly became a reality. Now, 15 students with developmental disabilities are hoping to get the trip of a lifetime to the happiest place on earth. Since last summer, the Life Skills and Transition Learning Center programs at Mount Si High School have been planning and fundraising for a trip this April to Disneyland. “It is just a fabulous thing that’s happening,” said Tracy Neether, one of the organizers See TRIP, Page 8
Contributed
Erik Tierney (left), a para-educator in the TLC program at Mount Si High School, works with student Efrain Estrada on a daily basis.
and discover what the owls had for breakfast. There will be guided walks around Rattlesnake Lake and wildlife experts will teach you what animal made what track on trails. Mountains to Sound Greenway will host a number of the hands-on activities and showcase the group’s work in preserving access to the outdoors. Although there will be free snacks and drinks, visitors are encouraged to bring sack lunches. There are no concessions available in the Watershed area. Wondering About Wildlife is sponsored by Seattle Public Utilities, which oversees the watershed. The Cedar River Watershed is the source of drinking water for many King County cities.
If you go Wondering About Wildlife ❑ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 2 ❑ Free ❑ Cedar River Watershed Education Center ❑ 19901 Cedar Falls Road S.E., North Bend Directions ❑ The Cedar River Watershed Education Center is just east of North Bend. From eastbound Interstate 90, take exit 32. ❑ Turn right on 436th Avenue Southeast, also known as Cedar Falls Road Southeast. Go 3.5 miles. ❑ The Watershed Education Center will be on the right, just past Rattlesnake Lake.
Boy Scout troops will recycle your holiday tree Snoqualmie Valley area Boy Scout troops will collect Christmas trees curbside Jan. 3. Trees should be left at the curb by 8 a.m. All decorations and lights must be removed. Flocked and artificial trees cannot be accepted. The suggested donation is $10. Attach a check to the tree in an envelope. Checks should be made payable to BSA Troop 115. Scout leaders advise people not to leave cash. Funds will provide troop
operation support and help fund summer camp. If your tree gets missed or you have questions, call Lynn Wooldridge at 442-3499. Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER