Council Feature: Felix Neals

Community engagement is a core part of why I was inspired to become more civically engaged and sought to become a city councilmember. Learning with and from our communities is embedded in my personal mission and a huge part of how I learn what matters to all of you, and in turn how those learning experiences translate to actionable items for the City of Snohomish.

As we continue to examine and, in some cases, redefine how best to engage all of you, our citizens, there are some basic tenants I have committed to. These include fully considering public input in decision making and engagement of the full range of stakeholders from the community, including vulnerable populations and marginalized communities.

With these principles as a guide, I have found alignment on “what matters.” To be sure, we have much work to do, ensuring we maintain the highest quality schools, remain committed to public safety, solve the riddle of “missing middle” housing to ensure that Snohomish is a place where the beautiful mosaic of our state is also reflected in our beautiful city.

We are also embarking on an update to our Comprehensive Plan, “Our Future Snohomish,” to help us look towards 2044 and which you will learn more about in this issue. We cannot do this without the valuable input of you, the citizens of Snohomish.

So how can you get involved? Sign up to receive news from the City (www.snohomishwa.gov/List.aspx), or follow us on social media

(@SnohomishWA) to learn more about participating in surveys or attending an open house. Attend a City Council meeting (https://www. snohomishwa.gov/115/ City-Council) or contact any of your councilmembers or the Mayor’s office (www. snohomishwa.gov/662/Mayors-Office).

We need your collective voices, passion, and enthusiasm to build upon the great work that we have accomplished, together, over the last few years. Help us continue to make Snohomish one of the “coolest small towns in America!”

Felix Neals, Councilmember Position #3 neals@snohomishWA.gov

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The Comprehensive Plan is central to land use and infrastructure planning in Washington State. Required by the Growth Management Act (GMA; RCW 36.70), it is the city’s statement of how we intend to handle growth into the future. The Comprehensive Plan is the difference between planning for growth and having growth simply happen, so it’s critical that the community gets involved to help identify what’s most important, what needs to be improved, and where new development makes the most sense. Included within the plan is a vision statement and characteristics that need to be preserved while still meeting GMA requirements.

The plan is divided into chapters, called elements, each discussing an aspect of the City. Some of these elements are required by state law, some are voluntary. All of them begin with a discussion of existing conditions relative to the topic, including inventories and assessments. Following that is a list of goals and policies that will guide the City into the next 20 years on that same topic. The goals and policies are important because they instruct staff, the City Council, and the mayor on budgeting decisions, development regulations, and capital improvement projects.

Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan can be made every year, but the document is required to be fully updated every decade. The last update was done in 2015, and the next update is due in December, 2024 with a planning horizon of 2044. So what are your plans for the next 20 years? Will you still live in Snohomish? Will your children or grandchildren live here too? What would you like Snohomish to be like in 20 years?

Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner.

Encourage efficient multimodal transportation systems that are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans.

Promote

Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions.

Applications for permits should be processed in a timely and fair manner to ensure predictability.

Maintain and enhance natural resourcebased industries like timber, agriculture, and fisheries. Encourage conservation of productive forestlands and productive agricultural lands, and discourage incompatible uses.

Retain open space, enhance recreational opportunities, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks and recreation facilities.

Protect the environment and enhance the state's high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability of water.

Encourage the involvement of citizens in the planning process and ensure coordination between communities and jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts.

Ensure public facilities and services necessary to support development are adequate to serve the development at the time of use without decreasing current service levels below established standards.

Identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites, and structures that have historical or archaeological significance.

If you’ve attended a community event or Farmers Market over the last year and stopped by the City table, or if you’ve filled out one of the questionnaires, then we’ve heard your input. We’ve asked about housing, parks, urban forestry, future planning, and general questions about priorities and what you love most about Snohomish.

The Comprehensive Plan questionnaire will be open for the remainder of 2023, but here’s what we’re hearing most often from you so far (please keep giving us input!):

» Dog park

» Splash pad/water feature

» Updated playground equipment

» Restrooms

» Walkability and sidewalk improvements; more sidewalks

» Bike lanes and trails

» Traffic concerns

» Improved transit

» Manage growth strategically

» Keep Snohomish small; maintain historic character

» Inclusivity and community events

» Mixed use, things like parks in walking distance of homes

» Climate planning

» More trees

» More green space

» More animal habitat

» Housing affordability

» More housing

» Allow seniors to age in place

» More housing options

» Make First Street a pedestrian mall

» Turn City Shop site into a riverfront park

» Public parking lot south of Snohomish River with a pedestrian foot bridge across the river

» Community gardens and food forests

Public involvement is vital to making sure the Comprehensive Plan accurately represents the vision of the community. We need to hear from you. There are lots of ways to get involved and make your voice heard, both in-person and online.

Civic Ambassadors

Read more about the Civic Ambassadors program on page 5. These are members of your community, and they’re here to talk to you talk to you about future planning. They can also help answer questions about the city. Keep an eye out for your neighbors wearing “Civic Ambassador” pins and say hello.

Community Events

A City table can often be found at community events to talk about the Comprehensive Plan. City staff are also at the Farmers Market every week, chatting about lots of different things. The staff rotate, but there will always be a way to submit comments about the Comprehensive Plan, and resources to learn more about it. Come find us at the next event or Farmers Market!

Subareas Design Workshops

Do you live in one of the City subareas? The North Lake, North Corner, and Central West subareas are comprised of both incorporated and unincorporated land (still County jurisdiction, but slated for future annexation). These areas were the subject of a land use and market study in 2022, and that work is continuing this year into 2024. Design workshops for each subarea will be scheduled for this fall to discuss the vision and future development concepts with owners and residents. If you live in a subarea, please watch your mailbox for an invitation to a design workshop.

Survey

Have you taken the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update Questionnaire yet? If not, please do so now. This information will be used to draft goals and policies for the future, so we want to hear from you! Access the questionnaire and other information related to the Comprehensive Plan at this link: https://www. snohomishwa.gov/184. The page will be kept updated throughout the project.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission will be reviewing all the Comprehensive Plan materials before making a recommendation to the City Council in 2024. Their meetings provide an opportunity to participate in the process and make comment. The Planning Commission regularly meet the first Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. Meetings are held at the Snohomish Carnegie, 105 Cedar Avenue, and a remote option is offered as well via zoom. Access the remote meeting by calling in or clicking the link on the agenda packet.

At the June 20th City Council meeting, a group of students from Cascade View and Central Emerson Elementary Schools presented their vision for the future of Snohomish to the City Council. The schools were visited by Planning Director Brooke Eidem and Community Service Program Specialist Ann Ray this spring for a three-session mini lesson in future planning, City operations, and cartography. Students were then asked to prepare a map of their own illustrating their vision for the Snohomish of the future using the principles they learned.

These ten students bravely agreed to attend the City Council meeting and present their maps to a packed house on June 20th. Each presenter received a “Junior Planner” certificate. As one of the meeting attendees noted during public comments, if these students stay in Snohomish, the future will be bright!

Many thanks to both schools, the principals, all the teachers and parents, and especially the creative and visionary students for making this partnership a success.