City of Snohomish Quarterly Magazine - Spring 2024

of

Snohomish QUARTERLY city

SPRING 2024

2024 STATE OF THE CITY

Phone: 360-568-3115

Office Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Monday, Friday by appt. only

Please see the City’s website to report a concern or for additional information at www.SnohomishWA.gov. Police

Office Hours Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Patrol deputies are on duty 24 hours a day and can be reached by calling 911.

Department Contacts

Linda Redmon, Mayor 360-282-3154

redmon@SnohomishWA.gov

Heather Thomas, City Administrator 360-282-3194

thomas@SnohomishWA.gov

Brooke Eidem, Planning Director 360-282-3167

eidem@SnohomishWA.gov

Nova Heaton, Public Works Director 360-282-3187

heaton@SnohomishWA.gov

Alisha Hendren, Finance Director 360-282-3197

hendren@SnohomishWA.gov

Shari Ireton, Director of Community Engagement & Strategic Initiatives 360-282-3176

ireton@SnohomishWA.gov

Rebekah Park, Human Resources Director 360-282-3155 park@SnohomishWA.gov

Brandi Whitson, City Clerk 360-282-3181 whitson@SnohomishWA.gov

Nathan Alanis, Police Chief 360-568-0888 snohomishpd@SnohomishWA.gov

Arts and Culture at the Carnegie

Do you or someone you know have an artistic talent or cultural program to share with our community? You might be eligible to apply for our recently launched “Arts and Culture at the Carnegie”. This pilot program is intended to showcase the diversity and creativity of our community through cultural and artistic events and activities by supporting art exhibits and live performances, including theatre, music, and dance or visual arts with engaging exhibitions and interactive displays, or explore the literary arts with talks, workshops, and readings. Learn more at https://www.snohomishwa. gov/825/Arts-and-Culture-at-the-Carnegie. See you at the Carnegie!

Public Safety and City Services Campus

The City is working with Snohomish County Fire District No. 4 in a joint venture to create a public safety and city services combined campus to improve service and efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. The combined campus would house new stations for both the Fire District and the Snohomish Police Department, and facilities for other City services. The City currently has staff and equipment scattered across a half dozen locations, some in facilities that are over a century old. Building a combined campus will protect taxpayers from the costs of ongoing facility improvements that are projected to support the services the community will require in the coming years. In addition, the new facilities will be designed to be much more accessible, energy efficient, and environmentally sustainable than any of the existing facilities. Learn more at https://www. snohomishwa.gov/817/Public-Safety-City-Services-Campus.

North Fishing Dock at Hill Park Closed Until Further Notice

The south dock at Hill Park (1610 Park Ave) has been closed until further notice due to safety concerns. The north dock at Hill Park and the fishing dock at the Blackman Lake Boat Launch (1432 Ave A) remain open and available for public use.

Snohomish Quarterly is published by Scenic365 LLC for the City of Snohomish.

ADVERTISING SALES Jennifer Coleman 360-739-0701 / jennifer@scenicwa.com

EDITOR Shari Ireton

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Jason Becker

2024 State of the City

BY LINDA REDMON, MAYOR

Welcome to the 2024 State of the City. This marks the midpoint of my term as Mayor. It has been an honor to serve this community in this role, as well as a Councilmember for the four years before. The roles of Mayor and Councilmember are very different! Council makes policy— deciding what is important. And the Mayor carries out those policies— deciding the how and the when that work gets done.

Before assuming the role of Mayor, I had no way to know just how much time, energy, and dedication City staff put into making those goals and priorities come to life. I am so lucky to be able to work alongside this team and this Council, as we all work together for this community…now and looking toward the future.

Imagine a Snohomish that is vibrant, diverse, welcoming, and safe. What does it take to make that happen?

When campaigning for this position, I focused on business support, housing, the environment, public safety, open communication, and collaboration as ways to achieve that outcome. We are making progress on these areas, but coming into the role, I found a lot needed to be done behind the scenes first. Some services were suffering due to staffing levels that had not been brought back since the recession. Necessary work was being delayed and teams were siloed because that was all they could manage. I am happy to report that we now have the right complement of staff to implement Council’s policies and our teams are

I

am so lucky to be able to work alongside this team and this Council, as we all work together for this community… now and looking toward the future. "

working interconnectedly. I want to thank our City Council for having the vision to fund the staffing necessary to make this progress happen.

Please turn to the feature section (pages 8-14) and learn about some of

the amazing things that have been happening and what’s in store for Our Future Snohomish!

Linda Redmon, Mayor redmon@snohomishwa.gov 360-282-3154

Mayor Redmon presented the State of the City at the Snohomish Carnegie on March 16, 2024.

City Spotlight: 2023 Accomplishments and 2024 Goals

Staff with the City of Snohomish shared department accomplishments for 2023 and goals for 2024 with the City Council at their regular meeting on March 5, 2024.

From improving infrastructure to providing support for small businesses to addressing climate impacts to our community, directors from the Public Works, Planning and Development Services, Finance, Human Resources, City Administrator, and Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives departments shared what had been achieved in the first half of the biennium, including:

• Completed the Veterans Memorial project and broke ground on a new playground at Averill Field.

• Inspected over 700 water meters and collected over 1,300 water samples.

• Completed 449 catch basins and 50 stormwater facility inspections.

• Treated 398.19 million gallons of storm and wastewater.

• Completed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) survey and study.

• Launched an Economic Development Advisory Board and conducted a small business survey.

• Completed a Salary Compensation Study and updated job descriptions

• Established code enforcement program .

• Completed new Urban Forestry Plan

• Established GIS-based mapping and data analysis for City.

Want to keep up on City News? Go to https://www.snohomishwa.gov/List.aspx and subscribe to our News Flash, Calendar, Agenda Center and more!

Goals and upcoming projects were also presented, including:

• Upgrade parks and City gateways to improve safety, access, and overall appearance.

• Continue improvements on sidewalks, crosswalks and streets focused on pedestrian and multi-modal transportation.

• Increase overall environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

• Develop planning documents that are holistic, comprehensive, aligned, and forward-thinking.

• Complete Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update and associated regulations.

• Strengthen finance controls and finance staff responsibilities.

• Evaluate and analyze reserves and financial sustainability.

• Build a self-sufficient and resilient community.

• Business retention and expansion to support economic vitality.

• Develop, facilitate, and support equitable access to community-based services.

Exciting Projects Ahead: A Look at What’s Coming in Spring/Summer 2024

Residents of Snohomish can expect significant development and enhancements as the city prepares for several major projects in the coming months. Let’s highlight three notable projects for 2024:

• The North Sewer Trunkline project involves installing a new gravity sewer system to improve wastewater conveyance and sewage management.

• The 10th Street Utilities Improvements & Overlay project focuses on upgrading utility infrastructure such as water and sewer lines, alongside improving the street’s surface quality.

• The Wastewater Treatment Upgrade project , currently aims to maintain compliance with standards through

Center for improved efficiency.

Additionally, the city is actively seeking grant funding to replace aging water and sewer lines and complete stormwater separation projects. These grants will support vital infrastructure improvements, ensuring sustainability and resilience.

This year, we launched an interactive project map on the City’s website which provides updates on ongoing and future projects and enhances transparency in fund allocation: https://www.snohomishwa.gov/ Projects. Visit this site regularly for updates and to provide feedback!

As the city gears up for transformative projects, including enhancing crosswalks for improved pedestrian safety and accessibility, we urge residents to stay informed and engaged. Stay tuned as we embark on this journey towards a better and more vibrant Snohomish.

24/7 Emergency Room Care

Urgent Care in Monroe

Primary Car e in Monroe & Sultan

Anticoagu lation Management Clinic

Chemical a n d Alcohol Dependency & Recovery Center

Outpatient Ad diction Medicine Care

Diagnostic Imaging

Gastrointestinal Services

Heart Care

3-D Mammography & DXA

Midwifery Care

Nutrition Counseling

OB/GYN Care

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Pain Management

Physical & Occupational Therapy

Podiatry

Respiratory Care

Surgical Services – General, Orthopedic, Gastrointestinal & Gynecological

Vascular Care

Council Spotlight: Judith Kuleta

As I begin my second term on council, I am reflecting on the accomplishments of the past two years with our current administration. Our work focuses on the goals the council adopted based on input from citizens and City staff.

The City Council prioritized needs which City staff identified in order of importance. These goals dovetail with the five services the city provides: parks, public works, utilities, and public safety. Based on priorities, some staff positions were reinstated, and others created on an as-needed basis. These positions will ensure we can meet current and future needs.

Within the arena of public works, the City has developed a “Complete Streets” program which gives us better information to address road and sidewalk improvement, pedestrian and bicycle safety. The Council has directed City staff to create a replacement program for our

fleet of vehicles ensuring we will not be caught short as the fleet ages.

Housing affordability continues to be a challenge here and nationwide. Recently, the City adopted a policy which will incentivize developers to build more affordable housing. The Council, in collaboration with the Planning Commission and Planning Director, will look at additional tools such as city codes allowing ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), as an example. This provides the ability for our residents to LIVE and WORK in our City.

improvement in safety and accessibility for our children. The City’s PROS (parks, recreation, and open space) plan along with a recent tree inventory will help us improve our parks and tree canopy.

One of the jewels of our city, the Snohomish Carnegie Building (formerly the library), is a robust community asset, hosting a variety of events making it truly, “the heart of downtown Snohomish.”

Our open space and parks continue to be a priority. This spring will see the completion of Averill Field playground, which includes a total replacement of playground equipment for

Much has been accomplished, with much more work ahead to ensure that Snohomish keeps our small-town feel, but also meets future needs. I am proud of the work we have done.

Contact Councilmember Kuleta at kuleta@snohomishwa.gov.

2024 STATE OF THE CITY

A Message from Mayor Redmon:

Snohomish residents: look around you. Snohomish is a community coming together, drawing from both our past and the present to make wonderful things happen. That community spirit is what makes Snohomish such a special place and why it is such a privilege to be your mayor. The next few pages highlight just a few of our many accomplishments over the past two years and what’s in store for the next two years.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

The addition of a dedicated economic development coordinator and the expansion of the Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives Department has provided support for and promotion of existing businesses, as well as new economic opportunities looking to come into Snohomish. Snohomish has seen record setting sales, especially in connection with new community events. The City received a grant from the National League of Cities to build a resource map that will enhance opportunities for historically excluded merchants and entrepreneurs.

We enhanced our partnership with the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce and the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association (HDSA). We have also begun working more closely with our regional economic development partner Economic Alliance of Snohomish County.

The City Council allocated federal recovery funding to provide $450,000 in grants to businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic and its

aftermath. The “Snohomish Thrives” program is providing much-needed financial support for over a dozen small businesses and non-profits right here in our community.

We know we need to address issues that affect our historic downtown business area, such as parking, pedestrian safety, loading zones, signage, and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) access. We also need to ensure our much-loved historic area does not fall into disrepair and has the infrastructure needed by businesses and residents. That’s why work has begun on a First Street Master Plan, starting with policy research by a team from the University of Washington on relevant parking, transportation, and zoning policies. The master planning process is expected to take 12-18 months and will involve seeking a lot of input from businesses, workers, and the community. We will share how to engage in future issues of the Snohomish Quarterly and I hope you’ll participate in that process.

ENVIRONMENT

We are addressing environmental issues on many levels, but one notable effort has been the completion of a Tree Inventory (with the goal of receiving a Tree City USA designation) and remodeling our Park and Recreation Board into a Parks and Forestry Board to allow for a greater focus upon the trees in our city.

Protecting and preserving wetland, lake, and stream water quality within the city is a top priority. Many infrastructure projects are focused on improving drainage with one of the goals being that the effluent that discharges into the Snohomish River is not harmful to sensitive species such as salmon. A few years back, we worked with the Tulalip Tribes to remove the dam built for our former water treatment plant so salmon could reach spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Pilchuck River.

We also convened a climate advisory committee that, with assistance from students and faculty in related fields at the University of Washington, reviewed technical information and provided mitigation, adaptation, and resilience policy measures to be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan.

Another visible environmental effort has been planting an urban food forest at Pilchuck Julia Landing near the boat launch. This food forest is intended to provide an interactive green space with educational and harvest potential for the community in the future. Thank you to all the volunteers, especially Green Snohomish, for the time and effort put into planting and caring for our future food forest.

Big wastewater treatment plant upgrades are in the pipeline to maximize performance and capacity by decreasing stormwater volume, ensuring we meet discharge standards.

The City recently signed a new contract for solid waste and organics services in which we requested a renewed focus on community education to promote increasing recycling and decreasing solid waste going to landfills. The Snohomish Youth Council has been planning a pilot project to increase food waste diversion at Snohomish High School that they hope will be expanded to the other high schools in the district and to the larger Snohomish community.

Before removal of the Pilchuck Dam

After removal of the Pilchuck Dam

HOUSING

So much effort goes into planning to ensure changes mesh with what the community wants to see, which is why we are working to accommodate inevitable growth in a manner that preserves the character of Snohomish. At the same time, the housing situation here and across the country has reached the level of an emergency. We need to acknowledge that we have issues that will not be fixed with “status quo” thinking.

According to US Census Bureau data, the number of Snohomish workers who also live in the city has decreased since 2002, while the total workforce has increased over the same period. In 2021, only 7.4% of the Snohomish workforce also lived in the city, compared to 13% in 2002, with the trend continuing to worsen through last year. Snohomish workers are largely commuting from other Snohomish County cities, unincorporated Snohomish County, Seattle, or even farther away. The cost of detached single-family homes continues to skyrocket, while the supply of available homes dwindles. Housing affordability and transportation congestion are related, and we need to allow a mix of housing types for the workforce that serves this community to keep increasing traffic from ruining our small-town character.

The City Council allocated federal recovery dollars to provide household grants that ensured more than 90 Snohomish households could remain housed. We have developed plans to utilize the state designated portion of our 1/10th of 1% sales tax for housing and related services, including a rental assistance pilot program that will be launching this summer.

The Planning and Development Services Department has been hard at work to support adequate housing stock for all income levels. Some changes have already gone into effect, but most of this work is going into the overhaul of the City’s Comprehensive Plan that will guide our actions for the next 20 years.

It is truly a re-envisioning of what’s possible, for which our Planning, Public Works, and Community Engagement teams have conducted unprecedented outreach to gather as much community input as possible. Housing, transportation, and the other elements of the Comprehensive Plan are all being addressed through multiple efforts, including subarea community planning meetings, a Civic Ambassadors program, educational offerings in person and online, and even a family-focused Comprehensive Plan Carnival. These intensive efforts will continue until the Comprehensive Plan is finalized toward the end of 2024.

Source: AHA Analysis of Snohomish County Assessor Data

PUBLIC SAFETY

Two things are continually reported as public safety concerns in Snohomish: pedestrian safety and speeding. We have developed a new local road safety plan, are investigating additional pedestrian safety measures, have changed our code to ensure that developments must account for impact to pedestrians, and are adopting a Complete Streets code this year. In addition, staff and the Snohomish Police Department work together regularly to address both issues. We have made many modifications to sightlines, tree shading and lighting over crosswalks and high-traffic intersections, and signage.

There have been multiple emphases by the Police Department to address areas of speeding, especially around schools. You may have seen new flashing speed radar signs placed around town, which were a collaborative effort between Public Works staff and the Police Department. Those signs are collecting data that can be used to make informed decisions about the need for further traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures, and to point out where the police need to have a ticketing campaign to make sure we are discouraging dangerous driver behaviors.

We are planning to co-locate the headquarters of the Fire District, the Police Department and all City departments on one site to create a Public Safety and City Services Campus to ensure we have an interconnected response to emergencies (learn more in “City News” on page 3).

We are providing education on personal preparedness with the community to ensure that in the event of a widespread emergency people have what they need to

survive until help can arrive. Save the date for “When Disaster Strikes: Prepare, Act, Survive!” to be held on October 5-6, 2024 in the Snohomish Carnegie Building. This course is designed to teach and encourage community members to prepare for disasters, take preservation actions and perform, as appropriate, light search and rescue response to aid their family and other community members in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster or human-made incident.

2024 STATE OF THE CITY COLLABORATION

Collaboration is a thread that runs through everything we do. Collaboration between departments and agencies, with businesses and economic development organizations, with the community on planning and environmental efforts, and on public safety.

There are so many ways in which collaboration is the essence of our work.

We’ve listened to the community’s concerns about the well-being of neighbors that are struggling and, with Federal funding, hired a Community Navigator to provide a friendly face in City Hall to directly assist members of our

community. This position is available to collaborate with our Police Department, the Food Bank, and other community and regional service organizations to

—continued on page 13

COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY

If you are reading this issue of the Snohomish Quarterly, you are interacting with one of our key communication tools to keep our residents informed!

Improving other ways the public can interact with City staff to ensure we are meeting expectations continues to be a priority. By the end of this year, residents will be able to access a new open financial data portal. This interactive portal will let anyone access the City’s current financial information: where money comes from, how it is spent, and to learn more about projects. Taxpayers will be able to see in real time how their money is being put to work in the community.

We are also building the foundation for another online portal to allow easy access the records of the City in digital form. With the hiring of a GIS Coordinator, we

now have interactive maps available to the public on our website. Those maps include zoning, construction projects (https://www.snohomishwa.gov/219/ Construction-Projects), and utilities. We also have plans to have maps of additional features that the community has told us they care about such as sidewalks, trees, and public works projects so the public can see progress on projects, including associated costs, timelines, and expenditures.

—continued from page 12

connect members of our community to services and resources.

As an old city, our sidewalks, or lack of them, are common subjects of complaints. We are ramping up a collaborative sidewalk program this year. Our goal is to help property owners in dealing with failing sidewalks for which they are responsible. Because this is clearly important to our community members, we are going to devote more resources to address these issues, with a focus on consistency and equity.

A visible example of collaboration is the Veterans Memorial, which

was brought back to the Snohomish Carnegie Building with a public ceremony last Memorial Day. None of these efforts could have been possible without the support of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Snohomish Carnegie Foundation, and our Gold Star families.

Another great example can be found at Averill Field where we are nearing completion of the first inclusive and accessible playground in the city. This playground has many accessible features such as level surfacing, access ramps and sensory features. Averill

“TextMyGov” has been added as a public service request module and emergency notification platform. You can snap pictures of concerns to be addressed, such as potholes or fallen signs, and text them in to get addressed. You will get updates on the progress of your request, receive emergency push notifications, and other features. Text “HI” to 360-282-0094 to get started!

Field is coming together after several years of community involvement, including donations from the Snohomish Kiwanis, Lions Club, Snohomish County, and many more great partners.

We have also found space to collaborate with our artistic community. When the street trees on First Street had to be removed, they were replaced with planters. We saw these planters as a blank canvas, offering an opportunity to showcase our local artists. Starting around May you will see artists in action painting the planters!

SNOHOMISH IS STRONGER TOGETHER

People love Snohomish for its unique charm. Many people think it is the physical appearance and the location that makes Snohomish so appealing. I would argue that our special something is the caring nature of our community that brings us together. Over the past couple years, I have seen countless hours devoted by people in our community who just want to do something in service to others. They have contributed to making this community what we all want it to be: vibrant, diverse, welcoming, and safe. They make this city better in countless ways and I can’t express enough gratitude for all that you do out of love for Snohomish.

In the coming years, I want to see all of us dedicated to preserving that special quality. I want to see us preserving togetherness and joy, refusing to give in to division.

As your Mayor, I will continue to prioritize fostering this feeling of togetherness, because our togetherness is what makes Snohomish strong.

Thank you for entrusting me with all that goes into caring for this City that we love so much. It is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. You have my wholehearted commitment to continue doing what’s right, not just what’s easy.

-Mayor Linda Redmon

Community Events

Snohomish Farmers Market

• Thursdays May through September

• 3-7 PM

• Snohomish Carnegie Building

Bringing you the best in local, fresh produce, artisanal food items, and incredible hand-crafted items.

Sky Valley Motorcycle Show

• Sunday, May 19, 9 AM – 6 PM

• Historic Downtown Snohomish

PRIDE

Parade and Events

• Friday, May 31 – Saturday, June 1

• Snohomish Carnegie and Historic Downtown Snohomish

Kla Ha Ya Days Parade and Festival

• Saturday, July 20

• Historic Downtown Snohomish

National Night Out

• Tuesday, August 6

• Averill Field

Snohomish Block Party

• Friday–Saturday, August 23–24

• Historic Downtown Snohomish

For more community events, go to www.snohomishwa.gov or snap the QR code below.

Save the Date: 2024 Emergency Preparedness Training

• When Disaster Strikes: Prepare, Act, Survive!

• Saturday, October 5-6

• Snohomish Carnegie Building

This course is designed to teach and encourage community members to prepare for disasters, take preservation actions and perform, as appropriate, light search and rescue response to aid their family and other community members in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster or human-made incident. The class is 12 hours in length (8 AM – 5 PM on Saturday, and 8 AM – Noon on Sunday) and is open for those ages 13+ with parent/guardian consent.

“Snohomish 101: Your Guide to City Government”

Join us at the Snohomish Farmers Market each week to learn about City government, projects, and programs. We’ll have hands-on activities for all ages on such topics as:

• Where your taxes go

• How government works

• Parks and trees

• Economic development

• Housing

• Fire prevention and personal preparedness

• Planning for the future

• Climate and adaptability

• Utilities (water, sewer & storm)

• Garbage, recycling, compost