City of Snohomish Quarterly Magazine - Winter 2025
Snohomish
HOW THE CITY’S 2025-26 BUDGET PRESERVES AND IMPROVES OUR COMMUNITY (P. 10-13)
City Hall
City of Snohomish 116 Union Avenue
Snohomish, WA 98290
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
230 Maple Avenue
Snohomish, WA 98290
Phone: 360-568-0888
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergencies: 425-407-3999
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
In This Issue
Snohomish Blasted by Bomb Cyclone
The City of Snohomish sustained damage during the powerful extratropical cyclone – called a bomb cyclone – last November. The morning after the storm, most of the City north of Second Street was without power and several roads were closed due to downed trees and power lines. A large tree at 410 Ave B came down, pulling up the water main that was entangled in its roots. City staff worked to restore operations across the City, from ensuring lift station generators were working during the power outage to securing a power source for the Snohomish Food Bank.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
It can be a challenge to keep up with yard work and Green Snohomish is here to help. Volunteers with the group are launching a new program to help residents to clean up overgrown yards.
Contact the program coordinator Elle Hultz at (360) 862-2244 or heythisiselle@ gmail.com to learn more.
Lead Service Line Inventory
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all public water systems, including the City of Snohomish, conduct a Lead Service Line (LSL) Inventory. The mandate aims to help safeguard public health by ensuring that water systems across the United States develop and maintain comprehensive inventories of service line materials. The City completed the required LSL Inventory last summer and we are pleased to announce no lead service lines have been identified within the City’s water system.
Tree damage at Hill Park on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 (City staff photo)
Tree that came down at 410 Avenue B the night of the storm, pulling up a water main entangled in its roots (courtesy Scott Honaker, Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management)
Taking Care of Our Community
BY LINDA REDMON, MAYOR
This issue highlights the 2025-2026 budget and how the City is utilizing the public’s funds to preserve and improve upon the past investments of our community. For more than a year, the City sought and collected community input about how things are going and what the community would like to see happen in the future. That input was combined with the results of multiple assessments of City facilities and services. From those efforts, we created plans to address issues, keep our community safe, save taxpayers money, and make the most efficient use of resources now and in the future.
This budget allocates funding to begin long-delayed work on
our antiquated water systems, modernization of public services to meet current expectations, and improved capacity of of our sewer system. These budgeted funds form the basis of a planned $29 million in sewer, water, and stormwater infrastructure projects over the next five years. These “seeds” of funding will be leveraged to garner additional funding from state and federal grant programs to maximize the public’s dollars. The other capital investments in this budget are intended to make life better in many ways. We have dedicated funds to begin approximately $5 million in park improvements and $65 million in street and transportation
Our goal is to make sure that you can see how taxpayer dollars are being utilized and the value you and the community are getting back.
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
To learn more, visit www.snohomishwa.gov/Budget
infrastructure projects slated for the next five years. We have also put funds toward the inception of a program to address the numerous sidewalk issues throughout the city.
I encourage you to visit the new online budget book, which allows you to dig into the data in the budget. We will continue to add information over time to allow residents and stakeholders to have a transparent view of the status of the budgeted expenditures on large projects as they move forward. Our goal is to make sure that you can see how taxpayer dollars are being utilized and the value you and the community are getting back. We want you to see how every dollar you contribute helps make Snohomish thrive.
Linda Redmon, Mayor redmon@snohomishwa.gov 360-282-3154
Maximizing Local Dollars
BY KAREN GUZAK, COUNCILMEMBER
Iam about to start my 16th year as a City Council member. Seven of those years I served as mayor under the former Council Manager form of government. I love this city and am proud of the work of our Council, our staff, and our volunteers.
During these years I have seen many benefits accrue in our city – so many improvements to our streets, our sewer and water systems, our police service, our parks, and the support for our community— so that we all may thrive. This is manifesting our long-time strategic goals of Honoring Our Past by Investing in Our Future (see pages 10–13).
With leadership from Mayor Linda Redmon, we have been able to leverage local dollars to bring in money from the state and the federal government. This benefits our quality of life and maximizes the impact of our local dollars. Several projects come to mind:
• The Transportation Benefit District (TBD) sales tax has
been one of the major ways that we have generated outside money (see page 12). Over $2.64 million has come to us by using our TBD sales tax as the local down payment. These monies have funded pavement preservation and several transportation projects, with more to come.
• Representative Suzan DelBene facilitated our request for $3 million for the North Sewer Trunkline that will allow growth in the underdeveloped northeastern part of our City.
• Over $600K from a 1/10th of 1% sales tax has been raised to help address affordable housing. The City launched a pilot project in 2024 to provide rental assistance for low-income residents with some of these funds and Council approved additional funds for this purpose for 2025-26.
Great news for residents of Snohomish! The City has expanded its utility discount program to include more households. This means more families can now benefit from reduced utility bills. Don’t miss out on this opportunity, check to see if you qualify today: www.snohomishwa.gov/Utility
• In addition, around $40K in hotel, motel, and shortterm rental taxes fund initiatives that draw visitors to our city, from studio tours to Snohomish Pride, each biennium.
• The newest project that excites me the most is the future city services campus that we will share with our Fire and Police Departments at Third Street and Pine Avenue. We received $3 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for utility work for the campus. We will request more, and with help from our state and regional legislators will be successful in the future.
All of us in service to our city are committed to taking the next steps to provide for our future health, safety, and economic well-being. Our commitment is to be of service in the best ways possible.
Councilmember Karen Guzak guzak@snohomishwa.gov
Annexation
Have you ever wondered how city boundaries were determined, or how they expand? Snohomish’s boundaries have looked very different over the years, from the City’s incorporation in 1890 to today. The original City limits extended much farther east-towest than our current boundary but were then redefined in 1900 to a smaller footprint. The City originally encompassed the southern part of town, and then continued to grow and expand (mostly northward) through regular annexations. The most recent annexation was in 2013 when the boat launch and soccer fields south of Pilchuck Park were incorporated.
What is annexation?
Annexation is the process of transferring land from one jurisdiction to another. For cities, this means incorporating unincorporated land from the county for the purpose of providing urban services, or other municipal purposes such as a wastewater treatment plant. Cities in Washington State can only annex lands that have already been identified as part of its UGA, or urban growth area. What is the urban growth area (UGA)?
The UGA is the land that is predetermined for urban growth. This includes the city itself and all lands around it that are anticipated for future annexation. The UGA was established based on growth projections and capacity analyses. This means
the lands are assumed to be annexed into the city at some point, and cities are not allowed to annex beyond them without expanding or altering their UGA. UGA boundary changes are lengthy processes.
How does annexation happen?
There are several annexation methods available pursuant to RCW Chapter 35A.14 (Annexations by City Code).
Annexations can be processed through an election, a direct petition of the area being annexed, or an interlocal agreement between the city and the county.
The election method is initiated by the city and goes to the voters in the area proposed for annexation, describing the area and the number of voters in that area.
The direct petition method is historically the most commonly
used method in Snohomish. With this method, someone other than the City (usually a property owner) proposes the annexation and petitions property owners in the annexation area to agree to incorporation. When at least 60% of the assessed value of the annexation area is represented by the petition, it can move forward to a public hearing with the City Council.
The interlocal agreement (ILA) method is relatively new, added to the state statute to encourage urban growth and to avoid illogical boundaries or “islands” that can sometimes result from the direct petition method. This
method is jointly initiated by the city and the county through an adopted agreement. Sometimes other parties are involved, such as special purpose districts. Both agencies must hold their own separate public hearing.
Are there any annexations in the works?
This year the City will look at annexing the North Lake UGA, located between 22nd Street and US-2 east of SR-9. This area has been discussed since 2021 and was identified as the most logical area for expanding the City boundaries based on market and land use analyses and community input from the 2024
Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update. This annexation will likely use the ILA method. So far, City staff have held a subarea design workshop with residents in this area and have held oneon-one discussions with many property owners to discuss zoning options as part of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map. Additional outreach and engagement are planned for 2025 as these discussions continue.
Learn more about annexation in Snohomish: https://www. snohomishwa.gov/390/ Annexations or email planningdept@snohomishwa.gov
Community Spotlight: The Vital Role of the Snohomish Cold Weather Shelter
As winter’s chill sets in, the Snohomish Cold Weather Shelter, run by Volunteers of America of Western Washington (VOAWW), becomes a beacon of warmth, hope and safety for the unhoused. This shelter provides a critical lifeline during the harshest months of the year.
Sleeping outside in freezing temperatures is not just uncomfortable, it can be life-threatening. Without proper shelter, individuals are exposed to the elements, which can lead to a rapid decline in health. Exposure to cold weather can lead to severe health issues, including frostbite, hypothermia, and even death. The psychological toll of sleeping outside adds to the burden carried by those experiencing homelessness.
Last year, the Snohomish Cold Weather Shelter (located at the Snohomish Evangelical Free Church at 210 Avenue B) was open for 41
The community’s support, whether through volunteering or donations, is essential in keeping these shelters open and effective.
nights, serving a combined total of 86 people. This shelter, along with others in the county, provides a warm safe place for people to sleep when temperatures drop below 34 degrees.
The shelter provides essential amenities such as warm meals, comfortable sleeping arrangements, showers, laundry vouchers, hygiene supplies, and cold weather clothing and gear (when available).
Volunteers play a crucial role in ensuring the shelters run smoothly, providing everything from meals to companionship. The community’s support, whether through volunteering or donations, is essential in
keeping these shelters open and effective.
The Snohomish Cold Weather Shelter is more than just a place to stay warm; it is a lifesaving resource. By providing shelter from the cold, it helps prevent the injuries and deaths that can result from exposure. The shelter’s impact on the community is profound, offering not just physical warmth but also a sense of security and hope.
How You Can Help
The City of Snohomish provides some funding to VOAWW for the operation of the Cold Weather Shelter and last year City staff, council, board members, and commissioners collected and donated two carloads of items. But, the shelter also relies heavily on the generosity and support of the community and there are several ways you can make a difference:
Volunteer: Your time and effort can provide warmth and comfort to those in need. Whether it’s serving meals, setting up the shelter, or simply offering a friendly face, every bit helps. If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out to volunteer@voaww.org
Financial Contributions:
Crucial for maintaining the shelter and ensuring it can operate throughout the cold season, donations help provide essential supplies and services to those who need them most. To make a donation, visit www.voaww.org/donate
Donate Supplies: The Cold Weather Shelter is always in need of socks, gloves, warm hats/ headgear, hand/foot warmer packs, basic t-shirts, hygiene supplies (deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs), new or gently used coats/jackets. Supplies can be dropped off at Snohomish City Hall during business hours or contact the city’s Community Navigator Velvet Franz at 360-913-4524 or franz@snohomishwa.gov.
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
ENT + Head & Neck Surgery
Gastrointestinal Services
Heart Care
Embrace the crisp air of winter while keeping your welln ess top of mind! EvergreenHealth Monroe is here to help you make the most of this beautiful season. Learn more about your care team at evergreenhealth.com/monroe .
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
Honoring Our Past by Investing in Our Future
Welcome to the 2025-2026 Budget! What you will see in this budget is an effort to start making the hard choices that have been put off in recent years: doing what’s right for our community now and in the future, not just what’s popular. The goal of this budget is to honor and care for what past generations built so that future generations may enjoy the well-being and quality of life we have in Snohomish.
-Mayor Linda Redmon
Budget Overview
The City of Snohomish operates on a fiscal year basis, starting January 1 and ending December 31, following a two-year budget cycle. The budget process is a planning effort directly related to the delivery of City services. It is also a process that is never really “done” – even after a budget is adopted, staff regularly review revenue and expenditure projections against actuals. They are also monitoring regional trends and data points
to stay informed and prepare for any potential economic shifts.
The 2025-2026 biennial budget was passed by City Council on November 19, 2024 with projected revenues of over $99 million and expenditures of over $116 million. The City is projected to end 2026 with a total fund balance of over $26 million, which is almost $5 million higher than budgeted for the 20232024 biennium.
Budget Summary by Fund
Revenue & Expenditures
The City of Snohomish is projecting $58.03 million of revenue in FY2025, which represents a 77.9% increase over the prior year. This is largely because of fund transfers from existing balances to pay for capital projects that were previously anticipated to be completed in 2024 but were delayed. Those funds being carried forward and transferred to complete the multi-fund projects are counted as revenue per government accounting requirements. For 2026, the revenue balances out to $41.11 million for the year.
Budgeted expenditures are projected to increase by 23.0% or $13.30 million to $71.13 million in FY2025, again, largely to complete
General Fund
Roughly 26% of the total City budget goes to the General Fund. This fund pays for important services like public safety, street and park maintenance, community recreation, land use planning, and general administration.
capital projects already started or delayed and being rolled into 2025. For FY2026, the total expenditures
drop to $45.82 million, which is a 35.6% decrease in expenses over FY2025.
Expenditures by Function
Expenditures by Function
Public Safety Services
2025: 34.6% 2026: 36.3%
Non-Departmental
2025: 10.8% 2026: 10.1%
Engineering 2025: 9.0% 2026: 8.1%
Parks 2025: 7.6% 2026: 7.8%
Finance 2025: 7.2% 2026: 6.9%
2025 General Fund Expenditures by Type
Planning 2025: 6.2% 2026: 6.0%
Public Works Administration
2025: 5.4% 2026: 5.5%
Community Engagement & Strategic Initiatives
2025: 5.4% 2026: 5.3%
Building & Inspection
2025: 3.7% 2026: 3.8%
Mayor & Administrator
2025: 3.0% 2026: 3.1%
Human Resources
2025: 2.5% 2026: 2.6%
City Clerk
2025: 1.9% 2026: 2.0%
Legal Services
2025: 1.6% 2026: 1.4%
City Council
2025: 1.1% 2026: 1.1%
2026 General Fund Expenditures by Type
Special Revenue Funds
In addition to the general and enterprise funds that make up the operating budget, the City of Snohomish has a number of restricted revenue and special funds. These include:
• Transportation Benefit District
The Transportation Benefit District (TBD) funds are spent to preserve roadways within the City.
• Streets
The City is responsible for over 40 miles of streets and associated signage throughout Snohomish.
• ARPA
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law in March 2021 and the City of Snohomish received a little over $2.834 million to help with recovery from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Traffic Impact Fees
These monies are for future traffic improvements outlined in the City’s Transportation Plan. Fund resources are received in the form of impact fees relating to trip generation.
• Park Impact Fees
The Park Impact Fee Fund are restricted to acquisition or development of new parks or parks facilities.
• Behavioral Health & Housing
These funds are restricted for affordable housing and in 2025-26, the City will continue a rental assistance program (piloted in 2024) and offset decreases in both water
and sewer fees based on the newly adopted affordable housing incentives.
• Parking & Business Improvement Area
Currently, the only PBIA established in the City is the Historic Business District. These funds can be used to decorate any public place in the area; sponsor or promote public events in the area; furnish music in the area; provide professional
management, planning and promotion for the area; or provide maintenance and security for the area.
• Visitor Promotion
This fund accounts for monies received from the collection of hotel/ motel tax and is spent to enhance tourism in the City of Snohomish through the Lodging Tax Advisory Commission (LTAC).
2025 Special Revenue Expenditures by Function
2025–2026 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
Capital improvements can require multiple years to strategically plan, design, fund, and eventually construct or execute. The CIP is updated annually to add new appropriations or projects, while continuing to evaluate priorities, new requirements, and new funding sources. For 2025-2026, more than 30% of the City’s total budget is allocated for utilities and transportation needs. This is the down payment toward at least $50 million in identified capital projects needed for deferred maintenance and system upgrades over the next 5-6 years.
The following is a general overview of the requests for 2025-26. Watch for the Summer 2025 issue of the Snohomish Quarterly, which will provide additional details about some of these projects.
• Parks
More than $830K has been requested for various parks improvements, from playground equipment replacement to development of Homestead Park.
• Engineering
A request for $500K has been made to replace the South Zone Reservoir Cover.
• Wastewater
More than $8.89 million has been requested, with $3.25 million proposed for upgrading the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s filtration system and over $4 million for the installation of the North Sewer Trunkline.
• Water
$210K has been requested to support the city’s drinking water system.
• Streets Capital Projects
More than $19.86 million has been requested to address much of the aging street infrastructure across the city, including improvements on over two dozen street corridors, signal improvement, implementation of pedestrian safety equipment, and traffic calming measures.
• Municipal Capital Projects
$120K has been requested to repair the roof of the Boys and Girls Club and to improve the City’s security system across all facilities and parks.
• Stormwater
More than $1.43 million has been requested to support stormwater needs, including treating the cyanobacteria problem in Blackmans Lake.
• Transportation Benefit District
$7.91 million has been requested for improving 10th Street (between Avenue D and Maple Avenue), Bickford Avenue (between 30th Street and the city limits), Lincoln Avenue (between Maple Avenue and Holiday Street), Seventh Street (between Avenue J and Avenue L) and Avenue K (between Seventh Street and the city limits).
• Additional requests were made to support the Streets and Facilities Teams totaling $770K.
FROM THE ARCHIVES:
Historical Redlining in Snohomish
Racial exclusion and segregation in government are often invisible or thinly disguised. But a recent joint research project by the University of Washington and Eastern Washington University highlighted one of the more blatant forms of discrimination from the not-so-distant past in Snohomish and other cities across the state.
By reviewing deeds and property restriction documents, the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project identified historical redlining in 12 counties in the state, including Snohomish County. Racial restrictive covenants were a form of discrimination that emerged in the early part of the 20th century where government agencies and private lenders systematically denied financial services such as home loans, insurance, or investments to people based on their race or ethnicity. This practice primarily targeted Black and other minority communities, physically mapping out areas (often outlined in red) deemed “risky” or “undesirable” for investment. Through their research of deeds, homeowners’ association bylaws, and other covenants, the team identified one particular plat in the City of Snohomish with racially restrictive language. Known as “Stockton Heights,” a small subdivision of over 30
properties off Tenth Street between Avenue A and Pine Ave (see inset for the restrictions included by the developer in the 1948 deed).
If these restrictions were in place today, many Snohomish residents—including the current mayor—would not be able to purchase or rent a lot in this subdivision.
“It is important for all communities to recognize that redlining happened, next door and in our own backyards,” said Mayor Linda Redmon. “It is also important to reflect on how we as a community can prevent harmful policies and practices like that from happening again.”
"No lot shall be sold, conveyed, rented or leased in whole or in part to any person not of the white race; nor shall any person not of the white race be permitted to occupy any portion of any lot, or any building thereon, except as a non-paying guest or owner of the lot or dwelling."
—1948 Stockton Heights deed Learn more about the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project: https://depts.washington.edu/covenants
The Washington legislature has passed several pieces of legislation since 2006 to try and counteract some of the most harmful impacts of historical redlining and racially restrictive covenants. However, even though they are no longer legally enforceable, the legacy of racial exclusion and segregation lingers in communities across the state and country. Racist restrictions persist in the property records of countless neighborhoods—a remnant of an era when segregation and exclusion were sanctioned and actively encouraged by local governments and state authorities.
Community Events
Homestead Park
Master Plan Community Input
• Snohomish Park and Forestry Board Meeting
• Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 6 p.m.
• Snohomish Carnegie Building (lower level)
Homestead Park
Master Plan Update
• Snohomish City Council Meeting
• Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 6 p.m.
• Snohomish Carnegie Building (lower level)
For more community events, visit www.snohomishwa.gov or snap the QR code at right.
