Councilman Nehring's April Update

Dear North County Neighbors,

We have been able to accomplish some great things on the County Council since we last reached out in the March newsletter. I am excited to share some of them with you.

County Courthouse

As you may or may not know, the Council and Executive have been considering options for the aging County Courthouse for over 4 years! Yesterday, the County Council voted to renovate the current courthouse rather than build a brand new one. I was happy to support this plan as it allows us to make necessary changes to the courthouse without raising taxes on the hardworking people of Snohomish County. The renovation that was approved is $74 million rather than the $250 million that was proposed for a brand new courthouse. The project that I supported can be paid for by existing revenues and does not require us to raise more. Construction on the new courthouse should start sometime this fall.

Grizzly Bears

Last Wednesday, March 22, 2017, the County Council approved my resolution Invoking Coordination with the National Parks Service and US Fish and Wildlife regarding the Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Plan. Resolution 17-008 was in response to the plan to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem. After a community meeting in Darrington and significant public input, I realized that we needed to work to prevent the reintroduction. This resolution puts Snohomish County officials, including myself, at the table with the National Parks Service and Fish and Wildlife to share our concerns with the plan and hopefully influence their decision. Thank you to those of you who reached out to express your opposition to this plan.

Community Heritage Grants

The Community Heritage Program supports projects in Snohomish County that promote and protect the communities' history. These projects help to preserve historically significant parts of our county for multiple generations to enjoy and learn from. District 1 received over $20,000 from this grant including:

• Digitizing Historical Newspapers at the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneers Museum (SVPM)
• A Second Volume Red Work Historical Quilt at the SVPM
• GIS Historic Mapping at the Granite Falls Historical Society
• Pearson House Window Restoration at the Stanwood Area Historical Society
• Arlington Pioneer Cemetery Memorial

These are exciting projects and I am happy to support the ongoing efforts to preserve our area's history.

I will be sending out newsletters on a monthly basis to keep you informed about what I am working on and how I am representing the residents of North Snohomish County on the County Council. Please feel free to reach out to me at 425-388-3494 or Nate.Nehring@snoco.org.

Sincerely,

Nate Nehring
Councilman, District 1

Snohomish County Council 3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609 Everett, Washington 98201   8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building  Phone: 425-388-3494 E-Mail: Nate.Nehring@snoco.org   Russell Wiita, Legislative Aide