Councilman Nehring's February Newsletter

Snohomish County Newsdesk of Nate Nehring

Dear North County Neighbors,

In this month’s newsletter I will be discussing my recent visit to our state capitol in Olympia, County funding and projects in North County, and some ways for you to get more involved in your government.

Trip to Olympia

On January 19th, I traveled to Olympia as part of the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County’s Legislative Advocacy Day. I met with many of the legislators representing Snohomish County to discuss our priorities during this legislative session. One of the major accomplishments so far this year was a solution to the Hirst decision and the passage of the Capital Budget. The Hirst decision limited rural landowners’ ability to drill new wells for their homes. This became a huge water rights debate and the legislature finally passed legislation to provide reliable water rights to families and businesses in rural Snohomish County. That being said, Skagit County was not included in this fix and I hope the legislature can continue to work to resolve these outstanding water rights issues. The Capital Budget was also passed with significant investments in Snohomish County including $17 million for behavioral health facilities to help address our mental health crisis. We also asked the legislature to help fund our jail diversion center. The diversion center will work with drug addicted and homeless individuals to put them on a path toward treatment, recovery, and stable housing. I am optimistic about the program and looking forward to partnering with the state on it.

County Funding

Snohomish County has many funding opportunities for projects in North Snohomish County. On top of the money spend on road, park, and infrastructure projects, we also have grant opportunities for various groups and projects. In the next 6 years, we plan on spending $57 million on projects specifically in North County. Parks projects are one of the most noticeable allocations of our funds as millions of residents and visitors enjoy our parks every year. Our 6 year park improvement plan includes $26.2 million for projects in District 1 alone. This includes the SR 530 Mudslide Memorial. Parks staff has worked with the victims, families, and communities up and down SR 530 to plan for and fund a meaningful tribute to the Steelhead Drive and C-Post neighborhoods lost, the first responders, and the community response following the slide. The County also funds transportation projects to maintain and improve the over 1,600 miles of county roads throughout Snohomish County.

One of my favorite funding opportunities for North County organizations and projects is the Small Capital Project Partnership (SCPP) program. Through SCPP, non-profits partner with local governmental agencies (cities, school districts, etc.) to build or improve capital projects in their communities. Last year, the City of Marysville partnered with the Marysville Dog Owner Group to receive $5,000 to repair the fencing at the off-leash dog park in Marysville. We have funds available again for similar partnerships and I look forward to seeing the applications that come in this year. You can visit https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/49511 for more information about the SCPP program.

Making Your Voice Heard

Per the County Charter, the Snohomish County Council is required to hold an evening meeting in each of the 5 County Council districts. This is a great opportunity for members of the public to come to one of our meetings and have their voices heard. The meeting in District 1 will be held in Arlington later this spring. I will be sure to share the details of the meeting once they are finalized.

Another great opportunity to engage with your representatives is the 39th Legislative District town hall meeting. State Senator Keith Wagoner and State Representative Carolyn Eslick will be hosting a town hall in Arlington at Hadley Hall on Saturday, February 17, from 4-6PM. The Senator and Representative will be giving an update on what they have been working on in Olympia and take your questions. I encourage everyone in the 39th LD to attend.


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

Nate Nehring

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