Sam Low's eNewsletter
 Snohomish County Council
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201
8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building
Phone: 425-388-3494
E-Mail: Sam.Low@snoco.org
Darcy Cheesman, Legislative Aide
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Recently I had the pleasure of attending the NACO (National Association of Counties) conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The goal of the conference is to learn, network and share best practices all aimed to help improve residents’ lives and the efficiency of county government. Snohomish County won a couple awards - I've included them in this eNewsletter. Also included in this eNewsletter is an update on the roads. Thank you for your patience with the repaving projects.
I'm honored to represent you. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions and concerns.
Enjoy your summer!
 Please join us as we honor
those who served us as we transition from the current memorial to the future
Veteran Memorial.
SNOTRAC had the privilege of
participating in the Coalition that is now bringing an exciting pilot project,
closing the gap and crossing the county line from Duvall to the Monroe area.
Starting
Aug. 1, the Duvall-Monroe Shuttle bus will drive a loop route from Duvall
to Monroe with several regular stops in Monroe and one in Duvall. The loop will
take about 90 minutes to complete and the service will operate from 8 a.m. to 4
p.m. on weekdays. Depending on the success of the route, it could expand both
hours and days of operation in the future. The bus is ADA accessible and equipped with bike racks. Children under the age
of 13 must be accompanied by an adult to ride the bus. Fares for the Duvall-Monroe Shuttle are a $1 suggested donation per
rider.
 I attended the NACO conference in Nashville and was
proud to be part of two great awards given to Snohomish County.
Removing
Barriers Initiative
In 2017, the Fair received a hopeful request from a mom whose
child had autism and couldn’t experience the fun of the fair with all its big
sounds, flashing lights, and strong smells, asked if there was anything we
could do to help. The County’s amazing fairgrounds team look into what could be
done to help make our Fair more open and friendly to this population.
The team met with local parents who have autistic children,
organizational experts and Fair partners to see what could be done in terms of
a sensory event at the Fair. After much research and planning, staff named the
two-hour morning event “Evergreen Morning of Dreams”. To avoid a crowded
environment, the Fair opened an hour early to participants and included
activities such as Farmer for a Day Interactive Display, Petting Zoo, Animal
Barns, Display Halls, Calm Areas and select Carnival Rides operating without
lights and sounds. In order to maintain a calm environment, registration was
capped off at 500 participants for the first year event. Every aspect was a
huge success and the only critical feedback received from the public was to
expand the event so even more families have the opportunity to
participate.
The largest compliment received from many parents was, “You gave
my family the chance to feel normal…” Incorporating the Morning of Dreams event
into the Fair didn’t cost any additional financial resources, just time and
dedication from staff and partners.
This event was nominated for the 2017 NACPRO (National Association
of County Parks and Recreation Officials) award Removing Barriers
Initiative: to recognize a unique program or facility that enables and
encourages greater participation in parks and recreation by persons with
disabilities.
And I am pleased to announce that it won beating out over a
hundred other nominations from around the nation!
The annual NACPRO Awards Banquet was held on July 15, 2018 and it
recognized and honored Brielle Dodge from the fairgrounds, who accepted this award
and I was pleased to be there with her.
The 2018 Morning of Dreams will take place on August
29th from 9-11am, and the demand for this event continues to grow.
 Courtesy of Executive Somers Office
Recognition acknowledges efforts
to improve services and provide efficient, effective government operations
EVERETT, Wash., July 11, 2018
– Today, the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association
of Counties (NACo) announced the winners of the 16th annual Digital Counties
Survey. Snohomish County received the sixth place award for counties in the
500,000 to 999,999 population category.
“As one of the fastest growing counties in
Washington, Snohomish County must continue to innovate,” said Dave Somers,
Snohomish County Executive. “Our residents are sophisticated and have high
expectations for their on-line and digital experiences. We will continue our
work to reform government, provide excellent customer service, and pursue
innovations.”
Over the past 24 months, the county has placed
renewed emphasis on leveraging digital technology, especially in advancing the
county’s STEP initiative, an Executive-lead program to empower employees,
reform operations, and enhance services to county residents. Investing in
technology to achieve digital collaboration, improved communications, and
paperless processing provides capabilities and value to both residents and
employees.
The Digital Counties Survey, conducted by CDG in
partnership with NACo, identifies the best technology practices among U.S.
counties, including initiatives that streamline delivery of government
services, encourage collaboration and shared services, and enhance
cybersecurity. County efforts that contributed to its recognition this year
included the creation of the county’s first every strategic technology plan,
and an expansion of regional services and partnerships. These regional
capabilities include digital and “smart county” programs, engagement in
regional transportation programs like the “Vision Zero” pedestrian safety
initiative and the state’s Adaptive Signal Control project, and regional
technology services delivered by the County to 24 local municipalities and
government partners such as school districts, Community Transit, and the
Snohomish Health District.
The full list of the 2018 Digital Counties Survey
winners can be found here.
About Snohomish County Department of Information Technology
The
Department of Information Technology provides for the planning, management,
control, security, operation, and use of county information services, backbone
network, telecommunications, information processing, equipment, systems, data,
computer workstations, connected devices, purchased services, and proprietary
software. For more information about Snohomish County Information Technology visit https://snohomishcountywa.gov/192/Dept-of-Information-Technology.
US 2
Trestle
Just like last
weekend, we need drivers to try something different to help us keep traffic moving. For future reference, here’s
the updated list of the next five tentatively scheduled weekend closures:
- July 20 - July 23
- August 3 -
August 6
- August 10 -
August 13
- August 17 –
August 20
- September 7
– September 10
Each
closure is from 7 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday. All are
weather-dependent.
Maps of detour routes are posted here.
522
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Eastbound SR 522
FULL CLOSURES July 27-30 24-mile detour still in effect
Crews with the SR 522 Paving project from Woodinville to Monroe will be back
to work on the eastbound portion of Snohomish River Bridge. This work will
require the same nighttime closures we saw last week. Here’s a refresher…
Full Closure Hours:
- 8 p.m.
Friday, July 27 – 8 a.m. Saturday, July 28
- 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 28 – 9 a.m. Sunday, July 29
- 10 p.m.
Sunday, July 29 – 5 a.m. Monday, July 30
- 10 p.m.
Monday, July 30 – 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 31
During the closures,
eastbound SR 522 will be closed at Paradise Lake Road, and highway traffic
will need to follow a lengthy detour using SR 9 and US 2 that could
total 24 miles.
The Fales Road/Echo Lake Road
on-ramp to eastbound SR 522 will also be closed. Emergency vehicles will need
to use the detour as well.
Pacific Crest Trail and Glacier Peak access via the North
Fork Sauk Trail will not be available: August 8th – August 15th,
2018.
Everett, Wash. June, 2018—The North Fork Sauk Trail No. 649 between Mackinaw
Shelter and the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on the Darrington
Ranger District will be closed August 8th – August 15th,
2018. As the primary access route for both Glacier Peak and the PCT, this
trail closure is likely to impact a large number of forest visitors and hikers
as PCT access via the North Fork Sauk Trail will not be possible. Through
hikers following the PCT will still be able allowed to continue on around this junction
as the PCT will not be closed.
The closure is necessary for public safety as trail
workers will be using explosives for trail reconstruction and the
re-establishment of tread along the Pacific Crest Trail. Very steep
slopes at the PCT work site will likely send rock and debris rolling down into
the closure area. It is extremely important that this area remains vacant
during this period.
Hikers looking for more information on this trail can call the Darrington Ranger Station at 360-436-1155.
 You can't help but have a great time at the fair! For information, hours, tickets and more please visit their website.
This year has another great concert lineup:
Mon, 8/27- Roots & Boots ft. Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye and Aaron Tippin)
Tues., 8/28- American Idol Live!
Wed., 8/29- Spike and the Impalers
Thurs., 8/30- Randy Houser with special guest Michael Ray
Fri., 8/31- SKILLET
Hope to see you there!
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