Councilmember Nehring's July Newsletter

I hope you and your family were able to stay cool and safe in the heat this week. I am also wishing you and your family a Happy Independence Day this upcoming weekend. I encourage everyone to reflect on the great freedoms we enjoy in this country and the sacrifices that made them possible. In this month’s newsletter I will be highlighting my military pay differential ordinance, a town hall on civil discourse, Juneteenth, importance conversations happening at Snohomish County Tomorrow, our SWISS Counties meeting, and a transportation survey from the City of Stanwood.  

Military Pay Differential Ordinance 

Last week, I introduced a military pay differential ordinance for Snohomish County. Uniform differential pay provides the difference between an employee’s county salary and their military pay while they are serving our country in the Armed Forces.  

Often times, military salaries are lower than a reservist’s County salary which creates a financial burden for their families when they are called upon to serve. This proposal would remove that barrier and provide support and relief to our community members who risk their lives for our nation and our County. 

I believe we benefit greatly from employing veterans and reservists in County government. This is one small way to show our appreciation for these valuable employees.  

A public hearing has been set for July 21st at 10:30 AM to consider the ordinance. For more information about the ordinance, visit this link.  

Town Hall on Civil Discourse 

Tonight, I will be participating in a townhall with fellow County Councilmember Jared Mead to discuss civil discourse in politics and the importance of working together despite political differences. Councilmember Mead and I have done a number of these town halls and high school classroom visits to show that elected officials can work together in good faith, contrary to much of what we see in the national media. 

Tonight’s town hall is being hosted by the Jackson High School Junior State of America Club. If you would like to attend the event, I have included the call in information below. I look forward to the town hall and discussing this important topic with all of you. 

Town Hall Event Zoom info: Please click the link below to join the webinar: 

https://zoom.us/j/94138538117 
Or Telephone: 
US: +1 253 215 8782  or +1 301 715 8592 
Webinar ID: 941 3853 8117 

Juneteenth in Snohomish County 

On June 19th, we celebrated Juneteenth in Snohomish County. While President Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation on January 1st, 1863, it took over two years for slaves to be freed nationwide. Juneteenth commemorates the day, June 19th, 1863, when enslaved people in Texas were freed, marking the end of slavery in our country.  

On June 9th, the County Council and County Executive passed Resolution 21-027, Recognizing June 19, 2021 as Juneteenth Independence Day in Snohomish County. The resolution acknowledges this important milestone in American history and encourages residents to celebrate Juneteeth at events across the County.  

I was honored to participate and speak at the Marysville Juneteenth event on June 12th at Comeford Park. I appreciate everyone who came out to the event as well. 

Buildable Lands Report at SCT 

I currently sit on the Steering Committee for Snohomish County Tomorrow (SCT). SCT is a collaborative organization made up of the County, Cities, and Towns across the County. SCT makes recommendations for land use and long range planning policies to the County Council.  

At our June 23rd meeting, we received an update on the Buildable Lands Report (BLR). The BLR is a periodic review and analysis of how land has been developed across the County compared to how we anticipated it to develop. This information is important as we look to update our comprehensive plans in the coming years and set new growth targets for the jurisdictions in Snohomish County in accordance with state and regional mandates. 

You can review the proposed BLR at this link. If you have thoughts or ideas about how you would like to see the County manage growth in the coming years, please feel free to reach out to the County Council at contact.council@snoco.org.  

SWISS Counties Meeting 

On June 9th, we held our second quarterly SWISS Counties meeting for 2021. SWISS is an acronym for Snohomish, Whatcom, Island, Skagit, and San Juan Counties. The collaboration between our counties focuses on shared priorities that our region is facing.  

At the meeting, we discussed strategies for better collaboration, organization of the group moving forward, and election of leadership. I was honored to be elected Chair of the SWISS Counties group for this year. As Chair, my responsibilities include the organizational leadership of the group and helping to set a vision for how we make progress on our shared regional priorities, including expanding rural broadband access, improving transportation connections, and addressing behavioral health concerns.  

Transportation Survey from the City of Stanwood 

The City of Stanwood, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Snohomish County, and Island County, is studying how to improve traffic flow and multimodal infrastructure to provide for all travelers on SR 532 within Stanwood and connecting communities from Island, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties.  The goal of the project is to determine how best to improve transportation for our Stanwood/Camano community while ensuring that Stanwood maintains its historic downtown character and sense of place. 

A community survey will be held online between June 21 and July 19, 2021.  Click on the SR 532 Study link on the City’s website (www.stanwoodwa.org) to learn about the project and take a short survey. 

It is important to hear from the public in these important planning efforts. I encourage Stanwood/Camano area residents to complete the survey to help inform these discussions.