Councilmember Nehring's July Newsletter

Snohomish County, Washington sent this bulletin at 07/01/2024 06:00 AM PDT

Dear North County Neighbors,

As we approach the 4th of July, I hope you enjoy a great Independence Day holiday with family and friends. Whether you are celebrating in your back yard or attending one of the many great community events, please stay safe and take time to reflect on our nation’s founding and the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country.

Family-Friendly Policy Workgroup

Supporting families in our community and in our workforce is a priority of mine. Last month, Councilmember Dunn and I hosted a workshop to identify ways that Snohomish County can foster a more family-friendly community as well as how our county government can be more family-friendly as an employer.

In The News

High-speed internet makes its way to rural Snohomish County | King5.com - June 26, 2024

Notoriously slow internet gets a boost on Highway 530 corridor | Everett Herald - June 27, 2024

Snohomish County breaks ground on SR-530 Broadband Project | Lynnwood Times – June 27, 2024

Community Events

July 4 – Arlington Fourth of July Celebration and parade

July 13 – Marysville Happy Parks-Happy Hearts

July 20 – Arlington Pioneer Days

July 20 and 27 – Marysville Movies in the Park

We brought together a group of Snohomish County community members as well as employees to brainstorm ideas and provide feedback on initiatives which will help with this mission. We had great discussions and learned about some of the challenges that both community members and employees face in this area. I look forward to working with Councilmember Dunn, county staff, and the community to identify reasonable measures moving forward to make Snohomish County as family-friendly as possible.

Evergreen Boys State

Evergreen Boys State is a youth leadership conference hosted by the American Legion which educates and engages teens about Washington State government through a series of guest speakers, mock elections, mock trials, and local government simulations. For the second year in a row, Councilmember Mead and I had the opportunity to join the Evergreen Boys State conference as guest speakers. We shared our experience in county government and the importance of civil discourse and working together.

We had a great time presenting to the group and answering their thoughtful questions. I am always impressed by these students and look forward to supporting this work again. To learn more about Evergreen Boys State, you can visit their website here.

SR 530 Groundbreaking Ceremony

On Wednesday, June 26th, we held a groundbreaking ceremony for the SR 530 broadband expansion project. This project is a partnership between Snohomish County, Ziply Fiber, and the Washington State Broadband Office. Upon completion, over 4,500 residential and business locations between Arlington and Darrington will have access to high speed, reliable internet. This is one of the underserved areas in Snohomish County and I am excited to see this project begin (picture above courtesy of the Everett Herald).

Thank you to County Executive Dave Somers, State Representative Sam Low, Ziply Chief Marketing Officer Mike Doherty, Sno-Isle Libraries Executive Director Lois Langer Thompson, and all of the community members who joined us to celebrate the start of this key infrastructure project.

Galena Street Extension Ribbon Cutting

On June 28th, I joined community members and city officials in Granite Falls for a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for the Galena Street Extension. The new Galena Street Road Extension will provide an alternative roadway running east-west through the City to provide better access and traffic flow in Granite Falls. The project was made possible by a $600,000 grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board.

Snohomish County Labor Council Presentation

Last week, I had the opportunity to present an update on the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program to the Snohomish County Labor Council. I shared updates about the program’s growth, the recent Spring Showcase Event, and our strategic vision workshop to determine the future growth of the program.

The Labor Council has been a longtime supporter of the program and I appreciate their partnership as well as their commitment to apprenticeship opportunities for our youth.

Comprehensive Plan Update

Snohomish County is updating our Comprehensive Plan, which is a 20-year planning document guiding the County’s policies regarding land use, housing, transportation, capital facilities, natural environmental, parks and recreation, and economic development. This has been a multi-year process and has involved significant public outreach and engagement.

The County Council will be holding public hearings in August to receive testimony from members of the public regarding the Comprehensive Plan update. The public hearings will be held the evening of August 19 and the morning of August 21. More details for these hearings will be posted to the County Council’s meeting webpage (linked here) as we get closer.

Law and Justice Dashboard

Last month, the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office launched their new Law and Justice Dashboard. The dashboard pulls together data including crime data, jail bookings, prosecutions, and sentencing. The goal of the dashboard is to improve transparency to the community and help policy makers observe trends to inform decision-making.

This project was started a couple of years ago and will continue to be refined and added to in the future. If you would like to view the dashboard, you can find it on the Prosecutor's website at this link.

Juneteenth

Last month, the County Council passed a resolution recognizing June 19th, 2024 as Juneteenth in Snohomish County. Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States on June 19th, 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned that slavery was abolished and they were free. Many communities hosted Juneteenth events and ceremonies to commemorate this day and recognize the many great contributions of African Americans in our communities.

Marysville Strawberry Festival

Last month, the City of Marysville held its annual Strawberry Festival June 18th through the 23rd. The festival and parade bring the community together to kick off summer with fun, food, and festivities. The Strawberry Festival has been a Marysville tradition since 1932 and is one of my favorite events each year to enjoy with my family. Thank you to the Maryfest Board and the entire community for another great event!

Update from the County Auditor’s Office

Ballots for the August 6 Primary Election will be mailed to voters on July 18.

Do you know the many steps Snohomish County Elections of our Auditor’s Office takes to maintain the highest standards of security, accuracy, and integrity in our elections here in Snohomish County? For example, before and after every election, trained staff complete accuracy tests and audits to verify that ballot counting equipment is programmed correctly and ballots are counted accurately. Ballot counting equipment is never connected to the internet and access is strictly limited to authorized elections employees only. Snohomish County Elections takes many other steps to ensure you can have confidence in elections processes and results. Anyone is welcome to observe the elections process - even those pre-election tests and post-election audits.

For more information or to visit Snohomish County’s new Elections Center on the Snohomish County campus, go to our website snoco.org/elections, call 425.388.3444, email Elections@snoco.org, or attend an “Elections Explained” Q&A session at Sno-Isle Libraries. You can also follow @snoco_auditor on Facebook, Instagram, and X. To sign up for e-newsletters from Snohomish County, including from Snohomish County Elections, CLICK HERE.

I send 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 425-512-4810 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