In the Fall of 2023 I initiated an Ordinance that allows for county fleet vehicles which are at the end of their useful life to be donated to local non-profits and I’m excited to share that the first round of vehicles were donated earlier this month. The past policy was to auction off a retired vehicle at their depreciated market rate, but instead the county will now be able to donate some of these vehicles to qualifying non-profits which will provide a far greater benefit to the community. The first round of vehicles (a 2007 Chevy Malibu and two 2017 Ford Fusions) were recently donated to the Washington West African Center, the Holman Recovery Center, and the North Counties’ Family Services Center. Joining for the informal event was truly a moving experience and it’s great to know that these non-profits will be better able to serve the community and achieve their missions because of better access to transportation.  

If you or an organization you know could benefit from a donated vehicle, please fill out the application on this page and county staff will work to select qualifying groups based off of organizational needs which match to vehicles that become available.  

Congratulations to the first round of recipients! 

Another policy that I initiated passed unanimously at the March 19 Public Hearing meeting and will be helpful to address housing affordability and sustainable development in Snohomish County. Ordinance 25-014 implements state law and some additional discretionary changes in Snohomish County. Before the passage of this ordinance, only single-family residences could have ADUs in the county. This ordinance allows duplexes and attached single family dwellings to also have ADUs in urban zones, and it removes architectural standards specific to ADUs. The ordinance also includes new incentives related to bulk regulations to encourage more ADU development that would apply to sites with urban zoning. 

I am proud to have initiated this Ordinance which addresses housing affordability and home ownership opportunities in a way that responds to community needs and moves Snohomish County to the forefront of proactive policies to address this critical issue. As we continue to plan for future growth in our county while incorporating sustainable land use practices, these regulations will allow more flexibility for infill housing in our urban areas to protect our open spaces. These small changes and code updates will have a big impact on our housing crisis and promoting all housing types for all types of families. 

On Tuesday, March 18, Council hosted a panel of area subject matter experts and interested parties to further discuss the county’s Critical Area Regulations Ordinance. As a quick re-cap, the county is considering an update to buffer zones protections near environmentally critical areas like streams and wetlands. Staff have proposed regulations based on best available science and amendments from councilmembers Nehring and Mead would reduce these buffer zones to allow for more flexibility for housing developers.  

It was an informative discussion which highlighted the need for thoughtful policies that support housing development without compromising or encroaching on our environmental protections. I will continue to focus on ensuring there are maximum environmental protections as we continue to discuss this matter.  

This Ordinance will return for a public hearing though the date hasn’t been set yet. If you would like to share public comment, please share with the full council at contact.council@snoco.org, or call our main line at 425-388-3494 and leave a message which can be forwarded to all council offices.  

As Chair of the Snohomish County Board of Health I continue to follow the measles case that was diagnosed here in Snohomish County. Our county health department has a detailed response to situations like this to conduct contact tracing to determine if other individuals were exposed. At the time of this writing, our health department has determined that there is no risk to measles to the general public from this new case. 

Measles is highly contagious and can be extremely dangerous, especially to people who are unvaccinated. Infants, pregnant individuals, and people with weakened immune systems are especially at risk. Measles is preventable with the safe and highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles and that protection is long lasting. Thankfully it's also preventable with a vaccination. 

For more information about measles and measles vaccination, including where to get measles vaccinations, please visit Measles | Snohomish County Health Department, WA 

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. It’s important to me to keep you updated on my work at the County and updates from my district. If you are in need of any assistance or if there is any county information that I can help to provide, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Megan.Dunn@snoco.org, or with my aide at Paula.Rhyne@snoco.org. You can call our office as well at 425-388-3494 to leave a message and we’ll return your call.  

Sincerely,