Ride along with Office of Neighborhoods

On October 2nd, I participated in a ride-along with our Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office of Neighborhoods (OON) and SCOUT Team (Snohomish County Outreach). This partnership pairs Sheriff Deputies with Embedded Social Workers from our Human Services Department to connect individuals who are homeless with drug and mental health treatment, housing referrals, and other tools to get their lives back on track. The partnership leads with compassion but balances that with accountability, promoting public safety in our communities. I dedicated my monthly column to the OON and SCOUT Team partnership; you can read that column at this link.

PDS Timeline Improvements

Planning and Development Services (PDS) is the county department responsible for reviewing and issuing permits for all land use activity in unincorporated Snohomish County. In recent years, staffing challenges led to permit delays that fell short of County expectations and new state requirements for faster review timelines. 

At a recent Planning and Community Development Committee meeting, PDS Director Mike McCrary presented on the improvements the department has made to streamline processes and reduce review times. You can view their presentation here (starts at 18:33). 

Two years ago, PDS had a 23-page list of overdue permits, with some projects more than nine months late. In response, department leadership implemented staffing changes, process improvements, and a public KPI dashboard to increase transparency. As of July 2025, no permits exceed review timelines. This is a great achievement, and I am truly grateful to each and every staff member who made it happen. 

On Thursday, October 30, I joined a PDS all-staff meeting to thank the team for their outstanding commitment to customer service.

Cascade High School Class Visit

On Thursday, October 16th, Councilmember Mead and I visited two social studies classes at Cascade High School to talk about our roles in county government. We shared our experiences as local elected officials, the role of local government and how it interacts with higher levels of government, and the importance of working together across party lines. The students had great questions and I appreciated the opportunity to join them and share my perspective as a County Councilmember.  

Conservation Futures Feature

As part of our ongoing Conservation Futures feature, this month, I am highlighting the Sierra Park Expansion/Alderwood Water District Property Acquisition. This project is in partnership with the City of Edmonds within their city limits. The property is a 0.38-acre parcel currently owned by the water district and almost completely surrounded by the City’s Sierra Park. The purchase of the property by the City will expand open space and recreational opportunities for Edmonds residents and others throughout the region.  

Last month, I visited the site with Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen. This project is a great example of partnership between local governments to preserve and expand open space and recreational opportunities. I appreciate everyone involved in the project and their commitment to these important conservation efforts. 

Jordan Creek Bridge Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

In last month’s newsletter, I wrote about a September site visit to the Jordan Creek Bridge project, highlighting the project and the team that is working on it. On October 21st, we officially cut the ribbon on the bridge. I joined County Public Works staff and contractors on the project for a ceremony celebrating the completion of the new bridge over Jordan Creek. This is an important route for North Snohomish County, connecting Arlington and Granite Falls.