Dear Snohomish County Neighbors,
As we approach the Independence Day holiday, I hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July. There are many ways to celebrate throughout Snohomish County, whether at neighborhood gatherings or community events. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, I encourage everyone to take a little extra time this year to reflect, celebrate, and enjoy this historic milestone.
Below, you'll find my newsletter highlighting the County Council's work and activities over the past month. You can start with the summary and then continue on to the full newsletter.
💊 Addiction legislation: Two new ordinances expand recovery-focused housing options and strengthen protections for children.
🖥️ Data center moratorium: The Council approved my emergency six-month moratorium while permanent regulations are developed.
🚔 Jail efficiency study: A comprehensive review of jail operations is moving forward to improve efficiency and ensure responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
⚽ Strawberry Fields: Celebrated the opening of Marysville's new synthetic turf field and the unveiling of the Ribbon of Unity public art installation.
🌍 World Refugee Day: Joined community members in celebrating the contributions of refugees and welcoming new neighbors.
⚖️ Juneteenth: Honored the anniversary of emancipation and reaffirmed our commitment to justice and equality.
🌲 Evergreen Boys & Girls State: Spoke with the next generation of civic leaders about public service and leadership.
🏖️ Beach cleanup: Join us on July 9 for a community cleanup at Meadowdale Beach Park.
Addiction Legislation Update
Last month, the Snohomish County Council approved two ordinances I sponsored to strengthen our response to the drug addiction crisis by expanding recovery-focused housing options and increasing protections for children.
The first ordinance ensures that County grant funding does not favor one housing model over another. Programs that emphasize sobriety, treatment, and accountability will compete on equal footing for County funding, allowing providers to offer approaches that best support long-term recovery.
The second ordinance creates a new gross misdemeanor offense for knowingly or recklessly exposing a child to controlled substances, including fentanyl. This closes an important gap in state law and gives local prosecutors another tool to hold offenders accountable while better protecting vulnerable children.
These ordinances are part of a broader shift in the County's approach to balancing compassion with accountability by supporting pathways to recovery, improving public safety, and ensuring County policies deliver meaningful results for our community. You can read the Everett Herald’s coverage of the public hearing at this link.
Moratorium on Data Centers
On June 24, the County Council adopted my proposed emergency moratorium on new data centers in Snohomish County. The moratorium was introduced in response to many of you reaching out to my office to share your concerns about resource usage and impacts on neighboring communities.
The six-month moratorium took effect immediately and prohibits the Planning and Development Services Department from accepting applications for new data centers until the County Council adopts permanent regulations. If necessary, the moratorium may be extended for an additional six months.
The next step is for the County Council to develop draft regulations for review by the public, stakeholders, and the Planning Commission. The proposed regulations will then return to the County Council for final consideration. If you would like to share your feedback regarding AI data centers, please take my survey (linked here). Your feedback will help inform my position as this process moves forward. I also wrote a column about data centers which you can read in the Lynnwood Times at this link.
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