News from Snohomish County Council

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Gossett Offers Funding Plan for
Regional Justice Center Construction

County Councilmember Dave Gossett has unveiled a funding plan for the construction of a long-planned Regional Justice Center.

County Executive Aaron Reardon's 2008 recommended county budget recognized the need for a regional justice center, with only a voter-approved levy identified as the funding source.

"We must find existing revenues to hold down costs to taxpayers," said Gossett. "We can't go to the voters and ask them to increase their property taxes to fund the entire cost of the project. The council needs to develop a plan to fund a significant portion of the cost and only ask the voters for the difference."

The new Regional Justice Center is proposed to be a 10-story structure attached to the front or north side of the existing courthouse, with space enough to house anticipated space projections for the county's Superior and District courts, the County Clerk and Prosecutor, the Office of Public Defense, Sheriff's Office, Public Defender Association, the county law library, jury services, and campus security services. The project also includes substantially upgrading the existing courthouse and adjacent Mission Building.

Gossett's plan calls for recommitting county revenues currently dedicated to past construction projects as those bonds are paid off - almost $700,000 in 2008 and almost $1.9 million in 2015. His plan also dedicates "new construction" revenues for an additional $1.3 million.

All told, his plan identifies almost $3.9 million which would allow the county to service a debt of about $62 million at no additional cost to taxpayers.

The council will consider funding options in late April or early May.

"This is good news," said Presiding Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman. "The public and the county's law and justice agencies have a clear need for a regional justice center that will provide a safe, secure and efficient environment for serving the public. We believe that the proposed new regional justice center will meet that need."

Gossett's proposal also calls for exploring options for holding down costs, including:

� Co-locating Everett's Municipal Court in the new building, a possibility the city has already said it is interested in discussing.

� Leaving floors designed for future growth unfinished. The Justice Center is designed to accommodate both current needs and future growth.

� Off-campus public safety agencies (such as the Public Defense Association) could be moved to the site and the ensuing savings from rents applied to the debt service.

"Over $62 million is a significant down payment on the Regional Justice Center," said Gossett. "Making these dollars available involves tough choices, but I believe these are exactly the kind of choices the public has a right to expect of us before they are asked to increase their property taxes."

Government Transparency

County Council Meetings Now Webcast
The County Council has taken a big step to increase public access to county government. Beginning in February, all meetings of the Council are being broadcast or webcast on the Internet.

Residents can now watch county public hearings and council committee meetings any time over the Internet. Link to Council Webcasts to see live and archived meetings, agendas and minutes.

Feb. 29, 2008
Governor Appoints Dave Gossett to Affordable House Board
Governor Christine Gregoire has appointed Snohomish County Councilmember Dave Gossett to the state Affordable Housing Advisory Board. The Board serves as the principal advisory board to the Governor on housing and housing related issues.
Read the complete story

Brightwater Mitigation Funds

County buys 9 acres for new 'Brightwater' park

Tapping mitigation funds from the Brightwater wastewater treatment plant, the Snohomish County Council has approved a purchase and sale agreement for almost nine acres for a future community park at the southeast corner of 228^th St. SE and 45^th Ave. SE, about half a mile west of the plant site.

"This is the first parkland purchase using Brightwater mitigation funds," said County Councilman Dave Gossett. "Creating new park space in this area of the county is important for maintaining the livability of the community. I am committed to providing quality park projects for the residents of Snohomish County."

Gossett also noted that the county is planning to construct several pedestrian walkways/sidewalks and bicycle lanes in the area, further enhancing public access to this park. A walkway and bicycle lane will be built along 228^th Street from 39^th Ave to Highway 9, and a walkway/sidewalk will be built on 45^th Ave. from 212^th St to 240^th St., Engineering for these projects is scheduled to begin this year, with all construction expected to be completed in 2012.

"The funding for this park comes from the settlement agreement that allowed King County to build the Brightwater facility in Snohomish County," said Gossett. "Additional parkland purchases using Brightwater mitigation funds are in the works."

The treatment plant, expected to open in 2011, will serve residents in both counties.

In total, Gossett said King County agreed to provide $70 million to mitigate the impact of the Brightwater plant, with $30.4 million dedicated to parks and recreational projects, $25 million for public safety improvements (including walkways), $10.8 million for habitat mitigation and about $3 million for the construction of a community resource center.

Snohomish County is paying $1.86 million for the 8.83 acres, with the sale expected to close in March. The Snohomish County Parks and Recreation Department will subsequently undertake a public planning process to develop a park master plan for the property.

Persons interested in participating in planning process for this park are asked to contact Councilmember Gossett at 425-388-3494, or e-mail dave.gossett@snoco.org.

"Investing in parks today is an investment in the future," said Gossett. "We need to do all we can to preserve and enhance the qualities of our neighborhoods for current and coming generations."

I hope you found this eNEWSLETTER to be informative and useful. You can make it even more valuable by suggesting topics and issues for future newsletters. Please contact me at 425-388-3494, or e-mail Dave.Gossett@snoco.org. If you would like to share this newsletter, select the Forward email link below.

Sincerely,

Dave Gossett
Snohomish County Council