| Councilmember Dave Gossett |
August 22, 2008 |
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Dave Gossett's eNews
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201
Office: 8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building
Phone: 425-388-3494
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August 21 -- September 1
Celebrating 100 Years of Fun!
For completed event and
The Evergreen State Fairgrounds
14405 179th Ave SE
Monroe, Washington
The Evergreen State Fairgrounds are located one mile west of Monroe, WA; 14 miles east of Everett, on US2; about 30 miles northeast of Seattle via I-405 & SR 522. See Map of the Fairgrounds. | |
| Health Districts Statewide Face Funding Crisis
Until 1995, the state's counties and cities shared the costs of providing public health services, but that year the legislature changed the law by allocating a small portion of the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax to help support public health, and cities no longer had to pay a share.
Then in 1999, the legislature implemented the budget cuts included in Initiative 695 and health districts statewide, including the Snohomish Health District (made up of county and city representatives) lost that dedicated funding source.
Recently the Snohomish County Health District's director, Dr. Gary Goldbaum, announced that the local district was facing a $4.4 million budget shortfall. Health districts statewide face a funding shortfall next year.
Dr. Goldbaum has recommended cutting 20 percent of the workforce and closing many direct service programs beginning in September. His recommended cuts would severely reduce vital health services in Snohomish County.
"I disagree with Dr. Goldbaum's proposal to immediately cut vital direct services," said Councilmember Dave Gossett. "It is premature to take these actions."
"We need to evaluate all the options first," he said. "Historically, the health district always overestimated its budget needs and we need to go through their proposed budget very carefully before any rash measures are taken. We need to focus on strategies that make direct service cuts the last resort instead of the first choice."
On August 15, Gossett sent a memo to the city and county members of the board that governs the health district outlining his budget review proposals. The memo suggested a number of strategies and other options for eliminating or delaying program cuts while the community brings their concerns directly to the state legislature.
Health District Funding Forum Monday
On Monday, Aug. 25, the Snohomish County Council will host a discussion on funding options for the district with people involved in the issue, as well as the general public, invited to participate. This forum will be held during the council's regular Administrative Session that begins at 9 a.m. in the Jackson Board Room on the 8th floor of the Robert J. Drewel Building on the county campus in Everett. (See MAP) |
| County Installs Environmentally Friendly Drainage Projects at Fairgrounds
The Evergreen State Fairgrounds relies on numerous buildings and extensively paved areas to accommodate pedestrians and vehicles at its popular events. Traditional pavement and rooftops do not allow rainwater to soak into the ground. Instead, the rain runoff flows through catch basins and drainage pipes into the nearby streams and wetlands of the French Creek Watershed - sweeping surface pollutants right along with it.
Low Impact Development (LID) is an approach to managing rainwater that more closely mimics the flow of water in nature. LID techniques, also known as natural drainage techniques, allow rainwater to soak into the ground close to where it falls. This helps to replenish groundwater, remove pollutants, and provide clean water flowing into streams and wetlands.
"Protecting water quality is a very important county priority," said Councilmember Dave Gossett. "These working displays of Low Impact Development examples at the fairgrounds are a great way to introduce people to a new way of building responsively."
Snohomish County's Surface Water Management Division received a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to install Low Impact Development (LID) improvements at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds to better manage stormwater at key locations. A variety of LID techniques were installed in 2008, complete with interpretive displays as a demonstration for Fairground visitors.
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Porous concrete and pavers,
set in a Native American art
mosaic, help manage stormwater
by allowing rainwater to soak
through to the soil below. |
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Benefits of Low Impact Development (LID):
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Reduces volume of stormwater runoff
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Improves hydrology and water quality of stormwater
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Demonstrates practical techniques available to homeowners, developers, and businesses to reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality.
Fairgrounds LID projects include:
- Seven rain gardens to infiltrate rainwater from adjacent impervious parking lots, roadways, and building roofs.
- Six types of porous surfaces - including porous asphalt, two types of porous pavers, and three types of porous concrete - replaced several impervious walkways.
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Two bioretention planter boxes replaced regular planter boxes to infiltrate roof runoff from adjacent buildings.
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Compost amended lawns and landscaping provide dispersion areas to infiltrate runoff from adjacent roads and buildings.
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Infiltration trenches beneath the soil surface allow runoff to pass through a layer of poorly draining soil to the better draining layer below.
To see the locations of all fairgrounds projects, select Fairgrounds LID Brochure.
Project Partners
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Washington State Department of Ecology
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Snohomish County Public Works Roads Maintenance
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Snohomish County Parks and Recreation
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Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County | |
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Reminder!
Community County Budget Forum Sept. 10
The county council is holding a series of community forums to take public testimony on the council's county budget priorities for the 2009-2010 fiscal biennium.
Residents of the Fourth County Council District are invited to attend and speak at the Sept. 10th forum to be held in Gary Weikel Room at the Willis Tucker Community Park, 6705 Puget Park Drive, east of Mill Creek. The forum begins at 6:30 p.m.
The County Council has identified "Sustaining and Enhancing the Quality of Life for Snohomish County Residents" as the over-arching theme for development of the 2009-2010 budget - emphasizing transportation and infrastructure improvements that will keep the county moving; maintaining safe, healthy and affordable communities; and working to secure the public's trust in its government through the delivery of quality services in a manner that is both fiscally responsible and financially sustainable.
Driving Directions:
Take the 128th Street east from I-5 approximately four miles to Snohomish-Cascade Drive. 128th Street becomes 132nd and then 134th as you drive east. Turn right onto Snohomish-Cascade Drive. At the first stop sign, turn left onto Puget Park Drive. The park entrance is at the end of the street. (Map)
See the entire county council budget priorities document: MOTION NO. 08-485 - Stating the Priorities of the Snohomish County Council for Deliberation and Decisions on the 2009-2010 County Budget and Requesting Information from the County Executive. |
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Heybrook Ridge Story Correction
NOTE: In our last eNewsletter we significantly understated the amount money raised by the Friends of Heybrook Ridge towards the purchase of the property. Our original information was based on an inaccurate news story. Here is the real story:
It had been a long struggle for the Heybrook Ridge preservationists. Two years ago, residents learned that the property's owner, W.B. Foresters of Stanwood, planned to log the ridge. Index residents quickly formed the "Friends of Heybrook Ridge" to oppose the project. Almost immediately, W.B. Foresters offered to sell the property at fair market value, and gave the local group one year to raise the original $1.3 million asking price.
Fund raising went slowly, with only $86,000 raised as the June deadline approached. Then an anonymous donor came forward offering $500,000 in matching funds. And after a reappraisal of the timber's value, W.B. Foresters reduced the price by $90,000, and extended the purchase deadline by one month. As the new July 31st deadline passed, the Friends of Heybrook Ridge had raised an additional $27,000. They will have funds in the bank after the property purchase is completed and plan on contributing to the costs of trail building.
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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 |
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