What to expect in 2010 for Snohomish County
Published 5:40 pm Sunday, December 27, 2009
It may be the dawn of a new decade, but 2010 will lug along some familiar baggage: the threat of layoffs, talk of higher taxes and the likelihood of leaner services.
Attention will be focused on Olympia, where state lawmakers face another round of spending cuts that could lead to larger classes for students, less health care for the poor and higher taxes.
The new year also sows seeds of hope for Snohomish County. Boeing is expected to deliver its first fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways. The midsize, lightweight jet made with a special plastic promises more comfortable trips for passengers and more fuel efficiency for airlines.
Everett also could get a financial infusion in 2010, when the Pentagon is expected to award a hard-fought-after contract to build 179 aerial tankers. Boeing has been battling Northrop Grumman Corp. and Northrop’s European partner EADS for the contract, which could be worth $25 billion to $50 billion.
A new high school is expected to open in Marysville, while a $500 million hospital tower at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett will continue to take shape.
Here’s a look at what’s ahead in the new year:
$2.6 billion headache
The Legislature will return to work Jan. 11 to face the problem of a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, and new taxes will likely be proposed.
A year ago, Gov. Chris Gregoire and the Democratic majority in the Legislature closed a $9 billion gap between revenues and expenses. They did it by cutting spending, halting most wage hikes, tapping reserves and relying on a big bailout of federal assistance.
This year’s shortfall sits at $2.6 billion and there are fewer programs to cut, no guarantee of federal help and only 60 scheduled days in the session to act.
Gregoire and leaders of the House and the Senate say they will consider new or higher taxes and fees as a means of making ends meet and preserving education, health care and human service programs they deem vital.
Another big task for the Legislature deals with education. Washington plans to compete for a share of $4 billion in federal grants for public schools. Its success may hinge on passing new laws such as one to give the state greater say in the running of poorly performing schools.
Hope in the skies
In 2010, Boeing will have two widebody aircraft in flight testing: the 787 and the 747-8 Freighter.
The company is expected to deliver the first 747-8 in the third quarter and the first 787 in late 2010.
Boeing will begin to establish a “surge” line for its 787 Dreamliner in Everett as it looks to ramp up production on the delayed jetliner. Eventually the company will move that additional capacity to South Carolina, where it plans to open a second 787 final assembly line in 2011.
The U.S. Air Force could finally award its multibillion-dollar aerial refueling tanker contract this summer. The contract would mean jobs on that production line for years to come.
The son of WASL
New tests, millions of dollars in cuts and major school construction projects are on the horizon.
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning will be replaced by the Measurements of Student Progress in third through eighth grades and the High School Proficiency Exam for older students. The new tests will be shorter, the time it takes to give them will be cut in half and online testing will be pilot-tested in some grades.
With the Legislature looking for ways to cut education spending, the result could be teacher layoffs, larger classes and fewer course offerings.
Randy Dorn, the state schools superintendent, has estimated the governor’s proposed budget could require 5,000 teacher layoffs.
Closer to home, the new $92.6 million Marysville Getchell High School is expected to open as early as September, freeing up space at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, the state’s biggest school with 2,800 students.
At Everett Community College, a $19.5 million fitness center, which will serve college sports teams and the student body, is expected to open next fall.
Big investment
The new $500 million hospital tower at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett will get glass panels installed on the building’s exterior in April.
Even though construction cranes around the building are scheduled to be dismantled by midyear, the opening of the 12-story building is not expected until 2011.
The building also will house the hospital’s emergency room, which has long been jammed with patients.
Right to flight?
The question of commercial air service at Paine Field could be resolved in 2010, after years of debate. An environmental study recently concluded that limited service from two airlines would have no significant effect on surrounding neighborhoods. A public comment period ends Jan. 29.
The Federal Aviation Administration likely will decide by March whether the study is correct in its conclusion, said Peter Camp, an executive director for Snohomish County, which runs the airport.
If the agency concurs, the next step would be for the county and the two airlines that have expressed an interest, Horizon Air and Allegiant Air, to reach an agreement for service.
Tough times
County Executive Aaron Reardon and others fear more tough budget decisions in 2010.
Councilman Brian Sullivan said governments recover 12 to 18 months more slowly than the rest of the economy during a downturn. The county, in his opinion, should avoid taking on any big projects and concentrate on core services, such as keeping sheriff’s deputies on the road and making sure that services flow to people who need them, such as single mothers and veterans.
Despite the financial stagnation, there are some bright spots.
Two parks that have been years in the making are expected to open this spring: a complex of ball fields at Lake Stevens Community Park and a park at the site of the former Martha Lake Airport northeast of Lynnwood.
By late 2010, an eight-mile extension of the Centennial Trail up to the Skagit County line should be nearing completion.
The campaign for the next Snohomish County prosecutor is expected to heat up. The position is up for election in November.
Democrats Mark Roe and Jim Kenny began campaigning for the job in the fall, when the County Council was tasked with selecting an interim prosecutor to replace Janice Ellis. Roe, a 22-year veteran deputy prosecutor, was appointed.
Roadwork ahead
The coming year is shaping up as a big one for state road projects in Snohomish County. Nine major projects are scheduled to begin in 2010 and four that are currently in progress will continue, said Meghan Pembroke, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
The state plans to start work in June on a new onramp to southbound I-5 from I-405 and Highway 525, to separate that traffic from drivers exiting I-5 to 196th Street in Lynnwood. The $59.5 million project is expected to take about a year and a half.
Other major new projects include building a flyover ramp from Highway 522 to U.S. 2 in Monroe; a new bridge over Ebey Slough on Highway 529 in Marysville, to eventually replace the current one; and turn lanes and other improvements on U.S. 2 between Monroe and Gold Bar.
Across the county
A familiar presence will return to the Everett waterfront in the new year.
The USS Abraham Lincoln left Everett in April for extended maintenance at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.
The city of Everett expects to spend nearly $1 million expanding the Carl Gipson Senior Center and $1.9 million upgrading the former Key Bank building it owns downtown for a children’s theater. It alsp plans to develop a $2.5 million plaza linking the Key Bank building and the Everett Performing Arts Center.
In north Snohomish County, Marysville will become Snohomish County’s second largest city when an annexation to the north takes effect Dec. 30. Marysville’s population will jump from 37,000 to roughly 56,000.
Marysville also will build a new $2.7 million road connecting 88th Street NE and Highway 9 near the new Marysville Getchell High School. Work is targeted to be done in time for the start of the 2010-11 school year.
In Arlington, expansion of the city’s $30 million wastewater treatment plant will continue. Other projects are $120,000 in sidewalk work on both sides of Gifford Avenue between First and Third streets, a $250,000 Smokey Point Boulevard overlay project, and construction of a $460,000 wetlands project to deal with city storm water.
Stanwood is expecting minor water and sewer system replacement projects and upgrades. Because of the city’s tight budget, general-fund spending for parks and facilities is virtually nonexistent for 2010, city administrator Joyce Papke said.
In east Snohomish County, Monroe will welcome several new faces to city government, including Mayor-elect Robert Zimmerman.
The city also will get a better sense for the future of its North Kelsey property, where Seattle developer Sabey Corp. plans to buy 24 acres with an eye on bringing a big-box store to town. The sale may be completed in 2010, and news of a store could arrive then, too.
Snohomish will review options for replacing a wastewater treatment plant that doesn’t meet environmental regulations — a project estimated at at least $30 million.
An excursion train could bring tourists to the historic downtown within six months, now that the Port of Seattle has paid $81 million to buy an old rail corridor between Snohomish and Woodinville.
In Lake Stevens, the most visible change will be a $1.52 million roundabout at the intersection of Lundeen Parkway, Vernon Road and Soper Hill Road.
In south Snohomish County, Edmonds residents can expect the City Council to consider placing a property tax measure on the ballot early in 2010, said Councilman Michael Plunkett.
The council also is likely to reconsider a 2008 decision that forced land-use appeals to go straight from the hearing examiner’s office to Snohomish County Superior Court, rather than to the council first.
Lynnwood will try to solve a nearly $2 million budget shortfall.
Some planned projects in Mill Creek are on hold. For example, the City Council probably won’t take any action in 2010 to expand the Mill Creek Sports Park.
In Mukilteo, city officials say coming up with a long-range financial plan will be a council focus in 2010.
In Mountlake Terrace, city leaders are eager to see whether the economy improves enough for developers to get projects moving in the city’s planned Town Center.
“Hopefully, the banks will start loaning money shortly so these guys can start getting their projects built,” Mayor Jerry Smith said.
Reporters Jerry Cornfield, Michelle Dunlop, Gale Fiege, Noah Haglund, Oscar Halpert, Diana Hefley, Andy Rathbun, Sharon Salyer and Bill Sheets contributed to this story.
