Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said this week that his citizens cabinet is making excellent progress on a business plan for the county.
The 19-member group of business executives and other local leaders is ahead of schedule in producing the plan, he added.
“They’re high performers. They’re very aggressive individuals,” Reardon said.
The cabinet began meeting in February and is expected to complete its economic development action plan by July.
The business blueprint will examine the county’s tax structure, its regulatory system, available infrastructure, and the pros and cons of doing business in the county.
No go with the flow: The County Council plans a public hearing July 7 on the proposal to create the Robe Valley Flood Control District.
The floods in October and November destroyed two homes and damaged another in the Robe area, east of Granite Falls. Residents hope a flood district would make it easier to push forward projects to strengthen the banks of the South Fork Stillaguamish River so other homes won’t get hammered by floods. Creation of the district would most likely go to a public vote Sept. 14.
Primary pamphlet: Snohomish County will publish a voter’s guide to the primary election. The state isn’t making one for the primary, so the county’s plan is to include not only local races, but state and federal candidates as well, in the local guide. The guide also will include details on how the new primary election procedure will work.
More help: The County Council signed off this week on hiring 12 more people to help Medicaid recipients who are getting state-funded home care. State funding will cover the costs. County officials say more than 2,000 people in the county receive home-care services every month.
See you at the fair: Bill Evans, former parks director for Lynnwood, and Craig Ohm, general manager of Buzz Inn restaurants, have been appointed to the Evergreen State Fair board. Evans will serve until December 2005, and Ohm until December 2007.
Got guns? The County Council has expanded rules governing shooting ranges to allow retail sales of guns and archery equipment.
Ready for takeoff: Wilder Construction Co. of Everett has won the contract to build a new taxiway at Paine Field with a bid of $788,888. The Federal Aviation Administration will pay 90 percent of the cost.
Claim of the week: A Lynnwood woman wants the county to pay for a new door to her condo. She called police after she got into a “little argument” with her husband, but said she was afraid to answer the door when an officer came and started knocking. Police then kicked the door in, and the woman said she’s no longer able to fully close the door. That made her condo cold and left her so ill she couldn’t go to work for a week. The woman says a new door – a special-order, custom-installed steel model – will cost $1,123. It comes with a warranty.
Next week: Public hearings continue on a study that predicts what will happen under the county’s revised growth plan.
How you can get involved: The next public hearing is 7-9 p.m. Tuesday at Stillaguamish Senior Center, 18308 Smokey Point Blvd., Arlington.
Reporter Brian Kelly covers county government for the Herald. He can be reached at 425-339-3422 or e-mail kelly@heraldnet.com.
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