EVERETT — People from Snohomish County’s business world have a chance this week to tell government leaders what they’d like to see in the way of roads, bridges and other transportation projects.
A panel discussion County Councilman Dave Gossett has scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday comes during a larger conversation about how to pay for all the county’s long-term road needs.
“We want to focus on the relationship between growth, jobs and transportation,” he said.
Some of the main ideas to be discussed are what businesses and unions need to get workers to jobs and to ship goods.
The meeting follows another that included members from Community Transit, Sound Transit and Everett Transit. That was held before the council public works committee that Gossett chairs. A third meeting is planned July 5 to focus on different modes of transportation.
Invited to Monday’s meeting are: Steve Holtgeerts, president of Everett-based Hogland Transfer Co.; Rich White, a government relations manager for The Boeing Co.; Troy McClelland, president and CEO of Economic Alliance Snohomish County and a Port of Everett commissioner; and Dave Johnson, executive secretary of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades.
Gossett is concerned about the county being able to pay for transportation projects over the next decade or two. The county lacks $263 million of the estimated $400 million it needs for all of the transportation upgrades on its list through 2025.
Members of County Executive Aaron Reardon’s administration disagree that the county’s road-improvement budget is that underfunded. They note that all of the county’s arterials are able to handle current traffic volumes. Also, since the long-term roads list was drawn up at a time of much faster growth, they believe some road improvements listed in 2005 may no longer be needed.
To Gossett, however, it’s important to start talking now about three options for roads planning: do nothing and accept that roads will become more congested, change land-use patterns to focus future growth in urban areas, or impose a $20 car-tab fee.
To put the fee in place, the County Council would have to form a transportation benefit district. A public hearing about creating this special taxing district for unincorporated parts of the county is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. July 13.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Monday meeting
Monday’s special meeting of the Snohomish County Council’s public works committee includes a panel discussion about transportation, business and jobs.
It’s scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on the eighth floor of the county’s Robert J. Drewel Building on 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.
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