The flames are flickering in the flare-up between Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon and the County Council over an update of rules that protect ponds, streams and other critical areas.
Behind-the-scenes bickering started several weeks ago when Reardon sent a memo to County Council Chairman John Koster that outlined numerous problems with the council’s efforts to rewrite the county’s critical areas regulations.
In the March 31 memo, Reardon said the council had spent $250,000 for a consultant and a law firm to help rewrite the rules.
But the consultants’ work was late in coming, Reardon wrote, and it may not withstand a legal challenge.
Reardon also said the consultants’ contract should be amended so the planning department would be in charge of the agreement.
Reardon said he sent the memo in the spirit of cooperation, and in hopes the council would use technical experts already on the payroll to help write the rules.
"I don’t want to get something on my desk that I have to veto," Reardon said. "If I see a flaw in a document, I want to offer assistance to solve those problems now, before it gets too late.
"I’m not trying to rub anyone’s nose in it — on contract management, on cost — that’s not the issue," he added. "The issue is: We want to solve the problem."
But for a memo meant as a helping hand, it struck some like a slap in the face.
Koster said the memo left him surprised and frustrated.
"I don’t know what he’s suggesting here, whether he wants to throw everything out and start all over again, which means we won’t make it (the state deadline), or if he wants to again work cooperatively with the council to get this thing done," Koster said.
"To me, this doesn’t demonstrate a whole lot of cooperation."
The county’s effort to rewrite the rules has been under way for more than a year.
The County Council hired Pentec Environmental to help with the project in February 2003, and set a deadline of late December 2003 for the consultants to finish their work. The contract was later amended, however, to give Pentec until June 30.
Pentec’s supervisor for the work could not be reached for comment Monday.
Koster recalled that it was the County Council that pushed for an earlier start in rewriting the rules. The county’s planning department had planned to start the project this year.
"It hasn’t been this council that’s been dragging their feet on making the timelines," he said.
Even if the consultants’ work takes more time than planned, it will not cost the county more money, he said. "I haven’t any intention of going back to the well for more money here for Pentec," Koster said.
The county has to finish the new rules by December or it could be found out of compliance with the state’s Growth Management Act and could face sanctions or the loss of tax revenues.
"We’ll make the timeline," Koster said. "He says he wants a final draft by October, and I think we will be able to meet that, without changing course."
Some, though, are questioning what Snohomish County will be getting for the money that’s already been spent on consultant work for the critical areas update.
John Healy, spokesman for 1000 Friends of Washington, said it’s outrageous to spend $250,000 for consultants and not have anything to show for it. 1000 Friends is a statewide group that promotes managed growth and fights suburban sprawl into farm and forestlands.
"If I were a taxpayer in Snohomish County, I would be angry," Healy said. "Critical areas ordinances are the most important local tool we have in this state for making our communities healthy places to live."
"It’s not about saving some exotic species of frog. It’s about making the water we drink healthy. It’s about being good stewards of the place we live. It’s about taking responsibility for the way we live, just like the way you take responsibility for your home."
Koster and Reardon appeared to be moving toward a compromise Monday.
Reardon said he met with Koster and there was agreement the consultants should tap some of the in-house expertise Reardon mentioned in his memo. "They will take us up on our offer," he said.
Reporter Brian Kelly: 425-339-3422 or kelly@heraldnet.com.
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