LYNNWOOD — A plan to close the Lynnwood Social Security Administration office met some strong resistance from about two dozen people who gathered at a meeting Thursday morning.
A major complaint from those in attendance was that the meeting wasn’t well publicized enough. One man noted that he was the only member of the general public at the meeting.
That criticism caught the attention of U.S. Rep Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, who insisted on the meeting in the first place.
"It is disappointing to me that they apparently didn’t notify the public well enough," Inslee said. "I’ll be urging them to have an appropriate meeting with appropriate notice. We need to know what people think about this."
Rich Dickson, Social Security’s Everett district manager, is proposing to close the Lynnwood office on 33rd Avenue W., just south of Alderwood Mall, and the current Everett office, on Evergreen Way, just south of Highway 526.
The proposal would meld the two into a new, expanded site in or near downtown Everett.
"By having all of our resources under one roof, we can provide better service to more people," Dickson said.
He noted that one of Snohomish County’s fastest-growing areas is the northeast, including the cities of Marysville, Lake Stevens and Monroe.
Dickson said Social Security’s telephone and Internet services are growing and becoming more accessible to more people. Under the plan, one employee would spend a day each week in Lynnwood at a service office.
He also noted that by having all of Snohomish County’s Social Security employees in one place, particularly bilingual employees, the agency can better serve people whose first language is not English.
But some opponents, including a union that represents Social Security employees and some senior citizen groups, argue that closing the Lynnwood office would create a burden for people who use those services.
Inslee is also not yet sold on the idea.
"I’m not convinced, at the moment, that it’s the right thing to do," he said, questioning the notion that one consolidated office could provide better service.
"If you look around, 7-Elevens don’t just have one big store."
Steve Kofahl, president of the local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees, said Social Security Administration’s own surveys have shown that people prefer to meet face-to-face with a claims representative when handling important business.
"The idea that (field offices) are something that’s out of style or old-fashioned doesn’t really reflect what the public wants," he said.
Kofahl suggested opening a new branch in north Snohomish County to serve the growing population there, rather than consolidating into downtown Everett.
"It’s been done before, it can be done again," he said.
At the Lynnwood Social Security Administration office Thursday, Tim Hapke waited for some assistance in finding a job.
Hapke, 36, of Lynnwood said closing the office in his hometown would be detrimental to those who need it most.
"This is kind of a last resort for people," he said. "It would be a bummer for me if I had to go to Everett. I’m on my last nickel, I’ve got a kid. It’d probably cost about $10 to get there and back (using public transportation)."
Joel Wallice, 20, made the drive to the Lynnwood office from his home in Snohomish because of long wait times at the Everett office. He said it was nice to have an option to go to another branch.
A larger office "would be hard to find in Everett," Wallice said. "And I was heading to the mall, anyway."
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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