Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon has asked Gov. Gary Locke not to impose sanctions against the county because of the Island Crossing controversy.
Last month, a state growth management hearings board shot down the County Council’s efforts to allow urban development at Island Crossing. And the board asked the governor to hit the county with financial sanctions until county officials stop their attempts to expand Arlington’s growth area to include Island Crossing.
Reardon sent Locke a letter last week, saying financial sanctions would pose a hardship to a county facing serious budget problems.
Car dealer Dwayne Lane has repeatedly pressed the County Council to let Arlington expand into Island Crossing so he can move one of his auto dealerships to the high-profile location next to I-5.
But taking the land out of farming has many critics, including Locke. The controversy has now moved to the courts, and Reardon’s letter to the governor said development at Island Crossing would have to wait until litigation wraps up.
In the letter, Reardon also touted the things he’s done to support the Growth Management Act, which includes vetoing a council ordinance that redefined the role of Snohomish County Tomorrow, and his work to halt “the illegal conversion of agricultural lands to ball fields.”
Reardon’s letter also said that the number of county cases before the growth hearings board more than doubled last year, something that “reflected an unfortunate shift in direction on the part of our council toward the GMA.”
Reardon said his take on the Growth Management Act – the state law that protects farm, forests and other resource lands from urban development – is different.
“This administration is serious about following the law,” Reardon said.
* Snohomish County won’t save as much money as originally expected when it pulls its scattered workers onto the county government’s new campus in Everett next year.
Previously, county officials thought the opening of a new administration building next to the old one on Rockefeller Avenue would save money as workers were centralized and fewer employees were needed to provide services.
But with the release of a new five-year financial forecast last week came a new look at the expected savings.
Surprise! The savings won’t be so substantial.
The county now says the campus project will only mean roughly $722,000 in savings next year from combined campus operations. That’s down from an earlier estimate of $2.1 million in savings from personnel costs, supplies and other services. Last year’s estimate of the money saved from having fewer employees was pegged at $1.8 million.
Claim of the week: A Lake Stevens woman wants $100 from the county after a roadside mower hit her mailbox and broke an 80-year-old hand-carved name plate.
Next week: The County Council will hold a hearing on an agreement with Stanwood that covers annexations and development projects in the city’s urban growth area.
How you can get involved: The public hearing is 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 14, Jackson Hearing Room, sixth floor of county administration building.
Reporter Brian Kelly covers county government for the Herald. He can be reached at 425-339-3422; kelly@heraldnet.com.
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