Both sides agree: It was a nice “no.”
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon tendered the third veto of his administration this week, shooting down a County Council measure that allowed the subdivision of lots that straddle urban growth area boundaries.
In his veto letter, Reardon said it was a “friendly veto” based on legal and technical issues.
Council Chairman John Koster agreed.
“It was a friendly veto, and I accept it,” Koster said.
The council had good intentions when it adopted the change, which would have allowed urban development on one side of divided property, and keep the land’s rural designation on the other side of the line. Approximately 56 parcels in the county straddle urban growth area boundaries.
“We’ll try to fix it a different way if we can,” Koster said.
The veto was Reardon’s third in 11 months. To compare, previous executive Bob Drewel had three vetoes in 12 years.
Closed again: Get a chance to drive on Oakes Avenue in Everett when it reopened last week? Savor it. The street that runs past the county government campus redevelopment project will be closed again from Saturday through Dec. 24.
The closure is needed so cranes can deliver steel for the on-campus cafe, as well as carpet for the new county administration building. The street must be closed so a 240-ton mobile crane can be parked there to deliver the steel.
Another three-week closure of Oakes Avenue is scheduled for mid-January.
Problem plants: The battle against Eurasian water milfoil, an invasive plant that harms water quality and poses problems for swimmers and boaters, will continue at Lake Goodwin and Lake Shoecraft.
Property owners at the lakes formed a lake management district to help pay for the fight against the milfoil five years ago. But the battle was in danger of running out of money because legislation that authorizes the district expires at the end of the year.
The fight will go on, however. The County Council approved an increase in surface water management fees for properties around the lakes so the eradication effort could continue.
Those fees, $39 a year for lakefront owners, are lower than the $60-a-year tax that residents were paying to the district. The new fees will be collected for five years.
Claim of the week: An Everett man has filed a claim against the county for an unspecified amount of money because police took his hat and didn’t give it back after he was arrested. The cap, which the man said was “unreplaceable,” was leather, with a raccoon tail. He said it once belonged to his grandfather, now deceased.
Next week: The council’s operations committee will discuss a consultant contract for work on Paine Field Community Park.
How you can get involved: The council’s discussions on the topic will be held during a meeting open to the public starting at 1:30 p.m. Monday in the Jackson Boardroom on the sixth floor of the 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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