In May 2006, the Snohomish City Council appointed 19 individuals to a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to develop a strategic plan for the city. These individuals came primarily from city committees, community organizations and businesses. Their goal was to develop a high-level 20-year plan and a detailed 5-year action plan. This goal has been met and a strategic plan entitled “Imagine Snohomish: Promoting Vitality and Preserving Character” is being presented to the council this month.
Snohomish is a proud town blessed with beautiful historical homes and a riverfront main street that attracts residents and tourists. It is surrounded by the rapidly growing cities of Monroe, Lake Stevens and Mill Creek. For decades the city mantra was to preserve its heritage against the onslaught of its neighbors’ development. However, this approach resulted in a city with an aging infrastructure and minimal economic activity. Recently, this mantra began to change as the city annexed large parcels of property to the north and west. The time had come for Snohomish to join the rest of the county and grow.
The CAC spent six months discussing how our aging and dysfunctional facilities, combined with a lower than average economic base, means our city must improve its financial position, but not at the expense of damaging our special historic small town character. Our discussions were greatly influenced by economic and demographic data, two public forums, and personal conversations held with citizens.
The result is the decision that Snohomish must grow and preserve its unique character at the same time. The CAC concluded the City Council and staff must make integrated strategic and tactical decisions and therefore developed goals that have equal priority. The strategic plan is available on the city’s Web site (www.ci.snohomish.wa.us) and the five goals of this plan are summarized below. The strategic plan will be discussed at the Dec. 5 and Dec. 19 City Council meetings and all Snohomish citizens are encouraged to attend these meetings.
THE FIVE GOALS
Facilitate citywide economic growth and development.
Every business, nonprofit and government entity needs money to deliver services or products. The CAC believes our city must obtain money from all available resources, not just from our citizens’ wallets. The only way to increase the amount and diversify the source of city revenue is to expand and broaden our local economy. Encouraging and facilitating development to increase retail sales tax revenues is a key strategy to support this goal.
Maintain and enhance the city’s special character and identity.
Since the city was founded in 1859, citizens have shown a strong sense of community pride, concern for the environment, and a preference for high quality residential and commercial development. A town that values quality development, combined with an appreciation for our natural environment, its historic built environment and the arts is a town that can expect to thrive for centuries, not just a few years.
Increase walkability, connectivity and bike/pedestrian access to and within the city.
Some common characteristics of a small town are the sense of belonging and knowing your neighbors. These characteristics frequently come from being able to physically see people on a regular basis and enjoy community amenities at a slower pace. By encouraging citizens to walk to the store or restaurant and bike and walk for recreation, the city will provide more opportunities for people to “see each other” and thus improve our sense of community. In addition, streets will see fewer cars being used for short in-town trips, thus slowing the growth of in-town traffic.
Invest in city facilities to support basic infrastructure and quality services.
The community is concerned about the high cost of utility bills, citizens and governmental agencies have expressed concern about the city’s wastewater treatment facility, and city staff and police are working in facilities that do not meet demands for modern and cost-efficient services. If Snohomish is truly a town with community pride, we can no longer ignore the embarrassing condition of our city facilities.
Invest in city services to realize the city’s vision and maintain adequate service levels.
Every city in America should have safe and clean streets and sidewalks, a strong, efficient police force, and a high level of customer service. Unfortunately, as other issues arise these mandatory qualities get squeezed in the budget decision-making process. The CAC believes adequate service levels must be maintained and investments in staff be made concurrent with annexations and population growth to ensure the long-term success of Snohomish.
Alex de Soto and Laura R.K. Scott are co-chairs of the city of Snohomish Community Advisory Committee.
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