Cities want more say in REET spending

  • Sue Waldburger<br>Enterprise writer
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 6:44am

Finding a way to convince the state to allow public park-acquisiton dollars to be spent for park maintenance looks to be the main topics of interest to the alliance of South Snohomish County governments.

Attending the group’s second meeting Aug. 25 were council members from Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace and Woodway. Mukilteo was not represented.

New to the gathering was the Port of Edmonds, represented by Commissioner Jim Orvis.

The next meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14 on the third floor of Edmonds City Hall. After January the meeting will rotate among member municipalities.

Enthusiastically received was Mill Creek Mayor Terry Ryan’s return to the issue of increasing municipalities’ flexibility in spending dedicated real-estate excise tax dollars. Since changes must originate in the state legislature, Ryan said a point person such as Rep. Brian Sullivan (D-Mukilteo) would be a necessary ally.

A decision on how the alliance will proceed on lobbying for more say over REET spending is expected at the September meeting.

Receiving a lukewarm reception was a request by Edmonds City Council President Richard Marin for member governments to consider participating in a program promoting use of union apprentices in large construction projects. The idea has some merit but “not a snowball’s chance in July” of getting approval in Lynnwood until after the general election, said Loren Simmonds, council president. Others agreed the timing was bad.

Doug Wittiger of Mountlake Terrace asked members to take to their councils a request to prioritize Sound Transit regional transportation projects. Discussions on future projects are looming and it’ll behoove local governments to state their preferences, he urged.

Banding together to form a stronger voice in matters affecting South County, the as-yet unnamed group plans to meet monthly to identify issues, strategies for tackling them and reporting on their respective council’s response to calls for action.

Until councils can appropriate in their 2006 budgets money for the minor alliance expenses, Edmonds will foot the bill for a minutes-taker out of the council professional-services fund, according to Peggy Pritchard Olson, group chair and member of the Edmonds City Council.

Those wishing to be added to the minutes e-mail list should contact Jeanne Dines at dinesjht@msn.com.

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