A Gold Bar, Wash. man named Michael Robert Downer is now serving a 45-day jail term for felony first degree theft after without authorization he spent at least $13,735 on himself from a larger nest egg account that he jointly administered with and for his 80-year-old mother. She lives in a senior citizen apartment complex in Everett, and he was serving as a state-licensed nursing assistant for her at the time. Judgement and sentencing documents show Downer, 60 – whose registered voter address is a Gold Bar camping park populated with mobile homes – pled guilty on the felony theft charge in March of this year and began serving the sentence in mid-April.
Collaboration in Civic Spheres
Archive for the ‘Snohomish County’ Category
Gold Bar man jailed for nest egg theft from mom, of Everett
by Matt Rosenberg May 14th, 2012
North Creek Forest conservation gets big boost from Bothell
by Matt Rosenberg November 14th, 2011
A community-driven and grant-funded effort to preserve a forest for recreation, conservation and environmental learning in the heart of suburban Puget Sound has received a big boost with the City of Bothell okaying a purchase from the Boy Scouts of America for 35 acres of the North Creek Forest, straddling the border of King and Snohomish counties on the side of Maywood Hill just west of Interstate 405. The sylvan swath is within walking distance of 9,000 students at eight different schools, including the University of Washington-Bothell, Cascadia Community College, and public and private elementary, junior high, and high schools.
North Creek Forest includes another 29 acres held by other owners, which conservationists also hope can be acquired, and is home to 34 nesting bird and nine mammal species, nine wetlands, seven streams and an uplands coniferous forest. Pending an environmental assessment of the property to be completed by December 15, and with a land sale closing deadline of December 31, the initial purchase can now proceed following the unanimous approval of Agenda Bill 11-210 last week by the Bothell City Council at a regularly scheduled meeting.
The bill authorizes the city to complete a $450,000 purchase and sale agreement with the Boy Scouts plus $10,351 in closing and acquisition costs for 35.66 acres comprising the northern portion of North Creek Forest. The land buy is funded by a series of grants the city was awarded with much of the legwork done by two local groups, Friends of North Creek Forest, formed only last February, and the longer-standing Help Our Woods. Awarded to the city were a Snohomish County Conservation Futures grant of $200,000, a Washington State Department of Commerce grant of $193,987, a King County Conservation Futures grant of $33,182, and another $33,182 from the King County Proposition 2 Park Expansion Levy.
Weak job growth triggers frustration for Washington’s unemployed
by Kyle Kim September 22nd, 2011
When Tommy Lamoth lost her job in 2009, she didn’t envision a job hunt that would include eight months of collecting unemployment benefits, ping-ponging between temp jobs across Seattle, and still being unable to find work in her field after a year.
The 32-year-old Capitol Hill resident was one of millions of unemployed workers throughout the nation during a year when unemployment rates in the U.S. reached a height not seen in more than 25 years.
The latest unemployment figures for Washington show the state had a 9.3 percent rate for August 2011 – a marginal change from the 9.4 unemployment rate the year before. The Seattle metro region’s 8.9 percent unemployment rate last month was little better than the 9.1 percent rate last year.
The state’s job growth of 46,600 seasonally-adjusted new jobs from August 2010 to 2011 comes in stark contrast against the 321,600 currently unemployed in Washington. Lamoth’s chronic unemployment has been a sobering reminder of the difficult realities many face.
“It makes me feel like a total loser,” Lamoth said. “It definitely takes a toll on your self-esteem when you’ve gone so long without working.” Despite having earned a bachelor’s degree and later enrolling at Columbia University ’s film and creative writing program, Lamoth has only been able to find work in temporary clerical positions.
Having previous experience as a midwife’s assistant, she has also kept her eyes open for opportunities in the field but has been able to find openings. Lamoth isn’t alone in her inability to find work in the state.
Unemployment rates ballooned in all 39 Washington counties since 2007 with jobs in construction and finance activities being the hardest hit, according to the 2010 Washington State Labor Market and Economic Report.
Data from the Washington State Employment Security Department show half of the state had unemployment rates at least double since 2007, including the state’s three largest labor markets – King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties – which make up over half of the state’s job force with roughly 1.9 million workers.
Washington’s unemployment rate has consistently ranked in the middle nationally. Other states have fared worse during the Great Recession, such as California, Michigan and Nevada – with unemployment rates that reached over 12 percent in 2010. However, certain counties in Washington experience worse.
The northeastern and southwestern areas of Washington have consistently experienced the highest unemployment rates in the state since 2000: Ferry County currently tops the state’s highest annual unemployment rate at 14.7, percent with Pend Oreille, Clark and Wahkiakum Counties all tying for second at 13.7 percent. Whitman County held the lowest unemployment rate for 2010 at 6.1 percent.
The counties have been hit particularly hard due to the lack of economic investment and large labor shares in industries that were affected most – like manufacturing, mining and timber industries, according to state Employment Security Department economists.
Washington state unemployment rates by county, 2007 to 2010.
But where jobs in certain industries have been significantly shed, others are expected to grow.
Jobs in education, health services and business are projected to increase significantly by 2018 for Washington, according to state labor reports.
However, the job growth may not be fast enough, or in the right industry, for Lamoth. She said the lack of opportunities in her field can get frustrating. She has sent roughly 480 resumes since last September, mainly for writing and editing positions in Seattle, a profession that has continually shrunk its work force and is projected to further decline.
Lamoth has been considering looking for work outside the Seattle area despite being limited to public transportation. She said she takes things a day at a time. “There are days that I’m too depressed to look for work,” Lamoth said. “But I’m not ready to give up.”
FOR VISUALIZATIONS:
Data set: Washington unemployment rates by county, 2000 to 2010.
Date set: Comprehensive state labor market data, 2009
Donate to our tax-exempt parent non-profit, Public Eye Northwest.
Terrorism Preparedness Grant For Snohomish County
by Matt Rosenberg December 13th, 2010
SUMMARY: The Snohomish County Council is in the process of approving the county’s receipt of a $1.895 million federal grant to enhance preparedness for possible terrorist attacks in Snohomish County involving chemical, biological, nuclear or explosive devices. The money would be used for improvements to the county sheriff’s helicopter, the county’s back-up emergency operations center, for a Heavy Rescue Apparatus vehicle, SWAT counter-terrorism training of sheriff’s officers, and medical, logistics and cross-jurisdictional terrorism response planning.
A Heavy Rescue Apparatus vehicle
BACKGROUND: On 12/27/10, according to the meeting agenda, the Snohomish County Council ’s Law and Justice/Human Services committee will consider a recommendation from County Executive Aaron Reardon the the county council receipt for use in calendar year 2011 of a $1,895,010 Urban Area Security Initiative terrorism preparedness grant to Snohomish County from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, delivered through the Washington State Military Department.
These DHS grants are provided nationally for key urban areas considered to be higher-priority terrorism targets and to strengthen response capabilities to attacks involving chemical, biological, nuclear or explosive devices. Recipients in Washington state are the cities of Seattle and Bellevue and the counties of Snohomish, King and Pierce.
KEY LINK: Proposed Motion 10-587 agenda packet for Snohomish County Council Law and Justice/Human Services Committee meeting, regarding Urban Area Security Initiative grant.
KEY PROVISIONS:
- If the committee and then the county council approve the grant, the funds will be used for several purposes.
- Purchase, install and test airframe engine equipment to improve the performance of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s helicopter.
- Purchase and test a Heavy Rescue Apparatus for the Snohomish County Technical Rescue Force for use in the event of an attack involving chemical, biological, nuclear or explosive devices or weapons of mass destruction.
- Purchase, install and test new generator wiring and an extended regional fiber optic network – both for Snohomish County’s back-up Emergency Operations Center.
- Conduct medical operations and logistics planning in order to be fully prepared to manage resources, and patient movements, identify facilities and prioritize equipment to be used, in the event of a terrorist attack.
- Do Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) counter-terrorist training and exercises for county sheriff’s personnel.
- Coordinate with other urban areas and state to meet needs of vulnerable groups and heighten awareness of community response priorities in the event of a terrorist attack.
Public Data Ferret In The News
by Matt Rosenberg December 8th, 2010
(Last updated 5/11/12). Our federal 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit public charity Public Eye Northwest features a news knowledge base and government transparency project called Public Data Ferret which “daylights” underexposed information from local, regional, county, state and federal governments. To create a lasting knowledge base we do neutral bogged synopses of timely and newsworthy government reports and other documents and data. Everything is archived by jurisdiction and topic at our searchable Ferret hub. Through Public Eye Northwest we use Ferret as a tool for teaching digital civic literacy, accenting best practices in voluntary government transparency, and building community capacity for gathering and sharing information on the work of government. At this page, we provide a reverse-date compendium of links to:
Our stories and articles, published or covered, in other venues
Our articles which got front page links at Seattletimes.com
OUR STORIES AND ARTICLES IN OTHER VENUES
“Does Crime Pay? Most Car Thieves, Burglars, Get Away In Wash.,” KPLU-FM, Seattle, April 18, 2012
“Former Bellevue Middle School Teacher Loses License For Sex Crimes, Bellevue Patch, March 26, 2012
“Amplify Accountability, Technology To Boost Open Government,” blog of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, March 12, 2012
“Washington’s Gift To Taxpayers? $29.3 Billion,” Crosscut, February 7, 2012
“Voter Participation In Washington Nears The Top, Nationally,” Crosscut, January 20, 2012
“A Salmon Story: Public Data Ferret On KUOW-FM, Seattle Public Radio,” December 30, 2011
“Global Open Gov: What’s The Secret Sauce?” Sunlight Foundation blog, December 6 – 8, 2011; Part I, Part II, Part III.
“King County To Resuscitate Pay-As-You-Go Insurance Model,” Crosscut, November 3, 2011
“Making The Open Government Partnership Work,” blog of Open Knowledge Foundation, Cambridge, UK, October 31, 2011
“UW Graduation Rates Are Right In The Middle Of Peers, Crosscut, October 27, 2011
“Better Health For All Gets A Digital Assist,” Crosscut, October 24, 2011
Orchid Project’s Round-up: Web Articles On Female Genital Cutting, October 17, 2011
“Council Considers California-Style ‘Social Host’ Underage Drinking Fines Tonight,” Mercer Island Patch, September 19, 2011
“State Worker Charged With Sexually Abusing Vulnerable Patient,” Shoreline Area News, September 18, 2011
“Everett-based Counselor Loses License For Sex With Patient – Public Data Ferret,” MyEverettNews.com, August 9, 2011
“Public Eye Northwest’s Guide To Open Access Journals,” Information Wants To Be Free, July 30, 2011
“Puyallup Company Wins $35 Million Defense Contract,” KOMONews.com, July 25, 2011
“Shoreline Awards Neighborhood Matching Grant For Old Sunset Elementary Site,” Shoreline (Wash.) Patch, July 5, 2011
“Culver City Firm and Feds Recall Flammable Dresses,” Culver City (Calif.) Patch, July 2, 2011
“Eagan Company Wins $758 Million Government Contract,” Eagan (Minn.) Patch, June 24, 2011
“Boeing Subsidiary Insitu Wins $83.7 Million Navy Contract To Supply Drones,” The Oregonian, May 27, 2011
“Port of Seattle Buying Excess Seattle Light Property Near Lora Lakes Area,” B-Town Blog (Burien, Wash.), May 18, 2011
“State Issues Online Guide To Appealing Health Claim Denials,” Edmonds (Wash.) Patch, May 4, 2011
“Mercer Island Urged To Re-name Community Center,” Mercer Island (Wash.) Patch, April 25, 2011
“City Council Expected To Approve Nearly $50,000 In Neighborhood Grants,” Renton (Wash.) Patch, April 21, 2011
“Lakewood Merchant Admits To Cheating $92K In Sales Tax,” Lakewood (Wash.) Patch, April 21, 2011
“Transparency Is A Two-Way Street,” Sunlight Foundation blog, April 20, 2011
“Voluntary Transparency And Digital Civic Literacy Help Build Strong Communities,” Open Knowledge Foundation Blog (U.K.), April 11, 2011
“Public Data Ferret Reviews The City’s Options For The Old Woodinville Schoolhouse,” Woodinville (Wash.) Patch, April 8, 2011
“Washington, Home Of Software Leaders, Gets A Bad Rap For Online Transparency. What Gives?,” Crosscut, April 1, 2011
“Local Government Online Transparency: A Work In Progress,” Investigate West, March 29, 2011
“Digging Deep For Nuggets Of Gold In The Quest For Open Government,” Crosscut, March 15, 2011
“Edmonds Homeless Encampment,” This Way Up, November 28, 2010
“Meet The Public Data Ferret: He Digs So You Don’t Have To,” Investigate West, September 27, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Monitoring Campaign Contributions In Local Elections,” September 16, 2010
“Darkness Can Be A Costly Proposition,” Intersect, September 10, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Washington State Database On Insurance Providers,”September 8, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: The High Level Nuclear Waste Disposal Challenge,” September 1, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Rising U.S. Debt Dicey,” August 25, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Indoor Smoking Ban’s Effect On Retail Sales In Bars And Taverns, August 18, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: U.S. Senate Testimony On Fraud At For-Profit Colleges,” August 11, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: King County, Customer Service, and Public Trust,” August 4, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Oversight Of Federal Resource Lands Lax, Watchdog Agency Says, July 28, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Seattle City Employees Retirement Plan $1 Billion In The Hole,” July 21, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Regulating The Display Of Human Remains In Seattle,” July 14, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Global Energy Use And Carbon Dioxide Emissions – 2005-2035,” July 7, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Beach Water Quality,” June 30, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Washington Hospital Infection Rates,” June 23, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Real-Time Crime Data, & Human Trafficking,” June 16, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: State Disciplinary Actions Against Professionals,” June 9, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Washington State Race Horse Fatalities,” June 2, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Of Cockatiels And Collaboration,” May 26, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Police Misconduct In Seattle,” May 19, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: ‘Transportation 2040,’” May 12, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Consumer Product Recall Database,” May 6, 2010
“Technology And Civic Engagement” “Weekday,”KUOW-FM Seattle, April 30, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Smuggling Weapons & Explosives Into Federal Buildings,” April 28, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000″ Seattle Database For Tracking Building & Land-Use Permitting,” April 21, 2010
“Public Data Ferret On KOMO 1000: Restaurant Inspections Database,” April 14, 2010
“Openness Can Make Citizens Collaborators With Officials,” Crosscut, March 14, 2010
Murrow Hosts Forum: Experts, Citizens Debate Challenges Of Rural Communication,” WSU News, 4/6/12
Sunshine Week conference video, Seattle, “Open Government Future: Technology, Innovation, Community,” TVW (WA’s non-profit public affairs channel); also on Seattle Channel; March 10, 2012
“Reporting Beyond Google: Dig Up Data In Rich New Places,” blog of Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter, February 8, 2012
Becky Hogge (Barefoot Technologist) on our analysis “Making The Open Government Partnership Work,” November 4, 2011
Alex Howard, O’Reilly Media, on our analysis “Making The Open Government Partnership Work,” November 1, 2011
Freedominfo.org on our analysis, “Making The Open Government Partnership Work,” November 1, 2011
National Freedom Of Information Act Coalition on our analysis, “Making The Open Government Partnership Work,” October 31, 2011
“Mapping Our Voices for Equality,” Mike Fancher/Seattle Journalism Commons, October 24, 2011
“How Lawrence Governments, Agencies Fared Providing Open Records,” Lawrence, Kansas Journal-World, October 20, 2011
“In Seattle’s News Partner Network, A Lesson In Collaboration,” Patterson Foundation Blog, August 15, 2011
“New Local Partners For Seattle Times,” Seattle Journalism Commons, July 15, 2011
“New Media Landscape: Matt Rosenberg’s Take On Building Credibility,” Journalism Accelerator (Reynolds Journalism Institute, University of Missouri), March 20, 2011
“Open Government Key For Us All, Speakers Say,” Seattle Times, March 15, 2011
“Seattle: A New Media Case Study,” in “The State Of The News Media 2011,” Pew Project For Excellence In Journalism, March, 2011
“The Seattle Times Takes On More Hyperlocal News Partners – Is This A Trend To Follow?,” editorsweblog.org, World Editors Forum, February 24, 2011
“Seattle Times Announces More Local News Partners,” Seattle Times, February 22, 2011
“Networked Journalism: Seattle,” J-Lab Blog (American University School of Communication), February, 2011
The Starting Place: Washington State Law Library Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2011
“Why Mobile Location Is Good For Your Health,” Paul Brannan, Intersect.com, December 10, 2010
“New Journalism Ventures In The Works,”Washington News Council blog, August 10, 2010
“King County Ready For Government 2.0,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 18, 2010
“From Scranton To Seattle: A Contrast In Modern News Media Environments,” Sustaining Democracy In A Digital Age blog, New America Media Foundation, May 18, 2010
Transportation System Will Be $64 Billion Short By 2040,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 11, 2010
FRONT PAGE LINKS AT SEATTLETIMES.COM
The Seattle Times’ News Partners Network hub features latest headlines from all; and each day, selected partner headlines also get links on the paper’s front page. Following are Public Data Ferret stories which have received front-page links at The Times since we joined the paper’s network on February 22, 2011.
“Chicken Liberation Hearing Thurs. Night In Lake Forest Park”
“UW Plans Mobile App for Gay Men At Risk Of HIV”
“Washington Ranks High In Mixed-Race Households”
“UW Report: King County A National Leader In Life Expectancy”
“New State Report: 2011 Assisted Suicides Reach New High”
“Yet Another Sticky-fingered Caper Reported At UW-Seattle”
“Vashon Schools Eye Classroom Cuts To Close Budget Gap”
“Non-violent Crime In Washington State: The Data Say It Pays”
“U.S. Audit Accents Broad Problems At V.A.’s Puget Sound Hospitals”
“UW’s Curious Cold Case: Track Team Loses $12K Cash”
“Washington Ranks In The Middle Nationally On Executions”
“Woodinville To OK Local Wine, Beer Sales At City Park Concerts”
“UW: $100K-plus Harborview Supe Faked Hours For More Pay”
“Ex-Bellevue Teacher, SPU Innovator Jailed for Sex Crimes”
“King County Whistleblower Fired Day Of Complaint, But No Foul”
“Hidden Report: UW Sacked Burn Unit Aide For Diverting Funds”
“UW Axed Assistant Dean Who Faked Credits For 139 Students”
“Bothell Firm Wins Military Contract Extension Worth Up To $46 Million”
“UW Study: Low-dose CT Scans For Lung Cancer Too Costly?”
“New Report: WA Gives Taxpayers $29.3 Billion In Special Breaks”
“WA Transportation Funding Bills An Exercise In Caution”
“Shoreline Mulls Smoking Ban In City Parks”
“Auburn’s Red-light, Speeding Cameras Awash In More Red Ink”
“Anti-Jewish Hate Crime Probed At University of Washington”
“WA Had 2nd Highest Eligible-Voter Turnout In U.S. In 2010”
“Documenting Witness Intimidation By Phone – Legally”
“One In Five WA Bilingual Students Transitioned Out Last Year”
“Readiness Worries For State’s Public High School Grads”
“In Seattle, Six To Ten Out Of Ten Coho Salmon Die Before Spawning”
“Bald Eagle Viewing On Skagit River Starts Saturday”
“King County Seeks Up To $5.5M-plus In Yearly PR Consulting”
“11-fold Hike In Emergency Room Visits Due To Energy Drinks”
“Renton May Delay Annexation Vote Due To State Budget Woes”
“Seattle Region Scores Poorly On HIV Risk Behaviors”
“Surveillance Cameras Coming to King County Parks”
“More Self-dealing Alleged At Seattle Indian Services Commission”
“State Worker Car Crashes Cost $21 Million From ’07-‘10”
“Seattle Parks Gun Ban Shot Down Again”
“King County Hopes To Revive Mileage-based Car Insurance”
“State Auditor: Port Townsend’s Finances Shaky”
“MOVE Maps Digital Stories On Diet, Smoking In King County”
“University of Washington’s Graduation Rate Slows”
“Auditors’ Whistleblower Reports: Workers Misusing State Computers”
“Georgetown, Downtown Firms Share In $74 Million Navy Contract”
“U.S. Military Contracts Flowing To Washington State This Week”
“Weak Job Growth Triggers Frustration For Washington’s Unemployed”
“Mercer Island Council Might Sock Adults With Civil Fines For Covert Teen Drinking”
“State Worker Sexually Abused Vulnerable Patient At Shoreline Facility”
“UW Study Probes Factors In Washington Animal-Vehicle Collisions”
“State Auditor: Manager Defrauded UW Medical Center of $252,059”
“Everett-Based Counselor Loses License For Sex With Patient”
‘”‘Donut Hole’ Sale Could Bring More Growth To Maple Valley”
“Mukilteo Company Recalls 16,000 Chinese-Made Flashlight Batteries”
“State Supreme Court: Bothell Violated Defendant’s Civil Right To Fair Trial”
“Violent Sex Offenders Never Got Health Study DSHS Paid UW For”
“Enumclaw Finalizes $900,000 Public-Private Funding Package For New Multi-Use Sports Field”
“U.S. Ninth Circuit: Kent Teacher Not Responsible For Student’s Sexual Misconduct”
“Legislative Audit: Benefits Of Washington’s ‘Green’ Buildings Not Clear”
“City Auditor: Seattle Legal And Liability Claims Total Nearly $75 Million Over Four Years”
“UW Gay Discrimination Case Reinstated By Appeals Court”
“Feds Warn Of Hazardous Hoodies Sold At Pike Place Market”
“Seattle Owns Excess Properties Worth About $81 Million”
“Printing Reforms Could Save Washington State Up To $13.6 Million Per Year”
“U.S. Report: Seattle Can Model Next Steps Against Trafficking”
“Merrill Gardens Med Tech Cited For On The Job Intoxication”
“DSHS Must Pay Back $8.4 Million For Medicaid Claims”
“State Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal Of Auburn Pot Conviction”
“Seattle-Nairobi Team Has Better HIV Test For African Infants”
Help Us Crowdsource Local Government Coverage
by Matt Rosenberg December 1st, 2010
Would you like to help digitally crowdsource coverage of your city council, local school district, and county council – here in the domain of Pugetopolis?
It can be as easy as spotting and forwarding to me a link to a newsworthy document from your city council’s online public meeting agenda. To help feed the Public Data Ferret’s database of synopsized government documents and databases and searchable by jurisdiction and topic, we’ve got freshly updated government resource pages at this companion blog Social Capital Review for residents of King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.
Each resource guide contains links to agenda pages for city councils, school boards and county councils. We’ve separated out the ones which provide individual links to individual agenda items, because they are modeling best practices. Bloggers, social media users, stake holders are not going to to be able to zero in on an agenda item if it’s buried in a 150-page pdf file of an entire meeting agenda packet. This practice is still common. And if there’s no text at all provided online of current agenda items – well, let’s just call that opaque, rather than transparent.
Here’s what you do. Spot something that would matter to local residents – like Shoreline’s 2010-2011 city government goals and work plan, in Edmonds a new homeless ordinance, in Redmond a mayoral memo detailing a bicycle wayfinding program, or in Kent a plan to alter local parking fees – and send the link to me, matt (at) publiceyenorthwest (dot) org. We’ll look it over and give you a shout-out if we use it.
Or take it up a notch.
Edmonds Ordinance On Homeless Encampment Permits
by Matt Rosenberg November 27th, 2010
SUMMARY: The Edmonds City Council at its Nov. 1 meeting approved an ordinance establishing a permitting process and health, sanitation, zoning and legal requirements for temporary homeless encampments within the city. The ordinance states that a hearing officer would decide each application after a public process. It also states that camps will be eligible to occupy land of churches or public facilities for up to 90 of 365 days, with no more than 100 residents, and specific and thorough provisions made for public health, environmental impact on neighboring communities, and for screening of prospective residents who have outstanding arrest warrants or are registered sexual offenders.
BACKGROUND: Edmonds is a city of more than 40,000 residents on Puget Sound in Snohomish County. Knowing it had limited powers to block temporary camps for the homeless, and wanting to continue to work with Snohomish County to address homelessness while also protecting neighborhood interests, the city council considered and approved an ordinance to permit and regulate homeless encampments. By adopting the ordinance – which set out conditions in advance of any camp opening – the council hopes to avoid imposing after-the-fact regulations which could be seen as “arbitrary and capricious” and lead to litigation.
KEY LINK: City of Edmonds ordinance regulating temporary homeless encampments, 11/1/10
KEY PROVISIONS OF ORDINANCE…
Snohomish County Local & Regional Governments
by Matt Rosenberg November 27th, 2010
On this resource page for community-based information providers, bloggers and journalists, we will be providing direct links to board meeting agenda pages of city councils, school boards and other local and regional governments in Snohomish County, Wash. They are divided into three categories.
- Meeting agenda packets available online, with separate links attached for individual items (best for transparency and reporting)
- Full text of all items provided online in one large agenda packet, but no separate links attached to agenda for individual items
- No meeting agenda packets available online.