Snohomish County Council approves grants, contracts and sets public hearings for multiple ordinances

The Snohomish County Council on March 26 unanimously approved a series of routine and programmatic actions, authorized several contracts and set public hearings on multiple ordinances covering invasive-plant control, flood-district dissolution, salmon conservation planning and emergency medical services arrangements.

The actions included a resolution recognizing April 2025 as National Arab American Heritage Month; approval of a consulting contract with Gartner Incorporated related to an enterprise software procurement; expansion of a homeowner weatherization grant program tied to a Washington State Department of Commerce award; authorization of a $250,000 professional-services contract to study a transfer-of-development-rights (TDR) bank; and budgeted local contributions for park and paving work. Council also set hearings for four proposed ordinances with dates in April 2025.

Council members took the actions largely without extended debate. Bridal Henry, council staff, summarized the Gartner engagement and said the county’s original engagement produced $880,532 in documented savings; "According to the terms of this agreement, the consulting fee, which is 25% of the savings, is $220,133," Henry told the council. Deb Evison Bell, staff for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), briefed the council on multiple items including a newly awarded State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) weatherization grant of $1,156,796 that DCNR’s Office of Energy and Sustainability would administer if the council revises the department’s 2025 grant work plan.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25-007 (recognizing April 2025 as National Arab American Heritage Month): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4; nays/abstain: 0). Action: adopted.

- Motion 25-171 (authorize contract engagement with Gartner Incorporated for ERP software consulting): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4). Key detail: staff reported $880,532 in savings; consulting fee calculated at 25% equals $220,133. Action: approved.

- Motion 25-118 (authorize director of DCNR to sign homeowner grant agreements to implement State HEAP weatherization contract S24-32610-422): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4). Key detail: newly identified award amount: $1,156,796; council to revise 2025 grant work plan to include the award. Action: approved; director authorized to sign homeowner grant agreements.

- Motion 25-124 (professional services agreement with Economic Consultants of Oregon Ltd. to support a transfer-of-development-rights bank): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4). Contract not to exceed $250,000; 3-year term with possible extension. Action: approved.

- Motion 25-130 (amend interlocal agreement with City of Everett for Kiwanis Park sport-court rehabilitation/enhancement): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4). Key detail: council previously allocated $75,000 REET 2; the amended ILA updates the project to include total project dollars of $86,000. Action: approved.

- Motion 25-140 (post-approval of microservices paving agreement with Pony Up Parking Lots for asphalt repairs at Evergreen State Fairgrounds): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4). Amount: $14,418.78 plus tax; work completed prior to final signature due to a staffing error. Action: approved (post-work approval).

- Motion 25-156 (2025 Historic Preservation Program grant awards): motion to approve passed unanimously (ayes: 4). The Historic Preservation Commission evaluated 15 applications and recommended funding for 11 projects consistent with RCW 36.22.170; DCNR director authorized to sign grant agreements. Action: approved.

- Ordinance 25-018 (amend Snohomish County Code chapter 25.2 to add a surface-water service charge for invasive aquatic plant management on Lake Serene): council set a public hearing for April 16, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.; staff report describes a five-year additional surface-water charge and an application for $75,000 in state grant funding and SWM staff time toward project implementation. Action: hearing set.

- Ordinance 25-019 (dissolve the Locksley Pilchuck Flood Control District per RCW 36.96.0.01): council set a public hearing for April 30, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.; staff reported the district has been inactive (no elections or activity since formation) and recitals/facts form the basis for the dissolution ordinance. Action: hearing set.

- Ordinance 25-020 (interlocal agreement for Chinook salmon conservation planning within Watershed Resource Inventory Area 8): council set a public hearing for April 16, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.; the ILA would continue joint planning and implementation among multiple jurisdictions in WRIA 8. Action: hearing set.

- Ordinance 25-025 (interlocal agreement formalizing the Snohomish County Emergency Medical Services Agency and membership by the Airport at Paine Field Fire Department): council set a public hearing for April 16, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. Staff noted the agency is formed under the Interlocal Cooperation Act (RCW chapter 39.34) and referenced applicable EMS statutes and WACs; staff will confirm before the hearing whether assessments or contributions will be included as airport-based revenue in future budgets. Action: hearing set.

Discussion, directions and next steps

Council members generally moved and seconded staff-recommended motions without substantive amendment. Staff was directed or volunteered to provide clarifications before scheduled hearings where additional detail was requested; for example, council asked staff to confirm whether any assessments tied to the Paine Field Fire Department’s membership in the EMS agency would be treated as airport-based revenue in future budgets and staff said they would "find out before the hearing." Several items noted dependencies on state grant awards or interagency agreements and remain subject to further examination at the public hearings.

Background and context

Several items tie to county capital and program budgets adopted in 2024; the Kiwanis Park ILA update reflects carried-forward REET 2 funding approved in the 2023 budget and subsequent carry-forwards. The transfer-of-development-rights study is a consultant-led planning project intended to inform potential policy and code changes; the contract scope includes procedures, recommendations and implementation tools. The weatherization/homeowner grants expand an existing DCNR work plan to administer a HEAP weatherization award received from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The council recessed at the conclusion of the agenda and will take the listed public hearings in mid- to late-April as scheduled.