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Committee reviews 10-year renewal of Snoqualmie Watershed Forum interlocal agreement
Summary
Deputy director Phil Bennett presented a proposed renewal of the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum interlocal agreement, covering Jan. 1, 2026 through the end of 2035; the draft was vetted by forum members and King County counsel and the committee discussed budget contribution and consent placement for council consideration.
Phil Bennett, deputy director of Parks and Public Works, presented a proposed renewal of the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum interlocal agreement to the Parks and Public Works Committee on May 6, 2025. The draft agreement, Bennett said, was developed and vetted throughout 2024 by forum members and legal counsel and has been forwarded by the forum for member-council approval.
The agreement matters because it provides a framework for regional watershed coordination and project funding among member jurisdictions. Bennett said the proposed term runs from Jan. 1, 2026 through the end of 2035.
Bennett told the committee the agreement has been through extensive vetting, including input from the King County attorney’s office. A committee member asked about the city’s expected contribution; Bennett said Snoqualmie’s budget lines show approximately $8,000 to $9,000 for the first two years but that exact future-year contributions are unknown. He said forum contributions are subject to inflation adjustments and any forum-level decisions to change staffing; those issues would be discussed by forum members annually.
Bennett also noted the forum receives grant funding and allocates money to watershed projects; Snoqualmie has been a recipient of forum-allocated project funds in prior years. Committee members discussed whether the renewal should be placed on the full council consent calendar or presented for comment; Bennett said Council member Washington, the city’s forum representative, had been involved in drafting and was comfortable with the agreement and that it could be placed on consent if the committee preferred. The committee left the item on the agenda to allow time for brief discussion at the committee level before advancing it to council.
Next steps: staff will forward the finalized interlocal agreement to the full council for approval and continuing annual budget discussions regarding the city’s contribution will occur as part of the forum’s annual planning process.
