Mountlake Terrace to ask Snohomish County for $150,000 toward regional aquatics feasibility study

Deputy City Manager Carolyn Hope and Recreation Director Jeff Betts told the council they are coordinating with Edmonds and other regional partners on a joint resolution requesting Snohomish County allocate district grant funds to support feasibility and conceptual design work for a regional aquatics facility.

Hope said the county has a grant process and that district allocations can be roughly $150,000; the request would fund a consultant to conduct a feasibility study, identify locations and program elements, and outline funding options. Betts said the study would clarify whether a single regional pool or multiple facilities best serve south Snohomish County and would inventory nearby pools and program needs.

Councilmembers asked whether the county funding request would obligate the city to build the pool; staff said the immediate deliverable is a feasibility study and conceptual design and that any subsequent construction or funding decisions would be separate steps following the study. The council did not vote on the measure at this meeting but scheduled a short online meeting next Thursday to consider the joint resolution and potential use of county district funds.

"We would form an MOU with participating cities to hire a consultant that would then assist us with identifying the needs of this regional facility and a potential location or options for locations," Jeff Betts said. The staff presentation emphasized that the step is exploratory and intended to gather regional data and preliminary design options to inform future decisions.