Snoqualmie reviews budget priorities
May 1, 2009
By Michael Rowe
Snoqualmie’s City Council took a look at its priorities for the 2010 budget at its April 27 meeting.
The city anticipates having less revenue going toward its general fund, as a result of the recession. Priorities for city projects and initiatives are being re-evaluated, as the council moves forward with its budgeting process. The priorities and initiatives are included on city budget documents. They provide a guide for city employees to know what their bosses on the council want to happen, as well as serving as a way to inform the public about what the city government is doing to make Snoqualmie a better place to live.
“This is a public document for citizens to know where we are putting our efforts,” Councilwoman Maria Henriksen said.
One of the changes made was to reword city plans for stabilizing the banks of the Snoqualmie River in parts of the city. The council decided that stabilizing the riverbank at Sandy Cove Park was no longer a priority, because estimates to fix the erosion problems are outside of the city’s financial means.
Councilman Charles Peterson suggested that the city should continue its plans to evaluate and stabilize the riverbank near Meadowbrook Road where the city has a sewer pump station. The other council members agreed that protecting infrastructure should remain a priority.
Preserving the banks at Sandy Cove may be a lost cause, but the council members thought it was prudent to evaluate the secondary riverbank at the park to determine its stability. If the secondary bank was to erode like the primary riverbank, downtown Snoqualmie could be affected.
At the meeting, council members considered other changes to the wording of the city priorities that signal changed circumstances. Instead of “pursuing” new public transportation opportunities for the city, the wording was changed to indicate that the city’s goal is now to “maintain” its existing service. Snoqualmie received a new Metro Transit bus route in 2008, and, with a projected 20 percent reduction to county bus service, the city would like to make sure that it is not on the receiving end of a cut to its bus service.
Council members looked at combining two of their goals — a new bridge over the Snoqualmie River on State Route 202 near the falls, and a pedestrian bridge over the river. However, instead of focusing just on the SR 202 bridge near the falls, the council decided that its priority should be to seek funding new bridges in the city and to include pedestrian access on those bridges.
Building a community center remains a priority for the city, and the council updated this goal with language noting the city’s intention to partner with the YMCA and Encompass.
Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434, ext. 248.
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