LA CONNER Whether its the water system or building streets, public safety or quality of life issues that are the most important for the city of Arlington to prioritize in the upcoming year was the subject of debate when 20 people elected officials and the citys department managers gathered around a table in La Conner all day Saturday to find common ground from which to proceed.
The morning began with a review of information gathered from the Jan. 10 workshop when volunteer members of boards and commissions were asked to share their top priorities for the city.
Mayor Margaret Larson offered an overview of her Divine Plan and it was then reviewed from the perspective of the staff and the Council. The meeting was facilitated by the citys attorney, Steve Peiffle.
Department managers were each asked to provide his or her own top three priorities and elected officials were given an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
While growth and economic development are neck and neck with the traffic situation in Smokey Point as the top issues at hand, similar to the volunteer workshop, the general consensus all the way around this table, too, was that 172nd Street is a mess that needs to be fixed. The challenge is that its the biggest ticket item on the Divine Plan and largely in the hands of the state, although the constructive discussion did consider some options for making some progress to resolve the congestion.
We need to get creative and clean up that mess right now, said Len Olive, public works director.
Councilman Graham Smith suggested his top priority the westside airport development that was recently dropped by a private developer and adopted by the city will help pay for a new, five-lane street.
Its definitely a chicken and egg question: You cant develop without the road and you cant build the road without the development. There was talk about reviving the TRAP model to encourage the state to move forward, while further preparing with design concepts and infrastructure.
While Olive was inclined to plan for the next 40 years, he was reined in by his fellow city staff as well as elected officials. Chris Raezer also was inclined to revisit the big picture as well, referring to the gambling issue that seemed to sneak up outside the radar of the citys long-range planning.
The new guy at the table, building official Christopher Young, brought a new idea to the group: His number three priority is to bring green construction to Arlington.
No, I dont mean the color green.
Young hopes to review the citys design guidelines to show its respect for history as well as its respect for nature, both of which are included in the vision that guided their discussion.
Fire Chief Jim Rankins plans are clear cut: Finalize the plans for the new station No. 48 for construction next year; start planning for renovation of the downtown station No. 46; and continue planning for emergencies.
City Administrator Allen Johnson made points with Mayor Margaret Larson by prioritizing the TDR program to save agriculture lands in the valley, next to building a new library. Johnson also plans to move forward on the development of the Graafstra farm, both lowlands, for a city park, and uplands, as a model for high density development.
Rob Putnam spoke first on behalf of the airport, reminding the Council they will be updating the airport master plan while pursuing the westside business park and further developing the eastside industrial park. Putnam then spoke on behalf of parks. An avid bicyclist, he reminded all to persist on filling the gaps of the Centennial Trail.
Currently 300,000 people use the finished portion of the trail. If they each spend $1, its a bundle of money, Putnam said. He also dreams of developing a new sports complex west of I-5 and, toward economic development, make sure there is an event in Arlington every weekend.
And I dont mean we have to shut down Olympic Avenue, he clarified.
The citys economic development manager is committed to pursuing signage and the branding of Arlington for the benefit of economics, as well as for bringing all the parts of Arlington together.
Police Chief John Gray sought input from the elected officials regarding some strategies for safety, wondering if they will support the concept of installing cameras at hazardous intersections and clamping down on speeders.
Random topics of discussion ranged from building community and nurturing volunteers to evaluating the impacts of big box stores and maintaining roads and parks.
Its a big job planning to keep a team of 147 full-time employees on target to help reach the goals of 15,000 residents.
I think the bottom line for prioritizing is getting the biggest bang for our buck, Raezer said.
And the mayor is ready to go on the road, taking her Divine Plan to all sides of the community.