Marysville keeps options open on affordable housing tax from state

MARYSVILLE – The city kept alive a chance to help fund affordable housing locally by passing a resolution Monday.

The city could receive about $90,000 a year from the state sales tax, thanks to a law passed in the legislature last session. Finance director Sandy Langdon has said the resolution puts the city in position to take advantage of the credit, but the city would need to take other steps within the next year to actually do it.

Councilman Mark James encouraged the panel to pass it, which it did unanimously. “It’s not an added tax on the Marysville people,” city chief executive officer Gloria Hirashima said at last week’s work session.

Snohomish County has to act to make the resolution valid. Although it has not done so yet, Hirashima said the county executive has encouraged all the county’s cities to approve it.

Mayor Jon Nehring has said that pooling resources with others would make the biggest difference in helping with affordable housing.

Also at Monday’s meeting:

•The city accepted as a donation the Marysville Rotary Club’s train. Parks director Jim Ballew said the city has been maintaining it, and Muller said, “It either comes here or goes away,” as the train’s owner can’t deal with it anymore. The city also accepted a gift of more than $4,000 from the Marysville Community Parks Foundation, which is ending its run. Ballew said the money will be used for a number of years to help those in need to play youth soccer and basketball.•Council president Kamille Norton and Stephen Muller were elected to two-year terms and Councilmen Michael Stevens and Tom King to one-year terms on the new Regional Fire Authority board. In the future, the terms will be for four years. Also, Elizabeth Card was named to the Community and Housing Development Citizen Advisory Committee.

•Resolutions were passed proclaiming October as Unity and Wellness Month. And September was declared Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The council also approved:

•Spending almost $1 million on 88th Street Corridor Project. It was said at the work session that the project is controversial with neighbors who want to keep their street small. But because of growth, the city needs to turn it into a major arterial to move traffic east and west. •Changing the police weapon to 9mm. It will take about three months for all to be qualified.

•A school resource officer agreement with the school district. Norton was concerned about increased costs, but was told schools will be paying more in the future. •Renewal for SNOTCAT services, which takes a regional approach to stolen vehicles.

•An agreement regarding a roundabout that will be built next spring at Soper Hill Road and 83rd.

•Buying a new excavator for almost $91,000, which was $20,000 less than budgeted.

•Using a federal grant for signal improvements along State and right-of-way at 80th.

At last week’s work session, the council OK’d spending $340,928 on the renovation of the Cedar Field.