ARLINGTON – A public hearing for the mid-year biennial budget is on Monday’s City Council agenda to give residents a chance to comment on proposed budget amendments heavy on boosting public safety.
The hearing is set for 7 p.m. at City Hall.
Modifications for the 2018 budget total $12.5 million. New money includes $322,000 in discretionary spending in the general fund to pay for two police officers, a newly created code enforcement officer and embedded social worker positions, and an increase in training budgets.
Arlington and Marysville, as well as Snohomish County, are partnering to fund two embedded social workers to work alongside police, one team of which would focus on the Smokey Point area “where we’ve been overwhelmed by the heroin and opioid epidemic,” Mayor Barb Tolbert said.
“Both dedicated police officers would work with the social worker to extend trust, get people off the street, and get those in for assessment who want to get help,” she added.
“We need to get our arms around these challenges.”
A Justice Department COPS grant would help fund one of the new Arlington officers.
The parties are talking about establishing a task force to monitor progress, open communications and work together so the cities aren’t just pushing the problems across the freeway.
A city social services study in September identified service gaps and suggested ways to better address the street-level challenges of serving Arlington’s vulnerable people living with addiction, mental illness and homelessness.
While city leaders gained a better understanding of the gaps, “We also learned that what we can’t do alone we need to do through partnerships.”
Relatedly, the City Council requested two additions to the proposed amendments at a budget retreat last month that go hand and hand with the new positions.
The council sought $5,000 spending authority in 2017 and $5,000 more in 2018 to bolster the social services “flex” fund created to give fire, police and an embedded social worker access to funds to help provide immediate basic needs for addicted or homeless individuals.
Tolbert called the funds a necessary component to help respond to street-level issues.
The council also requested $6,000 for a recruitment incentive for hiring lateral police officers.
The mayor said law enforcement agencies are all dealing with forces being reduced by attrition and retirement, and drawing talent from the same pool.
City officials hope the recruitment incentive will tip the scales to attract experienced officers ready to hit the streets immediately.
Tolbert said she is especially pleased that Arlington will hire a code enforcement officer.
The new position would address complaints regarding land use and building code violations, junk cars, overgrown lots and other unsightly nuisances that detract from the appearance of the city.
“This is another tool in our efforts working toward economic revitalization and will help keep neighborhoods more livable,” Tolbert said.
Many of these issues now are handled by police or the community development department.
The proposal also includes amendments totaling $1.8 million for 2017 that will be funded through operating revenue increases, grants, reserves and donations.
The package includes adjustment to line items for leave buyout for retiring employees, compensatory time buyout provided in the police union contract to help reduce overtime, realignment of capital budgets to the appropriate year when spending will happen, and interfund loans to the EMS Fund along with repayment.
Most of the changes are related to capital budget carryover for the Arlington Valley Road project and new capital spending for the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing project, 204th roundabout and crack sealing project on Runway 16/34 at the airport.
The council will take final action on the budget Nov. 20.
