MARYSVILLE – The Snohomish Health District spoke before the City Council Monday night and requested help with funding.
The district continues to face budget cuts from the county; it asked for $2 per city capita.
The district’s funding is down 22 percent, but its workload is up 14 percent. They have five major funding sources, providing from 14 percent to 24 percent of their budget.
The district’s focus is helping people become healthy. In its presentation, it said people are living 30 years longer than they did 100 years ago.
“Things that can be prevented, that’s public health,” said Jeff Ketchel, district environmental health director. “If you don’t feel safe you don’t feel healthy.”
He said the district likes to attack problems at the core. For example, he said truancy at schools leads to many other problems. So they work on getting kids to school.
Ketchel said if the city can help fund the district, it will likely expand its fight against opioids and the heroin epidemic. He said the drug Naloxone helped save 11 lives in the county last year. They are also working with families and involved in drug return programs.
Ketchel told a personal story about his dad dying this year at age 85 after 50 years of smoking.
“Modern medicine kept him alive,” he said. “But I’d rather have had him out dancing the day before with mom rather than lying in bed hooked up to oxygen tanks.”
In other council news Monday:
•Matt Goolsby was promoted to sergeant. Raised in New Jersey, he joined the Marines and became a corporal after the Gulf War. After going to college he became a custodial officer and later went to patrol. For Marysville, he also has been a field training officer and on the SWAT team. He was part of the city’s original NITE proactive team and has been an acting sergeant. Police Chief Rick Smith said even though he is “buffed out,” Matt gets compliance in the jail from criminals by talking to them.
•Ron Friesen of Marysville asked why code enforcement is not requiring full compliance with its new nuisance law. Planning director Dave Koenig compared it to a police officer using discretion. The goal is to improve the community. If the rest of the property is well-maintained, we don’t want to “get nit-picking.”
•Public Works director Kevin Nielsen said the cost to fix the water main break near State and 100th last week was $195,000. The water main was rerouted because it kept pulling apart when the banks of the Quil Ceda Creek became saturated with water.
•Nielsen discussed federal funds that would pay for a citywide intersection improvement project. Nielsen joked that it was “good timing” for the grant because a recent survey gave the city low marks for the timing of its signals.
•Finance Director Sandy Langdon talked about refinancing some bonds that would save the city $600,000 in interest over the next 10 years.
•The council approved the road closures for the Handmade and Homegrown Fair on 3rd Street Aug. 12-14.
•The council approved $300,000 for the paving of the Ebey Waterfront Trail.
•The council also approved almost $275,615 for a pedestrian signal mid-block on Fourth near Asbery Field.
•Parks director Jim Ballew said the parks are being used more than ever, causing issues with garbage. Council Member Jeff Vaughan joked that maybe it’s because of all the people playing Pokemon Go. Vaughan proudly added that he’s at level 9.
•William Foster was appointed to the Civil Service Commission.
