Mayor Mark Lamb said when the current Bothell City Council was elected by voters in 2007, those council members set out a list of priorities and goals.
On Jan. 31, in a daylong weekend session, those same council members came together for what Lamb described as a sort of mid-term check up, as well as to set out some new goals for the coming year.
“I think by and large that the city, especially in these tough economic times, is doing the right things,” Lamb said.
City Manager Bob Stowe talked about helping the city stay on course by preserving a reserve fund equal to 20 percent of two years in operating expenses and by using conservative revenue forecasts.
As for overall goals, council members set themselves several specific targets for 2009. Continuing the planned rebuilding of downtown Bothell took the No. 1 spot.
According to an outline provided by Stowe, future progress on the ambitious downtown scheme should include moving forward with the Crossroads project, coming up with a preliminary design for a new city hall and, among other steps, completing master planning for the Park at Bothell Landing.
As has been well publicized, the Crossroads project is essentially the realignment of the intersection of state routes 522 and 527, along with Main Street. The idea is to create a new, T-shaped intersection and open further acreage to development. Stowe said council recently authorized purchase agreements for two parcels needed to make the plan work. He added the city needs to gain all necessary property by the end of the year.
Regarding a new Bothell city hall, council only recently voted to place the new hall at the location of the current structure, 18305 101st Ave., N.E. Estimated cost has been given as $38 million.
Lamb talked about other priorities as including reaching some decision on annexing unincorporated areas to the north or south of the city’s current borders. Stowe has said either move is feasible, though he advised council against taking in both areas at this point in time.
The downtown project and the annexation plans have received plenty of publicity, but other goals outlined by council might be less well-known. Lamb said legislators want Bothell to move forward with its sustainability plan, launched in June 2008.
According to Stowe, the plan calls for steps such as adopting codes to encourage green building and the implementation of a number of measures to lower carbon emissions. He said council should receive the complete sustainability plan in April.
As still another target, Lamb mentioned Bothell possibly gaining new land for parks and open spaces. He said the city will need to find an independent funding mechanism to make that happen, adding that approaching voters with a bond issue is one possible option.
While they didn’t quite make the top of the priority list, officials mentioned numerous other undertakings each city department has on its plate. For example, city executives are aiming to continue discussions between Bothell and the Northshore School District for a possible purchase of property adjacent to Pop Keeney Field. The land could become a big piece of a revamped downtown.
On one final front, council has before it what officials called an ambitious capital projects plan for 2009. According to documents prepared by city Public Works Director Douglas Jacobson, highlights include a summer start for construction of a new public-works operations center. Also mentioned were several projects to help eliminate flooding in certain portions of the city.
