The year 2022 was a busy one in Snoqualmie, filled with change as the City bounced back from the pandemic and looked toward the future with a positive perspective.
The year began with a new Mayor and a City Council with many new faces. Snoqualmie elected officials hit the ground running last January and never looked back. With so much important work to do, 2022 may have included the most Council meetings in recent memory.
The combined efforts of City staff, Mayor Ross, and the Snoqualmie City Council produced many significant City accomplishments this year, including:
- Receiving $5 million from the State for the Snoqualmie Parkway Rehabilitation Project which will repave this busy stretch of roadway in 2023. The vast majority of the project’s price tag will be covered by the State.
- Completing Public Works Projects like the Trees Street Downtown Infrastructure improvements; fixing hundreds of neighborhood sidewalks; and adopting the General Sewer Plan.
- Approving the Mill Site Redevelopment Project Planned Commercial/Industrial Plan (PCI) and Development Agreement, which included new affordable housing units. The approval of these two project components was a 5-year process, culminating in 14 Council meetings and hours of Council review and deliberation.
- Approving the 2023-24 Biennial Budget with increased human services funding; approving a new 6-year Capital Improvement Plan to guide long-term City infrastructure investments; and adopting a new Financial Management Policy.
- Hiring 33 regular positions, including seven new Snoqualmie Police officers and one new police captain, amounting to 30% of City staff being new faces this past year. Additionally, we added 6 new volunteer firefighters.
- Executing and coordinating 10 popular community events, capped off by Winter Lights with more holiday twinkle that ever before.
- Maintaining the Snoqualmie Fire Department’s accredited status while responding to over 1,500 calls for service – the most ever in the department’s history.
- Upgrading technology across four City buildings; rolling out new cyber security measures; and outfitting City Hall conference rooms with online meeting compatible equipment.
- Last - but certainly not least - securing $9.5 million in grant funding to support City infrastructure projects, community programs, and saving taxpayer money.
“As you can see, our small City had many big accomplishments this year,” said Mayor Ross. “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to City Councilmembers and City staff because these accomplishments would not have been possible without their teamwork and dedication to the Snoqualmie community.”