Snohomish County Councilman Dave Somers gave a presentation to the Sultan City Council and Mayor Carolyn Eslick on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Sultan City Hall.
Somers, who represents the residents of Snohomish County District 5, is currently serving his fourth term on the council. He lives with his wife near Monroe.
He gave a quick update about the situation in Oso and discussed the costs that the county is faced with as a result of the landslide. He shared that the county has been virtually living and breathing Oso since the landslide hit on March 22.
"I've got to say it's like nothing I've ever seen,GÇ¥ said Somers. "This one really caught us by surprise.GÇ¥
The county is the central agency responsible for paying all the bills in an emergency situation like the Oso landslide. Things like emergency response team workers, equipment, material, miscellaneous supplies and food were all secured with county funding.
"The costs of that are still being calculated and tallied but we're up around the 20 million dollar range,GÇ¥ said Somers.
While the county is eligible for a 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government, the process is time-consuming and not necessarily guaranteed.
Somers explained that the county is also eligible for a 12 1/2 percent reimbursement from the state of Washington, but they will need to pursue that with the state legislators as soon as they are back in session. The Oso reimbursement is at the top of their legislative agenda. Second on that list is transportation funding.
Somers expressed his support to the city of Sultan for both the new Steelhead Park campground proposed by Snohomish County Parks, as well as the proposed gun range which is being planned for the Sultan Basin Road.
"I think it's part of a great vision to really provide some amenities for tourism and recreation,GÇ¥ said Somers.
NEW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTED
Sultan City Council voted unanimously to appoint Nicholas Sorgen as the Sultan City Council's new student representative.
Sorgen will be starting his junior year at Sultan High School in September, and has been extremely active both in school and in the Sultan community. Sorgen spent time volunteering at the VOA's Kids Caf+¬ free lunch program this summer, and has also volunteered with the Sky Valley Community Coalition, a group dedicated to reducing the negative effects of drugs and alcohol in the Sky Valley community.
Sorgen submitted a letter of interest to the city in June.
"I am a 4.0 student and have lettered twice in track and field, wrestling and cross country while maintaining this GPA,GÇ¥ wrote Sorgen. "I was selected by the track and field team to become their captain and my coach chose me to become captain of the cross country team next year.GÇ¥
Sorgen is also planning on serving as the pep club president and the business manager for the Sultan High School yearbook. He stated that he has been interested in serving on the Sultan City Council since his freshman year, as he would like to learn more about the way government functions.
Last year's student representative, Kymberlie Kenagy, left Sultan in July to join the United States Navy. Kenagy shared that she was looking forward to the adventure of being in the military.
"It's a life experience,GÇ¥ said Kenagy in July, as she was on her way to boot camp. "Any branch I picked would be exciting in its own way.GÇ¥
"I'm excited to travel, learn, and meet new people,GÇ¥ she continued. "There are so many opportunities in the military and I plan to take advantage of them.GÇ¥
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