Everett City Council Supports WSU Medical School, Okays $130k To Experience Everett and Says Yes To Paine Field Terminal

February 25, 2015

Everett, Everett Government

Everett City Council

City Council endorses idea of WSU medical school.

Many times the once-a-month midday meeting of the Everett City Council is lighter than evening meetings on activity but today’s meeting was quite active. Council member Brenda Stonecipher was absent as she’s in the hospital, currently recovering from what was termed by council administrator Deb Williams as a “routine procedure”. Here in no particular order is a recap of some of the happenings at today’s meeting…

Paine Field in Everett, WA

Everett supports passenger service.

Everett City Council members were asked by council member Paul Roberts to sign a letter of support for a two-gate passenger terminal at Paine Field. Roberts explained that he wanted to send a letter with supporting documents to the Snohomish County Council who are negotiating a potential lease with Propeller Aviation for the terminal. He says he worked on the letter and its attachments with the city attorney’s office and council President Scott Bader and felt a signed letter with supporting materials was more effective than just a council resolution. There was no formal vote taken but several council members expressed their support for the letter.

Lisa Brown

Chancellor Lisa Brown from WSU Spokane

Bob Drewel, Chancellor of WSU north here in Everett introduced Dr. Lisa Brown, Chancellor of WSU Spokane who explained to the city council the reasons behind WSU’s bid for a medical school. She asked the council to pass a resolution of support in WSU’s bid for a medical school. Brown said that if a WSU Medical School were approved, the first two years medical students would study at the campus in Spokane but in years three and four of their schooling, students would be at medical facilities across the State. That could include clinics here in Everett. This would allow students to be trained in community settings instead of just big hospitals and get them closer to communities that are in need of physicians. The council unanimously passed the resolution.

Exp Everett Over the past few years Experience Everett has been arranging and promoting all types of events along with the city of Everett in general in hopes of getting folks to spend more time and subsequently more money in Everett. The ultimate goal is to get more people to spend nights in Everett’s hotels and motels. Today the Everett City Council agreed to extend the contract with Videri, (the company behind Experience Everett) in the amount of $130,000 for another 12 months. The funds come from the city’s hotel-motel tax and not out of the city’s general fund. The money pays for the website, social media, events and staffing to encourage more people to in fact…Experience Everett.

EASC Troy McClelland, President of Economic Alliance Snohomish County gave his annual report to the city on how his organization is helping Everett. Formed in 2011 as a result of the merger between the Everett Chamber of Commerce, South County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council the McClelland says EASC works on bringing new businesses to Everett and Snohomish County, represents Everett’s interest in transportation and infrastructure in Olympia and Washington DC and assists Everett in networking and trade events.

Everett Gospel Mission The Council also heard a brief success story from Sylvia Anderson, CEO of the Everett Gospel Mission who said over the past two days multiple social service agencies, Everett Police and at least one concerned citizen have gotten together to address the large encampment of people under the bridge just to the north of the mission. She said 23 people were given housing vouchers and more than that contacted by social service agencies to try and let those folks know that there are services available. The police, mission and social service agencies are taking an “outreach”, “nudge” and “push” tactic in dealing with the group. The outreach portion just began, with the nudge and push portions to soon follow in an attempt to make the neighborhood there safer for all.

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