Thank you for the excellent article regarding Project 99 and the collaborative efforts to address pressing social issues facing us all in Snohomish County in the Nov. 16 Sunday Herald. While the incidents documented in the article did not actually occur in Lynnwood, the focus of the article highlights the need for regional strategies to address these problems. As is pointed out, the issues identified have a very negative impact on our communities; creating crime, social welfare issues, and the decline of our neighborhoods. Our constituents want us to work together to address these matters that cross jurisdictional boundaries and bureaucracies.
Lynnwood is committed to addressing these matters through new approaches. A Community Health and Safety program has been established in our city to leverage partnerships and resources through creative problem-solving. Our focus is a citywide interdepartmental approach to service delivery, outreach and education to the community, and a proactive stance to address crime, code enforcement and social services. The goal is to work collaboratively to bring diverse resources and organizations together to achieve the most effective and positive results possible.
This strategic approach is what we in Lynnwood are working towards. The City Council is tackling the various issues associated with these concerns through policy direction and changes to the municipal code. Our departments have coordinated a focused neighborhood-based effort to address issues of crime, drug use, code enforcement and neighborhood decline. This new approach has been met with success and will serve as a model for how we target services in the future.
The next step is to bring social services from state and county governments and public and nonprofit organizations into this collaborative and coordinative approach. These efforts will document critical needs and provide effective and efficient solutions that are both laser-focused and offer long-term results. Establishing a regional model that may be used county-wide is an outcome that will benefit all communities in Snohomish County.
The Herald article provides a call to action in support of new approaches to address societal issues. As Lynnwood moves forward into 2015, the city will be reviewing how best to provide services to meet community needs. I am firmly committed to working together on coordinated and collaborative regional strategies.
Nicola Smith is the mayor of Lynnwood.
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