2020/09/16 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

September 16, 2020 Although we know we need more housing, I am glad to report that we are experiencing growth and the past year was a strong year in construction permitting. All in all, we have well over 1,000 units in the permitting and construction pipeline. To help us keep pace with this growth, our 2021 budget includes expansion in permitting and planning to ensure staff resources can support continued development in Everett. Transportation & infrastructure Transportation and infrastructure form the basic foundation of everything a city needs to provide to its residents, businesses and visitors. This includes roads, walkways, traffic management, water and sewer, and public transportation. Starting with public transit: our team at Everett Transit has done an amazing job of adjusting their operations during the time of COVID to keep our drivers, riders and workers safe. With more people working and attending school from home, however, ridership has taken a hit and is down 50 percent. So a big focus for Everett Transit next year will be planning for service changes in this COVID world. We'll be doing some planning and public outreach to determine what changes we can make to maximize efficiency while still providing service when and where our riders need it most. We're also working to ensure Everett Transit meets the need of our community now and well into the future. Through our Rethink Transit initiative, we're currently engaging the community as we explore possible options for long-range sustainability. Our public works team is the backbone of ensuring our infrastructure is in place in our city. Last month we celebrated the opening of the Grand Avenue Park Bridge, a major utility project that improves our stormwater system, while also creating a gorgeous pedestrian connection to our waterfront.