Snohomish County is currently seeking volunteers for two open positions on the Boundary Review Board. Board members are residents of the county they serve. They serve for a four-year term and are not allowed to hold other local government elected or appointed positions or jobs.

For more than 50 years in Washington state, Boundary Review Boards have been instrumental in resolving disputes between property owners, citizens, developers and governmental authorities. For residents in unincorporated areas, the board often serves as the avenue of recourse in the city and special purpose district annexation processes. Boards make decisions, weighing the Growth Management Act and specific factors and objectives in state law, in order to ensure orderly growth and development of municipalities and urban services.

The residents of Snohomish County are fortunate to have a process in place that:

• Allows access to an impartial local body to mediate disputes

• Ensures orderly growth of cities and urban services

• Assists cities, towns and districts with annexations

• Provides objective analysis and fair and impartial decision-making

The board is a quasi-judicial, administrative body empowered to make decisions on such issues as incorporations, annexations, mergers, etc., by cities, towns and special purpose districts. It can approve, modify and approve or deny a proposal. Board decisions are final unless appealed to the Superior Court of the county under the law.

There are no statutory requirements on membership qualifications for the board, although it is desirable for the individual to have knowledge of the Growth Management Act, ability to evaluate technical planning and environmental documents and economic reports as well as testimony from the public, and apply state statues to decision-making. A background on a jurisdiction’s planning commission is beneficial.

For any questions about the application process, call Pamela Yount, clerk of the board, at 425-388-3445.