Connectivity in Snohomish

For all the hoopla in Seattle and Redmond, it may be that some of the most visionary planning work for using the new technology to build community is happening to the north. SnoNet, Snohomish County's move "toward a connected community," includes schools, libraries, community colleges, media (both commercial — The Herald — and public — KCTS-TV/9), government, community centers, homes, and businesses. With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and corporations and local government, Snohomish is building both the citizen and networking infrastructure to provide all citizens with access. "In terms of civic participation," says SnoNet President and CEO Tom Campbell, "another chat forum just isn't enough." That's why, in partnership with the local newspaper, the county auditor, and the League of Women Voters, SnoNet has set up SnoVote, a dialogue-based website where citizens can discuss local election issues in an informed way. This kind of hybrid — linking the three sectors of business, government and not-for-profits, and providing information to and getting input from citizens — points the way to a better informed, more involved community. Campbell cautions that citizens "need a local reason to get on-line. Interactive applications such as civic involvement, registering for volunteer positions and events go beyond the point-and-click mentality to true community building."

SnoNet has also been instrumental in setting up a United Way-based project called Healthy Communities, which has organized citizens into task groups looking at some of the region's most serious issues like health, violence, discrimination, and jobs. In each case, the group studies other communities where these problems have been successfully addressed. They set goals against which they can measure how their community is doing. Each area of concern has a "report card," where the indicators of success are measured, and "action steps" identified. Agencies and individuals take the lead in implementing the action steps, and media (at least The Herald) cover the process.