Growth, services and local control: Why civic engagement matters in Cashmere

CASHMERE — What does it take to keep Cashmere the kind of place its residents want to call home?

That question runs through conversations about new businesses, housing, taxes, roads, parks and other city services. At the Oct. 26 City Council meeting, resident Juan Rodriguez asked officials how the city could encourage business growth and help residents understand the connection between development and the revenue needed to support the community.

His question opened a conversation about more than any one business or budget decision. It was also a reminder that residents have the greatest opportunity to shape Cashmere’s future when they participate before the rules are in place and the decisions are made.

The city’s comprehensive plan and zoning code help determine what kinds of uses are allowed in different parts of Cashmere. Those rules can shape where housing, stores, industrial businesses and other activities may be located, as well as the standards projects must meet.

When the city updates those plans and codes, residents can ask questions, suggest changes and tell officials what they value. That might mean advocating for housing, protecting a neighborhood’s character, encouraging businesses or raising concerns about traffic and infrastructure.

Once those rules are adopted, however, a proposal that meets them may have a path forward even if some residents dislike the particular business. The city generally evaluates an application against the applicable rules; the council and mayor do not get to choose a favorite business for every commercially zoned property.

That distinction has come up in Cashmere before. Residents expressed concerns about a proposed Dollar General, but a property zoned for business does not necessarily give the city authority to reject a store simply because some people would prefer a different one.

The same question can arise as the former mill property develops. Residents can participate in conversations about the rules governing an area, but those rules, along with applicable permit requirements, matter when a business proposes to locate there. The details depend on the property’s zoning and the type of proposal.

That does not mean residents should stay quiet when a project is announced. Public comment can still bring forward questions about traffic, access, noise or whether a proposal meets the rules. It does mean that a planning meeting held months or years earlier may be just as important as the meeting that draws a crowd once a particular business is on its way.

The conversation also reaches beyond land use. Cashmere relies on revenue to provide services, maintain infrastructure and plan for the future. Property and utility taxes are among the city’s major revenue sources, while sales tax contributes money when taxable purchases are made.

At the Oct. 26 meeting, Mayor Jim Fletcher said Cashmere does not have the same sales tax or industrial base as larger cities. Rodriguez asked what the city could do to encourage more business activity and help residents understand the financial choices facing their community.

Growth can bring new customers, jobs and tax revenue, although it can also bring costs and demands for roads, utilities and other services. Taxes and fees can help pay for services, but they also affect household budgets. Those tradeoffs are precisely why public participation matters.

If revenue does not keep pace with costs, a city may have to delay projects, reduce services, defer maintenance or look for other sources of money. A community can decide it wants to grow slowly, keep taxes lower or preserve particular features of its small-town character, but each choice comes with questions about what the city can afford and how it will meet residents’ needs.

Those choices also affect local control. Maintaining a city government means sustaining the services and responsibilities that come with it. A financially strained community could eventually face difficult conversations about how services are provided and who makes those decisions, though no such change has been proposed for Cashmere.

Residents do not have to agree on every answer. They can attend meetings, read proposed plans, ask city staff questions, speak with council members and vote. They can also participate long before a vote or a construction sign brings an issue to their doorstep.

Cashmere’s Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing Nov. 2 on proposed updates to the city’s comprehensive plan, zoning map and development rules. The City Council has also scheduled a public meeting Nov. 23 to discuss the proposals.

The draft materials are available at cityofcashmere.org/government/plans-and-programs.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media