I was so pleased to read about the completion of the Corps of Engineers Section 205 Flood Damage Reduction Project in Snoqualmie. I would like to congratulate officials from the city of Snoqualmie, King County, the Army Corps of Engineers and other federal government officials for their long, painstaking and persistent work in completing the project.

Of everything that has been accomplished in the city of Snoqualmie, in my view this was the most significant. It required more effort by more individuals over a longer period of time than anything I have ever been associated with. It is truly a remarkable achievement in a time when there is so much criticism aimed at what government does and when politicians are so focused on short-term solutions.

It culminates a promise made by the Corps of Engineers to the residents of Snoqualmie prior to my 11 years of tenure to do something more than just purchase or elevate homes to alleviate the effects of flooding in the city. The partnerships required to make this project happen extends from the homes of private citizens to City Hall, to King County, to Washington D.C. It involved hundreds of individuals. It was also a public/private partnership involving Puget Western and WRECO.

I felt it a great privilege to be able to work with others and contribute what I could to this major accomplishment. I can’t count the number of times this project was on the brink. The hurdles it had to overcome seemed at times to be insurmountable. There are definite reasons why so few Corps projects have been undertaken in recent years.

However, I do have one regret. And that is that former Mayor Jeanne Hansen, who worked so hard on this project, could not be here to witness this event.

But who knows, maybe someone above let her have a peek.

Kim Wilde

Former Snoqualmie City

Administrator, currently

Village Administrator

Waunakee, Wis.