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Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 6, 2022
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EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
APPROVED MINUTES
September 6, 2022
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT
Mike Nelson, Mayor
Vivian Olson, Council President
Will Chen, Councilmember
Neil Tibbott, Councilmember
Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember
Susan Paine, Councilmember
Laura Johnson, Councilmember
STAFF PRESENT
Jeff Taraday, City Attorney
Scott Passey, City Clerk
Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator
1. CALL TO ORDER
The Edmonds City Council special meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Mayor Nelson in the
Council Chambers, 250 5th Avenue North, Edmonds, and virtually.
2. COUNCIL BUSINESS
1. APPOINTMENT TO FILL COUNCIL POSITION 1 VACANCY
City Clerk Scott Passey read the procedures to be followed:
Nominations
Each councilmember may nominate one candidate from the list of applicants by placing an “X” beside the
name of the applicant of their choice on the form supplied by the city clerk and initialing the form. The
city clerk will announce and maintain a permanent record of the nominations and the councilmember
nominating each candidate.
The Election
Each councilmember may vote for one candidate by placing an “X” beside the name of the candidate of
their choice on the ballot provided and numbering and initialing their ballots. The city clerk will announce
and maintain a permanent record of each ballot and who voted for each candidate.
A Deadlock
A deadlock occurs after each councilmember votes the same way on three consecutive ballots. In the
event the council should deadlock, previous nominations are declared null and void and the council may
begin a new round of nominations.
Appointment
A candidate is successfully appointed upon receiving four affirmative votes.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 6, 2022
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Mr. Passey advised if councilmembers wish to speak regarding their nominations or the process, the
appropriate time would be after the nomination ballots have been collected and he has indicated which
councilmembers nominated which candidates. He thanked former Student Representative Brook Roberts
for his assistance with collecting the forms.
ROLL CALL
Mr. Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present.
Mr. Passey advised councilmembers have a stack of nomination forms and ballot forms. He requested
councilmembers complete Nomination #1.
Nomination 1
Candidate Councilmember
Michelle Dotsch Buckshnis
Maria Montalvo Chen, L. Johnson, & Paine
Dave Teitzel Tibbott
Jenna Nand Olson
Councilmember L. Johnson relayed she received a number of emails in support of applicants, every single
one was for Maria Montalvo. The emails listed things like ability to navigate hard conversations, chairing
numerous groups, very involved in her community, consistently prioritizes the underrepresented
population of Edmonds, deeply committed to the health and wellbeing of Edmonds, choices represent
inclusion and balanced thinking, analytical, open minded, forward thinking, gets things done, prepared for
meetings. Based on what constitutes have been saying as well as the council’s interviews, she nominated
Maria Montalvo.
Councilmember Tibbott relayed he nominated former Councilmember Dave Teitzel primarily because the
council is about to enter into the budget season and he brings a great deal of experience with that process
and will add a lot to the council’s deliberations. He also looked at 2023 as a fairly intense year due to
comprehensive planning and anticipated Mr. Teitzel, having been on the council previously, could draw
on his former experience during that intense season.
Council President Olson added to the nomination of Dave Teitzel, he is very experienced and has served
the City well. With regard to her nomination of Jenna Nand, similar to Councilmember Kristiana
Johnson, she has spent most of life in Edmonds so has seen it through a child and young adult’s eyes as
well as through her parents’ eyes. As a former council candidate and someone who has continued to be
very involved in the City in the interim, her intellect, awareness, long term attendance, and law
background would serve the council well.
Councilmember Paine spoke to her nomination of Maria Montalvo, commenting she was impressed with
her background and her work with groups in the community. She recalled Ms. Montalvo also spoke to
how to reach a situation where everyone has some satisfaction with the outcome. She also talked about
tradeoffs which equal compromise and she has done some very hard work on that. She was wowed by
Ms. Montalvo’s interview as well as during a subsequent conversation. She understands the dynamics of
how government works, watersheds, and big projects in the City. She would be a terrific addition to the
council and knows how to make things happen and make them happen swiftly.
Councilmember Buckshnis thanked everyone who applied, commenting all the candidates are equally
qualified and have different and unique skills. She hoped all the candidates will choose to run in the next
election; there will be five seats available on the council. If anyone needs help, she has done many
campaigns. She received numerous emails and telephone calls. She was particularly interested in what the
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September 6, 2022
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late Councilmember K. Johnson brought to the table, her understanding of planning, zoning and the
environmental which is why chose to nominate Michelle Dotsch who has been a watchdog on the zoning
process for a very long time. She knows Dr. Dotsch personally and believed she would do a great job. She
mirrored Councilmember Tibbott’s comments about Dave Teitzel; he was a very good friend of Kristiana
Johnson and helped her a lot and would be very happy if he took on this short term commitment of 14-15
months to help bridge the gap until a councilmember is elected.
Councilmember Chen thanked all the candidates who applied, relaying his respect for each of them and
recognizing they each bring a unique skill set and qualifications to the table. He nominated Maria
Montalvo because he received many emails and calls in support of her, but he also has personal
experience working with her on projects that helped the Chamber through difficult times and saw her
dedication and commitment to the community. He was looking for someone who can bring the
community together and work through the issues facing the City. He acknowledged many of the
candidates would do the same, but the community’s support was the reason he nominated Ms. Montalvo.
Candidate Votes Councilmember
Ballot 1
Maria Montalvo 4 Chen, Paine, L. Johnson
Michelle Dotsch 1 Buckshnis
Dave Teitzel 1 Tibbott & Olson
Ballot 2
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 3
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 4
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
The Council vote reached a deadlock. Mr. Passey requested councilmembers complete Nomination #2.
Nomination 2
Candidate Councilmember
Dave Teitzel Olson & Buckshnis
Maria Montalvo Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Michelle Dotsch Tibbott
Candidate Votes Councilmember
Ballot 5
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 6
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 7
Michelle Dotsch 1 Tibbott
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 2 Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 8
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September 6, 2022
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Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine, & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 9
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 10
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
The Council vote reached a deadlock. Mr. Passey requested councilmembers complete Nomination #3.
Nomination 3
Candidate Councilmember
Roger Pence Olson & Tibbott
Jenna Nand Chen
Dave Teitzel Buckshnis
Maria Montalvo L. Johnson & Paine
Councilmember Paine spoke regarding her nominee Maria Montalvo. This position was unfortunately
vacated due to loss of friend and colleague Kristiana Johnson. Maria Montalvo has the exact same
educational background as Kristiana Johnson, bachelor and master’s degrees; Kristiana Johnson’s degrees
were in planning and Maria Montalvo’s are in economics and political science. They also share the same
love of Edmonds. Nominating and balloting for Maria Montalvo will also support the memory of
Kristiana Johnson and add a lot of the get up and go that Maria Montalvo brings which is why she
continued her nomination of Maria Montalvo.
Councilmember Tibbott spoke to his nomination of Roger Pence, explaining he brings a great deal of
experience having been on the Planning Board and several other community involvements and could step
into the council position ready to serve. He also appreciated his background in communication. He has
expressed his willingness to run for office in 2023 but is also a veteran of running campaigns and will do
a good job as a candidate running for office.
Councilmember Buckshnis said former Councilmember Teitzel knows how to step into the big shoes left
by Kristiana Johnson. She was an independent and so is he; they are both strong willed in terms of ethics
and are independent thinkers. Dave Teitzel has proven himself; he served on the long range financial
planning committee with Kristiana Johnson for 18 months which resulted in the development of the fund
balance policy which was necessary for the City’s AAA rating. He is very conservative about maintaining
downtown and has a proven track record. She expressed support for him as he will be great for the finance
team, is a great policy wonk, and selecting him will respect who Kristiana Johnson might have picked had
she retired. She concluded the best candidate for the late Councilmember K. Johnson’s seat is Dave
Teitzel.
Council President Olson agreed with Councilmember Buckshnis’ sentiments, relaying she knew firsthand
that the late Councilmember K. Johnson respected Mr. Teitzel as a colleague when he was on council.
She nominated Roger Pence who is at everything and has a passion for city government. She anticipated
he could get up to speed quickly, almost as fast as someone who had already been on the council.
Councilmember Chen spoke to his nomination of Jenna Nand; he has known her for the last 3-4 years, she
is very dedicated, involved, has a heart for the City of Edmonds, ran for council, applied for appointment
and has been at council meetings focusing her energy on City matters. She is an attorney and her skills
sets will complement the council.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 6, 2022
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Candidate Votes Councilmember
Ballot 11
Jenna Nand 1 Chen
Roger Pence 1 Tibbott
Dave Teitzel 2 Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 2 Paine & L. Johnson
Ballot 12
Maria Montalvo 2 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 13
Roger Pence 1 Chen
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 2 Paine & L. Johnson
Ballot 14
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 15
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Roger Pence 1 Tibbott
Dave Teitzel 2 Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 16
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis &Olson
Ballot 17
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 18
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
The Council vote reached a deadlock. Mr. Passey requested councilmembers complete Nomination #4.
Nomination 4
Candidate Councilmember
Natalie Seitz Olson, Chen & Paine
Dave Teitzel Buckshnis
Maria Montalvo L. Johnson
Erika Barnett Tibbott
Councilmember Tibbott explained he nominated Erika Barnett and even though she did not have an
interview, he interviewed her individually before she left on vacation. She is an independent thinker in
Edmonds, gets along with a lot of people, professionally she works collaboratively with a variety of
people in the business world, and is also very well connected in the community. He concluded those were
the characteristics he was looking for in a councilmember.
Councilmember L. Johnson spoke to her nomination of Maria Montalvo; in reviewing the comments she
received from citizens, two stook out: constantly prioritizes the under-represented population of Edmonds
and her choices represent inclusion and balanced thinking. Historically, the Edmonds City Council has
not been very diverse; Maria Montalvo would not only prioritize, speak for and represent a more diverse
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September 6, 2022
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community, but she also comes from that community. She is proven and numerous citizens sent emails
speaking to that which is she nominated Maria Montalvo.
Councilmember Paine explained she nominated Natalie Seitz because she is a regular speaker at council
meetings, understands how the comprehensive plan flows into work plans and other planning documents
and technical details. She is also very familiar with watersheds and stormwater which is crucial in
Edmonds as well as applying the policy and understanding the operations. She has a lot of confidence in
Ms. Seitz’ ability to include other aspects of policy work the council does which includes adding equity
across the City and across different groups and putting it together in a comprehensive manner. She will be
a good fit for the City and helps address the imbalance of resources spread across the City. For those
reasons, she was proud to nominate Natalie Seitz.
Council President Olson said she has learned a lot from Natalie Seitz being part of the process during the
last year. She is very smart, knowledgeable and her day job segues well into what the council does. She
agreed with Councilmember Tibbott’s nomination and said she was also impressed talking with Erika
Barnett and there was no doubt that Maria Montalvo was a great Edmonds citizen. If former
Councilmember Teitzel had not been one of the candidates, this decision would have been devastatingly
hard. She will continue to hope to get one of the best councilmembers back to participate in the very
challenging year ahead.
Councilmember Buckshnis said she also enjoyed her conversations with Natalie Seitz and Erika Barnett.
Dave Teitzel has had four years of understanding of complex and detailed matters and previously brought
forward Job Order Contracting for minorities in the council’s policy discussions. He will bring that
diversity and knowledge of diversity. It is important to respect what the late Councilmember K. Johnson
brought to the table. Last year’s budget process was a mess and needs to be fixed this year. It would be
very advantageous for the financial individuals on the team to have Dave Teitzel as a councilmember.
Councilmember Chen said he nominated Natalie Seitz because he learned a lot from her expertise in
public works, an aspects that can help the council deal with massive undertakings that are ahead including
many big projects as well as a new public works director. Having someone that is strong in that area
would help the council which is why he nominated Natalie Seitz.
Candidate Votes Councilmember
Ballot 19
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & Paine
Erika Barnett 1 Tibbott
Dave Teitzel 2 Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 L. Johnson
Ballot 20
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 Paine
Ballot 21
Erika Barnett 1 Chen
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 Paine
Natalie Seitz 1 L. Johnson
Ballot 22
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & Paine
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 L. Johnson
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
September 6, 2022
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Ballot 23
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 Paine
Ballot 24
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 Paine
Ballot 25
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 2 Tibbott & Buckshnis
Erika Barnett 1 Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 Paine
Ballot 26
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & Paine
Erika Barnett 1 Tibbott
Dave Teitzel 2 Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 L. Johnson
Ballot 27
Natalie Seitz 2 Chen & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Maria Montalvo 1 Paine
Ballot 28
Erika Barnett 1 Chen
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Natalie Seitz 1 Paine
Maria Montalvo 1 L. Johnson
Ballot 29
Erika Barnett 2 Chen & Tibbott
Dave Teitzel 2 Buckshnis & Olson
Natalie Seitz 1 Paine
Maria Montalvo 1 L. Johnson
Ballot 30
Maria Montalvo 2 Chen & Paine
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Natalie Seitz 1 L. Johnson
Ballot 31
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 32
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
Ballot 33
Maria Montalvo 3 Chen, Paine & L. Johnson
Dave Teitzel 3 Tibbott, Buckshnis & Olson
The Council vote reached a deadlock. Mr. Passey advised councilmembers could complete Nomination
#5 or could adjourn this meeting and take this up at the regular meeting.
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September 6, 2022
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Councilmember Paine expressed support for adjourning and take this up at the regular meeting when the
council was done with its regular business.
Council President Olson relayed it was the council’s consensus they were ready for a break.
2. ADMINISTRATION OF OATH OF OFFICE FOR COUNCIL POSITION #1
3. ORDINANCE REVISING CHAPTER 2.05 ECC; CITY ATTORNEY CODE UPDATE
3. ADJOURN
COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS,
TO ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The council meeting was adjourned at 6:53 p.m.