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2024-05-28 Council MinutesEDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROVED MINUTES May 28, 2024 ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT STAFF PRESENT Mike Rosen, Mayor Oscar Antillon, Public Works Director Vivian Olson, Council President Kim Dunscombe, Deputy Admin. Serv. Director Will Chen, Council President Pro Tern Jessica Neill Hoyson, HR Director Chris Eck, Councilmember Jeff Taraday, City Attorney Neil Tibbott, Councilmember Nicholas Falk, Deputy City Clerk Michelle Dotsch, Councilmember Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator Susan Paine, Councilmember Jenna Nand, Councilmember 1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE The Edmonds City Council meeting was called to order at 7 pm by Mayor Rosen in the Council Chambers, 250 5t' Avenue North, Edmonds, and virtually. The meeting was opened with the flag salute. 2. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Councilmember Eck read the City Council Land Acknowledge Statement: "We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and their successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water." 3. ROLL CALL Deputy City Clerk Nicholas Falk called the roll. All elected officials were present. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM CHEN, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM CHEN, TO REMOVE ITEM 8.4, RESOLUTION FOR PURSUING ANNEXATION INTO REGIONAL FIRE AUTHORITY, FROM THE AGENDA AND POSTPONE TO A DATE UNCERTAIN. Councilmember Tibbott preferred the council focus on Business Item 8.3, noting additional information has arisen in the last week that is worthy of future discussion. He anticipated as a result of tonight's discussion, a number of questions will arise so it makes sense to postpone that item. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 1 Councilmember Paine asked what additional information would be provided. Councilmember Tibbott anticipated questions that would arise from tonight's discussion as well as questions he received via email today. Council President Pro Tem Chen commented one of the topics that requires more discussion and more time is buying back rolling stock and equipment from South County Fire. Councilmember Nand asked how delaying the request for annexation would affect the potential timeline for bringing the matter to the ballot for voters. Mayor Rosen answered depending on how soon the council brings it back, he assumed it would be okay. He continues to gather information as part of his own function as well as in response to questions from council; the administration is gathering information in a parallel process. He assured he will speak up if he feels it is getting too close. Councilmember Nand said given the timeline of 18-24 months and up to 36 months for certain alternatives, it would be prudent for the council to vote tonight whether to request annexation. AMENDMENT CARRIED (4-3), COUNCILMEMBERS PAINE, NAND AND ECK VOTING NO. MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 5. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Greg Thode, Edmonds, a general contractor with Golden Coast Construction and Restoration, representing Shiao Yen Wu, an Edmonds property owner, explained they are halfway through the process of rebuilding the Firdale Village property destroyed by fire. It has been great working with building staff. As they neared the end of the process, a tenant who operates a daycare wanted to expand which will change the mini -mart space to daycare. A notice was received from the City two weeks ago stating there will be a 3-6 month delay for review for a special use permit to allow a daycare. He has documentation that a use permit was already approved by council in 2003, a daycare is allowed by the zoning, and the existing daycare wants to expand. He provided written documentation. Shiao Yen Wu, Seattle, said she has owned and managed Firdale Village for 40 years. Four years ago, two fires occurred during two months, one an arson and the other a kitchen fire. Since then, the nightmare started including the pandemic and then obtaining building permits. They are anxious to get the building renovations completed and would appreciate the council helping them out. She was proud to be a part of the Edmonds community and make a contribution to the community. Bill Krepick, Woodway, referred to his previous comments regarding fire and EMS and annexation into the regional fire authority. He was glad the council voted to postpone the resolution related to annexation as he felt that was the right thing to do. There are a lot of open questions related to how the alternatives are valued, and how the pros and cons are weighed in terms of Edmonds and its taxpayers. In his analysis of documents including the 2009 budget and the 2022 ILA revision, it appears there are a lot of holes in Fitch's analysis. The information Fitch provided was little more than a sale pitch of South County Fire's statements regarding benefits of scale for regional operations. The holes in Fitch's analysis add up to a substantial amount of money, $8 million of potential benefits to Edmonds in terms of cost reduction or actual revenue. He hoped the Blue Ribbon Panel could take a hard look at the questions he outlined. There is a lot of potential for revenue that could change the way the City looks at establishing an Edmonds Fire Department. He hoped the council would utilize financial experts other than Fitch as he did not think Fitch understood the totality of how to do the analysis. Jim Ogonowski, Edmonds, repeated the questions he asked previously about the utility bond issues later on the agenda. First, it seems premature to consider bonding before the Blue Ribbon Panel has made a Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 2 recommendation on a recovery plan. He asked if the council had received a recommendation from the Blue Ribbon Panel for a recovery plan which would potentially include bonds. Second, does the administration intend to borrow from the utility funds to support City needs such as the General Fund, Street Fund, etc.? The council's decision on the utility bonds does not have to be made tonight as this is not a time -sensitive issue, there is time to do the bonds, and interest rates are still high. He suggested doing due diligence on issuing $11 million in utility bonds versus just refinancing the bonds, get the Blue Ribbon Panel to weight in, and get the underlying information that is needed to make an informed decision. 6. RECEIVED FOR FILING 7. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM CHEN, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: 1. APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES MAY 14, 2024 2. APPROVAL OF PAYROLL AND BENEFIT CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT AND WIRE PAYMENTS 3. SNO911 ILA UPDATES 4. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS AND WIRE PAYMENT 5. ORDINANCE CHANGING THE DATE OF MONTHLY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS 8. COUNCIL BUSINESS CONFIRMATION OF MUNICIPAL JUDGE APPOINTMENT HR Director Jessica Neill Hoyson advised this is the judicial appointment of Neill Weiss. She provided an overview of the process; the City solicited applications for the appointment and received six applications. She and Bob Berkowitz, the City's public defense assessor, reviewed the applications for minimum qualifications. Four moved on to a panel interview comprised of representatives from the court and law enforcement. Three candidates moved on to interviews with Mayor Rosen and were advanced to interviews with council. Following the council's interviews, council provided feedback to Mayor Rosen. Background checks including criminal, financial and bar association were conducted for all the candidates and Mr. Berkowitz conducted reference checks. Following that process, Mayor Rosen selected Neil Weiss who is presented to council for confirmation as the municipal court judge. COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM CHEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF NEIL WEISS TO THE POSITION OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE EFFECTIVE JUNE 17, 2024. Councilmember Paine expressed her appreciation for all the candidates who put their names forward; they were all fine candidates. She was very pleased with the mayor's choice that the council will be confirming tonight. Council President Pro Tem Chen commented on how lucky the community is to have so many qualified candidates who not only have the technical knowledge and expertise but also have the heart for the community and the cases that come to the municipal court. He applauded Mayor Rosen for selecting one of the best and looked forward to the council working with soon -to -be Judge Weiss. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 3 2. UTILITY BOND ORDINANCE Deputy Administrative Services Director Kim Dunscombe advised the recommended motion from last week's presentation to council should have been to move this to the consent agenda but as the agenda memo did not state that, it was moved to full council. COUNCILMEMBER NAND MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO APPROVE DELEGATION BOND ORDINANCE. Councilmember Nand explained for the public that this is a time sensitive matter and the hope is to expedite it as quickly as possible to keep sewer and water running. She thanked the finance department and bond counsel for their hard work, recalling the financial modeling at last week's meeting was very transparent. This will provide savings and given the City's financial situation, it is a prudent decision to support this refinancing. Council President Pro Tern Chen recalled approximately $9 million in the bonds is for the reservoir projects. He asked if there was a timing issue related to when those projects needed to be done. Public Works Director Oscar Antillon advised work has already begun on the reservoirs. The $9 million is for the reservoirs and stormwater projects that will be constructed over the next few years. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. OPTIONS FOR CITY OF EDMONDS FIRE/EMS SERVICES Councilmember Tibbott explained this was on the PSPHSP Committee agenda two weeks ago and the committee recommended South County Fire Regional Fire Authority as a preferred alternative. He emphasized this resolution does not obligate the City to any one of the options tonight. There is an ongoing conversation about fire service; however, the intent is to bring focus to a preferred alternative so the council can begin to get answers more quickly and as expected, it generated more questions and additional information from the community. He identified factors discussed by the PSPHSP Committee supporting the RFA as their preferred alternative: • Cost savings • Operational Continuity • Cooperative Agreements • Service Expertise • Long-range Planning Councilmember Tibbott explained cost savings and operation continuity are well outlined in the Fitch report included in tonight's packet. Cooperative agreements, service expertise, and long-range planning are benefits that emerged as the council and committee discussed the RFA as a preferred alternative and are well documented in the meeting minutes. This agenda item is an opportunity for the council to consider the resolution and factors that help bring focus to a decision. COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER ECK, THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPT THE RESOLUTION ATTACHED TO THE PACKET THIS EVENING FOR THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WHICH AUTHORIZES THE MAYOR TO PURSUE NEXT STEPS REGARDING THIS ALTERNATIVE. Councilmember Tibbott suggested the council deliberate on the merits of the resolution before making amendments. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 4 Councilmember Eck commented related to the five main factors identified by the PSPHSP Committee, the committee and the council take this matter very seriously. No one is charging ahead without doing due diligence and looking at all factors as well as benefits of Edmonds having its own fire department in the past, what is no longer a benefit due to changes that have occurred, what is good for the City today, and what the City should be responsible for as a municipality and weighing all those factors. The council is trying to be very thoughtful in their approach and she appreciated all the comments provided by the public to ensure the council has a dialogue and covers every aspect of this issue, particularly moving forward. She wanted to ensure the level of seriousness was understood. Councilmember Paine commented on her experience this past week doing a ridealong with SCF and their community resources paramedic (CRP) program. She found it fascinating to see the number of and quality of the service they provide the community. It was very thorough, the quality of services they provide included goal setting, case management and continuum of care for medical needs. The trained medical staff go in ahead of EMS services and help problem solve and work with families and individuals to get them the care they need. She referred to an email she sent councilmembers regarding her experience. During the ridealong, they did two planned visits and one emergency. It was very interesting to see how well received the service is and how thorough the personnel are. The CRP program, offered by SCF and likely other fire departments, is not well documented in the Fitch report. CRP is a valuable service to the community. To those interested in the City restarting its own fire department, one of the benefits of a larger organization is providing services like CRP due to the economy of scale. Councilmember Nand respectfully expressed her concern with the timeline and the council's approach. Last year the council voted on a resolution to request information on annexation into the RFA, a legally operative mechanism controlled by RCW and because the RCW language was amended, the SCF RFA board interpreted it as not triggering their obligation to begin undertaking the process of negotiating and providing information to the City, information that needs to be presented to voters to determine if they wish to support annexation into SCF. When that resolution was passed, there was more than 24 months remaining; the City is now at 19 months until the termination of the contract with SCF. She referred to packet page 152 or page 29 of the Fitch report, for which the City paid $45,000, which states the timeline to annex into SCF RFA is 18-24 months. The timeline for other options such as contracting with Shoreline Fire/EMS is 24-36 months and 36+ months to form Edmonds Fire Department. When looking at vital services such as fire and EMS, it is incumbent on the council to ensure the City is not in a position on December 31, 2025 of being out of contract with the provider of that vital service and in no position to do any cogent negotiation. Councilmember Nand continued, now that the City is at 19 months, it is incumbent on the council to request annexation into the RFA so the City can begin gathering information and participating in town halls necessary to present the ballot question and provide information to voters to allow them to determine whether they wish to be annexed into the RFA. The legally operative language of the resolution states the Council is authorizing the mayor to pursue next steps; however, annexation into the RFA is a process controlled by state statute. The RFA has made it clear for several years the steps the City needs to undertake which include passing the resolution in Agenda Item 8.4 tonight. She strongly encouraged council leadership and the administration to bring Agenda Item 8.4 back. This resolution is nice, but it was her understanding the mayor was already in conversation with the RFA and she didn't know what additional information this would yield until the council votes to request annexation and begin the formal process with the RFA. Council President Olson commented it would be confusing to pass this resolution when the council is in the process of taking in and dealing with new information. For example, in the context of the Fitch report being updated and corrected and tonight councihnembers are quoting lead times that were based somewhat on lead times for purchasing new equipment which is a fact that is not necessarily accurate anymore. Engaged residents, an asset to the community, researched and pointed that out. The council is in partnership Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 5 with residents and are better together. Research regarding the future of fire/EMS in Edmonds is underway. Everything other councilmembers have said is true that this doesn't obligate the council to a path; the intent of this resolution was to give direction to Mayor Rosen that there is so much to do with all three alternatives and the council was trying to help him prioritize and focus on what the council wanted to pursue as a priority option. It did not mean the council would cease researching the other options because if the voters don't approve a ballot measure to annex into the RFA, the other alternatives need to have been studied and be underway as well. Passing the resolution does help the administration prioritize. New information has come in and if the June 4 council study session is productive and all the council's questions are answered, the annexation resolution will come back to council on June 11. She reiterated it would be confusing to pass this resolution and she preferred the council choose not to do that tonight and bring it back at the June 4 study session or on June 11. Councilmember Dotsch agreed with Council President Olson, she was also confused with passing this resolution when new information is coming in that she felt should have been fleshed out with the analysis. She preferred to delay action on the resolution for a couple weeks while the council fleshed out the other alternatives and financials related to equipment and trucks. She found it confusing to be seeking information on other alternatives and passing a resolution related to annexing into the RFA. Council President Pro Tem Chen assured councilmember and the mayor are considering this decision very carefully; along with police, fire and emergency services are very important to residents and businesses and the council and mayor take it seriously. He recalled last year then -Council President Tibbott taking the initiative to engage Fitch & Associates to develop a study. New information and questions have arisen from within the organization and the public; the council should take the time necessary to do a thorough study and allow the administration time to answer the questions that have come up. Regardless of the option selected, the cost is not going down. He recalled coffee used to be $2-3 and now it's $6 plus a tip. Everything is going up; whatever option the council chooses, the cost will go up. Taking the time to do a thorough study is the right approach. Looking at the timeline, it's too late to put annexation on the November 2024 ballot; the next opportunity is November 2025. Allowing a couple more weeks for further study is the right thing to do. Councilmember Eck understood there was new information related to the potential for the City to buy back equipment that was viable as well as equipment that may need to be replaced fairly quickly. Although there are timelines associated with the alternatives, she did not want to rush. She agreed with Council President Pro Tern Chen, things are not going to cost less and although new information has come up in the last few days, it was not enough to change her mind based on criteria identified at the beginning of this discussion. She summarized the new information was not enough to change her decision or judgment that annexing into the RFA was the best option for the City. Councilmember Nand commented when the City received notice of contract termination from the RFA in December 2023, she recalled a constituent asking if the City would lose its fire department because the previous mayor had made that statement publicly. The constituent told her she had just survived a fatal fire and was very frightened. City leadership needs to make it abundantly clear to constituents, especially vulnerable people and those with trauma related to fire or who rely on the 9 minute response time in case a family member has a heart attack, that the City is being very cautious and deliberative to ensure their vital services will be fulfilled. The way this process is supposed to work is the City prepares a ballot question and voters decide whether to vote for annexation or not. This continual delay from 2023 and now into 2024 to present this ballot question to the voters was concerning to her as a councilmember. The council needs to cooperate with the RFA and request annexation because as a regional taxing authority, the RFA cannot devote the administrative time and overhead to hold town halls with Edmonds constituents until the council passes a resolution requesting annexation into the RFA, a process controlled by RCW because the RFA is Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 6 governed by state law. The RFA has been trying to fulfill their part of the process and have given contract termination notices to multiple cities. Councilmember Tibbott raised a point of order, requesting Councilmember Nand address the motion. Mayor Rosen advised she was addressing the motion. Councilmember Nand continued, stating her comments were no longer than councilmembers expressing reservations about presenting the question to voters. She wanted to make the argument and speak directly to constituents who are concerned about the future of fire and EMS. There is a process that other cities have gone through and it is incumbent on the council to ensure they are adhering to the timelines and the processes governed by state law. Councilmember Paine asked if annexation would be on the November 2024 or November 2025 ballot. Mayor Rosen advised it would be 2025, possibly April 2025. Councilmember Paine commented it would be helpful for the entire community to resolve the RFA question in 2024 in order to understand where the community is headed and then in 2025 if the voters choose not to join the RFA, the council will have to look at other options. She understood the need to have all the information, but one of the big pieces of information is what the voters will support. That is something the council cannot answer until it is put before the voters. She understood there was time to get it on the November ballot which was her preference. Other research will be useful in 2024 if the voters do not approve annexing into the RFA. Councilmember Dotsch preferred to have information ahead of time if the voters do not approve annexation into the RFA. It is important that the public is informed and she felt strongly the City needed to do its due diligence. She did not think a couple weeks' delay would be detrimental. MOTION CARRIED (5-2), COUNCILMEMBER DOTSCH AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON VOTING NO. 4. RESOLUTION FOR PURSUING ANNEXATION INTO REGIONAL FIRE AUTHORITY This item was removed from the agenda and postponed to an uncertain date via action taken under Agenda Item 4. :��0111Z[y I KV-11u lu 1 p112 W Councilmember Eck relayed she had the honor of attending two Memorial Day events in Edmonds, at the Edmonds Cemetery and at the Veterans Plaza. She thought a lot about those who have died or have gone missing in service to the country. She was proud to live in a city that put in the effort for these two events. For those who did not have an opportunity to attend the events, including honoring Gold Star Families at Veterans Plaza, she encouraged them to attend next year. Citizens owe a debt to the families of the fallen or missing that can never be repaid. One important thing that can be done is consistently show that democracy works, something she hoped would continue to be shown in the City of Edmonds. Councilmember Tibbott reported he also attended the Memorial Day events and echoed Councilmember Eck's sentiments. It is a privilege to be part of a community that comes together to honor veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Councilmember Tibbott spoke regarding the Fitch report, commenting he did not make these comments during the agenda item regarding the resolution as they were unrelated. He has had the privilege of working with Fitch & Associates on and offline this year as well as 7-8 years ago when they assisted the City with the contract with SCF. He emphasized Fitch consistently brings data driven, unbiased research to their clients which they did with Edmonds. The spreadsheets they prepared were enormous and gathered Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 7 information from interviews with SCF, Shoreline, Mukilteo, residents of Edmonds, etc. To those who have minimized the unbiased nature of Fitch & Associates, in the time he has worked with them, he has seen them challenge the RFA recommendations and their data. He recalled when Fitch assisted the City negotiate a contract with SCF, their analysis helped reduce the cost of the contract. He applauded their research, recognizing there are times when additional information arises. He looked forward to continuing the conversation related to the fire contract. It is important to remember the council hired a highly credible, well prepared authority on fire services and the data received was very credible. Council President Pro Tem Chen echoed the comments regarding the Memorial Day events. It is important for the community to honor and recognize those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom that citizens enjoy every day. He was able to get his son to come to the events and at the end, his son admitted he liked the program. Council President Pro Tem Chen reiterated the council and mayor take SCF's fire and EMS services very seriously. If the council decides to move forward with a resolution to request annexation, the outcome is dependent on the voters. If voters decide not to annex into SCF RFA, then the council and administration will need a Plan B which is something that needs to be worked on as well. Council President Olson echoed the sentiments of other councilmembers regarding Memorial Day and service members who perished defending the country and its ideals. She thanked Mayor Rosen for his remarks at the Edmonds ceremonies. It is difficult to give adequate honor to that sacrifice and he did as well as anyone ever has. As she mentioned previously regarding the future of fire and EMS services, Council President Olson thanked Edmonds resident and former Councilmember Ron Wambolt who remembered the contract requires the City buy rolling stock and fire houses upon contract termination for any reason and proceed to a fire and EMS service option that's other than joining the RFA. She appreciated the reasons other councilmembers wanted to proceed with the resolution, but it was strictly direction to the mayor regarding prioritizing time and effort related to exploring fire options. It doesn't mean the council isn't looking at other options; the City needs to be prepared for any possible eventuality. The administration received an email from Dr. Moeller from Fitch that addressed the impact of substituting the purchase of the rolling stock versus purchasing new equipment in the option 3 analysis. That email was forwarded to full council and will be included in the council packet for the June 4 special study session meeting regarding Fire/EMS RFA Annexation Choice. She reiterated the council has not made an indelible commitment via passing the resolution, and have only prioritized that option. She preferred not to approve it because she feared it would be confusing to the public, not because she didn't want to prioritize that option. Council President Olson was grateful that this was corrected informally; neither the Fitch consultant nor the council should be okay with the final report used going forward including the material mistake regarding the equipment purchase. By contract the City has to buy the rolling stock and does not have the option of buying new. It does effect the lead time which was one of the caveats for the council's consideration in the report. She did not expect it would change her opinion in the end regarding which is the best option, but it is imperative for the public and councilmembers who were quoting accurate and good information going forward that the report be corrected. She was hopeful Fitch felt the same way and would make that formal correction to the report. Council President Pro Tem Chen asked City Attorney Jeff Taraday about the timing of the ballot. He asked whether the deadline for the November 2024 had been missed. Mr. Taraday answered that was his general understanding, but he did not have the timetable in front of him. Council President Pro Tem Chen commented that was his understanding as well. Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 8 Councilmember Dotsch extended her thanks for a meaningful Memorial Day. Many volunteers and community groups put on great programs that people can attend and pay their respects. She thanked Mayor Rosen for his remarks. With regard to fire/EMS options, she assured the council is committed to doing the best for the community and exploring all the options which Edmonds' invested and knowledgeable community expects. She thanked the public for their questions and input and the process led by the consultant. She looked forward to more clarity regarding fire and EMS at upcoming meetings. Councilmember Paine thanked Mayor Rosen for his profound comments at the Memorial Day event at the cemetery. She also thanked Commander Marin and Joan Longstaff for developing such a great program that included Greg Copeland, KING TV news anchor, who shared stories about his grandfather. Councilmember Paine relayed at that event she was handed a note from a resident with a quote from Otto von Bismarck that pertains to Memorial Day and council decisions, "Politics is choosing the least harmful and the most useful." Considering how torn up Germany and Europe were for nearly a full century, that is a useful guide for the council, especially when discussing the RFA. She appreciated the update from Fitch and believed, as Councilmember Tibbott said, that Fitch are unbiased experts; both of the Fitch representatives informing the City have run fire districts and have been city managers. The guidance she wanted the council to pay attention to was choosing the least harmful and the most useful. The council has the information and wants to hear from the community sooner rather than later so the council knows the path forward. There are a lot of decisions to make this year and this is one the council can continue to gather information on. Councilmember Nand thanked Mayor Rosen and councilmembers who attended the Memorial Day programs this weekend to support Gold Star Families and thanked the local Gold Star Families for making the ultimate sacrifice. She was unable to attend due to her family's private bereavement with the loss of her grandmother but read about it and it seemed to be an incredible and well put together program. Councilmember Nand reported June 1 marks the kickoff of Pride Month. Pride of Edmonds will be having its annual picnic on June 1. On May 21, the Yakima City Council rejected a proclamation for Pride Month by a 5-2 vote which was quite shocking because it had been passed without controversary since 2016. She called out Yakima City Councilmembers Janice Deccio and Danny Herrera who voted in favor of acknowledging Pride Month in Yakima. She shared a quote by Mahatma Gandhi, "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth." She wanted to acknowledge their bravery in acknowledging and extending love and acceptance to LGBTQ community members, especially youth and children who are members of the LGBTQ community in Yakima, so they feel less isolated and more accepted. She was proud the Edmonds City Council does that every year without controversy. She looked forward to seeing everything that community leaders including Deputy City Clerk Nick Falk have put together to celebrate Pride in the LGBTQ community in Edmonds this year. fD�u /�'[�]:iLYK� a ►]Tim l �l`►Y 1[: With regard to the fire and EMS discussion, Mayor Rosen explained although those terms are how the services are often referred to, the services residents receive include fire, EMS, rescue, hazardous spills and events, and marine response. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 8:07 pm. Sm---&4100 SCOTT PASSEY; CLERK Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes May 28, 2024 Page 9