HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-10-22 Council Minutes
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 1
EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
APPROVED MINUTES
October 22, 2024
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT
Mike Rosen, Mayor
Vivian Olson, Council President
Chris Eck, Councilmember
Will Chen, Councilmember
Neil Tibbott, Councilmember
Michelle Dotsch, Councilmember
Susan Paine, Councilmember
Jenna Nand, Councilmember
STAFF PRESENT
Neil Weiss, Municipal Court Judge
Uneek Mayor, Court Administrator
Phil Williams, Acting Public Works Director
Shane Hope, Acting Planning & Dev. Dir.
Angie Feser, Parks, Rec., & Human Serv. Dir.
Shannon Burley, Deputy Parks, Rec., & Human
Serv. Dir.
Brian Tuley, Information Services Manager
Rob English, City Engineer
Brett Gehrke, Water/Sewer Manager
Thom Sullivan, Facilities Manager
Carl Rugg, Fleet Manager
Ross Hahn, WWTP Manager
Mike Clugston, Acting Planning Mgr.
Leif Bjorback, Building Official
Royce Napolitino, Public Works Exec. Asst.
Jeff Taraday, City Attorney
Scott Passey, City Clerk
Jerrie Bevington, Camera Operator
1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE
The Edmonds City Council meeting was called to order at 6:59 pm by Mayor Rosen in the Council
Chambers, 250 5th Avenue North, Edmonds, and virtually. The meeting was opened with the flag salute.
2. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Councilmember Tibbott 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
City Clerk Scott Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present.
4. PRESENTATIONS
1. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING HERMONA GIRMAY
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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Mayor Rosen read a proclamation stating Hermona Girmay is recognized and congratulated for being
crowned Miss Washington 2024, is supported in her activism for girls’ equality in education and is
expressed best wishes as she represents the City of Edmonds and the State of Washington in the 2025 Miss
America Pageant.
Ms. Girmay thanked the mayor and council for this honor. She was proud to have been born and raised in
Edmonds and was honored to be Miss Washington 2024 and the state’s representative in the 103 year
history of Miss America. Miss America is a special opportunity for many young women across the United
States; an opportunity all about scholarships, service, style, success and sisterhood. She was honored to be
representing Washington throughout the year and remembering the incredible community behind her and
supporting her.
2. MAYOR'S FINANCE UPDATE
Mayor Rosen relayed he is recommending for council approval furloughs of all non-represented staff. As
the mayor cannot furlough himself, he plans to donate back 12 days of his salary. To the question of what
is the impact of furloughs, the response is less; there will be fewer dollars, fewer people, fewer things that
can be done.
In response to Councilmember Chen’s request in a committee meeting, he provided an update regarding
the financial software conversion. The schedule is the same as presented in the past; the vendor is in the
process of selecting their team. In January there will be a kickoff meeting with the City’s team. The
conversion process includes three phases, 1) accounting, 2) payroll, and 3) utility billing. Each phase starts
when the previous phase is 80% complete. Each phase will take 8-12 months to complete so the entire
project will take 28-36 months. Each phase is broken into six project areas. He summarized everything is
progressing the way it should , but it will be a long haul and as he has experienced in other organizations, it
is never fun.
5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
COUNCILMEMBER ECK MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT, TO
APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
6. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
There were no audience comments.
7. RECEIVED FOR FILING
1. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FOR FILING
2. WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
3. COUNCIL AND MAYOR YOUTH COMMISSION APPOINTMENT
4. SEPTEMBER QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT
5. BUDGET QUERIES - COUNCIL BUDGET QUESTIONS AND ADMINISTRATION /
STAFF RESPONSES
6. CIP/CFP 2025-2030 QUERIES
8. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO
APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items
approved are as follows:
1. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 1, 2024
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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2. FLOCK CAMERA PRESENTATION
3. APPROVAL OF PAYROLL AND BENEFIT CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT AND WIRE
PAYMENTS
4. 2025 BOARD AND COMMISSION REAPPOINTMENTS
5. 2024 BOARD AND COMMISSION RETIREMENTS
6. RESOLUTION DECLARING AS SURPLUS SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT LOCATED
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 21200 72ND AVE W
7. APPROVE AMENDMENT FOR ON-CALL STORMWATER REVIEW SERVICES
8. APPROVE SUPPLEMENTAL LAG AGREEMENT WITH KPG PSOMAS FOR THE
MAIN ST OVERLAY PROJECT
9. FLEET BUILDING EMERGENCY ROOF REPAIR
10. PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AUTOMATED GATE
11. COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO CONTRACTING AND PURCHASING POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES
12. BUILDING CONTROLS - PUBLIC SAFETY CONTROLS UPDATE
13. BUILDING CONTROLS - GLOBAL CONTROL DEVICE REPLACEMENT
14. ELEVATOR SERVICE CONTRACT - REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL CONSULTANT
15. JOB ORDER CONTRACTING - FRANCES ANDERSON CENTER EXTERIOR DOORS
16. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS AND WIRE PAYMENT
17. TEAMSTERS, LOCAL UNION NO. 763 | 2022-2024 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
AGREEMENT (EXTENSION) JANUARY 1, 2025 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026
18. MOU TEAMSTERS LOCAL 763 WELLNESS DAY
19. EPOA - LAW SUPPORT 2023-2024 | COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
(EXTENSION) JANUARY 1, 2025 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2026
9. PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. PRESENTATION AND PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPERTY TAXES
Acting Finance Director Kim Dunscombe advised the budget queries from last week are available online
for review. The second public hearing, on the preliminary budget, will be on October 29 and will be a Q&A
session with Mayor Rosen and herself. Capital decision packages have been posted on the City’s website.
A list of decision packages start on page 46 of the proposed budget and include a corresponding page
number in the far right column where that decision package can be found on the linked file on the website.
Ms. Dunscombe explained property taxes are an important issue that effect everyone. As will be seen later
in the presentation and as she and Mayor Rosen have said, property taxes are a key source of revenue for
the City and fund essential services. The purpose of this public hearing is to provide transparency in how
the levy amount and rate are set and to give voice to the public in the process. The City has done biennium
budgets in the past, but even with a biennium budget, taxes are levied one year at a time; this presentation
and the ordinances are for 2025 only. Even though the council passed Resolution 1559 expressing intent to
collect the legal maximum amount in 2026, that resolution does not actually levy taxes in 2026. She
reviewed:
• Why are we having this presentation tonight?
o RCW 84.55.120 states that we must “hold a public hearing on revenue sources for the district’s
following year’s current expense budget.” (General Fund)
• What is the purpose?
o In our case, Property Taxes make up about 30% of GF budget, excluding transfers. One
significant purpose of this presentation is to give you context when you decide whether to
increase our property tax levies by 1%.
• Property Taxes make up about $15.9 million, or 30% of the General Fund budget (Budget Book
page 36)
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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o Regular levy in 2025 will be for approximately $11.3M. Under state law, the City can only
increase that by 1% annually or about $113,000.
o When comparing this limited growth to the $23M projected in salaries alone, it becomes clear
how challenging it is for the City to maintain long-term financial stability. The gap between
revenue growth and expenditure needs puts the City in a difficult position, something that must
be carefully considered in future planning.
• How do we compare to other cities in Snohomish County?
o Edmonds is $7.0464
o Typical 2024 Levy Rate for Cities in Snohomish County:
• Property Taxes that go to the City of Edmonds make up only 14.5% of the Property Tax bill paid
by the typical Edmonds homeowner (.1.45 cents of every property tax dollar)
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October 22, 2024
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• Property Tax Decision for tonight: Does Council wish to increase the Regular Property Tax Levy
and/or the EMS Levy by 1% over 2024 Levy? (Amounts provided by the Snohomish County
Assessor’s Office
o 2025 Levy Calculation
City revenue with no increase = $15,863,789
City revenue with 1% increase = $16,020,640
Total increase inc. 1% = $156,851
Amount included in 2025 Proposed Budget = $15,936,000
• Senior Citizen / Disabled Persons Exemption 2025 Tax
(source: County Assessor website Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities | Snohomish
County, WA - Official Website (snohomishcountywa.gov))
o Help to apply for this program is available
Each business day at the Snohomish County Assessor’s office in Everett
At a monthly Volunteer Workshop at the Edmonds Waterfront Center (schedule in
Edmonds Waterfront Center newsletter)
• Next Steps
o Next on the agenda is a Public Hearing on Property Taxes:
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Accept comments
3. Close Public Hearing
o After the Public Hearing, Council needs to discuss the alternatives and decide on 0% or 1%
increase on both the Regular and EMS levies. Then we will prepare an Ordinance reflecting
the decision arrived at tonight and place it on the next available Consent Agenda.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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o Action Needed:
Motion to approve a 0% or 1% increase to the Regular Levy, and we also need a second
motion to approve a 0% or 1% increase to the EMS Levy
Mayor Rosen opened the public hearing. There was no public comment and Mayor Rosen closed the public
hearing.
COUNCILMEMBER CHEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO
APPROVE A 1% INCREASE TO THE REGULAR LEVY FOR 2025.
Councilmember Chen relayed due to the its financial situation, the City is planning to borrow $7.5M from
the utility fund in 2025 and $5M in 2026. This increase in the property tax levy is needed for the City to
function.
Council President Olson commented when the council is approving an ordinance the night of a public
hearing, the ordinance is usually included in the packet. As the ordinance is not in the packet, she suggested
having approval of the ordinance on next week’s Consent Agenda. Ms. Dunscombe agreed.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER TIBBOTT, TO
AMEND THE MOTION TO BRING THE ORDINANCE BACK ON CONSENT NEXT WEEK.
AMENDMENT CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
COUNCILMEMBER CHEN MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON, TO
APPROVE A 1% INCREASE TO THE EMS LEVY FOR 2025 AND BRING THE ORDINANCE TO
CONSENT AT THE NEXT COUNCIL METING.
Councilmember Chen said the same reasoning applied to this increase.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
2. 2025-2030 CAPITAL FACILITIES PLAN (CFP) AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM (CIP)
Parks, Recreation & Human Services Director Angie Feser introduced City Engineer Rob English and
Deputy Parks, Recreation & Human Services Director Shannon Burley. She explained a full presentation
with project details was provided to council two weeks ago. Tonight’s presentation for the public hearing
is a summary of that presentation. Staff also provided the full presentation to the planning board on
September 11 and returned for a public hearing on September 25. The planning board’s recommendation,
in the form of a memo, is included in the packet; the planning board’s recommendation was to approve the
capital program as presented.
Ms. Feser reminded the projects and costs are not part of the operating budget and not part of discussions
related to the operating budget. Capital projects can be very large numbers and it’s easy to confuse them
with the operating budget challenges where there is an effort to reduce expenditures. Funds related to the
capital program are restricted funds meant only for capital projects. Staff is requesting a light touch on the
capital program this year because three major plans will be finished soon but are not yet available to provide
data for the CFP/CIP; those plans include the Transportation Plan, Stormwater and Surface Water Update
and the Comprehensive Plan which includes a facilities element. Those plans contain a lot of updated and
new information about the goals and direction of the capital program but are not available at this time. With
the new biennium budget process, next year will be a lighter year related to the operating budget so there
will be more staff capacity, time and availability to look at capital programs to ensure they align with the
new plans and have a thorough discussion about the capital program. No council decision is requested
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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tonight. Council adoption is scheduled for November 26 and there are a number of budget deliberations
scheduled between now and adoption. In addition, councilmembers also have an opportunity to ask
questions through the budget query system which weekly addresses capital and operating budget questions.
Mr. English reviewed the Public Works & Utilities 2025-2030 CFP & CIP (Combined CFP & CIP
document)
• Public Works
o Transportation
o Utilities
Water
Stormwater
Sewer
o Facilities
o Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Transportation
o 2025-26 Pavement Preservation Projects
o 2025-26 Safety & Capacity Projects
o 2025-26 Active Transportation Projects & Planning
• Utilities
o 2025-26 Water Utility
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o 2025-26 Stormwater Utility
o 2025-26 Sewer Utility
o 2025-26 Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Facilities
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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o Boys & Girls Club
o Cemetery Building
o City Hall
o Fishing Pier
o Frances Anderson Center
o Fire Station 16
o Fire Station 17
o Fire Station 20
o Historic Log Cabin
o Historic Museum
o Library
o Meadowdale Club House
o Old Public Works
o Parks Maintenance Bldg
o Public Safety
o Public Works O&M
o Wade James Theater
o Yost Pool House
o Police
• Facilities - Project Addition
o PWF-25 Police Station
o Description: Feasibility study to relocate the existing police statement or create a new
substation. Design, location and funding TBD
o Estimated project cost: TBD
o Design: $100,000 in 2029 (funding unsecured)
Ms. Feser reviewed:
• Parks 2025-2030 CIP/CFP – Projects
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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• Parks 2025-2030 CIP/CFP – Programs (not site specific)
• Parks 2025-2030 CIP/CFP – Parkland Acquisition
• Changes to CIP/CFP
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October 22, 2024
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Mayor Rosen opened the public hearing.
Joe Scordino, Edmonds, suggested moving employees who will be furloughed and/or positions that will
be eliminated to capital projects to keep some of the City’s great employees employed rather than hiring
contractors and to move eligible costs in the General Fund to capital programs.
With no further comment, Mayor Rosen closed the public hearing.
Councilmember Nand referred to Project R16, ADA Improvement & Replacement, recalling a visually
impaired individual did an audit of one of the City’s interpretive trails. She asked if that was something the
DEIA Commission could take up in conjunction with this $500,000 program if they chose to add that to
their work plan. Ms. Feser answered staff would be glad to work with the DEIA Commission on any of the
accessibility or equity projects within City parks. Councilmember Nand asked if having the DEIA
Commission do the audit could potentially result in an in-house savings versus having a contractor do the
audit. Ms. Feser answered it would depend on the project and the skills necessary to complete the work.
Councilmember Dotsch referred to the Transportation Plan, noting the only LOS F mentioned in the DEIS
was going north on Highway 99, but the packet includes six intersections with LOS F. Mr. English said
possibly that could be addressed when the comprehensive plan comes to the council in a couple weeks. The
intersection of 228th and one other on Highway 99 are LOS F and a stop-controlled intersection on SR-104
& 238th also fails in the future based on modeling associated with the comprehensive plan and anticipated
growth. Depending on which growth option the council chooses could change that slightly, but he did not
anticipate big changes whether the council chooses Option A, B or a hybrid.
Councilmember Dotsch commented on the challenging ways that some roads come together and limited
ingress/egress out of Edmonds. She wanted to ensure good information coordination where growth is
planned related to major intersections, projects and ROW purchases, projects that are influenced by density.
Mr. English answered the Transportation Plan is being coordinated with the C omprehensive Plan so
whatever growth option is selected will go into the transportation model and whatever trips generated based
on that growth will be modeled and the intersections evaluated based on that information. Councilmember
Dotsch commented some are LOS F now. Mr. English answered some will remain LOS F and a project will
need to be identified.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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10. EXECUTIVE SESSION: PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION, RCW 42.30.110(1)(I)
Following a 5 minute break, the council convened in executive session at 8:00 pm to discuss pending or
potential litigation per RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) for a period of 20 minutes.
Meeting Extension
At 8:19 pm, Mayor Rosen announced the executive session would be extended to 8:30 pm.
At 8:29 pm, Mayor Rosen announced the executive session would be extended to 8:35 pm.
11. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION
The meeting reconvened at 8:34 pm.
12. COUNCIL BUSINESS
1. 2025-2026 BUDGET PRESENTATIONS: PUBLIC WORKS, INFORMATION TECH,
COURT, AND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Mayor Rosen requested the order of presentations be changed so that Public Works is last since it is the
longest and that would allow other staff to leave the meeting earlier. Council agreed.
Information Services
Information Services Manager Brian Tuley reviewed:
• Role of Information Services
o Information Services ensures City digital assets are:
Available
Reliable
Verifiable
o Digital Assets comprise:
Hardware
Software
Data
o We achieve this through:
Direct and indirect support
- Help desk
Security investments
- Anti-virus / anti-malware
- Firewalls
- Policies & procedures
- Patching
Scheduled hardware replacements
Research, industry trends, standards
System evaluations, replacements and upgrades
• 2025 Budget Highlights
o Changes from previous year
$68,222 increased costs in existing software (price increases)
$356,464 accounting system replacement
$97,000 reduction in allocation for computer equipment
- Reducing the number of workstations
- Increasing life cycle period of computers
• Budget Cut Impacts
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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o Eliminating Microsoft Outlook licenses for boards and commissions (saves about $17,000)
Requires the build and maintenance of an additional internal email server. There is no cost,
as we are currently licensed for this.
IT staff will need to create contact cards within the City outlook system providing contact
information for the external members.
o Extending Hardware life cycle
May increase hardware failure rates requiring increased support and management from IT.
IT will need to monitor stations and failure rates closer to ensure acceptable up times and
performance.
o Eliminating camera operator
Selecting pre-programmed camera positions will be operated by the City Clerk during
council meetings.
o Increasing workloads
Cost increases are pushing the evaluation of “open source” solitons which require longer
R&D / compatibility testing, extended rollouts, and often add labor. We are more actively
evaluating the city software portfolio
• Closing Thoughts - Technology Industry Trends
o Era of extreme greed by technology companies (greed: price increases greatly exceeding
inflation)
Edmonds Examples:
- 2020 Microsoft licensing spend $67K, 2024 Microsoft cost $169K (152% increase)
- 2020 Adobe spend $4K, 2024 Adobe cost $21K (675% increase)
- 2020 backup appliance maintenance $2800, 2024 cost $10.5K (275% increase)
- 2020 911 database cost $1200, 2024 cost $6000 (400% increase)
- 2020 helpdesk software $9K, 2024 cost $18.4K (106% increase)
- Comparison: food costs up 25% since 2020 *
* Food cost increase Yahoo! Finance May 5th, 2024
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-grocery-prices-increased-since-
140029491.html .
Reasons:
- Corporate acquisitions
- Forced cloud migrations
- Licensing changes from perpetual to subscription models
o These trends are accelerating
Mayor Rosen advised one round of council questions with a limit of three minutes for both the question
and answer will follow.
Councilmember Chen thanked Mr. Tuley for working creative to find savings. He asked if some of the cost
saving methods could be instituted now instead of waiting until 2025. Mr. Tuley answered they are part of
the budget request in 2025; it would be difficulty to make changes this year as the software licenses were
already paid in 2024. Much of the cash outlay for the Information Services budget occurs in the beginning
of the year because many of the licenses are due in January.
Councilmember Tibbott commented most of the numbers Mr. Tuley presented were a 500% increase from
2020. He asked whether those 100%/year increases would continue. Mr. Tuley answered unfortunately it
is up to each company. As companies realize they can be more profitable by changing their business model,
they are adopting those as quickly as they can. The City has a portfolio of around 80 different software
applications, both on premise and in the cloud; the biggest are Microsoft, the accounting system, Adobe
and others. As vendors figure out ways to increase pricing, they are doing it.
Councilmember Tibbott asked whether Microsoft had an all in one suite which would allow the City to
eliminate something like Adobe. Mr. Tuley answered Microsoft does not have a competitor product to
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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Adobe; Microsoft 365 platform has three levels, the City is in the mid-level, the higher level is significantly
more expensive, but adds a telephony piece which the City does not need at this point. It will be worth
evaluating whether it makes sense to move to that more expensive level and eliminate all internal equipment
for telephony and not have to pay for that. As that equipment ages, staff will run the numbers.
Council President Olson asked if there was any way the City or at least some staff could get by without
Adobe. She acknowledged receiving attachments that could not be opened without Adobe, noting the City
could not control what people send. Mr. Tuley responded there are some processes that name Adobe as a
requirement. For example in the Police Department, the application that creates their case reporting ties
directly to Adobe and expects the computer to have Adobe installed. Adobe Pro also has built in tools like
digital document signage. If the City got rid of that, more would need to be spent on licenses to be able to
sign documents. Council President Olson commented to the extent the Police Department needs Adobe, but
maybe others do not may warrant some investigation due to the very high price tag.
Councilmember Dotsch referred to the computer equipment reduction of $97,000 and thanked him for
looking for opportunities. Mr. Tuley responded Information Services is evaluating licensing and what is
needed. For example, in the past an extra license would be maintained so it would be available when
someone was hired, that is no longer being done.
Councilmember Paine referred to security investments and hoped that was a top priority as no city wants
to be held hostage by nefarious people seeking information. She asked for assurance the City was using the
highest level of security for web activity. Mr. Tuley answered there are no any planned budget cuts in the
security environment. There may be some unfunded mandated expenditures next year; when staff has a
better understanding of what that entails, they will bring it to council. Councilmember Paine asked if there
were grant opportunities, particularly for security. Mr. Tuley answered there may be, grants opportunities
have to be watched closely to see what they are targeting. There have been grants in past and he expected
there would be opportunities in the future.
Councilmember Nand commented it is hard to hear that a staff member is proposed to be eliminated. She
appreciated Mr. Tuley highlighting the predatory pricing trends and antitrust issues in the tech industry.
She sent a Hail Mary to Congress to pull some of the big tech companies into a congressional hearing to
make them justify their increases, noting it is the taxpayers and City staff who end up suffering.
Municipal Court
Judge Neil Weiss thanked Mayor Rosen and Acting Finance Director Kim Dunscombe for their work on
the budget, recognizing it was a monumental task. It’s easy to look at the budget and just see numbers on
paper, but often it is people’s livelihoods and incredibly important City programs. He reviewed:
• The Role of Municipal Court and the Importance of Courts
o Why are courts important?
Uphold Due Process
Protect the Rule of Law
Foster Trust in Government
Promote Justice
Safeguard Constitutional Rights
o Mission Statement: Providing the Community Access to Justice with Respect and Integrity
• Top Priorities for Edmonds – Open Ended
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October 22, 2024
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o Role of Court in Public Safety
Bail and Release Decisions
Pre-Trial Monitoring
Post-Conviction Probation
Support through Community Court
Alternative Sentencing
Adjudicating Traffic Laws to Enhance Public Safety
Collaboration with Law Enforcement and Service Providers
• Court Operations and Budget
o What the court does
In-Court
- Criminal
Pre-trial & Pre-trial Monitoring
Trials
Post-Conviction & Probation
Community Court
- Infractions
Hearings - Traffic & Non-Traffic; Parking; and Photo Enforcement
- Civil Hearings
Potentially Dangerous/Dangerous Dog Hearings
Vehicle Impound
Out-of-Court
- Record Keeping
- Probation
- MRT Programs
- Processing
- Payments
- Phones
- Passports
• % of Expenditures of Municipal Court – General Fund – by department
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October 22, 2024
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• Money Saving Measures
o Grants
2024 State Grants - $107,630.88
o Partnerships
o Plans to Reduce Spending
Consolidation of computers
Consolidation of interpreter calendars
Upcoming Case Management System update (statewide)
• Impact of Budget Cuts
o Possible loss of Community Court location
Located on Hwy 99 – accessible
Location for MRT Class
Does not mean loss of Community Court – just location
o No second probation officer
Higher workload for probation
- No coverage
- Limits supervision ability
- Limits impact per user
o Lower MRT & DV-MRT Programs from 4 classes to 1
• Total Criminal Intake
• Court is not a Revenue Generator
o Problems with Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs) in criminal cases:
What happens for indigent defendants:
- High interest rate (12%) and collection fees
Add to financial obligation over time
- Owe money for long time
Inability to pay "on average, a person who pays $25 per month toward their LFOs
will owe the state more 10 years after conviction”
How that impacts individuals:
- Owe high amounts due to interest and fees
- Inequity based on poverty
"The inability to pay off the LFOs means that courts retain jurisdiction over
impoverished offenders long after they are released... "
- Barriers for stability
"The court's long-term involvement in defendants' lives inhibits reentry: legal or
background checks will show an active record…”
Source: State v. Blazina, 182 Wash. 2d 827, 837, 344 P.3d 680, 685 (2015)
o Waste of court resources:
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October 22, 2024
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“the State cannot collect money from defendants who cannot pay, which obviates one of
the reasons for courts to impose LFOs. See RCW 9.94A.030. For example, for three
quarters of the cases sentenced in the first two months of 2004, less than 20 percent of
LFOs had been paid three years after sentencing.”
o Disproportionality:
“Significant disparities also exist in the administration of LFOs in Washington. For
example, drug-related offenses, offenses resulting in trial, Latino defendants, and male
defendants all receive disproportionately high LFO penalties. “
“Additionally, counties with smaller populations, higher violent crime rates, and smaller
proportions of their budget spent on law and justice assess higher LFO penalties than other
Washington counties”
Source: State v. Blazina, 182 Wash. 2d 827, 837, 344 P.3d 680, 685 (2015)
o House Bill 1783, which amends former RCW 10.01.160(3), prohibits courts from imposing… fees
on indigent defendants.
Source: State v. Ramirez, 191 Wash. 2d 732, 739, 426 P.3d 714, 718 (2018)
• Infraction Intake Compared to Criminal Case Intake
• Infraction – Total Filings compared to Intake (in dollars)
• Ability to Pay Hearing
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October 22, 2024
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• Infraction Financial Screening Form
• Court Recommendations for New Red Light Program 2025 2026
o Court Estimated Red Light Intake
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October 22, 2024
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o Workload Estimation
Clerk Time
- Document Preparation (All citations, 2.1 minutes per case)
Opening mail, processing disposition or request, processing citation filing
- Money Management (All cases, 5 minutes per case)
Processing payment or collections using manual entry in Judicial Information
System
- Hearing Time (Cases with hearing requests only, 20 minutes per case)
Creating digital file, scanning documents, setting hearing, reviewing decision,
entry of decision, in-court time, communicating decisions or follow-up, etc.
Additional judicial time (Cases with hearing requests only)
Additional interpreter time (as needed per citation)
o Clerk Workload Estimator
o State Statutory Mandate to Fund Administration
RCW 46.63.220(13)(a)(ii)
- Except as provided in (d) of this subsection, a county or a city may only use revenue
generated by an automated traffic safety camera program as authorized under this
section for:
- …The cost to administer, install, operate, and maintain the automated traffic safety
cameras, including the cost of processing infractions.
o Court Requests for New Red Light Program
1. Budgeted Revenue (net, red light only): $2,000,000
2. Additional Clerk FTEs 2025: 2.66
3. Additional Pro Tem budget, per year: $25,000
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 20
4. Additional Interpreter Budget, per year: $15,000
Councilmember Nand relayed her appreciation for the presentation highlighting the purpose of the court is
not to generate revenue but to administer justice, something that got lost in the discussion of the red light
cameras. She also appreciated the financial intake screening the court will be implementing, recalling a
community member pointing out $130 might be minimal to a CEO but is painful to a minimum wage
worker. She also greatly appreciated the time and effort that Judge Weiss, Ms. Maylor and their staff put
into calculating the actual cost of this program per camera. Some people have viewed this as a budget
panacea for the situation the City is in, but adding 2.66 FTE and $40,000 in other labor costs when so many
long-time, valued City employees are being cut to implement a program that in her opinion will not better
people’s lives. Commenting she intended no insult to the court, Councilmember Nand relayed her opinion
that red light cameras are highly suspect to a lot of community members in terms of the actual public safety
benefit versus revenue generation. She recognized the court was simply implementing the program that
council approved and she commended everyone associated with the court for their forthrightness and
honesty regarding the impacts it will have.
Councilmember Paine expressed her appreciation for the answers provided to an extensive email she sent
this weekend, noting the questions and responses would be published as part of the budget queries. She
asked the worst possible outcome if the court was unable to staff the automated cameras appropriately, what
was the potential harm to the City. She recalled from past experience that certain timelines have to be
followed. Judge Weiss responded in terms of the court, if the court reaches the position where it is
understaffed and in triage mode where they have to prioritize what they are doing, the order of prioritization
is fairly clear. The highest priority is more complicated criminal cases and those who are in custody,
followed by lower level criminal charges and those who are out of custody. That would be followed by civil
cases, traffic and non-traffic infractions and at the lowest priority is parking infractions and photo
enforcement which are classified as parking infractions.
Judge Weiss continued, criminal cases have the right to a trial within 60 days if in custody and within 90
days if out of custody. Ensuring the constitutional right to a speedy trial are respected and upheld is of
paramount importance for the court and given the most priority by far. With regard to infractions, there are
rules regarding the timelines which he identified in his response to Councilmember Paine’s email. There
are specific timelines regarding when a hearing needs to be set and if those are not met, a litigant can ask
for a case to be dismissed. If the court is prioritizing things in the triage mode, there will be cases that aren’t
processed and ultimately subject to dismissal.
Court Administrator Uneek Maylor commented her biggest nightmare is coming into work and having
buckets of money that she cannot get into the computer because there isn’t staff to do it. That’s not the
function of the court and would be a dire situation for the court to be in with that many citations coming in
and people paying their citations. She also did not want to shut down access to justice by shutting down the
front counter or the phones because there are so many documents to be processed for calendars and
infractions. Most infractions are individuals preparing their case by themselves and they do not always
understand the forms and/or language and they find coming into court very nerve-racking, so they want to
be prepared, know the rules, understand the forms available to them, and how to have their voice heard.
Access to justice is an open courtroom, a process to be heard and seen and have their day in court. If she
doesn’t have staff to ensure those calendars are prepared or those individuals have access, the court has
essentially failed the public. That is her biggest concern with not having staff.
Councilmember Dotsch asked about the court’s experience with the school zone cameras. Ms. Maylor
explained the court asked about staffing when the school zone camera program began. There wasn’t
communication or availability to work on staffing when the program hit the court. The court just switched
over administration and began getting into red light camera infractions. The court has taken in almost 900
citations, quadrupling the number of infractions the court normally takes in which has required adjusting
everyone’s schedules and overtime. The court’s unionized workers have had to adjust their lives to take on
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 21
this workload and while she appreciates everything they have done, they should not have had to do that.
There has been a little reprieve and not as much overtime when the school zone cameras were off during
the summer, but school zone tickets are being issued again. The court has reduced passports and she
anticipated having to reduce passports completely if the uptick in infractions continues.
Councilmember Dotsch observed onboarding more staff requires time to train, equipment costs, etc. Ms.
Maylor pointed out furloughs will impact her and the assistant administrator; between the two of them, that
is a month of administration and all the court staff have to be trained by them. She was unsure how to do
what needs to be done, but she assured it will be done. Councilmember Dotsch commented the red light
camera program is self-funding, and asked if there were limits on how the funds from school zone camera
infractions could be used. Judge Weiss deferred that question to the city attorney, recalling there was a
change in the statute and some are grandfathered in.
Council President Olson commented revenue exceeded what was collected in the recent past and she was
happy to have confidence in the revenue numbers in the budget and she thanked the court for their efforts.
With regard to having a private provider of passports, she relayed residents would appreciate that
convenience. She recalled when ways to save money were researched, there was grant available for
reimbursement for an elected judge. She was unsure if Judge Weiss was currently eligible as an appointed
judge, but once he is elected, she asked the court to seek out that grant, recalling it was a significant amount.
Ms. Maylor asked if she was referring to the trial court improvement fund where the state supplements the
judge’s salary, advising the City already receives that quarterly.
Councilmember Tibbott commented the presentation gives a broad picture of the court’s involvement. He
will submit his question via email.
Councilmember Chen commented the court’s presentation is very detailed and provides good information
regarding the services the court provides, beyond just a courtroom. He also appreciated the court drilling
down on estimating the FTE needed to process red light camera infractions, 2.76 FTE. He wondered if
those services could be outsourced and if that could result in cost savings. Ms. Maylor answered courts are
courts and a case file is a case file, it’s not a bill. She had never heard of a court outsourcing any part of
their job because every ticket and every criminal citation is created the same, an entry into the criminal
justice software. She has never heard of a judicial branch outsourcing any of their work. The court staff
even processes a majority of its collections and outsources garnishments to a collection agency. These are
processes in criminal cases or citations and infraction cases, live entries onto an individual’s criminal
histories. If this was just a bill, she could see where that could be outsourced, but this is access to justice
which is done in a courtroom under the supervision of a judge, not through another company.
Councilmember Chen asked if it was a fair statement to say the current court staff did not have the capacity
to absorb the workload. Ms. Maylor answered there are 4 clerks for the entire caseload; the national average
is 7-8 staff for one full-time judge. In the history of Edmonds Municipal Court, in looking at staffing back
to 1997, there were 5 and 6 clerks in the past when there was not even a full-time judge. Judge Coburn
made a lot of efficiencies such as going paperless and with forms and processes. Judge Riveria made a lot
of efficiencies internally via policies and Judge Weiss has added efficiencies such as the interpreter
calendar. Judge Weiss is the only judge who has questioned her on every item line in the budget. She
concluded the court is staffed appropriately. When she came to the Edmonds Municipal Court, there were
four clerks and one clerk changed to a probation officer because the probation caseload was so large,
reducing the number of clerks to three. With the court reorganization, they asked to return that clerk position
to deal with all the processes. The court has managed with four clerks, but the history of the court has been
a smaller caseload. She concluded the court is as efficient as it can be. She has run courthouses and
courtrooms with 20, 50, 150, there are amazing clerks in Edmonds.
Councilmember Eck commented this level of analysis is extremely helpful. She asked about the proposal
to eliminate the second probation officer and asked what the plan was when the probation officer was sick,
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 22
took time off or was otherwise unavailable. Judge Weiss relayed his recent experience, commenting the
court is fortunate that the assistant court administrator Omar Gamez is a former probation officer and is
well recognized and decorated. While he does not fill that formal probation officer role, he has been able
to step in and speak with people. For example, at community court, the court likes to have a probation
officer there so people who need to meet with probation are able to do it there. The o ther tool is more focus
on bench probations, so more regularly set hearings and checking in on case statuses. Ms. Maylor relayed
Omar has been fabulous about filling in during the court’s time of need. In coming to a smaller court, she
went to the academy and was trained to be a probation officer in case the need arose because she did not
know what would happen if the court lost its probation officer and she couldn’t let the court fail simply
because there wasn’t a probation officer.
Ms. Maylor hoped if the current probation officer was sick or out for an extended period of time, she and
Omar could cover that. It is just her and Omar covering all administrative needs, everything from payroll
to negotiations, vendor communications, etc., anything required by the state that has nothing to do with the
City lands on their shoulders. She was unsure how that would be impacted by furloughs and training new
staff. She would hate to reach the point where individuals who need accountability, check-in, classes, etc.
lose that because the court doesn’t have the space or someone is out sick. Councilmember Eck pointed out
if another staff member is covering the probation officer role, other things that are also extremely important
are not getting done.
Planning & Development
Acting Planning & Development Director Shane Hope introduced Building Official Leif Bjorback and
Acting Planning Manager Mike Clugston. She reviewed:
• Role of the Planning & Development Department
o Who we are
Planning & Development is a multidisciplinary team of professionals specialized in
building, planning and code enforcement.
- Building (8)
- Planning (9)
- Code Enforcement (1)
- Administration (2)
o What we do
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 23
Planning & Development’s mission is to preserve and enhance our community's
environment and quality of life.
We take pride in:
- Providing accurate, consistent, and timely permit processing
- Improving and extending public infrastructure
- Promoting building safety and managed land use
- Implementing adopted City codes, policies, plans, and standards
- Protecting the public's health and safety
- Providing excellent customer service
Customer numbers at the counter are up 63% during the last year
o What’s New
Updated Building Codes
Land Use Permit Timelines
Comp Plan
DADU’s
o Planning & Development Programs
Current Planning
Long Range Planning
Administration
Code Enforcement
Development Permit Review and Inspections
Boards, Commissions and Committees
Business License Review
Professional Development and Mandatory Training
o Permitting Activity History (Number of building permits varies by year)
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 24
o Development Fee Revenues
2020: $1,092,754
2021: $1,480,291
2022: $1,444,600
2023: $1,388,900
o Recent Planning & Development Grants
$1.36M affordable housing, stormwater and infrastructure
$125,000 comprehensive plan
$75,000 middle housing
o Long range planning
Comp Plan Amendments
Development Code Updates –
- Critical Area Code update
- Legislatively required updates
- Climate related
Support to
- Planning Board
- Architectural Review Board
- Historic Preservation Commission
- Other
o Code Enforcement Cases by Month 2021-2024
• 2025 Budget Program
o Current Planning
o Long Range Planning
o Administration
o Code Enforcement
o Construction Permit Review and Inspections
o Boards, Commissions and Committees
o Business License Review
o Professional Development and Mandatory Training
o Total Budget $4,029,272
• Target Reductions 4.5%
o The Planning and Development Department has a target to meet that is 4.5% of its 2025 budget
amount.
2025 budget = $4,029,272
4.5% = $181,634
o Reductions List
$69,731 0.5 FTE Administrative Assistant from Planning Division
$50,000 Waterfront Visioning Professional Services
$62,000 Neighborhood Action Planning Professional Services
$181,731 TOTAL REDUCTIONS
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 25
o Impacts of Target Reductions 4.5%
$69,731: 0.5 FTE Administrative Assistant from Planning Division
- Cuts in half the 1.0 FTE AA support for Planning division activities, including support
of boards and commissions
$50,000: Waterfront Visioning Professional Services from Development Services
- Reduces waterfront studies by $50,000 from $75,000 originally budgeted
- Leaves only $25,000 for technical analysis, environmental review etc. related to
waterfront in 2025
$62,000: Neighborhood Action Planning Professional Services from Development
Services
- $100,000 originally in 2025 budget for professional services to begin development of
Neighborhood Design Action Plans for centers and hubs
- Reduction of 62,000 means only remaining $38,000 could be used, probably for two
priorities neighborhoods in 2025
Councilmember Eck referred to the $62,000 reduction in Neighborhood Action Planning Professional
Services which means only the remaining $38,000 could be used for probably two priority neighborhoods
in 2025, commenting that would considerably slow that effort. She asked if the plan was to complete two
neighborhood plans per year. Ms. Hope answered yes, it would be a slowed down, phased in process.
Councilmember Eck asked if there were lessons learned that could create efficiencies for the subsequent
neighborhood plans. Ms. Hope answered the goal will be to be as efficient as possible and work on lean
processes. She was also interested in better coordination with other departments and learning from other
cities. She acknowledged it will be a challenge with the resources available. Getting a couple positions in
Planning & Development filled will help. The City has hired a planner on a temporary basis who worked
for the City in the past; his knowledge and familiarity with the City helps move things forward faster. Hiring
experienced staff whenever possible will be a big gain.
Councilmember Chen referred to the 0.5 FTE cut and their email exchange about a restaurant reopening at
Pacific Plaza (formerly Plum Tree Plaza) and their inquiries about permitting, etc. He asked if that 0.5 FTE
cut would impact the services the department provides. Ms. Hope advised that administrative assistant was
not involved in permitting, but provides support for boards and commissions as well as assists with
paperwork and records. That reduction will be a tighter squeeze, but it is not as impactful as cutting a
position that does permitting, plan review or code updates. That cut hurts, but it is the least impactful. There
is another position to fill, but hiring will be delayed until the budget situation improves.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER ECK, TO
EXTEND TO 11:30. UPON ROLL CALL, MOTION CARRIED (5-2), COUNCILMEMBERS CHEN
AND TIBBOTT VOTING NO.
Councilmember Dotsch asked if there would be furloughs in Planning & Development. Ms. Hope answered
yes. Councilmember Dotsch asked about staffing code updates in a meaningful way. Ms. Hope responded
it is hoped any replacements will be experienced so they can get the work done as quickly as possible. She
acknowledged it will be a challenge; she is working on organizing now to begin to tackle those challenges
because unless some new grants fall out of the sky, the City will have to rely on existing staff for most
everything. Councilmember Dotsch asked if there is anything that can be outsourced. Ms. Hope answered
that would be professional services and that is not included in the budget. Usually there is some of both,
staff and professional services; in this case it will be up to staff.
Councilmember Nand referred to the $62,000 reduction in Neighborhood Action Planning Professional
Services, relaying she has heard rumors that there are historical documents of subarea plans for some of the
identified neighborhood business districts. She asked if there could be an overlay or derivative from those
subarea plans that could inform the work of the Neighborhood Action Planning. Ms. Hope answered she
would be glad to look into that, but she has never heard of anything like that other than the Highway 99
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 26
subarea plan. Councilmember Nand commented there was a list of historical documents in the scope of
services for the VIA contract. Ms. Hope answered there was also work done on Westgate, but that may or
may not be a priority neighborhood.
Mayor Rosen declared a brief recess.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER ECK, TO MOVE
THE 2024 OCTOBER BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE
MEETING. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Public Works & Utilities
Acting Public Works Director Phil Williams reviewed the 2025 Public Works and Utilities Budget:
• Preliminary Comments
o We will not discuss Capital tonight – CFP/CIP was presented on 10/10
o We will go through the various Divisions of Public Works in the order they appear in the
Budget Book
o We have our Managers here tonight to help with questions as needed, including Rob English,
Engineering; Brett Gehrke, Water/Sewer Manager; Thom Sullivan, Facilities Manager; Carl
Rugg, Fleet Manager; Ross Hahn, WWTP Manager; Tod Moles, Street/Stormwater Manager
is out
o We appreciate all opportunities to discuss our work with Council and look forward to your
input tonight and in the coming weeks
• Total Department
o Role of the Public Works and Utilities
The Department is responsible for the planning, operations, maintenance, repair and
replacement of the City’s physical infrastructure, including our street transportation
network; rights-of-way; and traffic control systems; storm and surface water drainage
systems, including management of our National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES)
Permit for Stormwater; maintenance and repair of city-owned buildings and other facilities;
potable water distribution systems and water quality control; wastewater conveyance and
collection systems; operation of the regional secondary wastewater treatment plant; and
maintenance of the City’s vehicle and equipment fleet. We work hard to do all of this using
approaches that are cost-effective, energy efficient, and sustainable.
o Organizational Chart
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 27
* $326,362 (4,400 hrs. in 2024)
Up to $446,154+ (8,000 hrs.) in 2025
o Utility Taxes
o Utilities Interfund Charges
• Administration
2025 Budget: $907,010
2026 Budget: $958,170
o Role of Public Works Administration
Provide overall executive coordination of Public Works & Utilities Department services
and programs
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 28
Coordinate management of the city’s infrastructure assets, including city streets, drainage,
water and sewer utilities, facilities and building maintenance, fleet maintenance and the
wastewater treatment plant.
Provide an initial point of contact for citizen concerns or requests for public works services.
Provide direction to the Engineering Division in the planning and delivery of capital
improvement and replacement projects for the City’s infrastructure.
Partner with the Finance Department in managing budgets for the Combined Utilities and
provide direction and management to the Equipment Rental, Street, and Building
Maintenance Funds.
Coordinate with emergency management officials on disaster response and recovery
operations.
• Public Works Facilities
2025 Budget: $2,638,611
2026 Budget: $2,869,803
o Role of Facilities Maintenance
The facilities team ensures each of our city owned buildings is clean and safe for city
employees and the public. Major buildings include the City Hall, Police Building, Frances
Anderson Center, Library and Plaza Room, Public Works and Utilities Operational
complex, Fire Stations 16, 17, and 20, Meadowdale Clubhouse, Museum, Wade James
Theater, Log Cabin, Boys and Girls Club, and some Parks buildings. Maintenance and
repair activities for these buildings include carpentry, flooring, plumbing, locksmithing,
electrical, painting, roofing, heating/ventilation/cooling, low voltage cabling, and building
security including, cameras and card entry systems and building automated controls,
fire/life safety systems, burglar alarms and lighting systems.
Working to reduce long-term cost of ownership through targeted investments in lower and
cleaner energy usage and other sustainability upgrades
o Custodial Services Provided: 6 FTE
Daily cleaning and sanitizing of up to 10 different buildings
Trash, Compost and Recycling services
Sanitary supply ordering and distribution
Routine floor maintenance and daily vacuuming
Daily city meeting support including set-up, building security, and post meeting room re-
sets
Cleaning of 44 restrooms daily M-F, 25 each Sat-Sun
Rental program building turn around at Plaza Room and Meadowdale
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 29
City Event logistics and recycling support for: Markets, Taste of Edmonds, Edmonds Arts
Festival, Bird Fest, Writers on the Sound, 4th of July Parade and Holiday Trolley
Provide all training and record keeping required by regulatory agencies including global
harmonization labeling standards and MSDS sheets.
o Building Maintenance Services Provided: 4 FTE
General Building Maintenance
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing services
Electrician Support for City operations
Fire/Life Safety system operation and regulatory compliance
Locksmith, access Control and physical security and safety
Assist Fleet in maintenance and operation of the fuel site at Public Works
Logistics and moving, light remodeling
Scheduled preventative equipment maintenance
o Facilities Condition Tracking and Proactive Maintenance
Remote daily building condition monitoring
Scheduled HVAC service and air filter changes
Routine floor cleaning and polishing
Management of Repair and Maintenance Projects
ADA access compliance
Elevator services and operations
o Recent Sustainability Projects
Support 12 Public EV chargers
Continuing LED retrofits
Compost collection, waste auditing, energy monitoring
Use of repurposed materials and environmentally friendly manufactured products
Insurance compliance and safety upgrades to limit our costs for liability coverage and
enhance safety performance and resilience to fire, flood, and other natural disasters
Installation of 100-Kilowatt solar plant at the Public Safety Building
Kitchen and desk side compost option at 5 City buildings, weekend markets, and other
local events
Water bottle filling stations at 4 City buildings
We are ramping-up audits and project development for compliance with the new Clean
Building Act
o 2024 Completion of 16 Facilities Bond projects: Approx. $840,000
Public Safety Interior ADA door operators
100-Kilowatt Solar plant on PS Building
Four building roof and gutter replacements
60 transom window replacements at Anderson Center
Museum Concrete sealing
Support of Library re-grand opening
Addition of compost services at City Hall and Public Safety
Support of City Council Office re-configuration
Fire Panel replacements at two buildings
We have 3-5 more projects currently in permitting, scoping or proposal review
We have had 100% staff retention for over 2 years
o Facilities Capital Investments
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 30
o Budget Reductions o Increased Revenue
Furloughs
Custodial Staff person
(occupied position)
($8,860)
($99,983)
Addition of custodial workload of 16
hours per week at WWTP
Est. $49,000 in new revenue
Total General Fund savings + revenue:
$157,843
o Expense Reductions/Increased Revenue vs. Impacts
Minimize supply costs with less expensive supply options
Maximize energy efficiency system settings
Increase use of energy conservation devices
Reduce cleaning and sanitation intervals at City bldgs. From 7-day per week to 5 or 6
depending on available staff hours
Discontinue deskside trash and recycling pick up at all city building and add centralized
trash and recycling areas at each city building floor
Increase lighting and electrical conservation devices to minimize utility consumption and
comply with new energy codes
• Engineering
2025 Budget: $3,719,199
2026 Budget: $4,000,788
o Role of the Engineering Division
Manage planning, design and construction of capital projects
Permitting, plan reviews and inspections for private development projects
Responding to general inquiries from residents, business owners and the public regarding
use of private property and right-of-way • Traffic calming & pedestrian safety programs •
ADA compliance within City right-of-way
Apply and administer grants for capital projects
Stormwater compliance and public outreach
o 2025 Budget Highlights
Management of Capital & Preservation
Programs
- $7.85M - Transportation
- $8.85M – Water Utility
- $4.05M – Stormwater Utility
- $2.69M – Sewer Utility
$23,440,000
Private Development Permitting and Inspections:
- 450 new multi-family units
- 25 new single family homes
- Creation of 30 new lots through subdivision
- 35 Development Review Committee Meetings
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 31
o What’s New
Training staff for implementation of transportation multi-modal impact fees for private
development projects.
Transportation impact fees can be programmed on future travel corridors, sidewalks, and
bike projects that are identified on the MMLOS network.
Stormwater Comprehensive Plan Update
Begin right-of-way acquisition on Hwy 99 Stage 3 (244th St – 238th St)
Transportation Safety Action Plan (USDOT–Safe Streets for All grant) - $300k
Partner with DOE on sampling and monitoring study on the effectiveness of street
sweeping in removing 6PPD-q from City streets
o Grant summary (2019-2024)
o 6-Year Grant Summary: $52,725,785
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 32
o Budget Cut Impacts
Eliminate student intern program - $49,890
Eliminate ORCA commute trip reduction program - $17,000
Partial reduction in overtime and smaller miscellaneous items - $14,780
Non-represented staff furlough days for 10 FTEs (960 hours) - $89,230
Total Cuts =$170,900
• Street/Storm Division Fund 111, 423
2025 Budget: $2,817,461
2026 budget: $2,955,324
o Role of the Street/Storm Division
Streets maintains and improves 133 miles of rights-of-way, including street roadways,
shoulders and alley base surfaces, traffic markings, signing and signal control devices,
sidewalks and pedestrian facilities, roadside vegetation control, snow and ice control, and
public street and pedestrian lighting.
Stormwater Storm Drainage Utility staff conduct system maintenance, street sweeping,
emergency flooding response, creek maintenance, and minor capital improvement projects.
A major focus for the Division is to structure its services to comply with Federal Clean
Water Act requirements and Phase II municipal stormwater permit issued by the State
Department of Ecology. This requires periodic inspection of all catch basins, manholes,
city-owned detention and treatment facilities and other stormwater collection system
infrastructure
o 2025 budget notes, budget cuts, and impacts
Streets
- This division had several vacancies this year both long-term medical and retirements
- All of our vacancies in 2024 have had to go unfilled resulting in a loss of approx. 4,400
man-hours of labor (approx. value $326,000). This has been necessary to help reset the
structural budget problem in this division on the Street (General Fund) side of this
budget
- The impacts of this show up in nearly all areas of our work, including road striping,
vegetation control, pothole patching, crack sealing, signal maintenance, crosswalk
maintenance, painting of curbs and parking stalls, concrete work on sidewalks and
ADA ramps as well as in other areas
- Immediate concern heading into winter weather
- These issues will be improved when we can begin filling some of these positions. The
timing of that is not yet clear but the sooner the better
- One very positive area has been in our 2024 safety performance
Storm
- Stormwater service rates will rise by 8.5% in both 2025 and 2026
- We have a stormwater maintenance worker vacancy in operations that has not been
filled, savings of approx. $9,700/mo.
- Savings of 44,770 from furloughs
• Water/Sewer Funds 421& 423
2025 Water Budget: $22,324,388
2026 Water Budget: $18,327,361
2025 Sewer Budget: $19,093,543
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
Page 33
2026 Sewer Budget: $23,445,853
o Role of the Water Division
Edmonds potable water is purchased from the Alderwood Water Wastewater District who
in turn sources their water from the City of Everett. The original water source is Spada
Reservoir, located at the headwaters of the Sultan River about 30 miles east of Everett.
From the Spada Reservoir, the water travels through pipelines to the City of Everett
Treatment facility at Chaplain Reservoir.
This Division of 10 highly trained staff is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and
safe delivery of high-quality potable water to our 10,400 customer accounts through 138
miles of distribution mains, 18 pressure reducing stations, three 1.5- million-gallon
reservoirs, and one 3.0-million-gallon reservoir/pumping station (5- Corners).
o 2025 Water Budget Highlights
Retail Water Rate increase of 9.0% in both 2025 and 2026
Wholesale cost of water from Alderwood est. to increase 5% in 2025
Water sales budget in 2024 was $11,525,354. The YE 2024 est. is now $10,312,100, a
reduction of $1,312,254. This needs to be monitored. If accurate, it is likely due to a wetter
than usual summer growing season
Credit Card processing fees have risen from approx. $400,000/yr. when the program first
began, to over $1,000,000/yr. now, as customers take advantage of this convenient payment
method
A predicted mild La Niña winter may bring colder, wetter weather to our area
Water Fund savings of $14,850 from furloughs
o Role of the Sewer Operations Division - Dept 75 – Collection
The Sewer Operations Division is responsible for the repair, maintenance, and operation
of 14 pump stations, 3,200 sanitary sewer manholes, and over 186 miles of sanitary sewer
mains serving 9,800 customer accounts. Seven permanent employees are responsible for
these functions as well as maintenance of 26 grinder pumps.
Sewer Department has 9 FTE at full staff
Operate sewer jetting equipment and the TV truck for the inspection , evaluation and rating
of sewage system piping
Work hand in hand with Engineering to prioritize pipe replacement, lining, or other
appropriate repairs
Staff perform new sewer line installations as well as the repair, maintenance and operation
of all existing piping
o Role of Sewer Division – Treatment Plan Operations – Dept 76
The City owns and operates a conventional Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP) with a capacity of 11.8 MGD. We provide treatment services to 80% of Edmonds
residents, all of Mountlake Terrace, all of Olympic View Water and wastewater District,
and much of Shoreline.
Due to the regional nature of the Treatment Plant, other agencies pay a proportionate share
of both operating and capital expenditures. City of Edmonds pays approximately 50% of
both O&M and capital expenses. The city’s WWTP staff of 19 cover operations between
14 – 24 hours each day, depending on weather and biosolid volumes.
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October 22, 2024
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Wastewater treatment is heavily regulated by USEPA and the State Dept. of Ecology. All
operators need to obtain and maintain certifications to be able to work at the facility. We
have completed 7 major energy savings projects over the last decade and are right now
beginning start-up of our new gasifier system for biosolids treatment.
o Budget Highlights – Sewer Division – Dept 75, 76
Retail Sewer Rates will rise for all classes of customers by 10.5% in 2025 and 10% in 2026
Rates still remain competitive with peer agencies
DP submitted for (1) additional Operator position with addition of the gasifier
o Role of Sewer Division – Treatment Plan Operations – Dept. 76
The City owns and operates a conventional Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP) with a capacity of 11.8 MGD. We provide treatment services to 80% of Edmonds
residents, all of Mountlake Terrace, all of Olympic View Water and wastewater District,
and much of Shoreline.
Due to the regional nature of the Treatment Plant, other agencies pay a proportionate share
of both operating and capital expenditures. City of Edmonds pays approximately 50% of
both O&M and capital expenses. The city’s WWTP staff of 19 cover operations between
14 – 24 hours each day, depending on weather and biosolid volumes.
Wastewater treatment is heavily regulated by USEPA and the State Dept. of Ecology. All
operators need to obtain and maintain certifications to be able to work at the facility. We
have completed 7 major energy savings projects over the last decade and are right now
beginning start-up of our new gasifier system for biosolids treatment.
• Equipment Rental (Fleet Fund 511 (A&B)
2025 Budget: $3,719,199
2026 Budget: $4,000,788
o Role of Equipment Rental (Fleet)
Provide safe and reliable vehicles/equipment to support the operations of Public Works,
Police, Parks Maintenance, Recreation, Cemetery, Building, Planning, and Information
Services.
We achieve this through
- Vehicle and equipment acquisition
- New vehicle upfitting
- Decommission and surplus vehicles and equipment
- Maintain and operate the fuel site at Public Works
- Maintain and repair all city vehicles and equipment
- Emergency response support
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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o Fleet Inventory of 230 Vehicles and Equipment
Passenger Vehicles
Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks
Maintenance Vehicles
Civil Engineering support equipment
Police Vehicles
Heavy machinery and construction equipment
Trailers
Backup power generators
Hybrid, EV, and alternative fuel vehicles
o Edmonds Green Fleet
2024 Green Fleet Improvements
- 5 Propane Converted vehicles
Total Fleet Improvements
- 13 fully electric vehicles
- 15 hybrid vehicles
- 38 propane converted vehicles
Of the 163 on the road vehicles, 40% are running on electric, hybrid, or alternative fuels
(exceeding future federal and state goals by 2030)
The City is dedicated to reducing environmental impacts by continuing purchases of EV,
hybrid, and alternative-fueled vehicles consistent with our Climate Action Plan
o 2024 Fleet Achievements
Completed 5 propane conversions
Put into service 18 new vehicles
- 11 Additional new vehicles will be in service by the end of 2024
- Upfitted 15 new police patrol vehicles
Completed 673 work orders
Satisfactory Results from a citywide Fleet Stakeholder satisfaction survey. Results can be
viewed using the QR code below.
o 2025 Budget Highlights
Fund 511 2025 Decision Packages
- 104-ITS 2004 Ford Taurus
- 66-STM 2012 Elgin Crosswind Street
Sweeper
Replaced with 2025 Nissan Leaf EV
Replaced with 2025 Elgin Crosswind Street
Sweeper
- 2018 - $636,000
- 2019 - $1,750,000
- 2020 - $628,000
- 2021 - $262,000
- 2022 - $485,000
- 2023 - $633,000
- 2024 - $475,000
- 2025 - $490,000
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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o Budget Reductions and Inflation Impacts
o Budget Cut Impacts
Fleet Goals Impacts to Operations
- Extend replacement intervals
- Reduce outsourced labor costs
- Reduce overall Fleet assets
- Minimize material costs
- Dedication to our Green Fleet
Program to reduce CO2 Emissions
- Maximize efficiencies to increase
turnaround time
- Extend maintenance intervals
- Extended vehicle service life may
result in higher maintenance and
repair costs
- Reducing outsourced labor and
material costs could result in longer
than average out of service time for
repairs.
- Reducing Fleet assets will impact
daily operations of those
departments whose vehicles are sold
- There will be no reduction in the
reliability and safety of Fleet assets.
Operational improvements in 2025 will reduce city-wide Interfund Rental Rates and
improve the overall impact to the general fund and utility fund in 2026
Councilmember Nand commented she was impressed by what the workforce does to keep a city of
approximately 43,000 safe and functioning.
Councilmember Paine referred to the ADA transition plan which hasn’t been updated since 2017 and
suggested finding a grant to help rewrite the ADA transition plan, even the smallest section, so the City be
eligible for ADA grants. She expressed appreciation for Parks’ efforts related to ADA compliance and the
work being done by Engineering, Street Maintenance and Facilities. She was dismayed the City was
eliminating the Commute Trip Reduction Program. Mr. Williams advised the ADA transition plan is mostly
still functional; it is a constant battle with sidewalk panels lifting. Staff tries to keep up with marking them,
but is not able to resolve all of them. The City’s main responsibility is to find ADA issues, catalog them,
produce a plan that will eventually address them and put a meaningful amount in the budget each year.
Mr. Williams recalled when the first transition plan was developed, the overall cost of the work was $150M;
the City budgets an amount every year. With regard to overall ADA issues such as ramps, stairways, etc.,
Facilities is responsible for buildings and Engineering is responsible for the right-of-way ROW, and they
do the best they can. All the sidewalks are walked annually and hazards marked and a concrete company is
hired to shave the trip hazards. He agreed the ADA transition plan was important, but the amount of money
required is quite substantial. He noted many of the things identified in the 2017 plan haven’t changed.
Councilmember Dotsch recalled a lighting study was being done. Mr. English answered that study is in the
process of being wrapped up and providing the results. All the information has input into the GIS and
evaluation criteria was used to determine areas without proper coverage. Councilmember Dotsch asked if
the Safety Action Plan grant could be used for lighting. Mr. English answered yes, one of the thoughts is to
use the work that has been done to date and take it a step further. Once the Safety Action Plan is complete,
the City can apply for implementation grants.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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Councilmember Dotsch referred to the gasifier and asked if more than one would be needed in the future.
Mr. Williams answered more will be learned as the system comes on line in the next several weeks. Staff
brought to the committee this week and will bring to full council next week an operations and maintenance
contract to directly hire Ecoremedy instead of through the state to provide operational experience on the
gasifier for six months as staff is trained to take over full operation. Having an additional operator is a start
to see if that will be enough. Most of the operators will be trained on the equipment and then see what the
needs are.
Council President Olson thanked Public Works for developing cuts, recognizing how difficult those choices
are including one cut in a department that hasn’t had any turnover. She was saddened for the staff members
effected by the situation the City is in.
Councilmember Tibbott acknowledged Mr. Williams mentioning at least three times the amount of work
staff does to maintain vehicles and properties to extend their life. He admired the tenacity that takes, noting
it is obviously good for the City.
Councilmember Chen commented through the presentation he learned that Public Works does a lot of work
for the public. He referred to the Engineering budget slide which reflects $822,184,822 for 2023 actual and
$3.7M for 2024 budget. He asked the reason for that increase. Mr. English answered it reflects interfund
charges. Engineering labor is charged to utilities through capital projects or work in the stormwater division.
Mr. Willliams explained the 2024 budget ($3,777,853), 2024 estimate ($3,270,029), 2025 budget
($3,719,199) and 2026 budget ($4,000,788) reflect the total budget but not the direct impact to the General
Fund. Engineering’s budget that affects the General Fund in 2025 is about $1.17M, comparable to the 2023
actual of $822,184, accounting for inflation.
Councilmember Eck said she was impressed by the 100% retention for 2 years in Facilities. She expressed
appreciation for the intentional thread of sustainability throughout the presentation and everyone’s focus
on that.
2. 2024 OCTOBER BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE
This item was postponed to a future meeting.
13. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilmember Eck encouraged the public to please vote.
Council President Olson commented the voters’ pamphlet is quite large and daunting, but after doing her
homework for the primary ballot, she got through it more quickly than she thought. She also encouraged
the public to vote.
Councilmember Nand hoped the public joins her in wishing Hermona Girmay luck when she competes for
Miss American in January 2025.
14. MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Rosen congratulated the council on getting through a 740 page packet. Another important number,
in 61 days the days start getting longer.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business, the council meeting was adjourned at 11:10 pm.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
October 22, 2024
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