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2025-02-07 Council Special Minutes Edmonds City Council Minutes February 7, 2025 Page 1 EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING SUMMARY MINUTES February 7, 2025 ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT Mike Rosen, Mayor Will Chen, Councilmember Neil Tibbott, Council President Michelle Dotsch, Councilmember Vivian Olson, Councilmember Susan Paine, Councilmember Jenna Nand, Councilmember Chris Eck, Councilmember STAFF PRESENT Nicholas Falk, Deputy City Clerk Shane Hope, Interim Planning & Dev. Dir. RaeAnne Duarte, Human Resources Manager Angie Feser, Parks, Rec., & Human Serv. Dir. Phil Williams, Interim Public Works Dir. Todd Tatum, Culture, Comm., Econ. Dev. Dir. Rod Sniffen, Assistant Police Chief Beckie Petersen, Council Exec. Assistant 1. CALL TO ORDER The Edmonds City Council retreat meeting was called to order at 9:05 am by Mayor Rosen in the Plaza Meeting Room, 650 Main Street, Edmonds, and virtually. The meeting was opened with the flag salute. 2. WELCOME ACTIVITIES Council President Tibbott led introductions of staff and council followed by a few icebreakers. He followed with a comment on everyone being city leadership, having good communication, being aligned, and provided an outline of the retreat agenda. 3. CITY LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR Mayor Rosen outlined the process staff used to create the 2025 Legislative agenda and handed out the current Extended Planner which includes that work. They discussed who and how the Extended Planner is utilized by and then Mayor Rosen asked three directors to present their top three legislative projects. Director Feser provided Parks, Recreation & Human Services top priority projects; parks codes revisions, Meadowdale playfields ILA renewal, and selling surplus parks property. Director Williams provided Public Works top priority projects; Stormwater and Surface water management plan, transportation plan, and non-city utility codes (franchises). Director Hope provided the Development Services priority projects; neighborhood centers and hubs, comprehensive plan amendments, and middle housing issues. 4. HELPING OUR COMMUNITY LEARN ABOUT ANNEXATION Mayor Rosen provided MRSC regulations on providing information to the public in our roles as city leadership. Provide and correct information in your capacity as a city official, but outside of your city role, it must be clearly stated it is your “personal opinion”. They went over the planned Edmonds City Council Minutes February 7, 2025 Page 2 ways in which we can deliver information or interact with the public. Council meetings and the city website are primary tools for civic engagement. A general estimation calculator is in development for citizens to understand the financial impact on them. City hosted town halls are planned for various days and times to increase outreach and accessibility. Participation in organized and independent community groups is also being planned and explored. eNewsletter, the voting pamphlet, and a direct email outreach are all additional tools the city will be utilizing. Clarification was provided around each of these modes and tools of information and communication. Tips for public engagement and being respectful were delivered with a brief lesson on how to avoid getting off topic. Answering the question you are asked; don’t assume they want more information. The Frequently Asked Questions were reviewed by the group providing everyone with the baseline questions and communication provided to citizens. The Frequently Asked Questions will be posted as an online resource on the city’s website. The question was asked, “what happens if the voters do not approve annexation?” to which Mayor Rosen provided an overview of “what happens” if there is a no vote: CURRENT FIRE / EMS CONTRACT $12,100,000 Current contract amount for Fire and EMS services HOW IT IS FUNDED $4,400,000 From EMS Levy $1,200,000 From Transport Fees $6,500,000 From General Fund revenue $12,100,000 Total ESTIMATE OF CONTRACT COST SHOULD THE ANNEXATION VOTE FAIL $21,000,000 Estimate for new contract if Annexation Vote Fails ($8,900,000) Gap – Additional money needed to pay the contract ADDITIONAL IMPACT ($8,900,000) Additional money needed to pay the contract ($6,500,000) Funds intended to be retained to help offset financial crisis and structural imbalance would not be available ($15,400,000) Additional savings or revenue that would be needed to balance the budget and pay for the contract, NOT including the additional funds that the additional Levy Lid Lift is hoping to generate in November. SOME $ REFERENCES FOR SCALE OF IMPACT $16,000,000 Total revenue estimated to be received from property tax in 2025 $19,000,000 Edmonds Police Department Approved Budget for 2025 5. BREAK FOR LUNCH Council President Tibbott and Mayor Rosen excused the group for a lunch break. Edmonds City Council Minutes February 7, 2025 Page 3 6. LEADERSHIP TOOLS Council President Tibbott asked other councilmembers for their feedback on the mornings activities as discussion. Council members discussed guidelines for Council members' participation in public events and communication about city matters. Clarification is discussed that Council members should stick to factual information and avoid speculation or advocacy when speaking publicly about city issues. There was emphasis on being clear about when Council members are speaking in their official capacity versus as private citizens. They discussed how to handle social media posts and sharing information with community groups. The group also talked about how to approach town hall meetings, with a suggestion to have one primary Council presenter and two additional members present to avoid triggering open public meeting requirements. They agreed to have a maximum of three participants, with rotating spots for members. They also discussed the use of city resources, including limits on spending and the provision of neutral information. 7. COUNCIL TAKEAWAYS Council President Tibbott reviewed upcoming agenda items and potential topics for future meetings, including six “parking lot” items for Council. The list included: City budget (reductions and revenues), Regional Fire Authority, Development Code, CIP/CFP (Capital Improvement Plan and Capital Facilities Plan), Comprehensive Plan amendments, and Biennial budget review. Councilmembers provided additions to the list of the following topics: Implementation of city’s Enterprise Resource Planning software, Climate Action Plan update, Joint meetings with the Edmonds Planning Board and Port Commission, Tree/parking codes, Updates from community partners, Long-range Financial planning, and Snohomish County Tomorrow issues of mutual interest. They also touch on the need for specific meetings on certain topics and the importance of coordinating with the Council Office to streamline processes. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 pm.