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2025-02-25 Council Minutes Edmonds City Council Minutes February 25, 2025 Page 1 EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING ACTION MINUTES February 25, 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 Jeff Taraday, City Attorney (remote) Scott Passey, City Clerk Shane Hope, Interim Planning & Dev. Dir. 1. CALL TO ORDER/FLAG SALUTE The Edmonds City Council meeting was called to order at 6:00 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 Chen read the City Council Land Acknowledgement Statement. 3. ROLL CALL City Clerk Passey called the roll. All elected officials were present. 4. PRESENTATIONS 1. MAYOR’S FINANCE UPDATE Mayor Rosen provided a brief report. 2. ANNUAL REPORT – SOUTH COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE Christie Veley, Communications Director, and Chief Eastman provided the annual report, which focused on service calls and network, cardiac arrest survival rate, prevention efforts, response times and statistics, neighboring utilization factor, unit hour utilization factor, transport balancing factor, compliance standards, and other metrics. Council discussion and questions touched on the following themes: Edmonds City Council Minutes February 25, 2025 Page 2 • History and evolution of fire services in Edmonds • Costs per call • Demographics • Resource deployment • Out-of-balance metrics • Response time metrics, geographic challenges • Level of service under the RFA • Costs related to fire apparatus, lifespan of equipment • Transport Balancing Factor metrics and year-to-year trend • Queueing of emergency vehicles/service demand at the hospital • Unit Hour Utilization Factor • Neighboring Unit Utilization Factor • Data tracking methodology • Creativity in cost savings and efficiencies for taxpayers 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA COUNCILMEMBER ECK MOVED APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 6. AUDIENCE COMMENTS 1. Joseph, Edmonds, urged the city to consider tax increases and other options to address the budget crisis. 2. Marlin Phelps, Edmonds, spoke favorably about the city’s public defender’s association and judges. 3. Niall McShane, Edmonds, urged the city to investigate the 2024 neighboring unit utilization factor metric as reported by South County Fire. 4. Bill Krepik, Woodway, urged the city to explore less expensive models for provision of fire and EMS services. 5. Jim Ogonowski, Edmonds, commented on the discrepancy between the increase in contract costs and increasing call volumes. 6. Pat Hepler, Edmonds, spoke in support of the RFA annexation as the best possible service model. 7. Theresa Huchinson, Edmonds, commented on when CPR is needed and when it’s not, adding that the RFA should not focus on social services. 8. Maria Montalvo, Edmonds, spoke in support of the RFA annexation as the best option because the community deserves the best level of service. 7. RECEIVED FOR FILING 1. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FOR FILING 2. UPDATED APPOINTMENT OF BOARD AND COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES FOR 2025 8. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS Edmonds City Council Minutes February 25, 2025 Page 3 COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items approved are as follows: 1. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 6, 2024 2. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 7, 2025 3. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 11, 2025 4. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL COMMITTEE B MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 18, 2025 5. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 18, 2025 6. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS AND WIRE PAYMENTS. 7. APPROVAL OF PAYROLL AND BENEFIT CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT AND WIRE PAYMENTS. 8. SECURITY ACCESS AGREEMENT (AN MOU BETWEEN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT (ESD) AND EDMONDS POLICE DEPARTMENT (EPD) FOR CAMERA ACCESS FOR EMERGENT SAFETY REASONS) 9. PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE SAFETY INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH WA TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION 10. AWC – ALTERNATE RESPONSE TEAM GRANT AMENDMENT 11. LIMITED STAFF SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF EVERETT FOR SOCIAL WORKER SUPERVISION 12. LEGAL ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE PROPOSED 2025 WORK PLAN 9. COUNCIL BUSINESS 1. LEGISLATION RELATED TO DESIGN REVIEW Shane Hope, Interim Planning & Development Svc. Director, provided analysis of the state legislation that sets new requirements for local processes and standards for design review. She outlined Edmonds' design review processes and compared it with new state requirements, which call for clear and objective criteria as well as process streamlining. She talked about the scope, approach, and timeline for completing the work to adopt appropriate amendments to design standards and processes. Council questions and comments touched on the following issues: • Digital archiving • Possibilities for borrowing code from other cities • Opportunities for improving customer service, decreasing staff time, streamlining, decreasing costs, and improved work product • Adopting clear standards while retaining control over what neighborhoods look like Edmonds City Council Minutes February 25, 2025 Page 4 • Leveraging the expertise of the Planning Board and ADB • Impacts of unfunded mandates • Multifamily design standards, including green space • Design standards for areas such as the International District • Local preservation ordinances • Review timelines 10. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmembers commented on various issues. 11. MAYOR’S COMMENTS Mayor Rosen provided comments. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.