2023-02-07 Regular Meeting
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 7, 2023
Page 1
EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
APPROVED MINUTES
February 7, 2023
ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT
Mike Nelson, Mayor
Neil Tibbott, Council President
Vivian Olson, Councilmember
Will Chen, Councilmember
Diane Buckshnis, Councilmember
Susan Paine, Councilmember
Dave Teitzel, Councilmember
Jenna Nand, Councilmember
STAFF PRESENT
Rod Sniffen, Assistant Police Chief
Susan McLaughlin, Planning & Dev. Dir.
David Levitan, Planning Manager
Mike Clugston, Senior Planner
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 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Nelson 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 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. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER CHEN, TO
APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
5. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Mayor Nelson described procedures for audience comments.
Tom Nicholson, Edmonds, voiced his strong opposition to the use of automated speed cameras in
Edmonds. He appreciated Mayor Nelson’s commitment to increasing pedestrian safety which is being done
where the real problem is on Aurora. Automated speed cameras, operated by private firms, have no place
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February 7, 2023
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in Edmonds. He inquired with Police Chief Bennett about the number of incidents involving students and
speeding vehicles and was told there were none over the last decade. This is not an issue either he or his
neighbors support. Emphasis patrols by Edmonds Police Department would go a long way toward slowing
down or modifying behavior of a small group of residents, but he did not feel deploying technology from
Verra Mobility, a Texas based company who would receive a significant portion of the revenue generated
from the fines levied on citizens of Edmonds who exceed the speed limit, was appropriate. While this may
begin with speed cameras, he feared it would expand into red light, no turn on red cameras and a variety of
other things in an effort to generate revenue as is occurring in all 50 states. He strongly recommended
Edmonds not follow Lynnwood who receives a significant portion of their operating revenue from the fines
which cause many people to avoid Lynnwood. The three affected schools are on two-lane roads, not a four-
lane road like Meadowdale High School, one of the examples. This is not a major issue and emphasis should
continue on Aurora.
Megan Wolfe, Edmonds, the parent of 3rd and 6th grade students at Westgate Elementary, explained they
have walked down 220th for nearly seven years and it has gotten progressively scarier. They frequently see
cars exceeding 40 mph approaching the school. The speed sign helps, people see it and slam on their brakes
which can also be scary. They have been trying to get the City to do something to improve pedestrian safety
for the students. Post-COVID and remote schooling, more families walk, a choice that should be
encouraged, but it is also scary. Her oldest child is on the safety patrol and they and their friend walk to
school early for a week each month. They are very responsible kiddos and wait for cars to wave them across,
but she waits to receive a text saying they made it to school safety due to poor driver behavior. She strongly
supports speed cameras and hopes this is one step forward, not the only step to make these routes to school
safer. There are also kids who bike to school, riding on roads that do not feel safe. Anything the City can
do to improve safety getting to and from schools like Westgate and Chase Lake is appreciated. She
appreciated Police Chief Bennett having patrols around schools because it feels so much safer walking to
school on those days because cars are going slower. As a pedestrian, you can feel the cars speeding past
and walking with small children, even the most responsible can be unpredictable. She encouraged the
council to help with pedestrian safety; the speed cameras are a great first step.
Nora Carlson, Edmonds, a resident of the Westgate neighborhood, urged the council to assist the
neighbors and staff at Westgate Elementary who have ongoing concerns about safety issues with the
dangerous intersection of 96th Avenue West and 220th Street Southwest. Due to drivers exceeding the posted
speed limit along with inattention to signage and crossing guards, the school crossing is considered too
dangerous for 6th grade students to safely serve there. The Westgate staff assigned to the crossing must pay
close attention to approaching vehicles before crossing students and parents. Even with their extra cautious
effort, there have been many instances of near misses. They now use whistles and flashlights in addition to
their reflective safety vests and also have posted slow down signage in an effort to capture drivers’ attention.
She submitted documentation to the City via the Citizen Action Traffic Calming Program in February 2022
that included 56 residents’ signatures on a petition, 10 detailed personal accounts shared by Westgate
elementary school, staff, parents and neighbors, and a 3-page summary of the issues and actions taken thus
far to address ongoing safety concerns at the school crossing.
Ms. Carlson continued, this documentation included various suggested changes that could be made to the
intersection. She appreciated the updates the City’s transportation department has done thus far, but much
more needs to be done to fully address ongoing issues with drivers traveling too fast along the arterial. The
school zone speed cameras will be an effective way to slow drivers and remind them to follow the speed
limit along 220th. Her intent was to make certain the council was aware of the safety issues near Westgate
Elementary School with the goal of the council ensuring changes would be made soon for the safety of
students, staff, parents and neighbors. It is truly a matter of time before a serious accident at this busy school
crossing could injure or kill and adult or child, something she didn’t want to live with and motivates her to
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February 7, 2023
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continue working toward improving the safety of the intersection. The council’s help is urgently needed to
effectively address changes to this school crossing.
Michelle Mearns, Edmonds, a paraeducator at Westgate Elementary who works on the crosswalk at 220th
and 96th that is under discussion, said after starting this position in September, the first two months were
insane, even after pushing the button, cars don’t stop. Most cars are not going 20 mph, making it difficult
to get put out a flag, get cars to stop and safely cross children. She documented the issues that occurred
during the first two months, but was unable to provide that documentation as the ESD’s internet has been
down for a week. There was a significant decrease in speeds and she felt safer when Edmonds Police
officers are present, but they were only there for a short period of time. She and another staff person bring
a cartful of items to the intersection to encourage drivers to stop including cones and signs and have asked
for lights like those used to direct planes. She works on the defense, pushing the button and waiting to
ensure cars stop before stepping out. There is a very large community of walkers so on the north side of
220th, there can be a very compact crowd standing on the sidewalk. The school has a large neurodivergent
population including two intensive behavior support classrooms and a high percentage of children with
high needs within the gen-ed classrooms that also cross there, but there is nothing stopping them from
occasionally being spontaneous and jumping or falling in front of a moving vehicle that does not stop. She
is strongly in favor of the automated speed cameras; she recognized there was litigation, politics, economics
and corporations, but something has to be done. She would really like two stop signs on 220th so people
would stop and reach zero mph at the intersection so that students can be properly crossed. She has had
substitutes fill in for her who do not know how to do that job; if the wrong person is working that crosswalk,
someone will eventually get hurt and the ramifications of that will be much worse than proactively installing
something there. If not the speed cameras, something needs to be done as soon as possible.
Lora Hein, Edmonds, a resident within the Westgate School zone, said the proposed traffic cameras are
needed for the safety of children and other pedestrians. She was concerned and alarmed at how many drivers
are becoming habituated to blatantly disregarding traffic laws and public safety. There is no way for law
enforcement to be everywhere that violations occur. These carefully monitored and reviewed cameras are
a necessary tool to provide accountability and consequences for those who choose to ignore multiple
indicators that they need to slow at the posted speed limit and stop for pedestrians, especially when children
are crossing the street. In doing an online search about the topic, she found a letter to the editor of the
Beacon written by a current councilmember in 2015 pointing out the majority of drivers were not heeding
the 20 mph school zone limit. After a traffic camera caught a family member exceeding the limit, their
family began strictly adhering to the posted speed and noticed other drivers doing so as well. A recent radio
report stated during the height of COVID restrictions, drivers got used to seeing fewer drivers on the road
as well as schools not being in session and many became lax about obeying traffic laws. Perhaps this
explains the secondary pandemic symptom of traffic sign blindness. She displayed a yellow triangle,
explaining it means slow and allow approaching cars to go first before proceeding, and a red octagon, which
means bring wheels to a complete standstill, look both ways and only proceed when no pedestrian are at
adjacent corners about to step off into a crossing at an intersection. A traffic camera in a school zone is an
incentive for drivers to refresh their memories about the importance of the laws governing their driving
behavior.
Lee Kimmelman, Edmonds, said his comments may sound unpleasant or uncaring, but he intended that.
His first reaction to this hullabaloo is who cares, who cares if there is traffic monitoring? The people who
care are those who are not following the law. If someone is going the speed limit, stopping at red lights, not
turning illegally, they will not get ticketed. People who care about their civil liberties being violated also
care, but again, civil liberties are given up for the sake of safety such as at the airport and even at schools
to protect children from violence. The people who have children care because they care about their children.
He slows when he sees the blinking lights warning drivers to slow down, sometimes he is inadvertently
going too fast. If he sees a sign warning of a red light camera, he is more cognizant of not running the
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February 7, 2023
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yellow light. If he sees warnings, he will heed them which is the objective of the speed cameras. There is
an argument that these will cost money, and the cameras are just a source of revenue for the City; his
response is fantastic, let people who live outside of Edmonds help pay taxes, a win-win for him, and the
citizens of Edmonds benefit from increased safety for children and more revenue. He suggested earmarking
the revenue from the speed cameras for schools, another win-win, which could prevent a future levy or a
smaller levy. He summarized the people who care are the people who have children and those who care
about the safety of the community which made the cameras a no brainer for him.
Jeremy Mitchell, Edmonds, said the speed cameras fit well within the comprehensive plan and the City’s
vision statement which states safe streets are one of the top priorities. He is a resident of the Westgate
neighborhood and his kids attend Westgate Elementary and he has seen the problem firsthand and agreed
it was an issue. If the council has issues with the speed cameras, he invited anyone who opposed them to
visit the area and witness what the flaggers experience. If the council does not approve the cameras, he
recommended the council identify another solution or improvement.
Kevin Fagerstrom, Edmonds, said 5-6 days a week he walks 4-5 miles from the Olympic Drive area down
to the waterfront and back. There is nothing the council can do that is enough to protect pedestrian in the
City; it is borderline pathetic how many people disregard stop signs and exceed the speed limit. He has
been as closer to dying in the last month than any time in his entire life due to speeding vehicles in Edmonds
and there is nothing the council can do that is enough to control it. Next, with regard to the state grant the
City wants to apply for, he was very concerned about provisions in the grant. He recalled the council
declining a grant about 90 days ago in regard to planning. In reviewing the grant requirements for this 2023
grant, the word “must” is used four times, which means the grant comes with substantial requirements. He
urged the council to use great caution in applying for the grant, short term money with very dire, long term
consequences.
6. RECEIVED FOR FILING
1. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FOR FILING
2. WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
7. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO
APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items
approved are as follows:
1. APPROVAL OF SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 24, 2023
2. APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 24, 2023
3. APPROVAL OF SPECIAL FINANCE COMMITTEE MINUTES OF JANUARY 31, 2023
4. APPROVAL OF PAYROLL AND BENEFIT CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT AND WIRE
PAYMENTS
5. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS AND WIRE PAYMENTS
8. COUNCIL BUSINESS
1. ADDITION OF MINOR DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT PROCESS IN ECDC
20.80 (AMD2022-0005)
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
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Senior Planner Mike Clugston explained the minor development code amendment process is part of the
larger code modernization process launched last September/October. This proposal was presented to the
planning board and they held a public hearing last week. The proposed process is for reviewing minor code
amendments that do not have policy impact, just cleaning up the existing code. He reviewed:
• ECDC Text and Map Changes
• Frequent Minor Amendments
o Proposal to create streamlined review process for minor
o Updates Promote clarity, eliminate redundancy, streamline processes, better align with best
practices, correct inconsistencies
o Would be presented directly to Council on consent on a semi- annual basis (March/October) or
more frequently as needed
o Council could pull any item for further discussion or to send through the Type V process (ADB
or other/Planning Board/Council review and approval)
• Examples
o Minor
Remove references to “CG2” code
- Zoning district no longer exists
- No policy impact, not controversial
o Major
EV Charging infrastructure requirements (ECDC 17.115)
- Large policy impact, important to the development community
Mr. Clugston relayed the planning board’s recommendation to amend the second sentence in section
20.80.015.A (packet page 148) to read “It is a streamlined process used for proposed changes which need
little to no policy study. In speaking with City Attorney Jeff Taraday today, he recommended removing
“correct scrivener’s errors” in 20.80.015.B.1 and 2. (packet page 149) as scrivener’s errors have an entirely
different process and can be corrected just by working with code publishing. He relayed a public hearing is
scheduled for February 21, 2023.
Councilmember Buckshnis said she did not have chance to watch the planning board meeting and the
minutes were not included in the packet, likely because there was not sufficient time to have them prepared.
She asked if there was any public comment at the planning board’s public hearing. Mr. Clugston answered
there was not.
Councilmember Buckshnis questioned why changing the name of the Development Services Department
was considered a minor change versus a scrivener’s error. Mr. Clugston responded there were hundreds of
examples of the phrase “Development Services Department” in the code. Last fall the name was changed
to Planning & Development Department to better reflect what the department does. That is not a scrivener’s
error, it was a defined term in the code and needs to be changed. There are also references in the code to
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Administrative Services Department which predate Development Services Department which also need to
be updated.
Councilmember Buckshnis commented she used to write policy and her question was why staff was
spending time on minor changes when the council was interested in and has been waiting for large policy
changes such as multifamily design standards. She asked how this was interfaced with the code rewrite that
the council budgeted $300,000 for. Planning & Development Director Susan McLaughlin explained last
year in Q4, staff came to council with the work plan for the code modernization work. As part of that work
plan, this was one of the first things to tackle due to the importance of addressing the legibility, accuracy
and level of inconsistency on an annual basis and establishing a process for addressing minor amendments
as they come up. That is not to say that staff is not working on the larger code issues; staff will return to
council with a work plan update as part of the larger departmental work plan update for 2023.
Councilmember Buckshnis commented changing the name of the department could be done via a search
and replace. Ms. McLaughlin assured that was one example of a minor change. Councilmember Buckshnis
reiterated the council has been interested in a code update for decades. She referred to staff’s reference to
code modernization, she prefers to think of it as an update. She would like to table this issue so the entire
code update can be discussed which means the ECC and the ECDC as she felt those should be marching
together. Council has budgeted $300,000 for this effort, but has yet to understand how the code update will
occur. If the council allows staff to continue with minor changes which take staff time, she questioned when
there will be time to work on the major update of the ECC and the ECDC.
Councilmember Teitzel applauded staff for trying to find a streamlined way to correct small inconsistencies,
errors, typos, etc. in the code. He echoed Councilmember Buckshnis’ comments and hoped to look more
globally at the process and include the ECC as well as the development code in the minor code update
process; all that is included tonight is the ECDC. The council also need a better overall understanding of
the code rewrite; it is not an update, the council funded a major rewrite. He recalled there were plans to
make a term limited employee a permanent employee to focus specifically on this effort.
Mayor Nelson interrupted, advising the agenda item is Addition of Minor Development Code Amendment
Process, but the conversations seem to be related to topics not on the agenda. He requested councilmembers
stick to the agenda topic.
Councilmember Teitzel continued, his point was the council was only seeing one component of the larger
plan and he echoed Councilmember Buckshnis’ concern with that.
Councilmember Olson said she was eager for the council to understand the whole approach and pointed out
if the council wanted to have that conversation, they could amend agenda. She referred to the language
regarding pre-annexation zoning in section 20.80.030 and wanted to understand the options as written in
the code, whether it was intentional or whether the City was restricted by law. She asked when an
annexation occurs, is the City completely limited to the pre-annexation standards or the City of Edmonds’
standards, or is there an option to create a hybrid. Mr. Clugston explained the pre-annexation language is
existing language, it used to be in 20.80.020.C. He moved it to a new subsection, 20.80.030, because it
differed substantially from 20.80.020. The language regarding pre-annexation zoning is not proposed to be
changed or discussed in this minor code amendment, it was just moved to a new section.
Councilmember Olson asked about the philosophy and the options regarding pre-annexation zoning. It
appears that there is the option of pre-annexation zoning or the new City of Edmonds zoning. She asked if
that was guided by law or if there was some flexibility to have a hybrid. Mr. Taraday clarified pre-
annexation zoning is zoning that a city adopts for an area it wants to annex before it annexes the area. The
reason that is done is because often annexations are generated by petition or election and it is often important
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February 7, 2023
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for the residents considering annexation to know what their zoning will be before they decide to annex into
the city. By adopting pre-annexation zoning, the city is telling the prospective citizens if you come into
Edmonds, this is what your zoning will be. Pre-annexation zoning is not a reference to the existing county
zoning.
Councilmember Olson asked if an area that potentially might be annexed preferred something other than
what the City of Edmonds has, would that be negotiable and allowed by law. Mr. Taraday answered the
city council, if deemed appropriate, could create a new zoning classification for an area it was considering
annexing and could adopt that new zoning classification as the pre-annexation zoning for an area it was
hoping to annex.
Councilmember Nand, council liaison to the tree board, said she seen a distinction between minor, medium
and major code change become a point of controversy where tree board members feel what is characterized
as a minor code amendment originated by staff will substantively change the statutory interpretation of that
code provision and therefore is no longer a minor change, but a policy change that should be vetted through
the board process and then to council rather than originating solely by a staff person. She asked who
characterizes what is a minor or major code change and how that can have major and substantive policy
changes depending on the interpretation. Ms. McLaughlin agreed words matter in code interpretation.
Changes will be identified by staff or some the changes have already been identified through boards and
commission, community members, staff, design professionals, etc. over the years. The reality is all the
changes would come to council and can be pulled if there are concerns about interpretation. If the tree board
had concerns that something that staff considered minor was major, it could be moved to major.
With regard to the question of why create a process for minor code amendments before the major code
amendments are addressed, Ms. McLaughlin explained an effective framework needs to be established to
make efficient code changes which has never been done in the past. When the structure was proposed to
council in September 2022, there was positive feedback about the approach. This is step 1 to effectuate that
process. By no means was staff trying to say anything with policy implications would be considered minor.
Staff is only saying it shouldn’t take 4-5 meetings to change something that has no policy implications.
Staff would love council feedback when reviewing these minor code amendments; if they consider
something major, it can be moved to major.
Councilmember Nand asked if this process goes forward, will boards and commissions still have an
opportunity to review what staff characterize as a minor change and agree it is a minor change versus a
medium or major change. Mr. Clugston answered that is not the intent. The intent is to have minor changes
bubble up in whatever way they do and bring them directly to council. A lot of these will be identified at
the staff level who sees things that are wrong with the code every day. The tree board may see something
every now and then, particularly when it is reviewing a code update like it is now. Certainly when the tree
board is going through their parts of code, if they rank changes as minor, moderate, or major, they will go
through that process.
Councilmember Nand asked if staff’s characterization of what would be considered a minor code change
would still be vetted by citizen boards and commissions under this process. Mr. Clugston said it may, but
it won’t in every case. Councilmember Nand observed they would go straight from staff to council without
that vetting process. Mr. Clugston answered yes. Ms. McLaughlin said there is an avenue for boards and
commissions to provide feedback on minor code amendments that they recommend. By establishing this
process, it becomes available for those who work with the code to recommend minor code changes. She
emphasized the above example, if there is a zoning classification that is completely obsolete and does not
exist in the city, those are the kind of things that are minor. By doing minor code amendments periodically,
if council raises a red flag and identifies an amendment they consider major, staff will get a better rhythm.
The idea is for minor code amendments to come to council frequently, tidy up the code, and work on
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legibility to free up staff to do major code work. She commented on the amount of staff time consumed by
4-5 meetings to remove a zoning classification that no longer exists. Councilmember Nand hoped to
preserve boards and commissions’ input on what they considered minor, medium or major because those
volunteers have waded much deeper into the code on their subject matter than council does when facing
packets that are 1000 pages long.
Council President Tibbott said he really liked this approach as it will get a lot of work done at a level that
will substantially improve the code by cleaning up smaller things. He asked whether in the process of
cleaning up minor amendments, whether staff discovers major areas that would need to be brought forward
via another process. Ms. McLaughlin answered she has only been here a little over a year, staff who have
been here longer identify things on a daily basis and have a long list of changes. Council President Tibbott
asked if the funds budgeted for the code rewrite will be used to hire additional help to address that list. Ms.
McLaughlin answered absolutely; one of the exciting parts is making work that does not need to be so long
and arduous more efficient so staff has time to work on the substantive changes.
Councilmember Paine expressed her appreciation for this approach, cleaning up smaller things will help
highlight policy decisions for bigger issues. She observed this only addressed the ECDC. Mr. Clugston
agreed, this only applies to Titles 15-24 which is considered the development code. Councilmember Paine
observed minor code amendments will come to council twice a year. Mr. Clugston answered that is the
intent. Councilmember Paine said that made sense and she looked forward to the public hearing in two
weeks which would identify what people were interested in. She was glad see this process happening in
tandem because one begets another, having more eyes on the code will identify small and larger issues.
Councilmember Olson commented there is no reference in the packet about hearings because it is going on
the consent agenda. She clarified there is no hearing when a package of minor code amendment comes to
council. That is different than what she understood when it was presented and asked if that change was
made since it was presented to council. Mr. Clugston answered it was always intended to go to council on
consent. Councilmember Olson asked if a public hearing was required for a code change. Mr. Taraday
answered the point of public hearings is public feedback on policy matters. These are not policy matters, it
is just code cleanup. The type of changes that would come to council via the minor amendment process are
by definition things that no one would want to make public comment on. If the council had a difference of
opinion on that, it could be pulled from consent and the rest would move forward and the change that was
pulled could go through the normal process. Councilmember Olson echoed previous councilmembers’
comments about liking this approach; doing things that can be done simply and efficiently is a good idea.
Councilmember Chen was excited about taking effective steps to start this process; it is a daunting task to
tackle the code rewrite all at once. He echoed Councilmember Nand’s point about involving the dedicated,
knowledgeable planning board volunteers in the process.
Councilmember Buckshnis asked how the update of the ECC and ECDC would be meshed and what would
be addressed with the funds the council budgeted. Ms. McLaughlin answered Planning & Development’s
purview is the ECDC code, the department does not manage or administer Chapters 1-10. If that is of
interest, that would need to be discussed in a different council meeting. Councilmember Buckshnis relayed
her understanding of Ms. McLaughlin’s explanation was the $300,000 council budgeted was for the ECDC
update. Ms. McLaughlin answered that is correct. Councilmember Buckshnis said she was unaware of that.
Ms. McLaughlin reiterated Planning & Development does not administer the rest of the code so she was
unsure why that an assumption. Councilmember Buckshnis pointed out all the code needs to be updated.
The council budgeted $300,000 to hire contractors or consultants to assist administration with updating the
code that has been seriously and significantly outdated for a long time which included the entire code, the
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ECC and the ECDC, and this is only dealing with one aspect. She asked who will update the other chapters.
Mr. Taraday said he did not have an answer for that, it was not clear to him who was driving that project.
Mayor Nelson interrupted, commenting it would be more clear if there was an agenda item for which staff
was properly given notice to prepare. When council springs something on staff and expects them to answer,
the council will not get informed answers or opinions. He requested the council stick to the agenda and
schedule this on a future agenda if necessary.
2. AUTHORIZE MAYOR TO SIGN INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE TO RECEIVE FY2023 GMA PLANNING GRANT FOR
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PERIODIC UPDATE
Planning & Development Director McLaughlin introduced Planning Manager David Levitan. Mr. Levitan
said he looked forward to working with the council. He explained there is a requirement in the Interlocal
Cooperation Act that requires interagency agreements to be reviewed by city councils before they can be
signed by the city executive. The intent of this agenda item is to introduce the topic in hopes of getting it
approved on a future consent agenda. This is a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce;
during the 2022 legislative session the legislature decided due to the scope and scale of the upcoming
periodic update to the comprehensive plan that needs to address housing issues, climate change and other
substantive issues, to fund the mandate. During past periodic update cycles no money was provided by the
state. This is money from the state allocated based on the city/county population for cities of less than
50,000 population. For Edmonds, that is $125,000 over 2 fiscal years; $62,500 per year between July 1,
2022 and June 30, 2024 that the City can apply for. Staff applied for the grant on January 20, 2023 and
received notice from the Department of Commerce that they approved the scope of work and submitted a
draft local agreement. When that was reviewed by the city attorney, staff was informed council approval
was required.
In response to the comment by Mr. Fagerstrom, Mr. Levitan advised in looking at the Growth Management
grant page on the Department of Commerce website, there are a number of different grants administered
by the Department of Commerce through the GMA program. There were no statements that included
“must” for this periodic update grant. The website includes discussion of a buildable lands grant that does
have items that must be included. The periodic comprehensive plan update grant does not have any
requirements; staff submitted a scope of work for items that the grant would reimburse. It includes three
deliverables, one of which has been completed, the equity gap analysis which was prepared and completed
by EcoNW last summer. Another deliverable is the visioning exercise completed in advance of the
comprehensive plan update which is in the final stages; a draft has been developed that will go back to the
community. He relayed his understanding there were some concerns with the dates and assured the March
15th date could be changed if councilmembers wanted to extend the period to vet the vision statement. It
would need to occur before June 30, 2023 because it is funded with the grant for this fiscal year.
Councilmember Paine welcomed Mr. Levitan. She recalled the grant the council decided not to accept had
some specific conditions. She asked if this grant had any specific conditions. Mr. Levitan answered the
middle housing grant stipulated that cities needed to identify 30% of the zone capacity that would allow for
middle housing. He understood the council and the community had reservations related to that which
resulted in the council not accepting the grant. There is no similar language for this grant; this grant is
specifically related to the periodic update. The City defines the scope of work which is reviewed by the
Department of Commerce. The scope of work was included as an attachment in the packet. There was no
push back from the Department of Commerce, they were satisfied with the proposed scope.
Councilmember Paine referred to the scope of work (packet page 167) and observed this agreement was
for the first half of the grant and the second half will be next year. She asked if there would be a similar
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February 7, 2023
Page 10
ILA to accept the grant next year. Mr. Levitan advised another interagency agreement will need to be
approved next year. Councilmember Paine asked what would be included in the scope of work for next
year. Mr. Levitan answered it would be related to actual policy development and policy issues versus
visioning and analysis of gaps within the comprehensive plan. By July 1, 2023, the hope is that a lot of the
technical work will be completed and the process will move into policy development and the SEPA review
which could be funded through the Department of Commerce grant.
Councilmember Teitzel welcomed Mr. Levitan to the team, complimenting him on being up to speed on
the issues, noting there is a lot to learn in a short period of time. He asked about the ability of cities with
populations under 50,000 to apply for the grants. Mr. Levitan answered cities under 50,000 are eligible for
$125,000 over the 2 year period. Larger cities and counties are eligible for more funding; the funding is
based on population. Councilmember Teitzel asked whether most cities with populations under 50,000 have
applied for the grant. Mr. Levitan answered yes, for example he applied for this grant when he was the
planning manager for the City of Lake Stevens and it was approved by the city council.
Councilmember Teitzel referred to Attachment A: Scope of Work (package page 165), and task 1,
comprehensive plan equity and climate gap analysis, work that was done in July/August 2022, but
Attachment B: Budget, also lists comprehensive plan equity and climate gap analysis which was completed
in 2022. He was unclear why it appeared in the budget if it had already been completed. Mr. Levitan
explained Attachment B is the same information, it breaks it down in different way with the deliverables,
allocating the $62,500 across the three deliverables. Because the gap analysis deliverable has been
completed, the City can immediately submit to have the $40,000 reimbursed. Because the grant was not
requested when it was first released in July 2022, the City is a little late to game and has already done some
of the work included in the scope of work. It is basically an opportunity to be reimbursed in 2023.
Councilmember Buckshnis welcomed Mr. Levitan. She has had a lot of calls and comments regarding this,
especially with the scope of work. She has been through many comprehensive plan updates and they always
go through council before any information was disseminated like the comprehensive plan update vision
statement which the council saw only recently at the retreat. The council has not seen the equity gap
analysis. She felt some of the items in the scope of work should go through council for review and update.
She recalled the Waterfront Issues Report was provided to council in July 2022 and a summary in
October/November by Ms. McLaughlin, but the council did not make any decisions or approvals but did
provide recommendations.
Councilmember Buckshnis referred to Items 11 and 12 of the Commerce grant (packet page 161-162) which
stated Commerce can ask the city to repay the money if there is not proper maintenance of books, records,
documents, data and other evidence relating to the contract and performance of the services. She recalled
former planning board members saying they did not receive enough information during the process. She
asked whether the dates could be changed to provide council oversight of the equity gap analysis and the
comprehensive plan update visioning. Although staff may not consider them policy, the overall
comprehensive plan is a policy statement so council should be apprised of the components as they come
forward. Ms. McLaughlin advised staff has been to council four times regarding the comprehensive plan in
the past six months. Councilmember Buckshnis did not disagree.
Ms. McLaughlin explained the comprehensive plan is adopted as a body of work as it is a pinnacle policy.
Leading up to that, the goal is to keep council apprised of staff’s work and bring decisions about policy or
development of policy to council. As part of Planning & Development’s work plan, staff will come to
council to talk about the work plan for the comprehensive plan and council touchpoints during the next year
plus. To date the visioning process has been very transparent to council. The climate and equity gap analysis
is typically a background document that does not rise to the level of a council briefing; she offered to put it
in the read file or provide a briefing to council.
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February 7, 2023
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Councilmember Buckshnis commented she has been through many comprehensive plan updates in the 13
years she has been on council. It is different to have a visioning summary where staff provides a
presentation. She recalled council raised several issues of concern with the Waterfront Issues Report and
asked to have updated data which was not done. Staff stated in November that council had approved the
Waterfront Issues Report, but that was actually not done. The gap analyses are very important because they
consider gaps between the old and new comprehensive plan. It is important to keep council apprised and to
allow council to make decisions along the way. She anticipated citizens would challenge the council’s
approval of this grant because they have not been apprised. She agreed staff has provide summaries, but
changes the council asked for have not come back and the council has not voted. She was aware that some
people did not like the visioning process or the statement. She referred to the 8,000 tweets that were
collected during the visioning process. Ms. McLaughlin advised they were comments, not tweets.
Councilmember Buckshnis said there were 8,000 comments of 120-characters which is the equivalent of a
tweet, the summary and other survey stuff which many people complained about. She wanted to ensure if
the council approved this, someone did not say the city was not in compliance with sections 11 and 12
because some people believe the council should be apprised and should approve what staff provided
Commerce for grant reimbursement. She has many example of when the administration requested a grant
that the council did not agree to. She was trying to be conscientious of citizens and planning board members
and others who have issues with the transparency of this project.
Councilmember Nand welcomed Mr. Levitan. As there is lot of public interest in local governments’
relationship with Olympia in terms of zoning and in light of bills coming before the legislate during this
session, she asked staff to elaborate on how Commerce intends to use and aggregate the deliverables, what
does the state hope to get from providing grant funding. Mr. Levitan said this is deliverable driven grant,
cities need to identify tasks, actions and deliverables and reimbursement is based on submitting the
deliverable. Staff would not be able to submit for reimbursement of Task 2, Comprehensive Plan Update
Visioning, until the final version of the vision statement was completed. That planning process is still
underway including plans to send out a citywide mailing to solicit feedback. The equity and gap analysis is
a technical report, not per se an actionable item that comes before council, but is eligible as background
work related to the comprehensive plan. The scope of work was submitted to Department of Commerce
and they found it met the intent and requirements of the grant program. The equity and climate gap analysis
would need to be submitted to be eligible for the $40,000 reimbursement. As Department of Commerce
administers the GMA for the state, Ms. Laughlin assumed submitting the deliverables was an incentive to
help cities meet the task at hand.
Councilmember Olson appreciated the offer to provide the gap analysis as Received for Filing and did not
feel the council needed a presentation on every single item. She was happy there had been a presentation
on the Waterfront Issues Study and recalled there was at least one assumption in that report she did not
want to buy off on so she hoped there would be time on the agenda to discuss that again before it becomes
time critical. She liked the ideas of seeing the components as they are compiled so if there were any issues,
the council could weigh in and provide feedback.
Councilmember Olson said the important thing for her is having a meeting of the minds about how
important and what a driver a vision statement is or is not. She had been hopeful that a vision statement
would be developed that everyone was passionate about so that everything would fall into place based on
it and it would make all the decisions easier; things would either comply with or support the vision statement
or not. If staff is in that same mode, that they feel it is that important, she assumed there would be council
approval on at least that one step to ensure council was completely supportive before another six months is
spent on a particular vision statement. It would make sense for the administration and council to come
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February 7, 2023
Page 12
together to ensure they are on same page and agree that the vision statement represents what the community
communicated.
Councilmember Olson commented Edmonds has a recent history of pitiful surveys such as regarding
Walkable Main and other things that have happen in the last two years to the point where people felt
manipulated because they could not find the answer they wanted in the survey choices. She hoped staff was
consulting paid or unpaid professionals, noting there are members of the Economic Development
Commission who design surveys. She wanted to ensure the survey is actually vetted and is able to get the
community’s true input on whether they like the entire statement, and when they understand what it means,
they still support each element of the vision. She thanked staff for all their copious work and she was excited
there was an opportunity for reimbursement for some of this work. She did not see what the citizen
mentioned about grant requirements so it is possible he was looking at another grant.
COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER CHEN, TO ACCEPT
THE INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ALLOWING THE
MAYOR TO SIGN AND ACCEPT FUNDS FOR $125,000 ACROSS TWO YEARS.
Councilmember Paine commented the council has rambled around and talked about everything
comprehensive plan related. This agenda item is strictly related to acceptance of the grant funds.
Councilmember Teitzel referred to Action 2.4, Public engagement and buy-off and comprehensive plan
vision statement which has an end date of February 15, 2023 which is next week. He asked for clarity
regarding that that meant, whether buy-off was from the public or council. Mr. Levitan said when this was
submitted a few weeks ago, he did not realize it required council approval which resulted in a couple week
delay. If there is concern with the dates, they can be changed. To be safe, the actions under Task 2,
Comprehensive Plan Update Visioning should be completed by May 31st. He suggested the motion could
be amended to revise the date or direct staff to provide a more realistic estimate of when those tasks may
be completed.
Councilmember Teitzel observed buy-off meant council buy-off. Mr. Levitan anticipated it was the survey
and citywide mailing. Councilmember Teitzel asked when the survey would be distributed and when it
would be complete. Ms. McLaughlin anticipated the citywide mailing will be done in the next couple weeks.
COUNCILMEMBER OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS, TO
AMEND TO MOVE APPROVAL TO THE NEXT CONSENT AGENDA.
Councilmember Olson advised having this on consent would provide an opportunity for council to see the
updated dates on the scope of work. She asked for verification that staff was not concerned about having it
approved on the consent agenda. Mr. Levitan answered it would not be a problem to update the dates and
bring it back on the February 21consent agenda.
Councilmember Chen commented it seems like the City was late in the process of applying for the grant
and asked if staff was confident the deadline could be met in time to receive the grant. Mr. Levitan answered
a number of cities have been late in applying and he was not overly concerned. The funds are allocated to
Edmonds, it is up to the City when it gets the ILA signed and get the deliverables completed. Whether this
is pushed out two weeks, the deliverables for Task 2 is after February 21 and likely will take longer due to
the time it has taken to get the citywide mailing sent out. He assured a two week delay would not result in
the funds disappearing.
Councilmember Chen asked if two weeks would be sufficient to send out the survey, analyze it, come to
council, etc. Mr. Levitan clarified the amendment is to return on February 21 with end dates beyond those
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February 7, 2023
Page 13
identified in the scope of work. For example, instead of March 15 for the deliverable, pushing it into April
or May to allow for additional community feedback. The grant request can still be submitted to the
Department of Commerce; the deliverable dates will be amended to address council concerns about the
process.
AMENDMENT CARRIED (6-1), COUNCILMEMBER PAINE VOTING NO.
COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER CHEN, TO
AMEND TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT ON RECORD THAT ACTION ITEM 2.4 HAS BEEN
MOVED TO MARCH 31, 2023.
Councilmember Buckshnis said she is not rambling on, this is very important. This is the same firm that
did the PROS Plan and “we all know what happened with the PROS Plan with the gap analysis.” She wanted
to get the dates and the visioning statement down because a lot of people have concerns about it. Ms.
McLaughlin clarified PRR did not do the gap analysis and they are no longer on contract for any of the
visioning work.
AMENDMENT CARRIED (6-1), COUNCILMEMBER PAINE VOTING NO.
MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
3. PROJECT UPDATE ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT CARBON
RECOVERY PROJECT
Public Works Director Oscar Antillon introduced Plant Manager Ross Hahn. Mr. Antillon reviewed:
• Project Description
o The project upgrades the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) solids handling system by
replacing the existing incinerator with a new gasification system.
o The project also provides ancillary upgrades to the WWTP headworks and odor control
systems.
• Construction Status
• Photographs
o Gasification Building – Lower Level, prior to installation of upper level
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February 7, 2023
Page 14
o Gasification Building – upper level with equipment installed
• Project Schedule of Remaining Work
• Budget – to date spent 96%
o City has incurred other costs not tied to contract.
Councilmember Nand recalled when she was on the Mayor’s Climate Protection Committee, there was
discussion about the updates eventually producing waste products that would be turned into biochar that
could be used in gardening, horticulture, etc. She asked if that will still occur. Mr. Antillon answered that
is one of the goals of this project. There are a couple of potential buyers, but a deal has not been reached
with them yet until the plant starts producing biochar and the quality of biochar is verified. Councilmember
Nand relayed her understanding that this plant is very technologically forward compared to other
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February 7, 2023
Page 15
wastewater management solutions in the country or world. Mr. Antillon agreed the previous plant manager
was very ambitious and did a lot of the work. It is a one-of-a-kind system, one of the first in the country
and maybe the first in the world that this designer has built.
Councilmember Teitzel referred to the construction status and asked about the task of installing City Park
Odor Control System offsite. Council has received several recent complaints about odors and he asked if
that system was working properly and if not, whether there were plans to get it working. Mr. Antillon
answered it is working properly. The monitoring of odors in that area has not indicated it is not working.
More attention has been paid to that and staff is tracking it. Councilmember Teitzel asked if the odors could
be from sludge being trucked out. Mr. Antillon answered that could be, but it would not be significant
because the trucks go by very quickly. The scrubbers in that area of the park are to mitigate odors on the
sewer distribution system in the plant; the manholes and pipes that move sewage to the plant.
Councilmember Teitzel referred to the budget and inquired about potential pending change orders TBD.
He asked if there were any thoughts about budget changes that will be required in the future. Mr. Antillon
answered not yet. There have been a couple meetings with DES and with the contractor on disputed items
but no agreement has been reached. He acknowledged there is potential for a cost increase for a project of
this magnitude and complexity.
Councilmember Teitzel observed a lot of growth is projected in Edmonds as well as in surrounding
communities that feed effluent to the plant as well as rapid growth around light rail. He asked if the plant
would reach capacity in the future and if so, what was the plan to address it. Mr. Antillon answered with
the expected growth in Edmonds and the communities that the plant serves, there will be capacity issues
but this system is designed for capacity to 2038. There are still some issues with feeding the system because
it is barely at the bottom of capacity. There is plenty of capacity on this system. The rest of the plant, the
wet side, will have some issues and there is also the challenge of nutrient removal in the next couple years.
Councilmember Chen asked the life expectancy of this new gasification system. Mr. Antillon answered the
design for this system was 30 years. Councilmember Chen said that seemed quite short. Mr. Antillon
answered it was typical and was similar to an incinerator, equipment that has a lot of fatigue due to heat. If
it can run as designed, that is the designed life expectancy. There may be challenges initially with enough
biosolids to keep it running 24/7 as designed. Councilmember Chen expressed interest in learning more
about that. He relayed his understanding the $23M cost was not entirely borne by the City Edmonds, but
also by partner cities. Mr. Antillon said the City owns approximately 50% of the plant.
Councilmember Buckshnis commented this is actually the second plant, the first plant is in Bakersfield,
California but when former Public Works Director Phil Williams visited, it wasn’t working so the City took
a leap of faith which she hoped would work out. She asked if the equipment on SR-104 was used to store
biosolids byproducts. Mr. Antillon answered that was a biofilter. Councilmember Buckshnis said she will
tour the plant since everyone at Harbor Square asks her about it. Mr. Antillon explained the main component
of the system will not be visible from outside.
Councilmember Buckshnis asked if transporting would cease once the plant was fully operational. Mr.
Antillon answered it was hoped that would occur by June/July. Councilmember Buckshnis asked if there
were sufficient funds in the budget for extra transporting, recalling council approved transporting until
March 2023. Mr. Antillon answered that is also under discussion; the original plan was to only haul for a
year, but the City is way beyond that. Councilmember Buckshnis said keep up the good work, she hears a
lot of good comments.
4. CAMERA ENFORCEMENT IN SCHOOL ZONES
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February 7, 2023
Page 16
Assistant Police Chief Rod Sniffen explained today’s request is council approval of the resolution which
adopts the location analysis done on placement of the school zone automated traffic safety enforcement
cameras. This is being done in phases in tandem with advice from the legal team to ensure it meets RCW
46.63.170. Approval of the location analysis will be followed by approval of the ordinance that will create
a new City Code section 8.10, Automated Traffic Safety Cameras, as well as provide the ability for the
mayor to sign agreements with the vendor to move forward with the program.
Councilmember Chen commented this is very timely as there have been many, many concerns and personal
experiences with speeding and traffic safety. He asked about the five proposed camera locations. Assistant
Chief Sniffen answered there were originally five locations because the interpretation of the law was
Edmonds was only authorized to have five systems based on population. That part of the RCW has since
been revisited and determined not to be a restriction. However, since the project to authorize five systems
was so far along, staff continued with it. The five systems on which traffic analysis were done ended up
being four because analysis of one location showed it was not needed and one of the locations will have
two systems. The proposed locations are Westgate Elementary, Chase Lake Chase Elementary, Edmonds-
Woodway High School (2 systems) and Scriber Lake High School.
Councilmember Nand recalled when this came to the PSPHSP committee, she was quite skeptical. She
appreciated Assistant Chief Sniffen and Chief Bennett’s the depth of knowledge that addressed her and
citizens’ concerns. She relayed drivers’ negative experience when they were driving 27 mph in a 25 mph
zone and the system generated a ticket even though a police officer on emphasis patrol probably would not
have issued a ticket. When she brought that concern to Assistant Chief Sniffen and Chief Bennett, they
explained the camera system could generate tickets for drivers going 5 mph over the speed limit versus 1-
2 mph over the limit. She suggested amending the ordinance to reflect that. Assistant Chief Sniffen
explained the camera systems are designed to trigger an infraction based on a predetermined speed limit
that is controlled by the City. Through analysis of the locations and enforcement, an infraction will be
triggered at 6-11 mph over the speed limit depending on the location. That is completely controlled by the
police department and can be changed any time. He anticipated decisions regarding the trigger speed for
each camera will be determined via conversations between traffic engineering and the police department.
Councilmember Nand advised if that was the policy, her amendment of a minimum of 5 mph over the speed
limit would be moot.
Councilmember Olson observed section 8.10.050 includes a fine for an infraction of $130. With the focus
on the code rewrite and avoiding a set dollar amount becoming outdated, she asked if there was a way
connect the fee to a fee schedule. Assistant Chief Sniffen explained the RCW that permits automated traffic
enforcement in the state of Washington requires the infraction be treated as a parking infraction. In the City
of Edmonds, parking infractions range from $40 to $450. The amount in the ordinance, $130, comes from
the fact that throughout the RCW most moving violations that do not have an attached schedule of fines are
$136. The fee can be adjusted, but the city attorney would need to opine whether the change needed to
come back to council or if a schedule of fines could be included. Councilmember Olson expressed interest
in a way to update the fine without needing to update the code.
COUNCILMEMBER OLSON MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER PAINE, TO MOVE
THE RESOLUTION AND ORDINANCE IN THE PACKET TO THE NEXT CONSENT AGENDA.
Councilmember Olson asked if the resolution and ordinance needed to be approved sooner than that,
observing this delay would allow the council to hear from citizens. She recognized there has been has been
a lot of support for this because of the amount of reckless driving in the last couple years and the desperate
need to put abatement measures in place. She thanked staff for bringing this forward. Assistant Chief
Sniffen answered there was no urgency, he would rather see it right rather than right now.
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February 7, 2023
Page 17
In response to an audience comment, Councilmember Paine asked if there was any intent to have Edmonds
install red light cameras. Assistant Chief Sniffen answered there was no plan to install red light cameras in
this program. Councilmember Paine asked if there were plans to install right turn cameras. Assistant Chief
Sniffen answered there was not. With regard to the $130 fee, Councilmember Paine asked if there were
other fees in addition for court costs, etc. Assistant Chief Sniffen answered not that he was aware of.
Councilmember Paine said she thought there were and suggested that would be something to investigate.
She was pleased to see this moving forward and she wanted everyone to understand this will save lives.
The City does not want to have a memorial sidewalk for someone who was injured or killed. This is about
time, there can be different speed tolerances at the high schools versus the elementary schools. Sidewalks
are where little kids get their best examples of understanding traffic laws, the same with bicyclists. She
thanked administration for bringing this forward.
Councilmember Teitzel commented he has thought this was a good idea for a long time and was involved
in discussions about these cameras in 2015. He recalled back then there was a lot of discussion and concern
as a result of Lynnwood’s experience and people saying it violated their civil liberties which is why the
cameras did not gain a lot of traction back then. He was pleased the City was moving forward with the
cameras now. He asked whether the revenue generated by the cameras covered the cost of the program
including staffing costs. Assistant Chief Sniffen answered based on their analysis, yes. Observing there was
no legal limitation on the number of cameras the City can install, Councilmember Teitzel supported
exploring expansion of the program to all school zones.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
5. 2023 COUNCIL RETREAT DEBRIEF
Council President Tibbott referred to the A, B and C list of prioritized projects. A calendar will be displayed
in the council office permanently after the office is painted. The intent is to have clear objectives for council
and he was happy progress is already being making on several of the items on the list. He was hopeful an
update on bridge housing would be provided during council comments. He is working on a budget retreat
to refine the budget process.
Council President Tibbott directed the council’s attention to the SCA Guiding Principles provided during
Deanna Dawson’s presentation. Before the council officially adopts the principles, he suggested the council
live with it for a year and see what it is like to work together in a way that has been productive for other
groups. He planned to post the principles in several conspicuous places.
Council President Tibbott was pleased with the level of participation at the retreat and was thankful for
staff’s involved in the first hour. Deanna Dawson’s presentation was excellent and helped the council think
about the culture of working together and participating productively with City staff. Overall he was very
pleased with the outcome of the retreat although he recognized the proof will be whether there are results
this year. He was committed to moving in that direction.
9. MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Nelson thanked the council for inviting him to the retreat, commenting it was great to see everyone
in a less formal setting. He appreciated staff’s participation and looked forward to the budget retreat.
10. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilmember Nand thanked Council Executive Assistant Beckie Peterson for the incredible amount of
work she did on the council retreat. She announced the upcoming City of Edmonds Youth Commission
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February 7, 2023
Page 18
Teens Forum on Monday, February 13 at the Waterfront Center at 4-5 p.m. The forum is targeted at teens
ages 13-19 and will include pizza, snacks and drinks. Young people are invited to discuss topics like
diversity, domestic violence, youth opportunity for programs, clubs and jobs, volunteering, LBGTQ+
issues, environmental concerns and mental health. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and
school districts are signaling they plan to pursue litigation against social media and tech giants for the
mental health crisis that has been triggered by social media engagement. It is important to highlight
opportunities like this for young people to get offline and meet to discuss issues.
Councilmember Paine thanked staff and the people who spoke during audience comments about the school
zone safety cameras. One of the scariest things she has ever seen was speeding in a school zone across from
a childcare center, young drivers who did not understand the impact a car can have on a human body. She
appreciated the community and administration’s support of the cameras and all the work done by Chief
Bennett and Assistant Chief Sniffen.
Councilmember Paine announced the council has an opening for a city council student representative.
Applicants need to be residents of Edmonds, but can attend school outside of the city.
Councilmember Buckshnis echoed Councilmember Nand's invitation to the Teen Forum. A survey of youth
was used to identify topics. It should be a fun event with free pizza and snacks. She advised the 2023 budget
is out, a hardbound copy is available for $20. She referred to pages 21 and 22, the strategic outlook,
emphasizing the council does not have any responsibility for those, they are the mayor’s projections. She
invited anyone with issues about the projections to contact her.
Council President Tibbott reported he and Councilmembers Nand and Chen will be in Olympia next week
to talk about state legislation regarding housing. Their message will be there is a better way forward than
all the legislation that has been proposed; a better way would be to expand GMA expectations and leave
determining how those are worked out to each individual city. Edmonds believes cities are in the best
position to determine the best way to accommodate growth, opportunities for density and different kinds of
housing and believe the state should leave that up to cities to implement. The message they plan to bring to
the legislature is, 1) expand GMA, 2) expand growth areas, growth opportunities and buildable lands around
the state, and 3) expand incentives that facilitate construction of housing. They seek to understand what the
legislature is doing as well as help the legislature understand the council’s commitments.
Councilmember Olson paid tribute to Bob Throndsen and the community’s loss of a really important and
impactful community member this week. His loss was very unexpected and shocking and he was in the
throes of continuing to impact and make a difference in the community. He is remembered for his lengthy
career as a KOMO News reporter, a chapter of his life before she knew him, and is warmly remembered by
those he mentored in that field. As exceptional as he was personally, he also developed an exceptional
legacy. In his retirement, he served on the City’s housing commission and was a wonderful contributor, a
total gentleman, a lovely and well liked participant who could disagree without being disagreeable. He was
also fair and thorough in the role where many knew him best, a reporter for My Edmonds News in his
retirement. He was a great man that will be very missed. She wanted to let his family and friends know that
the community of Edmonds is feeling his loss.
Councilmember Olson reported the Edmonds School District’s website has been down for a considerable
period of time. Students are using paper and pens and talking to each other, totally retro and she hoped it
will be remembered as an inconvenient but memorable experience.
Councilmember Chen looked forward to his visit to Olympia on February 15-16 with Council President
Tibbott and Councilmember Nand. He announced a free community vaccine clinic at the Asian Service
Center in partnership with the Snohomish County Health Department on Saturday, February 18 from 10:30
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February 7, 2023
Page 19
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free vaccines include COVID-19 boosters, Monkeypod and flu. Past events have been
very successful in reaching population that are normally difficult to reach. During the last vaccine clinic,
people drove four hours from Eastern Washington to get Monkeypod vaccinations. The clinic is located at
22727 Highway 99, Ste. 110, Edmonds, next to the T&T Seafood Restaurant.
Councilmember Teitzel thanked Council President Tibbott for a very nice council retreat. It was very
productive and it was great to have the mayor and staff with council. He was struck during the retreat that
we are all members of the same team, working together to serve the public, something everyone needs to
keep in their minds and hearts.
Councilmember Teitzel relayed his shock and sadness with the tragedy in Turkey and Syria; the latest new
reports say over 7,000 lives have been lost. He was pleased the U.S. government was sending resources to
help find survivors and assist the injured. It was a horrible thing and his thoughts are with them tonight.
11. ADJOURN
With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 9:23 p.m.
____
SCOTT PASSEY, CITY CLERK