2023-02-28 Regular Meeting
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 1
EDMONDS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
APPROVED MINUTES
February 28, 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
Oscar Antillon, Public Works Director
Susan McLaughlin, Planning & Dev. Dir.
Todd Tatum, Comm. Serv. & Econ. Dev. Dir.
Rob English, City Engineer
Tristan Sewell, 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 Paine 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 TEITZEL MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT TIBBOTT, TO
APPROVE THE AGENDA IN CONTENT AND ORDER. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
5. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Mayor Nelson described the procedures for audience comments.
Jay Grant, Edmonds, Port of Edmonds Commissioner, advised he served on the Edmonds salary
commission twice, first in the early 2000s and again in 2017, serving as the chair during the last 3-4 years.
The salary commission has only one purpose, to keep elected officials’ salaries the same, lower them or
increase them. It sounds simple, but the commission needs to consider what the council does, how much
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 2
time they spend, etc. One of the challenges with abolishing and reinstating the salary commission was none
of the members have been on a salary commission before and don’t know what to do so it took a lot of time
and effort by staff who did a great job and did not interfere with the commission’s work. The commission
considers the mayor and councilmember positions, not who is serving at the time. When he was on the
commission, all the votes were unanimous. Edmonds has one of the higher paid councils and mayor in the
state, but the commission looked hard at their duties. He can appreciate their efforts more today as a Port
commissioner and because as the liaison to the council, he attends most council meetings and reads the
materials as well as watches many of the committee meetings which provide him with a great deal of
information. He recommended the City invite Ava Dubno, vice chair of the previous salary commission,
CPA and the Chamber treasurer to apply for the salary commission. He summarized the salary commission
is unique because they have the authority to increase, decrease, or keep salaries the same; the only one way
to overturn their recommendation is a public vote.
Annie Crawley, Edmonds, referred to agenda items related to the environment and watersheds, noting
watersheds are a topic for the council in the first quarter. She has done a lot of research over the last several
years and wanted to bring to the council’s attention that there are a million tires in the Puget Sound area of
the Salish Sea including 10,000 north of fishing pier that were installed in the 70s to create an artificial reef.
With the toxicity of tires and runoff, part of the council’s agenda is preventing tire dust entering Edmonds
from state and city roads. She referred to a photograph she sent to Council President Tibbott to showcase
the tires; Ms. Zajaczkowski and she have a permit from the City and have been diving to document the
tires. This was discussed at a Port commission meeting in September, she has done a lot of research and
DNR will be publishing a report in March/April. The tires impact the City, visitors and residents so it is
important that everyone know they exist, the toxicity of the tires, what it means to the water, and what can
be done about it.
Elizabeth Zajaczkowski, Edmonds, explained she has been diving with Annie for the past five years. She
is also a lifelong Edmonds resident and has worked for the City for the past couple years as a ranger
naturalist and the Discovery day camps. She expressed support for Annie’s research and advocacy, noting
she has assisted with her research on the tire reefs, diving with her in the area. It is important to have this
on the City’s radar because if DNR removes the tire reefs, important for salmon due to their toxicity, there
will be no habitat to support the life of fish, kelp and eel grass, all the things that support the fishing pier.
It is important to be proactive and research ways the artificial reef ecosystem can be replaced with
something more sustainable and less toxic that can support the regrowth of kelp bed which have historically
existed as indicated by research done by the University of Washington.
6. RECEIVED FOR FILING
1. WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
2. OUTSIDE BOARDS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
7. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
COUNCILMEMBER PAINE MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER OLSON, TO
APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The agenda items
approved are as follows:
1. APPROVAL OF SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 21, 2023
2. APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 21, 2023
3. APPROVAL OF CLAIM CHECKS
4. ORDINANCE CHANGE TO ADDRESS PARKING TICKET CHANGE
5. POLICE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
6. ADDENDUM NO. 1 TO LIBRARY ANNEXATION AGREEMENT
7. SALARY TABLE APPROVAL REQUEST FOR GRANT FUNDED POSITION
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 3
8. JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR HR DEPARTMENT
8. PUBLIC HEARING
1. 2023 EDMONDS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Planning & Development Director Susan McLaughlin introduced Planner Tristan Sewell, commenting the
Climate Action Plan (CAP) has been a long time coming for myriad reasons, but one of those is because
change is constant. She reviewed:
• Who has worked on plan
o City of Edmonds Staff
Susan McLaughlin, Planning & Development Director
Tristan Sewell, Planner
Shane Hope, former Development Services Director
Kernen Lien, former Planning Manager
o Consultant team
ESA
Cascadia
Good Company
o Key inputs
Mayor
General public
Climate protection committee
Youth Commission
• Background
o In 2006, COE formally expressed support for the Kyoto Protocol, adopted the US Mayors
Climate Protection Agreement and joined the International Council for Local Environmental
Initiatives
o In 2009, Edmonds adopted a Sustainability Element of the comprehensive plan
o The City of Edmonds’ 2010 CAP set goals to substantially reduce GHG emissions generated
by the Edmonds community
o In 2017, in response to the Paris Agreement, city council passed a resolution to update the CAP
recognizing the advancements in science and reporting
o In 2018, consultants were hired to prepare a new GHG inventory and to establish a new science-
based target
A science based target represents an overreaching global target that humanity can
collectively work toward
o In 2020, Edmonds City Council adopted a science-based target of 1.5 degrees C
Achieving this means eliminating or offsetting all GHG emissions by 2050
• CAP Development Process
o December ’20-Feb ‘21
Material Development
- Project material development and website launch
- February: Online open house
o Feb ’21 – Aug ‘22
Spread the Word
- March: community workshop
- April: Community feedback survey
- June: community feedback survey summary
- August: Open houses
o Aug ’22-Feb ‘23
Write the CAP
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 4
- Refine and revise strategies and actions
- Work with the climate protection committee to shape final draft
o Feb-March ‘23
Launch the CAP
- Share out the Climate Action Plan for the City of Edmonds
- Work with CPC to plan an educational series to advance actions
o Stakeholder Feedback 2021 Survey
More than 400 respondents, representing Edmonds’ ethnic diversity well
Respondents recognize individual responsibility and limitations
Broad support for Edmonds’ health and livability
o Stakeholder Feedback: Survey + Open Houses
Greatest concerns
- Increased wildfires
- Loss of wildlife
- Poor air quality
- Well-being of future generations
- Personal costs or resources
- Climate refugees
Greatest support
- Energy efficiency in buildings
- Improving transit systems
- Reducing materials consumption and waste
- Focus on the biggest impact of GHG and high influence of change
Open house feedback very strategic specific
• CAP Highlights
o Call to Action
Fact: The Edmonds community has not kept pace with its goals to reduce GHG emissions
- “I think calling it climate change is rather limiting. I would rather call it the everything
change.” – Margaret Atwood
- “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water” – Benjamin Franklin
- “Live simply so that other may simply live.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “To all of you who choose to look the other way every day because you seem more
frightened of the changes that the catastrophic climate change itself. Your silence is
worst of all.” – Greta Thunberg
Key actions the City can take are:
- Adopt regulations to require new multifamily and commercial buildings to be 100%
electric by 2023
- Support changes to State building codes to allow Edmonds to mandate that new single
family residences be 100% electric
- Require EV charging infrastructure with new development
- Support transit-oriented housing choices development in neighborhood commercial
centers
- Create a green building incentive program to foster low carbon developments
- Develop an action plan to adapt to sea level rise in Edmonds
The most effective actions that individuals and businesses in Edmonds can take are:
- Replace fossil-fuel burning heating systems, hot water heaters, and cooking equipment
powered with efficient electric appliances
- Replace fossil fuel-burning vehicles with electric vehicles
Only 1% of 15,000 vehicle in Edmonds are EV
- Reduce vehicle trips by using transit, telecommuting, biking or walking
- Conserve energy wherever possible, especially energy from fossil fuels
What has the City done since CAP adoption
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 5
- Upgrade energy efficient of City facilities
- Upgraded the WWTP with innovative, energy efficient technology
- Installed public EV charging stations at 20 stations
- Upgraded the City vehicle fleet to 6 EV, 11 hybrid vehicles, 33 propane vehicles, and
committed to 6 more electric and 8 more hybrid vehicles to the fleet in 2022
- Completed a tree canopy assessment to track coverage and identify gaps
o Equity
Frontline Communities often live in denser settings, use transit, conserve energy and
consume less
National studies show that affluent households, those with incomes above $120,000,
produce GHG emissions that are double those of households with income between $40,000
and $80,000
Climate change affects everyone but Frontline Communities will be effected the most
o GHG Inventory
Key takeaways
- Edmonds has not kept to its goals since the 2011 CAP
- Two biggest sectors remain buildings and transportation
Electric consumption in buildings declined 7% since 2000
Natural gas consumption increased by 25% since 2000
Transportation emissions increased by 27% since 2000
Key takeaways – residential
- Residential buildings emit roughly twice the quantity of GHG’s that commercial and
industrial buildings in Edmonds emit
- GHG reduction strategies that focus on homes using carbon-based fuels and especially
heating and hot water will have the greatest effect
- Multifamily homes can use as little as 30% of the energy of a typical SFR; promoting
smaller units in a transit rich context will have multi-faceted GHG reduction benefits
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 6
Key takeaways – transportation
- 80% of the GHG emissions from the transportation sector are from the passenger
vehicle
- Approximately 71% of workers in Edmonds commuted in private vehicles in 2017
- Over half of the 71% of workers in Edmonds commuted in private vehicles in 2017
- Over half of the 71% of Edmonds SOV commuters had commutes longer than 20
minutes
- Reducing GHG emissions can also be done by reducing the number of vehicle miles
traveled (VMT)
- Telecommuting has positively impacted GHG emissions, 17.5% of Edmonds
workforce worked from home in 2021
Emissions
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 7
o How the Plan is presented: Strategies-Actions-Metrics
Sectors in Edmonds CAP
Buildings & Energy
Transportation
Environment
Lifestyles & Consumption
o Actions (Example from CAP)
o Metrics & Tracking
Metrics
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 8
o Tracking Progress
Mayor Nelson opened the public hearing.
Tom Hafford, Edmonds, a retired physician and 28 year Edmonds resident on High Street, said he and his
wife have a wonderful son and they care deeply about the quality of his future. On their street, where they
were once the young couple, the neighborhood is now a playground for 20 noisy kids all of whom have a
bright future. Adults must commit now to a world and climate that allow them joy and promise.
Responsibility for the world’s climate crisis starts at home, at the individual level, but extends to the
neighborhood and the City. This is not just a state and federal issue, the crisis is even more of a local
challenge. He strongly supported Edmonds’ CAP and hoped the city council comprehends the urgency that
we have inherited. This CAP will help keep hope alive.
Nick Maxwell, Edmonds, a planning board member, encouraged the council to approve the CAP, noting
a plan regarding how everyone will contribute to climate protection is needed. His family has a plan and
their carbon footprint is very small compared to the footprint of Edmonds City government. It is even more
important that the Edmonds City government have a sensible climate action plan and this one is very good.
Cynthia Pruitt, Edmonds, a member of the Mayor’s Climate Protection Committee (MCPC), but not
speaking for the committee, explained she has served on the MCPC since 2010 because she is passionate
about preserving the environment and especially reducing GHG. She recognized that the community has a
responsibility as citizens of the world and stewards of the environment and is committed to being part of a
community with a high quality of life that is sustainable and equitable for all residents. As Ms. McLaughlin
said, there are huge consequences for the world and for Edmonds if climate change is ignored and practices
that have already begun to negatively impact the world continue such as sea level rise which is already
impacting coastlands and flooding cities and will eventually flood Edmonds to some degree. Destruction
of crops from drought and higher land temperatures will place our Frontline Communities in danger of
shortages of food and water. Marine species will be impacted by rising ocean temperatures and acidity
which will further disrupt food supplies. She cared because the costs and health risks will fall on her children
and grandchildren, much of it disproportionately on the Frontline Communities who have the fewest
resources to adapt. She highlighted items in the CAP:
1. To meet the City’s target of 1.5 degrees C maximum temperature increase, the Edmonds
community must be carbon neutral by 2050.
2. The largest driver of the increased emissions is from on-road transportation including individual
driving which increased 27% between 2000 and 2017.
3. The energy used in building occupancy is the largest source of local GHG emissions in Edmonds.
4. Per capita emissions in Edmonds have remained essentially the same since 2000. There have been
no significant reductions.
AS the CAP states, the Edmonds community has not kept pace with its own goals for reducing GHG
emissions. The CAP makes recommendations to reach the target of 1.5 degrees C by 2050 which will be a
steep curve. Even if a person is not excited about impacts to the region, nation or world, the CAP shows
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 9
there is much that can be done to protect Edmonds’ future while pulling our weight as responsible global
citizens in addressing the climate crisis. That is the reason to adopt the CAP in the form presented.
Robert Knoll, PSE, explained PSE is Washington state’s oldest and largest investor-owned utility, serving
1.5 million customers with safe and reliable energy services. PSE’s customers include residential,
commercial and industrial of all sizes, including in Edmonds. PSE recognizes that climate change is one of
the biggest existential threats facing the planet today. As one of the largest producers of renewable energy
in the Pacific NW, PSE has been an early leader in addressing climate change and investing billions in
renewable resources and energy efficiency for homes and businesses. In 2019, PSE proudly supported
Washington State’s landmark Clean Energy Transformation Act, committing to provide Washington
residents with coal free electricity by the end of 2025, achieve net zero emissions and 80% carbon free
electricity by 2030, and 100% carbon free electricity by 2045. PSE is well on its way to planning for this
future. More recently, PSE pledged to go beyond these commitments with their Beyond Net Zero Pledge,
setting out to achieve net zero emissions in their operations by 2030 and building necessary infrastructure
for transportation electrification and low carbon fuels for long haul trucking and shipping, and investing in
new ways to generate and store the energy their customers need. Finally, PSE has its own climate action
plan, known as the Clean Energy Implementation Plan, which they update every four years and is available
on their website. As they drive toward a clean energy future, they are mindful that success will require
collaboration with many partners including Edmonds.
Mr. Knoll continued, PSE recognizes their customers have become increasingly concerned about GHG
emissions and he shared what is being done on the gas side of their business. They have developed programs
like Carbon Balance which allows customers to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing third-party
offsets from local projects, increased incentives for energy efficiency improvements that reduce building
energy consumption, planning for acquired natural gas alternatives like RNG, investigating other low
carbon fuels such as hydrogen, and committed to net zero methane leaks on their gas distribution system.
He summarized, PSE recognizes the path to maximizing the reduction of GHG requires creative and
innovative thinking. PSE, and he in particular, look forward to working with Edmonds as the council
considers implementing ordinances under the CAP. He commended the City on the work done so far.
Luke Distelhorst, Edmonds, a resident in the Edmonds-Woodway High School neighborhood,
commented change can be scary, but it is nowhere near as scary or as expensive as what the results will be
if the decisive actions outlined in the CAP are not taken. He looked forward to the council’s adoption of
the CAP and foresees more friends and neighbors taking the bus, riding bikes and taking on the call to
action items outlined in the CAP. He thanked staff for their work and residents for their participation in
developing the CAP.
Steven Cristol, Edmonds, a member of the MCPC, commented there is a tendency for cities Edmonds’
size to believe big cities need to take bold actions because they have manufacturing or large scale
agriculture. There are 4,000 cities in the United States with populations between 10,000 and 100,000;
together their populations are equal to the combined populations of France and Spain or the Philippines.
When cities like Edmonds can pull their weight and hopefully even ultimately punch above their weight, it
has a tremendous effect of accelerating what cities Edmonds’ size can do.
Mackey Guenther thanked Ms. McLaughlin for the awesome presentation regarding how Edmonds can
change its policies to create a future that has as much prosperity and opportunity for everyone as possible.
Some of the specific metrics in the presentation, particularly the fact that emissions related to transportation
and operation of buildings are the main obstacles to meeting our climate goals, underly the truth that climate
action in a large part will be about creating new ways for people to live and move around Edmonds. The
more access people can have to jobs in the City, the more people who can be located near their jobs, the
more people can be connected to low carbon ways to move around such as public transportation, is the only
chance the City has of meeting the goals in the CAP. He was dismayed the City was not making progress
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 10
on the goals set in the past. He encouraged the City to think about housing and transportation action as the
main levers for climate action. The current legislative session has raised a lot of questions about what cities
are doing related to housing, particularly as it relates to an affordability crisis, but the housing crisis needs
to be reconsidered as part of the broader climate crisis. Sentiments in the community show how much
people care about this issue and he invited local leadership to step up and broaden the conversation about
how to best meet the City’s needs going forward. He commended the plan, thanked everyone for their work
on it and looked forward to the council’s consideration of the plan.
Hearing no further public comment, Mayor Nelson closed the public hearing.
Councilmember Buckshnis referred to questions she sent to Ms. McLaughlin for which she had not received
a response. She asked if the CAP went through the planning board. Ms. McLaughlin answered the CAP is
not required to go through the planning board. Councilmember Buckshnis asked if there were plans to have
it reviewed by the planning board, noting the plan was good but some issues had already been brought to
staff’s attention that were omitted or should be added. Ms. McLaughlin answered there are no plans to have
the plan reviewed by the planning board; staff has been working very collaboratively with the MCPC whose
skill sets are more pertinent to the CAP. Councilmember Buckshnis noted she was on the MCPC for five
years.
Councilmember Buckshnis asked if ESA was responsible for the report. Ms. McLaughlin responded ESA
was the primary consultant on the technical document plus the GHG tracking tool. Councilmember
Buckshnis asked if the council would be provided the tracking tool, recalling it was to be rolled out in 2020,
but then it fell through the cracks. Ms. McLaughlin answered the actions need to be finalized before the
tracking tool is finalized to determine what is being measured.
Councilmember Buckshnis said she sent staff the local 20/20 Taming Bigfoot competition related to 0%
carbon, weighing garbage, buying local, walking more, etc. She suggested that effort needed to be added to
the CAP. She takes exception when she hears people say nothing has been done between 2010 and 2022.
Volunteers helped write report in 2010 due to financial and staffing concerns. She wanted to have things
that have been done added to the report such as her efforts to bring the marsh to WRIA 8’s attention so the
City can apply for grants and citizen’s efforts to remove fences and daylight Shellabarger Creek which will
help with carbon sequestering. She asked how that information would be added to the CAP without going
to the planning board. Ms. McLaughlin acknowledged a lot of great work has been done since 2010. She
was inspired by the public who spoke about having their own personal action plans. The City needs to take
bolder actions. She agreed with the comment about thinking about how people live and move within
Edmonds with regard to carbon emissions. She agreed with celebrating what has been done, but not using
it as a crutch and to move forward with bold action. With regard to what has been done in the past, that is
in the record and can be included in an appendix to the CAP.
Councilmember Buckshnis agreed bold actions needed to be taken; bold actions should have been taken a
long time ago. Her point is good things have been done such as the strategic action plan, but it got shelved.
She wanted to ensure there was a plan to utilize the CAP with matrixes, who is responsible, timeframes,
etc. In the section about what has been done, it is important to acknowledge the great volunteer citizen
effort. She commented on the importance of east-west connections for transit, pointing out for example,
taking a bus to downtown Edmonds from her home would likely take an hour so she would probably walk
instead.
Councilmember Nand thanked staff, the MCPC and the consultants, noting the CAP is an excellent
documents. She was glad Mr. Knoll from PSE brought up the topic of offsets, noting there has been criticism
about the efficacy of carbon sequestration projects and whether they actually sequester any carbon. She
expected to see more discussion about that as a possibility in the CAP and asked staff to comment whether
that would be a possibility for the City to purse in the goal to becoming carbon neural by 2050. Ms.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 11
McLaughlin said she is not an expert on carbon offset programs. All the actions are meant to be projects in
their own right and she looked forward to delving into that as it is a big part of equation. There are many
actions and the plan does not go into great length on all of them. As Councilmember Buckshnis said and as
is illustrated in the implementation timeline, committing to a date and identifying roles and responsibilities
will keep the City accountability. Staff will work with the MCPC on an implementation strategy that looks
1-2 years into the future as well as prioritizing actions the City will take first.
Councilmember Nand liked the suggestion in the report about switching to recycled paper on a citywide
level. She has discussed that with councilmembers and will cite this report when she proposes a resolution.
She referred to eco-anxiety, people feel depressed when discussing climate change and the impacts it is
already having. It is important to focus on pragmatic steps that can be taken and the positive impacts of
making changes. She purchased a Chevy Volt in 2013 and likes only needing to fill her tank every 2 months
especially with the recent increases in gas prices. She strongly encouraged EV adoption.
Councilmember Paine, liaison to the MCPC, commented it is one of busiest committees in the City,
sometimes meeting three times a month. The CAP has been one of the committee’s main focuses. She
expressed appreciation for staff’s work and seeking input from the MCPC. She found the CAP very
exciting, it provides a path at the government level and includes actions that individuals can take. She
referred to the RewiringAmerica.org website that has an Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Savings Calculator
where the public calculate how much money they will get with the IRA. She referred to the terrible heat
wave a couple summers ago where temperatures nearly reached 120 degrees on very low tide day; a UBC
professor estimated a billion organisms died that day. The Hudson Bay is getting its sea ice a half day later
each year. Climate changes will be more extreme at polar ends and people should start worrying about the
Antarctic ice sheets and the Greenland ice sheets coming apart.
Councilmember Paine continued, there are things that individuals can do including turning off lights,
walking on errands, getting an induction cooktop, etc. She referred to discussions about 15 minute
communities, noting that is neighborhood many people grew up in; as a child she was able to walk to the
grocery store and other destinations within 15 minutes. It also allows people to meet their neighbors and
create community which also includes sidewalks, multifamily development and a variety of neighbors.
Although this plan feels a little like its coming in the third quarter, it is actually pretty hopeful because there
are actions the government can take as well as influence the federal government and other agencies. She
was glad to hear Community Transit is testing electric buses and that electrification of the ferries is coming
as new ferries are built. There are reasons to hope and reasons to push; that advocacy goes a long way.
There is a huge community of advocates in Edmonds and she encouraged them to use their voices for other
communities that need support. She loves the CAP, observing there are ways to add functionality to the
City’s website such as adding calculators and resources for the community. She looked forward to the
council adopting the CAP as quickly as possible.
Councilmember Teitzel said this is a good plan and he appreciates the good work that has been done. He
agreed the City needs to get serious about how activities affect climate change because they will impact us,
our children and our grandchildren. He provided an example of competing priorities, on one hand the City
wants to preserve trees because of their benefits such as reducing heat island effects, carbon sequestration,
etc. At the same time HB 1110 and SB 5190 will require additional density in single family zones. As a
result, smaller, older homes will be demolished and potentially 4-plexes built in their place which will result
in the removal of trees to provide space for larger structures. He relayed another competing priority related
to Washington’s abundant hydro power. Hydro power is a great resource and there will be more demand
for power in the future. However, hydro power comes at a cost and that costs is salmon. There have been
discussions about removing Snake River dams to help restore the historically large salmon run, but that will
reduce power generation capacity. He asked for staff’s thoughts about competing priorities like those.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 12
Mayor Nelson encouraged councilmembers try to stick to the agenda item; some of the questions are fairly
broad and outside the scope of the agenda item. He suggested staff keep their response related to the CAP.
Ms. McLaughlin referred to carbon sequestration, commenting one of the statistics that sticks in her mind
is that carbon emission stays in the environment for 100 years; the carbon emitted by our grandparents is
still in the air today. Carbon sequestration will help, but everyone needs to stop filling the metaphorical
bathtub that takes 100 years to dissipate from the environment. That is the number one priority. Losing a
few trees to gain efficiencies in new, smaller residential units with higher energy efficiency is not
comparable to the loss of a few trees. She offered to provide that data to council. New trees that are planted
will provide carbon sequestration benefits within 30 years. The most important priority is to reduce GHG
emissions in any way possible. The trends is much larger single family residences with very few occupants,
new residential development is often 3,500+ square foot houses, a space that could house 4 units. The
footprint could be the same and house more people and consume less energy per capita. She agreed the
issue of hydro power was a tough one; the goal is to not waste any energy. No energy is pure, even solar
panels have production impacts, resource consumption, etc. Using less to no energy is great and using solar
power is a good alternative.
Councilmember Olson commented the report contains a lot of interesting content. With regard to really
significant accomplishments that have been made, possibly a few could be included. For example, she was
surprised achieving water movement in the marsh estuary thanks to the volunteer campaign last year that
must have huge climate impact was not identified in the report. With regard to balancing competing
priorities and how to achieve goals when there are other goals, another issue is housing affordability and
requiring LEED standard construction practices which are very expensive. She was unsure both could be
accomplished without government subsidies. Ms. McLaughlin responded the cost of going green is coming
down substantially, so much so that new developments going through the LEED process almost always
qualify for LEED silver. It is becoming so common practice that LEED is having a hard time elevating their
bar far enough to make it marketable. She went to the United States Building Green Council conference in
September 2022; it is unbelievable how much they have influenced market in the past decade and now they
are wondering where to go from here. Green building is becoming more affordable and there is also the
green building incentive program. Councilmember Olson commented those are good problems to have.
Councilmember Chen thanked staff for their work on the CAP, it is overdue and the actions are urgent.
Everyone needs to start with themselves, taking small steps related to energy conservation. He looked
forward to adopting the CAP and taking actions to move the City in the right direction. The plan mentions
a goal to reduce 1.5 degrees C by 2050; he asked what was the starting point. Ms. McLaughlin answered
1.5 degrees C is tied to the Paris agreement passed in 2017 that inspired the council to pass a resolution to
align with it. Her best guess was the starting point was 2017. Councilmember Chen clarified his question
was what was the temperature starting point. Mr. Sewell said it is pre-industrial. Ms. McLaughlin offered
to provide that information; this is public hearing and staff will return with a resolution at future meeting.
Councilmember Chen relayed his understanding this is high level policy document. He was anxious to see
how projects would be funded, noting nothing happens without finance and budget. Ms. McLaughlin
commented that information will be the result of the 1-2 year implementation and aligning with the budget.
She cited the carrot versus the stick, many projects will have a cost, whether it is capital cost to the City or
a cost to development. The goal is to make strides via mandating and legislating some of the actions.
Council President Tibbott referred to the slide that shows mitigation potential, degree of City influence and
implementation timeline, commenting he was intrigued with the high mitigation potential and ability for
the City to influence that outcome. He envisioned opportunities for synergies via money that is already
budgeted for facility improvements; over $1 million/year has been budgeted to improve building such as
replacing old windows with double pane windows, etc. Funds could be invested in City building and
produce a great outcome. He was unsure where that fit within the plan. Ms. McLaughlin said the plan
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 13
includes actions specifically related to City facility improvements meeting a certain bar. She recalled the
CAP includes any new City buildings meeting LEED standards and energy efficiency upgrades. The City
has had great energy efficiency savings in City buildings based on improvements that have made over last
decade. If that is not in the document, she will ensure is highlighted for the next meeting with council.
Councilmember Olson suggested identifying and moving forward projects that are a collaboration between
the community and the City. For example Roger Hertrich brought to her attention a patch of land where an
offramp for SR-104 was planned but never built. She has notified the tree board and talked to Representative
Larsen about it. The land is owned by WSDOT and would be an excellent location for a pocket forest
especially since it is located in one of the highest heat mitigation zones. She questioned what needed to be
done to move forward what seemed like low hanging fruit that could help make progress. Ms. McLaughlin
agreed, noting utilizing public land as a forest is an actionable item.
Councilmember Buckshnis asked how things councilmembers wanted added or changed would be
addressed. For example, the carbon sequestration section could be more fully developed because with a
fully functioning marsh, cattails cause blue carbon and carbon sequestering. No one even thought about the
marsh in 2010 until she got involved with WRIA 8. She asked how changes to the CAP would be addressed,
whether would there be a work session and whether council need to vote on changes. She summarized there
needed to be more opportunity for council input, not just a public hearing, input and a vote.
Council President Tibbott commented staff is listening and taking notes related to input from the council
and the public. He asked staff about next steps for additions/revisions to the CAP. Ms. McLaughlin agreed
staff was taking notes and will ensure all the issues raised are covered. To address Councilmember
Buckshnis’ comment, any level of specificity the council can provide now would be helpful or
councilmember can submit comments on the CAP to her. She anticipated the CAP will come back to council
in March depending on the scale of the comments. She was hopeful council was in alignment with that
schedule given the urgency to get started on implementation.
Council President Tibbott said he will work with the council to compile some additional specificity and
provide that information to Ms. McLaughlin. Ms. McLaughlin commented it is important not to conflate
the GHS emission reduction with environmental sustainability. Climate adaptation will be a critical item in
the comprehensive plan; the CAP was intended to be laser focused on GHG reduction.
9. COUNCIL BUSINESS
1. ON-CALL STORMWATER REVIEW SERVICES ON PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS
City Engineer Rob English explained the purpose of on-call stormwater review services is to free up staff
time to manage the Storm and Surface Water Comprehensive Plan Update. He reviewed
• Storm and Surface Water comprehensive plan update
o 2023 Decision Package 45 ($600,000)
o Last updated in 2010
o Update would be coordinated with City’s comprehensive plan update
o Long Term planning document
Infrastructure, community growth, operations and maintenance needs, financial planning,
regulatory compliance, public involvement, environmental changes.
Management of the Storm & Surface Water Comprehensive Plan is estimated to be 0.5
FTE
• On-call Consultant to provide stormwater review services on private development projects
o Engineering consultant will perform stormwater review on private development projects
o Provides staff capacity to manage Storm And Surface Water Plan Update
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 14
o Coverage for 18-24 months
o Cost dependent on private development activity (estimate $125k/year
o Permit fees help offset cost
• Staff’s recommendation
o Approve on-call engineering consultant for stormwater review services
o Approve advertisement of a RFQ (3 month selection process)
o Establish an initial on-call agreement
o Staff will prepare a 1st quarter budget amendment
Councilmember Paine asked how many stormwater development permits there will be, recalling there is
already a backlog of 20. Mr. English answered it depends because some reviews are in the permit
application. He offered to research and provide that number. Councilmember Paine wanted to ensure there
wasn’t a backlog in permits. She was comfortable with this proposal to avoid getting behind on permits and
getting the Storm and Surface Water Comprehensive Plan completed. She asked to see the number of
stormwater development permits, the turnaround time, the lifecycle and a prediction of the number of
developments that will need stormwater development permit review process. Mr. English responded it is
difficult to predict how much development activity will occur in the City during that timeframe as it is
usually driven by how well the economy is doing.
Councilmember Nand asked since there are so many recurring issues with stormwater, flooding, complaints
from private land owners such as the Lake Ballinger lakefront property owners who address the council at
a previous meeting, whether it would be beneficial to have an inhouse person that has knowledge of the
watershed rather than a consultant who does not have a permanent association with the City. Mr. English
answered the scenarios Councilmember Nand described would be addressed by the City’s stormwater
engineer who will work on the plan update to identify areas that are having problems. The on-call consultant
will deal with private development reviews, individual projects that do not typically have historical issues.
Councilmember Buckshnis asked why the funding source was the General Fund. Mr. English answered it
is related to private development; permit fees paid by private development go into the General Fund.
Councilmember Buckshnis referred to the $125,000 cost, asking why it was preferrable to have an on-call
consultant versus a part-time FTE. Mr. English answered it is a limited 18-24 term until the plan update is
complete. Once the plan update is complete, the stormwater engineer can return to doing private
development reviews. Councilmember Buckshnis asked how the estimate of $125,000 was determined. Mr.
English advised an on-call consultant was used when the City’s stormwater engineer left last year so staff
had some history regarding the cost.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT TIBBOTT MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCKSHNIS,
TO APPROVE THE ON-CALL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT FOR STORMWATER REVIEW
SERVICES. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
2. 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE
Community Services & Economic Development Director Todd Tatum explained the purpose of this
briefing is to update the council on the state’s legislative session and to drill down into the progress of
housing bills which has been the legislature’s primary effort and a key topic for the City. He intended to
primarily talk about process and not delve into the details of policy impacts on the City which is a far more
staff intensive exercise than is envisioned for tonight. He reviewed:
• Background and Actions
o Session began Jan 9th - housing is a key priority issue
Strong bi-partisan support for housing bills and wide range of them to promote
development
o Met with several key legislators over session
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 15
Mayor
AWC Action Days/Councilmembers
o Submitted our formal requests for funding for local community projects and Move Ahead funds
o Continuing conversations with AWC
o Tracking and supporting/opposing bills
Mr. Tatum thanked the City’s lobbyist Debora Munguia who has been a tremendous help in navigating the
state’s processes and providing context to conversations with legislators and advocates. He continued:
• 2023 Session Overview
o Long session – 105 days
o Process
Bills originate in the House or Senate and may have companion bills
Bills go through Policy Committee
If a bill has a fiscal impact, it goes through the Senate Ways & Means or the House
Appropriations or Transportation Committees
Bills go to the Rules Committee where members from both parties can offer amendments
and bills go to a floor vote.
If a bill passes through the above, it goes to the opposite chamber and goes through the
same process
As bills go to the floor vote on the opposite side, if there are dispute between the houses, it
can go to a Conference Committee which addresses disputes
Bills that pass, go onto the Governor who can signed, veto or partially veto
o Key dates
Feb 17th: Policy Committee Cutoff
Feb. 24th: Fiscal Committee cutoff
March 8: House of Origin Cutoff
March 29: Policy Committee Cutoff – Opposite House
Apr 4th: Fiscal Committee Cutoff – Opposite House
Apr 12th: Opposite House Cutoff
Apr 23rd: Last day of session
• Housing Bill Status
o Middle housing types: Second Substitute House Bill 1110
Requires cities to authorize minimum development densities in residential zones
The Senate version did not advance out of the Ways and Means Committee in time for the
fiscal committee cutoff
The House bill has been referred to Rules Committee
Bill details
- Cities with populations between 25,000 and 75,000 must allow 2 units per lot or 4 units
within ½ mile of major transit stop or community amenity and at least 4 units per lot if
one is affordable
- Major transit stop is defined as a stop on a high capacity transport system, commuter
rail stop, stops on rail or fixed guideway stops, stops in rapid transit lines
- Cities have some ability to receive extensions for lack of infrastructure
AWC continue to press for flexibility for where upzones could occur and for improvements
to infrastructure sufficiency, parking restrictions and approval of substantially similar local
action provisions.
o Increased housing options through lot splitting: Substitute House Bill 1245 and Substitute
Senate Bill 5364
Requires cities to allow the splitting of a single residential lot into two residential lots. The
resulting lots must be at least 1,500 square feet, and does not allow a city to impose certain
regulations.
SHB 1245 placed on House floor calendar
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 16
SSB 5364 referred to Rules Committee
o Accessory dwelling units (ADUs): Substitute Senate Bill 5235
Requires cities to allow for ADUs on residentially zoned lots, and does not allow any owner
occupancy requirements unless the ADU is used as a short-term rental or the city offers a
waiver or reduction of impact fees if they are offered at or below 80% of AMI.
Voted off the Senate floor Monday, February 27 with a vote of 42-6.
o Easing barriers to construction and use of ADUs: HB 1337
Also requires two ADUs per lot, limits city authority around assessing impact fees (more
than 50% of primary unit); cannot require owner occupancy; and cannot require off-street
parking. It restricts regulation of lot size, floor area ratio, setbacks, roof heights, how close
the ADU can be to lot lines abutting alleys, etc.
Placed on House floor calendar
o Condominium legislation: Senate Bill 5058
Exempts buildings with 12 or fewer units that are no more than two stories from certain
standards which play into the condominium liability challenges. These units would be
exempt from a requirement to submit a building enclosure design document before
construction; and obtaining a building enclosure inspection during construction or at sale.
The Senate passed the bill unanimously on February 15 and now goes through the same
process in the House.
o Consolidating local permit review processes: Substitute Senate Bill 5290
Governor request legislation that requires a local government to exempt project permits for
interior alterations from site plan review under certain conditions, including that the project
does not add bedrooms. It establishes a consolidated permit review grant program for local
governments to issue final decisions for residential permit applications within specified
time frames.
In Rules Committee
o Eliminating minimum parking requirements : Substitute House Bill 1351
Prohibits counties and cities from imposing minimum parking requirements for new
residential or commercial developments within 0.25 miles walking distance of a major
transit stop, except for off-street parking that is permanently marked for the exclusive use
of individuals with disabilities.
Planning counties and cities may impose minimum parking requirements on an individual
project on such developments if the county or city makes written findings, within 30 days
of the receipt of a completed application, that not imposing minimum parking requirements
would have a substantially negative impact on existing residential or commercial parking
within 0.5 miles of the development project. A city or county is not required to submit
written findings that a new development is within 0.25 miles of an existing or planned
transit route that operates no less frequently than two times per hour between the hours of
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. if:
- The housing development dedicates a minimum of 20 percent of the total number of
housing units to very low-income, low-income, or moderate-income households for a
minimum of 12 years; students; the elderly; or people with disabilities; or
- The housing development contains fewer than 20 housing units.
The bill is currently in the House Rules Committee.
The Senate version did not advance out of the Policy Committee in time to meet the cutoff
deadline.
o Reducing local governments’ land use permitting workloads: Substitute Senate Bill 5412
Cities may only apply clear and objective development regulations governing the exterior
design of certain new development in a design review process.
Categorically exempts project actions from SEPA that propose to develop one or more
residential housing units within the incorporated areas of a UGA, or middle housing within
the unincorporated area of the UGA, if the proposed projects do not have transportation
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 17
system safety or operational deficiencies (cities must consult with WSDOT for a
determination).
Passed to Rules Committee.
o Transit-oriented development: Substitute Senate Bill 5466
Requires cities to allow certain housing densities within proximity to major transit stops.
Allows cities to designate by ordinance alternative floor area ratios in parts of a station area
or station hub if certain conditions are met.
Creates a competitive grant program at WSDOT to help finance qualifying projects.
Prohibits the requirement of off-street parking, with exceptions.
Passed to Senate Rules Committee
o Streamlining development regulations: Substitute House Bill 1293
Requires cities to apply only clear and objective design review standards to the exterior of
new development. It establishes a categorical exemption from the State Environmental
Policy Act for residential housing units within an urban growth area.
The bill was heard, amended and approved by the House Housing Committee unanimously.
The committee amendment limits the ability of the city to require a preapplication
conference or public meeting.
The bill is on the House floor calendar and could be voted on by the House of
Representatives any day.
• Other significant issues
o Following, providing guidance on, and opposing specific housing bills, along with other city
priorities
o Continuing to follow and advocate for Blake response
SB 5536 responds to the Blake decision by making drug possession a gross misdemeanor
with an emphasis on encouraging pretrial diversion. The bill also makes treatment facilities
essential public facilities for siting and permitting purposes.
o Infrastructure funding
Submitted request for Local Community Project, $350,000 for SR-104 infiltration projects
Submitted Request for Move Ahead funding in the 25-27 biennium
o Advocating for “Marsh Proviso” first right of purchase
• Next steps
o Opportunities to make amendments and changes to bills as they move through the opposite
house during March
o Continue to provide updates on the progress of bills and talk through strategies to address
concerns with existing bills
o Sit in on listening sessions and workgroups that are likely to have good effect
o Make connections with AWC and their work on amending many of the bills the City is
concerned about
o House of Origin Cutoff: March 8
o Policy Committee Cutoff (opposite House): March 29
o Fiscal Committee Cutoff (opposite House): April 4
o Opposite House Cutoff: April 12
o Last day of regular session: April 23 8:48
Council President Tibbott recognized there are many intricacies related to what can happen with the bills,
noting when councilmembers were in Olympia for AWC Action Days it was interesting to see how much
happened during that short time. He asked how much change was anticipated with some of the bills between
now and the end of the legislative session. Mr. Tatum answered that was a difficult question to answer;
some have broad support and are making it through without much challenge or amendments. With regard
to SSB 5466 related to transit oriented development, and HB1110, he anticipated they will come down to
wire. If the bills pass out of the originating House, he was sure there would be amendments through the
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 18
opposing House’s bill. There is no guarantee that SSB 5466 or HB 1110 will pass, but he anticipated they
would be worked on for a majority of the time they were moving through the process.
Council President Tibbott relayed his understanding that Mr. Tatum would be listening to the sessions and
working with AWC. He asked if there were things that the council or citizens could do to participate in the
process. Mr. Tatum answered they can follow the bills in Committee; public hearings are an opportunity
for anyone to offer testimony for/against or offer amendments. A lot of people have signed in as “other”
and offered suggestions for amendments. Representative Bateman and Senator Liias are having sessions
where they listen to cities and others related to the challenges of implementation. He offered to make people
aware of when those sessions are happening.
Councilmember Teitzel recalled reading in one bill something to the effect of when DADUs are required,
the additional housing capacity could not be counted toward a city’s density goals. Mr. Tatum did not recall
that.
Councilmember Buckshnis asked about the effort to reallocate $250,000+ to another project. Mr. Tatum
advised the $253,000 was rescoped to be part of the SR-104 infiltration project. A request has been
submitted to reappropriate the funds. Councilmember Buckshnis said Senator Salomon offered to try to
include more money for the marsh.
Councilmember Nand highlighted Mr. Tatum and Ms. Munguia’s role in helping the City be extremely
proactive. She encouraged the public who have been directing comments to council about housing bills to
reach out directly to their state legislators and invited citizens to email councilmembers for contact
information. For anyone interested in giving remote testimony, she recommended getting into the Zoom
queue at least an hour early.
Councilmember Olson heard a rumor there may be a legal challenge related to government overreach if the
housing bills are passed. She could see some validity to that because the City has never missed any of its
GMA growth targets and for the City to be manhandled and told what to do via this top down approach is
a bit heavy-handed. She asked if Mr. Tatum had heard anything about that or was it likely. Mr. Tatum said
he could not comment on the likelihood, he has not read that or heard about in the work groups. He was not
saying that a legal challenge would not happen after whatever bills are passed, at this point it is a challenge
to say what will be passed as the bills are very much in motion.
3. SALARY COMMISSION REINSTATEMENT - APPOINTMENTS FOR 2023
City Attorney Jeff Taraday explained he was introducing this item at Council President Tibbott’s request.
There are two state constitutional provisions related to establishing a salary commission. Article 11 Section
8 states compensation of elected officials shall not be increased or decreased during their term of office.
There is an exception in the constitution in Article 30 Section 1 that states mid-term increases can occur for
those who are not fixing their own compensation. That constitutional provision led to RCW 35.21.015
which implements Article 30 Section 1 constitutional provision by providing the means for establishing a
salary commission. There is a fairly detailed state law that explains how a salary commission is supposed
to work including who makes appointments, etc. The City Code Chapter 10.80 approximately mirrors the
state law; there are a few extra things in Chapter 10.80 that are not in state law such as the size of the
commission.
Mr. Taraday provided history on the salary commission in Edmonds. The salary commission was first
established in 2004 which makes sense because the RCW he referenced was adopted in 2001. Ordinance
3508 adopted the salary commission and appeared to be in effect until it was amended in 2014 by Ordinance
3967 which brough the City’s salary commission code into compliance with state law. Later in 2014, the
city council repealed the salary commission via Ordinance 3975. The salary commission was reestablished
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 19
in 2017 with Ordinance 4057 and amended in 2017 to change the commission from meeting every year to
every other year in odd numbered years. The salary commission was repealed again in 2021 and readopted
in 2022 with Ordinance 4252. The current status is the city council has readopted the salary commission.
The commission will have its first opportunity to meet and take action in summer 2023. To his knowledge
no appointments have been made and the council’s role is to approve/not approve the mayor’s appointments
to the commission once appointments are made. The code provides for five salary commission members
and staggered initial terms so appointments are made for 1, 2 or 3 year terms. That is likely a relic of the
earlier version of the code where the commission met every year. With the commission only meeting in
odd numbered years, 1 year and 2 year terms are basically the same and will result in someone serving
during summer 2023. After those initial terms, members serve a 3 year term.
Councilmember Olson asked if Mr. Taraday had any recommended amendments that should be made prior
to seating a new salary commission. Mr. Taraday suggested tinkering with the staggered terms as there was
no reason to have staggered terms as set forth in the current code. He suggested 1 year and 3 year terms
would make sense, some commissioners would serve in summer 2023 and others would serve in summer
2023 and again in summer 2025 along with newly appointed members that would take office in summer
2025. He recommend eliminating the 2 year term from the staggering option.
Councilmember Olson pointed out there are no qualifications specified in the code. In the past, the members
have had some knowledge of personnel, hiring practices, business ownership, industry leaders, etc. She
asked if that should be added to the code or in his experience was it inconsequential to having a good
outcome from the salary commission. Mr. Taraday answered he would be hesitant to recommend adding
knowledge-based or experience-based qualifications because he had no personal knowledge of how
difficult it is to seat this commission and he did not want the City to have difficulty seating the commission
because it could not fulfill knowledge or experience requirements. Those qualifications are something the
mayor can take into consideration when making appointments and the council can take into consideration
when confirming the mayoral appointments.
Councilmember Olson commented the question was prompted because the salary commission commits
government resources, their recommendation is non-negotiable, and an important responsibility is placed
in the hands of the members. Mr. Taraday agreed, assuring he was not trying to undermine the
responsibility, it is a very important commission, but between the mayor’s discretion in appointing and the
council’s discretion in confirming, if someone made it through those two hurdles, they would probably be
a good commissioner.
Council President Tibbott asked how the salary structure is usually developed. Mr. Taraday answered he
was not sure there was a usual way. This commission has not made a recommendation since 2019 and with
all the repealing and readopting, there has not been a lot of stability to create a usual process. His
understanding of how the commission worked in the past is they seek comps in the same way the City seeks
comparable salary information for City employees. They also interview electeds to get a sense of what the
job is like and how much time they spend doing it. He suspected there was good justification for the fact
that Edmonds councilmembers are paid more than some other cities given his experience with how hard
councilmembers work. He envisioned Jay Grant or another former commissioner could speak more
eloquently to the nitty gritty of what has been done in the past.
Councilmember Paine asked how much latitude the council has to request areas of exploration by the salary
commission, specifically an equity analysis. Mr. Taraday said he has not seen any law that directly answers
that. He was a little hesitant to go down that road because anything that could look like it had the effect of
the council influencing its own compensation, even if it is done indirectly toward some kind of equity goal,
could run afoul of the constitutional prohibition against electeds setting their own compensation. If the
council wanted to pursue an equity analysis and create salaries that allow a broader range of people to serve
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 20
on the council, the best way to do that is to do it themselves, but not have it take effect until each of the
seven councilmembers are either off the council or reelected.
Councilmember Paine asked if Mr. Taraday had any knowledge about other cities indexing council salaries
to the state salary commission’s work. They already do the work and it was her understanding that some
positions either through the state or other parts of the government do index to the Washington State Salary
Commission. It is a citizen run group and indexing to their work would eliminate the necessity for a salary
commission. The salary commission could look at the Washington State Salary Commission process and
propose an index that followed the state salary commission’s recommendations. Mr. Taraday answered he
did not know of any cities that did that. The council could certainly set up a structure like that that used
some kind of indexing formula; it could not take effect mid-term and would need to be set up so it took
effect far enough in the future that councilmembers were not affecting their own mid-term compensation.
He recalled a past salary commission created an index for the next year that would provide a COLA for the
following year even though the commission wouldn’t meet that year. Councilmember Paine commented it
was an idea worth exploring, having the council indexed to an outside group. It would keep salaries at a
steady rate and from what she understood, the state salary commission was a professionally run group that
only deals with public dollars.
Councilmember Nand referred to the history provided by Mr. Taraday of the salary commission being
disbanded and reconstituted. She asked if it would make more sense for the salary commission to be a
standing commission that meets in odd numbered years and has 3-year staggered terms instead of
disbanding and reconstituting it every odd year. Mr. Taraday answered it was not disbanded for those
reasons, it was disbanded for other reasons. The salary commission has not been set up for the odd year,
disbanded for the even year, and reconstituted in the odd year. It may look like that, but were other reasons
for the repeal of the salary commission. There is nothing that prevents the salary commission from existing
indefinitely like it did from 2004 to 2014.
Councilmember Nand referred to Councilmember Paine’s interest in indexing, explaining she preferred to
emphasize that the council works for the community and the community should decide how they want to
value the council’s labor. The council does not earn a lot, and likes to joke they work for sub-minimum
wage when comparing their pay to the hours they put in so it is really a labor of love. Mr. Taraday said
there is a provision in the code that allows for referendum; the community has an opportunity to weigh in
through referendum.
Councilmember Buckshnis commented she has lived through all the salary commission starts and stops and
can tell the story. The last salary commission that included Mr. Zapora and Mr. Grant did a fabulous job.
There are professionals in Edmonds who know what to do and how to do it. She supported reinstating the
salary commission and continuing with the way it has been done in the past. She recalled last time the salary
commission was suddenly disbanded due to certain councilmembers and a simple majority. She preferred
to establish the commission and let them do their job.
Council President Tibbott explained this was an opportunity for councilmembers to get their questions
answered. He will work with Mayor Nelson and HR on a timeline to establish the salary commission this
summer. He was confident there was plenty of time to establish salary commission by this summer.
10. MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Nelson thanked staff and everyone who worked on the CAP. He emphasized it is not a backward
looking document, it is a forward looking, science-based document that measures and looks toward moving
the needle and focuses on very specific things versus things that make the people feel they are making a
difference. The CAP contains science based solutions and the City should stick to them as much as possible.
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 21
11. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilmember Teitzel expressed appreciation for Ms. Crawley’s comments about the artificial tire reef
off the fishing pier. It is a concern shared by many that needs attention. He plans to have coffee with Ms.
Crawley this week to learn more about how and why the tires were placed, degradation that is occurring ,
and the environmental impacts. He reported the survey done as part of the city attorney assessment process
closed on February 23 and received 35 responses. The respondents include elected officials, department
heads, managers and other City employees who work frequently with Lighthouse. It is a good, robust set
of responses that the committee is reviewing and will report on shortly.
Councilmember Chen thanked staff that worked on the CAP and identified actionable items to combat
climate change. He shared his and other Rotarian’s experience this past weekend working on a tiny house
project. The operation is amazing, templates are set up and volunteers are divided into five groups; one
group of 3-4 people works on the foundation/floor and the other four groups works on the four walls. Within
three hours, they completed the pieces and he was told the five pieces would be put together in another 3
hours to construct an 8x12 tiny house. He was amazed at the finished product and wished he had one when
he was homeless. The CAP includes a statistic that Edmonds has a homeless population of 236 which
illustrates the need. He concluded the tiny home project was a good experience and they always welcome
volunteers.
Councilmember Olson announced her appointment of Darrol Haug to the economic development
commission. After decades of service, his enthusiasm is unwavering and it is a gift to the community that
his hobby is City business. He is a wealth of information and the City is lucky to have his work and
dedication.
Council President Tibbott announced his recommended appointment of Ross Demmick as the tree board
alternate. Mr. Demmick has worked on a number of projects as a volunteer as well as helping to improve
reporting and he is anxious to get started. With regard to climate action, his family has been excited with
the simple things that can be one at their own house such as replacing windows and installing new insulation
in the attic which dramatically changed their energy consumption and energy bill, a benefit they have
enjoyed for over 10 years. Doing small things as a family encouraged them to do more. The City is moving
in the right direction with the CAP and he looked forward to ways the City could continue to invest in its
own infrastructure to improve its climate footprint.
Councilmember Paine expressed her pleasure with the CAP and the suggested actions. She referred to a
document with impossible to read font with the schedule and what it will look like over time. Rewiring
America has a local government challenge where local officials can sign up. It is a terrific resource with
actions items related to the electrification of America. Nick Maxwell introduced her to Rewiring America
related to moving to renewable energies which means electricity and not natural gas. She appreciated PSE’s
lobbyist calling in, commenting she has had great conversations with him and PSE is doing all they can,
but gas is still a non-renewable energy. She encouraged the public to look at the Rewire American webpage.
Councilmember Paine remarked on the cold, snowy weather and reminded everyone to think about the
unhoused and providing things like handwarmers and supporting the Jean Kim hygiene center. She
reminded of International Women’s Day at the Waterfront Center this weekend. The keynote speaker is
Michelle Lee, a former local newscaster and author whose book is available at the local bookstore.
Councilmember Buckshnis thanked staff for the CAP, commenting it was very informative. She also
thanked the citizens for comments they provide online or via phone. The plan needs to be tweaked a little
to provide a better understanding of the goals and how to achieve them. She provided council the local
20/20 Taming Bigfoot that occurred in 2018-2019. It never came to city council and she was unsure it was
on the City’s website. Participants learned a lot, reduced the size of their garbage cans, donated more,
Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes
February 28, 2023
Page 22
shopped local, reused, etc. It was a good program that she hoped could be introduced to citizens maybe
next year.
Councilmember Buckshnis advised she will be in Philadelphia next week attending the Philadelphia Garden
Show. She plans to see Betty Larman who was involved with the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club including
helping it obtain a 501c3 designation.
Councilmember Nand alerted the public to a scam targeting water utility rate payers in Edmonds. The scam
works by a person contacting a rate payer saying he can obtain a discount for them. He asks for their credit
or debit card number so he can begin making payments on their behalf. On bank statements it will appear
that water utility payments are being made to Edmonds, but the scammer contacts the financial institution
to dispute the bill and pockets the money. The only way someone finds out they were not making payments
to the City is when their water is turned off. The City’s utility billing number is 425-771-0241; those are
the only people residents should talk to about their utility bill. If anyone is experiencing financial
difficulties, the City has a household support grant administered through Washington Kids in Transition for
up to $2500. There is a link on the City’s webpage, edmondswa.gov/services/support grants/household
support grants/household support grant application. She cautioned residents not to talk to anyone else
offering them a discount on their water utility bill.
12. ADJOURN
With no further business, the Council meeting was adjourned at 9:27 p.m.
____
SCOTT PASSEY, CITY CLERK