Edmonds City Council Regular Meeting – December 9, 2025

The Edmonds City Council met December 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, 250 5th Ave N, Edmonds, WA, and via Zoom, adjourning at 10:14 PM after approving extensions. All councilmembers and the mayor were present. The council approved the agenda and consent calendar, received the October 2025 financial report, held a public hearing on the 2025-2026 mid-biennium budget modification, adopted the 2025 Comprehensive Plan amendments and the North Bowl rezone, and tabled the levy lid lift and transportation benefit district sales tax items.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously: November 25, 2025 council minutes; December 2, 2025 Committee A minutes; payroll and direct deposit for November 16-30, 2025; 2026 leases with Toddle Time's Main Street Kids, Olympic Ballet Theatre, and Olympic Ballet School; Fire ILA modification; restoration of vacation hours; Microsoft Enterprise Agreement renewal; Supplemental Agreement 3 with SCJ for Highway 99 Revitalization Project Stage 3; Department of Ecology 2025-2027 Biennial Stormwater Capacity Grant; and the ordinance amending employee and resident parking permit fees.

Received for Filing

• The October 2025 Monthly Financial Report and written public comments for the December 9 meeting were received for filing.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bill Krepik, a 12-year Woodway resident, said 59% of voters rejected the $14.5 million Prop 1 tax levy lift, accused the council of ignoring taxpayers, cited 178 signatures on the Last Straw petition, and urged the council to stop pursuing new taxes.
• Multiple residents spoke in support of Yost Pool and opposed the proposed $83,500 added payment from Cascade Swim Club, describing the pool as a community, safety, health, and economic asset.
• Cascade Swim Club Vice President Max Epkin said the $83,500 would be on top of Cascade's current $102,000 annual payment, would be an 82% increase outside its five-year contract, and would not be financially sustainable for the nonprofit.
• Anne Christensen and another commenter raised concerns about the utility tax increase ordinance, including confusion over a 10% versus 100% increase and the solid waste tax rate; one commenter asked the city to clarify or rescind the ordinance.
• A resident asked how pool user fees work and suggested more outreach about nonprofit operations.

Public Hearing: Mid-Biennium Budget Modification

• Acting City Administrator Todd Tatum and Finance Director Richard Gould presented the proposed 2025-2026 mid-biennium modification. Revenues in the proposal include a 1% property tax increase, $1 million public safety sales tax, $109,000 in new grants, $3.26 million from the utility tax increase, $83,500 assumed from Cascade Swim Club, and a possible $400,000 transportation benefit district sales tax. Revenue reductions include $1.3 million in retail sales tax and removal of the $6 million levy that did not pass.
• The proposal includes about $1.5 million in departmental cuts: roughly $380,000 from parks, $800,000 from police, $65,000 from facilities, $65,000 from public works, and $226,000 from community services and economic development.
• During the public hearing, many community members spoke. Speakers of all ages, including Cascade swimmers, parents, seniors, a nurse practitioner, and residents from Edmonds and nearby cities, urged council to keep Yost Pool open and not put the added cost on Cascade. Several said the $83,500 figure was inflated and that alternative fundraising, user fees, advertising, grants, or other cuts should be explored.

Discussion Items

• 2025 Comprehensive Plan Amendments: Planning Director Mike Cluxton presented the ordinance adopting the updated Capital Facilities Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and revised North Bowl hub future land use map. Councilmember Payne moved adoption; the motion passed unanimously.
• North Bowl Rezone: Cluxton presented a companion rezone changing North Bowl hub parcels to low-density residential to implement the new comp plan map. Councilmember Nand moved adoption; the motion passed unanimously.
• Mid-Biennial Budget Modification: Council extensively discussed Yost Pool and department cuts. Parks Director Faser said the pool costs about $267,000 annually, Cascade currently pays $102,000, leaving a $167,000 city subsidy; the $83,500 request was generated from a council suggestion to cover half of that subsidy through non-city funds. She offered options including additional parks maintenance cuts, using the tree fund for the arborist, or using the Marsh Fund. Councilmember Nand moved to shift $41,750 of the arborist salary to the tree fund; Councilmember Eck offered a first-dollars-out amendment and later withdrew it. Councilmember Tibbetts moved to direct the administration to confirm with the city attorney whether tree fund dollars are legally available for the arborist salary; that motion passed 6-1.
• A motion by Councilmember Chen to direct staff to rework the budget modification using 2025 expenditures as the base failed 2-5. A motion by Councilmember Dash to direct finance to analyze reducing the general fund's 2026 contribution to the internal service fund by 50% failed 2-5.
• Police Chief Dawkins said the department has 47 sworn positions, 30 in patrol, two vacancies, and the lowest total staffing in at least 20 years; under the proposal two patrol positions would be unfunded. He said patrol minimums remain protected but proactive capacity is reduced.
• The city attorney defended the utility tax ordinance process, stating that after reviewing the video, council clearly intended to increase utility tax rates from 10% to 20% and leave solid waste unchanged. This conflicted with public commenters who said the notice and ordinance language had been confusing or incomplete.
• Arts and culture staff said the proposed cut shifts the remaining program staff salary to the municipal arts fund, which is not sustainable and could ultimately require winding down the city arts program.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved unanimously.
• Consent calendar approved unanimously.
• 2025 Comprehensive Plan amendments ordinance adopted unanimously.
• North Bowl rezone ordinance adopted unanimously.
• Motion to confirm tree fund availability for the arborist salary passed 6-1.
• Motion to rebase the budget comparison to 2025 expenditures failed 2-5.
• Motion to reduce internal service fund transfers by half failed 2-5.
• Levy lid lift discussion was tabled to the next meeting unanimously.
• Transportation benefit district sales tax ordinance was tabled to the next meeting 6-1.
• The draft mid-biennium budget ordinance was not adopted; council plans to continue consideration and amendments at an upcoming meeting.
• A motion to extend the meeting to 10:30 PM failed, and the meeting adjourned at 10:14 PM.