OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Edmonds City Council Special Meeting - January 15, 2026: Tree Code Recodification and CAO Updates

City Council & Boards — Thursday, January 15, 2026
BodyEdmonds, Washington
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateThursday, January 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 12:02

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Good afternoon.

0:04

I'm now calling to order the uh Edmund City Council special meeting for January 15th.

0:11

There are two items of council business.

0:14

The first is ordinance recodification of the tree code.

0:18

Mr.

0:18

Teraday, will you be uh introducing this subject?

0:25

I certainly can.

0:26

Uh I don't see anyone from the planning department here.

0:29

So I will about to get on.

0:31

I think.

0:32

Oh, are they coming?

0:33

Okay.

0:33

In that case, um maybe we could wait for them.

0:38

May I ask a question while we're waiting?

0:42

Uh sure.

0:44

Um, it's actually for Mr.

0:46

Terday.

0:47

Um, the there was a change to the definition of hazard tree.

0:51

And I was just wondering if um you could speak to the um legal ramifications of the change and definition, what it was to what it is going to be now if we approve it.

1:04

Maybe we can wait for the presentation and then take questions.

1:07

Okay.

1:10

I do want to make a note that council member NAND is excused from today's special meeting.

1:14

Thanks.

1:15

And can you promote Brad, please?

1:19

Yes, you should be rejoining as a panelist shortly.

1:22

Thank you.

1:31

Mr.

1:31

Shipley.

1:32

Yeah, sorry, guys.

1:34

If uh we have introduced this, uh that this is our next item of our first item of business, if you wouldn't mind uh providing the necessary background.

1:44

Yeah, so there's a little bit of confusion when the uh CAO periodic update ordinance was adopted.

1:51

Um there are two other ordinances in there that were required to uh help implement um.

2:00

Sorry, I don't know why my video is not showing, but it is turned on.

2:04

Uh to help implement the um the CAO update.

2:10

One of these was uh we we removed or we repealed uh chapter 2310, which is the tree code.

2:19

Um that was a part of the reorganization of um the critical area ordinance, and just to keep all critical area items in one title.

2:30

So those are being moved to 17.130.

2:34

Um that is the first ordinance in your packet.

2:37

The second ordinance is specific to some of the minor code updates.

2:42

So there's references throughout the code that also needed to be changed.

2:46

Um those are on the second ordinance that you guys have in your packet.

2:51

So we're taking the ordinances one at a time.

2:53

Um, so we'll take the recodification of the tree code first.

2:58

And um, I'm just gonna let uh I see your hand, Susan, but Vivian had um uh wanted to ask, and I asked her to hold so um uh council member.

3:09

If you want to ask your question, here you go.

3:11

Yes, it was just about the legal ramifications of the changed definition of hazard tree that was adding some uh objective standard um related to um arborist.

3:24

Yeah.

3:26

Go ahead.

3:26

No, I was I was actually gonna ask for you to answer that, Brad, since that was something that came from planning.

3:33

Yeah, I was just adding clarity.

3:34

Um, you know, the prior language, and uh let me just pull it up so I'm referencing the exact same thing.

3:43

Can you reference where it is in our packet?

3:45

Someone yes, just excuse me.

3:47

It it was in the code, the tree code um it up on my screen so I can look at the exact language.

3:54

It's packet page 10.

3:56

Yeah, so it's just clarifying the the qualified professional uh for determining a hazard tree must be ISA certified.

4:05

And um moved some of the language from uh actually, let's see.

4:14

So yeah, this is just it's a qualifier, uh, so it must be higher extreme risk.

4:19

This is how we look at the I the um assessment uh in terms of the ISA tree risk assessment.

4:27

So it's clarifying exactly what a hazard tree is as we process it today.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Tree Regulations█████████████████████████████████████████████72%
Procedural██████████████████28%
Summary of Proceedings

Edmonds City Council Special Meeting - January 15, 2026: Tree Code Recodification and CAO Updates

The Edmonds City Council held a special meeting on January 15, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM and adjourning at 11:12 AM. The council considered two ordinances related to the recodification of the tree code and minor updates to implement the Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). Both ordinances were adopted unanimously. Council member Nand was excused from the meeting.

Discussion Items

  • Ordinance 4426: Recodification of Tree Code – Planning and Development Services presented an ordinance to repeal and recodify the tree code (Chapter 23.10) into Chapter 17.130, consolidating all critical area provisions in one title. A key clarification was the definition of a hazard tree, which now requires an ISA-certified arborist to determine if a tree poses high or extreme risk using a Level 2 ISA tree risk assessment. Council members discussed the legal liability implications and confirmed that the applicant (tree owner) is responsible for hiring the qualified professional. The motion was amended to include the ordinance number 4426, and the amendment passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 4427: Minor Code Updates to Implement CAO – This ordinance made minor, non-substantive amendments to references throughout the Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code to align with the reorganized CAO. No further discussion was held.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimous adoption of Ordinance 4426 (tree code recodification) – All council members present voted aye; none opposed.
  • Unanimous adoption of Ordinance 4427 (minor CAO-related code updates) – All council members present voted aye; none opposed.
  • The council clarified that the applicant bears the cost and responsibility for hiring an ISA-certified arborist to assess hazard trees.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. I'm now calling to order the uh Edmund City Council special meeting for January 15th. There are two items of council business. The first is ordinance recodification of the tree code. Mr. Teraday, will you be uh introducing this subject? I certainly can. Uh I don't see anyone from the planning department here. So I will about to get on. I think. Oh, are they coming? Okay. In that case, um maybe we could wait for them. May I ask a question while we're waiting? Uh sure. Um, it's actually for Mr. Terday. Um, the there was a change to the definition of hazard tree. And I was just wondering if um you could speak to the um legal ramifications of the change and definition, what it was to what it is going to be now if we approve it. Maybe we can wait for the presentation and then take questions. Okay. I do want to make a note that council member NAND is excused from today's special meeting. Thanks. And can you promote Brad, please? Yes, you should be rejoining as a panelist shortly. Thank you. Mr. Shipley. Yeah, sorry, guys. If uh we have introduced this, uh that this is our next item of our first item of business, if you wouldn't mind uh providing the necessary background. Yeah, so there's a little bit of confusion when the uh CAO periodic update ordinance was adopted. Um there are two other ordinances in there that were required to uh help implement um. Sorry, I don't know why my video is not showing, but it is turned on. Uh to help implement the um the CAO update. One of these was uh we we removed or we repealed uh chapter 2310, which is the tree code. Um that was a part of the reorganization of um the critical area ordinance, and just to keep all critical area items in one title. So those are being moved to 17.130. Um that is the first ordinance in your packet. The second ordinance is specific to some of the minor code updates. So there's references throughout the code that also needed to be changed. Um those are on the second ordinance that you guys have in your packet. So we're taking the ordinances one at a time. Um, so we'll take the recodification of the tree code first. And um, I'm just gonna let uh I see your hand, Susan, but Vivian had um uh wanted to ask, and I asked her to hold so um uh council member. If you want to ask your question, here you go. Yes, it was just about the legal ramifications of the changed definition of hazard tree that was adding some uh objective standard um related to um arborist. Yeah. Go ahead. No, I was I was actually gonna ask for you to answer that, Brad, since that was something that came from planning. Yeah, I was just adding clarity.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com