OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Edmonds City Council Regular Meeting – March 10, 2026

City Council & Boards — Tuesday, March 10, 2026
BodyEdmonds, Washington
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateTuesday, March 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:15:10

Transcript — Verbatim
0:26

Good evening and welcome to the March 10th edition of the Edmonds City Council.

0:31

We will now call the meeting to order.

0:33

Would you all please join me in the flag salute?

0:36

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America for which it stands under God.

0:51

Thank you all.

0:52

For the land acknowledgement, Councilmember Olson.

0:55

Thank you, Mayor.

0:57

We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Snowhomish people, and their successors, the Tillelep tribes, who since time immemorial have fished, hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands.

1:10

We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water.

1:19

Thank you.

1:19

Can we do a roll call, please?

1:22

Councilmember Eck.

1:23

Here.

1:24

Councilmember Chen?

1:25

Councilmember Barnett.

1:27

Councilmember Dodge.

1:28

Council President Dodge.

1:38

Okay.

1:39

Councilmember Olson.

1:41

Here.

1:41

Councilmember Payne.

1:48

Okay.

1:49

Councilmember Nand.

1:51

Here.

1:52

And Mayor Rosen.

1:53

Here.

1:53

All elected officials are present.

1:55

Just to acknowledge that Council President Dash and Councilmember Payne are here.

2:02

And they indicated so uh without did so visually.

2:08

Um our next item of business is approval of the agenda.

2:11

Motion to approve.

2:12

Second.

2:12

It's been moved and seconded to approve the agenda.

2:14

All in favor, please raise your hands and say aye.

2:17

Aye, aye.

2:18

Is there anybody opposed?

2:19

Please raise your hand and say nay.

2:21

Motion carries unanimously.

2:22

Thank you.

2:23

Our next item of business is uh presentations.

2:27

There are two.

2:28

The first is the financial update.

2:30

Um a couple of things I wanted to mention.

2:33

The first is uh in the past I've always sort of reminded you that January is uh a hard hit month for us uh financially from cash flow, and uh that will happen again to us.

2:45

One of the big hits is the WCIA insurance bill, um which we have to pay all at once, and we have to pay it at the beginning of the year.

2:51

That alone is 2,700,000.

2:54

Um then other uh impacts are like uh there's a Microsoft payment in the 210,000, so none of them sort of go up to that level.

3:03

But just a reminder that January is always a big hit to our cash flow.

3:07

Um the next item is less related to fine finances directly, except it does impact it.

3:13

Uh over the last couple of years, council has expressed frustration um uh early on a couple of years ago, started expressing frustration with the agenda memos.

3:24

Um and how as you were contemplating things, it would have been nice to have sort of some short brief information that would have helped in the decision making uh process.

3:33

And so I was just gonna share because you you know these things have been sort of added in pieces.

3:39

Um, but the agenda memo first we did change our software program so we um uh to a software program that we could actually customize and make useful.

3:47

And new things, oddly enough that you would think would have been on in the past weren't.

3:51

Um so the meeting type, like making the difference between a uh council meeting and a committee meeting, uh, the touches, so the readings before council.

4:01

So uh, you know, frequently there's been a conversation.

4:04

Haven't we touched talked about this before?

4:06

And this way we are keeping track of the touch points with council.

4:10

Um budget impact.

4:11

So not only what is the total amount, um, but what funds are impacted and is it already in the budget or does it need to be reallocated in the budget?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████59%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████17%
Land Use Regulations█████6%
Public Engagement███4%
Economic Development███4%
Human Services██3%
Arts And Culture██2%
Youth Programs██2%
Public Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Edmonds City Council Regular Meeting – March 10, 2026

The Edmonds City Council met at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Council Chambers at 250 5th Ave North, Edmonds, with all councilmembers and Mayor Mike Rosen present. The meeting included a land acknowledgment, approval of the agenda and consent calendar, a finance update, a proclamation, the continuation of a public hearing on the 84th Avenue street vacation, an executive session, and council and mayor comments.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved unanimously.
  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously: approval of city council minutes from the March 3, 2026 regular meeting and March 5, 2026 special meeting; payroll and benefit checks, direct deposits, and wire payments for Feb 16–28, 2026; claim checks and wire payments from the March 4, 2026 check run; and the Resolution including findings of fact to support adoption of Ordinance 4430 imposing a six-month moratorium on acceptance of certain development permits in the Deer Creek Critical Aquifer Recharge Area (CARA), fourth reading.

Presentations

  • Mayor's Finance Update: Mayor Rosen noted January is a difficult cash-flow month, including a $2,700,000 WCIA insurance bill due at the beginning of the year and a $210,000 Microsoft payment. He also described agenda memo improvements, including meeting type, touch points/readings, budget impacts, problem statement, alternatives, item history, staff recommendation, and downstream impacts.
  • Proclamation: Mayor Rosen proclaimed Saturday, March 14, 2026 as Frank DeMiero Day in Edmonds, honoring his more than six decades of music education, his founding of the music department at Edmonds Community College, the Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival, and his community legacy. His son Vince accepted the proclamation and noted the festival's 50th anniversary; Councilmember Olson later noted the public celebration of life is Sunday, March 15, 2–4 p.m. at Edmonds College.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dr. Eileen Newton, a Bothell resident and chief medical officer of Evergreen Recovery Centers, described the organization's Medicaid-based substance use disorder services and its upcoming women's-only treatment center, which she said would be the only one in Washington taking only Medicaid, expected to open in May. She asked the council to become familiar with their work and to consider donations and support, citing funding constraints.
  • Sean Leiser, the applicant and an Edmonds resident and business owner, expressed support for the proposed 84th Avenue street vacation. He said WSDOT, Olympic View Water and Sewer, city planning and engineering staff, the Planning Commission, and many residents support it, and that it would make the area safer and more attractive for redevelopment.
  • Written public comments were received for filing under agenda item 7.

Discussion Items

  • 84th Avenue Street Vacation public hearing continuation (fifth reading): Public Works staff presented an update on the proposal to vacate right-of-way on 84th Ave W near SR 104 and Highway 99. The application was received Oct 24, 2024. Staff proposed removing the two-phase approach, keeping the public vehicle turnaround within city right-of-way, and adding a fire-department turnaround served by a public easement and Knox box. All property accesses would be maintained.
  • Council discussion included questions about compensation, utility easements, and public benefit. Councilmember Nand asked whether compensation could be held in escrow or used as a credit for future development; staff responded that this would be complicated and not standard, and that an updated appraisal will be required before the ordinance is adopted. Councilmember Chen asked about utility easements; staff said utility negotiations would be left to the parties. Councilmember Barnett asked for a specific public benefit; staff cited the applicant's maintenance of the area, potential utility relocation and downsizing, no Highway 99 or SR 104 connection needs, and a potential gateway redevelopment parcel. Legal counsel advised that the conditions are lawful under RCW 35.79 and code-city authority because they are reasonably connected to replacing the cul-de-sac's function, and cautioned that unreasonable conditions would be inadvisable.

Executive Session

  • The council held an executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) to discuss litigation or potential litigation with legal counsel. After reconvening, no motion or action was taken.

Key Outcomes

  • The public hearing was closed with no council action on the street vacation; the item is expected to return with a revised resolution, updated appraisal, and recommended compensation before a resolution of intent to vacate is considered.
  • Council and mayor comments included Women's History Month remarks, mention of Edmonds' three women mayors, support for Evergreen Recovery Centers, and an announcement of the upcoming State of the City event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center (reception 5–6 p.m., program 6–7 p.m.).
  • The meeting adjourned at 8:15 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and welcome to the March 10th edition of the Edmonds City Council. We will now call the meeting to order. Would you all please join me in the flag salute? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America for which it stands under God. Thank you all. For the land acknowledgement, Councilmember Olson. Thank you, Mayor. We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Snowhomish people, and their successors, the Tillelep tribes, who since time immemorial have fished, 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. Thank you. Can we do a roll call, please? Councilmember Eck. Here. Councilmember Chen? Councilmember Barnett. Councilmember Dodge. Council President Dodge. Okay. Councilmember Olson. Here. Councilmember Payne. Okay. Councilmember Nand. Here. And Mayor Rosen. Here. All elected officials are present. Just to acknowledge that Council President Dash and Councilmember Payne are here. And they indicated so uh without did so visually. Um our next item of business is approval of the agenda. Motion to approve. Second. It's been moved and seconded to approve the agenda. All in favor, please raise your hands and say aye. Aye, aye. Is there anybody opposed? Please raise your hand and say nay. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Our next item of business is uh presentations. There are two. The first is the financial update. Um a couple of things I wanted to mention. The first is uh in the past I've always sort of reminded you that January is uh a hard hit month for us uh financially from cash flow, and uh that will happen again to us. One of the big hits is the WCIA insurance bill, um which we have to pay all at once, and we have to pay it at the beginning of the year. That alone is 2,700,000. Um then other uh impacts are like uh there's a Microsoft payment in the 210,000, so none of them sort of go up to that level. But just a reminder that January is always a big hit to our cash flow. Um the next item is less related to fine finances directly, except it does impact it. Uh over the last couple of years, council has expressed frustration um uh early on a couple of years ago, started expressing frustration with the agenda memos.

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