Everett City Council Meeting: Swearing-In, Appointments, and Housekeeping Amendments - January 7, 2026

The Everett City Council held its first meeting of 2026 on January 7, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting featured the ceremonial swearing-in of Mayor Cassie Franklin and six councilmembers, the appointment of a new Police Chief, approval of consent items and several ordinances, and public comment on community concerns. The council also elected its leadership for the year.

Ceremonial Swearing-In and Appointments

• Judge Remy Leonard administered the oath of office to Mayor Cassie Franklin and Councilmembers Erica Weir (Position 1), Paula Rhyne (Position 2), Don Schwab (Position 3), Luis Burbano (Position 4), and Ben Zarlingo (Position 5).
• Mayor Franklin swore in Deputy Chief Robert Goetz as the new Chief of Police, citing his 34 years of service and leadership.
• The council unanimously approved appointments to the Everett Housing Authority Board (Paul Manzel, Corinne Smith, Jason Miller), Civil Service Commission (Charles McMurray), and Library Board (Melinda Cervantes).

Consent Calendar

• The council approved 12 consent items, including:
  • Resolutions authorizing claims: $1,344,789.36 (Dec 6–12, 2025); $4,231,334.66 (Dec 13–19, 2025); $1,376,520.48 (Dec 20–26, 2025); electronic transfer claims of $8,822,101.52 (Nov 2025); payroll claims of $5,787,665.55 (Dec 13, 2025).
  • Change order for security cameras ($14,521.00).
  • Construction contract for RRFB Pedestrian Safety Project to Earthwork Solutions LLC ($715,108.86).
  • 2026 Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Purchases.
  • Construction contract for 36th Street CSO Storage Improvements to Interwest Construction, Inc. ($20,955,622.10).
  • Amendments to professional services agreements and a collective bargaining agreement with the Everett Police Officer’s Association.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Steve Oz (Everett resident) reported on the “Stuff a Bus” campaign that collected 3,524 items valued at $33,563, along with $1,895 in cash and 10,115 pounds of food for Volunteers of America. He then criticized the city’s third-party workers’ compensation provider (Corvell), stating that injured employees are receiving subpar medical care, leading to a driver with over 10 years of service being let go.
• Liz Vogley (Everett resident) urged the city to prepare to impede unlawful activity by ICE agents, referencing a recent fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis and the disappearance of Daniel Carlos Morales in Everett. She asked how the city will respond.
• John Peoples (Everett resident) offered historical reflections on the American Revolution and encouraged the council to govern humbly within the city charter.

Discussion Items

• Council Bill 2512-91 – Everett 2044 Housekeeping Amendments (First Reading): Yarek Stevens Watchdown, Planning Director, presented a set of clarifications and corrections to development regulations adopted in summer 2025. Key changes:
  • Middle housing regulations: clarified that the edge of the public street means the edge of the right-of-way; allowed private/shared yards to overlap required perimeter landscaping.
  • Design standards for middle housing: applied street-facing facade standards only to dwellings within 30 feet of the right-of-way.
  • Allowed shared water meters for second dwelling units under common ownership at Public Works discretion.
  • Adjusted height reductions adjacent to Snohomish County zones from 28 feet to 35 feet.
  • Reduced bicycle parking requirement for single dwelling units to one space.
  • Inclusionary zoning: relaxed affordability for ownership housing from 80% to 100% area median income; reduced fee-in-lieu from $15 to $9 per gross square foot for ownership product. The Planning Commission recommended indexing the fee-in-lieu to inflation, which was missed in the draft and will be added.
  • Councilmember Ryan expressed concern that raising the affordability threshold to 100% AMI could lead to economic displacement in the Casino Road area. She requested analysis of the fee-in-lieu math and examples from other jurisdictions. The planning director noted Seattle’s $15 rate was used as a baseline and that further sub-area planning and state transit-oriented development requirements may prompt future revisions.
• Action Item 17: Interlocal Agreement with Snohomish County for participation in the Downtown Improvement District for the 2026–2030 term. Approved unanimously.
• Action Item 18 – Election of Council Leadership:
  • Council President: Don Schwab was nominated and re-elected by a unanimous vote (7-0). He committed to bringing diverse voices together and addressing financial hurdles.
  • Vice President: Paula Rhyne was nominated and elected unanimously (7-0). She expressed gratitude and commitment to collaborative work.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the December 17, 2025 meeting minutes (2 abstentions).
• Approved all consent items unanimously.
• Set final readings for Council Bills 2512-88, 2512-89, and 2512-90 for January 14, 2026.
• Scheduled a public hearing for CB 2512-91 on January 14, 2026, with a third reading on January 21, 2026.
• Approved the Interlocal Agreement for the Downtown Improvement District (2026–2030).
• Elected Don Schwab as Council President and Paula Rhyne as Vice President for 2026.
• After a 10-minute executive session to discuss potential litigation, the council approved a settlement of $318,518.10 for damages from a 12-inch water main break at 3109 McDougall Avenue, covering building and tenant property damage (partial settlement; business interruption claims remain pending). Unanimous vote.