Everett City Council Meeting - February 4, 2026
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Everett City Council Meeting - February 4, 2026
The Everett City Council met on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 6:30 PM in City Council Chambers. Mayor Franklin presided, with Councilmember Zarlingo excused. The meeting included the confirmation of multiple board and commission appointments, a presentation on the relaunch of the Everett Chamber of Commerce, public comment on unlicensed food vending and geotechnical planning, and approval of a resolution to establish a Charter Review Committee. All consent items were approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes for January 28, 2026 and January 31, 2026 (council retreat).
- Adopted Resolution authorizing claims of $8,113,721.05 (period ending January 23, 2026) and electronic funds transfer claims of $9,405,495.71 (December 2025).
- Authorized signing of the 2026-2035 Water Supply Forum Interlocal Agreement.
- Awarded construction contract for Everett Station HVAC and Controls Improvements to Apex Mechanical LLC for $1,938,636.00.
- Authorized a call for bids for 2026 Biosolids Removal and Disposal.
- Authorized contracts with CompuNet, Inc. and Dell Marketing LP for computer equipment and support.
- Authorized acceptance and execution of project agreements with the Washington State Department of Commerce for the 2025 CHIP Grant; staff highlighted that this includes five grant awards totaling approximately $4.3 million to support 462 new affordable housing units.
Mayor’s Appointments
- Confirmed appointments to the Community Development Advisory Committee (5 members), Cultural Arts Commission (2 members), Everett Station District Alliance Rate Pair Advisory Board (6 members), and Transportation Advisory Committee (2 members). All appointments passed unanimously.
Chamber of Commerce Update
- Tyler Chisholm (Placemaking Manager) and Wendy Poshbeg (Everett Chamber) presented on the chamber’s relaunch in 2025 after a 15-year absence. The chamber was established with a $600,000 city funding package (Resolution 8061) and operates as a standalone, member-driven entity.
- By year-end 2025, the chamber had 250 members, delivered 55 programs, engaged 3,000+ businesses, provided 200+ hours of technical assistance, and supported 15 ribbon cuttings.
- Hispanic outreach: Met directly with 70+ Hispanic-owned businesses, shifting to private events to build trust. Businesses raised concerns about immigration policies, language barriers, permitting, and safety near transit.
- In 2026, the chamber plans to host the State of Everett event (March 5), lead an outbound mission to Phoenix, support FIFA-related business activation, and continue focusing on Hispanic business community and women’s professional network.
- Council members expressed appreciation and noted the chamber’s progress toward sustainability as initial seed funding tapers.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Carrie Lungergan Drake (Snohomish resident; business owner in Everett): Spoke in strong support of the proposed ordinance to address unlicensed food vending units, citing concerns about foodborne illness, disregard for cease-and-desist orders, and potential links to organized crime. She also thanked the chamber for its work.
- William Perrin (Everett resident): Presented the concept of a city-led geotechnical 3D model, citing examples from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo to reduce developer uncertainty and enable denser development. He noted Everett has some private building blocks but lacks a public database.
Discussion Items
- CB 2601-02 (2nd Reading) – Unlicensed Mobile Food Vending Units: Council discussed an amendment to remove exceptions for newspaper carriers, solicited individuals displaying goods, and campaign workers. Councilmember Bader emphasized the importance of being able to prosecute workers to gain leverage against operators. Dan Templeman (administration) confirmed the amendment would be formally made at the third reading on February 11, 2026.
- Action Item 13 – Charter Review Committee Resolution: Adopted unanimously. The committee will have its first meeting on February 12, 2026, at 4:30 PM at the Executive Municipal Building, with a Zoom link and YouTube recording available. Two public hearings will be held. The 14 appointed members will select a 15th member, and the public may submit comments to the government affairs director.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous approval of all consent items (1-8).
- Unanimous confirmation of all mayoral appointments.
- Second reading of CB 2601-01 (2026 Traffic Signal Relamping Special Improvement Project), CB 2601-02 (Unlicensed Mobile Food Vending), and CB 2601-03 (Downtown Streetscapes Planting Renovation) – all advanced to third and final reading on February 11, 2026.
- Unanimous adoption of the resolution establishing the Charter Review Committee.
- Council reminders: ballots due for the February 10 special election; encouraged use of county drop boxes.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, residents of Everett, Washington. I would like to call to order the Everett City Council meeting of February 4th, 2026. For information on council meetings and how to participate, please visit our website at Everwad.gov forward slash city council. For the record, Councilmember Tui will be attending this evening's meeting remotely. Kirk Clerk, please take the roll. Mayor Franklin. Here. Councilmember Zarlingo. Excused. Councilmember Burbano. Here. Councilmember Tui. Here. Councilmember Weir. Here. Councilmember Bader. Here. Vice President Ryan. Here. President Schwab. Here. At this time, I'd like Vice President Ryan to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand up here. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible with the Liberty Union of Justice for all. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to ask Councilmember Burbano to read the land acknowledgement. The City Council wishes to knowledge, the original inhabitants of this place, the Stohovish, people and their successors. The Tulali tribes. Since time immemorial, they have hunted, fish, gathered on and taking care of these lands and weathers. We respect the sovereignty, the right to self-determination, and honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and weather. We will strive to be honest about our past mistakes and bring about a future that includes the people, the stories, and voices to form a more just and equitable society. Thank you. Just for the agenda's sake, um, at staff's request, item number 12 has been polled from this meeting and will be added to the February 11th agenda due to some um numerous changes. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening. Um to start this evening, I'm pleased to bring forward a number of appointments for your confirmation. And my question is would you like me to do them by uh board or commission or all together all at once? Let's do it by just by commission. Okay, great. So first to the community development advisory committee, make Megan Honan, position two, Chandler Honeyman, position three, Deborah Welch, position six, Penny Kelman, position eight, and Susan Mosshart to position nine. I'm asking for your confirmation. Do I have a motion? Councilmember Councilmember Bader moves those appointments. Councilmember Weir, seconds. Okay, motion seconds and made. Is there any comment or questions? Okay, clerk, please take the roll. Councilmember Burbano?
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