Everett City Council Meeting – April 22, 2026
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Everett City Council Meeting – April 22, 2026
The Everett City Council met on April 22, 2026, to address a range of items including consent agenda approvals, public testimony on the AquaSox stadium and manufactured housing zoning, briefings on the Outdoor Event Center project, a new Manufactured Housing Community Zone, an alley vacation, and an EMS levy lid lift resolution. The council also heard a mayoral announcement about potential consolidation of Everett Transit with Community Transit and advanced several action items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved Resolution authorizing claims against the City of Everett in the amount of $2,481,903.91 for the period ending April 4, 2026, through April 10, 2026.
- Approved Resolution payroll authorizing claims against the City of Everett in the amount of $6,067,173.74 for the period ending April 4, 2026.
- Approved authorizing the Mayor to sign a Professional Services Agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in the amount of $3,059,270 for the North Broadway Pedestrian Bridge.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Evan Reed (Everett, Executive Director of Bunker Arts Collective) expressed support for the AquaSox baseball stadium but argued that the public's financial burden has grown as the project reached roughly $120 million, while the team's contribution remained around $10 million. He urged that a fraction of this investment—$600,000 to $1 million annually—be directed back into community projects, corridor maintenance, and public space improvements. Reed stated that asking for more from the ownership group is not unreasonable and would strengthen the project.
- Kathy Brown (Fairway Estates resident) spoke in favor of the proposed Manufactured Housing Community Zone, emphasizing that manufactured homes are not easily relocated and that many residents—including seniors, working families, and veterans—would face losing their homes entirely if parks were redeveloped. She urged preservation of affordable housing and community stability.
- Written comments were submitted on the manufactured housing zone (12 individuals) and on the naming/renaming of city properties (one person); these were included in the official record.
Discussion Items
- Council Bills 2604-21 and 2604-22 (Outdoor Event Center) – Second reading. Councilmember Tui asked about the “other capital” funding source category (9% of the project). Staff indicated they would provide details later. Both items were advanced to third and final reading on April 29, 2026.
- Council Bill 2604-23 (Manufactured Housing Community Zone) – First reading and briefing. Planning Manager Alison Wetzel presented a proposal to create a base zoning district (“NR-MHC”) for seven of the ten manufactured home parks in Everett, selected based on high owner occupancy rates (86–97%). The three parks with low or no owner occupancy (Broadway Terrace, Holly Drive, Pine Street) are not rezoned. The new zone would prohibit redevelopment other than manufactured housing unless financial infeasibility is proven under state law. New parks would remain prohibited. Staff also recommended removing obsolete Title 17 and adding notice on property titles. Councilmember Zarlingo praised outreach and the balance between density and preservation; Councilmember Bader questioned thresholds for financial infeasibility, why two parks with unchanged zoning were included, and why new parks are prohibited. Discussion touched on density trade-offs and protections for seniors. Public hearing set for May 6, 2026 (third reading).
- Alley Vacation (1810 52nd St SE) – Public hearing held. Paul McKee (Real Property) explained that the vacation of an unopened alley (1,563 sq ft) would correct a 1950s-era carport encroachment. A boundary line adjustment and joint access easement are included. No public comments were received. The council voted to grant the petition and direct staff to prepare an ordinance.
- EMS Levy Lid Lift Resolution – Chief Dave DeMarco presented a resolution to place an EMS property tax levy lid lift on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. The measure would restore the rate from 36 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation (the 2018 voter-approved level). He cited a 11% increase in call volume since 2018, 3% annual labor cost increases, and near doubling of vehicle and supply costs. The council approved the resolution and directed staff to seek citizen volunteers for voters' pamphlet statements.
Key Outcomes
- Consent items approved unanimously (7-0).
- CB 2604-21 and 2604-22 advanced to third reading on April 29, 2026.
- CB 2604-23 introduced; public hearing scheduled for May 6, 2026 (third reading).
- Alley vacation petition granted unanimously, directing staff to prepare a vacation ordinance.
- EMS Levy Lid Lift Resolution approved unanimously, placing the measure on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot.
- A draft letter to the Sound Transit Board supporting the full completion of the Everett Link Extension was circulated; final vote scheduled for April 29, 2026.
- Mayor Franklin announced ongoing discussions with Community Transit about a potential transit consolidation, emphasizing benefits for riders and alignment with light rail preparation. Final decision rests with the City Council and Community Transit board.
Upcoming Meetings
- April 29, 2026: Third reading of CB 2604-21 and 2604-22; consent agenda includes naming/renaming ordinance (CB 2603-20); vote on Sound Transit letter.
- May 6, 2026: Public hearing and final reading of CB 2604-23 (Manufactured Housing Community Zone).
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, residents of Everett Washington. I'd like to call to order the Everett City Council meeting of April 22nd, 2026. For information on council meetings and how to participate, participate, please visit Everett WA.gov/slash city council. For the record, I will be facilitating today's meeting on behalf of Council President Schwab. Clerk, please take the role. Mayor Franklin here. Councilmember Weir. Here. Councilmember Zarlingo. Here. President Schwab. Excuse. Councilmember Brabano? Here. Councilmember Twee here. Councilmember Bader? Here. Vice President Ryan. Here. Now I'd like to ask Councilmember Barbano to please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Under God with liberty and justice for all. Next, I'd like to ask Councilmember Zarlingo to please read the land acknowledgement. This council acknowledges the original inhabitants of this place, the Stahoes people and their successors, the Taled tribes. Since time and memorial, they've hunted, fished, gathered on, and taken care of these lands and waters. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and honor their sacred spiritual connection to the land and water. We will strive to be honest about our past mistakes and bring about a future that includes their people, stories, and voices to form a more just and equitable society. Thank you. Moving on to Mayor's comments. Good afternoon, Mayor Franklin. Good afternoon, Vice President Ryan and Council and our community. Just a few comments today. First, tonight, I hope that some of you are able to join me at the workers' memorial service. This is a solemn moment where we honor workers who have lost their lives in the course of their duties. The event starts at 5 p.m. and is across the street at the Mission Courtyard. So thank you to everyone who can join me and honor their public service and sacrifice. Tomorrow evening, we will be honoring the winners of the Wendt and Mayor's Arts Award at the Everett Performing Arts Center. The networking and reception portion starts at six and the program begins at seven. I'm especially looking forward to performances from other honorees, especially the dance school, which will feature feature Council Vice President Ryan's daughter. Um, and our very own Councilmember TUI will be receiving the esteemed Richard and Nancy Wendt Award of Excellence, which is well deserved recognition of your incredible accomplishments. So congratulations in advance. And I hope to see many of you there. Switching gears, I want to talk a little bit about transit in Everett and our future. We stand at an important moment for our city with Sound Transit Light Rail and its five new Everett stations on the horizon. The Sound Transit Board is currently debating potential changes and a revised timeline for many Sound Transit lines, including these once-in-a-lifetime investments in Everett. Executive Summers, Councilmember Parshal from Linwood, and I continue to advocate strongly for the completion of the SPINE and for that to be the priority to complete light rail to Everett and fulfill on the commitments of ST3. Now is an important time to demonstrate to the Sound Transit Board and the region that Everett is ready with local transportation that works in lockstep with Sound Transit's network. In partnership with all of you on the council, we developed our comp plan and created new zoning around these important station areas. A final very important piece of this work will be ready to be ready for light rail is to ensure that our local transportation network performs well with Sound Transit's future light rail stops. As you all know, we've been talking with community transit about a potential consolidation for several years.
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