Everett City Council Meeting Summary – May 26, 2026

The Everett City Council met on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included consent calendar approvals, a second reading of utility tax and rate ordinances, a first reading of a massage/reflexology regulation ordinance, and a final reading on appointive employee compensation. Public comments addressed vacant commercial property fees, transit consolidation, stormwater management, and the proposed massage ordinance. Note: The meeting transcript references "May 20th, 2026," but the official agenda and instructions specify May 26, 2026; this summary follows the agenda date.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously adopted Resolution authorizing claims of $1,888,169.97 for the period ending May 2–8, 2026.
• Unanimously adopted Resolution authorizing payroll claims of $6,492,416.10 for May 2, 2026.
• Unanimously awarded RFP #2025-082 for a Conflict Public Defense Services Roster and authorized the Mayor to sign contracts with qualified attorneys.
• Unanimously approved Contract Change Order No. 10 with Granite Construction Company for the Edgewater Creek Bridge Replacement project in the amount of $211,177.52 (revised total not to exceed $27,560,122.89).
• Unanimously authorized a Professional Services Agreement with ROP Consulting (Rick Williams Consulting) for a downtown parking study in the amount of $66,778.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Anica Beech Garcia (Bellingham resident, EWU social work student): Expressed support for revising Everett Municipal Code 16.16 (vacant commercial space fees) to base fees on square footage rather than a flat $1,000/year, targeting large box stores. Encouraged further discussion at the June Parks and Built Environment Committee meeting.
• Spencer Jones (Anacortes resident, EWU grad student): Stated support for updating EMC 16.16 to set fines proportional to property size and to halve the vacancy timeline from three years to 18 months, arguing the current flat fee is insufficient for companies like Kroger ($34 billion annual revenue).
• René Pairo (Everett resident, Everett Transit driver): Expressed opposition to the transit merger, arguing that it would increase taxes ($650 per household) and that the city should be custodians, not liquidators of assets. Requested that council respect citizens' cognitive abilities and not patronize.
• Dwayne Dow (Everett resident, 32-year city paratransit driver): Praised the quality of Everett's paratransit service, stating customers say it is the best in the country. Suggested that council let the public vote on the sales tax increase related to the merger.
• William Parent (Everett resident): Proposed installing underground stormwater storage tanks beneath the new baseball field to address flooding and mitigate concerns about sales tax increases for the stadium.
• June Schober (District 3 resident): Expressed support for the transit consolidation study and asked the city to expedite official outreach and provide a feedback channel as the study develops.
• Sonya Bodge (Delta neighborhood resident): Spoke in favor of the proposed massage/reflexology ordinance, describing observations of suspicious massage businesses on Broadway, lack of displayed licenses, and cited the website "Rub Maps" listing 73 businesses. Urged council to consider landlord accountability.

Discussion Items

Utility Tax and Rate Adjustments (Items 7 & 8)

• Councilmember Bader asked what cuts would be necessary if the utility tax were not adopted. Mayor Jenifer Franklin responded that further cuts would reduce service levels, lengthen permit review times, slow court case processing, and risk cybersecurity given increased threats.
• Ryan Sass (Public Works) presented slides responding to prior questions:
  • Proposed utility bill assistance enhancements: increase annual maximum benefit from $700 to $875; evaluate income metrics beyond 200% of federal poverty level (e.g., area median income); explore an ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) program.
  • Construction cost inflation (Mortensen index) was 39% in the prior rate period (2021–2024) and rising again, driving mandatory capital projects.
  • Half of planned capital improvement program for water, sewer, and storm drainage was deferred to beyond the current rate period to maintain affordability.
  • The proposed rate amendment adds $1.74 per month to collect revenue for the water/sewer utility tax and $1.00 for filtration debt reduction, totaling about $12/month increase.
• Councilmember Ryan asked about consistency in assistance programs and water metering for mobile home communities. Staff replied they are working on that and noted that qualifying for the county property tax exemption also qualifies for utility assistance.
• Councilmember Tui noted the billing cycle change caused higher bills temporarily, but they will normalize by mid-July. The $1 filtration fee will allow early debt retirement, potentially preventing future rate increases in filtration.
• Council President Schwab acknowledged the utility billing changes were difficult but that the intent is positive, noting the proposed utility tax is lower than many I-5 corridor cities.

Massage and Reflexology Ordinance (Item 9 – First Reading)

• Lacey Offitt (Police Legal Advisor) presented the proposed ordinance to create a new chapter in the Everett Municipal Code. Key provisions:
  • Requires city business license for massage businesses; failure is a gross misdemeanor.
  • Incorporates state law requiring massage therapists to hold a Department of Health license.
  • Makes it a misdemeanor to allow unlicensed practice; subsequent violations a gross misdemeanor; violations grounds for business license revocation.
  • Advertising standards: license number and name must appear conspicuously.
  • Practitioner credentials must be displayed and match government-issued ID.
  • Hours restricted: unlawful to operate between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (except home/solo practitioners).
  • Allows inspections by city officials during business hours, with privacy protections; does not apply to home practitioners.
  • Creates a separate crime for committing or permitting sexual misconduct on premises (misdemeanor) with higher penalties for forcing others into such acts.
• Offitt noted that an education phase and multi-department enforcement team (police, fire, care team) will follow.
• Councilmember Zarlingo asked about landlord accountability; Offitt said it is being explored for future updates.
• Public comment from Sonya Bodge (see above) was taken under this item.
• No vote was taken; third and final reading scheduled for June 3, 2026.

Appointive Employee Compensation (Item 10 – Third Reading)

• Ordinance amending Chapter 2.74 of the Everett Municipal Code (appointive employee compensation and fringe benefits) was passed unanimously on final reading.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar (Items 1–5): Approved unanimously.
• Items 6, 7, 8 (Second Readings): No vote taken; third and final reading set for May 27, 2026.
• Item 9 (First Reading): No vote taken; third and final reading scheduled for June 3, 2026.
• Item 10 (Third Reading): Adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Next steps: Council will hold third readings on the Clark Park renovation project, utility tax, and utility rate ordinances on May 27, 2026. The massage/reflexology ordinance will have a final reading on June 3, 2026.