Everett City Council Meeting – July 22, 2026

The Everett City Council met on July 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting covered a range of topics including public comments on accessibility, naming of the outdoor event center, and ice rink management, followed by council reports and the passage of several action items including an ordinance for electric-assisted bicycles and a $5.9 million police grant application.

Consent Calendar

• Adopted Resolution authorizing claims against the City of Everett in the amount of $4,750,844.92 for the period ending July 4–10, 2026.
• Authorized the Mayor to sign a Professional Services Agreement with Brown and Caldwell, Inc. for the WPCF Pond Aeration Study, not to exceed $289,550.
• Authorized the Mayor to sign the FEMA-4906-DR-WA Public Assistance Agreement to accept disaster recovery funding.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mason Rutledge (Everett resident) expressed concern about the Grand Avenue Park Bridge elevator, which suffered explosion damage and is inoperable. He called for immediate repair, security cameras, and visible park presence, noting accessibility issues for families and mobility-impaired residents.
• Kent Sturgis (Delta neighborhood) urged the council to involve the public in naming the outdoor event center, suggesting alternatives like Cascade Park or Veterans Field and noting that selling naming rights is a possibility.
• Dottie Medalia (Arlington, WA) spoke on behalf of Everett Figure Skating Club, stating that the Public Facilities District (PFD) board president said they are "done listening." She reported that the club faces loss of ice time, no renewed facility agreement, and competition from rink management's own programs. She requested a stop to new programming until equitable policies are established.
• Monica Thurgood (Everett resident) shared her daughter's positive experience with figure skating and expressed concern that rink management is favoring hockey and pushing the skating club out despite the rink being publicly funded.
• Janine Demeray (Everett resident) requested clarification of rules for protesters outside Planned Parenthood, including driveway lines, sound ordinance, and barricade placement. She noted improvement in police communication but asked for clear guidelines to prevent future issues.

Discussion Items

• Electric-Assisted Bicycles Ordinance (CB 2606-34, 3rd reading): Councilmember Burbano proposed two amendments: (1) adding "motorized" to the definition in section A3C to exclude non-motorized devices for children under 11; (2) adding language to section A5 allowing operation on streets over 30 mph if no sidewalk or bike lane exists. After debate about safety and existing law, the amendments were approved 6–1 (Ryan opposed). The amended ordinance then passed unanimously.
• Main Library Building Envelope Improvement Project (items 8 & 9): Ordinance amendment and construction contract awarded to CDK Construction Services, Inc. for $1,965,012. Both passed unanimously with no discussion.
• Police Grant Application (Item 10): The Everett Police Department requested authorization to apply for approximately $5.916 million from the WA Criminal Justice Training Commission under HB2015. Chief outlined three priority areas: adding 10 officers for two years ($2.26M), sustaining the CARES alternative response team and adding a domestic violence advocate ($2.57M), and funding training/technology (e.g., Star Chase, drones, e-bikes). Questions focused on sustainability after the two-year grant period; the Chief noted ongoing vacancies and overtime savings would offset the city's $391,000 match. The council approved the application unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved unanimously.
• Proposed action items (CB 2606-35, CB 2607-36, CB 2607-38) moved forward without discussion.
• CB 2606-34 (Electric-assisted bicycles) passed as amended (6–1 on amendments; unanimous final vote).
• CB 2607-37 (Library envelope improvement ordinance) passed unanimously.
• Library construction contract awarded to CDK Construction Services, Inc. for $1,965,012.
• Police grant application authorized to proceed for up to $5.916 million (unanimous).
• The council noted that the Public Facilities District board will be invited to a future meeting to address ice rink scheduling concerns.
• Councilmember Burbano requested a report on pedestrian safety on Evergreen Way, where data shows an average of 10 pedestrian accidents per year on a two-mile stretch between Casino Road and Airport Road.