Everett City Council Meeting Summary - October 15, 2026 (Agenda/Transcript Date: October 14, 2026)

The Everett City Council met in regular session. The posted agenda and transcript identify the meeting date as October 14, 2026, while the supplied timestamp records the meeting as 2026-10-15 17:00 UTC. Mayor Franklin participated remotely; President Schwab presided. The council approved minutes, six consent items, two ordinances on final reading, and received a briefing on the Sound Transit Everett Link Extension Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Consent Calendar

• Approved the October 7, 2026 council minutes; Councilmember Weir abstained.
• Authorized claims against the City of Everett totaling $2,974,900.15 for September 26 through October 2, 2026.
• Declared a 2008 Ford F-550 CUES Sewer Camera Truck (J0084) surplus and authorized public auction.
• Declared a 2018 Ford F-150 Police Responder (P0443) surplus and authorized public auction.
• Authorized the Mayor to sign the interagency agreement with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission for the Region 10 Target Zero Task Force traffic safety grant.
• Authorized release of RFP #2026-077, the 2026 General RFP for Parks Partnerships.
• Authorized release of RFP #2026-078 for the Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan.
• The six consent items passed unanimously on a single roll call vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A written comment from John Martin regarding the outdoor event center was entered into the record.
• Russell Joe, an online public commenter, supported CB 2608-48, describing it as lot splitting that lowers barriers to housing and promotes homeownership. He encouraged the city to publish simple FAQ or step-by-step guidance for residents.
• John Peoples of Everett opposed the land acknowledgment, calling it an unfair charge against residents, and again asked the city to remove Flock surveillance cameras, saying they suppress civil liberties.
• William Parents of Silver Lake questioned the proposed surplus and auction of the 2008 Ford F-550 sewer camera truck, noting its 36,000 miles and suggesting it be retained for parks work with a dump bed.
• Tom Harrison, a board member of Lift Every Voice Legacy from the Lowell neighborhood, supported the Everett Transit/Community Transit merger and urged using resulting funds to restore services, including a proposed 21st-century community center with a public pool. He cited survey data indicating roughly 75% of youth report high physical inactivity, 30-45% feel disconnected, 65-80% experience mental health impacts from social media, and that drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 5-9.
• Rosa Riggs of Lake Stevens, an Everett paratransit scheduler, expressed concern that the proposed interlocal agreement promises 'at least equal' paratransit service without defining it. She asked who would monitor service quality and what remedies the city would have if Community Transit's ADA-minimum service fell short of Everett's current service.
• Jan, an Everett Transit driver, opposed the merger, saying 'Please don't sell my job to CT.' Jan cited Community Transit's roughly $200 million reserve and a one-time payment structure, criticized CT leadership and culture, and said the merger would likely harm Everett riders and workers.
• Sarge/Sarjitandi of Everett described a professional license issue with the city that has dragged on for more than two years and asked for help; Councilmember Ryan responded that staff had connected with them.
• Mason Rutledge of Everett thanked the city for reopening the Grand Avenue Park Bridge elevator and asked the council to align elevator hours with park hours to prevent vandalism. He reported that 70-pound Lime scooters were being thrown from the bridge stairs, breaking a step, and that parks staff repaired it within two working days.

Mayor's Comments

• Mayor Franklin honored George Perez, who concluded 28 years of service on the Everett Housing Authority board. The mayor noted EHA provides 2,000 housing units and serves nearly 8,000 people through its housing voucher program, and proclaimed October 12 as George Perez Jr. Day. He also encouraged residents to attend the October 15 Sound Transit open house at Carl Gibson Center.

Council Comments and Announcements

• Councilmember Ryan thanked public speakers, asked that the upcoming Community Transit presentation emphasize paratransit commitments, and summarized an earlier Sound Transit committee briefing, including a possible shift of a station location near 526/Evergreen from the east to the west side of Evergreen and the distinction between direct and indirect displacement. He reminded residents of the October 15 open house, the Great ShakeOut drill, farmers market dates, and other community events.
• Councilmember Weir congratulated the Downtown Everett Association on its Washington Main Street Excellence award and noted Everett will host the 2027 Washington Places Conference. He also mentioned cultural commission updates, bridge design workshops, and neighborhood meetings.
• Councilmember Zarlingo reported on regional transportation policy discussions, including declining gas tax revenue, rising EV registrations, and possible highway user fees. He attended a housing solutions breakfast and discussed Growth Management Act tensions between state mandates and local control. He voiced strong support for lot splitting as a way to increase fee-simple homeownership in a majority-rental city.
• Other councilmembers briefly announced local business openings, community events, and pool-related opportunities.

Action Items

• CB 2609-51 (B&O tax ordinance): The council approved on third and final reading amendments to City Business and Occupation tax rates, the income threshold for B&O tax applicability, and business license registration fees, amending EMC Chapters 3.24 and 3.19. Councilmember Weir said the rates had been stagnant for 20 years and praised the small-business threshold relief and reinvestment.
• CB 2608-48 (land division procedures): Staff presented a final-reading ordinance updating land division procedures and development standards, implementing state lot-splitting legislation, reorganizing four chapters into one, allowing deferred installation of improvements such as access, landscaping, utility stubs, and recreation facilities until building permits are issued, and removing the requirement to resolve gaps and encroachments before sale. Staff proposed reducing standard minimum lot dimensions in neighborhood residential and UR4 zones from 5,000 to 2,000 square feet, lot width from 50 to 25 feet, and lot depth from 80 to 60 feet. Amendment Sheet 1 corrected a code reference; Amendment Sheet 2 changed the minimum lot depth to 55 feet to align with common 120-foot-deep lots. Both amendments and the amended ordinance were approved unanimously. During discussion, staff and council noted the ordinance does not override HOA covenants, and existing lot-coverage bonuses for multiple dwelling units are unchanged.
• The council did not take a vote on a Sound Transit comment letter; the item was a briefing.

Sound Transit Everett Link Extension Briefing

• Sound Transit staff explained that the DEIS provides a data-driven comparison of alternatives, identifies environmental impacts, and outlines mitigation measures. All alternatives remain on the table even though the board previously identified preferred alternatives.
• Key dates: the public comment period ends November 2; an in-person open house will be held October 15 at Carl Gibson Center from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.; the Sound Transit System Expansion Committee will consider the matter in December and January; the full board is expected to select a preferred alternative in February; a final EIS is expected in late 2027; construction is expected in the 2030s, with initial stations opening in 2037 and the Evergreen/Casino and downtown Everett stations in 2041.
• City staff said they are developing comments emphasizing on-time and on-budget delivery, minimizing land converted to transportation uses, efficient station footprints, and productive use of land under the elevated guideway.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes and all six consent items were approved, with Councilmember Weir abstaining only on the minutes.
• CB 2609-51 was adopted on final reading.
• CB 2608-48 was adopted on final reading as amended by both amendment sheets.
• No formal action was taken on the Sound Transit DEIS comment letter; the council received the briefing and public comment opportunities were identified.
• Administration corrected that the separate transit public hearing is scheduled for October 28 at 12:30 p.m., with a briefing on October 21.