Shoreline City Council Regular Meeting - October 27, 2025

The Shoreline City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber. Mayor Chris Roberts presided. The meeting covered approval of the consent calendar, an action item on the 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, and a study item on the 2026 State Legislative Priorities. Five councilmembers were present (Roberts, Mork, Ramsdell, Scully, Ademasu) and two were absent (Pobee, Robertson).

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (5-0) including: Approval of Workshop Dinner Meeting Minutes of September 8, 2025; Approval of Workshop Dinner Meeting Minutes of September 22, 2025; Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of September 22, 2025; Approval of Expenses and Payroll as of October 10, 2025, in the Amount of $5,872,718.31; Adoption of Resolution No. 550 - Intent to Implement an Equivalent Service Unit Fee Structure for Surface Water Management Fees; Authorize the City Manager to Approve the Cooperative Purchase from Legacy Group in an Amount Not to Exceed $800,000 for City Hall Office Reconfiguration Parts, Furniture, and Installation; Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Memorandum of Agreement with King County for Indigency Screening Services; Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Interlocal Agreement Between the City of Lynnwood and the City of Shoreline for Jail Services Through December 31, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Emily Jones, Director of the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center, expressed disappointment about the idea of withdrawing funds for the Home Repair Program. She read a letter from a 79-year-old client who relied on the program for critical home repairs and urged council to reconsider funding.
• Kathleen Russell, Shoreline resident, stated that Save Shoreline Trees would present a petition regarding concerns about the City’s tree canopy.
• Jonelle Kemmerling, Shoreline resident, spoke about support received for the petition from Save Shoreline Trees and highlighted the importance and benefits of urban trees. She noted that over the past five months, supporters gathered signatures and heard strong public endorsement for preserving trees.
• Boni Beiry, Shoreline resident, read language from the petition from Save Shoreline Trees and advocated for preserving healthy existing trees and wildlife habitat. She handed the City Clerk the Petition with signatures of 1,137 residents.
• Sibonbile Chadyiwe, Shoreline resident, commented in favor of continued investment in mental health resources and community connection opportunities for low-income older adults, youth, and families. She also supported arts and culture programming and opportunities related to the 2026 World Cup.
• Katie Laura, Shoreline resident, emphasized the need for funding the North City Commons (community pop-up retail and placemaking pilot at 185th near Rotary Park) to improve local economic development. She expressed unequivocal support for prioritizing this project.

Discussion Items

• Action on the 2026 Community Development Block Grant Program and Reprogramming of Prior Years’ Funding: Bethany Wolbrecht-Dunn, Community Services Manager, presented two options. Option 1 (staff recommendation) allocated $130,000 for the Minor Home Repair Program and $23,600 for Vital Housing for an affordable housing acquisition (110 units at 60% AMI, 10-year deed restriction), plus reprogrammed $40,000 to restart 2025 home repair services. Option 2 allocated $120,000 for home repair, $1,600 for Vital Housing, and $32,000 for financial assistance (serving ~10-15 households). Council debated the trade-offs. Deputy Mayor Mork and Councilmember Ademasu supported Option 1, citing the need to restart home repair and the administratively burdensome nature of CDBG funds for small financial assistance. Councilmember Ramsdell supported Option 2, highlighting high demand for financial assistance (Hopelink only able to help 4-5/month due to funding limits). Councilmember Scully questioned whether the $10,000 difference in home repair funding would materially affect service levels, and expressed preference for using general fund mid-biennium amendment to boost Hopelink rather than CDBG funds. The motion for Option 1 passed 4-1 (Ramsdell dissenting).
• Discussion of 2026 State Legislative Priorities: Jim Hammond and contract lobbyist Debora Munguia presented the draft agenda. Key points: 2026 is a short (60-day) session starting January 12; Democrats retain majorities; projected $2 billion state revenue shortfall; state agencies directed to prepare for significant reductions. City priorities include: (1) Advancing the 175th Corridor project, seeking future transportation package funding; (2) A local community project request for capital improvements near Rotary Park (North City Commons hub for food, arts, gathering); (3) Broad policy issues: transportation preservation/maintenance, indigent defense costs, land use planning, climate change, behavioral health, fish passage, wastewater costs, and city financial stability. Councilmember Scully criticized the policy items as lacking specific goals, suggesting future agendas should be more action-oriented. Mayor Roberts emphasized remaining committed to parks improvements and ADA accessibility despite limited state funding.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved 5-0.
• 2026 CDBG Action: Motion carried 4-1 to approve Option 1 (staff recommendation) as presented in Attachment A, authorizing the City Manager to execute agreements for the funded programs. Option 1 funds the Minor Home Repair Program at $130,000 for 2026 with $40,000 reprogrammed to restart 2025 services, and provides $23,600 to Vital Housing for affordable housing acquisition. Staff noted that if Council later wishes to increase financial assistance, it could be done via a mid-biennium budget amendment using general funds.
• State Legislative Priorities: Discussion only; formal adoption will occur at a future meeting. Council directed staff to consider more specific, action-oriented language for future agendas.

Other Reports

• City Manager Report: John Norris highlighted upcoming events: Filipino/Filipina American History Month celebration (Oct 30), Dia de los Muertos celebration (Nov 1), roundabout simulator drop-in sessions (Nov 3), and upcoming meetings.
• Council Reports: Councilmember Ademasu attended King Conservation District Advisory Committee meeting and King County Public Health briefing; noted tree canopy assessments, flu increase, World Cup food vendor concerns, and a tour of Camp United We Stand. Deputy Mayor Mork attended K4C meeting and regional water quality meetings; raised concerns about electric power capacity in Washington State and interest in community solar. Mayor Roberts thanked Councilmember Robertson for volunteering at a tree planting event and Senator Salomon and Representative Davis for attending a dinner meeting.