OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Shoreline City Council Regular Meeting – November 24, 2025

City Council — Monday, November 24, 2025
BodyShoreline, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, November 24, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:05:53

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening.

0:01

I call to order the Shoreline City Council regular meeting for Monday, November 24th, 2025.

0:07

Will you please join me in the flag salute?

0:17

For which it stands.

0:24

Thank you.

0:25

Will the clerk please call the roll?

0:27

Mayor Roberts.

0:28

Here.

0:29

Deputy Mayor Mark.

0:30

Aye.

0:31

Are yeah, here.

0:32

Thank you.

0:33

Councilmember Ramsdale.

0:34

Councilmember Scully.

0:36

Present.

0:36

Councilmember Adamassio.

0:38

Present.

0:38

Councilmember Povey?

0:39

Here.

0:40

Councilmember Robertson.

0:41

Here.

0:42

Deputy Mayor Mark.

0:44

Do you have a motion?

0:46

I uh have a motion to excuse Councilmember Ramsdale for personal reasons.

0:52

I second that.

0:54

There's a motion to excuse Councilmember Ramsell for personal reasons.

0:57

Any objections?

0:58

Seeing no objections, that motion is adopted by unanimous consent.

1:02

The next item is approval of tonight's agenda.

1:05

If there are no objections or comments, that agenda is adopted by unanimous consent.

1:10

Next on the agenda is the report of the city manager, Mr.

1:13

Ellington.

1:19

No.

1:22

Uh oh.

1:30

We won't draft you for council.

1:33

Good evening, Council.

1:35

If you hadn't had a chance to visit the Shorelite's winter light display yet, I encourage you to check it out and invite your friends and family.

1:42

The lights will be on view until January 11th, 2026.

1:46

This year we also are introducing bites at the lights.

1:50

You can view the shore lights winter display and enjoy food from several local vendors during your visit.

1:57

Food trucks will be available most days through January 11th.

2:01

Visit Bit dot LY forward slash bytes at the lights to view the full calendar of vendors.

2:09

As a reminder, there are still a couple of days left to donate to the Shoreline Food Drive.

2:15

You could drop off your donations at City Hall, the Shoreline Teen Center, or several other locations across the city throughout the month.

2:23

We're asking residents to ensure that storm drains in their neighborhoods are clear of leads and debris.

2:28

Please rake leaves and debris out of the street in front of your home and throw them away in your yard waste bins.

2:35

Keeping your home gutters and downspouts clear can help prevent flooding and water damage to your home and property.

2:42

If you see a storm drain or ditch backing up or flooding a roadway, please call 206-801-2700 immediately.

2:52

As always, our team is ready to respond to storms this winter season.

2:56

Join us this Tuesday, November 25th, for a walk along the Richmond Beach waterfront.

3:02

Meet up with our volunteer walker, Donna, at 10 a.m.

3:05

at the Richmond Beach Community Park Tennis Courts.

3:08

Come out, get active, and enjoy a walk with your friends and neighbors.

3:13

City facilities will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holidays.

3:16

All of us at City Hall would like to wish the residents of Shoreline a safe and happy Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day.

3:24

We are thankful to serve such a supportive, engaged community.

3:27

We hope everyone can celebrate and spend time with family and friends over the long weekend.

3:32

And finally, just a couple of public reminders.

3:35

The next city council meeting will take place on Monday, December 1st at 7 p.m.

3:40

here in the council chambers.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████████18%
Land Use Planning███████8%
Fiscal Sustainability███████8%
Procedural█████6%
Community Engagement████4%
Public Safety████4%
Public Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Shoreline City Council Regular Meeting – November 24, 2025

The Shoreline City Council met on Monday, November 24, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. The 61-minute meeting included a discussion of Ordinance 1045 updating Critical Areas Regulations (riparian management zones) and Ordinance 1049 amending Business and Occupation Tax classifications. Public comment focused on aquifer recharge area protections and riparian buffer planting requirements. The consent calendar was approved 6-0, and Councilmember Ramsdell was excused.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Expenses and Payroll as of November 7, 2025, totaling $4,104,004.22.
  • Authorized the City Manager to execute the 2026-2029 Interlocal SeaShore Transportation Forum Agreement.
  • Authorized Amendment 5 to Contract 8961 with Herrera Environmental Consultants for Hidden Lake Dam removal support ($136,040).
  • Adopted Resolution No. 557 rejecting all bids for the NW Innis Arden Way Boeing Creek Culvert Replacement (Hidden Lake Phase 2) project.
  • All items approved 6-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ruth Williams (Thornton Creek Alliance) urged the Council to apply Reasonable Use Permits sparingly and to require native plantings in riparian management zone interruptions (Code 20.80.320(F)). Requested a variance application process for such permits.
  • Kathleen Russell (Save Shoreline Trees) supported Thornton Creek Alliance’s comments and raised concerns about bike and scooter impacts on trail tree roots and erosion.
  • Bob Danson (General Manager, Olympic Water District) stated the draft ordinance’s claim that no critical aquifer recharge areas (CARAs) exist in Shoreline is inaccurate. He requested that the Deer Creek Wellhead Protection Area Buffer be designated as a CARA, citing legal requirements and best available science. He submitted board resolutions supporting protection.

Discussion Items

A. Ordinance No. 1045 – Critical Areas Regulations Update

Elise Keim, Planning Manager, presented the update driven by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) guidance. Key changes:

  • Replaces varied stream buffers with Riparian Management Zones (RMZs) based on site potential tree height (200 ft in Shoreline).
  • Impacts ~1,900 properties (up from ~1,400 under current code).
  • Provides flexibility: up to 25% RMZ reduction with enhancement, physically separated/functionally isolated RMZ exemptions, and one-time building expansion (up to 500 sq ft, at least 100 ft from stream) without a full reasonable use permit.
  • Council discussion focused on:
    • Need for clear code language on physically separated RMZs (Councilmember Scully).
    • Native planting requirements (Mayor Roberts requested staff clarify).
    • Disagreement with Olympic Water District over CARA designation for Deer Creek wellhead protection area. Councilmember Ademasu and others sought alternative protections (e.g., MOU) while staff maintain that the area does not meet legal CARA definition. Staff confirmed ongoing negotiations with the district.
  • Ordinance expected to return December 15, 2025, for possible adoption; wellhead issue may be addressed separately.

B. Ordinance No. 1049 – B&O Tax Classification Updates

Christy Hopkins (Budget & Tax Manager) and Johanna Miller (B&O Tax Analyst) presented:

  • Aligns Shoreline Municipal Code with state Senate Bill 5814 and AWC Model Ordinance.
  • Moves selected services (e.g., animal grooming, pet boarding, cosmetic services, etc.) into the retail tax classification; corrects a typo regarding extended warranties.
  • Councilmember Ademasu requested exploring a phased B&O tax for small businesses starting out (over 5 years). Staff indicated this could be considered next year.
  • Ordinance is proposed for adoption December 8, 2025.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar approved 6-0 (Councilmember Ramsdell excused).
  • No votes taken on Ordinances 1045 or 1049; both will return for action at later meetings (1045 on December 15, 1049 on December 8).
  • Staff directed to clarify RMZ code language on physically separated zones and native planting requirements, and to continue discussions with Olympic Water District regarding aquifer recharge protections.
  • Council expressed interest in a future study of small business B&O tax relief.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I call to order the Shoreline City Council regular meeting for Monday, November 24th, 2025. Will you please join me in the flag salute? For which it stands. Thank you. Will the clerk please call the roll? Mayor Roberts. Here. Deputy Mayor Mark. Aye. Are yeah, here. Thank you. Councilmember Ramsdale. Councilmember Scully. Present. Councilmember Adamassio. Present. Councilmember Povey? Here. Councilmember Robertson. Here. Deputy Mayor Mark. Do you have a motion? I uh have a motion to excuse Councilmember Ramsdale for personal reasons. I second that. There's a motion to excuse Councilmember Ramsell for personal reasons. Any objections? Seeing no objections, that motion is adopted by unanimous consent. The next item is approval of tonight's agenda. If there are no objections or comments, that agenda is adopted by unanimous consent. Next on the agenda is the report of the city manager, Mr. Ellington. No. Uh oh. We won't draft you for council. Good evening, Council. If you hadn't had a chance to visit the Shorelite's winter light display yet, I encourage you to check it out and invite your friends and family. The lights will be on view until January 11th, 2026. This year we also are introducing bites at the lights. You can view the shore lights winter display and enjoy food from several local vendors during your visit. Food trucks will be available most days through January 11th. Visit Bit dot LY forward slash bytes at the lights to view the full calendar of vendors. As a reminder, there are still a couple of days left to donate to the Shoreline Food Drive. You could drop off your donations at City Hall, the Shoreline Teen Center, or several other locations across the city throughout the month. We're asking residents to ensure that storm drains in their neighborhoods are clear of leads and debris. Please rake leaves and debris out of the street in front of your home and throw them away in your yard waste bins. Keeping your home gutters and downspouts clear can help prevent flooding and water damage to your home and property. If you see a storm drain or ditch backing up or flooding a roadway, please call 206-801-2700 immediately. As always, our team is ready to respond to storms this winter season. Join us this Tuesday, November 25th, for a walk along the Richmond Beach waterfront.

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