Shoreline City Council Regular Meeting – March 30, 2026

The Shoreline City Council met on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting included a public hearing and unanimous approval of a partial release of restrictive covenants on city-owned property, and a contentious action on Ordinance No. 1055 authorizing automated traffic safety cameras in school zones, which was adopted with an amendment lowering the fine. The consent calendar was also adopted unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Workshop Dinner Meeting Minutes of February 23, 2026 – Adopted by unanimous consent.
• Confirmation of Mayoral Appointments of the 2026 City Council Salary Commission Members – Approved.
• Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Seventh Amendment to Contract 9670 with Innovative Facilities Services, LLC for Janitorial Services in an Amount Not to Exceed $575,101.82 – Approved.
• Ratification of the City Manager’s Execution of the Necessary Form to Participate in the Settlement for the Six Remnant Defendants Relating to the Opioid Epidemic – Approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public Comment (general)

• Eyasu Meresa (Shoreline) voiced concern about the narrow sidewalk along NE 175th Street, calling it dangerous for children, and questioned why the city has taken so long to address the safety issue.
• David Guilland (Shoreline) urged the council to consider equity implications of pedestrian safety, stating children should be able to walk safely to school regardless of neighborhood.
• Derick Johnson (Shoreline) expressed concern about prolific speeding near Meridian Park Elementary and argued that existing signage is inadequate. He suggested steps the city can take before installing speed cameras, such as fixing signage and adding a HAWK system.
• Molly Chapman (Shoreline) expressed strong support for automated enforcement at Meridian Park Elementary, noting she collected 180 signatures from community members who share this position. Her request is to change driver behavior during the two daily crossing periods for the 180-day school year.
• Christopher Potter (Shoreline) spoke in opposition to speed cameras, arguing they capture more than license plates and that the data could be subject to subpoena. He advocated for a traffic officer instead.
• Shannon Collier (Shoreline) raised privacy risks, questioning how the council will ensure that images captured are limited to license plates only, given that software may collect extra data.
• Everton Drakes (Shoreline) said he is a father of two at Meridian Park Elementary and balanced privacy concerns with the need for safety. He noted that privacy is only protected in certain settings, cameras are already ubiquitous, and safety comes with costs.

Public Hearing – Restrictive Covenants (Item 8A)

• Jack Malek (Shoreline) stated that releasing the restrictive covenant would allow current property owners to sell their land and enable development as originally intended, activating the light rail station and multimodal corridor.
• Nicole Perry (Shoreline) commented that the area is well-suited for multifamily housing due to its proximity to the light rail station, supporting transit-oriented growth.

Discussion Items

Item 8A – Public Hearing and Action on Authorizing Partial Release of Restrictive Covenants on City-Owned Property

• Margaret King, City Attorney, explained that many properties in Shoreline have private covenants that restrict development. The covenant in question applies to Northend Country Estates, created in 1926, with a racial restriction (Covenant #8) limiting occupancy to whites. The city owns a parcel used for surface water management. The proposed release would remove Covenant #1 (single-family limit) and Covenant #8 (racial restriction). State law requires a public hearing.
• Councilmember Scully supported the release to avoid a cluster of single-family homes surrounded by MUR-70 development.
• Deputy Mayor Pobee asked what restrictions would remain after a partial release; King noted it would release enough to consolidate all lots.
• Councilmember Ademasu asked whether future building on the city parcel could harm the pump station; King clarified that no building would occur on the city’s parcel.
• Councilmember Snider asked why the city has not proactively removed racial restrictive covenants on all properties; King responded that the city has not done an affirmative search but includes them when other releases are processed.

Item 8B – Action on Ordinance No. 1055: Automated Traffic Safety Cameras in School Zones

• Kendra Dedinsky, Transportation Manager, presented the ordinance. It would authorize cameras in school zones (starting with Meridian Park Elementary), delegate contract authority to the City Manager, set fines of $130 for violations up to 14 mph over the limit and $260 for more than 14 mph over, and comply with state law. She addressed prior council questions: an Ability to Pay calculator would require budget provision and delay implementation; Flock cameras differ from traffic safety cameras (Flock collects more data 24/7, but both are subject to subpoena); court service fees are included in the fine; engineering solutions cannot achieve 20 mph speeds for parts of the day; and performance data from other cities shows ticket and crash reductions over time.
• Councilmember Ademasu supported the ordinance as written, citing pedestrian survivability data (93% chance of survival at 20 mph vs. 70% more likely to be killed at 30 mph vs. 25 mph).
• Councilmember Scully expressed concerns about equity and revenue generation, stating he could support the ordinance with amendments such as a first-ticket warning, lower fine, or limited hours of operation.
• Mayor Robertson supported the ordinance as drafted, stating she is convinced there is a significant safety problem at the intersection and it is the council’s responsibility to make the city as safe as possible.
• Councilmember Roberts asked about the greatest safety concerns and camera locations; Dedinsky identified the intersection of Meridian Avenue and NE 175th Street, including right-turn movements while children are in the crosswalk, and high speeds throughout the school zone.
• Councilmember Snider suggested forming a group to monitor the effectiveness of the program.
• Councilmember Mork asked about driver training and whether individuals can avoid citations by claiming they were not driving; Dedinsky confirmed that is currently possible but the legislature is working on changes.
• Deputy Mayor Pobee emphasized the importance of safety and transparency, including reporting tickets issued, revenue collected, and safety outcomes, and asked how to ensure the program improves safety while protecting privacy and maintaining fairness.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar – Adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Item 8A – Partial Release of Restrictive Covenants – Motion to accept staff’s recommendation and authorize the City Manager to execute documents passed 7-0.
• Item 8B – Ordinance No. 1055 (Traffic Safety Cameras) – Three amendments were considered:
  • Amendment #3 (Max Enforcement Time per Day) – Failed 2-5.
  • Amendment #2 (Lower Tier Fine Amount) – Set fine at $50 for violations 4–9 mph over the posted speed limit. Passed 4-3.
  • The main motion, as amended (with Amendment #2), was then voted on. Initially reported as 5-2, but Councilmember Ademasu changed her vote, resulting in final passage 6-1.
• The ordinance authorizes the use of automated traffic safety cameras in school zones, with a $50 minimum fine for lower-end speeding, and a 30-day warning period before tickets are issued. The city manager is authorized to enter a vendor contract. The program will be implemented at Meridian Park Elementary initially, with potential expansion to other school zones. Staff will report on performance metrics as part of transparency efforts.