City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, residents of Ever Washington. I'd like to call to order the Ever City Council meeting of April 8th, 2026. For information on council meetings and how to participate, please visit everw.gov/city councsil. Clerk, will you please take the role? Mayor Franklin, excused. Council member Weir here. Council member Zarlingo here. Vice President Ryan excused. Council member Verbano here. Council member Tui here. Council member Bader here. President Schwab

here. At this time, I'd like to ask Council Member Tui to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. At this time like to ask council member Bader to read the land acknowledgement.

The city council wishes to acknowledge the original original inhabitants of this place, the Stoopsia people and their successors, the Tleup tribes. Since time in memorial, they have hunted, fished, gathered on, and taken care of these lands and waters. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water. We will strive to be honest about our past mistakes and bring about a future that includes our people, stories, and voices to form form a more just and equitable society. Thank you. On to old business. Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes for April 1st, 2026? Council member Bader seconded. Motion and second's been made. Clerk, please take the role. Council member Weir, yes. Council member Sarlingo, yes. Council member Bravano, yes.

Council member Tui, abstain. Council member Bader, yes. President Schwab, yes. Now it's time for public comment which includes written comment acknowledgement. Under our rules, written comments shall be considered in the same manner as oral comments. Persons submitting comments must provide their name and city of residents. And we usually have three types. One that are emailed to our council assistant beforehand. Uh those may be online and those in chambers. So Angie, good evening.

Good evening, President Schwab. Um, we did receive one written comment from Mary Fensky regarding neighborhood residential manufactured housing community and that was provided to council legal city clerk and administration to be part of the record. And we have nobody online. We have three people in chambers to speak. So if June could please come to the podium and please press the button on the base of the mic. Yes. and state your full name, city residence, and you have three minutes to speak.

Good evening. Uh my name is June Schober. Uh and I have been a resident of uh district 3 uh for a few years now. Um, I just want to take a few moments to say uh with the uh completion of Ever Transit's uh long range plan and the uh crosslight connection, now would be a great time to reconvene the joint policy uh committee for completing the uh transit consolid excuse me transit consolidation study. Whatever we uh whatever we as a city uh decide in the next few years do don't something else uh will inevitably reverberate for decades and uh this is something that needs due diligence. That is we need information and answers so that we can make an informed decision about this. And the best way to get this important information is to finish the study that we started. Thank you. That's all. Thank you. Next, if William could please come to the podium and please state your full name and city of residence, and you have three minutes to speak. William Parent, Silver Lake. uh that I don't know what happened, but you know, it's like springtime, but it sure does seem like the crime atmosphere downtown has calmed down quite a bit. And uh the atmosphere in the library with the care team, that atmosphere has really changed in a positive way. Hey, I just wanted to let you know I don't know what happened, but uh it's really I'm starting to see some change, you know, and um

I have to do more study about how to write it, but um it seems like the organizations for the grants, they're just using people as a pond to get the money and it's going into a private person's pocket. It's not going into the organization. There's a difference between who owns the house and who rents the house. I see that a lot. So, I just want to, you know, if you're going to give an organization money, make sure it's going to the organization, not a funnel to go into the private person's pocket because it's just it keeps the rent high. That's all. Thank you. Jean, if you could please come to the podium. Please state your full name and city residence and you have three minutes to speak and just press the button on the base of the mic. Yes. Thank you.

Good evening. Wednesday. Oh, Jean Curio, City of Everett, North Everett. Wednesday, April 1st, around 900 p.m. I heard sirens. a lot of them very close to my house. Opened the door, tried to figure out where, checked next door to see if anyone had reported, texted a neighbor that I knew lived nearby. And then it was reported on next door that a residential fire at 12th and Popppler was happening at that time. I learned later that also mutual aid from fires from Mary'sville sent fire trucks to help them put out the fire. It was that big. It was that big of a deal. And I think maybe that was because it was in the old Baker View housing that due to be demolished by Ever Housing Authority. And I can imagine if that thing let loose among all of those old buildings, what a mess that would be. Again, it was in the the vacant Baker View housing. And that's also very close to that particular street on Popppler is very close to Hawthorne Elementary School. A recent letter was sent from the Delta Neighborhood Association in support of Ever Housing Authority getting funding to demolish all of the housing. First they have to remediate the hazardous materials in there which is lead and asbestous and then take the housing down and then later they can proceed with rebuilding. Many of you have been familiar with the what's going on with all of that. We we've met with many of you individual and as group and here in the council meeting. Uh Everett Housing Authority spends $300,000 a year on maintenance and security. They do an excellent job. All the grass is cut, the the bushes and everything are maintained, you know, as far as like no people can hide behind stuff and that

sort of thing. And security, I frequently see them as I drive through there because I live near there. uh walking through the grounds or perhaps it's an offduty police officer that's also patrolling, but they're doing an excellent job of keeping people out. And for a long time there was the habit of trucks going in unloading their stuff in one of the sort of the parking areas and driving off. And that's an expense also handled by Ever Housing Authority. That money could be spent a little more wisely in my opinion. Um, and I urge you council members and mayor, she'll hear this later, I guess, maybe. Um, to speak up, to help us, to help the Ever Housing Authority, whether it's to our state legislators or federal legislators, housing and urban development. I don't I'm not sure exactly who, but we need to work together as a team and make our voices heard so that this can change. So we're not having a big disaster of a big fire with all that hazmat put into the air and raining down on the schools and houses in the area and then the Ever Housing Authority can move forward. Thank you.

Thank you. And that concludes our public comments. Okay. Thank you very much. And we'll move on to council comments beginning with Council Member Weir.

Hello. Um I'm going to make up for no comments last week with a whole bunch this time. So um so I attended the Snowish County Council District 2 town hall meeting um last night at the Tole Boys and Girls Club. It was a really brief meeting, but it was a good opportunity to meet with some of those county council members and hear from the Boys and Girls Club. Um then on to the leadership Snomish County's emerging leaders event um at the beautiful Apex Kings Hall down the street. And I just want to give another shout out. Congratulations to all those um those uh individuals that are really inspiring stories and work that they're doing in our community um that were nominated. Um, Greater Ever Chamber of Commerce had an event again at Apex, um, the game on Everett's game plan for the FIFA World Cup fan zone. And that was another great opportunity to hear some of the work that Snowish County um sports authority, uh city of Everett and Greater Chamber are doing to really prep our city and make um accessible um not just the fan zone um excitement that's building, but just things for our businesses and community groups like neighborhood associations to be able to take part in those events and um really capitalize on all the extra people that are going to be coming to our city and hopefully spending lots of money here. Um, uh, what else have I got here? Uh, parks and build environment committee meeting today. I had the opportunity to be here for, um, in council member Ryan's absence. And that was a great tier presentation on the bicycle master plan and the progress that they've made. Was a reminder that, um, it's a 30-year plan, which seems like such a ridiculously long amount of time when there's so many projects. We know in and we see that need for uh, bicycle improvements in our city. Um, but they're they've done a lot of great work already. And um, I was particularly excited about the there's a California

um, street project that will connect the Miltown Trail um, on East Maria Drive all the way over to the waterfront and and timeline is still to be determined on funding with that, but that'll be a great amenity for um, our residents for biking. Um, some upcoming events for residents to be aware of. Um this Friday, Ever Music Initiative is doing their summer music at the Marina announcement party at Apex Kings Hall. Thursday, April 14th. Um we encourage residents to come down to the warehouse they're building at Ever Station for the future of light rail um town hall that they're having. We really need our Everett and kind of north county um residents to speak up on how important it is to keep those projects on time to get this light rail up here and not just have it going to to other um areas more south and east. Um next Wednesday the 15th, public's welcome to join us for the arbiterary tree planting um at the Wetmore Theater Plaza down the street. Um that's just adjacent to the Ever Performing Arts Center. At 2:30, we'll be planting some trees, have some speakers and um some guests there. Uh Sunday the 19th, Farmers Market is doing another preseason popup. Um Thursday the 23rd, Went Awards are happening at the Ever Performing Arts Center and that's a free public event. Really exciting to see some of the cool and again cool inspiring people doing cool stuff in the city. And last big event is uh it's the 18th, so I guess prior to the 23rd, um charter review public meeting is happening at uh Walter Hall Park Olympic View Room. And then get out to your neighborhood meetings. Riverside is on the 14th, Bayside on the 21st.

Delta and Baker um and Northwest are both on Thursday the 16th. And that's it for me. Thank you, Council Member Zolingo.

Uh well, just two things. Uh following up on Council Member Wear's comments on the parks and built environment council committee, we had a briefing also on uh code development for ebike uh regulations and activities from the city staff. Phil Cayman uh came and I guess I want to congratulate them for doing some really thorough and insightful work there and trying to um keep ahead of these fast or at least respond to these fast evolving technologies uh that are all of these electric transportation devices, ebikes only a small portion of that. But they've done some really good work to clarify the different types and thoughts about the different environments that they run in, some of the challenges with respect to u safety both of the people riding these devices and uh and pedestrians. Uh so look for more from that. I think we're going to have a hill back before too long uh to uh to that same committee to go further with this and look for the kinds of things that we as a council can practically do in terms of ordinances and enforcement and that sort of thing. Um, and then one other note, uh, this, uh, Saturday, uh, Ever Rowing Association held a small, uh, rowing meet on Silver Lake, uh, Saturday, April 4th. Uh, this was a middle school rowing program there. They also run a learn to row program for ages or for 6th to 12th graders. This is all held at Thornton Sullivan Park. Uh this is a great example of a city with limited budget using facilities and environment that we already have and a public private uh partnership in this case wherever rowing association uses what we have and are not otherwise using to create a program and an amenity for our residents and also a great thing to go attend. I mean a a sunny day watching the uh watching the people skulling away on Silver Lake is there's hardly anything better. Uh and then one other thing in addition to starting really for these u for these kids in middle school uh for fitness and team

building, rowing is also one of the best opportunities for a lot of our students to get some college scholarship money, especially of a kind that though it does bring you out on the water early in the mornings, doesn't dominate the rest of your college career the way some of the other um scholarship opportunities do. So, this is just a great example of how um the city with limited funds can use the best use we can of the of the facilities and the environment we have to uh provide something for our for our residents and actually with respect to the rowing program that's open to all students in the county. And again, this is uh learn to row programs and um uh and some middle school row pro rowing programs. That's it. Thanks.

Thank you, Council Member Burbano. So, um I went to the Everett 27th annual film festival and it was fantastic actually. I saw movies on topics such as including uh gender justice and immigration and I certainly learned a lot of things. Um watching those movies um it was a great experience. Um I also attended the Human Rights Commission of Noish meeting with Sheriff Johnson. Uh it was a great meeting. Uh, Sheriff Johnson reinforced the that building a community trust is paramount. Um, and everybody is encouraged to reach to the sheriff's office if they have a problem or a situation that needs um their help. Um, that would be it. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Tui. Yeah, I just wanted to um uh comment on the Everett Housing Authority project and to let you guys know that I know I was asked to write a letter in support of the funding and so I did that and I believe other council members I think council member uh Ryan also did. I'm not sure on that but um so we definitely are I'm in touch with their um with their organization and I'm in support whatever I can do. So, we are behind the scenes. So, I want to thank you for bringing that even closer to our attention on that. And then, um I know at the just as a reminder at the council retreat, we did talk about um some council procedure, at least one action change or one motion to change some of the wording on um action items um on from the DAZ. And I think Jennifer or David were going to come back with some wording on that. Do you guys remember that?

I do a little bit, but not like super specifically, but I will remember. I I can send out an email. But anyway, I just was hoping that we could get that accomplished in this slower period of of the year. So, yeah, thank you for the reminder. We have lots of conversations about following up on some of the actions that we took place there. Okay. So, yeah, great. That's good. Thank you for that. Thank you, Council Mayor Bader.

Thanks, Council President. Uh, no report, only one comment. Obviously, the comment about or the information about the EHA. Wonder if it might be good uh for us to get an updated update on the park district and its status. I think I've heard some things here and there, but I don't know anything comprehensive. So, would suggest uh we consider having something like that. Other than that, no other comments. Thank you. Yeah, thank you for that. I too would like to have some sort of update. But we spent a lot of time over that zoning on it. So it would be nice to see like months on it. So it would be nice to have an update. I can um reach with Andrew's help reach out to Everett Housing Authority. Yeah, that'd be good. Yeah.

Thank you. And then the other issue that was brought up today about the CTE merger. I still think that if go back to our council agenda during our retreat, that was one of the agenda items that we still have as potential review down the line here. So that issue has not gone away completely. So okay, thank you all. Uh let's go on to administration. I don't have an update. Various events were mentioned and that covered anything I was going to add. So I will I don't have anything for today. Okay. Thank you. How about our city attorney David Hall?

We're requesting a 10-minute executive session pursuant to RCW423110 I to discuss um settlement of workers compensation claim with council action to follow. Um, and I saw just before the meeting, maybe it's old news to you, but there's a very good article in Seattle Business Magazine that is very complimentary of the city of Ever. Um, really worth a read. I think the first paragraph said, "If you want to get in on the ground floor of an up andcoming city, Ever's where you want to be." So, nice to see that. Fantastic. I can't wait to hear the reasons. So, um, all right. Well, thank you very much. Let's move on to our consent items. We have 10. Do I have a motion? A second. Council member Vader moves second.

Second. Thank you. So motion and second. Um clerk, please take the role. Council member Weir. Yes. Council member Zaringo. Yes. Council member Berbano. Yes. Council member Tui. Yes. Council member Bader. Yes. President Schwab.

Yes. Okay. We'll go to our proposed action items. Um Council Bill 2603-18. It's been read into the record. Are there any questions or comments from council? Okay. Seeing none, the final reading is April 15th. tax day. Any questions or comments on council bill 2603-19? It's been read into the record. I went out of order in the little my little statements, so you caught you off guard there. Okay, seeing none, um council bill 2603-19, the third reading and final will be um April 15th. Okay, we'll move on to item number 13. Um it's a briefing and a proposal. Uh, Council Bill 2603-20, first reading an OPTA ordinance establishing procedures for naming and renaming of city properties adding new chapter 2.138 to the Everett Municipal Code. The third and final reading will be April 29, 2026. And we have a briefing. Good evening.

Good evening, council. Uh, my name is Kimberly Moore. I'm the parks and facilities director for the city and I'm here tonight to introduce a potential new ordinance to council that will codify the naming and renaming of city properties in a new EMC chapter 2.138. Until now, rules for naming of public pl uh places was captured in resolution 6537 and before that in resolution 5865. A request for naming or renaming would be received by the mayor's office and reviewed to determine if the request met the requirements of the policy and then it would be forwarded to the historical commission who had the primary responsibility for coordinating public review of all requests. The historical commission would then involve other volunteer bodies such as the park board, transportation advisory committee, or cultural arts commission if pertinent to the request. The historical commission would then provide recommendations to council. Council would then hold a public hearing and would take action by resolution. In the updated ordinance, the mayor's office determines if the request meets the requirements outlined in the ordinance. And depending upon the type of request, it will either be sent directly to the appropriate board or commission for review and comment or it will be fasttracked in an abbreviated review procedure and sent directly to council. Projects that qualify for fasttracking apply only to small properties, which means a facility under 2,000 square feet, rooms inside buildings, small structures such as a stage, art installation, or park amenity, or public places or natural features 5,000 square ft or smaller.

The rest of the process remains unchanged. During a standard review process, the mayor's office forwards the proposal to the appropriate advisory bo body for review and comment. These comments are then forwarded to council. Council still holds a public hearing and takes action on the naming or renaming by resolution. The ordinance contains a long list of ways that a person might be eligible to have a city property named after them. This remains consistent with the requirements outlined previously by resolution with one exception. A person no longer must be deceased for a full year before naming can take place. This was based on feedback received from council during a previous presentation at the parks and built environment committee. So please let me know if council has any questions or comments.

Council member Bader. Thanks. Really? I I'm glad to get the briefing. I appreciate that. The the the the sheet uh well, anyhow, if if there's some way that it could be way, your presentation could be summarized a little more than what's in the a sheet, I'd be grateful. It was just kind of challenging to read read through it and cover that. But I also was wondering, is there any guidance we give about uh a bias towards naming things after geographical features, etc. Um, I I'm thinking most specifically recently now of the unfortunate situation involving uh uh well-known activist Caesar Serve, who I'm sure had many things named after him, and now that's having to be, you know, walked back, I imagine. Um, just wondering if we give any guidance along those lines about uh caution about naming things after people or um versus geographical features or something like that. So,

uh, a city property can be named after a geographical feature or a person. Uh, and the, uh, ordinance does outline, uh, caution when naming, uh, something after a person. Uh, but this ordinance also covers renaming. So, if there is a problem with a name, uh, this would cover renaming as well. Gota. Okay. Thanks very much for that. Appreciate the sensitivity to that issue. was just absolutely yeah I imagine that's happened in other places too. Thanks. Okay, any other questions? Council member Weir.

So just to clarify on the one year so saying that somebody could still be Don could council member President Schwab could say he wants something named after him and it would be okay. I mean if it was approved and all it doesn't I'm just I don't know I don't know if I like that example for the record. If the rest of council supports it, then it would bring that to this. Yeah. If he's advocating that. So when you're saying that year time frame, it in the past that a person had to be deceased for at least a year before they could be they could be living or they h if they were deceased, you had to wait one full year before naming. And so that way Okay, that was a poor example. Sorry.

And no, we'll we'll put your name first there, council member Weir. all the things great things you've done. You're up. Thank you. Any other questions other than something like Council Member Weir? Okay. Thank you very much. Really appreciate it. Okay. So, we're gone to item number 14. um approve the resolution concerning 2026 annual action plan that authorized the mayor to execute the 2026 grant agreement with HUD and associated supportive subscri subscription agreements. Move to approve. Second.

Okay. Are any comments or questions? Okay. Thank you. Clerk, please take the role. Council member Rear. Yes. Council member Zarlingo. Yes. Council member Verbano. Yes. Council member Tui. Yes. Council member Bader. Yes. President Schwab. Yes. Okay. Item number 15, Council Bill 2603-15, third and final reading. Adopt an ordinance creating a special improvement project entitled Evergreenway Overlay Fund 303 Program 139 to accumulate all costs for the improvements. Ber second the motion. Motion and second's been made. Are there any questions from council? Okay. Clerk, please take the role. Council member Weir. Yes. Council member Zerlingo. Yes. Council member Berbano. Yes. Council member Tui. Yes. Council member Bader. Yes.

President Schwab. Yes. On to um item number 16, Council Bill 2603-16. Third and final reading. Adopt an ordinance creating a special improvement project entitled Dorn Avenue Drainage Improvements Fund 336 Program 043 and repealing ordinance number 4048-24. Member Beros. Second the motion. Motion and second's been made. Any questions or comments from council? Okay. Clerk, please take the role. Council member Weir, yes. Council member Zerlingo, yes. Council member Barbano, yes. Council member Tui, yes. Council member Bader, yes. President Schwab,

yes. Um, item number 17, Council Bill 2603-17. Third and final reading, adopt an ordinance approving the appropriations of the 2026 revised city of Everett budget amending ordinance number 4126-25. He's to approve. Second. Okay. Motion and second's been made. Are there any questions or comments from council? Okay. Seeing none, clerk, please take the role. Council member Weir, yes. Council member Zarlingo, yes. Council member Burbano, yes. Council member Tui, yes. Council member Bader, yes. President Schwab,

yes. Okay. Well, that's that does our agenda. We will now um go into executive session for 10 minutes with potential action to follow.

Okay, we're executive session is completed and I'm going to refer to uh city attorney David Hall. So, um we're hoping for a motion to authorize the mayor to execute a settlement agreement uh on a workers's compensation claim for PTSD with police officer or former police officer Aaron Shoalter in the amount of $300,000. Council member Bader so second the motion. Motion and seconds were made. Clerk, please take the role. Council member Weir, yes. Council member Zarlingo, yes. Council member Verbano, yes. Council member Tui, yes. Council member Bader, yes. President Schwab,

yes. And with no further um information or needed business, we are journed.