General Legislative Session - Regular Meeting

Good morning, everyone. Snohomish County Council is called to order for our general legislative session. Today is Wednesday, October 14th, 2026 at 9 a.m. We're meeting in the Jackson boardroom and also remotely. I'll read the script for public comment and then our clerk will take role. We'll take public comment beginning in person and then remotely on Zoom. Click on the hand icon to raise your hand. If you're calling in by phone, press star nine to raise your hand and star six to unmute. And each speaker will have three minutes to speak. And please start your comment with your name and city of

Next is our Pledge of Allegiance, and we've asked Council Member Peterson to please lead us in the pledge. Thank you Councilmember Peterson. Next is our tribal land acknowledgement, which I'll read. We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sakamehu, the Stilagwabish, the Stahobish, Snoqualmie, and their successors, the Tulalip tribes. Since time immemorial, they have hunted fish, 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 st

Thank you for your comment. Was there other public comment?

John, you should be unmuted. Are you able to comment? We can hear you, but there's an echo, which you're probably getting to. Oh, you can hear me? Yes, we can hear you, but there's an echo. Oh, well. I think you're signed in more than once. Okay, I'll sign out.

How's that? There's still an echo. We're going to try to log out one of your other logins. Is he unmuted? You should be able to unmute, John, Mr. Martin. No? Is he gone? Hello, can you hear me? Yes, we can. There's no echo, so go ahead.

Thank you for your comment. Mr. Martin. Okay.

Uh, we will now close public comment and move on. Uh, we have no resolutions or consent agenda and we have administrative matters.

I move approval of administrative matters. Motion 26 dash four zero six second.

Been properly moved and seconded to approve administrative matters, motion 26-406. Any discussion? Hearing none, on favor, please say aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes five to zero. Next, we have action on items from committee, and first under committee of the whole is motion 26-400.

I move approval of motion 26-400. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-400. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes 5-0. Next is motion 26-383.

Thank you. Questions from counsel? Is there a motion?

I move approval of motion 26-383. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-383. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the pass is five to zero. Next is motion 26-398.

I move approval of motion 26-398. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-398. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor please say aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the pass is 5-0. Next is motion 26-399.

Thank you. Any questions from council? Council Member Mead?

Thank you. So the We're moving this equipment to basically store it in a new location or in a different location other than Food and Farming while we wait for the Food and Farming Center to be completed and open, and then we're going to move the items back. So I understand that. The question for me is the nonprofit that we're working with, I forget the name that you said, they are operating the equipment or we are operating the equipment?

Okay. So how is that allowed? How are we?

Okay. And the way they're utilizing the equipment is not for the food and farming use or it is for the food and farming use?

Okay. Council Member Mead had a question on the use of the equipment. I'll let him restate it.

Thanks for being here, Linda. So we're moving this equipment to store it. I understand that. We don't have a place to store this yet. So that makes sense to me. But then the use of the equipment for the months in the interim, what will the equipment be used for? Is it going to be used for the nonprofit for the nonprofit's own sake? Or is it going to be used by the nonprofit to fulfill some food and farming ends?

And the only way to utilize the grant dollars before the end of the year is to basically gift the use of this equipment to a nonprofit in the interim? Why would we not be able to purchase the equipment and then store it somewhere unused until we're ready to use it?

Okay. That's what I needed to hear. Thank you.

Any other questions from council? Um, I believe this is, it's considered, well, it has not been checked as approved as to form. Um, I think the last time was maybe when there was a council initiated charter amendment that, um, wasn't approved as to form, so it's been done in the past where there's items maybe that are not approved. Is that correct?

Thank you. Other questions? Is there a motion?

I move approval of motion 26-399. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-399. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes 5-0. Next is motion 26-402.

Thank you. Any questions from council? So the nine, the projects that are returning grant funds, there was communication with those Entities and they understand they have to return those funds to my knowledge. Thank you Okay, any other questions? Is there a motion?

I Move approval of motion 26-402 second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-402. Is there any discussion? Hearing none all in favor. Please say aye. Aye Chair votes aye any opposed hearing none the passes five to zero Next is Ordinance 26-062.

Questions from council? Okay. Is there a motion to set time and date?

I move to set time and date for ordinance 26-062 for Wednesday, November 4th, 2026 at the hour of 1030 a.m. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to set time and date for ordinance 26-062. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the pass is 5-0. Next, we have other business, and we have a presentation from Sound Transit. Welcome. We'll start by turning it over to Julie Moore, our Chief of Staff. Thank you.

Eric, if you're trying to speak, you're muted. That says you're unmuted but we still can't hear you.

Eric, you're muted again. We could hear you, but there you go.

Okay. Sorry, I thought you looked like you were talking. Okay. Questions from council members? Council Member, Vice Chair Lowe.

Thank you, Chair Dunn. Obviously, you zipped through some of those slides pretty quickly, and so I just got brief snippets. But early on, let's back up to Alderwood Mall. I notice you're not going right through the middle of Alderwood Mall. So Alderwood Mall is safe, correct? Is that safe to say?

So I don't think anybody would really object to going through a parking lot. I mean, it's not going to really disrupt much going through a parking lot. think we would all agree that if it went right through the middle of the mall it would be a huge disruption to have many many businesses correct yes we've been in contact with the business owners there's a couple different property owners there at the mall but we've been working with them with the city of Linwood as well through this whole process to make sure that we're hearing their concerns so we're not just building through and not listenin

Okay, and the reason I bring that up is, I don't know, maybe two years ago, three years ago, some folks at Alderwood Community Church reached out to me. I think one of the designs was going to go right through the middle of their church, a 100-year-old church. I think we fixed that problem, and I don't think that that's a problem anymore, correct?

Yeah, and I'm not concerned if it avoids the property or not. It's just I don't want to see it go right through the middle of a 100-year-old church.

Okay, that brings me to my second point. So as you go to 164th, I was reached out maybe two years ago by some people at a church on 164th who are concerned. Obviously, you're on the west side of I-5 in Linwood. It appears one of the plans or the plan is to cross over I-5 near 164th where this church is. I think it makes sense to go up the power line corridor and the trail there. That's fine. And then it crosses back over I-5 back to the west side again over at 128th. So my question is, whatever this design is, it's crossing over I-5 twice. Is it going to go right through the middle of a church

I just have two questions left. So talked about the businesses at the mall, talked about the two churches there. Now as you get to 128th, there's a plan right by, I think, Safeway there. It looks like you're avoiding Safeway, but... Could be in front of it, could be behind it from the two alternatives. Again, my thing is I'm not opposed to light rail. I just want to make sure it's not going to be a disruption to our businesses, a disruption to our faith-based community, and it's not a disruption to the public and that we're looking for options that are the least disruptive. So I'm assuming we'

So I said I had two questions, but you spurred another one with that comment. So I've toured several of the businesses there in that. area that you mentioned a lot of our East Indian community has businesses right there at that strip mall. So I just want to put it on the record. I am very concerned if we're going to disrupt our East Indian community businesses, the Safeway in that strip mall. I hope we can find an alternative that does not disrupt that community. And then lastly, as you go up, I saw you come up Highway 526 into Everett, Casino Road area. Obviously, that's one of the highest po

Well, just a comment. My least disruption to businesses, least disruption to our faith-based community, least disruption to our ethnic community, that's all stuff that I what hope you guys are looking at, but thank you for the presentation today.

Thank you, Chair Dunn. And I guess kind of to riff off of that, and this is more broadly. So we see there are going to be displacements, and so there are specific displacements by properties that Sound Transit will purchase or go through. But there will also be displacements, and I'm thinking especially housing, but I think businesses as well, as property values increase, and to Council Member Lowe's point, some of our smaller businesses and a small strip mall, if that property isn't purchased by Sound Transit, but it's relatively adjacent, there's a very good chance that the property owner wi

And I think just to follow up, you mentioned kind of changes in the federal language of what you can study. Did that also change what you can help mitigate? So I'm assuming that, as we've seen in a lot of this space, that, yeah, just much more restrictive on whether it's affecting race, poverty, like what are the, Broadly, what are some of the changes from maybe what you were looking at two years ago as you were coming up north as to what you can look at now?

Other questions? I think the summary, alternative summary tables are helpful. It kind of narrows things down to a very quantitative result when behind those numbers is a different story, right? Like you may have like the number of displaced businesses is 68, looking at the one for, I think this is Mariner. Yeah, Mariner. But like when I spoke with some of the businesses on Casino Road, one is, one, if they were out of business, it's like a million dollars an hour for their kind of specialty business to move from one location to another because he has to get certified. So he would have to run t

Okay, that's helpful. And then I know the OMF site, citing that, it doesn't look like there's a really good alternative. Like all three, it sounds like, have something not great about all of them. The question I get the most is why don't we just go up the spine, up five, and go straight up because it would be shorter and potentially cheaper. I know that we're too far into this, I assume, to make that massive change. But are there OMF sites along I-5 that would work? Would that be enough to consider looking at just going straight up and following I-5? That's the question I get the most.

I would just note that the voters voted on a timeline as well as a general outline. And then the site, the location close to Payne Field is not walkable for the Payne Field Airport. I think it's over a third, over half a mile. So it's...

I appreciate that. And I want to just quickly say I've been involved in a lot of the kind of advocacy work from Casino Road, especially moving that one casino market, and appreciate all the really deliberate outreach to that location especially. Any other questions or comments?

Other comments? Okay. Appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

We have two more items. So we so we have the biennial budget discussion. So Jim Thanks, you're done.

Thank you. Okay, thank you. So in past years, we're going to have, we'll use a council amendment for consensus. So I just wanted to get staff working on any potential consensus ideas or potential consensus ideas we had. So we have a few from departments. If there's questions about those now, we can hear them briefly. And then I had two ideas, which I'll just share to get us started off. But one would be the council projects. I assume we went council projects added back in using the REIT dollars any objection any amount I believe it was 150 in the past I would encourage I'm seeing head nods fro

I would support a lower amount, just because we're seeing a reduction from other departments, and the REIT funds are squeezed. So it would essentially be taken from their fund balance. So I think maybe a lower amount. Maybe think about a lower amount. Council Member Mearing?

I thought that was a lower amount. Oh, I was thinking 100.

Oh, okay. Each year. So 200 total between projects. Council Member Meade?

I think I'm going to get outvoted here, but I have a lot of cities in my district, so it's really hard. I mean, Council District 2, I think you just have two cities and the tribes. I have five cities plus a bunch of unincorporated areas, so 150 is a lot easier to spread out across East County than in a confined area, so... That sounds like I'm going to get outvoted on that.

Yeah, I would agree with Council Member Lowe. Just the number of cities and also the fund balance that's available in REITs. I would support 150, but comfortable with 100 if that's where the majority is.

Could go to 125. Sold. It might matter how much is in. Well, and I think Probably the final decision is when we kind of do all the maths at the end to see where we are. But I think anything in that space, I think I would be open to.

And those dollars are used by our parks, our swim, our public works is using some of the dollars this year. So it could be used for projects within your district for like fish passage removal, things like that, or parks within your district. county parks in your district.

Yeah, that'd be great. Okay. My other thought was a budget note around work group that would include council, finance, human services, health department, to look at some of the guide rails for enacting clauses in the last couple motions that have come up, the enacting clause. has been beyond what we authorize in code and has given authorization for any and all amendments moving forward on some of these contracts. So I wanted to ask for a work group that would balance the authority and kind of the administrative burden of some council procedures. So we're approving so that there's not a burden

I think that's a good idea. A work group would definitely be helpful with the process. I just think the process is simpler than that. I would just hope we could get agreement with the executive's office to get back to kind of where we were before and not have to go through work group route because I think we have a lot of work groups and a lot of different committees so I'm open to the executives office kind of walking back where we've kind of been over the lot recently and kind of getting it back to where it was before and not going to the work group but if we're not going to get get consensu

Yeah, I was looking at all executive departments. So if it included the sheriff or others, other kind of elected officials or outside electeds that have big contracts, we could include them. And in that case, more formal motion would be or note would be helpful. But I'm also happy to work offline and see if the executive's happy with just moving that forward and finding agreement. Other ideas? And then you can also bring them forward to Jim anytime.

Yeah. You mentioned there were five from departments. Could you send those if they're available?

Okay, any other questions? Okay, thank you. Next is a public meeting hearing, and that's motion 26-381.

Okay, if there's none, we will open up public testimony on this item. Did anyone wish to provide any comment on motion 26-381? I'm not seeing any in person. Are there any hands raised?

Just now. Okay, Mr. Martin, your comment is limited to motion 26-381. Did you have a comment? Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you, but there's an echo again.

There's still an echo. Are you logged in more than once?

Okay, Mr. Martin, are you still there? Okay. Did anyone wish to provide public comment on motion 26-381? Please signify by raising your hand. And then you can also send comments online by contactcounsel at snocode.org. So are there any other hands raised? Okay. It looks like we lost Mr. Martin, and there's no other hands raised, so we will close testimony and turn to counsel.

I move approval of motion 26-381. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-381. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Okay, sorry, we're going to do a voice vote. Oh, a motion is fine. Okay. Sorry, I said, never mind. Okay, so all in favor, please say aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the pass is 5-0. Okay, with that, we're in recess until our 1030 public hearing.