General Legislative Session - Regular Meeting

Good morning, everyone. We'll call to order our general legislative session for Snohomish County Council. Today is, Wednesday, 04/29/2026 at 9AM. We're meeting in the Jackson Boardroom and also remotely. I'll read the script for public comment, and then our clerks will take roll. We'll take public comment beginning in person and then remotely in Zoom. Click on the hand icon to raise your hand. If you're calling in by phone, press 9 to raise your hand and 6 to unmute. Each speaker will have three minutes to speak, and please start your comment with your name and city of residence. Next is roll call.

Chair Dunn. Here. Vice Chair Lo.

Present.

Councilmember Nering.

Yep.

Councilmember Mead.

Here.

Councilmember Peterson.

Here.

Chair, we have five members present.

Thank you. We also have an additional five members present, so we're happy to welcome our pages again today for our second day of meetings. This is a weeklong page program that we're starting this year. So welcome to the pages that are joining us on the dais today. Next is our pledge of allegiance, and we've asked Grace McShane to please lead us in the pledge.

Next is public comment. Did anyone wish to provide public comment today? Yep. Welcome. You'll come to the podium.

Good morning, Washington with a degree in political science specializing in macroeconomics. I'm also the owner of Ashway Properties in Hanger 420. I'm here because one of my locations has been kept closed due to a quiet code change in 2023 that eliminated a previously lawful use at that site. This is not just a policy issue. This is a failure of process, a failure of notice, and a failure of transparency.

And to be and to be precise, excuse me, this is not just about notifying me. The county did not notify the property owner at all. No letter, no mailed notice, no email, no phone call, no voice mail. He was not told this was happening at all. The legal standard here under San Luis County Code 30.70.045, notice must be reasonably calculated to inform affected property owners.

Under Washington Administrative Code three sixty five-one 196, the county is required to ensure early and continuous public participation when adopting development regulations. Those standards were not met. The timing matters. The only awareness of this change came after the fact, after a five year lease was signed, after the owner was contractually committed and after I had already invested substantial time and capital into revamping, securing and rehabilitating a severely neglected property. Notice came after the decision and after the lease was signed and the investment was made.

This is not meaningful that was not meaningful notice. I understand the county may say this was a legislative action and the public notice was technically provided. But the standard is not whether something was just posted somewhere. The standard is whether the notice was reasonably calculated to inform the people most affected. It clearly was not.

And the simple proof of that is this: the people most affected did not know. Transparency comes into play here. Two weeks ago, I stood here and read directly from an e mail in the record, including a county staff communication asking, does this work for your client? And referencing a 10,000 foot buffer as a nice round number that likely wouldn't raise questions. Councilmember Nate Nearing said, as quoted in the Everett Post on a different issue, but this principle applies here, Our responsibility is not only to deliberate thoughtfully, but also to ensure the public has timely, accessible information about proposals that impact their wallets.

This measure is about openness, accountability and public engagement. That is exactly the issue here. This change impacted property owners, businesses, employees and tax revenue, and none of those people were meaningfully informed. That is not openness, that is not accountability and that is not public engagement. Next is going touch on fiscal responsibility.

At the same time this is happening, the county talks about fiscal responsibility. Yet the situation has resulted in fourteen months of closed business, approximately $200,000 per month in lost state tax revenue, roughly 20 jobs around $25 an hour not being created or supported, over $1,000,000 in lost revenue to local Snohomish County producers and processors, all tied to a process that failed at the most basic level, notifying the property owner. And most importantly or excuse me, and just as importantly, the record reflects a narrow set of communications and a result that benefits a single existing operator. You can act on that now. You can fix this. You have every reason to stand behind the decision. The notice failed, the process failed, and the outcome was one-sided. That is the situation.

Can you conclude your comment, Patrick?

Yeah.

At the time.

When the government action strips value from a property, the owners the owner deserves to be told. Thank you.

Thank you for your comment. Is there other public comment this morning? Any hands raised online?

There are no hands raised.

Okay. So we'll close public comment and move on. And then agenda, we have two resolutions today. First is Resolution 20 six-eighteen.

Council considers Resolution 20 six-eighteen, recognizing May 2026 as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis awareness month.

Thank you. Month. Yeah. A month. Was there anyone to speak to this motion online? We had, this was a request that came in to me from some, residents. So did anybody raise their hand online?

There are no hands raised.

Okay. Any comments from council members? Okay. Is there a motion?

I move approval of resolution 20 six-eighteen. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve resolution 20 six-eighteen. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes five to zero. Next is Resolution 20 six-nineteen.

Council considers Resolution 20 six-nineteen, celebrating the fifty seventh Annual Professional municipal clerk's week and designating May 3 to 05/09/2026 as professional municipal clerk's week in Snohomish County.

Thank you, clerks. Debbie, did you wanna speak to this or Heidi? Or did any oh, do you want me to open up the council first?

Whatever you like to be here.

Okay. I'll let council speak, and then I'll let you gather your thoughts. How's that? So any comments from council?

Thank you, clerks, for all your work. Seems like we just did this yesterday. It just goes by so fast each year, but really appreciate all the work you do to make us look so professional up here. Your guys are very well organized, and you work hard for the county. And most people do not know how hard all four of you work behind the scenes. And I come in here a lot. I see you guys working so hard. So thank you so much for your work. Thank you for your service to Snohomish County, and thank you for your work to the Snohomish County Council.

Councilmember Nearing?

Yeah. Thank you, Chair. Did owe to what councilmember Lowe said. We're very blessed to have four awesome clerks here at the council and just really appreciate and grateful for all the awesome work that you do to keep things running smoothly. Also, the levity that you bring to the office, which is awesome. We we just love having having all four of you as part of the council family. So thanks so much for all you do.

Just remember me?

I'm not gonna say all the same things that were just said, I agree. But the continuity as well about this clerk team, we've had the same clerks for years now since I've been on council. It's been great to have that consistency to be able to rely on you guys, come to you with all my stupid questions, some of my not stupid questions, mainly stupid questions. Thank you for always keeping me straight and making us look good, from up here. Enjoy the doughnuts this morning.

And just to wrap up, you know, I I think what's just missed is the general public really doesn't understand. I think council member Low kind of touched on this of how much work goes on and what it means for government to work. And you make government work, and we would be lost without you. So I appreciate that. Thanks.

Yeah. And I'll just quickly add, you know, you keep the record, but what we do up here wouldn't count without your work completing that cycle and keeping it into foreverness. So did want to start, Heidi? Okay.

Sure. So in addition to what everyone else has already said, the thing that I find unique and wonderful about this group of people is that they are maintaining something that is incredibly detailed and requires an attention to detail and structure and, adherence to certain rules that is quite intense. And in that, they also are the funniest team that we have. And so, that combination makes for just a really dynamic group of clerks, and I'm so grateful for them. And Debbie has created a team that works so well together.

They And, in fact, she's leaving on vacation tomorrow, and they are perfectly poised to take on the work that she does in her absence and do it with the same level of professionalism, and that's because she has equipped them in that way. So, kudos to her and to her group.

Yes. And I just would like to add too. I'm very proud of the job that we all do. I'm so thankful for everything that we do and thankful for working for you guys. I'm so proud of as I'm this is emotional for me, but I'm coming at the end of my tenure here, and I'm just so thankful for everything. My team is wonderful. We have such a a great variety of expertise here too, so we make such a great team. We rely on each other for everything. I can leave, like Heidi said, and you guys are not even gonna notice because everything is gonna be running smoothly. So proud to work for you, so proud to work for the county, everything.

I had I had actually thought about this in the mirror this morning. Okay. What am I gonna say? And now I'm at a loss for words. Can you believe it? I'm at a loss for words. But we do have a great time. I think I can say for for you guys too that we are very proud to work for you. You guys make it fun to be here, and it's fun to keep the record. It's fun to do these jobs. It's fun to we looked back at the video yesterday at amending a motion and resending the motion from from budget in 2024, and we're like, oh, that was fun. You know? And we're kinda nerdy about it, but it's cool. And we I thank you very much for letting me do this job. So thank you, and thanks for the kind words.

Thank you all.

I I think you need to state your name for the record.

It's Echo. In case, Dave Summers is listening, it's Echo.

Thank you. Yes. There's a term called mando fun, for mandatory fun. And you guys definitely put the the fun in mando fun. So thank you so much. So is there a motion?

I move approval of resolution twenty six dash zero one nine. Second.

Okay. It's been properly moved and seconded to approve resolution twenty six dash zero one nine. Any other discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes five to zero. Next is our consent agenda.

I move approval of the consent agenda items one through five. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve the consent agenda. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes five to zero. Next is administrative matters motion 20 six-one 184.

I move approval of administrative matters motion 20 six-one 184. Second.

Properly moved and seconded to approve administrative matters motion 20 six-one 84. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes five to zero. Next, we have items, from committee of the whole, and we'll hear items, a through h and one staff report.

Council considers the following motions relating to boards and commissions. Motion 26 dash one six three, reappointing Dwight Phillips to the board of equalization. Equalization. Motion 26 dash one six eight, reappointing Steven Zurchski to the Snohomish County Ethics Commission. Motion 26 dash one six nine, reappointing Myra Lane to the Snohomish County Ethics Commission.

Motion 26 dash one seven one. Appointing Pajitha Sidani to the Snohomish County Children's Commission. Motion 26 dash one seven two. Appointing Mickey Alderman to the Developmental Disabilities Citizen Advisory Board. Motion 20 six-one 173, reappointing Kate Kane to the Developmental Disabilities Citizen Advisory Board, motion 20 74, confirming the second appointment of Lou Ann Carter to the Snohomish County Council on Aging and motion 26 dash one seven five, appointing Ryan Bush to the Snohomish County Tourism Promotion Area Advisory Board.

Good morning, council. For the record, Nicole Goreley, council staff. Items a through h would approve eight appointments to six separate boards and commissions, two to the Snohomish County Ethics Commission, two to the Developmental Disability Citizen Advisory Board, one to the Board of Equalization, one to the Snohomish County Children's Commission, one to the Snohomish County Council on Aging, and one to the Snohomish County Tourism Promotion Area Board. A summary of each appointee, their position, and terms have been provided in the staff report for your review. And I'm happy to go into detail on independent ones. Otherwise, today's request is for counsel to consider taking action on items a through h.

Any questions from counsel? Okay. Is there a motion?

I move approval of motions 20 six-one 163, 20 six-one 168, 20 six-one 169, 20 six-one 171, 20 six-one 172, 20 six-one 173, 20 six-one 174, and 20 six-one 175. Second.

Okay. A motion has been properly made and seconded to approve the stated motions. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, those motions pass five to zero. So that concludes our business, and we have no public hearing today, so counsel is adjourned for the day.