General Legislative Session - Regular Meeting

morning everyone Snohomish County Council is called to order for our administrative session today is Tuesday July 21st 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 clerks will take roll 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 9 to raise your hand and star 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

Council Chair Dunn?

Here.

Vice Chair Lowe?

Present.

Council Member Nehring?

Here.

Council Member Mead?

Here.

Council Member Peterson? Here. Chair, we have five members present.

Thank you. Next, we have a special report, and it's staff recognition, so I'll turn it over to our Chief of Staff.

Thank you. So this morning, we get to recognize one of our wonderful clerks. She has accomplished a significant milestone in her clerkship, so I will pass it to our Clerk of the Council for the specific recognition.

Hello. Today we would like to congratulate Sherry Danner. She has earned her Certified Municipal Clerk designation. And this is a certification that is recognized internationally by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. And to achieve this certification, Sherry has completed all required education and experience points. Including three one week in extensive professional development trainings in Tacoma over a three year period several remote trainings and nearly 30 years of experience service experience in local government. i'm very proud of sherry sherry today and every day after 25 years with the prosecutor's office, she made a very brave and major career change and became an assistant clerk of the Council. Since joining the council four years ago, Sherry has worked hard to learn the legislative process, apply her skills, and bring her knowledge to the council team. She is organized, detail-oriented, thorough, accurate, and always eager to learn and support others. Sherry is a great teammate who who helps our clerk team function smoothly. And beyond that, she is such a pleasure to work with and brings a great joy and fun atmosphere to the council office. We are all very proud of Sherry for her achievement today.

Congratulations, Sherry.

And now she has the three CMC letters behind her name.

Thank you.

Congratulations. Does anybody want to say anything?

Okay.

Appreciate your work so much, CMC. Okay. Next is public comment. Did anyone wish to provide public comment? We can take a picture after. Okay. Is there any hands raised online?

No hands raised.

Okay. So we'll close public comment and move on to introduction and assignment of legislation. You can see the items that have come in. I'll go through and read Committee of the Whole since there's no action on these items, but Items A and B are for assignment and moving to tomorrow to set time and date for a public hearing. Items C and D are also for reassignment and moving to tomorrow for consideration. Items E through I are for reassignment to move to tomorrow for consideration. Item J is for reassignment to move to tomorrow for consideration, and item K is also reassigned from committee to move to tomorrow. For the clerk's report on pending legislation, there's no report. Council committees, you can see the dates and times for upcoming meetings, and then reports of outside committees. Are there any reports from council members?

Any in the room?

Online? Okay, my committee report is we had our PSRC GMPB meeting where we reviewed the regional center framework, and we also heard an update from the Puget Sound Partnership. And then we had our Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, but you received notes from staff on that meeting. Chairperson's report, there's no report. Chief of Staff report.

Thank you, Heidi Beziza, for the record. The PA's office has submitted a request from outside Council Pacifica Law Group requesting a waiver of conflict representation.

represent a non-county client on an unrelated item the request today is for council to make a verbal motion directing me to sign the waiver any questions from council and is there a motion i make a motion to provide direction of the council's chief of staff to sign the waiver of concurrent conflict of interest dated july 15 2026 and presented to the chief of staff for consideration from the pacifica law group second okay it's been properly moved and seconded uh is there any discussion

Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye.

Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes 5-0. And the only other item to mention is that I will be out of the office starting tomorrow through August 5th, and so Nicole Gourley will be my backup. Thank you.

Okay, if there's no questions, we'll move on. We have full council action on items from Committee of the Whole, and do we want to... Why don't we read all five in, and then we'll have a report.

Council considers motion 26-270, appointing citizens to the Proposition 1 Pro and Con Committees for Snohomish County Charter Amendment proposed by the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission. Motion 26-271, appointing citizens to Proposition 2 Pro and Cons Committee. Motion 26-272, appointing citizens to the Proposition 2 pro and con committee excuse me motion 26-272 appointing did i just say that one motion 26-273 appointing citizens to the proposition for pro and cons committee and motion 26-274 appointing citizens to the to the proposition five pro and cons committee for snohomish county charter amendments all proposed by the snohomish county charter review commission

Thank you again for the record, Heidi Pazizo. On June 24th, the council issued a press release soliciting applicants to serve on the pro-con committees for the five charter amendments proposed by the Charter Review Commission. These were assigned to Committee of the Whole on July 14th. For Proposition 1, adoption of a foundational government services policy, we received one applicant for the pro-committee and two for the con. For Proposition 2, prioritizing the funding of a budget stabilization fund, we received one applicant for the pro-committee and three for the con-committee. For Proposition 3, converting all elected offices to nonpartisan offices, we received six applicants for the pro committee and 10 applicants for the con committee. Proposition 4, increasing public access to county financial transparency, we received two for the pro committee and three for the con committee. And finally, for Proposition 5, requiring a supermajority council vote to increase taxes, we received four applicants for the pro committee and 11 applicants for the con committee. Council may appoint up to three members to each pro and con committee for each proposition. Each... Each proposition has an associated motion and a sheet indicating the applicants and if provided their reason for wanting to serve on the committee. The request today is for council to consider taking action and as discussed with our council clerk, council can move the motion and then amend the motion adding members to the pro spaces and also amend the motion adding in the con members and then there's one final amendment for the motion to add in the number of applications total received.

quick and I'm happy to answer any questions okay any questions so they'll be we could split them up if there's disagreement and have a separate motion for pro and con if we need to there's easy ones that only have one or two and that's pretty clear but this will be we'll move the motion and then have an amendment with three different items and then vote on the underlying amended motion any questions Okay. So we'll go ahead and start with item one, which is motion 26-270. I move approval of motion 26-270.

Second.

Thank you. Are there any amendments?

Yeah, I move to amend the motion and insert Brian Sullivan for the pro committee, Christine Eck and Janice Green for the con committee.

Second.

And then the number of, um, total, um, was three.

Okay.

Okay. Um, so council member me, did you second the motion as well as the amendment?

Yes.

Um, just wanted to make sure our clerks got it. Okay. So it's, it's been properly moved and seconded to amend the motion to include, um, three applicants and add the names, Brian Sullivan for the pro committee and Christine Eck and Janice green for the con committee. Is there any discussion? Okay. Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the amendment passes. Is there any discussion on the underlying motion? Okay. Hearing none, all in favor of the amended motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes unanimously. Next, we'll consider motion 26-271.

I move approval of motion 26-271. Second.

Been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-271. Are there any amendments?

I move to amend motion 26-271 and insert Brian Sullivan for the pro committee, Christine Eck, Hans Dunshee, and Janice Green for the con committee.

Second.

And then the number of applicants was four?

Correct.

Okay. Any discussion? Okay, so it's been properly moved and seconded to include the number of applicants as four, and then the names Brian Sullivan for pro, Christine Eck, Han Stunchi, and Janice Green for con. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the amendment passes five to zero. Any discussion on the underlying amendment? So all in favor of the amended motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes as amended 5-0. Next is motion 26-272.

I move approval of motion 26-272. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-272. Are there any amendments?

I move to amend motion 26-272 and insert the names of Todd Welch, Mark James, and Sean O'Donnell for the pro committee. And I also want to include Janice Green, Anna Marie Jackson Lawrence, and James Kenney for the con committee. Second.

Okay, an amendment has been properly moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? I'm supportive of this amendment and supportive of candidates that have been involved in the process, so that's how I'm making my decision today, and I think these are good names to move forward.

Chair Dunn?

Yes.

And there's 16 that applied, I believe.

Yes. Okay, we're getting head nods. Okay, thank you. So the... Any other discussion? So it's been properly moved and seconded to include the number of applicants as 16 and then the names as stated. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the amendment passes five to zero. And the underlying motion, all in favor of the amended motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes five to zero. Next is motion 26-273.

I move approval of motion 26-273. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26-273. Any discussion? Sorry, is there amendments?

I move to amend motion 26-273 and insert the names Dan Perkins and Janelle Cass for the Pro Committee, Christine Eck, Doris Fulton, and Janice Green for the Con Committee.

Second. And then the total number of applicants was five?

Correct. Second.

It's been properly moved and seconded to amend the motion to include the number of applicants and the names as stated. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes 5-0. So all in favor of the amended motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, that passes 5-0. Next is motion 26-274. I move approval of motion 26-274. Second. And properly moved and seconded to approve motion 26 dash 2, 7, 4. Are there any amendments?

I moved to amend motion 26 dash 2, 7, 4, and insert the names, Mark James, Dan Perkins, and Janelle cast for the pro committee, Paula Ryan, John Lovick, and Mike sells for the con committee. Second.

And then the total number was 15. Correct. Okay. And then the amendment was seconded by Councilmember Mead. So it's been properly moved and seconded to amend the motion to include the number of applicants as 15 and then the names as stated. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, the amendment passes five to zero. And then all in favor of the amended motion, Please say aye.

Aye.

Chair votes aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, motion 26-274 passes as amended. Next is other business. Please review motion 26-289.

And then next we have executive session. Thank you. Council has need for two pending litigation e-sessions this morning pursuant to RCW 42.30.110 paragraph 1 subsection I. One is listed on the agenda and the other, the second is a walk-on. Combined expected duration is 15 minutes with any extensions announced in this admin session. The prosecuting attorney's office has requested to begin with the e-session supported by Debra Severson and Jeff Enns. Counsel is anticipated to return at 9.30. Okay. Counsel is now on executive session.

The council chair has extended the executive session five minutes to 9.35. The council chair has extended the executive session five minutes to 940. The council chair has extended the executive session two minutes to 942.

Council has returned from executive session. We have no other business on the agenda and we're in recess until our 11 o'clock committee meeting.