The Edmonds City Council will meet in committees on Tuesday, March 8, starting at 5 p.m. Here are the agendas:
Public Safety, Personnel and Planning Committee, 5 p.m.
1. A city recruitment update with reports from human resource and police staff.
2. A conversation with city administration about police station and/or other city building relocations.
Finance Committee, 6 p.m.
1. 2022 carryforward budget amendment
2. 2021 disposed assets
3. January 2022 monthly financial report
4. ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding status
Parks and Public Works Committee, 7:30 p.m.
1. Market, Edmonds SpringFest and Edmonds Arts Festival event contracts
2. Public Safety Complex public art project
3. Civic Park public art project
4. SEEK (Summer Experienes & Enrichment for Kids) grant contract – 2022 Summer Day Camp
5. State of Washington Department of Commerce grant contract – Civic Park
6. 2022 Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) Plan capital program
7. Presentation of a professional services agreement with BHC Consultants for the Ph 10 Sewer Project
8. Release of public sewer easement at 21200 72nd Ave.
9. Dedication of 15 feet for 203rd Street Southwest Right of Way adjacent to 20323 81st Ave. W.
10. 2021 Transportation Impact Fee annual report
11. Ash thickener drive rebuild project for wastewater treatment plant
A reminder that council committee meetings are work sessions for the council and city staff, with no action taken. Committee meeting agendas do not include audience comments or public hearings.
This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. To view or listen to the committee meetings in their entirety, paste the following into a web browser using a computer or smart phone: https://zoom.us/j/95798484261. Or join by dial-up phone: US: +1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 957 9848 4261
The Parks & Public Works Committee will discuss the release of a Public Sewer Easement on March 8, 2022. The committee is being told that “As such, the City is relinquishing/releasing the easement.”
City of Edmonds law does not allow the City of Edmonds to simply relinquish or release public easements. The City of Edmonds vacates public easements. ECDC 20.70.060.G states that “An appraisal is not required if a utility easement only is proposed to be vacated”.
It is Mayor Mike Nelson’s duty to require the City of Edmonds to comply with Chapter 20.70 during a process such as this. Mayor Nelson’s duty per ECC 2.01.010 is to make sure all laws and ordinances are faithfully enforced, and that law and order is maintained in the city.
ECDC 20.70.000 states: “This chapter establishes the procedure and criteria that the city will use to decide upon vacations of streets, alleys, and public easements.” [Ord. 2933 § 1, 1993].
I believe City of Edmonds government has violated City law many times during the vacation of streets, alleys, and public easements. If anybody wants more details, please contact me. I have extensive documentation of possible violations of law.
Hopefully the Parks & Public Works Committee will request Mayor Mike Nelson require the City of Edmonds to comply with Chapter 20.70 during this process. This is Mayor Nelson’s duty per ECC 2.01.010.
This is also a reminder that the 2019 City Council’s 5-2 vote on October 15, 2019, related to the Street Vacation Code update, has never been acted on.
The October 15, 2019 Edmonds City Council Approved Minutes document that “Mayor Earling assumed this would be done by the end of the year or the process would need to start over.”
Nothing was ever done. The Street Vacation Code Update sits as a Future Unscheduled Item on City Council’s Extended Agenda. For me, this serves as a sad, weekly reminder that City Council is unwilling to hold the City Staff and City Attorney accountable for not doing what City Council has VOTED they do.
The Parks & Public Works Committee will discuss a dedication of 15 feet of public right-of-way on Tuesday night, March 8, 2022. This discussion will afford an opportunity for Committee Members to ask questions on behalf of constituents. I’ve submitted questions for the Committee to ask, including:
– What is a “planned right-of-way”? A search of the City Code for “planned right-of-way” yields no results.
– How does a “planned right-of-way” get added to the City’s Official Street Map?
– Why would a planned right-of-way be 50’ wide instead of 60’ wide?
– How did City stormwater utilities get located on private property rather than within the 20-foot right-of-way that had already been dedicated for 203rd St SW?
– What is the difference between a “planned right-of-way” and an “unopened right-of-way”?
– Planned rights-of-way exist on our Official Street Map. As such, how is it possible that our Official Street Map would not indicate a planned right-of-way where 50% of the required easement width for an alley has already been dedicated? Please refer to Holy Rosary’s property north of Daley Street.
– Who maintains the Official Street Map?
– Why is the Official Street Map allowed to be incomplete?
– Why are some property owners and/or developers made to deal with planned rights-of-way whereas others aren’t?
– Do planned rights-of-way impact where setbacks are measured from?
The March 8, 2022 Committee Agenda Packet, page 224 discloses that a “planned right-of-way” curves through an existing building. I’ve also asked how this happened.
I’ve told the Parks & Public Works Committee that answers to these questions are in the public interest. Having lived through these types of issues, I am very confident that clarifying all of this is in the public interest. Hopefully my questions will be asked, and answers provided.
When will council meetings be back in person?
The last time this was discussed at council, the target date was March 22.