The Edmonds City Council is meeting in committees this week, with two of them scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 11 (Finance Committee at 5:30 p.m. and Parks and Public Works at 7:30 p.m.) followed by a third (Public Safety, Planning, Human Services and Personnel Committee) at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14.

That Friday meeting will be followed later in the day by a special council meeting, starting at 3 p.m., to interview five applicants for the vacant Position 7 council seat.

Note that all committee meetings are work sessions for staff and council with no public comment taken. Staff and councilmembers attend committee meetings virtually, and members of the public are encouraged to attend the same way. Click on or paste the following Zoom meeting link 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.

If you can’t access virtual committee meetings with a personal device, a monitor is provided in the city council conference room at 121 5th Ave. N., Edmonds.

The 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11 Finance Committee (agenda here) is scheduled to again review policies related to the downtown Business Improvement District, which was formed by city council in early 2013. The BID operates with an annual budget of approximately $80,000 per year, and all revenues come from dues assessed to the members — currently $30 to $90 per quarter.

According to a presentation attached to the committee agenda, BID dues are legally assessed to the businesses, and the businesses are legally obligated to pay them, “but neither the BID nor the city currently have a good way to enforce payment.”

While a task force was formed in January to develop policy, regarding the BID, some questions remain, including how to handle the more than $38,000 in late dues owed by businesses. In addition, the presentation suggests that the city’s administrative services department begin charging the BID for services the department provides, at a cost of around $6,000 to $8,000 per year. This would cover the cost of doing paperwork to add new businesses, invoicing, receipting and depositing dues, sending late accounts to collections and corresponding with the collection agency, approving and paying all of their invoices, and responding to public records requests.

Other items on the Finance Committee agenda include a fund balance policy review and the August 2022 monthly financial report.

Among the items before the Parks and Public Works Committee, starting at 7:30 p.m. (agenda here), are discussions related to professional services agreements for design/right-of-way phases for the next two stages of the Highway 99 Revitalization Project. Plans for Highway 99 renovations have been in the works since the Edmonds City Council approved a subarea plan for the highway and surrounding neighborhoods in 2017. The changes aim to address traffic and pedestrian safety and livability concerns for the portion of the highway that runs through Edmonds.

The city is now working on stage 2, which includes construction of a landscaped center median and dedicated left-turn lanes from 244th to 210th Streets Southwest, with completion expected by early next year. Stage 3 will involve the segment from 244th to 238th Streets Southwest and stage 4 will focus on 224th to 220th Streets Southwest. Both stages will include capacity improvements, as well as the addition of planter strip on both sides of the street, new sidewalk, new street/pedestrian lighting, better stormwater management, targeted utility replacements (water/sewer), potential undergrounding of overhead utilities, and softscape treatments.

The committee agenda notes that the city issued a request for qualifications to select the design consultant for stages 3 and 4 and it received one response, from SCJ Alliance. SJC, which also worked on the design phase for stage 2 of the Highway 99 project, was selected for the work.

Other items on the Parks and Public Works Committee agenda include:

–  A distribution easement to Snohomish County PUD for the Civic Center Playfield project

–  10-foot dedication for 240th Street right-of-way adjacent to 7901 240th Street Southwest

– A supplemental agreement with HBB for Highway 99 Gateway Revitalization stage 2. This agreement would
extend the contract date from Dec. 31, 2022 to June 30, 2023 so that HBB can complete any construction support tasks that may come up during installation.

– A supplemental agreement with KPG Psomas related to construction management services for the Citywide Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements Project. This would extend the contract completion date from Dec. 31, 2022 to June 30, 2023 so that KPG Psomas can complete remaining construction support tasks.

– A Beach Place parking lot agreement between the Port of Edmonds and the City of Edmonds to account for installation of the tsunami warning siren.

– Presentation of the Snohomish County Comprehensive Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Plan

– Review of a contract addendum for the Driftwood Players lease at the Wade James Theater.

– Public pedestrian and utility easements along Pine Street adjacent to Point Edwards development

– A third-quarter update from the parks, recreation and human services department

During the Public Safety, Planning, Human Services and Personnel Committee meeting at 11 a.m. Oct. 14 (agenda here) , the committee will consider the following:

– A job description change from associate planner to associate transportation planner

– A proposal to change the name of the development services department to the planning and development department.

– A professional services agreement with Compass Health for a two-year agreement through December 2024 to cover ongoing behavioral health outreach services.

– A job description for the new police commander position

– An update on the city’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and a related code update to Chapter 6.60 ECC Disaster Preparation, Emergency Coordination, and Civil Emergencies.