“What are we paying for?”

That’s a question that some residents have been asking about the Edmonds City Hall Neighborhood Office, which the city opened in the Highway 99 Safeway Marketplace Complex in March 2022. 

“I think the number-one misconception is that people expect [the Neighborhood City Hall] to operate as the [downtown Edmonds] City Hall does,” said Todd Tatum, who is the city’s director of community services and economic development. “The intent is to address the needs of the city along 99, an adjunct to what the city hall already has in downtown.”

The goal of opening the Neighborhood City Hall is to bring public services closer to the communities along Highway 99, including court hearings and mental health assistance. 

“Edmonds Community Court is up in that space every Monday in the afternoons,” said Edmonds Municipal Court Judge Whitney Rivera. “We typically put our higher needs of court users up there, although defense councils are also conferring with their clients, figuring out, ‘Hey, this person doesn’t have transportation. Can we set their hearing at the community court since it’s more accessible to public transportation than getting into downtown Edmonds?’”

Probation officers also use the Neighborhood City Hall to teach moral reconation therapy classes on Thursdays. The therapy is used by correctional facilities to treat substance abusers and to improve moral reasoning. 

“These are classes about decision making and [how] emotions affect that for people who are on probation or just have a court case pending but wanted to participate in the class to work toward potential dismissal,” Rivera said. 

Probation officers also identify what the court users need, such as how to get help with their mental health and place food bank orders, and where they can pick up groceries when they come to court. Substance use disorder evaluators assess court users to determine what treatment they may need, Rivera said.

“We received a state grant, so we’re receiving state funds to pay for a lot of those services, including transportation and ORCA cards,” Rivera explained. “If someone needs an emergency transportation, we have an Uber account to get them to their appointments. So we’re using that space quite regularly and continuing looking to expanding it and working with (City of Edmonds) Human Services in terms of meeting people where they are and helping to address the needs that they have.”

While the satellite office offers many of the same services that residents can receive at Edmonds City Hall, such as food assistance and discounts on utilities for seniors, there are some additional services the office provides.

“With the community court, Judge Rivera and our food bank, we coordinated to have food orders in advance for folks who do show up for community court,” said Edmonds Human Services Program Manager Mindy Woods. “They can leave with their ordered bag of food. “Also we have a mobile DSHS unit that comes each month that is helping to connect people to services, such as their EBT food SNAP card and their benefits, that day. That is not something we have down here in Edmonds in the Bowl area.”

A 2019 assessment on homelessness by Edmonds-based consultant Koné reported that 40% of Edmonds residents are “cost-burdened,” meaning that they spend 30% or more of their income on housing expenses. About 8,800 Edmonds residents are near or below the federal poverty level, and at least 450 people are homeless in Edmonds — including 117 K-12 students. Of those who are homeless, 69% reported the lack of affordable housing is the primary reason for homelessness, and 63% said that is the reason for remaining homeless.

Woods said that the Neighborhood City Hall also offers free phone distribution events and on-site mental health services twice a month.

“We’re coordinating right now with Community Health Plan of Washington so that we have people be able to do their medical insurance benefits on the spot, so that’s another service not offered anywhere else,” Woods said. 

Support service 2-1-1 “has a dedicated resource advocate for South Snohomish County, and we have him in our office twice a month.” Otherwise, people would have to call 2-1-1, wait in a phone queue or a callback, and they might miss that call, she said.

“I even got unhoused people at the waterfront and Bowl area that didn’t have transportation [to go] up there, so we coordinated and got them bus tickets and got them up there, got them a phone and connected them to services they’re looking for,” Woods explained.

Behind the lobby of the Neighborhood City Hall is the courtroom with a big-screen TV where court users and public officials can attend live or virtual hearings with Judge Rivera. There is also a large office toward the back of the neighborhood city hall where Edmonds Police Community Engagement Coordinator Tabatha Shoemake used to work since the city hall’s opening. She recently moved her office back to the downtown Edmonds police station.

“A lot of her job is out there in the community. It doesn’t really change the way the office functions,” Tatum said. “The police are still able to go there and use the office in the rear [of the satellite office] to do reports and things like that. Courts will still have sessions there. Tabatha and the other officers still use the office to meet folks in the community.” 

Because most of the satellite office work and court hearings are private, people who walk by will likely see drawn shades and locked doors. 

“A significant amount of work is going on up there,” said Shannon Burley, deputy director of parks, recreation and human services. “And we need to respect the privacy of those people. That’s really important to us. We’re not gonna parade them in front of the window and go, ‘Yay, this person is getting help!’ It might appear as if there’s not a ton going on. That’s just being humane. As a city, I think we’re doing a remarkable job of ensuring that needs can be met where the needs are.”

Burley said that human services welcomes donations of prepaid cards in small denominations from Safeway and Winco. These grocery chains offer an option that prohibits users from using the card to buy alcohol and tobacco products. Other welcomed donations include bus tickets or bus passes, but no cash.

“It’s really hard for someone to make clear decisions when they’re hungry,” said Burley. “David [Bartels, the satellite office administrative assistant] encounters people who are actually hungry in that moment. We’ll probably do more dedicated donation drives a couple of times a year because just getting random clothes and shoes and things thrown at us at all times can get a little overwhelming and cumbersome. We will put together some donation drives for the community to keep their neighbors clothed and warm and dry throughout the winter.”

Rivera said that Edmonds residents should not make assumptions that nothing is happening inside the Neighborhood City Hall when they walk by the office and see the shades are half-drawn.

In a recent My Edmonds News opinion piece, a resident took a photo of a shopping cart parked outside of what appeared to be a closed satellite office, and asked how taxpayer dollars were being spent. When that photo was  taken, “community court started one hour later,” Riversa said. “My staff were in that space, if not when the photo was taken, shortly thereafter, meeting [a] substance abuse disorders provider to let them know who was coming to court that day, who was going to need assistance, and the person who was using that cart to store their belongings was inside the community court space when I was in there. So I think to say that ‘it’s not being used, it’s abandoned,’ it is used for the exact purpose that it was intended and services were being provided for people behind those doors. You can’t see what’s happening there, but there are definitely a lot of really good people who are helping those who need help.”

The Neighborhood City Hall also serves as a place of respite for some people who may not need anything at the moment. It is a safe space where Bartels is creating relationships with people in need.

“There’s a lot of trust being built here,” Bartels said. “For the folks who walk in through the door or stick their head in and yell, ‘Thanks for being here! We see the difference.’ They’re different than the people who are complaining because they came here on a Friday and the doors were locked and the shades were half-pulled. But there are people who come in and want to talk about the positive things. They feel safer since we’ve been here. And that’s a collateral. We’re not necessarily patrolling the parking lot, but they feel safer. There’s a greater police presence here. People have a place to come and find help.”

Bartels also recalled that the regional director of T.J. Maxx – located in the same shopping complex – stopped by the Neighborhood City Hall two weeks ago and told Bartels, “Thank you. Shoplifting has gone down since you’ve been here.” The manager from Safeway came over and said the same thing, Bartels said

“A worker from the Dollar Store came over and said that he lost his ID and can’t afford to get a new one. Can we help him do that? And we’re helping him to do that,” Bartels said. In addition a young woman who works at the veterinary clinic next door received information from  Shoemake about a career in law enforcement. 

“We’re inventing as we go because we’re learning about leads everyday,” Bartels said. “People in the Bowl and the woods come up here. We’re finding out ways to connect with other organizations to help find resources for both sides. It’s been awesome.”

The Neighborhood City Hall is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. City staff invite residents to  stop by during office hours to check out what services they offer.

— Story and photos by Nick Ng