In light of recent discussions on councilmember residency, the Lynnwood City Council is set to decide Monday whether it wants to start the process of amending the city code to clarify what’s required to hold elected office in Lynnwood.
That’s just one item on Monday’s city council meeting agenda, which is stacked with discussions and decisions that have the potential to change the city in a major way.
Following former Councilmember Julieta Altamirano-Crosby’s abrupt resignation from the council last month, the city clerk is set to announce Monday the top eight candidates for the vacant seat.
The top candidates are scheduled for interviews with the council on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24, with a final decision anticipated by Feb. 24.
The council is also set to decide whether the city should pause the process of ending its trash hauling contract with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission after a recent survey showed residents were satisfied with their trash service.
In 2022, the council began researching what it would look like if the city took over trash hauling, ending its longstanding contract with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Since a 2023 survey showed that residents were happy with their current trash service, the council is set to decide whether it wants to continue the process of potentially ending its contract with the WUTC.
Former Lynnwood Public Works Director Bill Franz retired from the position in December. City code currently requires three candidates to be considered for the appointment before one person is appointed. However, city staff are asking the council to approve a resolution on Monday, waiving the requirement to refer three candidates for the position, authorizing the referral of only one candidate.
The resolution reads: “…the referral of one, not three, candidates for appointment to Director results from the willingness of only one candidate, not three, to be considered for appointment to Director; the city finds that the willingness of only one candidate to be considered for appointment constitutes ‘substantial justification’ for the referral of only one candidate.”
In other business, Council President Nick Coelho is scheduled to provide a summary of what the council discussed at its annual council summit on Feb. 8.
The full meeting agenda can be found on the city’s website.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 at Lynnwood City Hall. The meeting will also be livestreamed on Zoom.
— By Ashley Nash. ashley@myedmondsnews.com
Not just residency issues, but also being on boards and conflicts of interests is a must have discussion. As for “… residents were happy with their current trash service…” it doesn’t take much effort for Lynnwood Council to be more transparent. The extremely low amount of residents who actually took the survey is a very poor representation of how we actually feel and what our concerns and ideas for improvement are.