
The Jan. 6 Lynnwood City Council work session started with a whirlwind, as Council Vice President Julieta Altamirano-Crosby announced her resignation from the council.
The council had a full agenda in addition to the resignation, including discussions on housing and the Lynnwood Police Department’s request to place license plate cameras throughout the city.
Altamirano-Crosby’s resignation follows her election to Snohomish County’s Public Utilities District Commission in November. The council was split on whether her dual positions were “compatible” and compliant with city law. In December, the council directed Mayor Christine Frizzell to file a case with the Washington Attorney General’s office to determine whether Altamirano-Crosby can hold both positions.
Altamirano-Crosby was absent from the Jan. 6 meeting, and her resignation letter was read by Councilmember Patrick Decker.
After Altamirano-Crosby’s resignation, the issue of whether councilmembers could hold another office was no longer as pressing.
Councilmember Decker said the broader conversation is still worth having, but motioned to remove it from the agenda for now, so the council could address other issues. The motion passed.
Council President George Hurst added that he would also like to have that conversation, citing concerns about the city attorney’s recent actions.
“I’m also very concerned about the behavior of our city and attorney and some misinformation that was given to us,” Hurst said. “I think the city attorney has provided inaccurate information to us on other topics.”
Hurst said City Attorney Lisa Marshall should consider taking back her statement declaring Altamirano-Crosby’s dual elected positions as “compatible.”
Automated license plate reader camera program
Multiple police departments in Snohomish County and the state have installed automated license plate reader cameras in an attempt to crack down on vehicle thefts and other crimes. Lynnwood police want to do the same, asking the city to approve a two year contract for $171,153.50 with Flock, the company providing the cameras. The price includes all costs related to purchasing, installing, maintaining and running 25 cameras. Each camera costs $3,000 annually, Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon told the council.
However, the city won’t have to cover the entire $171,000. In October, the Lynnwood Police Department received a $132,700 grant from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority to fund the cameras over a two-year period. The department is also asking the council to approve this grant.
Police propose the remaining $38,453.50 to be paid for by Fund 105, Lynnwood’s Criminal Justice Fund. There is a beginning balance of over $2.5 million in the fund according to the 2025-2026 biennial budget.
The cameras capture a still image of the back license plate, gathering the plate number and vehicle information. Data from the cameras are sent to police within moments, who can then be alerted when the cameras capture a vehicle associated with a crime.
Langdon assured the council that the cameras do not collect data about people, only vehicles and license plates. The cameras don’t have facial recognition technology, and they don’t track speed or aid in parking enforcement. Additionally, the cameras can’t be used for anything related to immigration or for people seeking health care, Langdon said.
Data collected from the cameras automatically deletes every 30 days, Langdon said. In some larger cities, the data is retained for up to a year, but based on Lynnwood’s size and crime rates, the police department determined a 30-day threshold to be the best fit.
Flock cameras are used by police departments in Everett, Arlington, Mill Creek, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and several other police departments in the state. The cameras are connected between cities and will alert other jurisdictions of wanted vehicles when necessary.
In December, Everett’s cameras alerted police of vehicles associated with 289 violent persons, 111 stolen vehicles, 104 protection orders, 65 missing persons, 59 stolen plates, 48 sex offenders and 5 warrants.
In 2024, there was a 17.15% decrease in stolen vehicles, compared to the previous three-year average, according to Everett’s Flock camera data.
The cameras assisted in one vehicle theft case, two homicide cases, one felony assault case and one court order violation case, among other cases.
Langdon estimated cameras could be installed around three months after a contract is signed. After the two-year contract is set to end, the city will have the opportunity to re-asses and see if the cameras are still a good use of the city’s resources, he added.
If a contract is signed, data from the cameras will be posted online for the public to view, similar to Everett’s reporting system.

2025 elected leadership and liaison positions
With the new year comes the time to elect new leadership and liaison positions for the council. The positions will be appointed at the Jan. 13 meeting.
The year 2024 marked Council President George Hurst’s third time in the position. He opted to remove his name from the race for council president in 2025.
“…2024 was a challenging year that included passing a biennial budget, going through the process of selecting a replacement Council Member after Council Member Sutton abruptly resigned and there was also a protracted process for selecting a new Parks and Rec Director,” Hurst wrote in an email to Lynnwood Today Tuesday morning. “…Having a break as Council President was a good choice for me.”
Instead, Hurst is putting in his name to run for council vice president.
“We have a new Council Executive Assistant and none of the candidates for President have any experience as President so I hope to provide some Council historical perspective and guidance for both the President and the Council Executive Assistant,” Hurst wrote.
Elected positions
The council also discussed the process for filling elected positions. The following councilmembers have expressed interest:
- Council President: Nick Coelho, Patrick Decker and David Parshall.
- Council Vice President: Josh Binda, Nick Coelho and George Hurst.
- Alliance for Housing Affordability: Josh Binda, George Hurst and David Parshall.
- Community Transit: Mayor Christine Frizzell is already on the board and wants to remain on the board.
- Lynnwood Tourism Advisory Council: Derica Escamilla and Patrick Decker.
- Snohomish County 911 Board: Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon serves as the police representative. Patrick Decker and David Parshall added their names to run for the council representative position.
- Snohomish County Tomorrow: Mayor Frizell serves as the assigned delegate. Josh Binda, Nick Coelho and George Hurst are running for the council representative position, and David Parshall offered to be the alternate.

Council President-appointed positions
Whoever is elected as the council president will choose from the following people who have applied to fill the listed positions.
- Arts Commission: Josh Binda, Nick Coelho.
- Finance Committee: Nick Coelho, Patrick Decker and George Hurst. (Hurst is starting his second year of the two-year term).
- Disability Board: Nick Coelho and George Hurst. (Hurst is starting the second year of the two-year term).
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission: Josh Binda.
- History and Heritage Board: George Hurst.
- Human Services Commission: Derica Escamilla.
- Public Facilities District: Derica Escamilla and David Parshall.
- Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts: Josh Binda.
- Planning Commission: Josh Binda and George Hurst.
- Sister City Board: Previously staffed by Julieta Altamirano-Crosby. Mayor Frizell said the board is currently on hiatus but she wants to bring it back. Councilmember Escamilla offered to serve on the board if it’s brought back.
- Veterans: Patrick Decker and David Parshall. Derica Escamilla offered herself as an alternate.
Briefing on STEP housing state requirements
In 2021, the Washington State Legislature adopted HB 1220, which requires cities to provide transitional housing or permanent supportive housing in both residential zones and zones with hotels. Additionally the law requires Lynnwood and other cities to allow emergency shelters and emergency housing in zones where hotels are allowed.
“Additionally, jurisdictions must document sufficient land capacity for emergency housing, emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing,” according to city documents.
The Lynnwood Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed code amendment on Dec. 12. The first council briefing on the matter was Monday, and city staff hope to have an adoption by Jan. 27.
In order to obtain state certification of the Lynnwood Comprehensive Plan, the council needs to amend city code to comply with the state’s STEP Housing requirements. Lynnwood’s zoning laws don’t meet these qualifications, according to Lynnwood Planning Manager Karl Almgren.
Without a certified Comprehensive Plan, Lynnwood could lose the ability to collect property and sales taxes and could be disqualified from applying for state grants, Almgren said.

STEP stands for:
S: Indoor Emergency Shelters – Includes temporary indoor shelters and day and warming shelters that don’t provide overnight accommodations. These shelters cannot require a lease.
T: Transitional Housing – Provides housing and services for up to two years to help move those experiencing homelessness into independent, permanent living.
E: Indoor Emergency Housing – These are temporary indoor accommodations to address basic health, food, clothing and hygiene needs.
P: Permanent Supportive Housing – Leased housing with no limit on tenancy that prioritizes those who need support to retain tenancy. This housing is usually paired with voluntary health care and employment services.
Councilmember Decker wanted clarification on whether transitional housing includes “halfway housing”– or recovery housing. He expressed concern over allowing convicted criminals to live in residential areas. Almgren said he would come back next week with clarification.
City Planner Joe LaBlanche noted that transitional housing usually doesn’t include recovery housing for those experiencing problems with substance use. Recovery housing is often run by nonprofit organizations and not normally operated by the state, he said.
Decker said he was worried state requirements such as these aren’t the best fit for Lynnwood, and wants to make sure residents know exactly what will happen when these state zoning regulations are implemented.
“We better make sure that we tell the residents of the city what exactly is being foisted on them as Olympia continues to remove the sovereignty of the cities across the state,” Decker said.
Decker also said he was worried adding more multi-family buildings would increase property values, therefore increasing property taxes, placing a burden on those who earn lower incomes.
“State legislators create a one-size fits all law across the state; it doesn’t address the nuances of communities such as Lynnwood,” Decker said. “Lynnwood city council is the best legislative body to create laws related to our zoning, it’s not the state.”
In other business, the council briefly discussed details of its 2025 summit. Feb. 8 was thrown out as a tentative date with a location yet to be determined. The public is welcome to observe the summit.
— By Ashley Nash
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