
Between choosing a new council president, hearings on housing code changes and talks about filling a newly vacated council seat, there was no shortage of important decisions to be made at Monday’s Lynnwood City Council meeting.
One of those decisions was the council’s unanimous approval to allow police to install 25 new automated license plate cameras throughout the city.
The council also elected Councilmember Nick Coelho as the new council president, replacing Councilmember George Hurst, who had served three years in the role. In addition, the council selected Councilmember Josh Binda as the new council vice president.
Automated license plate cameras
Following the council’s approval, the Lynnwood Police Department is set to enter into a $171,153.50 contract with Flock, the company providing the cameras.The council also approved a grant awarded to police from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority, covering $132,700 of the cost. Each camera costs $3,000.

According to Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon, Lynnwood ranks third in Snohomish County for vehicle theft. On average, police get calls about stolen vehicles six or seven times daily. Installing these cameras in high-traffic areas in Lynnwood could help police recover more vehicles, and hopefully discourage vehicle theft within the city limits, Langdon said.
The price tag covers the cost of purchasing, installing, maintaining and running the cameras for two years, Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon told the council on Jan. 6. police propose that the remaining $38,453.50 not covered by the grant be paid for by Fund 105, Lynnwood’s Criminal Justice Fund.
Although the vote was unanimous, some councilmembers were hesitant to say “yes” to the new technology.
“I have my issues with the internal issues and all that, but I’m thinking I will support this,” Councilmember Binda said. “I’m all for a trial [run]… but I will want data, I will want numbers back to see if this is truly doing the work that it’s meant to do.”
Councilmember Derica Escamilla said she felt the city didn’t do enough to inform residents about the cameras and what they can be used for.
“There’s a lot of misperception and narrative about what these cameras maybe do and can’t do,” she said. “I really just want to put it out there and say it out loud so that people can understand what’s happening. I think we’ve failed them in doing outreach, but it’s not just this. It’s with a lot of things we do in the city, not just this one event. I think we need to learn how to reach different demographics and different communities.”
Escamilla said she heard from residents who were worried their criminal record will be pulled and police will be notified when they drive past the cameras. But that’s not the case, according to Chief Langdon. The cameras don’t alert police unless there is an active case or crime associated with the plate number.
Langdon also reminded the council that the cameras only collect data about vehicles, not humans. The cameras capture a still image of the back license plate and have no facial recognition technology. The footage is only stored for 30 days, Langdon said.
The cameras can’t be used to canvas neighborhoods, Langdon told the council Monday. However, they could possibly be used to track vehicles involved in retail theft cases if businesses report a license plate number to police.

Several police departments in Snohomish County and the state use Flock cameras, including Everett, Arlington, Mill Creek and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Data from neighboring jurisdictions will be shared with Lynnwood, and vice versa, to alert police of wanted vehicles when necessary.
After a contract is signed, it will take one or two weeks for the cameras to be installed, Langdon said. Once installed, data from the cameras will be available to the public online in what the police called a “transparency portal.”

Filling a council vacancy
Following former Councilmember Julieta Altamirano-Crosby’s abrupt resignation from her Position 5 seat last week, the council discussed the next steps in filling the vacancy.
Under state law, the council has 90 days to fill the vacancy. Applicants must reside in Lynnwood city limits, be a registered voter and at least 18 years old.
The deadline to submit applications is at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. The council is set to review applications Feb. 3 with interviews of up to eight applicants scheduled for Feb. 18 and 24. A new councilmember is set to be appointed March 3.
The person selected will serve in the council seat from March until the November 2025 election.
Applications can be submitted on the city website.
Altamirano-Crosby’s resignation followed months of debate over whether her holding dual positions on both the Lynnwood City Council and Snohomish County Public Utilities District Board of Commissioners violate city code She was in her second term on the Lynnwood City Council and had been elected to the PUD board in November 2024.
She was not present at the Jan. 6 meeting and her resignation was announced via a letter she wrote, which was read by Councilmember Patrick Decker.
“As part of previous legal consultation, I was advised that I could serve in both capacities,” the letter said. “My decision to resign from my position on the Lynnwood City Council comes from a place of deep conviction rooted in professionalism, service, duty, and a commitment to responsibility. I have always said, I will leave on my terms and that day has now come. Resigning from my council position is what is best for the voters who elected me to this City Council position, and to the position on the PUD.”
New council positions
A new year means new elected and liaison positions for the city council.
Councilmember Nick Coelho was selected as the new council president for 2025. A first-term councilmember, he ran against Councilmembers Patrick Decker and David Parshall. Except for Decker, the rest of the council voted for Coelho, even Parshall.
Councilmember Josh Binda, also a first-term councilmember, was selected as the new council vice president. Councilmember George Hurst also ran for the position. Hurst and Decker were the only councilmembers who didn’t vote for Binda.
The following elected positions were also filled on Monday:
– Alliance for Housing Affordability: George Hurst
– Community Transit Board: Mayor Christine Frizzell
– Lynnwood Tourism Advisory Committee: Patrick Decker
– Snohomish County 911 Board: Patrick Decker. Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon serves as the police representative.
– Snohomish County Tomorrow forum: Mayor Christine Frizzell. The alternate is David Parshall.
Newly elected Council President Coelho chose the following councilmembers for the 2025 liaison positions:
– Arts Commission: Nick Coelho
– Finance Committee: George Hurst
– Disability Board: George Hurst
– Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission: Josh Binda
– History and Heritage Board: George Hurst
– Human Services Commission: Derica Escamilla
– Public Facilities District: David Parshall
– Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts: Nick Coelho, with Derica Escamilla as the alternate
– Planning Commission: George Hurst
– Sister City Board: Derica Escamilla
– Veterans: Patrick Decker
A full list of who ran for each of the positions can be found here.
Public hearing on STEP housing state requirements
Monday’s public hearing was one of the final steps toward cementing new state STEP housing requirements into the city’s code.
If all goes as planned, city staff hope to get approval on the proposed code change Jan. 27.
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, according to city documents.

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.
If the city doesn’t approve STEP housing, Lynnwood could face the risk of not having its Comprehensive Plan certified from the state. In extreme cases, the city could potentially lose its ability to collect some taxes and apply for state grants, City Planner Karl Almgren said.
Providing clarification from the Jan. 6 council meeting, Almgren said STEP housing does not include group homes, adult family homes, sober living homes, behavioral health facilities or assisted living facilities.

The state law requires STEP housing to be treated just like any other housing type to avoid “demonizing” transitional housing, Almgren said. Under those circumstances, the city isn’t allowed to put any buffer zones between the STEP housing and other residential housing.
“That legislation is likely going to clarify to districts that you are not to provide distinctions from STEP housing as a different housing type, whether it’s a single-family house versus an ADU versus other middle housing – you treat them all as housing,” Almgren said. “They’re really focused on clarifying that housing is housing, regardless of what is occurring inside of it.”
STEP housing already exists in Lynnwood and throughout the state, city documents say. The Pathways for Women emergency shelter was acquired by Lynnwood in 1995 and serves as a 45-day emergency shelter for mothers with children and single adult women, according to the county’s YWCA website.
Trinity Place is an apartment complex that aids individuals and families experiencing homelessness in transitioning to permanent housing. The complex was unveiled in 2005.
A permit process was also added to the proposed city code to verify permits and aid in tracking and reporting how many of these housing types are built in Lynnwood. The proposed fee for a STEP housing permit is $193.


Public hearing on 2024 Imagine Lynnwood Comprehensive plan
Lynnwood is in the final stages of wrapping up its 2024 Comprehensive Plan update — a document complete with guidelines and policies to lead Lynnwood through the next 20 years.
The council is set to make a decision on the plan Jan. 27.
Staff have been working on the 2024 Imagine Lynnwood Comprehensive Plan update since 2021. The goal is to align Lynnwood with policy requirements from state and county governments and put the city on a path toward sustainable growth using research and input from residents.
After the plan’s introduction in 2021, city staff conducted a series of public outreach sessions to inform residents of the plan and find out what they want included in it, city documents say.
The 262-page document hones in on eight elements: Environment, land use and community design, housing, transportation, capital facilities and utilities, community health and public safety, economic development and parks, recreation and open space.

The housing element of the plan was a hot topic at Monday’s public hearing. One resident spoke against more density in Lynnwood, expressing worries over traffic and crime.
Other residents, however, were supportive of the proposed housing plan. Some expressed support for affordable housing and investments in bike lanes and other forms of transportation.

The plan aims to build 12,648 new permanent housing units and 1,401 permanent supportive housing units by 2044.
The bulk of those new units is set to be single family and middle housing units for people making greater than 120% of the area median income (AMI).

The breakdown of housing units proposed for each income level is as follows:
Low income (multifamily and accessory dwelling units):
0-30% AMI: 1,939 units.
30-50% AMI: 1,113 units.
50-80% AMI: 647 units.
Moderate income (moderate density, middle housing- duplexes and townhomes):
80-100% AMI: 1,547 units.
100-120% AMI: 2,215 units.
120% AMI and up: 5,187 units.
In other business, the council approved the 2025 council meeting calendar and chose Feb. 8 for the date of the council summit.
— Story by Ashley Nash. ashley@myedmondsnews.com
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