During the 2025 Washington State legislative session, lawmakers proposed around $1.5 million be set aside in the state’s budget for projects in Lynnwood, the city’s lobbyists said during a council meeting Monday. 

The council also continued its discussion on whether to lift the city’s ban on retail cannabis sales, mulling over potential rules and regulations if the council votes to repeal the ban in late September. 

Items discussed included whether the council would require bollards in front of cannabis businesses to avoid “smash and grab” thefts. This method involves a suspect driving a vehicle, often stolen, into a storefront to gain entry and steal cash and goods. The council also discussed potential distance requirements between stores, license caps and whether the council wanted to permit sales in certain areas of the city, namely near the Boys and Girls Club and other areas where youth may be present. 

In other business, following months of debate over whether Council Vice President Josh Binda lives in Lynnwood, the council was slated to discuss residency requirements to hold elected office in the city, as requested by Councilmember Patrick Decker. Council President Nick Coelho, however, tabled the discussion, as it appeared Decker’s proposed city policy changes were not included in the council packet. 

Representatives of Gordon Thomas Honeywell  – the firm hired as Lynnwood’s lobbyist in Olympia – gave the council an update on the 2025 legislative session, which concluded April 29. 

Lawmakers appropriated $500,000 in the state’s budget for the 196th Street Southwest/Scriber Creek fish passage project, Amina Abdalla of Gordon Thomas Honeywell said. The project, led by the Washington Department of Transportation, aims to remove a culvert in Scriber Creek that runs under 196th Street, preventing fish from passing through, according to the WSDOT website. The department plans to remove the culvert and rebuild the stream for salmon access as early as spring 2028. The project is estimated to cost $7.48 million. 

Additionally, $1 million was allocated in the state budget for Lynnwood’s Public Facilities District planned development, known as The District, Abdalla said. The District project plans to redevelop the area around the Lynnwood Event Center into a transit-oriented residential and commercial neighborhood. The city originally requested $4 million from the state to help “revitalize” the event center. 

Related to The District, the Legislature also passed HB 1109, which allows cities to collect sales and use taxes to fund public facility projects, Abdalla told the council. 

In addition, Abdalla said state lawmakers passed HB1813, which removes some funding barriers delaying the opening of Lynnwood’s Crisis Care Center, another matter the council identified as a priority for this year’s session. The bill aims to improve access to mental health and substance abuse treatment for those on Medicaid. 

The new law moves behavioral health crisis services from the management of Medicaid providers into the hands of regional behavioral health organizations. The intent is to reduce the time an individual may have to wait to access services and closely monitors a client’s progress to ensure they’re seeing results.   

The city was not able to secure an additional $5 million in state funding that it had requested for the Poplar Way Bridge project. However, the $10 million already allocated for the project was retained. The city was also unable to acquire a $595,000 grant from the state for the Meadowdale Playfield project, Abdalla said. 

A recording of the meeting can be found on the city’s website. 

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.