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Back row from left: Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Betsy Robertson, Annette Ademasu, Eben Pobee, Keith Scully Front row from left: Mayor Chris Roberts, Deputy Mayor Laura Mork |
The council unanimously approved a $40,000 contribution towards a feasibility study for a bike bridge to Edmonds over SR104 to close a dangerous gap in the Interurban Trail.
The bike bridge was absent from the city’s
original budget and capital improvement plan but after community
feedback and public comment, the city added an amendment to pitch in a small amount for a study of the project when and only if another jurisdiction takes the lead.
A
previous article incorrectly said the amendment would pay for a case manager. Ramsdell’s amendment will fund a mental health counselor, not a behavioral health case manager.
Counseling and case management provide distinctly different services.
In an email, Ramsdell clarified, “Although the senior center's social worker provides many critical services for our seniors, mental health counseling services is not one of them. The need for counseling has been clearly identified as an unmet need at the center.
For example, of the 136 clients served in 2023 by the onsite social worker, 65 exhibited symptoms indicating possible underlying mental health concerns that were impacting their functioning and quality of life.
These include signs of depression and anxiety, unresolved grief, addictive behaviors, and cognitive decline. These clients would have benefited from treatment by a behavioral health provider, which the senior center does not currently provide.”
Earlier this year, the city council added a
new goal to conduct
neighborhood subarea planning with a focus on
High Activity Areas (HAAs) and neighborhood commercial centers and corridors.
City staff had allocated $600,000 in the proposed budget to pay for two subarea plans but the city council voted five-to-two to cut the funding.
“This is a huge amount of money,” said councilmember Keith Scully speaking against funding for subarea planning. “I don't think we get any value of subarea plans,” he said.
“I respect the opinions from our colleagues on the Chamber of Commerce, but quite frankly, a subarea plan doesn't get us to any of the goals they've mentioned,” Scully said in response to public comments from the community and chamber of commerce.
“What this ends up doing is getting a ton of staff time, a ton of neighborhood involvement, a ton of comments on a plan that, quite frankly, may never become reality.”
The city is finalizing its
2024 Comprehensive Plan which studies all areas in the city and will update zoning rules in all neighborhoods.
“In the next month, we are going to be reviewing the entirety of our development code and our comprehensive plan,” Mayor Chris Roberts said in opposition to subarea plan funding. “We have money in the budget for a comprehensive review of the development code,” he said.
In 2023, the city hired a temporary Grant Administrator who helped the city receive $1,414,803 last year and an anticipated $5,165,250 this year with millions more in pending grant requests.
The temporary position is set to expire in early 2026 and councilmember Laura Mork proposed an amendment to make the position permanent. The council voted one-to-six against making the position permanent after city staff told the council they can consider making the position permanent in next year’s mid-biennium budget.
The city plans to study a citizen-initiated proposal to convert the southern block of
Firlands Way into a pedestrian-friendly
woonerf.
The road is the city’s oldest paved road and has an unusually wide 90 feet of city right-of-way. The council voted unanimously to expand the scope of the study northward into the residential portion of the road which could be repurposed as open space in a neighborhood with few parks.
The council previously
discussed the Firlands proposal in 2023.
The council also approved funding for a historical marker on Firlands Way.
An amendment from councilmember Keith Scully to cut $27,500 annually for
councilmember travel and training expenses was rejected in a three-to-four vote.
According to city staff, councilmembers took 23 trips in 2024 and 24 trips in 2023. Before COVID, councilmembers took 13 trips in 2018 and 21 trips in 2017.
The council voted to add a 318 foot section of
sidewalk along 25th Ave NE north of Brugger's Bog Park the city’s
2025-2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). A sidewalk is already planned to be built along the front of Brugger’s Bog Park and further south, the city plans improvements to its maintenance facility which will include adding a sidewalk. But no plans for a sidewalk north of the park have been planned.
The council unanimously approved funding for a winter light display at the Park at Town Center sponsored by councilmember Betsy Robertson.
Earlier this year Shoreline ended its twenty-year sister city relationship with Boryeong City, South Korea. The council approved a
proposal from councilmember Eben Pobee forming a
new sister city relationship with Akropong, Ghana.Since 2021, the city has spent American Rescue Plan funds on a Community Support Specialist to help residents in need get connected with services. Those funds have now been spent. The council approved one time funds to keep the specialist position for another two years.
The council will extend its Sound Transit Light Rail Project Manager position for six more months to close out and finalize remaining work.
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