Brenda Stonecipher Chairs First City Council Meeting As President For 2021

January 14, 2021

Everett Government

Brenda Stonecipher is President of the Everett City Council this year.

Last week the members of the Everett City Council voted Brenda Stonecipher as council President. The vote was unanimous with the exception of councilmember Vogeli abstaining. A council vice-president has not yet been chosen and council committee positions are currently the same as 2020 but that is subject to change.

Wednesday night’s meeting began with Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin asking for approval of appointees to various City boards and commissions. Approval was unanimous with councilmember Scott Bader expressing concerns over the large number of appointees who lived north of 41st street and a desire to attract or select more residents from south Everett.

During the public comments section of the meeting a citizen who is a property owner in the area of Everett Station expressed concerns over the Everett Station District Alliance getting a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to consider re-development plans for city-owned properties in the area and calling the effort the “out-sourcing” of City of Everett Planning activities. The City Attorney and Councilmember Roberts both chimed in that no such “outsourcing” could happen or was happening. Councilmembers asked for a briefing on the grant, study and the City’s role if any in the effort.

The council approved acceptance of a grant from Snohomish County to study the area known as Wood Creek Open Space. That area covers about 92 acres and sits below the Valley View neighborhood. It was originally designated as a water supply for Everett and belongs to the Utility division. It hasn’t been used for 100 years and thus was put on the surplus list until an outcry from neighbors and critical habitat advocates. The study will involve Forterra and look at geotechnical and environmental issues with the property.

The city council also received briefings on new utility rates. The current rate ordinance expired at the end of December and the proposed overall utility charge increases for a single-family customer using 1,000 cubic feet of water per month would be 2.95% in 2021, 2.52% in 2022, 2.56% in 2023 and 2.60% in 2024. A public hearing and vote are scheduled for the 27th of the month. You can see the proposed ordinance here.

Another briefing covered the vacation of two blocks of property in the area of Larch and Fir streets for the Everett Housing Authority to move forward with the Baker Heights redevelopment. As a result of the vacation the City would receive $850,000.00. Residents in the Delta neighborhood are advocating for that money to be spent on sidewalks on 15th street but a resolution passed last year (73-97) says that money must go into a fund prioritized by Public Works projects city wide and not just for the neighborhood where vacations occurred.

One other quick briefing indicates more competition for internet and phone service may come to Everett as Level 3 Communications is asking for a Telecommunications Franchise. They are a division of Lumen which is the former Century Link.

A public hearing and vote on the vacation and the Telecommunications Franchise are scheduled for January 27th.



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