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Key takeaways:
- The Council appointed Chelsea Wright to the vacant Position 6 seat.
- Councilmembers also approved a construction contract for the Poplar Way Bridge, with groundbreaking scheduled for March.
- The Council appointed four people to City commissions.
- Residents and Councilmembers voiced concerns over the presence of federal immigration in Lynnwood.
Lynnwood once again has a full City Council after Councilmembers appointed Chelsea Wright to take Mayor Hurst’s former Position 6 seat. The appointment followed the approval of a contract for the Poplar Way Bridge project, the selection of new City commission members and the airing of concerns from residents and councilmembers amid national political tensions.
After a few rounds of voting, the council unanimously voted to appoint Wright to the Position 6 seat. Wright serves as the chair of the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission and works for the Washington Department of Labor and Industries.
Read more about Wright and the appointment process here.
Poplar Way Bridge Contract
In a significant move for City infrastructure, the Council voted to award a construction contract to Max J. Kuney Company for the Poplar Way Bridge project. The resolution authorized a contract of approximately $44.9 million, plus a 10% contingency ($4.5 million). The Council rejected a lower bid from OMA Construction, which staff determined was “unresponsive and unbalanced” due to irregularities in line-item pricing and missing documentation, City documents said.
The project, which has a total estimated budget of $58.2 million funded primarily through federal and state grants, will construct a new six-lane bridge over Interstate 5. No general fund money will be used for the project, with money coming instead from a mix of other city funds, including transportation funds, the economic development fund and the utility fund. The bridge will connect the intersection of 196th Street Southwest and Poplar Way to 33rd Avenue West, aiming to relieve congestion near the Alderwood Mall and City Center. Groundbreaking is expected in March, with a target completion date of April 2028.
City Engineer David Mach said staff will continue seeking state funds to ease Lynnwood’s financial burden, but the City can afford the project under the current funding plan.
The project will create a sixth crossing over “the barrier that is I-5,” Mach said.
The new bridge is to be built near the future Alderwood Mall light rail station, but Mach said the bridge should be completed before Sound Transit begins its work. However, some coordination will likely take place with the transit agency during construction of the Stride S2 line, which will connect ynnwood to Bellevue via I-5. The new bus line is part of Sound Transit’s effort to build two other rapid bus lines connecting the Puget Sound region.
New City commissioners
The Council also interviewed and unanimously appointed four new commissioners to City advisory boards:
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission: Maryam Aburabie, Mara Brewster and Melody Schneider.
- Human Services Commission: Cody Haight.
As a Lynnwood native with a master’s degree in policy from the University of Washington Bothell, Aburabie stated she hopes to represent the local Arab community.
Brewster is a program director for Intercultural Children and Family Services and holds a psychology degree from Western Washington University, where she researched implicit bias.
Schneider, now retired, taught at Edmonds College for 18 years. She previously co-chaired the college’s Faculty Senate Equity and Inclusion Committee and has engaged in social justice work since the 1980s.
Haight brings over 20 years of public health experience to the commission and currently serves as treasurer for the Edmonds School District Special Education PTSA.
Black History Month
The meeting began with a proclamation designating February as Black History Month. The City honored several community leaders, including Lynnwood Neighborhood Center Director Meisha Wangerin, and Mountlake Terrace Mayor Steve Woodard and Councilmember William Page Jr.
Representing Edmonds College was Dr. Yvonne Terrell-Powell, vice president of student success, and student administrator Tiffany Mphepo along with Chelsea Wright and Rosa Murillo from Lynnwood’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission.
Other business
During public comments, several residents expressed concern over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence in Lynnwood. Over the weekend, several residents reported sightings of ICE in the City.
Councilmembers responded to the comments, with Mayor Hurst reading the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, while urging residents to protect their rights and those of their neighbors.
“I ask my fellow residents of Lynwood to be the one to speak out when you see injustice,” Hurst said. “Be the one to make sure we have a city where all are welcome.”
Previously, Councilmember Isabel Mata introduced legislation aimed to ensure law enforcement accountability, shortly after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Jan. 7 fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mata, who is of Jewish dissent, reminded those at Monday’s meeting of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. She spoke on the importance of studying history to identify the warning signs of such events.
“The Holocaust did not begin with death camps,” Mata said. “It began with propaganda, misinformation, with neighbors being labeled dangerous, with government agents operating with unchecked power. with people disappearing from their homes while the rest of the society was told not to ask questions, not to intervene, and to simply let the government powers do their job.”
Further, the council adopted the planning calendar for the 2027-2028 biennial budget, as required by state law. The calendar ensures Lynnwood follows the required timelines when building a budget.
The meeting agenda and recording is available on the City’s website.
— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.
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