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The Lynnwood City Council is scheduled to meet this weekend for its annual summit to discuss priorities for the coming year. The meeting will also include a presentation from Mike Bailey, a financial consultant with decades of experience as a finance director and consultant for local governments in the region. Jurisdictions he previously worked for include Lynnwood, Redmond, Edmonds, Everett, Wenatchee and Pierce County.
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
- Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Location: Lynnwood City Hall in Council Chambers, 19100 44th Ave W
The meeting is open to the public and can be watched in-person at city hall or live on the City’s website. The recording will also be uploaded at a later date.
The Council summit is a longer, in-depth meeting where Councilmembers have open discussion on goals and priorities for the year and the issues most pressing to the City. The goal of the meeting is to identify a plan to reach these goals and address what’s happening in the community. The summit allows councilmembers to hold lengthy discussion outside of the more formal and restrictive format of regular Council meetings.
2025 in review
During the 2025 summit, the Council identified its priorities including housing, homelessness, fair labor practices, public safety, government transparency, capital funding and growth preparation.
The Council also discussed potential annexation plans, as is identified in the City’s Comprehensive plan. While no large moves were made on annexation last year, the Council in September voted to annex the old Alderwood Middle School property, at the request of Edmonds School District.
The Council also discussed Councilmember residency requirements at the previous summit, after former Councilmember Josh Binda’s Lynnwood residency was questioned last year. The Council later tightened residency requirements as a result.
The body did make moves in housing in 2025 by adopting a new Unified Development Code, clarifying the City’s development and housing standards and permitting processes.
In 2025 the Council discussed fair labor practices, weighing the idea of requiring project labor agreements to set a standard for working conditions and wages for city projects. No official action was taken, even after a whistleblower reported stolen wages and unethical working conditions at the Enzo apartments construction site in Lynnwood.
Regarding public safety, the Council discussed potentially rebranding the “Let’s Talk About Safety” community meetings spearheaded by Former Councilmember Altamirano-Crosby– but no such meetings took place.
However, youth safety was a big priority of the Council. In August Councilmembers approved Lynnwood’s first Youth Council and applications opened last week. The Youth Council aims to give Lynnwood’s youth a voice in City government and an active role in shaping the policies affecting them.
Other notable moments of 2025 included the reversal of Lynnwood’s ban on cannabis sales in September, the controversial Position 5 appointment process, the approval and later pause on Flock license plate cameras and a significant budget deficit leading to cuts to staff and services. The Council also entered a contract with the Lynnwood Public Facilities District for a 13-acre redevelopment project and approved significant increases to taxes, utilities, development, business license and permitting costs.
— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.
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