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Residents are invited Sept. 8 to weigh in on whether Lynnwood should overturn its ban on cannabis sales and whether the city should annex the former Alderwood Middle School property.The Lynnwood City Council is inviting comments during public hearings before the council decides whether to cement these propositions into city law.
Councilmembers are set to vote on the annexation Monday. A vote on the cannabis ban is scheduled for Sept. 22.
Ahead of the public hearings, Monday’s meeting will start with a proclamation in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
More than a decade after the legalization of recreational cannabis in Washington state, retail sales are illegal in Lynnwood after the council issued a ban in 2015. The latest effort to overturn the ban is a year in the making, introduced by Councilmember George Hurst in September 2024. Hurst also spearheaded a 2021 effort to overturn the ban, but the council voted against it, including Mayor Christine Frizzell who was a councilmember at the time.
Read more about what cannabis retail could look like in Lynnwood here.
The council is also scheduled to review an ordinance spearheaded by Councilmember Patrick Decker clarifying residency requirements for Lynnwood elected officials and whether an elected official can hold dual elected offices.
Former Councilmember Julieta Altimarano-Crosby resigned in January, following her election to the Snohomish County Public Facilities District. This was preceded by council debate over whether an elected official in Lynnwood should be allowed to hold another elected office.
Later that month, the community and councilmembers alike questioned Council Vice President Josh Binda’s Lynnwood residency upon discovery of a 2023 eviction from his Lynnwood apartment, an Everett address listed on his financial documents, and a temporary inactive voter registration status.
These instances revealed ambiguity in city and state law around qualifications to hold elected office. The council, as a result, set out to change this by developing ordinances to clarify city code.
The full meeting agenda can be viewed here.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 8 at Lynnwood City Hall: 19100 44th Ave. W. It will also be livestreamed on the city’s website and Zoom.
— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.
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