[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6546979,"mediaKeyId","3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9","parentId",3409792,"title","Lynnwood advances plan to form city‑center tax‑increment finance area; state treasurer flagged monitoring steps","audioSeconds",2278,"startMs",7980000,"endMs",10258000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9&start=7980&end=10258","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9/thumbnail_7980000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6546979/Lynnwood/Snohomish-County/Washington/Lynnwood-advances-plan-to-form-citycenter-taxincrement-finance-area-state-treasurer-flagged-monitoring-steps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6546979-db98c981eb27e4c92379f51c633517af/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213383&Signature=Yj1ToawTRPuxShC2eWyGdZJC58a9WS8P4ZwUplY9Lpu4vECU8fBD-MjmJcvQJWEQvVjfABHcq0te2yq-Fx0WCGuh4EIUdUBQpVgt1qxxhsqBupfM2Zynz3K0mArN8rTMJO6BX1H9RskaEi~Z2ZdaXEi4JTa1GwzuvAP1qLHHefzi95LhluQhMgIa2qgpj689bmciQjklVg3JYqWKDWUayis1MPmrOH~fuKg8x0zvLFSXnqVQHy40GxV7Ym9At1snfFJZlE5ouTXhiT4AvL0cE1IS6nCgMBiQN751oVbbaCYC8I5cqpT7ri7VFUXS0KG-nKiWhqeqngdZ-uB4VlE-PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lynnwood","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","City economic development staff and consultants updated the Lynnwood City Council May 19 on a planned tax‑increment financing (TIF) area for Lynnwood City Center that would capture property‑tax growth from new development in a defined boundary and use those incremental revenues to finance public infrastructure.

Why it matters: TIF (also called tax‑increment financing) redirects property‑tax revenue attributable to new development inside the TIF boundary for a fixed period (statute allows up to 25 years, or until improvements are paid). Lynnwood staff say the tool can accelerate infrastructure construction in the city center and position the city to leverage grants by becoming “shovel‑ready.”

Scope and timeline: Economic development manager Ben Walters and consultant Bob Stowe told council members the city has completed a required project analysis and submitted it to the Office of the State Treasurer (OST). OST returned a review (April 14) with six recommendations, including: (1) close coordination with the county assessor and junior taxing districts on revenue collection and boundaries; (2) plans for debt service should TIF revenues fall short; (3) reserves to cover early shortfalls; (4) periodic cost estimate updates; and (5) revisiting interest‑rate assumptions before issuing debt.

Key numbers discussed: The project analysis in council materials uses a moderate‑growth scenario and an initial assessed value of roughly $177 million inside the proposed TIF boundary; state law and modeling limit total initial assessed value across all TIFs to about $200 million, so the city would retain modest headroom for a second district. Staff said the Office of the State Treasurer’s review is routine; its letter recommended monitoring and periodic updates rather than blocking the proposal.

Taxing‑district outreach: Staff reported repeated briefings to affected junior districts (Snohomish County, Sound Transit, the library district, the hospital district and the fire authority). Those districts asked questions about revenue timing and potential impacts to their levy capacity; staff said the city will provide ongoing reporting to taxing districts. Staff noted some districts could elect a statutory levy‑adjustment mechanism to compensate for revenue changes, which would modestly shift levy costs to taxpayers outside the TIF area over 25 years in those districts’ models. The packet includes an illustrative homeowner impact if all junior districts applied the statutory levy adjustment: roughly $5.80 total over 25 years for an average home (model assumptions and utilization of multifamily tax exemption affect that figure).

Decision point: Walters told council members the next step is for the council to adopt a TIF formation ordinance (the “formation ordinance”) at the May 20 business meeting if it wishes to proceed; the statute includes a June 1 deadline for filing with county assessment staff to allow county timing to set up tax capture for the coming tax cycle. Walters and consultants said passage of a formation ordinance does not itself commit the city to issue debt or spend funds; it creates the district and identifies public improvements the city anticipates bonding to pay for.

Council discussion: Council members asked about junior‑district reaction, the multifamily tax‑exemption assumptions used in revenue modeling (staff used an assumed mix of 12‑year and 8‑year MFTE utilization in its base case), and whether other entities (port, county) could create competing TIFs. Staff said outreach has been extensive, OST review is routine, and the county assessor’s office asked the city to supply a legal metes‑and‑bounds description of the boundary if the formation ordinance proceeds.

Ending: Staff will return with a formation ordinance for council action at the next business meeting and have committed to ongoing reporting to taxing districts and to the council about revenue performance and any changes to project cost assumptions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lynnwood - City Council Work Session - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Economic development staff and outside consultants briefed council on a proposed city‑center tax‑increment financing (TIF) area intended to fund infrastructure that supports downtown growth; the Office of the State Treasurer recommended coordination with taxing districts, revenue monitoring, and reserve planning.","taxTitle","Lynnwood, Snohomish County, Washington","taxId",58431,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6546984,"Lynnwood outlines multi‑year plan to rebuild aging wastewater plant; initial cost estimate roughly $208 million",2199,4963000,7162000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9&start=4963&end=7162","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9/thumbnail_4963000.jpg","/articles/6546984/Lynnwood/Snohomish-County/Washington/Lynnwood-outlines-multiyear-plan-to-rebuild-aging-wastewater-plant-initial-cost-estimate-roughly-208-million","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6546984-a421e36235e02a73904bd443f463fc98/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213383&Signature=ZNbTijYtamMPiwNx890szf6rkSJIVmR-2tYSviZ9EvrdRYzOfge-6P~KDcwDWIlWqBGJpa06GltGL8bSq~BY6nkUMbcCnZMkRsFWY6fw8HVXWAxmpEdM6vHytvxPYgTuN~OAKR9MKPMIhuTrPuLsRXY0FsJTkTGPEX1HzTuXOUUUNGVqNQV4c35ioz1rmD9pvBh83V~o0Vc6a7RXCMl9p43dL8oahgPQ3rt9m-TcC1OnmHRvckGjlSbCUt0sWk6c5gZRc7hUXnMy3TfEzCgp91coA6NuJe4~AeoHNiIGBnUUfM7qMEK9e36VjWzwWLopWf1MNJ0RMiKQfDC9TtJL-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Lynnwood’s public‑works leadership briefed the City Council May 19 on a multi‑year plan to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant, a facility built in 1962 that staff describe as functionally aged and constrained by geography.

Director of Public Works Jared Bond, Public Works program manager Asan Sherkani and plant supervisor Tanner Boyle told council members the project will be the most complex and expensive Lynnwood has pursued and that constrained site geometry — the plant sits on a steep slope within Edmonds city limits and is surrounded by residential parcels — is a major challenge.

Why it matters: The plant must continue 24/7 while critical systems are replaced, staff said. The plant previously ran an incinerator for solids that failed emission standards and produced an administrative enforcement action; current biosolids are trucked off‑site. Upgrades will address regulatory drivers (including Ecology nutrient‑removal requirements), aging infrastructure and future capacity needs.

Project approach and timing: Staff said they retained consultant RH2 to produce a facilities plan and compared three broad alternatives: (1) rebuild and expand at the existing site (recommended as most cost‑effective), (2) build a new plant elsewhere in the city (higher cost, land availability concerns), and (3) decommission the plant and send flows to the regional system (very high cost and loss of rate/delivery control). The council was told the city intends to use a GCCM (general contractor/construction manager) delivery to allow early contractor involvement, staged procurement and a guaranteed maximum price before full commitment.

Asan Sherkani summarized procurement milestones the city expects: advertise a design RFP next month, select and execute a designer contract by early October, apply for GCCM approval with the State Project Review Committee (anticipated January 2026), and hire GCCM when the design reaches ~25% (mid‑2026). Sherkani and Bond emphasized the current cost numbers are class‑4 estimates (early stage) and therefore subject to wide variation (roughly –30% to +50% range).

Costs and uncertainty: Staff cited an initial “opinion of cost” of about $208 million (class‑4, 2021 estimate) and noted they have built contingencies into budgeting because of the project’s early stage. Sherkani said the city is updating the cost and revenue model with its rate consultant (FCS) and the work will inform the city’s upcoming utility‑rate study. Bond told council members the city will use a mix of utility rates, connection charges, bonds and grants to finance the program and is preparing a financing workshop with the city’s financial partners.

Site and permitting constraints: Sherkani noted Lynnwood’s plant sits on about the only available footprint for the facility and that the city has identified and owns adjacent parcels it plans to annex from Edmonds for modest expansion of headworks and solids handling. Staff said they have begun discussions with Edmonds staff on any necessary boundary/annexation steps. They also noted that biosolids strategy is a moving target: regulations on PFAS and other “forever chemicals” could affect the final solids treatment and end markets. Bond said the city is watching changing state and regional regulatory requirements before finalizing a long‑term biosolids disposition plan.

Council questions and staff answers: Council members asked about alternatives, annexation needs, biosolids disposal, nighttime staffing of the plant and the incinerator enforcement action. Staff said the city settled an enforcement matter related to incinerator emissions and currently hauls biosolids off site; new facilities aim to reduce trucking by producing Class A or B biosolids that can be marketed as soil amendment. Staff confirmed that the plan aims to provide capacity for projected demand over the coming decades and that the city will continue to pursue grants and other sources to lower rate impacts.

Ending: Bond told council members the city is positioned early in the statewide schedule of nutrient‑removal projects, which could help in grant competitiveness, and promised regular updates. Staff plan public tours of the plant and additional council briefings as cost and schedule details firm up.","Public Works staff described a plan to replace and expand the 1962 Lynnwood wastewater treatment plant on a tight, sloped site, recommended GCCM project delivery, and said the early construction estimate (Class 4) was roughly $208 million with wide contingencies.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6546990,"Lynnwood council hears public-defense staffing concerns, meets new court commissioner",3033,755000,3788000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9&start=755&end=3788","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409792-de7dad3d2fb4fe7d0692bc78bf1607f9/thumbnail_755000.jpg","/articles/6546990/Lynnwood/Snohomish-County/Washington/Lynnwood-council-hears-public-defense-staffing-concerns-meets-new-court-commissioner","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6546990-9b77b81dc46c74f2f1b07100c348770e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213383&Signature=YoWnKiQqLuUZdHvFoVa37hbuc--DB~txVSpTtaaDyeXS1BUk3H-YlL03xuQVZKxvc75WnZmzXEHpPcEvDVt1zgcrrq1nOKftFBxB1yHJKERN6N8zOa1h6hMityCTfF86-6OX2V4j9vT2GVBAMOKk3h2w943aQbf6mlpYUhFqgueKGaRfKZgCXcwcnn27xOqJI7E2~ZtPwER7zaS1BRlqlfGJGeZ08VW-nI8SvfEiMTr-jRWJeYNf6hCSMrF~aJmDBVIptMnfobdSKpuHiK3LGhlkT0c8PN9AgwsEFsnQoMSlusFIGtkhHksmLp28M9xeYpo56irhWBlgah3ENUwTCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Patrick Feldman, supervisor for Feldman Lee, the private firm contracted to provide indigent defense for the City of Lynnwood, told the City Council at a May 19 work session that proposed statewide caseload limits and more time-consuming discovery will raise the city’s public-defense staffing needs.

The briefing outlined why Feldman Lee is seeking a short contract extension to Dec. 31 and urged the council to expect to revisit staffing and contract terms when the Washington Supreme Court and other state bodies finalize new caseload standards, Feldman said.

Why it matters: Feldman told council members that long-standing national and state legal requirements — including the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section 22 of the Washington Constitution — guarantee an accused person the right to competent counsel. He said changes in case counting, heavier evidence (body-worn camera footage), and anticipated new state standards will require more attorneys and support staff if they take effect.

Feldman described the background and mechanics of how public defense is provided in Lynnwood Municipal Court, from screening and arraignment to pretrial and confirmation hearings. He said Linwood’s (sic) contract with Feldman Lee expires June 30 and the firm proposed a six-month bridge (to Dec. 31) to allow time for the state standards to be announced and for the parties to negotiate contract adjustments.

Feldman: “When these standards get announced, we need to sort of come back together, because undoubtedly, even in the most sort of optimistic view, 400 is not gonna be the new number.”

Key details from the presentation: Feldman said the old, widely used benchmark of 400 unweighted misdemeanor cases per lawyer per year dates to earlier time studies and does not reflect modern evidence demands. Under one proposed standard referenced in Feldman’s materials (often discussed publicly as a move from 400 to about 280 cases per attorney), the city’s workload and case-weighting changes could increase the staff needed to handle Linwood caseloads. Using four months of local data (January–April), Feldman reported Lynnwood was on pace for 1,385 unweighted cases; under the proposed weighting and lower case limits his conservative projection raised that to about 1,592 cases and an illustrative requirement of roughly 5.7 full-time lawyer equivalents (versus about 3.5 under the existing system). He warned the figures are early estimates and will change as the state standards and cost estimates are finalized.

Council concerns and contract language: Council members asked how Feldman Lee uses Rule 9 (student/limited-practice) attorneys and whether supervision reduces workload. Feldman said Rule 9 participation is limited (statutorily capped in practice) and supervisory time reduces the net benefit. Several council members expressed concern about a draft contract clause obligating the city and contractor “to negotiate in good faith” when standards are announced; Council Member Decker asked for softer language to avoid constraining the city. Feldman said the draft was a proposal, not a final demand.

New court commissioner: Judge Valerie Befeu introduced Robert Grant, who was sworn in April 18 and has started as a full-time court commissioner. Befeu said Lynnwood Municipal Court had about 67,000 filings in 2024 — roughly a third of limited-jurisdiction filings across Snohomish County — and the commissioner post was added to address the workload. Grant outlined his background in case management at an inpatient treatment facility, his years as a Snohomish County prosecutor, and work for the Washington Attorney General’s Office; he said he will focus on maintaining timely calendars and helping the presiding judge with administrative duties.

Context and next steps: Feldman and Befeu both encouraged council members to observe court calendars and “in-custody” dockets to better understand daily operations. Feldman asked the council to expect further contract negotiations once the Supreme Court announces final caseload standards and recommended the six-month extension to Dec. 31 as a short-term measure. The council did not take a formal vote on the Feldman Lee contract in the work session; staff signaled they would return with updated contract language and additional briefings.

Ending: Council members thanked Feldman and the court for the briefing and said they expect follow-up discussions on rates, staffing and any contract language once state standards are final.","City contractors and the presiding judge told council members that rising case complexity and proposed state caseload standards could require more public defenders, investigators and support staff; the council also introduced newly hired court commissioner Robert Grant.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lynnwood advances plan to form city‑center tax‑increment finance area; state treasurer flagged monitoring steps

Lynnwood outlines multi‑year plan to rebuild aging wastewater plant; initial cost estimate roughly $208 million

Lynnwood council hears public-defense staffing concerns, meets new court commissioner