[{"_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",6472337,"mediaKeyId","5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565","parentId",5776655,"title","Lynnwood finance staff map budget shortfall; Parks & Recreation faces staffing and program cuts","audioSeconds",1424,"startMs",10660000,"endMs",9236000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565&start=10660&end=9236","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565/thumbnail_10660000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6472337/Lynnwood/Snohomish-County/Washington/Lynnwood-finance-staff-map-budget-shortfall-Parks-Recreation-faces-staffing-and-program-cuts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6472337-6060d6f849fe3015d80ecac6f9ba3d3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288057&Signature=RQnG2Rkm9f1ztCTNPwmvJg~2gF6mzIPyl71pkygwzcwp3C8ZMsRXMcJ4rLdWiqGt5~rH6o46PcQ8kpLtEFzuXO2eTnN8MAL5V5CfquDb21bpN3VnrgEbC8iGLhvfYQ-NMq1D~z05J6sgXSp2FMqqSUzUEZ9iS8IxhVRxVwg4-fHb1LCwc8kbOW8UgIA87irNFeS94EQqFaoY2NiHwNoh-D49kAEf9d~d8mb-kVXk9Jky9ZRtMs2iFm-SN8jnpBylEQiFKVOD~NtLHmHMIRuOPtBzwJgcb~Khm96HSskLowZZ63RS4fP7X7Kr9~GnQGyoCA~T86ifLSk1H06xnJordw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lynnwood","date","2025-09-17T00:00:00Z","article","City finance and department leaders on Wednesday outlined the depth of Lynnwood’s mid‑biennium budget shortfall and detailed the department‑level reductions administrators have already made, with Parks & Recreation among the most affected departments.

Finance Director Michelle Meyer presented updated forecasts showing adopted 2023–26 revenues of $155 million and expenditures of $158 million at adoption; current estimates project about $134.5 million in revenues and $146.3 million in expenditures for the biennium, leaving the city well below the minimum fund‑balance policy unless changes are made. \"Our current estimate is 134,500,000 in revenues and 146,300,000 in expenditures,\" Meyer said.

Council members heard several revenue and expense levers staff are reviewing: property tax levy capacity (the city’s levy rate was stated at about 67¢ per $1,000 of assessed value, with an estimated lawful levy capacity near $11 million), sales‑tax volatility (the city’s largest revenue source), utility taxes and fee changes. Meyer said some recent accounting cleanups and internal fund transfers added roughly $2 million to general‑fund resources for the biennium and that staff will return with updated third‑quarter results in October.

Parks & Recreation Director Joel Faber reviewed staffing and program changes implemented to reduce costs. Faber said the department consolidated overlapping customer‑service roles (senior‑center and recreation‑center front‑desk and registration positions) and reduced part‑time staffing, several trip and special‑event programs, outdoor recreation offerings and some fleet vehicle counts. He said the senior center’s operations will continue and the city will host a town‑hall meeting for members; the city’s senior‑center hours are not changing, but several part‑time positions and some bus trips were reduced or reallocated.

\"We had to consolidate those two positions,\" Faber said of senior‑center and recreation‑center managerial roles, \"because the customer service manager at the rec center has a more in‑depth knowledge of our registration software system, as well as a closer working relationship with our finance department.\" He said the department was attempting to preserve core social‑service programming and park maintenance while reducing staff costs.

Council members asked how much revenue the rec‑center reductions could cost the city; Faber and Meyer said the loss is difficult to forecast immediately and that staff want several months of usage data after the changes settle before revising revenue estimates. Meyer cautioned that one recent month’s sales‑tax remittance included an unusually large lump sum from a single vendor, so month‑to‑month trends should be treated cautiously.

Council members also asked about vehicle replacement and fleet reserve policy. Faber said some low‑use vans and two minibuses were being scheduled for surplus/auction; he cautioned that leaving replacement contributions unfunded creates larger catch‑up costs later, so the city sought to balance replacing expensive specialized vehicles with current fiscal constraints.

The council discussed meeting schedules and asked staff to bring department directors to public work sessions for deeper briefings on cuts and forecasts. Council members also sought additional documentation to explain some of the national comparative figures presented earlier in the meeting and asked staff to produce Lynnwood‑specific numbers that can be shared with the public.

Votes at a glance: the only formal recorded vote during the session was a council motion to extend the meeting to the end of the agenda. A council member moved and another seconded; the chair called \"All in favor\" and the motion passed by voice vote.

Ending: Staff will return with Q3 revenue results at an Oct. 20 work session and council asked managers to schedule department briefings so members can question directors about operational tradeoffs. Meyer's office and department directors will continue to seek both near‑term revenue options and longer‑term structural changes to the revenue mix.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lynnwood - City Council Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","City finance staff told Lynnwood council on Wednesday that revised forecasts show a substantial mid‑biennium shortfall and outlined revenue and expenditure levers; Parks & Recreation director Joel Faber described staff consolidations, program reductions and vehicle surpluses the department has enacted to reduce costs.","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},6472342,"Urban3 analysis shows higher tax productivity for mixed‑use development; Lynnwood officials weigh annexation and policy tools",1817,3739000,5556000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565&start=3739&end=5556","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565/thumbnail_3739000.jpg","/articles/6472342/Lynnwood/Snohomish-County/Washington/Urban3-analysis-shows-higher-tax-productivity-for-mixeduse-development-Lynnwood-officials-weigh-annexation-and-policy-tools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6472342-87210954ff5464ea3b1be88b7164d88e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288057&Signature=HY3BIAHe9gaxAkOc4TdNxsTJNms7b93Wdf9fBaQC5W3BC4b1lzmT9DWHVsJeenbcUYSerlIL5hxTSnWhMOhbOFjBnyoTjTLwMk7UG6blZ95bD3f0zNivFe4lBcFfMLSWmwOiWJmGfc9jOrGOutbiK9hi~nlszPb4AODqejS9zRwfW1VtKuAMUDpDNg7Qyqare1SyDWhHwrRp9Y8IJjPBepmb7PGF5oPoD0J0Du75CNAm6SiQsUmjzL4MU1PLjG-8jjWqBQx8mdbJprNFWMe4kOOc4O7duyhvJA-eq6cM7QMqjbeS9sYd93tJQ-g8OGF6LJ6kHZBBFAXxKKamPpJi1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A consultant analysis used by Snohomish County and presented to the Lynnwood City Council on Wednesday shows property tax revenue per acre is far higher for compact, mixed‑use parcels than for low‑density single‑family land — a framing the consultant calls the difference between \"miles per tank\" and \"miles per gallon.\" Officials said the tool can help the city target annexation, transit‑oriented change and infrastructure investment.

Chris Collier, who presented the Urban3 work for the county alliance, described the analysis as an attempt to measure how much tax revenue each acre produces rather than raw totals. \"When you divide value by the acreage that it sits on, you come out far ahead\" with smaller commercial parcels and mixed‑use parcels, Collier said, showing maps that re‑ranked county parcels when measured per acre rather than in total assessed value.

The presentation displayed 2021 parcel data for Snohomish County and Lynnwood’s urban growth area and showed examples: some small commercial parcels and mixed‑use downtown parcels produced much higher taxable value per acre than large single‑use campus parcels. The presenters said the tool can be updated and used for subarea planning — for example, to model how parcels around a future light‑rail station might change value if the city encourages different uses.

Collier and Community Planning Manager Carl Omgren said the maps point to tradeoffs and to policy levers: annexation choices, the city’s Unified Development Code and incentives such as Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) programs can change future tax productivity. Omgren noted the city’s recent UDC updates implementing \"middle housing\" will change value over time; Collier added an example showing how a quarter‑mile area near a future transit stop could increase tax value per acre if denser, mixed uses replace lower‑productivity parcels.

Council members pressed for local context and asked for follow‑up. Council member Decker challenged nationwide slides that compared county and city per‑acre figures, saying the aggregated national numbers were difficult to reconcile with Lynnwood’s local property‑tax experience. Collier and staff said the specific Urban3 county maps and Lynnwood parcel breakdowns remain the best local evidence and that the county data and maps are available for staff and council analysis.

Several council members also asked for targeted studies the city could use for local decisions — for example, modeling the tax outcome from redevelopment of a particular strip mall or the North Line Village site. Collier and Carl Omgren said similar subarea analyses exist in the Urban3 decks and promised staff would work with the presenter to model specific parcels and to update the data.

Council and staff also discussed the city’s MFTE program and development agreements. Collier and Omgren said that in some modeled cases a tax‑exempt multifamily parcel can become a net positive to the city over a longer period once construction and leasing replace lower‑value surface parking — one Urban3 example showed a crossover in tax revenues after roughly a decade for certain exemptions. Omgren said staff is reviewing the city’s MFTE rules in light of recent state changes and recent local development activity.

Ending: Council members asked for follow‑up subarea analyses (including for North Line Village and city‑owned parcels) and asked staff to return with updated parcel data and, where possible, sales‑tax layering to complement property‑tax analysis. Collier and staff said the Urban3 maps are available to staff and can be updated on request.","A county‑commissioned Urban3 analysis presented to the Lynnwood City Council on Wednesday shows mixed‑use and smaller commercial parcels generate more property tax revenue per acre than large single‑family or surface‑parking parcels, and city staff said the maps can inform annexation, transit‑area planning and incentive programs.",{"_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},6472347,"Lynnwood partners select Sea Mar to run crisis care center; state funding and timeline remain in flux",3358,441000,3799000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565&start=441&end=3799","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5776655-25d3967d908c09e9472a1024af53b565/thumbnail_441000.jpg","/articles/6472347/Lynnwood/Snohomish-County/Washington/Lynnwood-partners-select-Sea-Mar-to-run-crisis-care-center-state-funding-and-timeline-remain-in-flux","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6472347-f5ed8871b7a09b5dc82594ab5816cb0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775288057&Signature=dKUUCVCLeLjOroXsXrKDcTOQA11tt~b6Q5DynRZhPZYcf2AiaYQfd1OQ5X5CXOkgFVQ~WE5aeT9iU~X~U1XXM4cp-iwHvJlqI-rLo0z36MA51c19WyinLTdmCw07QTXtspamtCTIQZAtWheiOIF4-4Vt0pj903t7ofKESQaMW00jADCBH5HLii1q34h9Y~TRJDOSg9QHj6khF3BTBOe70akUxnTx73~a4a7t5RnHYlxjA1YxAruzi88StXhoWj7NEZyIMeWvtdonrhyH7uB-iMdxtvmrRNWEPv~I9rR3BvTDkMu5rj2NDxGZWXZ9zFeH0v4oPI-DFiFCy4lbX0c6SA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lynnwood and regional partners on Wednesday introduced Sea Mar Community Health Centers as the organization selected to run the city’s planned crisis care center and said they expect the first phase to open in 2026 if licensing, staffing and state funding are secured.

The center, funded through a mix of Medicaid managed‑care reimbursements and state non‑Medicaid dollars, will offer a 23‑hour stabilization model with 16 recliner spaces and an adjacent 16‑bed crisis‑stabilization unit planned to open later, speakers said. Jan Rose Ottaway Martin, executive director of North Sound BHSO, said the facility is intended to remove pressure on hospital emergency departments and give law enforcement an alternative to take people in crisis.

\"We jointly released the RFP to seek a new provider for that facility,\" Ottaway Martin said. \"Sea Mar was selected as the provider for this facility.\" Claudia De Allegri, Sea Mar’s chief of behavioral health, said Sea Mar brings regional capacity — behavioral health clinics, residential programs and an inpatient facility on the I‑5 corridor — and that the organization is negotiating labor agreements and hiring clinicians now.

Sea Mar and other partners described the 23‑hour model (often described in federal guidance as a short‑term stabilization approach) as a way to triage and stabilize people while providing a short plan and warm handoff back to services. \"It's almost like a NASCAR pit stop,\" Chief Langdon said, describing the intended rapid assessment, stabilization and planning approach.

Speakers said state law changes last session shifted administrative responsibility for these facilities. \"House Bill 1813 passed last legislative session that moves the management of these types of facilities out of the hands of the managed care organizations and assigned it to North Sound BHSO,\" Ottaway Martin said. At the same time, the Health Care Authority had circulated a decision packet that partners said could provide about $39 million for non‑Medicaid support statewide; partners called that a key development for sustainability.

Sea Mar and North Sound BHSO gave operational details: the first phase is a 23‑hour model with 16 recliners (the group said the average stay in similar sites has been about 18 hours), and a separate 16‑bed crisis stabilization unit would follow. Sea Mar said it expects to begin hiring — including psychiatrists and medical staff — and to be negotiating with unions; the organization’s staff said they hope to begin operations in 2026. Representative Davis said she expected patients to be seen as soon as the program and staffing allow, saying, \"I am the happiest person on the planet that we're moving, patients seen, Q1 of next year.\" (Rep. Davis’s comment was recorded during the meeting; Sea Mar and other partners later described 2026 as the operational target.)

Law‑enforcement partners urged the council that the facility will reduce repeated emergency‑room visits and cycling through jails. \"Our emergency departments are overworked already,\" Chief Langdon said. \"Anything we could do to remove the burden from them and frankly get people the laser focused and appropriate treatment they need by having a facility that's ready to go…that is a game changer for us.\" Deputy Chief Steichen and other regional responders also said they would publicize the center to neighboring jurisdictions.

Speakers identified some operational uncertainties: demand and patient mix are unknown (some partners expect more substance‑use patients), and location and staffing diversity (languages and cultural competency) will matter. Sea Mar said it has experience across Washington and a clinic block away from the facility that supports case management and continuity of care. Partners also discussed state licensing rules (WACs) and a statutory \"no‑decline\" policy for intake that will require local operational decisions about how to manage capacity and safety.

Council members asked about cost and the city's role. Officials repeatedly said Lynnwood expects to be the landlord and not the long‑term operator or primary funder. \"There is not a world where a county or city should have to subsidize these facilities,\" Ottaway Martin said, adding that partners were advocating at the state level for non‑Medicaid operating funds. Council members and Sea Mar representatives said they will track performance, hold stakeholder meetings and report data back to the city and county.

Partners asked the council to consider the facility as part of a regional system, with South Snohomish County and North King County expected to use the center. Funding, licensing and staffing remain the final milestones before opening. \"We'll be collecting data with Sea Mar,\" Ottaway Martin said, and partners said they would convene an ongoing stakeholder group to monitor operations and community impact.

Ending: Council members praised the selection and asked for additional updates as Sea Mar proceeds with hiring, licensing and operational planning. Partners said they would return with more specifics on the second‑phase stabilization beds and on contracts and funding as those items are finalized.

","Lynnwood and regional partners on Wednesday introduced Sea Mar Community Health Centers as the operator selected for a new 23‑hour crisis care center in Lynnwood and said they expect the facility to open in 2026 if licensing, staffing and state funding are secured.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lynnwood finance staff map budget shortfall; Parks & Recreation faces staffing and program cuts

Urban3 analysis shows higher tax productivity for mixed‑use development; Lynnwood officials weigh annexation and policy tools

Lynnwood partners select Sea Mar to run crisis care center; state funding and timeline remain in flux