Lake Forest Park council appoints Ashton Alvarez McCartney to fill vacant seat

The Lake Forest Park City Council appointed Ashton Alvarez McCartney to temporarily fill the vacant Position 2 seat after a June 5 special meeting that included interviews with three candidates and a return from executive session.

The council convened the special meeting to interview candidates for the interim appointment and to discuss those candidates’ qualifications; the council said it might take action after an executive session conducted under state open‑meetings law. Mayor (presiding) said the panel would take public comment after interviews and then move to executive session “per the RCWs.” City attorney Kim Pratt later told the council that because six members were present, “a candidate has to receive 4 votes in order to be appointed.”

Why it matters: The appointment fills a seat the council said was recently vacated and comes as the city faces a projected budget shortfall and state mandates for middle housing. Council members used the candidate interviews to press for specifics on how an interim appointee would help with resident outreach,…