Lake Stevens council elects new president, names vice president and fills liaison posts
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Summary
At a Jan. 6 special meeting, the Lake Stevens City Council elected Council President Dorsett, approved Kim Shipman as vice president, and assigned council liaisons to internal and external boards amid discussion about conflicts of interest and committee voting authority.
The Lake Stevens City Council on Jan. 6 elected Council Member Dorsett as council president and selected Kim Shipman as vice president during a special meeting that also filled liaison seats to local boards and intergovernmental bodies.
Mayor introduced nominations and the council conducted roll-call ballots for president and vice president after brief statements by the nominees. Following the votes, the mayor announced "Council president Dorsett." A separate roll-call vote for the vice president position yielded approval for Shipman.
Council members then reviewed and assigned a long list of liaison roles and alternates for internal boards (including the library board, park board, planning commission and sewer utility committee) and outside organizations (Community Transit, the Association of Washington Cities, the Chamber of Commerce, the affordable housing alliance and others). Several members emphasized the need for continuity on commissions that meet frequently; others volunteered as alternates to ensure representation.
The council took a roll-call vote to select a representative to the sewer utility committee, amid discussion that some residents and council members raised about potential perceived conflicts of interest tied to campaign donations. After debate, Council Member McManus was chosen as the city's representative to the sewer utility committee; council members noted that major litigation or decisions related to the sewer district would still be returned to the full council for deliberation.
On regional transit representation, the council voted to designate Council Member Araya as the city's representative to the Community Transit board, a voting seat the council described as important given Lake Stevens' role among the county's larger cities. The mayor and other members noted the workload and the value of appointing members with transit experience.
Staff read back the finalized list of appointments to confirm assignments. The council then moved to adjourn the special meeting.
