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Everett charter reviewers pick fifteenth member, elect leadership and set meeting cadence
Summary
The Charter Review Commission voted to add Alan Rubio as the fifteenth member (tally reported as 9 for Rubio, 3 for Nathan Shelby, 1 for Janice Green), elected Rod Smithen chair and Ellie Vasquez vice chair, and agreed on a second‑and‑fourth Thursday, 4:30–6:00 p.m. meeting schedule with two public hearings planned.
The Charter Review Commission moved from introductions to organization and took the first formal actions of its work: commissioners selected Alan Rubio to fill the fifteenth seat, elected leadership and set a regular meeting schedule.
Alan Rubio received a reported tally in the first count (commissioners reported "9 for Rubio, 3 for Nathan, 1 for Janice Green") and was placed as the fifteenth member; commissioners also selected Nathan Shelby for the alternate/second seat in a subsequent tally. The panel then nominated and elected Rod Smithen as chair and Ellie Vasquez as vice chair after candidates described availability and relevant experience.
On scheduling, commissioners agreed to meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month starting at 4:30 p.m. for 90 minutes, with a Zoom option for remote participation and flexibility to add special meetings or work groups for topics that need deeper review. Staff noted the commission is required to hold two public hearings as part of the review process; commissioners discussed doing one earlier (suggested March) and a later hearing (suggested May) and talked through outreach venues (library branches, neighborhood spaces and community centers) to broaden public participation.
The commission also heard staff flags for early review items including cleanup of eligibility language (a recent court decision was referenced), possible updates to the mayor’s contract‑signing authority, library governance language tied to state RCW, civil‑service modernization and a direct‑legislation (initiative) signature threshold currently written at 5% in the charter.
The meeting adjourned after a motion and second; commissioners scheduled their next business meeting for February 26 at 4:30 p.m.
Votes and formal actions recorded at the meeting will be included in meeting minutes and transmitted to the City Council as required by the authorizing resolution.
