Shoreline council appoints four to 2026 Planning Commission; motion passes 5–0

The Shoreline City Council on Monday appointed four people to the city’s Planning Commission, voting 5–0 to confirm the subcommittee’s recommendations and to fill one unexpired two-year term.

Steve Safran, a staff member who presented the item, said the city received 31 applications for the open posts and interviewed nine candidates. The three-member council subcommittee recommended Leslie Brinson, Christopher Mosher, Katie Laura and Matthew Souza; three are being appointed to full four-year terms and Katie Laura is being appointed to the remaining two-year seat.

"We had 31 applicants. All 31 of them would have been fantastic on the planning commission," Council member Scully said during deliberations. "Of the nine we interviewed, all nine would have been very fantastic on the planning commission. It's an embarrassment of riches, but we chose the two folks that we thought would not only be a great fit, but would offer fresh perspectives to the planning commission process."

Council members discussed a discrepancy between staff slides and the written staff report about term lengths; council confirmed the staff report is correct and that one seat must be filled only through a two-year term to preserve the staggered cycle. A motion to adopt the subcommittee’s recommendation with three four‑year appointments and one two‑year appointment was moved by Council member Scully and seconded by the presiding deputy mayor; the clerk called the vote and it passed 5–0.

Council members praised the applicants’ qualifications and noted that the appointment process aimed to blend experience with new perspectives on land-use policy. The new commissioners’ four‑year terms begin April 1 and run through March 31, 2030; the two‑year appointment fills an expiring seat and preserves eligibility for an additional two terms as allowed by local term-limit rules.

The council did not attach additional conditions to the appointments. The planning commission will take on existing work on Shoreline’s land‑use code and project reviews as scheduled.

The council adjourned after the appointments and other business.