Council hears staff presentation on two annexation petitions, seeks attorney input and possible consultant condition

Community Development Director Chris Massenet presented two annexation petitions the city received in March and explained the process under state law and the boundary review board. Massenet said one petition is on the west side near the Roosevelt roundabout and the other on the east side near the King County Expo Center; together the two submittals cover five vacant residential parcels totaling about 18 acres.

Massenet said staff recommends modifying each proposed annexation to include adjacent parcels to create a more regular city boundary and to comply with comprehensive plan policies; with the additional parcels the combined area would be roughly 38 acres with an assessed valuation around $8.5 million. He noted water and sewer service are available to both areas and recommended processing the petitions as separate annexations but left the decision to council.

Council members discussed timing and fairness. One council member asked staff to consult the city attorney about whether the council could require applicants to pay for a consultant or otherwise reimburse the city for staff time. Another council member observed that the Tarragon parcels would not independently meet the 60% signature threshold and that applicants might need to secure additional owner signatures if processed separately. Council members indicated they were open to staff preparing two separate resolutions to accept, reject, or modify the annexation areas; staff agreed to return with materials and legal guidance.

No final decision to accept or reject the petitions was made at the April 27 meeting; council indicated direction to have staff draft resolutions and check legal options about consultant or fee conditions before taking action.