EVERETT — The Lynnwood City Council voted Monday to appoint Jessica Roberts to its vacant position after its previous choice withdrew at the last minute.
But on Tuesday afternoon, City Clerk Luke Lonie said in an email the council will hold a special meeting Thursday to determine whether to rescind the confirmation of Roberts.
The position has been vacant since former Vice President Julieta Altamirano-Crosby resigned to serve as a commissioner for the Snohomish County Public Utility District in January.
If the council does not find a replacement by April 5, the Snohomish County Council will take over the City Council’s authority to appoint a new member, Lonie said at Monday’s meeting.
“There are now concerns that very relevant information to our deliberation was — whether intentionally or unintentionally — withheld that would have weighed heavily on our decision,” Council President Nick Coelho said in an email Tuesday.
The special meeting comes after the Lynnwood Times published an article Tuesday revealing Roberts previously posted explicit material on online platforms, including OnlyFans and Reddit.
“The Lynnwood City Council’s decision to meet on Thursday is the members doing their due diligence,” Roberts said in an email Tuesday. “While I appreciate, and understand the concern, regarding the revelations around my personal life, this would not impact my ability to do the job I was appointed to do or my ability to serve my fellow residents.”
The council uses three pieces of information about candidates in the application process: a brief civic questionnaire, a resume and an interview with the council, Coelho said.
“All of this is provided by the applicant themselves and received in good faith,” he said. “We are advised to stick to these three pieces of information in order to make the process as objective as possible.”
On Feb. 20, the council voted for Rebecca Thornton to take Altamirano-Crosby’s place. She withdrew from consideration a few days later, an hour before she was to be sworn in.
On Monday, the council went through several more rounds of voting. Council members narrowed the candidates to two: Roberts and Robert Leutwyler, who was also in the top two against Thornton. Once again, three council members voted for each candidate. After an executive session, it was a unanimous vote for Roberts.
“She’s shown very strong attributes that she could bring to the city in her interview and also her showing up to our council meetings as she has and being attentive and wanting to serve,” council vice president Josh Binda said during the meeting. “I think all of us can agree that we’re excited to have someone like her bring her representation to the council.”
Coelho said Tuesday that the switch in votes after executive session has raised concerns among residents.
“In actuality, it is simply customary (or at least tasteful) for the Council to vote unanimously for the candidate who has secured a majority of votes in order to foster community confidence and set a positive tone,” he said.
Roberts was born and raised in the Lynnwood area. She grew up in Silver Firs and moved to Lynnwood in 2017. She currently works as a customer service representative for Marinez Plumbing in Edmonds. From 2017 to 2022, she worked as an administrative specialist doing project management work for Puget Sound Energy.
In her interview with the council at a Feb. 18 meeting, Roberts said her perspective as a pedestrian and transit user would be valuable for Lynnwood. She also said she is excited about the city’s recent growth, particularly downtown and along Highway 99. Roberts mentioned the Alderwood Mall as an example to look to, calling it a “premiere social area.”
“Part of the reason for that is when you’re inside the mall, outside of the parking lot, you’re in an area that is dedicated to pedestrians,” Roberts said. “Being able to use that success with the redevelopment that we’re seeing around the mall as it is currently and applying that to the other areas where we’d like to see development is something that we as a city and a council can do better on.”
Responding to a question about what she’s noticed at recent council meetings, Roberts referred to a Feb. 10 meeting during which council member Patrick Decker and Binda discussed a controversy surrounding Binda’s residency.
“At times, the back and forth that can develop can detract from discussions about what the city’s needs are,” Roberts said. “That is something, collectively, I’d like to see improvement on.”
When it comes to managing the city’s fiscal needs, Roberts said there is “lower hanging fruit” the council could address that could make large impacts for residents. For example, she said, there are many unmarked crosswalks on 44th Street that would be “relatively cheap” to fix. She also said that raising taxes, while unfortunate, is often necessary, and she would have voted “yes” on the 2025 property tax levy.
An open dialogue with residents is important as a council member, Roberts said, even when it’s uncomfortable.
“It’s going to be inconvenient at points for you personally, but that dialogue is important to helping the community get a better understanding of what you’re trying to do individually on the council, what the council is trying to do and what the goals of the city are.”
Roberts is set to be sworn in at the council’s March 17 meeting.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
