City Council Workshop of November 3, 2026

The City of Lake Stevens Council workshop on November 3, 2026, discussed proposed permit and impact fee updates and the 2027 preliminary budget. Staff recommended increasing fees using a five-year CPI-U adjustment of 5.14% and, for land-use fees, a peer-city average plus that adjustment (Option 2); council members generally favored that approach, citing cost recovery and the city’s budget pressures, but took no formal vote. Other proposals included an EV charging fee of $0.30 per kWh plus $1 per hour parked, a $126 hourly fee for storage containers in the right-of-way, and increasing the tree replacement fee from $58 to $200. Surface-water fees and park impact fees were to return for later discussion. No contracts, bids, or vendor awards were considered.

The budget discussion focused on a projected structural deficit, reserve drawdowns, and possible revenue measures, including a 0.1% public-safety sales tax, transportation benefit district funding, and a surface-water utility tax. Some council members supported the public-safety tax; members sought more information or expressed reservations about the transportation measure, and no tax or budget action was approved. Staff noted plans to keep pursuing savings through existing purchasing contracts. Council members also raised possible technology and accounting-system upgrades, ADA website compliance, and cybersecurity, but no purchase was authorized. Members requested more time and clearer budget materials for deliberation and public hearings.