MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: February 17, 2021 928
At the beginning of Tuesday night’s council meeting, the council honored late civic leader Dick Van Hollebeke with a proclamation for his contributions to Edmonds. in this screen capture, Van Hollebeke’s wife Monda, bottom row – second from left – thanks the council for recognizing him.
The City of Edmonds plans to begin construction next year on an initial set of upgrades to the 2.4-mile stretch of Highway 99 running through the city the start of a long-term effort to renovate the entire corridor.
The Edmonds City Council heard an update on the project during its Tuesday night meeting. The council also again discussed the elements of the draft tree code, but decided to take another couple of weeks to review it and request further staff changes prior to possible approval.
MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: January 19, 2021
Councilmember Vivian Olson, bottom row at right, speaks during Tuesday’s council meeting.
The Edmonds City Council during its Tuesday night business meeting unanimously extended the appointment of Acting Police Chief Jim Lawless for an additional six months while the city conducts a new national search for a police chief.
A long-time assistant chief, Lawless was appointed acting chief a year ago. Without the council’s action, his appointment would have expired Jan. 22. During a previous search, Lawless was one of two finalists for the permanent chief position that Mayor Mike Nelson ultimately offered to another candidate Sauk Suiattle Tribal Chief Sherman Pruitt but that offer approved by the city council on a 4-3 vote was withdrawn after discrepancies were discovered. Lawless announced last Thursday, Jan. 14, that he wouldn’t be applying again.
MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: January 15, 2021 2246
A My Edmonds News investigation has found that as early as mid-November, the city’s human resources director was told about a history of job and domestic concerns in former police chief candidate Sherman Pruitt’s background. The director was told of the information at least two weeks before Mayor Mike Nelson nominated Pruitt.
Mayor Nelson in his Thursday video address on Facebook Thursday.
This is the timeline in the weeks that led up to the police chief vote:
Mid-November: Human Resources Director Jessica Neill Hoyson is informed about career and domestic violence concerns in Pruitt’s past.
MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: January 6, 2021
Edmonds City Councilmember Adrienne Fraley-Monillas
The Edmonds mayor, human resources director and at least one city councilmember knew about domestic violence issues in police chief candidate Sherman Pruitt’s past before the council voted to confirm him on Dec. 8 as Edmonds’ new police chief.
My Edmonds News continues to investigate the police chief recruitment process, the confirmation and subsequent move by Mayor Mike Nelson to rescind the job offer. We have asked the mayor repeatedly to explain his actions; he has refused to be interviewed. Now, in response to new questions we wanted to ask Nelson, Human Resources Director Jessica Neill-Hoyson has issued a statement.