Residents press Shoreline council on utility affordability, city responsiveness and traffic camera costs during public comment

During public comment the Shoreline City Council heard several residents raise affordability and transparency concerns and to question specific city projects.

Jerry Effenberger, who identified himself as a Lake Forest Park resident, urged council action on Seattle City Light's low-income benefit eligibility, saying the utility raised residential rates 33.7% between 2013 and 2023 and that a proposed change to base eligibility on 80% area median income had been overruled by the Seattle City Council. "That revised program...would provide meaningful energy rate relief to over 40% of our residents," Effenberger said, and asked Shoreline to "champion this significant affordability issue."

Mark Scott, a Shoreline resident of more than 60 years, criticized the city's responsiveness after his letter to the planning department in January went unacknowledged for a month. "A more timely acknowledgment style should be a basic courtesy," he said, urging the council to improve response practices.

Norbert Steele, also a Shoreline resident, criticized a prior presentation about a proposed traffic camera, questioned a reported $500,000 annual operating cost and reported difficulties locating budget documents online. "I am rapidly losing trust with how the city has been functioning on a basic level," he said.

A remote caller who gave his name as Chad (Shoreline) expressed anger about World Cup spending and traffic camera costs and used profane language; his remarks were recorded in the public-comment record.

What happens next: Public comment items were recorded for the meeting record; council discussion that followed did not take immediate formal action in response to the comments but later agenda items included directions to staff on unrelated ordinances.