July 21, 2026 Town Council Meeting — Recap

The July 21, 2026 Town Council meeting — what the Council did on each agenda item, with the recorded votes. Vote details below are taken from the meeting recording.

Who was present

Full quorum — all five members were present at the dais: Mayor Critton, Vice Mayor Thomas, and Council Members Jordan, Randolph, and Mack. Unlike the prior meeting, Council Member Mack participated in person and was counted toward quorum for every vote below. There was no citizen participation this meeting.

The Council workshop that preceded this meeting is not broadcast, so this recap covers only what happened in the regular meeting — including three workshop items (the scholarship program, the right-of-way vacation request, and the legislative planning retreat) that were moved onto the regular meeting's Council Discussion and Decisions sections as walk-on items, and a separate return to the remaining workshop items later in the broadcast portion of the night.

Walk-on: Dr. Phillips Charities — Hungerford update

Dr. Phillips Charities gave an update on their advisory committee's vision for the Hungerford property, describing goals of honoring and safeguarding Eatonville's legacy and Black culture while promoting economic vitality "for all generations." They announced a community town hall — not a government meeting — on August 5 at 5:30 PM at Macedonia Church, and confirmed they have applied for a Tourist Development Tax (TDT) grant to fund a museum of history and culture on the site.

Council Member Jordan raised concerns about the TDT application, describing the property situation as having moved from what she called a "land grab" to a "money grab," and said "it's just a con" — arguing that Dr. Phillips Charities' scale could crowd out other, smaller applicants for the same TDT dollars.

Council Member Randolph focused on the project's milestones, noting that the update she'd seen addressed the Pavilion, Learning Center, and Health Center, but not the museum itself. She asked who would own the land once that milestone is complete, and separately asked "who will manage it" once the museum is built. Dr. Phillips Charities confirmed they intend to set aside four acres for the Town to own, contingent on the Town building a town hall on that same land — a combination Randolph said she found confusing. Dr. Phillips Charities also said they intend to invest $20 million of their own money toward reaching these milestones.

Council Member Mack spoke as well, saying he had "a lot of mixed emotions" and that he was "not necessarily" thrilled by everything presented, without raising a specific question about the proposal.

Ordinance 2026-5 — Certified Recovery Residences, second reading

Passed with no discussion. Vice Mayor Thomas moved, Council Member Randolph seconded, and the vote was unanimous. The ordinance's background — including its renumbering from 2026-2 — is covered in the agenda breakdown.

Consent Agenda — Items 1 and 2

Passed unanimously with no discussion: approval of Town Council meeting minutes, and Resolution 2026-40 establishing election sign fees for the 2026 General Election. The packet's consent agenda listed five items; the other three — the patrol-vehicle sale and Resolutions 2026-42 and 2026-43 — were taken up individually, covered below.

Item 3 — Sale of three patrol vehicles as surplus

Passed unanimously with no discussion.

Resolution 2026-42 — Records Coordinator to full-time

Discussion. Council Member Randolph opposed adding the salary funding to convert the part-time Records Coordinator role to full-time. Mayor Critton spoke in favor, framing it as giving an employee the chance for advancement and access to training. Vice Mayor Thomas said the Town needs to retain strong employees and supported moving budget to pay for the personnel the Town needs. Council Member Jordan asked whether the role would come with more responsibility to match the pay increase; the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) confirmed the employee has already taken on responsibilities beyond her current job description.

Decision. Vice Mayor Thomas moved to approve — the motion died for lack of a second. No vote was taken. The dollar figures behind the proposed conversion are in the agenda breakdown.

Resolution 2026-43 — Records Coordinator retitled Deputy Town Clerk

Passed, 3-2. Council Member Randolph and Council Member Mack voted no; Mayor Critton, Vice Mayor Thomas, and Council Member Jordan voted yes. The role and salary band are covered in the agenda breakdown.

Resolution 2026-32 — HostDime AI/Data Center discussion

Discussion only; no vote. Council Member Randolph asked for an update on sound testing at the HostDime facility. The CAO responded that audible sound is expected only during generator testing. Mayor Critton raised legislation referenced by Rep. Anna Eskamani concerning large-scale data centers, and indicated the HostDime facility does not fall under that legislation. The item's history — this was at least its fourth appearance — is in the agenda breakdown.

Resolution 2026-41 — Hungerford Sunshine Law support

Tabled, on a motion to table that passed 4-1 (Vice Mayor Thomas voting no). Council Member Randolph moved to approve the resolution itself, seconded by Council Member Jordan, before the discussion below led to that motion being withdrawn in favor of the motion to table. The resolution's two failed predecessors are covered in the agenda breakdown.

Representatives of Dr. Phillips Charities were present in the audience for this discussion.

Council Member Mack raised questions and ultimately moved to table the item — this after stating on the record at the prior meeting that he would vote in favor if the resolution came back before the Council. In his remarks he cited wanting more time to digest the item, referenced his 11 years on the Council and his past election results, and suggested the Council meet directly with Ken Robinson of Dr. Phillips Charities before acting.

Mayor Critton asked the Town Attorney's office whether there was a line between what a member could say individually versus what they could represent as the body's position. Interim Town Attorney Greg Jackson advised that members may express individual support for something but cannot speak for the body as a whole, and that any such support should be stated explicitly as an individual position (a paraphrase of the advice as given, not a verbatim quote).

Council Member Jordan asked Council Member Randolph to confirm the resolution was meant only as support for the nonprofit that filed the lawsuit. Randolph said the resolution was about supporting Sunshine Law transparency, and began raising broader claims about how the sale had been handled before Jackson interjected, directing the discussion back to framing the resolution strictly as support for the Sunshine Law. Vice Mayor Thomas said she was speaking only for herself. Council Member Jordan asked whether "the opportunity" would go away if the Council chose not to support the resolution; Council Member Mack responded by pointing to Dr. Phillips Charities' own financial investment and pursuit of TDT funding behind the project.

Mayor Critton noted that the resolution's actual text goes further than the transparency framing being discussed — its "whereas" clauses name specific alleged violations, and its action sections declare direct support for the lawsuit itself, not only for the principle of open government.

The motion to approve was withdrawn, and the Council instead voted to table the item, 4-1, with only Vice Mayor Thomas voting no.

Workshop items addressed during the regular meeting

The three walk-on workshop items — the scholarship program, the right-of-way vacation request, and the legislative planning retreat — were taken up during the Council Discussion and Decisions portions of the meeting, and the remaining workshop agenda items — the Property Tax ballot-measure presentation, the HUD Disaster Recovery Grants overview, and the "Democratic Process" governance discussion — were addressed later in the broadcast portion of the night. None of these items produced a vote or an outcome of note; each is described item-by-item in the agenda breakdown.

Closing remarks

The CAO reported that the RFP process for a new Town Attorney has closed; the discussion indicated only one applicant, with plans to bring that candidate before the Council at the August 4 workshop. The CAO also spoke about the need for intentional budget line-item spending going forward.

Council Member Mack asked what was holding up completion and opening of the HostDime facility; the CAO cited continuing permit delays. Mack suggested infrastructure issues may be a factor, without citing supporting information. He also thanked Rep. Eskamani for her presentation during the evening's earlier workshop session and spoke favorably about the Council's decision to table Resolution 2026-41.

Council Member Jordan thanked members of the public and staff who attended.

Council Member Randolph raised concerns about a structure at Catalina Park — described as a roughly $500,000 building that has sat locked and unused — saying she did not know its current status. Public Works staff responded that the delay is due to fire-permitting issues.

Sources. Meeting recording · July 21 meeting packet · July 21 workshop packet