MUKILTEO, Wash., January 9, 2022 – Today in an email to the Mukilteo City Council, applicant for the vacant Position 7 seat, Kevin Stoltz, claims his stance on supporting proof of vaccination to dine at restaurants was a “mischaracterization” of his “position on Covid.”
In an email sent Sunday to “set the record straight,” Stoltz requests for the council to take his “explanation into account” when evaluating his “application for the open council position.” Stoltz’s claims that the Lynnwood Times article, Ten vie to fill Mukilteo City Council seat, “is damaging to one’s reputation and clearly lacks journalistic integrity.”
Lynnwood Times No Spin Zone: We Report, You Decide
On January 2 after reviewing a 58-page document from the city of Mukilteo with all city council applicants for the vacant seat left by Joe Marine’s mayoral win, the Lynnwood Times published an article with a summary of all candidates. Below is what was summarized about Kevin Stultz’s 10-page application:
Kevin Stoltz
- Supports outdoor dining
- Supports the requirement of proof of vaccination to enter city facilities
- Support proof of vaccination for restaurants based on the King County model
- Wants to expand the “citizen patrol” volunteer program
- Supports a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew for Paine Field Airport
Residency: 38 years
Career / Background: Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. Current president of CompuPlus. Past experience: former president of Personal Locator Beacons Rentals, data analyst for race cars, author of several books, and former Boeing employee.
Political Experience: 8 years, former City Council member. Last ran in 2021 without success.
Community Service: Mukilteo Ferry Advisory Committee, Mukilteo Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Subcommittee, Waterfront Wednesdays
According to Stoltz in his January 9 email to the council, he implies that the Lynnwood Times fallaciously stated in its January 2 article that, “proof of vaccination would be required for restaurants.”
However, at no point did the Lynnwood Times in its article state that Stoltz wrote in his application that he requires proof of vaccination for restaurants. What was stated by The Times is that Stoltz “support[s] proof of vaccinations for restaurants.” In addition, The Times never stated that Stoltz supports mandating proof of vaccination for restaurants.
Requiring proof of vaccination is not the same as mandating proof of vaccination, just as a directive is not a mandate. However, championing proof of vaccination status, which Kevin Stoltz clearly advocates for in his application, is supporting the proof of vaccination status which was reported by the Lynnwood Times to its readers in the January 2 article.
According to page 2 of Stoltz’s application, it is stated in one of the approaches he would take to “get back to normal” is that “the City and Council could work with the Chamber and create one day a week, for example, where restaurants/businesses who wish to participate could require proof of vaccination for everyone seated inside. This would be a responsible move (similar to what exists in King County currently) and would allow fully vaccinated people to feel comfortable sitting inside restaurants.”
The above statement presented by Kevin Stoltz in the application appears to contradict his current remark in his January 9 email to council members where he states, “I NEVER said proof of vaccination would be required for restaurants.”
Currently, nothing is preventing a restaurant nor business in Mukilteo from voluntarily requiring patrons to be fully vaccinated for service. According to Stoltz’s application he would support the City and the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce to work together to “create” such a program, be it one day a week, “similar to what exists in King County.”
Also, in his application for the vacant council seat he states, “the Council could require proof of vaccination for anyone coming inside city facilities (in addition to masking up)” as an approach to “get back to normal” for residents who wish to participate in council meetings and/or “local government in the most safe and effective manner.”
The full 10-page 2022 City Council Vacancy Appointment Application submitted by Kevin Stoltz can be read here.
Stoltz supports outside dining
Stoltz does support making changes to the Mukilteo Municipal Code to grant temporary exemptions to provide outdoor seating at restaurants to prevent instances such as the Ivar’s debacle which occurred late last year. For the record, the city of Mukilteo did grant a permit for Ivar’s to temporarily provide outdoor dining during the pandemic when it was restricted to operating at a reduce capacity.
In a city-wide email, then-Mayor Jennifer Gregerson elaborated further on the matter regarding Ivar’s and outdoor dining at the waterfront.
“I am hopeful that we can work together to make this concept happen for next year,” she wrote in her email. “Last year, with reduced indoor seating, we were able to process a temporary use through our shoreline, land use and floodplain permitting process. This year, the situation is different. With full capacity inside, adding tables outside triggers parking needs. There are some possible paths (leasing parking across the street, for instance), it was still complicated.”
In August, Mayor Gregerson told the Lynnwood Times that the permit for outdoor dining on the opposite end of Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing adjacent to Silver Cloud was issued because the restaurant was allowed to operate at reduce capacity. But the restaurant is operating at 100% indoor capacity and would need new permits for a parklet by the old ferry terminal.
The city of Mukilteo currently allows restaurants to operate outdoor dining, for example Red Cork Bistro. Edmonds currently allows an outdoor dining concept call “streateries.”
Emails to Mukilteo City Council
Below are emails sent to the Mukilteo City Council regarding the matter.
Here is a copy of the email in its entirety Stoltz sent to the Mukilteo City Council which the Lynnwood Time’s was copied:
Hello Council,
I learned of an incorrect narrative regarding my ideas on Covid that has resulted in some of my supporters backing away as well as a spirited public comment against me at the first council meeting last Monday. I’ve researched and figured out the source of the discrepancy and corrected what I could with my supporters but I expect you’ve received additional disparaging comments which are not correct and unknown to me so I wanted to set the record straight.
The source of the mischaracterization was piece in the Lynnwood Times (https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2022/01/02/mukilteo-city-council-seat-2022/) where one of their bulleted items describing my positions was that I, “Support proof of vaccination for restaurants based on the King County model”
The following is actually what I wrote in my application: “In the spirit of what we did several years ago with Waterfront Wednesdays, the City and Council could work with the Chamber and create one day a week, for example, where restaurants/businesses who wish to participate could require proof of vaccination for everyone seated inside. This would be a responsible move (similar to what exists in King County currently) and would allow fully vaccinated people to feel comfortable sitting inside restaurants.”
Before I know the source of the mischaracterization, I clarified the above statement with one of my supporters with the statement, “I NEVER said proof of vaccination would be required for restaurants. What I did suggest as an option is MAYBE one day a week some restaurants might VOLUNTARILY require proof of vaccination for those who aren’t currently going to restaurants due to the higher risk of infection due to Omicron. It would be an opportunity for some restaurants to capture some business currently being lost. I see no down side to trying something that might help local businesses! “
I’m normally very tolerant of minor errors in reporting but when something is published that is damaging to one’s reputation and clearly lacks journalistic integrity, I need to strongly condemn that behavior. I hope you’ll take this explanation into account when you’re evaluating my application for the open council position.
Thanks, Kevin
Below is a copy of the email response from the Lynnwood Times in its entirety to Stoltz requesting him to further clarify his position on supporting vaccination requirements for restaurants to readers.
Mr. Stoltz:
The Lynnwood Times would be more than willing to issue a clarification; however, The Times never stated that you support MANDATING proof of vaccination for restaurants. According to page 2 of your application, it is stated in one of the approaches you would take to “get back to normal” is “for example, where restaurants/businesses who wish to participate could require proof of vaccination for everyone seated inside…similar to what exists in King County currently.”
The statement in the application appears to contradict your current remark in the email below, “I NEVER said proof of vaccination would be required for restaurants.” Requiring proof of vaccination is not the same as mandating proof of vaccination, just as a directive is not a mandate (Snohomish Health District). Also, at no point in the Lynnwood Times article was it stated that you REQUIRE proof of vaccination for restaurants. What was stated is that you SUPPORT proof of vaccinations for restaurants, which according to your statement in your application, it says you do be it voluntary or in-voluntary.
Below is what was summarized about your application according to the article posted in the Lynnwood Times:
Kevin Stoltz
- Supports outdoor dining
- Supports the requirement of proof of vaccination to enter city facilities
- Support proof of vaccination for restaurants based on the King County model
- Wants to expand the “citizen patrol” volunteer program
- Supports a Voluntary Nighttime Curfew for Paine Field Airport
Residency: 38 years
Career / Background: Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. Current president of CompuPlus. Past experience: former president of Personal Locator Beacons Rentals, data analyst for race cars, author of several books, and former Boeing employee.
Political Experience: 8 years, former City Council member. Last ran in 2021 without success.
Community Service: Mukilteo Ferry Advisory Committee, Mukilteo Waterfront Master Plan Advisory Subcommittee, Waterfront Wednesdays
Would you like to clarify your position on supporting vaccination requirements for restaurants to readers?
Mario Lotmore, Publisher / Owner
