MARYSVILLE – The Marysville City Council and city staff tried their best to roast longtime city attorney Grant Weed at his last council meeting Dec. 8.

The whole joint was laughing, often out of embarrassment. As Community Development Director Gloria Hirashima said, “It will be no pun without him.”

Weed is known for his wit, humor and puns during his 24 years as city attorney. The roast didn’t compare to those on Comedy Central or the legendary Dean Martin shows. It was more like The Gong Show, or The Bong Show as they poked fun of his last name. But there were a few clever lines.

City Council Member Kamille Norton came up with the best one.

“As city attorney, you have not lost your appeal,” she said, adding she has appreciated his vast knowledge in taking care of the city. “You’re like a father keeping your kids out of trouble.”

Of Weed, Police Chief Rick Smith said, “You’ve been a real bud.” Smith used baseball analogies, since they both love that sport, to compare how Weed has helped lead the city team. Smith said when he came to the city eight years ago one of the attractions was how well everyone worked together, saying his previous job at times was “tumultuous.” He said Weed provides sound legal advice and kept the citizens safe.

Council Member Jeff Vaughan said the chief “took a swing at it,” but Vaughan always wondered whose side Weed was on. He came to know that Weed was on the side of being fair, honest and unbiased, which is where the city attorney should be.

Council Member Michael Stevens said he wants Weed to come back to help the city with marijuana laws, and finance director Susan Langdon said she always “looked to Grant to get grants.”

Public Works Director Kevin Nielsen mostly praised Weed, but he did tell a joke.

“Do you know how attorneys sleep?” he asked. “First they lie on one side, then they lie on the other.”

Nielsen focused on how Weed’s work has changed the city now and for years to come. He talked about the outfall with Kimberly Clark and the city of Everett. It can handle 20 million gallons a day, and the city now is just at five million. And he praised Weed’s work with private property owners during the 156th Street overcrossing project.

Hirashima had some interesting statistics on Weed’s work. He has signed 1,100 laws, 900 resolutions and thousands of contracts. His actions have caused the city to grow from less than 10,000 to 63,000 in population.

City Council Member Stephen Muller, who skis with Weed, said he has appreciated the city attorney’s ability to add levity to dry subjects. He also appreciated how unbiased Weed has been.

“I never felt pushed one way or another,” Muller said.

When it was Weed’s turn, he said he didn’t know if the event would be a roast or not, but he was prepared anyway. He put on a helmet and goggles and used ski-related puns to get back at his punsters.

Of Nielsen he joked of “binding agreements,” of parks director Jim Ballew he talked of going “all down hill,” and of Langdon he joked of “slush funds.”

But he also talked about going to a council meeting in January of 1990 because Marysville was suddenly without a city attorney. He was just 36 but had the guts to sit in the empty city attorney chair. He said he’s stayed with the city since then because of the challenge of working on a variety of issues.

“I’m curious, and I love to learn,” he said. “It’s kept me energized.”

He added he loves the people he works with. “We’ve grown up together as a city,” he said.

Weed said his guiding principle has been to help the city accomplish its goals within the law and not due to political whims. Weed joked that he wants to take his replacement through all of the city laws, starting with the first one in 1891 having to do with prostitution. “It was their first action of business. There must have been a problem,” he said.

Mayor Jon Nehring has worked with Weed for 14 years, first as a council member.

“I know for me I always slept well at night with Grant in charge of this area with our city. He is always on top of key issues and … leaves a real legacy with the work he has done,” the mayor said. “He is the consummate professional.”

Nehring said it was Weed who told the city this year it really needs its own in-house legal staff because it has grown so much. The city had put it off for years because of the quality of Weed’s work.

Nehring concluded by saying Weed did a tremendous job working with multiple state and federal agencies regarding fisheries on the Qwuloolt Estuary Project.

“Grant never floundered throughout this entire process and in fact negotiated in cut throat fashion on behalf of the city,” the mayor punned.