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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/02/2025 Public CommentREQUEST FOR APPEARANCE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL SOLICITUD PARA COMPARECER ANTE EL CONCEJO MUNICIPAL REQUIRED (OBLIGATORIO) NAME (Nombre):��--. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER(S) OR CITY TOPIC YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO (Numero(s) del tema de la agenda o asunto de la ciudad que desea hablar sabre): `-ly CITY OF YAKIMA RESIDENT (Residence de la Ciudad de Yakima) YAKIMA COUNTY RESIDENT (Residente del condado de Yakima): ❑ OTHER RESIDENT (©fro Residente): ❑ ABOVE INFORMATION MUST BE FILLED OUT IN ORDER TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT LA INFORMACICN ANTERIOR ©EBE COMPLETARSE PARA HABLAR DURANTE EL COM,ENTARIO POBLICO OPTIONAL (OPCIONAL) HOW WOULD YOU PREFER THE CITY CONTACT YOU IF NEEDED (e;C©mo prefiere que is ciudad se ponga en contacto con usted si es necesario?): - PHONE (NCimero de telefono) - ADDRESS (Domicilio) - E-MAIL ADDRESS (©irecci©n de correo elecnico) Please complete this form prior to the start of Public Comment and submit it to the City Clerk (who sits on the left end of the Council table). Por favor complete este formulario antes del inicio de los Comentarios Publicos y entreguelo a la Secretaria Municipal (que se sienta en el extremo izquierdo de la mesa del Concejo) When addressing the City Council, state your name and whether you live inside or outside City of Yakima limits. Al dirigirse al Concejal, diga su nombre e indique si vive dentro o fuera de los limites de la Ciudad de Yakima. Additional guidelines for addressing the City Council are on the reverse side of this form, Directrices adicionales para dirigirse al Concejal se encuentran al reverso de este formulario. Please note that the Council meeting is being televised on Y-PAC, cable channel 194. Tenga en cuenta que la reunion del Concejo Municipal esta siendo televisada par Y-PAC, canal de cable 194. September 2, 2025 Trolley Comments to City Council Distributed at Meeting: 0q-0 -2031tern# My name is Anne Knapp I live in Yakima. I support the trolley. I also support Yakima tax ayers, who have fiinded the trolley for many years: auto and Directors and Officer insurance alone was about $10,000 for the past 2 years. What is building insuranc ? How much insurance do taxpayers buy overall? Do taxpayer dollars supp rt private individuals? Who uses and who pays for the EV charger at the trolley owerhouse at 3rd Avenue and Pine? Insurance and electricity re fractions of trolley costs. They add up over the years. We also have conflicting 1 fo on what the trolley folks want taxpayers to fund. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation believes "... the overhead wire system is in place, as this s what provides the trolleys with electricity and enables them to operate...." But the recent 6th Avenue study estimated at least $9 million for the trolley including new overhead electric lines. If the lines are in place, on't see them. And I don't think taxpayers should pay for new ones. Taxpayers ace a $ 9 million deficit. We've put off building sid walks for school kids for years. Does the trolley trump sidewalks? The trolley folks must pro ide accurate info to all parties and shoulder all costs. One step towards accoun ability is to obtain a franchise from the City to operate the trolley in the city righ of way. A franchise is simply a co tract between the city and a utility. I'm sure they can figure it out. Just as they can figure out if the overhead lines are in place or not. I urge you to let the trolle stand on its own tracks and applaud your decisions to spend scarce taxpayer res urces wisely. Septem Background Informatio 1. See Municipal R 2. Invoice Item Date 386392117092005/14/2024 407863125246023/34/25 40786812524631 3/24/2025 38639911709307 5/14/2024 40786912524636 3/24/2025 38639711709284 5/14/2024 Subtotal of Costs 3. Email between A RE: Yakima Trolleys • Chris Moore To: me • Tue, Sep 2 at 8:35 AM Message Body Hi Anne, er 2, 2025 Trolley Comments to City Council search Servicesand Center brochure ount Description 680.00Renewal Business CDIR 6/5/24 Renewal Business CDIR 5-26 700.0°CPKG $ 2,879.00 Renewal Business CDIR 6/5/25 CPKG $ 1,328.00 Renewal Business CAUT DIR 6/5/24 $ 1,138.00 Renewal Business CAUT 6/5/25 $ 2,574.00 Renewal Business CPKG 6/5/26 $ 9,299.00 ne Knapp and Thanks for reachin interurban railroad served different citi they do operate on passenger or com narrower track, the Directors & Officers Directors & Officers Commercial Package Commercial Auto Commercial Auto Commercial Package out. The Yakima Valley Trolley are indeed an electric The main characteristic of these railroads is that they s in a regional area, thus the term 'interurban.' But, a narrower (smaller gauge) track than the large ercial freight railroads that travel interstate. B/c of this were often referred to as 'trolleys.' Yes the overhead wire system is in place..." sc Empowering l•cal governments Horne > Stay Informed > MRSC insight Slog > May 2016 > Franchising - An Essent al Tool for Right -of -Way Management Franchising - An Essential Tool for Right -of -Way Managemen May 18, 2016 by Jim © e Category: Utilities Many city and count ; attorneys and public works directors are familiar with utility franchising iss es, but many other city and county elected officials and staff are not, even th ugh they may encounter them as part of their public duties. Understanding the basics of franchising will help in approaching these issues and in appreciating the complexity of the often unnoticed utility systems providing services to your residents and businesses. Firs t, what is a franch se in this context? A franchise is basically a contract between a city or co my and a public or private utility provider who needs the public rights -of- ay (ROWS) to deliver its services. The public streets and roads crisscrossing o r cities and counties are the backbone of our transportation netwo k, but the utilities located in those linear corridors are just as vital to our communities. Cities and counties, as welt as the state Department of Tran and with other publi ROWs for installatio underground pipes Sometimes the facil cabinets that are pa covers a wide range requirements before length of the franchi Water and sewer pip electrical cables, and public ROWs for ge somehow all that inf the ROWs without public travel. Adding local government au cable television servi to be taken into con agreements. Sometimes a road p utility provider need be coordinated to m the streets for drivin main breaks in the pole — at times like t understanding of ho contains provisions c rights and responsibi causes damage or di cities and to enter in facilities within the R way to avoid disagre Franchises are contra twenty years — we've When a franchise is opportunity to exam franchises should be franchises because o portation, enter into franchises with private companies agencies -- grantingi them the right to use the public , maintenance, and repair of their facilities, typically d conduits or above -ground cables and lights on poles. ies in the ROWs are wireless antennas or equipment of a telecommunications network. A franchise typically f topics, such as permitting procedures, notice digging in the ROWs, insurance and indemnification, e, and any applicable costs, fees, or tax arrangements. s, natural gas distribution systems, fiber optic cables, wireless phone systems — all these utilities rely on ing their services to businesses and residents - and astructure needs to be installed and maintained within erfering with the use of our streets and sidewalks for o the complexity are federal regulations that preempt hority on some aspects of telecommunications and es. These are just some of the many factors that need ideration when negotiating and administering franchise ject impacts utilities in the ROW, and sometimes a to replace underground pipes — those projects need to imize costs and inconvenience to the public who use walking, or bicycling. Sometimes a water or sewer ddle of the night, or a driver knocks down a telephone at it is important for all involved to have a good to handle the emergency. A good franchise agreement vering such situations, so that all involved know their ities — and who is responsible financially if one utility ruption to another ROW user. No state statutes require contracts with utility providers who install their Ws, but having a well -crafted franchise is an essential ments and litigation. and they have a time limit — sometimes five, ten, or seen gas distribution franchises with even longer terms. earing the end of its term, the parties should take the e what changes should be made. The renewal of some tarted long before expiration (particularly cable special procedures contained in the federal cable TV statutes). A thoughtf.it and deliberate process of renegotiation can lead to far better results than waiting to the last minute, when there might be other pressing issues that keep the franchise from getting the attention it deserves. Many cities and counties also have major energy pipelines transporting natural gas or petroleum products through their jurisdictions. (Those large pipelines are referred to as "transmission pipelines; to differentiate them from the smaller "distribution pipelines.") They pose special issues and raise safety concerns. They frequently cross a substantial amount of private property because the easements were negotiated decades ago when the lands were less deve oped. The regulation of transmission pipelines is under federal jurisdiction, but there are substantial issues that need to be addressed in a local government franchise for those facilities. Keep in mind that there are procedural requirements when a city or county legislative body approves a franchise agreement. The county procedures are in chapter 36.55 RCW 6; for code cities, see RCW 35A.47.040 Grand RCW 3 A.12.12O 0, for towns, see RCW 35.27.330 Gl; for second class cities, see RCW 35.23.251 E'. Fi st class cities should refer to any relevant charter provisions. All classes of cites are bound by a range of statutes within cbapt�e 35.21 RCW c 'that im 3act road and franchising authority. In 2000, at a time when there was a surge in the installation of telecommunications facilities throughout the country, the Washington Legislature adopted provisions, codified in chapter 35.99 RCW G, that limit and clarify the authority of all classes of cities when regulating telecommunications facilities in the rights - of -way, and that establish a framework for issuing "use permits" and "master permits" (basically, franchises) to telecommunications providers for locating their facilities in the ROW. See our webpage on Municipal Rjght-of-Way and Telecommunications, You can access sample franchise agreements through the MRSC website - one way to find them is to type "franchise" in the search box, using the "Sample Documents" category. A well -crafted franchise should include clauses covering all of the practical issues that arise when multiple utilities are sharing a commo i corridor. If you rarely see or hear of utility franchising problems in your jurisdiction, that could indicate that your local officials and staff are handling these issues well. Have a question or comment about this information? Let me know below or contact me directly at jdoherty®mrsc org. MRSC is a private n profit organization serving local governments in Washington State. igible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one -on one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions. Abouit Jim Doherty Jim h d over 24 years of experience researching and resp nding to varied legal questions at MRSC. He had spec i l expertise in transmission pipeline planning issues, as w It as the issues surrounding medical and recreational marij ana. He is now retired. VIEW ALL POSTS BY JIM DOHERTY Disclaimer: MRSC is a state ide resource that provides general legal and policy guidance to support local government entities in Washington State pursuant to chapte 43.110 RCW C.iT. MRSC website content is for informational urposes only and is not intended as legal advice, nor as a substitute for the legal advice of an attorn y, You should contact your own legal counsel if you have a question regarding your legal rights o any other legal issue. 0 2025 Municipal Research Terms. Follow us: nd Services Center of Washington (MRSC). All rights reserved. Privacy & REQUEST FOR APPEARANCE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL SOLICITUD PARA COMPARECER ANTE EL CONCEJO MUNICIPAL REQUIRED (OBLIGATORIO) NAME (Nombre): I e \--\ PEcc - AGENDA ITEM NUMBER(S) OR CITY TOPIC YOU WI H TO SPEAK TO (NOmero(s) del tema de la agenda o asunto de la Ciudad que desea hablar sobre): r--c e r J CITY OF YAKIMA RESIDENT (Residente de la Ciudad de Yakima):Xi YAKIMA COUNTY RESIDENT (Residente del condado de Yakima): ❑ OTHER RESIDENT (Otro Residente): ❑ ABOVE INFORMATION MUST BE FILLED OUT IN ORDER TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT LA INFORMACI©N ANTERIOR DEBE COMPLETARSE PARA 1-IABLAR DURANTE EL COMENTARiO PUBLiCO OPTIONAL (OPCIONAL) HOW WOULD YOU PREFER THE CITY CONTACT YOU IF NEEDED (e;COmo prefrere que la Ciudad se ponga en contacto con usted si es necesario?): - PHONE (Nurnero de telefono) ( ) - ADDRESS 'Domicilio) - E-MAIL ADDRESS (Direccion de correo electrbnico) Please complete this form prior to the start of Public Comment and submit it to the City Clerk (who sits on the left end of the Council table). Por favor complete este formulario antes del inicio de los Comentarios Publicos y entreguelo a la Secretaria Municipal (que se sienta en el extremo izquierdo de la mesa del Concejo) When addressing the City Council, state your name and whether you live inside or outside City of Yakima limits, Al dirigirse al Concejal, diga su nombre e indique si vive dentro o fuera de los limites de la Ciudad de Yakima. Additional guidelines for addressing the City Council are on the reverse side of this form. Directrices adicionales para dirigirse al Concejal se encuentran al revers() de este formulario. Please note that the Council meeting is being televised on Y-PAC, cable channel 194. Tenga en cuenta que la reunion del Concejo Municipal esta siendo televisada por Y-PAC, canal de cable 194,