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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 7.A.
For Meeting of: January 20, 2026
ITEM TITLE: Approval of minutes from the January 6, 2026 City Council regular
meeting
SUBMITTED BY: Rosalinda Ibarra, City Clerk
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
ITEM BUDGETED:
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 24-25:
RECOMMENDATION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Minutes 01-06-2026_DRAFT
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YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
January 6, 2026
City Hall - Council Chambers - 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima WA
5:30 PM City Council Regular Meeting - Conducted in person and virtually via Zoom
1) Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 5:33 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers Reedy Berg, Matt Brown, Patricia Byers, Rick Glenn, Felisa
Gonzalez, Juliet Potrykus and Leo Roy
Staff: City Manager Vicki Baker, City Attorney Sara Watkins and City Clerk Rosalinda
I barra
2) Pledge of Allegiance
Councilmember Byers led the Pledge of Allegiance.
3) Interpreter Services
Interpreter services were not available.
4) Newly Elected Process
4.A Oath of Office for Newly Elected Council Members
City Clerk Ibarra administered the Oaths of Office to newly elected and re-elected
Councilmembers Matt Brown, Felisa Gonzalez, and Juliet Potrykus.
4.B Election of Mayor
Councilmember Byers nominated herself for Mayor.
Councilmember Potrykus nominated Councilmember Brown for Mayor and he
accepted the nomination.
Councilmember Brown was elected as the new Mayor by a 6-1 roll call vote; with
Byers voting no.
4.0 Election of Assistant Mayor (Mayor Pro-Tem)
Councilmember Glenn nominated Councilmember Berg for Assistant Mayor and
he accepted the nomination.
Councilmember Gonzalez nominated Councilmember Byers for Assistant Mayor
and she accepted the nomination.
Councilmember Berg was elected as the new Assistant Mayor by a 5-2 roll call
vote; with Byers and Gonzalez voting no.
January 6, 2026 -Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 6
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5) Public Comment
Rachel Stiles (City resident), Brianna Morton (City resident), Diane Trammell (City
resident), Stephen Robbins (City resident), Rosemary Saul, spoke in support of Fire
Station 92.
Aileen Kane (City resident), Dave Cox (Northern Pacific Railway Museum), Shanna
Buckles (City resident), Samantha Drake (City resident), Debra Yergen (City resident),
Maria Ramos (City resident), Eric Eskilson (Everett resident), Stephen Johnsen, and
Howard Maxfield (City resident) spoke in support of the Yakima Valley Trolleys.
Bill Hicks (City resident), spoke about the Yakima County Shaw and Wide Hollow Creek
Flood Control project.
Ezequiel Morfin (City resident) spoke against Department of Homeland Security
immigration enforcement actions in the city limits.
Brian Korst (City resident) and Dr. Gina Many (City resident) expressed concerns about
the lack of funding for City services and their importance to our community.
6) Open Discussion for the Good of the Order
6.A Martin Luther King Jr. Day proclamation
MOTION: Roy moved and Berg seconded to approve the Martin Luther King
Jr. Day proclamation and request that it be read and presented. The motion
carried by unanimous vote.
Councilmember Byers proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday as a "Day of
Service". Anthony Peterson, Reverend Robert Trimble and James Parks
accepted the proclamation.
7) Council Reports
7.A Council Nominating Committee recommendation regarding appointment to
boards, commissions, committees
Assistant Mayor Berg reported on the December 8, 2025 Council Nominating
Committee meeting. The Nominating Committee recommended reappointing
John Cooper to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC).
MOTION: Byers moved and Berg seconded to accept the Council Nominating
Committee recommendation. The motion carried by unanimous vote.
8) Consent Agenda
Mayor Brown referred to the items placed on the Consent Agenda, questioning whether
there were any additions or deletions from Council members present. Item F was
removed from the Consent Agenda. The City Clerk read the Consent Agenda items,
including resolutions and ordinances, by title. (Items on the Consent Agenda are
handled under one motion without further discussion-see motion directly below.)
MOTION: Berg moved and Roy seconded to approve the consent agenda. The
motion carried by a 7-0 roll call vote.
8.A Approval of minutes from the December 8, 2025 City Council special meeting
and December 9, 2025 City Council regular meeting
8.B Set February 3, 2026 as the date for a public hearing on the Lochridge
Annexation in the vicinity of Loren PI and S. 80th Ave.
January 6, 2026-Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 6
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8.0 Resolution setting date of February 3, 2026 to amend the adopted Six-Year
Transportation Improvement Program and amend the Capital Facilities Element
of the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan for the period of 2026-2031
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-001, A RESOLUTION setting the time and place for
a hearing on February 3rd, 2026 to review and adopt the amended Six-year
Transportation Improvement Program and amend the Capital Facilities Element
of the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan for the period of 2026-2031.
8.D Resolution authorizing award and agreement with The Print Guys for city-wide
printing services
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-002, A RESOLUTION authorizing award and
agreement with The Print Guys for city-wide printing services.
8.E Resolution authorizing multiple award and agreements for Quote 22555 Vehicle
Maintenance and Lube and Oil Services for the city Police Department
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-003, A RESOLUTION authorizing multiple awards
and agreements for Quote 22555 Vehicle Maintenance and Lube and Oil
Services for the city Police Department.
8.F Resolution authorizing an agreement with the State of Washington Department of
Ecology for a grant of$350,000 for the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
Disinfection Biproduct (DBP) Monitoring and Recharge Enhancement Project No.
AC2506
This item was removed from the Consent Agenda.
8.G Resolution authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Selah for limited
operation of City of Yakima Paratransit Services between the jurisdictions
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-005, A RESOLUTION authorizing an interlocal
agreement between the City of Yakima and the City of Selah for the limited
operation of City of Yakima paratransit services between the two jurisdictions.
8.H Resolution authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Union Gap for
limited operation of City of Yakima Paratransit Services between the jurisdictions
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-006, A RESOLUTION authorizing an interlocal
agreement between the City of Yakima and the City of Union Gap for the limited
operation of City of Yakima paratransit services between the two jurisdictions.
8.1 Resolution authorizing close out of Grant AIG: 3-53-0089-057-2024 for the
Yakima Air Terminal Building Modernization project
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-007, A RESOLUTION authorizing the closeout of the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant AIG: 3-53-0089-057-2024 for the
Yakima Air Terminal Building Modernization project at the Yakima Air Terminal-
McAllister Field.
Items Removed from the Consent Agenda
8.F Resolution authorizing an agreement with the State of Washington Department of
Ecology for a grant of$350,000 for the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
Disinfection Biproduct (DBP) Monitoring and Recharge Enhancement Project No.
AC2506
January 6, 2026—Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 6
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Jeff Bond, Acting Water and Irrigation Manager, briefed Council on the project.
The City Clerk read the resolution by title only.
MOTION: Byers moved and Berg seconded to approve item F as presented
on the agenda. The motion carried by a 7-0 roll call vote.
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-004, A RESOLUTION authorizing an Agreement with
the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) for a grant of$350,000
for the ASR DBP Monitoring and Recharge Enhancement Project No. AC2506.
9) Public Hearings
None.
10) Department Items
10.A Ordinance amending Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 8.72, Excavations in
Public Rights-of-Way
Community Development Director Bill Preston briefed the Council on the proposed
ordinance relating to excavations in the public right of way. The amendments
include notification procedures, responsibility to repair damages in a timely manner,
and reimbursement of city expenses to repair damages.
The City Clerk read the ordinance by title only.
MOTION: Berg moved and Roy seconded to pass the ordinance. The
motion carried by a 7-0 roll call vote.
ORDINANCE NO. 2026-001, AN ORDINANCE amending the City of Yakima
Municipal Code Chapter 8.72, Excavations in Public Rights-of-Way.
10.B Resolution denying the Right of Way Use Permit Application RL250069 for two
storage containers and a used cooking oil tank in the back of the Minado Buffett
building along 501 N Front Street
City Engineer Robert Washabaugh briefed the Council on the proposed resolution
to deny a request from Minado Buffet to leave two storage containers and a used
cooking oil tank in the right of way adjacent to the building at 501 N. Front Street.
The City Clerk read the resolution by title only.
After Council discussion,
MOTION: Berg moved and Roy seconded to adopt the resolution denying
the right of way use permit. The motion carried by a 6-1 roll call vote; with
Glenn voting no.
RESOLUTION NO. R-2026-008, A RESOLUTION denying the application for a
right-of-way use permit in the right-of-way to the west of 501 North Front Street.
10.0 November 2025 Financial Report
Director of Finance and Budget Craig Warner presented an informational update
on the third quarter financial report for 2025, consisting of cash balance trend,
revenue performance charts, fund balance summary, revenue and expenditure
comparison to budget and actual year to date, and historical detail.
Sales tax revenues are projected to be below the 2025 amended budget by
approximately $2.4 million. Property tax collections are expected to be
January 6, 2026-Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 6
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approximately $375,000 below the 2025 budget. Utility tax revenue is projected
to exceed the 2025 budget by approximately $2.1 million.
As of November 2025, the City General Fund revenues are at 91.4% of budget and
expenditures are at 82.4% of budget resulting in approximately an additional $2
million available in reserves. Mr. Warner strongly cautioned Council to use reserves
for one-time purposes only rather than for things that do not have a potential long-
term revenue stream attached.
10.D Station 92: Operations Decisions, Constraints and Path Forward
City Manager Vicki Baker, Director of Budget & Finance Craig Warner, and Yakima
Fire Chief Aaron Markham provided an update on the City's comprehensive efforts
to maintain Fire Station 92 operational despite facing a $3.8 million reduction in the
Fire Department budget, which includes the termination of the Union Gap contract
resulting in the loss of approximately $2 million in revenue. Station 92 was
identified for closure due to its lowest call volume, factors that minimize city-wide
service impact, and other obligations related to collective bargaining matters.
Staffing levels are expected to decrease due to anticipated mid-year retirements
which will increase overtime expenses after July 1st.
After amendment and further Council discussion,
AMENDED MOTION: Glenn moved and Potrykus seconded to authorize the
$150,000 a month for overtime as a temporary solution to avoid closing
Station 92 and then continue to look for a long-term solution, through August.
The motion carried by unanimous vote.
MOTION: Berg moved and Brown seconded that staff present to council at
the February 3rd meeting how a $0.25 per thousand EMS Levy would plan to
improve services for the community and provide the necessary documents
to put such a levy on the ballot for Council consideration. The motion carried
by unanimous vote.
11) City Manager Update
11.A Update regarding conversation with school districts related to Lions Pool
City Manager Vicki Baker reported that she attended a meeting with school
superintendents and provided the status of fundraising efforts by the community.
Baker also informed Council of an agreement with the Yakima Valley Trolleys
regarding storage and access.
11.B Preview of upcoming topics
City Manager Baker informed Council of upcoming discussion topics related to
the Homeless Strategic Plan, assignments to Boards and Commissions, Flock
cameras, Parks Division fee updates, legislative priorities, the Transportation
Benefit District projects, trolley operations agreement, and Capitol Theatre.
12) Other Business
None.
13) Adjournment
MOTION: Glenn moved and Berg seconded to adjourn to the next City Council
study session on January 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.
The motion carried by unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m.
January 6, 2026-Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 6
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CERTIFICATION
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY
COUNCIL MEMBER DATE
COUNCIL MEMBER DATE
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK MAYOR
<II:)
January 6, 2026—Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6
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