The Olympia Finance Committee met on February 24, 2026, at 4:30 PM to discuss the Fire Department's capital facilities plan, a quarterly budget spotlight, and proposed updates to the city's investment policy. The committee voted unanimously to forward an updated investment policy to the full City Council.
6A: Olympia Fire Department Capital Facilities Plan Funding Discussion
6B: Budget Spotlight: Quarterly Report Items
6C: Approval of City Investment Policy Update Recommendation
February 23rd, which means it's time for the finance committee council. It's 4 30. It's the 23rd of February, and it's time for the Finance Committee of the Olympia City Council. Call the meeting to order at 4 30 and a roll call. We have Councilmember Kelly Green, myself, Clark Gilman, and Councilmember Robert Vanderpool is excused and hoping to get out of his conflicting meeting in time to join us for the latter part of this meeting. Have you had a chance to consider the agenda proposed for tonight? I've considered it so much that it would be my honor to move to approve it. Great. And I will second that. All in favor. Aye. All right. We have an agenda. And that brings us to public comment. We we have at least one public commenter in person. Do we have any online public commenters this evening? No one online. All right. So, Michelle, if you'd like to come up by the cheese, either the lecture nor the tables fine. That's okay. There you go. So does that mean I have like a half an hour from my public comment since no one else is here? I'm joking. I have two minutes. Yes, that'd be great. Hello. My name is Michelle Ryder, and I'm a weed inspector. No, not that kind of weed. I inspect Pierce County for noxious plants like poison hemlock to keep our community safe. And I am here to support City Council adopting an ethical investment policy. I live in our wonderful city and I value human life in the planet. I know you do too. Considering the state of our world and the direction our country is headed, there is no better time than now to align public funds with human rights and protecting our planet. Socially conscious investing and spending is not just a growing trend, but a moral imperative. I don't want our money damaging the planet, driving severe human rights abuses, harming workers, and deepening injustice at home and abroad. I want to see our city be part of the solution by being socially and environmentally conscious about where we put our money. I would love to see Olympia join cities and counties across the U.S. from Portland, Maine to Alameda County to St. Louis, who have all committed to ethical investment. I'm excited to be up here, optimistic even, knowing that Olympia has the potential to take positive, life-affirming action by declining to favor investments in harmful industries such as fossil fuels, tobacco, immigrant detention, mass incarceration, and weaponry of all kinds, thus moving American dollars away from collective harm and returning power to us ordinary people. If we change the way we do things, the world that we worry about every day will also change. Change brings opportunities and opportunities and alternatives rooted in concern for others are what will pull us out of today's moral morass and help us keep our promise to younger generations that they can look forward to a sustainable, equitable, and flourishing future. We can do this. Thank you. Thank you for your comment, Michelle. Is there anybody else who'd like to make public comment this evening? I'm looking at Bill Dole who just arrived, and he said no. Okay. All right. And nobody online.