OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Olympia City Council Meeting Summary – March 17, 2026

City Council & CommissionsWednesday, March 18, 2026
BodyOlympia, Washington
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateWednesday, March 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 12:42

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Yo here we go.

0:11

I'm calling to order the March 17th, 2026 meeting of the Olympia City Council via Zoom.

0:18

It's 6 p.m.

0:20

Um, and our roll call has um Mayor Dante Payne and Mayor Pro Tem Young Quinn, uh, both away on city business.

0:34

And Danny Madrone called in earlier.

0:38

She's unable to join the call this evening.

0:41

But we do have a quorum, and we'll we'll move forward with our business.

0:46

So I understand that there are no announcements from staff this evening.

0:50

Is that correct?

0:52

Okay.

0:53

No announcements.

0:54

I would entertain a motion to approve the agenda for this evening's meeting.

0:59

So moved.

1:01

All right.

1:02

It's been moved by Councilmember Barrett.

1:04

Is there a second?

1:06

It's been seconded by Councilmember Vanderpool.

1:09

Is there any discussion or comments on the agenda?

1:13

Seeing none, I'll call for the vote.

1:15

All in favor of approving the agenda as published, say aye.

1:19

Aye.

1:21

It's unanimous we have an agenda.

1:24

Terrific.

1:25

And I don't believe we have any special recognitions on the agenda.

1:29

I don't see any here tonight.

1:31

So that brings us to public comment.

1:34

And I understand there are two people in council chambers waiting to make comment to us this evening.

1:40

So we'll call first on Christina Janis.

1:44

Please come on up and give us your two minutes.

1:51

Good evening.

1:51

My name is Christina Janis.

1:53

I serve as the chair of Thurston County Realtors Government Affairs Committee.

1:58

Thank you for your continued discussion on the proposed home energy score ordinance.

2:03

The Thurston County Realtors Association appreciates that the city's commitment to client goals and housing sustainability.

2:11

As professionals who guide buyers and sellers through thousands of transactions each year, realtors see firsthand how housing policies function in the real world.

2:22

Our goal is not to stop progress, but to ensure policies are clear, practical, and workable for consumers and the housing market.

2:31

After reviewing the proposal, we must it reiterate that we oppose the ordinance in its current form.

2:38

However, we do see value in a voluntary home energy score model that supports consumer awareness without creating the unintended consequences.

2:48

At this point, there are still significant questions, implementation, excuse me, questions that remain unresolved.

2:56

For that reason, we respectfully request that the city extend the pause and convene a collaborative work session with elected officials, staff, and experienced realtor members.

3:08

This would allow us to work through those key issues, including how compliance would function within a real estate transaction, ensuring accurate use of industry terminology, avoiding reliance on our Northwest MLS as an enforcement mechanism, and exploring alternative approaches that support both consumer choice and the city's climate goals.

3:30

Policies that impact housing transactions require careful coordination to avoid unintended consequences.

3:36

Taking additional time now will help the city adopt a policy that is workable on day one and not one that needs to be fixed later.

3:44

We are committed to being constructive partners in this process, and we look forward to working with you to get this right.

3:49

Thank you.

3:51

Thank you, Ms.

3:52

Janice.

3:53

Next we have Henry Valls.

4:00

Hello, Henry Valls, 1622 Giles Avenue Northwest, Olympia High School swim coach.

4:06

Since I spoke two weeks ago, we have now collected 3,800 signatures with over 2500 from Olympian Tumwater to save the Evergreen Pool.

4:15

And I believe we are starting to make process with the leadership community in the community.

4:20

This pool was to be used for lessons, the Washington State Senior Game, six high school swim teams, local law enforcement, fire, and fire departments.

4:27

It was you, it used to be used for water polo dive clubs, scuba diving, club swimming, and collegiate swimming.

4:34

I believe this is why so many care.

4:36

We were still planning on using it for our swim and dive camp to teach over 200 swimmers, 200 students how to swim.

4:45

And I want you to recognize that there is not just a value in the pool itself, but the entire facility.

4:52

The CRC at Evergreen has so many things the community desperately needs meeting spaces, gyms, mat rooms, locker rooms, racquetball courts, weight rooms, climbing walls, and the pool.

5:04

So what I'm asking is to please meet with the aquatics community, tour the Evergreen Pool with us, compare it to the Briggs YMCA, which has become severely overutilized and damaged because of its overuse.

5:17

Let's sit down, let's talk, let's plan.

5:20

This facility is a piece of art and it is an invaluable resource.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████62%
Parks and Recreation███████████15%
Energy Management███████████15%
Environmental Protection██████8%
Summary of Proceedings

Olympia City Council Meeting – March 17, 2026

The Olympia City Council met on March 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM via Zoom with four members present (Vanderpool, Gilman, Green, Berendt) and three excused (Mayor Payne, Mayor Pro Tem Huỳnh, Councilmember Madrone). The meeting focused on public comments regarding a proposed home energy score ordinance and efforts to save the Evergreen Pool, and concluded with adoption of the consent calendar and council reports.

Consent Calendar

The council unanimously adopted the consent calendar, which included:

  • Approval of minutes from March 3 and March 10, 2026 meetings.
  • Resolution authorizing an easement agreement at 429 Sherman Street NW.
  • Resolution authorizing an amendment to an agreement with Berger Partnership for Phase 1 design services at Yelm Highway Community Park.
  • Resolution consenting to DKS Boardwalk LLC’s assignment of interests under certain real estate-related agreements.
  • Ordinance amending Olympia Municipal Code Chapter 5.80 regarding unfair housing practices related to diverse family structures (second reading).
  • Emergency ordinance adding Chapter 10.06 relating to certain driving offenses, referencing RCW, and amending section 10.04.020 (first and final reading).
  • Ordinance amending section 3.50.510 relating to sales and use tax for criminal justice (first and final reading). The motion carried 4-0 with three excused.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Christina Janis (Chair, Thurston County Realtors Government Affairs Committee) stated the association opposes the home energy score ordinance in its current form but supports a voluntary model that promotes consumer awareness without unintended consequences. She requested the city extend the pause and convene a collaborative work session to address compliance in real estate transactions, accurate terminology, avoiding reliance on Northwest MLS as an enforcement mechanism, and exploring alternative approaches.
  • Henry Valz (Olympia High School swim coach, resident at 1622 Giles Avenue NW) reported that 3,800 signatures (over 2,500 from Olympia and Tumwater) have been collected to save the Evergreen Pool. He highlighted the pool’s value for lessons, senior games, six high school swim teams, law enforcement/fire training, water polo, dive clubs, scuba, club swimming, and collegiate swimming. He also noted the entire CRC facility (meeting spaces, gyms, locker rooms, racquetball courts, weight rooms, climbing walls) is an invaluable resource. He asked the council to meet with the aquatics community, tour the pool, compare it to the overutilized Briggs YMCA, and plan restoration rather than closure.

Discussion Items

  • Council response to public comment: Councilmember Vanderpool acknowledged the impressive signature count and expressed curiosity about the pool’s future, also noting the home energy score item would be discussed the following week. Councilmember Gilman appreciated both speakers and the email traffic, and voiced support for continued dialogue.
  • Council Intergovernmental/Committee Reports:
    • Councilmember Berendt reported on the Olympic Clean Air Agency (ORCA): the legislature reduced funding from the Model Toxics Control Act, forcing ORCA to consider fee increases for inspection fees (facilities, construction asbestos) to sustain operations.
    • Councilmember Gilman had no reports.
    • Councilmember Vanderpool (point of privilege) announced his mother became a school superintendent in Ohio after 15 years of effort.
  • City Manager's Report: Acting City Manager Debbie Sullivan had no reports.

Key Outcomes

  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously (4-0) without discussion or pull.
  • No other votes or formal decisions were taken; no public hearings or other business were conducted.
  • The meeting adjourned at 6:12 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for March 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Yo here we go. I'm calling to order the March 17th, 2026 meeting of the Olympia City Council via Zoom. It's 6 p.m. Um, and our roll call has um Mayor Dante Payne and Mayor Pro Tem Young Quinn, uh, both away on city business. And Danny Madrone called in earlier. She's unable to join the call this evening. But we do have a quorum, and we'll we'll move forward with our business. So I understand that there are no announcements from staff this evening. Is that correct? Okay. No announcements. I would entertain a motion to approve the agenda for this evening's meeting. So moved. All right. It's been moved by Councilmember Barrett. Is there a second? It's been seconded by Councilmember Vanderpool. Is there any discussion or comments on the agenda? Seeing none, I'll call for the vote. All in favor of approving the agenda as published, say aye. Aye. It's unanimous we have an agenda. Terrific. And I don't believe we have any special recognitions on the agenda. I don't see any here tonight. So that brings us to public comment. And I understand there are two people in council chambers waiting to make comment to us this evening. So we'll call first on Christina Janis. Please come on up and give us your two minutes. Good evening. My name is Christina Janis. I serve as the chair of Thurston County Realtors Government Affairs Committee. Thank you for your continued discussion on the proposed home energy score ordinance. The Thurston County Realtors Association appreciates that the city's commitment to client goals and housing sustainability. As professionals who guide buyers and sellers through thousands of transactions each year, realtors see firsthand how housing policies function in the real world. Our goal is not to stop progress, but to ensure policies are clear, practical, and workable for consumers and the housing market. After reviewing the proposal, we must it reiterate that we oppose the ordinance in its current form. However, we do see value in a voluntary home energy score model that supports consumer awareness without creating the unintended consequences. At this point, there are still significant questions, implementation, excuse me, questions that remain unresolved. For that reason, we respectfully request that the city extend the pause and convene a collaborative work session with elected officials, staff, and experienced realtor members. This would allow us to work through those key issues, including how compliance would function within a real estate transaction, ensuring accurate use of industry terminology, avoiding reliance on our Northwest MLS as an enforcement mechanism, and exploring alternative approaches that support both consumer choice and the city's climate goals. Policies that impact housing transactions require careful coordination to avoid unintended consequences. Taking additional time now will help the city adopt a policy that is workable on day one and not one that needs to be fixed later. We are committed to being constructive partners in this process, and we look forward to working with you to get this right. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Janice. Next we have Henry Valls. Hello, Henry Valls, 1622 Giles Avenue Northwest, Olympia High School swim coach. Since I spoke two weeks ago, we have now collected 3,800 signatures with over 2500 from Olympian Tumwater to save the Evergreen Pool.

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