The Olympia City Council held its regular business meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, online, and via phone. All seven council members were present. The meeting included special recognitions, public comment, approval of the consent calendar, and action on two major business items: the Rebecca Howard Park Development Plan and a Residential Energy Performance Rating and Disclosure Ordinance.
Twenty-three people spoke during public comment. The majority addressed the proposed Residential Energy Performance Rating and Disclosure (Home Energy Score) ordinance.
Approved unanimously (7-0) with two items pulled for comment:
6A – Rebecca Howard Park Development Plan Associate Planner Sarah Giannobile presented the plan, developed over six years with extensive community engagement. The design features a community hub, café, stage, garden, gathering circle, and festival street. Parks Director Sylvana Niehuser recommended prioritizing this park over other undeveloped parks due to strong community momentum and a near-term $500,000 grant opportunity. Estimated cost: $5.5–6.5 million. Councilmember Vanderpool asked about safety and maintenance; staff noted CPTED design and operational cost estimates. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).
6B – Residential Energy Performance Rating and Disclosure Ordinance Climate Program Director Pamela Braff presented the ordinance, which requires sellers to obtain a Department of Energy Home Energy Score (HES) before listing single-family homes and certain attached dwellings. Key provisions: one-year implementation delay (effective May 1, 2027), subsidized assessments for low-income sellers, exemptions for hardship, and regional coordination. Estimated first-year impacts: 3,000 ratings, 560 retrofits, $300,000 in energy savings. Compliance will involve MLS integration and city staff review. Councilmember Green raised concerns about enforcement capacity and costs; Dr. Braff outlined a tiered penalty system ($50–$250 per violation). After discussion, the council approved the ordinance on first reading (7-0), forwarding it to second reading.
Good evening and welcome to the Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 regular business meeting of the Olympia City Council. For the record, we have a quorum with all council members present tonight. So before we move on, I just want to mention that uh we will not be having any business meetings until Tuesday, April 14th. Uh we are not scheduled for a business meeting next week, uh nor the following week due to the spring break, and we'll return here in the chambers on April 14th. Uh so with that, I need a motion to approve tonight's agenda. Move approval. Second. All those in favor of the agenda as published, signify by saying aye. Aye. We have an agenda. So our first item tonight is 2A, which is special recognition swearing in of our police chief, Shelby Parker. Uh, and so I'm gonna invite up Jay Bernie, our city manager, for a few comments. Hey Jay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Council members again for the record. Jay Burney City Manager. Uh, as the mayor said, I'm here tonight for a very exciting occasion as we welcome Shelby Parker to her new role as Chief of Police for the City of Olympia. Chief Parker brings more than two decades of dedicated public service to our community. She has served her entire career with the City of Olympia. She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to leading with integrity, listening and responding to our community's public safety priorities, and always seeking a balanced approach to keeping our community safe while moving our community members towards wellness. Chief Parker leads with optimism and is dedicated to strengthening relationships both within and outside the city organization. She has successfully built partnerships across Olympia, fostering trust through through dialogue, collaboration, and responsiveness. Chief Parker's leadership philosophy emphasizes equity, connection, and shared responsibility for community safety and well-being. She is committed to advancing Olympia's public safety goals through innovation, transparency, and accountability, while supporting the dedicated professionals in the Olympia Police Department to make sure they have the tools and resources they need to serve this community and stay safe and healthy. During her interim role over the past year, Shelby has led the department through challenging issues, demonstrating care for the community and her staff while building trust along the way. She graduated from the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police and holds an executive level career certificate from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, which is the highest level of professional certification offered in the state of Washington. Shelby is uniquely qualified to be Olympia's next police chief, and I couldn't be more pleased to welcome her into this new role. I also think it is fitting to acknowledge that March is women's history month and a profession and a position that is held primarily by men. I'm honored to welcome Chief Parker as the first female chief in the history of our department. With that, I would like to ask Chief Parker to come forward to introduce her family in attendance. We're gonna I'm then gonna administer her oath. We'll do a pinning ceremony, invite her to make some remarks, and then I'll turn it over to the council. Chief, come on up, good evening, everybody. To say that I'm humbled is an understatement. My goodness. And next I'll recognize my parents. My father, Michael Metter, if you'll stand up, and my mother, Betsy, and my stepfather, Les Stevens. And last but certainly not least, I have my aunt, Jane Bobell, and my cousins, Eric Murphy, Lemia Murphy, and Ann Murphy, if you'll stand up. And a very special nod to my aunt Jane. She was the individual who sent me a job posting back in 2003 for a police job here at the City of Olympia because at the time she was the head of parks, arts, and recreation. Okay. State your name to solemnly swear. I, Shelby Parker, do solemnly swear. That I will support the Constitution and laws of the United States. That I will support the Constitution and laws of the United States. That I will support and enforce the Constitution and Laws of the State of Washington. That I will enforce and support the laws and constitution of the state of Washington. And the ordinances of the City of Olympia. And the ordinances of the City of Olympia. That I will abide by the rules.