Good evening and welcome to the Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 regular business meeting of the Olympia City Council.

For the record, we have a quorum with all council members present tonight.

So I'd like to just mention uh that we have assistant city manager Debbie Sullivan here, who is the acting city man uh city manager for tonight.

Uh thank you, Debbie.

Um, and just to also mention that next week we do not have a regularly regular scheduled business meeting.

Uh we will resume our business meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd.

And with that, I need a motion to approve tonight's agenda.

Move approval.

Second.

All those in favor of adopting the agenda as published signify by saying I.

So our first item tonight is to A.

Excuse me, Mayor, your mic.

Mike.

Oh.

Thank you.

All right.

My apologies.

Okay.

So the next item on our agenda is item 2A, which is a special recognition proclamation recognizing May as Olympia Heritage Month.

And we have a shared reading of the proclamation, beginning with Councilmember Barent.

Thank you.

Whereas this year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the United States of America.

And whereas the National Trust for Historic Preservation's theme for National Preservation Month 2026 is all people are created equal, and the nation is celebrating by sharing historic sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks that tell the full American story and whereas embracing the identities, lived experiences, and diverse perspectives of Olympia's growing community enhances the livability and vibrancy of the city for all residents and whereas the City of Olympia recognizes that history and heritage are essential components of a community's identity, and equitable opportunities for access and participation in historic preservation programming play a large role in painting a fuller picture of the past and whereas the Olympia Heritage Commission is dedicated to providing education and resources that support all residents and community members in learning about Olympia's history by recognizing historic structures and stories of communities before us and whereas educating the community on our shared history and challenges helps us all contribute to a more positive world for the future.

And now, therefore, be it resolved that the Olympia City Council does hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 to be Olympia Heritage Month, finding new ways to recognize and celebrate our diverse history and heritage and expand access to education and programming for all Olympians.

Signed in the City of Olympia, Washington this 19th day of May 2026, Olympia City Council, Dante Payne, Mayor.

And now I'd like to invite up Brittany Gilliah, who's our Historic Preservation Officer, and Bill Cotter, the Olympia Heritage Commission member for a few comments.

Great.

Thank you, Mayor Payne, and thank you to the members of the Olympia City Council for this proclamation and for your ongoing support of heritage and historic preservation in our city.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's theme this year, that all people are created equal challenges us to do more than commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

It challenges us to ask those whose stories are being told, whose places are being protected, and who has a seat at the table when we talk about history, culture, and preservation.

The Heritage Commission takes that challenge seriously, and we're grateful to serve alongside a mayor and a city council who do as well.

This proclamation calls on us to find new ways to expand access and participation in historic and cultural preservation for all Olympians.

And we're grateful for the city's support as we explore new and expanded relationships with tribal nations, cultural organizations, and neighborhood communities that can help us more fully reflect the breadth of Olympia's heritage.

The stories of this place are bigger than any one district or historic era.

And building those relationships across both community and institutional levels is how we begin to tell them more completely and more accurately.

On a practical note, the Heritage Commission is excited to mention that we've been awarded grant funds to host a training on June 8th, where members of the various historic commissions and historic preservation communities across the region have been invited to learn more about how to operate as a commission.

As part of this, we'll be learning about community engagement and identifying opportunities to promote historic preservation for histories that may have historically been more untold.

In the near future, we also intend to apply for additional grant funding to conduct long overdue updated surveys for some of the older historic districts in Olympia.

Keeping those records current is foundational to recognizing and protecting what makes Olympia irreplaceable and understanding those areas better as they exist today in 2026.

We're proud of this community, and all of us on the commission are honored to serve it.

Thank you for making this month and this work possible.

Thank you very much, Bill.

Any comments from council.

Mayor Potem when Yeah, I just so appreciate both this proclamation and then also uh the broad representation we have here of the Olympia's Heritage Commission, and then of course, uh ablely staffed by Brittany Gillia.

And um I think that many people that I've talked to in the community have a lot of uh feelings about this year being our semi uh uh quincentennial year or America 250, and um uh your comments tonight, Bill, and then also this proclamation, um, I think forces us to remember that uh America, no matter, you know, sort of how you feel about this moment that we're we're more than the moment that we're in.

Um, and uh our history and our stories are worth preserving, and um, that this year can be um, if not one of celebration for some, but also a year of reflection and education.

And I just really appreciate you all being here and your commitment to doing so.

Well said, Mayor Pro Tem.

Um, so I have a signed copy of the proclamation here, and we'd like to invite you up to take a photo with counsel and present you with the proclamation.

All right.

Thank you all so much.

So uh that concludes our special recognition portion of our agenda for tonight.

Um, so we are gonna go ahead and move on to public comment, and I'll turn it over to the Mayor Pro Tem.

All right, so we have a number of in-person public commenters, and then one that's signed up online.

We'll do the folks that are in person first.

We have uh two minutes for each public commenter.

Uh for those that are in person, I'll call a few different uh call a few names so you know uh where your place is in line.

And when it is your turn, just make your way to the podium there.

The microphone is already on, and the timer will start uh as soon as you start speaking.

The timer is right over here.