The Puyallup City Council held its regular meeting on June 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting covered consent agenda items, a traffic calming pilot program presentation, ordinances on a battery energy storage system moratorium, zoning code amendments, and Arts and Culture Commission membership changes, as well as a resolution for a state grant application. Councilmembers present: Mayor Witting, Deputy Mayor Johnson, Councilmembers Adler, Gilliam, Kastama, King, and Smolko (arrived at 6:36 PM). All votes were unanimous except where noted.
18 speakers addressed the council on various topics:
Traffic Calming Pilot Program (Item 4a): Development Engineering Manager Ken Cook presented a two-phase proactive program: Phase 1 uses radar speed signs (stealth then display) and targeted enforcement; Phase 2 includes physical measures like speed humps and traffic circles. Nine potential locations identified. Police Chief Scott Engle provided enforcement statistics, noting a rise in reckless driving complaints. Council expressed strong support. Deputy Mayor Johnson linked reckless driving to state pursuit restrictions, advocated for robust enforcement. Councilmember Gilliam requested adding infrastructure improvements to spread traffic. Councilmember Adler suggested future funding increases and consideration of automated enforcement cameras like Milton's. The pilot will be evaluated in 5-6 months.
Ordinance: BESS Moratorium (Item 5a): Director Courtney Brunell proposed a one-year moratorium on commercial/utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) due to lack of code. Residential systems exempt. Council supported, citing a battery fire at a local school. Motion to waive first reading and adopt passed 7-0.
Ordinance: Zoning Code Amendments (Item 5b): Associate Planner Rachael Brown presented housekeeping amendments to Title 20, including auto-oriented uses in RMX and CCX zones. Planning Commission recommended allowing auto uses only in CCX, not RMX. Council debated: Deputy Mayor Johnson and Mayor Witting favored allowing auto uses in RMX (north of River Road) and excluding them from CCX (South Hill). Councilmember King abstained. Motion to approve first reading with that amendment passed 6-0. Second reading scheduled June 16.
Ordinance: Arts and Culture Commission Membership (Item 5c): Public Affairs Officer Eric Johnson noted quorum challenges; commission met only 4 of 11 times in 2024, 3 of 6 in 2025, and none in 2026 due to vacancies. Chair Bradley Pugh urged reduction from 7 to 5 members to enable work. Councilmember Gilliam raised concern about reduced representation, proposed a sunset clause to review in one year. Motion to approve first reading with review after one year passed 6-0.
Resolution: BRIC Grant Applicant Agent (Item 6a): City Engineer Hans Hunger presented a resolution to designate an agent for a FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant (approx. $4.5 million) for seismic retrofit of a second water tank on 39th Street. Approved 5-0 (Deputy Mayor Johnson not present for vote).
The Puallop City Council meeting for June 2nd is called to order. We are having a little bit of technical difficulties, and I'd like to turn a couple of moments over to our city manager to explain what's going on. Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just wanted uh for the audience uh out in uh watching online. We are having a challenge with our YouTube channel. Uh and so you can watch it the meeting on PC TV through our website, so that is available. It's just our YouTube channel is not available. So we're working on that, but the meetings being recorded. You can go to our website and just click watch meeting on PC TV and watch the meeting. It's just not the YouTube channel at this at this point. So thank you, Mr. Mayor. Okay, will you the audience please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance? And to the Republican, which stands one nation under God. Individual justice for all the thank you. Councilmember Smolko. She is delayed and should be here shortly. Councilmember Adler. Present. Councilmember Castro. Present. Councilmember King. Present. Councilmember Gilliam. Present. Deputy Mayor Johnson. Present. Mayor Whitting. Present. And given that our we are a week and a day past Memorial Day. I just would like to take a moment to at this first meeting after that momentous day and to remember the people that have given their lives and in our service and uh like to just take a moment of silence. Thank you. I I always want to be sure that we take the moments to remember those that have provided the service for us. And just as a a matter of note, I the uh you know in World War II we lost uh a hundred thousand Americans uh in that in that war and in World War II we lost over four hundred thousand citizens, but the but the worst war of all in terms of American casualties was the Civil War, where citizens fought citizens and brothers fought brothers. And uh in this day of polarization, I I uh just hope and pray that that we find our common interests in all that we do and and work together to to find good solutions that that serve all of our citizens and that's my hope and prayer, and I thank you for indulging me in that. Um moving on, we've we've got an agenda to approve. Uh do I have a motion to approve the agenda? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Motion passes. Uh we we now have some minutes to consider the approval of the minutes of the March 24, 2026 minutes. Move approval. Uh second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion passes.