Puyallup City Council Regular Meeting - July 21, 2026
Puyallup City Council Regular Meeting - July 21, 2026
The City Council met on July 21, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting covered routine consent items, a public hearing on an emergency moratorium for battery energy storage systems, second readings of ordinances, a resolution setting a public hearing for a street vacation, and discussion of affordable housing funds. All votes were unanimous (7-0) unless noted. The meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Authorized a contract with Miles Resources, LLC for street overlay on 31st Avenue SE.
- Authorized a change order and final acceptance for the 7th Avenue SW Sidewalks and Crossing project.
- Authorized a contract with Grindline Skateparks, Inc. for skate park upgrades.
- Authorized a contract amendment with Evergreen StormH2O for stormwater management.
- Approved accounts payable, payroll, and electronic fund transfers from May 2026.
- Authorized renewal of an agreement with OpenGov for budgeting software.
- Approved the 2026-2028 collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME.
- Authorized a contract with Wayne's Roofing, Inc. for roof and HVAC replacement at the Memorial Community Center and a city-owned building.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Valorie Dent questioned the funding and fair market value for the America 250 Memorial flagpole and requested public financial disclosure.
- Mitzi McMahan praised police enforcement near Puyallup High School but requested postponement of the street vacation public hearing until at least one month into the school year, citing traffic safety concerns and the need for traffic calming measures.
- Andrelyn Izquierdo advocated for fair treatment of women online, condemning non-consensual sharing of images as a form of cyber trafficking.
- Matthew Caras discussed the city's biennial survey distribution and noted that less than 1% of residents are reached, highlighting community organizing around local issues.
- Bud Metzger criticized council behavior and street maintenance decisions, urging investment in chip sealing over costly overlays and warning of fiscal mismanagement.
- Eric Showacy argued that city decisions, such as spending on a flagpole and street improvements, align with federal priorities (citing executive orders), and urged council to push back against these trends.
- Public Hearing Testimony: Bud Metzger called for expert-led evaluations of battery storage technology, referencing fire incidents to underline safety risks. A letter from Puget Sound Energy (read into record) expressed support for collaboration, emphasizing that battery storage is essential for grid reliability, meeting clean energy targets, and avoiding outages.
Discussion Items
- Emergency Moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Planning Manager Chris Beale presented the one-year moratorium adopted June 2, 2026, to evaluate regulations. The public hearing was opened at 6:57 PM and closed at 7:03 PM. Council will continue stakeholder outreach and policy development.
- Second Reading – Ordinance Amending Animal and Zoning Codes: Passed 7-0 after roll call.
- Second Reading – Routine 2026 Budget Adjustments: Passed 7-0 after roll call.
- Resolution Setting Public Hearing for Street Vacation: The council debated closing a portion of West Main and 7th Street NW. A motion to show a time-lapse video of student pedestrian traffic passed 7-0. Councilmember Kastama argued for closing both blocks (not just one) for student safety, proposing speed cameras, speed bumps, roundabouts, and increased school resource officer presence. He moved to set the public hearing on September 15, 2026, which passed 7-0. Councilmembers requested updated traffic studies and future growth plans from the school district.
- Affordable Housing Sales Tax Credit Funds: City Manager Steve Kirkelie reported that the city has collected $1.3 million (estimated $1.4 million by year-end) under Washington's HB 1406. He recommended issuing an RFP. Council discussed the risk of state clawback, the need to spend funds promptly, and whether the RFP should prioritize capital investments, operations, or rental assistance. Direction was given to proceed with the RFP.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved 7-0.
- Public Hearing for BESS Moratorium: Held; staff will continue stakeholder outreach and return with permanent regulations.
- Ordinance - Animal and Zoning Code Amendment: Approved 7-0 on second reading.
- Ordinance - Budget Adjustments: Approved 7-0 on second reading.
- Resolution - Street Vacation Public Hearing: Set for September 15, 2026 (motion passed 7-0). Council will review updated traffic studies and school district growth plans before that hearing.
- Affordable Housing Funds: Council directed staff to issue an RFP to solicit proposals for use of the $1.4 million in sales tax credit funds.
- City Manager Report: Next council meeting is August 25, 2026. The America 250 Memorial flagpole is expected to be installed in late August or early September; donations total approximately $57,000.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. I'd like to welcome everybody out to our June July 21st meeting. Uh will everyone please rise to the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Will the clerk please call the roll? Deputy Mayor Johnson. Present. Councilmember King? Present. Councilmember Gilliam. Present. Councilmember Castamo. Present. Councilmember Smoke. Present. Councilmember Adler. Present. Mayor Whitting. Present. Do we have a motion to approve the agenda? Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion passes. We now move into citizen comments. For those that are not familiar with our process, you can fill out one of these green sheets at the table back there and give them to the city clerk and he'll get them to me. If you don't want to fill one out, I'll call for uh anybody that wants to speak after the I've called on all the ones that have signed up. So we'll start off with Val Dent. Oh, yes. Would the clerk please uh uh provide the instructions for public comment? This part of the meeting is for general citizen comments. Please reserve any public hearing testimony to that section of the agenda. The mayor will call on those who wish to I'm sorry, the mayor will call on those who have provided their names in advance, then the mayor will call for other citizens who wish to speak. For the record, please state your name and address or city council district in which you reside. Please direct your comments to the council as a whole, not individual council members. All comments are limited to three minutes. The clerk will provide verbal notice when only 30 seconds remain, as a reminder. This portion of the meeting is council's opportunity to hear from the community and not a time to engage in debate. Lastly, per state law. Thank you. Will it be fair market value? And if fair market value, are we going to be paying this in extra taxes over the next decade? This property has been hard to sell since before the fire. As the flagpole is to be permanent. One city council member had the goal to say they wanted to see how the city budget was doing compared to other cities in the area, as they felt the city was staying in the black, whereas others were in the red. If your wasteful spending continues, we'll find out really soon.
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