Puyallup City Council Regular Meeting - August 25, 2026

The Puyallup City Council met on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting covered a first reading of critical areas ordinance updates, approval of an investment policy, a strategic plan presentation from the City Clerk, and citizen comments on several community issues. The council also received reports on the flagpole project, upcoming events, and community engagement initiatives.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda unanimously, which included the 2026-2028 collective bargaining agreement with the Puyallup Police Association for Support Services, a contract amendment with Evergreen StormH2O for stormwater management, an updated salary schedule for non-represented employees, approval of June 2026 accounts payable and payroll, final acceptance of the 4th Avenue SE Emergency Sewer Repair Project, a contract with RS Underground for the 3rd Street SE Watermain Replacement Project, an agreement with Ricoh USA for multifunction printers, and a master cooperative purchasing agreement with OMNIA Partners.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dave Churchman (District 2) criticized the flagpole project, stating that a public records request showed only nine donors (none from the VFW) and only three donors residing in the city, questioning community support and VFW involvement.
• Val Dent (District 2) opposed further spending on the flagpole and quiet zone projects, calling the flagpole presentation deceptive and criticizing the school district’s traffic safety violations; she expressed full opposition to any additional quiet zone funding.
• John Hopkins (former mayor, District 1) supported the flagpole as an opportunity for a trail viewing area with benches and planters; he advocated for making the trail ranger position year-round and praised the Riverwalk event’s success.
• Jim Detweiler (District 1) thanked parks for improving Clarks Creek Dog Park drainage and strongly encouraged residents to attend Puyallup 101, describing it as empowering and informative about city operations.
• Jill Roter (District 1) expressed confusion about the quiet zone concept, raised concerns about data centers and Flock cameras (questioning oversight, data usage, and potential federal misuse), and urged the council to scrutinize these technologies.
• Matthew Karis (no district stated, but coordinated with over 70 community members) requested that the city publicly respond to a pedestrian incident at a concert, suggested smaller and more frequent community meetings promoted on multiple platforms, expressed confusion among skateboarders about a new skate park versus minor revisions to the existing one, and raised concerns about Flock/ALPR cameras and nationwide misconduct.
• Don Cottum (District 1) highlighted a historic black walnut tree planted on statehood day (November 11, 1889) at 7th Street and 7th Avenue NW, inviting the council to view it.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 4A – Critical Areas Update (First Reading): Planning Manager Chris Beale presented amendments to PMC Chapter 21.06, required by the comprehensive plan update. The update revises definitions, mitigation standards, and integrates stormwater rules; updates to riparian management zones (stream buffers) were removed for further study. Councilmember Smolko asked whether any provisions reduce environmental protection; staff confirmed none do. Councilmember Smolko also clarified that the adopted ordinance does not include the previously proposed riparian zone changes. The first reading passed unanimously.
• Resolution 5A – Appointments to Boards and Commissions: City Clerk Dan Vessels introduced appointments of Jody Erickson to the Senior Advisory Board, and Alden Erickson and John Hopkins to the Arts and Culture Commission. Councilmember Gilling noted she participated in interviews and found them qualified. Motion passed unanimously.
• Resolution 5B – Investment Policy: Finance Director Barbara Lopez presented a policy to allow investments beyond the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP), which currently earns about 3.75%. The policy prioritizes safety, liquidity, and yield, allowing U.S. Treasury notes, government-sponsored entity bonds, and high-grade corporate notes while prohibiting stocks, money market mutual funds, and cryptocurrency. Councilmember Smolko asked about transparency; Lopez committed to publishing regular investment reports. Mayor Whitting asked about pooled fund liquidity; Lopez explained funds can be pooled with staggered maturities (2–3 years). The resolution passed unanimously.
• Item 6A – City Clerk’s Office Strategic Plan: City Clerk Dan Vessels presented achievements from the 2024-2025 plan (92% completion), including digitization, AI use for minute-taking (saving 7–10 hours per meeting), and streamlined business licensing (68% increase in endorsements, 90% approved within 14 days; special event permits approved in 39 days versus previous 78; special business licenses approved in 2.3 days on average). He highlighted a 50% improvement in special event permit turnaround. The plan for 2026-2028 focuses on ADA compliance (WCAG 2.1AA by April 2028), digitizing the vault (currently ~320 boxes, some dating to the 1960s), and increasing public records efficiency (requests up 80%, turnaround improved 30–40%). Councilmember Adler asked about ADA requirements; Vessels detailed closed captioning, transcripts, and audio descriptors. Councilmember King inquired about digitization timeline (3–4 months for the vault with dedicated resources). Deputy Mayor Johnson suggested exploring funding for accelerated digitization, citing cross-departmental efficiencies.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent agenda with all items.
• Approved first reading of the critical areas ordinance (4A); second reading scheduled for next meeting.
• Confirmed appointments to Senior Advisory Board and Arts and Culture Commission (Resolution 5A).
• Adopted the Investment Policy (Resolution 5B); Finance Director to develop reporting procedures.
• Received and noted the City Clerk’s Strategic Plan; further discussion on digitization funding anticipated.
• City Manager’s report: Flagpole project update – $57,030 in donations received, DOT finalizing foundation design; next week’s agenda includes second reading of critical areas ordinance, hazard mitigation plan presentation, discussion on city key policy, and road safety action plan presentation.
• Council reports included announcements of upcoming events (One Puyallup on August 26, final concert in the park on August 27, Braver Angels event on October 8, Golden Bridges volunteer program, Puyallup 101 starting September 17).
• Executive session was scheduled for collective bargaining.