Tacoma City Council Meeting: July 16, 2024 – District 4 Appointment and Charter Ballot Propositions
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Tacoma City Council Meeting: July 16, 2024 – District 4 Appointment and Charter Ballot Propositions
The Tacoma City Council met on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at 5:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a moment of silence for former Pierce County Councilmember Dennis Flanagan, the appointment of a new District 4 Councilmember, and votes on eight proposed charter amendments to be placed on the November 5, 2024 General Election ballot. Public comments focused heavily on the charter review process, with many speakers expressing disappointment that certain proposals were not advanced.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution 41468 – Set a hearing date of August 22, 2024, for a request by Bradken, Inc. to vacate a portion of an alley in South Tacoma to cure building and industrial storage encroachments. Adopted unanimously.
- Item 2A – Added by agenda modification: a letter from the City Council to Enterprise Community Partners supporting the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center’s grant application. Adopted unanimously.
- Payment approval for the period June 17–30, 2024: payroll $23,886,847.30; other payments $28,796,358.75; total $52,683,206.05.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Andrea Ray (Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber CEO) thanked the council for serving on the Charter Review Committee and for their deliberate work on charter amendments.
- Michelle Reich spoke against Resolution 41468 (alley vacation), arguing adjacent property owners should have priority and described a personal financial impact from a previous street vacation.
- Jay Herring (District 4 resident) criticized the council for not advancing police accountability, climate commission, and mayor-council form of government amendments; supported Salong Chun for District 4.
- Tallison Crosby (District 3, union member) expressed disappointment over charter decisions, urged consultation with climate groups, and opposed appointing Rick Talbert.
- Heidi Stevens spoke against the waterfront property sale amendment, claiming the Charter Review Committee had thoroughly voted it down and that Metro Parks overstepped; also criticized the alley vacation for lack of mention of fines or compensation.
- Eve Bowen thanked the Charter Review Committee but expressed dismay that many recommendations were ignored.
- Michelle Mood (South Tacoma property owner) criticized the council for sidelining the Charter Review Committee and failing to act on climate emergency; urged votes against waterfront property sale and fiscal note requirement for initiatives.
- Rebecca Stith (Charter Review Committee member) thanked the council for moving forward some amendments but was disheartened that police accountability, climate commission, and mayor-council form of government were not on the ballot; noted community has sought mayor-council for over 20 years and urged the council to place the form of government change on the November ballot.
- Marilyn expressed disappointment at committee recommendations not being carefully considered; supported strong mayor, police accountability, climate commission; opposed waterfront property sale and fiscal note requirement.
- Stacey Oakes (350 Tacoma) criticized the council for ignoring charter review work; announced plans for a ballot initiative to remove the city manager position; urged no on waterfront property sale and called for meaningful climate action.
- April Smith supported the South End Neighborhood Council’s block party/resource fair (Resolution 41471) and urged no on waterfront property sale; thanked councilmembers who voted to put form of government change on the ballot; criticized Mayor Woodards, Councilmembers Bushnell, Walker, and Daniels.
- Umetta Onida Arnold spoke on climate emergency and lack of accountability; cited examples of fast-tracked projects without environmental impact assessments.
- Kathy Lahan requested restoration of public comment time; agreed with previous speakers on climate catastrophe and city inaction.
- Devin Rydell Kelly (Hilltop community leader) urged council to reconsider charter review recommendations; emphasized need to adapt city leadership structure for intersecting crises.
- Anna (spoke online) implored council to reconsider votes on climate commission, police accountability, citizen initiatives, and form of government; accused council of listening to corporate interests.
- Andrea Hogue (South End Neighborhood Council chair) supported Resolution 41471 (block party request) and thanked the charter review committee.
- Jamie criticized failure to put climate/police accountability commissions and form of government on ballot; opposed waterfront property sale and urged returning land to Puyallup tribe; opposed appointment of Rick Talbert.
- James accused council of political suicide and silencing voters; pledged to speak to the governor.
- Barb Church (Northeast Tacoma) criticized the mayor for dismissing Charter Review Committee members, noting several were lawyers; thanked councilmembers who listened to constituents.
Discussion Items
Appointment to City Council District No. 4
- Reappointment of Addison Atkatsh to the Human Services Commission (Resolution 41469) – Adopted unanimously.
- District 4 Appointment (Resolution 41470): The council interviewed six finalists out of 23 applicants. Four rounds of voting occurred:
- Motion for Salong Chun – Roll call: 4 in favor, 4 opposed; motion failed.
- Motion for Justin Everman – Roll call: 0 in favor, 8 opposed; motion failed.
- Motion for Jasmine Brown – Roll call: 4 in favor, 4 opposed; motion failed.
- Motion for Stephen Wombach – Roll call: 0 in favor, 8 opposed; motion failed.
- Motion for Sandesh Sandolgay – Roll call: 6 in favor, 2 opposed; motion carried. The resolution as amended was then adopted unanimously. Sandesh will be sworn in at the next council meeting.
Charter Amendment Propositions for November 5, 2024 Ballot
- Item 6 – Salaries Commission Name & State Law Alignment (RES41472): Failed by voice vote (ayes and nays not counted).
- Item 7 – Term Limits (RES41473): Adopted (voice vote). Expands term limits from 10 consecutive years to three consecutive full four-year terms, effective for those elected in or after 2025.
- Item 8 – Council Staff and Duties (RES41474): Adopted (voice vote). Authorizes council to employ or contract for staff and clarifies time commitment.
- Item 9 – Planning Commission Composition (RES41475): Adopted (voice vote). Expands membership from 9 to 11 and modifies qualifications.
- Item 10 – Equity of Access (RES41476): Adopted (voice vote). Amends multiple sections to use inclusive language and align with city practices.
- Item 11 – Meeting Frequency (RES41477): Adopted (voice vote). Removes prohibition on meeting more than weekly and increases minimum meetings from 46 to 70 per year.
- Item 12 – Public Utility Board Membership (RES41478): Failed on roll call (4-4? transcript indicates 4-4; actual counts unclear but motion failed).
- Item 13 – Waterfront Property Sale (RES41479): Adopted (voice vote). Allows sale or transfer only to public agencies with guarantee of perpetual public park or open space.
- Item 14 – Ballot Order: Approved order of the six propositions plus authorized mayor to adjust order as requested by Pierce County Elections to fit on a single ballot.
Key Outcomes
- Appointed Sandesh Sandolgay as District 4 Councilmember, to be sworn in July 23, 2024.
- Six charter amendments placed on the November 5, 2024 general election ballot:
- Equity of access cleanup (RES41476)
- Meeting frequency increase (RES41477)
- Waterfront property sale restrictions (RES41479)
- Council staff and duties (RES41474)
- Planning commission composition (RES41475)
- Term limits (RES41473)
- Two charter amendments failed: salaries commission name change (RES41472) and TPU board membership clarification (RES41478).
- South End Neighborhood Council block party and resource fair funded with $10,000 from council contingency funds (RES41471), adopted.
- Council will accept letters of interest for pro/con committees on ballot propositions until July 26, 2024 at 3 PM; GPFC will review on July 29 and council approval on July 30.
- The next council meeting (July 23) will include a resolution to transmit ballot titles to the Pierce County Auditor.
Meeting Transcript
I would like to call to order the city council meeting of July 16th, 2024. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Councilmember Bush now? Present. Councilmember Daniels? Here. Councilmember Diaz. Here. Deputy Mayor Hines? Here. Councilmember Rumba? Here. Councilmember Scott? Here. Councilmember Walker? Here. Mayor Woodards? Here. Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgement and flag salute led by Councilmember Diaz, followed by a moment of silence. We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Peola people where they make their home and speak the Leshutsi language. Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence. I'd like to see 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. But last last week or last Friday, we lost Dennis Flanagan. Dennis Flanagan was a member of the Pierce County Council. I'll talk a lot more about him next week. But Dennis Flanagan was also part of the civil rights movement. He lived in Tacoma, but during the summers in the 60s, he would fly down to the South and he would register people to vote. He served on the county council, was just an amazing human being. I look forward to dedicating next next week's moment of silence to him, but I didn't want this opportunity to go by without acknowledging his passing and sending our um our heartfelt condolences to his wife and to his family. So with that, we will move on to agenda modifications. We have one modification to the agenda this evening to add letter to enterprise community partners in support of multicultural child and family hope center application under the consent agenda. I move to suspend Rule 4A of the rules of procedure of the Council of the City of Tacoma to add a letter to Enterprise Community Partners to the consent agenda as item 2A. Second. All right, are there any questions or comments? Do do either one of you want to uh add some comments here? Councilmember Daniels. Yeah, thank you. I was just trying to um think about pace of the meeting and um realize that we are walking something on, um, but we are just adding a letter um tonight to further our support for the um the multicultural center, which will be renamed soon. That is breaking ground this summer. Um we have already supported it financially, and so this is just a continuation of that. They are applying for a grant with the enterprise community partners who will help them hopefully get towards the last um little bit of money that they need. And so this is I think the least that we could do. Thank you, Councilmember Daniels. I want to thank you and Councilmember Walker for bringing this forward and offering an opportunity for everyone here on the council to sign on to the letter as everyone on the council voted to pass that 1.5 million dollars. So thank you so much. All right, are there any additional council questions or comments? Well, seeing none, all those in favor of amending the agenda, please signify by saying aye. Aye, all those opposed. The ayes have it.
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