OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Meeting Summary: December 2, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, December 2, 2025
BodyTacoma, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, December 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:53:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right.

0:02

I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of December 2nd, 2025.

0:07

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

0:09

Councilmember Bushnell.

0:11

Present.

0:11

Deputy Mayor Daniels.

0:14

Here.

0:15

Councilmember Diaz.

0:17

Here.

0:17

Councilmember Hines.

0:19

Councilmember Rumba here.

0:21

Councilmember Sidalgay?

0:22

Here.

0:22

Councilmember Scott.

0:24

Here.

0:24

Councilmember Walker.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Mayor Woodards.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgement and flag salute led by Councilmember Hines, followed by a moment of silence for our dear Matisse Hoyt.

0:37

Matisse Hoyt was the proud owner of Matisse Beauty Supply.

0:41

The only black woman and veteran-owned beauty supply store in Tacoma.

0:46

And she was a beacon of light in our community.

0:50

Matisse passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 12th, stunning our community and leaving many of us at a loss for words.

0:58

I remember when Matisse would roll into these council meetings.

1:03

Um when she first started showing up, she showed up every week.

1:16

But as the mayor of Tacoma, tonight I make her the official mayor of Tacoma.

1:22

She so deserved that honor, was such an advocate for this community and for the rights of people in this community.

1:33

Tacoma won't be the same without her.

1:36

But Tacoma is better for having her been a part of our community.

1:42

Matisse, we will miss you.

1:43

I don't know where I'm gonna get my beauty supply stuff from or the great advice that you gave.

1:50

But grateful that she was a member of this community.

1:54

Um that so many of us got to spend time with her and advocate with her.

1:58

And I'm gonna turn to uh councilmember Scott, who has a few words to share as well.

2:04

Thank you, Mayor.

2:05

I really appreciate that.

2:07

Um I there's a whole lot I could say.

2:12

Um, but I'll try to keep it brief.

2:14

I know we have a lot to talk about tonight, but I just feel like uh I can't I've been waiting for this moment because I I knew that we were gonna uh take some time uh to honor Matisse, and so I just didn't want to miss that opportunity.

2:29

And I I'm I'm sure a lot of you know um one of my favorite things to do um was when I went into Matisse's shop, is just she, you know, one of the she would always just be like, I saw you, I saw you at the last council meeting, and I I appreciate she's like, You gotta she was like, You're the best advertisement for um my shop because anytime I got my hair done, well I anytime I would do my hair, I always purchase my stuff from from her beauty supply store.

2:59

And so it was always one of those things where um do it, I don't know, some of you might not know when you get your hair braided, or you when you braid your own hair, it is a multi-day process sometimes if you're doing it yourself.

3:11

Um and so when you think about that, like whether you're getting it done by somebody else and the hours that takes, or you're doing yourself and the days that can take, um, I would always have to factor that in.

3:20

If I knew we had something coming up, I had to schedule it a few days in advance and get things ready.

3:24

But the other thing I had to make time for is that I knew any time I walked into Matisse's shop, I was gonna be there for at least a couple of hours.

3:31

Um, and so but it was always one of those times that I really cherished, just in the sense that um, you know, like Mayor said, it was always there was always good conversation, there was always good advice.

3:42

Um, I would not be honoring her memory and excuse my language if I didn't say there's a lot of talking shit.

3:48

Um, but the one thing that she and I really have had in common is that um we both just really cared about the community, and so seeing that reflected in somebody who um had a lot of you know, a lot of reasons to not be happy with the community that she existed in, uh, still finding that passion and the love and the care to advocate, to bring people together, to create space for people to come together and dream up ideas and be creative and learn about um whether it was learning about hair supplies and um what might be best for their hair journey or just coming together and learning about what was going on in the city, uh what was happening in her shop, what was happening in her life, what was happening in their life.

4:33

Uh there is not a single person I have met that also had an experience with Matisse that didn't have positive things to say about her, uh about a gym she dropped or a rhyme she rapped.

4:45

Um just every time I went in, and there's plenty of people that in the times that I would be spending in the shop uh talking with her, that there are plenty of people that I met and in the weeks uh has it been weeks in the couple weeks since her passing that I've run into some of those folks just out in the community, and um it just you know it's one of those things where you know that there's a place that brought you together with people that you might not have met before, but it's even more apparent when that person is gone.

5:00

And so just every time I went in, then there's plenty of people that in the times that I would be spending in the shop uh talking with her, that there are plenty of people that I met and in the weeks uh has it been weeks in the couple weeks since her passing that I've run into some of those folks just out in the community, and um it just you know it's one of those things where you know that there's a place that brought you together with people that you might not have met before, but it's even more apparent when that person is gone.

5:14

Um so I just I'm just really really appreciative that Matisse is somebody that I've gotten to know over the past few years, and that I had uh time to just whether it was intentionally getting together, going to her shop, or uh oftentimes we just ran into each other on the street and we'd end up in a conversation.

5:31

Uh there was one day one of our the favorite stories that we would always kind of bring back up with each other was there was one time we were sitting in Red Elm, and um they called an order for a chai latte with lavender and oat milk, and I went and I got it, and I was like, Oh, that was really fast.

5:47

Like I just ordered this.

5:48

Uh and she was sitting there like, why haven't I gotten my drink yet?

5:52

Um, and it turned out that we ordered the same drink.

5:56

We dubbed it the official black girl drink of Tacoma.

5:58

And um, and so I think since then we've maybe both have changed, we had both changed our our drink order, but uh it was just little moments like that, and then also the big moments of sitting in her store and really talking about um policy and uh all the various.

6:13

I know I said I was gonna keep this short, but how can I?

6:15

But um talking about policy and things that were going well and things that we'd like to see change and um I would just say to all the people who loved her, especially her friends and her family, um, that as best we can we are sitting with you in the sloss, and um I just appreciate that I was able to spend that time with her and get to know her, and that you all loaned her out to the community in the way that you did because um, and I think mayor says this often um about the work that people do when they serve the city in any capacity that you know you all made the sacrifice of sharing her with us because you supported her and her passion of working for a better city.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████33%
Procedural████████████12%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Transportation Safety█████████9%
Community Engagement██████6%
International Relations█████5%
Historic Preservation████4%
Economic Development████4%
Personnel Matters████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Meeting Summary: December 2, 2025

The Tacoma City Council convened on December 2, 2025, for a meeting marked by a solemn tribute to deceased community leader Matisse Hoyt, a contentious public comment period regarding tenant protections, and the unanimous adoption of the long-awaited Tide Flats Sub-area Plan. The meeting featured extensive debate on ordinances 29082 (Transportation Impact Fees), 29084/29085 (Wastewater/Stormwater SDCs), and 29086 (Landlord Fairness Code amendments), with many items deferred to a December 9th final reading.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 41801 and 41802 were adopted unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

Tide Flats Plan (Ordinances 29075-29077):

  • Positions in Support: Executive Ryan Mello (Pierce County) expressed full support and gratitude for the collaborative eight-year process. The Port of Tacoma supported the plan. Several residents expressed relief that environmental protections were strengthened.
  • Positions in Opposition: Heidi Stevens (Tide Flats Advisory Group) opposed the adoption, citing concerns over incomplete data, the absence of buffer zones, and the plan's promotion of industrial growth in a seismically unstable zone. She urged council members with property management conflicts to recuse themselves.

Willie Adams Way (Resolution 41804):

  • Positions in Support: Jared Faker (ILWU Local 23), Mike Chambers, Kyle Gwyn, Willie Adams, and Rodney Rhimes expressed full support. They highlighted Adams' legacy as a former International President of the ILWU, a civil rights advocate, and a community pillar who coordinated Black History programs for decades.
  • Positions in Opposition: None recorded. Willie Adams expressed deep gratitude and humility, emphasizing the honor is for the working class and his union members.

Landlord Fairness Code (Ordinance 29086):

  • Positions in Support: The Affordable Housing Consortium (Amanda DeChazzo), Tacoma Housing Authority (April Black), Metro Housing (John Dieter), Mercy Housing (Joe Thompson), and various tenant unions (Indivisible Tacoma, Tacoma for All) expressed support for retaining protections. They argued that the current code has led to severe rent delinquency, financial instability for nonprofits, and increased homelessness. They expressed strong opposition to means-testing eviction defenses and closing the relocation assistance loophole.
  • Positions in Opposition: Numerous landlords (e.g., Scott Laley, Corey Jolseth, Athena Dunn), the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, and the Master Builders Association expressed full support for the proposed amendments. They argued the current code has caused a reduction in rental supply, increased late fees, and created financial hardship for small landlords who cannot absorb the costs of 109-day eviction delays and unpaid rent. They expressed concern that the code is driving small landlords out of the market. Councilmember Bushnell expressed support for stipends for Public Utility Board members to ensure equity, while Councilmember Walker and Councilmember Sidalgay expressed strong reservations about the cost, precedent, and potential lack of equity in such compensation.
  • Specific Policy Positions:
    • Means Testing: Councilmember Diaz and Indivisible Tacoma expressed opposition to means-testing the cold weather eviction defense, arguing it creates a bureaucratic barrier.
    • Exemptions: Non-profit housing providers requested exemptions from the moratorium. Councilmembers Rumbaugh and Walker expressed concern about exempting large for-profit landlords owning deed-restricted units.
    • Late Fees: Councilmember Bushnell and landlords expressed support for increasing the late fee cap to 1.5%, while tenants (Indivisible Tacoma) expressed opposition, fearing it disproportionately affects disabled income recipients.

Transportation Impact Fees (Ordinance 29082):

  • Positions in Support: Laura Swansera (Tacoma On The Go), Larry Levine, and Councilmember Bushnell expressed support, arguing fees are necessary to fund capacity projects without burdening existing taxpayers.
  • Positions in Opposition: Councilmember Diaz expressed concern that fees act as a tariff passed to end-users without providing local flexibility and may be vulnerable to legal challenges.

Discussion Items

  • Matisse Hoyt Tribute: Mayor Woodards and Councilmember Scott honored Matisse Hoyt, declaring her the "official mayor of Tacoma" in spirit. Councilmember Scott shared anecdotes about her community advocacy and her role as a cultural hub in Southwest Tacoma.
  • Sister City Recognition: Consul General Yang (People's Republic of China) and the Tacoma Davao Sister City Committee were recognized. Consul General Yang expressed support for strengthening international ties, particularly student exchanges. The Tacoma Davao committee expressed gratitude for the trip to the Philippines and the support from the city.
  • Public Utility Board Stipends (Substitute Ordinance 29078): Councilmember Bushnell proposed stipends ($1,600/month) for Public Utility Board members to ensure equitable representation. Councilmember Rumbaugh expressed support for the intent but noted remaining inequities regarding non-resident ratepayers. Councilmember Diaz and Councilmember Sidalgay opposed the ordinance due to cost concerns and the precedent it sets for other volunteer boards, with Sidalgay citing voter intent against stipends.
  • Tide Flats Plan Adoption: After three hours of deliberation, the Council expressed deep appreciation to the eight-year collaboration process involving the Puget Sound Power Company (Puget Sound Indian Tribe), Port of Tacoma, Pierce County, and the City of Fife. Councilmember Rumbaugh highlighted the ban on rendering plants as a major win for Northeast Tacoma residents.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimous Adopted:

    • Resolution 41803: Extension of Mercer Health and Benefits LLC contract.
    • Resolution 41804: Honorary naming of East Alexander Avenue as "Willie Adams Way."
    • Resolution 41805: Directive for a centralized grant tracking system.
    • Resolution 41806: Cancellation of $50,000 contingency funds for the labor standards task force.
    • Resolution 41807: $35,000 for Holiday on Broadway.
    • Resolution 41808: $30,000 for Sister City signage.
    • Resolution 41809: $10,000 for Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth Program.
    • Ordinances 29075, 29076, 29077: Adoption of the Tide Flats Sub-area Plan and related amendments (Passed unanimously with roll call: Aye: 8, Absent: 1).
    • Substitute Ordinance 29078: Approved by the Council to amend public utility board stipends (Passed: Aye: 6, Nay: 2, Absent: 1).

  • Deferred to Final Reading (Second Reading) on December 9, 2025:

    • Ordinance 29079: Telecommunications franchise for Verda.
    • Ordinance 29080: Employee pay rate and classification changes.
    • Ordinance 29081: Business and Occupation (B&O) tax code updates.
    • Ordinance 29082: Transportation Impact Fees (Councilmember Diaz raised significant legal/structural concerns).
    • Ordinance 29083: Automated traffic camera system amendments.
    • Ordinance 29084 & 29085: Wastewater and Stormwater System Development Charges (SDCs).
    • Ordinance 29086: Landlord Fairness Code amendments. Councilmember Diaz and Councilmember Bushnell intend to bring forward specific amendments regarding relocation assistance timelines and AMI requirements before the final vote.

Note: Deputy Mayor Daniels was absent for the vote on the Tide Flats Plan.

Meeting Transcript

All right. I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of December 2nd, 2025. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Councilmember Bushnell. Present. Deputy Mayor Daniels. Here. Councilmember Diaz. Here. Councilmember Hines. Councilmember Rumba here. Councilmember Sidalgay? 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 Hines, followed by a moment of silence for our dear Matisse Hoyt. Matisse Hoyt was the proud owner of Matisse Beauty Supply. The only black woman and veteran-owned beauty supply store in Tacoma. And she was a beacon of light in our community. Matisse passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 12th, stunning our community and leaving many of us at a loss for words. I remember when Matisse would roll into these council meetings. Um when she first started showing up, she showed up every week. But as the mayor of Tacoma, tonight I make her the official mayor of Tacoma. She so deserved that honor, was such an advocate for this community and for the rights of people in this community. Tacoma won't be the same without her. But Tacoma is better for having her been a part of our community. Matisse, we will miss you. I don't know where I'm gonna get my beauty supply stuff from or the great advice that you gave. But grateful that she was a member of this community. Um that so many of us got to spend time with her and advocate with her. And I'm gonna turn to uh councilmember Scott, who has a few words to share as well. Thank you, Mayor. I really appreciate that. Um I there's a whole lot I could say. Um, but I'll try to keep it brief. I know we have a lot to talk about tonight, but I just feel like uh I can't I've been waiting for this moment because I I knew that we were gonna uh take some time uh to honor Matisse, and so I just didn't want to miss that opportunity. And I I'm I'm sure a lot of you know um one of my favorite things to do um was when I went into Matisse's shop, is just she, you know, one of the she would always just be like, I saw you, I saw you at the last council meeting, and I I appreciate she's like, You gotta she was like, You're the best advertisement for um my shop because anytime I got my hair done, well I anytime I would do my hair, I always purchase my stuff from from her beauty supply store. And so it was always one of those things where um do it, I don't know, some of you might not know when you get your hair braided, or you when you braid your own hair, it is a multi-day process sometimes if you're doing it yourself. Um and so when you think about that, like whether you're getting it done by somebody else and the hours that takes, or you're doing yourself and the days that can take, um, I would always have to factor that in. If I knew we had something coming up, I had to schedule it a few days in advance and get things ready. But the other thing I had to make time for is that I knew any time I walked into Matisse's shop, I was gonna be there for at least a couple of hours. Um, and so but it was always one of those times that I really cherished, just in the sense that um, you know, like Mayor said, it was always there was always good conversation, there was always good advice. Um, I would not be honoring her memory and excuse my language if I didn't say there's a lot of talking shit. Um, but the one thing that she and I really have had in common is that um we both just really cared about the community, and so seeing that reflected in somebody who um had a lot of you know, a lot of reasons to not be happy with the community that she existed in, uh, still finding that passion and the love and the care to advocate, to bring people together, to create space for people to come together and dream up ideas and be creative and learn about um whether it was learning about hair supplies and um what might be best for their hair journey or just coming together and learning about what was going on in the city, uh what was happening in her shop, what was happening in her life, what was happening in their life. Uh there is not a single person I have met that also had an experience with Matisse that didn't have positive things to say about her, uh about a gym she dropped or a rhyme she rapped. Um just every time I went in, and there's plenty of people that in the times that I would be spending in the shop uh talking with her, that there are plenty of people that I met and in the weeks uh has it been weeks in the couple weeks since her passing that I've run into some of those folks just out in the community, and um it just you know it's one of those things where you know that there's a place that brought you together with people that you might not have met before, but it's even more apparent when that person is gone.

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