Sorry, I was in a meeting when you called.

I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of March 3rd, 2026.

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

President.

Councilmember Diaz.

Councilmember Hines.

Councilmember Palmer.

Here.

Councilmember Rumba.

Here.

Councilmember Sidalgay?

Here.

Councilmember Scott.

Here.

Councilmember Walker.

Here.

Mayor Ibsen.

Here.

Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgement and flag salute led by Councilmember Rumbaugh, followed by a moment of silence in honor of Kathy Menkey.

Kathy's journey began November 15th, 1940 in her beloved hometown of Tacoma.

She was one of four children.

Kathy had a tremendous impact on the City of Tacoma's business community.

She and her late husband Leonard ran the Clover Leaf for 10 years and learned the ins and outs of the business and what it means to be a good boss.

After leaving the Clover Leaf, Kathy went on to manage engine house number nine for several years.

And after E9, Kathy went on to purchase the Spar Tavern in Old Town with the help of her longtime friend.

Over a period of 37 years, Kathy was able to transform the Spar Tavern into a thriving business, touched the lives of countless employees and customers alike, and brought blues to Old Tacoma.

Kathy was an active member of Tacoma North Rotary, where she opened her home to several rotary exchange students.

She also served on the Job Carr Cabin Museum Board and was an original member of the Old Town Business Associates, which in time became the Old Town Business District.

She was also a lifetime member of St.

Leo's Parish.

Kathy had an infectious smile and was truly a servant leader.

Kathy left her mark on the City of Tacoma and leaves behind a lasting legacy.

Is uh anyone here uh wish from the family?

Okay.

Um can I just make one remark?

Mayor.

Okay, so um I just want to say that Kathy was the reason that there was the old town business district, and one of the things that people might not know about her is that she made the best banana bread.

And so I'm just so glad that we honored her tonight.

She really is one of those people that makes Tacoma what it is.

We gratefully honored acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Pia people where they make their home and speak the Lashutsi language.

Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence.

Are there any modifications to the agenda this evening?

Seeing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda.

Is there a motion?

I move to approve the consent agenda, including resolution numbers 41860 through 41862.

Second.

Move and second.

Those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say no.

Consent agenda is declared passed.

We have two ceremonials tonight for the American Red Cross Month Proclamation.

I'd like to invite Larry Bleitch, Community Volunteer Leader, Elected Official Liaison, American Red Cross, South Puget Sound and Olympics chapter, to the podium as I read the proclamation.

Welcome.

Whereas for more than a century, the American Red Cross has been at the forefront of helping Americans prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters large and small, where their employees, volunteers, and supporters meet loss and disaster with compassion and care.

And whereas in Tacoma, the American Red Cross works tirelessly through its volunteers to support us when disaster strikes, when someone needs life-saving blood, or the comfort of a helping hand, provides 24-hour support to members of the military, veterans, and their families, and offers training in CPR, aquatic safety, and first aid.

And whereas the American Red Cross makes Tacoma safer and stronger, and we recognize its critical humanitarian role in our community and honor the South Puget Sound and Olympics chapter's contributions to making our city a better place.

Now therefore, I, Andrews Ibsen, mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as American Red Cross Month in the City of Tacoma, and I call on our residents to commemorate this recognition.

Please say a few words.

Thank you, Mayor.

I appreciate that very much.

And uh it's an honor to be here tonight.

I hope you don't mind if we have a photographer.

We love our social media at the Red Cross.

Um my name's Larry Bleich, and I'm a community volunteer leader when we have what we call um blue skies.

That means there's no disasters happening.

But when disasters strike, I'm often deployed, probably three, four times a year to the major disasters, and that's our grace guys.

During that time, my role is to observe what's going on, work with elected officials, and make sure everything is smooth, that we do what the Red Cross always does, feed and shelter people.

However, as you may recall, in December, um we had atmospheric rivers that were really traumatic, and a lot of flooding happened within our own state.

It was the first time I ever had the opportunity to deploy within my own state.

And something remarkable happened.

Usually when I go and deploy, I see everything that the Red Cross does, but I don't see what other communities that aren't impacted, what they do.

When I came here to our own disaster, I saw something remarkable.

I saw community come together.

We did everything we always do with the Red Cross, but I was inundated with phone calls from other communities that weren't impacted.

And they were saying to me, how can we help?

What can we do?

Well, it just so happens this was during Christmas.

And when I went around to all our shelters, there were dozens and dozens of children experiencing no Christmas because all their presents were washed away.

So I immediately said Operation Santa goes into play.

And all those people that called, I sent out to store to buy gifts for these kids.

And they went to every shelter and they presented a Christmas for these kids.

It was the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen.

And it made me proud not only to be a Red Crosser, but to be a Washington.

Because I saw that so strong.

So all I say to you is if you ever have a disaster here in Tacoma, don't worry, the Red Cross will be here.

But so will your community.

So thank you for honoring us tonight.

It's a privilege.

And I thank you.

Thank you, Larry.

They're in the council comments.

Thank you.

Hearing none, please join me in a round of applause and please please accept your proclamation.

All right.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Thank you all so much.

Thanks again.

Appreciate it.

All right.

Our next proclamation is proclaiming March 2026 as Women's History Month.

For the Women's History Month.

Yeah.

I'll allow it.

For Women's History Month proclamation, I would like to invite Andrea Hogue, Chair for both the South End Neighborhood Council and Community Council of Tacoma.

Farin Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Amara, and Karen Headland, Principal Electrical Engineer, Tacoma Public Utilities Water Planning and Engineering Electrical and Control Systems Group to the podium as I read the proclamation.

Welcome.

Whereas in 1987, Congress designated the month of March as National Women's History Month across the country.

And whereas Tacoma is blessed with extraordinary leaders like Andrea Hogue, who is involved with the South End Neighborhood Council and the Community Council of Tacoma, where she is committed to community engagement and tackling litter issues among numerous community projects, conversations, and events to connect communities.

And whereas we recognize the impact of local leaders like Faran Johnson, who serves as the executive director of Amara, and who has made a meaningful difference through her work with vulnerable children and families, the black and Latina community in Tacoma, and the loved ones of disappeared women in Tacoma, Pierce County, and tribal communities.

And whereas the city celebrates Karen Headland, principal electrical engineer with Tacoma Public Utilities Water Planning and Engineering, Electrical and Control Systems Group, say that three times past, nominated by her peers for exemplary leadership and outstanding contributions in fostering inclusion, supporting colleagues, and providing dedicated service at the city.

And whereas Tacoma will host various events in March to celebrate women's history and recognize the progress and success that women have achieved locally, regionally, and nationally.

Now, therefore, I, Andrews Ibsen, mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as women's history month in the City of Tacoma, and urge residents to celebrate women's history and learn more about the women in their community, both past and present.

Please feel free to say a few words.

Thank you.

Um, first of all, thank you.

Um I'm it's a pleasure standing next to you up here.

Um good evening, Mayor, Council members and community.

Uh, thank you for this recognition during Women's History Month.

When we talk about women's history, we often think about the women who came before us, the women who spoke up when it was difficult, who organized when no one was listening, who quietly carried their communities forward with strength and determination.

Their courage created space for many of us to stand here today.

But what moves me most is remembering why women's history is not only something we look back on, it's something we are living right now every single day.

I see it across Tacoma constantly.

I see it in women raising families while still finding ways to show up for their neighbors, and the women running small businesses while supporting the life of their communities, and the women mentoring, organizing, advocating, creating and caring for others, often without recognition.

So much of the work that holds a community together happens quietly.

It happens through relationships, through listening, through showing up for one another again and again.

And so many women in this city are doing exactly that.

I feel incredibly grateful to stand alongside women who lead with compassion, courage, creativity, and a deep belief that we can be stronger when we care for each other.

This recognition tonight belongs to the many women across Tacoma who contribute to build and care for a community every day in ways big and small.

Thank you for all the work that you do.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you again for the recognition.

My name's Farron Johnson.

I'm the CEO of Amara.

Um I had the privilege of planting some trees on February 14th in honor of missing and murdered indigenous women and children on property that we hope as Amara will be a space for young people, for children, for families who need healing when they're separated from their families.

But the parcel that we sit on belonged to our indigenous brothers and sisters.

And I did not want to do any development on that property until we made sure we planted legacy and honor of those who were standing already on the land, but I'll also be able to help us think through how do we make sure that the community, the land, the work that we're doing as far as supporting youth impacted by child welfare, have a place to not just heal but thrive.

And we want to be able to pull on our indigenous brothers and sisters around that.

So I want to just do a shout out to Maria Teresa for a second for um the recognition.

But I stand on the shoulders of a woman who she didn't birth me, but she mothered me.

Um I grew up in foster care.

So I was in the company of amazing women.

Black history was something that was constantly in the conversation of the community of black women that I would I'm around.

So I'm honored to be able to stand here today and just share a little bit about why my heart does this work and to say thank you for the recognition.

But we don't come to these spaces alone.

We come on the shoulders of women who have come before us, and I just want to honor that tonight.

Thank you both.

Good evening.

I'm truly honored to accept this women's history month proclamation, and I'm deeply grateful for those who nominated me and the colleagues and mentors who have supported me along the way.

Engineering has given me the privilege to serve the City of Tacoma communities while growing as a leader and as an advocate for inclusion and belonging.

I believe leadership is about creating spaces for others to thrive, value valuing diverse perspectives and building teams where everyone feels seen and empowered.

Representation matters, and I hope my journey helps encourage more women to pursue and lead in this field.

Thank you again.

This is very meaningful as a recognition here in the city of Tacoma and for the utility, and I'm proud to continue this work alongside such dedicated colleagues.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any council comments?

Councilmember Palmer.

I just wanted to say I love women.

Um thank you so much uh for all that you do.

Thank you for being all our sisters in this work of trying to make Tacoma a better place.

And yes, uh, we love our women.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

I'll clap to that too.

So with them with that being said, well, the speakers please join me in accepting the proclamation up here, and let's please join them in a big round of applause for half our population.

I got you.

Okay.

Right, everybody, I must stand from.

Yeah, we got you.

All right.

Everybody look up this way, please.

One, two, three.

More one, two, three.

Yay.

Wonderful.

All right.

So moving on to public comment on tonight's agenda.

There is one opportunity for people to comment.

Under public comment, you can speak about motions, resolutions, and ordinances on tonight's agenda.

This forum is intended to give speakers the opportunity to share their viewpoints and feedback with the city council to aid in our decision making and is not meant to be a back and forth dialogue.

Your remarks should be directed to the city council and not at individual staff members or individual council members.

If you want to speak under the public comment period, press the raise hand button near the bottom of your Zoom window or star nine on your phone now, so we can see the number of people wishing to testify this evening.

If you're speaking in person, please sign up at the back of the room if you've not done so already.

You're in or the last four digits of your phone number will be called out when it's your turn to speak if you're signed in virtually.

Now that we're on public comment, clerk please read.

This is the time set aside for public comments.

Speakers are asked to identify the specific legislation they wish to address.

I'd like to remind everyone to please keep your comments respectful, relevant, focused, and on topic.

We strive to provide a comment period where people can feel respected while sharing a wide variety of viewpoints and acknowledge that we may hear comments that conflict with our values.

To ensure that all speakers can express their first amendment constitutional rights, we ask that you please refrain from clapping, cheering, booming, or otherwise being disruptive.

You will have 90 seconds to make your remarks, so please be mindful of that time frame.

As always, you are not required to use all your time to make your point.

If you cannot remain on topic, you'll be given two warnings.

If you remain off topic, we'll have to move on and we'll end your time.

So with that, we're going to start public comment, and uh we have a number of speakers signed in.

First, starting with Alice Phillips, followed by Michelle Douglas, Mayor Ibsen, Council members.

My name is Alice Phillips, and I'm the president of the Pierce County Central Labor Council.

And I'm here tonight to talk to you about your selection for city manager and the hopes that you will select Yolanda Lewis as Tacoma's next city manager.

She believes in accountability, empowerment, and uh that go they go together.

She creates a workplace where exceptions, expectations are clearer, concerns can be raised in a safe and effective and in a supportive environment.

That matters to working people and it matters to the future of this city.

Tacoma needs disciplined leadership.

Tacoma needs honest communication.

Tacoma needs a city manager who can unite.

Performance with purpose.

Yolanda Lewis is that leader.

If for some reason you cannot vote or do not vote for Yolanda, I would ask you to seriously consider hiring her in a leadership position because she's the kind of person the city of Tacoma needs to move forward.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Alice.

Michelle Douglas, followed by Andy.

Good evening, Mayor Ibsen and Council.

Thank you for allowing me to speak on the city manager process.

Um, first, I just want to speak to the importance of public uh intervention in this process.

It was really helpful to get to go see both candidates speak.

I appreciated that.

I do think there are a number of process improvements that could be made around transparency and also outreach for an elected position for a non-elected position that has such an incredible amount of power.

I believe it's really crucial for our community.

During the different interviews that I was able to watch, I really strongly came away with the impression that uh Hune Kim has a lot to offer the city uh and that has a amazing financial background and also has a lot of impact with having been the interim and having served under the previous administration.

However, my vote was for Yolanda Lewis, who I felt brought a new level of accountability, of collaboration across sectors, and also had the strength and uh strategies and theories of change that Tacoma is desperately going to need.

Whichever vote that you make this evening, I hope that you understand that the future of Tacoma is not going to look like the past.

We are looking at incredible, unprecedented times right now.

And so my ask for you with the city manager position would be however your vote goes, please have high measures of accountability, use metrics, have standards, and keep people accountable.

It's a crucial, crucial position for City of Tacoma.

Thank you.

Thank you, Michelle.

Andy, followed by Reverend Mike Roberts.

Hello again.

I didn't realize they'd be back so soon.

This is amazing.

Um good evening, Council.

Selecting a city manager is one of the most important decisions that this body makes.

The person in that role will shape how our systems function, how they relate to the people who live here.

Many residents participated in the engagement opportunities that were afforded, but at the same time, it did not feel like there was enough again engagement with community overall for a decision of this magnitude.

This role affects every neighborhood in Tacoma when decisions carry that level of impact.

Community participation should be broad, accessible, and clearly reflected in the progress in the process.

There were also moments where the process felt tightly scripted when engagement is structured in a way that limits organic follow-up or deeper conversation.

It reduces the value of the insight that community members are trying to share.

Listening should not be treated as a procedural step.

It should be treated as infrastructure that informs all decisions.

As you make your decision tonight, I encourage you to select Yolanda Lewis as to come as next city manager.

Bringing in leadership from outside the existing system should not automatically be seen as a disadvantage.

In many cases, it creates an opportunity for fresh perspective and curiosity about the city.

Some of the strongest leadership comes from someone willing to ask new questions rather than rely on old assumptions, regardless of the outcome tonight.

Thank you, Andy.

Thank you.

Reverend Mike Roberts, followed by Brian Flint.

Mr.

Mayor, Deputy Mayor, esteemed council members.

It's a pleasure, honor to speak to you tonight.

I'm a member of the NAACP and the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance, both of which strongly favor Ms.

Lewis as the next city manager.

It is widely felt that she has the heart and legitimate community engagement, governmental transparency, and progressive policing guidance that we need.

First, the positioning of Deputy Chief Younger over TPD while he was under investigation for harassment of black officers.

Second, the opaque attempt to lay light rail up Sixth Avenue rather than 19th Street.

And third, the hugely disappointing decision not to allow Tacoma residents to vote for the workers' Bill of Rights.

Again, I am not alleging that Mr.

Kim had a hand in these decisions, but he was part of the management team that did.

The hiring of Ms.

Lewis as a black woman city manager would be a historic first for Tacoma.

And it would signal to many of us that the council is moving in a more transparent direction.

Ms.

Lewis has already captured the hearts and confidence of many of us, and her hiring as city manager or any other meaningful position would be well received.

Thank you.

Thank you, Pastor Brian Flint, followed by Dr.

Tefana Irvin.

Mayor, Council, friends and colleagues.

My name is Brian Flint, and I've been privileged to serve two five-year terms on the Tacoma Public Utility Board.

I served uh as a member of the Charter Review Commission.

And last Thursday, you selected me to sit on one of two community panels to interview the two candidates for city manager, which is the topic I'm speaking on.

Tacoma has two characteristics that may not seem obvious at first.

One is it's a grassroots community.

Anywhere three or more people sit around a table and roll up their sleeves, things get done.

It's also a collaborative community.

Things don't come to Tacoma easy, but all of the solutions come from collaboration within the community.

In my involvement as a volunteer in city policy making, I have seen too many examples where city management has restricted the options of possibilities.

In favor of consistency, um risk management, and keeping the status quo.

These are risk management is an important part of the job of the city, but it misses the opportunity to unleash the power of a diverse leadership community.

Thank you, Mr.

Flint.

Yolanda Lee Lewis, please.

Okay.

You can submit the rest of your comments to the council or to the clerk's office.

Thank you, Mr.

Flint.

Our next speaker is Dr.

Tefana Irvin, followed by Melanda Melondo Redeemer.

Good evening, Mayor, Council.

My name is Dr.

Tefana Irvin, and I come to you wearing many hats, but the hat that I am centering today is that of a third generation born and raised resident here of Tacoma, Washington.

I've been through quite a bit in my lifetime here in Tacoma, many in which has been impacted by the government of our governance of our community.

I had the opportunity to sit on a community panel and interview both candidates, and I want to say job well done on selecting two candidates to meet the job description that you all have outlined.

I think both of them are more than capable of doing the job.

But in my opinion, I believe Miss Shalanda Adams is the best fit for our next city manager here in Tacoma.

And I think that because she brings a wealth of experience that's different than that of Mr.

Kim.

I think Miss Lewis has worked in 15 different states as demonstrated in her resume, uh, looking and working over multiple municipalities, big and small, uh giving her a breath of ways in which she would handle the complexities of our community.

I think we are all in the knowing that we are in unprecedented times in our communities, and it requires a human-centered focus and design for how we will approach that, not just governing the city, but really working to meet the needs of this community.

I think this council also could use a chief executive officer who's going to be a good thought partner to you.

Someone who is going to ask you thought provoking questions, not to just comply with what you've asked, but really do something that's going to get us to where we need to be, which is why I urge you to vote for Ms.

Shillon Day Adams as our next city manager.

Thank you, Dr.

Irvin.

Melanda Redeemer, followed by Patrick McGillagott, good evening, Mayor and Council.

Uh my name is Robin Melanda Redeemer, and I have the privilege of serving as the president of the Tacoma branch in ACP.

I also had the privilege of being on one of the two panels that interviewed the candidates for the city manager position.

And after reviewing and observing both candidates, it was clear to me that both individuals were qualified for the position.

However, it also became clear to me that one candidate constantly counted people.

She centered people over power, people over policy, and people over the organization.

They had a balance and they were articulate about a vision that can take our city to the next level.

In my judgment, that leader is Yolanda Lewis.

Miss Lewis spoke directly and clearly about accountability, measurable outcomes, and the responsibility of CEO liter city leadership to ensure that our systems ultimately serve the community.

She demonstrated both the discipline and the perspective required to lead an organization as large and complex as the city of Tacoma.

I understand that there are certain uh conveniences in choosing the familiar path.

But I do say that if the council ultimately decides to go in a different direction, I sincerely ask that Miss Lewis can still be a part of the City of Tacoma in some capacity.

But based on my experience and the process and my assessment of the leadership capacity, I believe Yolanda Lewis is prepared to lead Tacoma chapter.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Patrick McGillagott, followed by Josiah.

All right.

Thank you, Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Council.

My name is Patrick Gelegate, and I'm here representing Tacoma Professional Firefighters Local 31.

Uh Local 31 leadership and its members want to express our strong and unwavering support of interim city manager Heon Kim.

In Young Kim's time as deputy and interim city manager, he has continually shown his knowledge and understanding of Tacoma's culture, the needs of the community, its operations, and its strong labor and workforce standards.

Tacoma is a labor city, and Hyun has the experience that labor and unions need.

As a city manager, understanding collecting bar collective bargaining, workers' rights, employer rights, benefits, pensions, impact bargaining, fair labor practices, and all the other nuances that come from dealing with labor and labor leaders is of extreme importance.

Lastly, heon has been a reliable communicator and an honest one.

He does not shy away from difficult conversations, and with his professionalism and practicality, makes those conversations feel open and welcoming.

From the fireside and the labor side, past experiences with former city managers who are only willing to tell you what you want to hear does not allow for understanding, debate, or negotiations, all of which are necessary for a healthy labor environment in the city of Tacoma.

I want to thank you for your time.

Thank you for your listening and your leadership.

And please choose Young Kim to be our next city manager.

Thank you.

Thank you, Patrick.

Our next speaker is Josiah, followed by Mariana Heike.

Hi Don.

I'm here to voice support for Yolanda Lewis.

I think the fact that so many people who have come up here, and that being the majority of people who have come up here to voice support for one particular city manager being Yolanda Lewis, asking that you at least in some way include her in the goings-on of Tacoma says enough right there on what your choice should be.

As so many people have said, she puts people first.

She is a wealth of experience well outside simply the financial.

And I think understanding that element of people's humanity, of people's lives, of the elements of justice on the struggle, will help her be able to do this collective bargaining.

We'll be able to help work with unions.

I myself am in a union, so I'm speaking from some level of authority there.

But I sincerely hope that you pick Yolanda Lewis and thank you for the time.

Thank you, Josiah.

Mariana Heich, followed by Laura Christensen.

Good evening, Council members.

Um I'm Mariana Heich.

I serve as a political coordinator for the North Coast State's Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents over 60,000 carpenters, and we are the largest or one of the largest construction organizations here in the state who who build the communities we rely on.

So I'm here today in support of Yolanda.

Miss Yolanda Lewis.

What stands out to me about Yolanda is her commitment to discipline, leadership, and accountability.

She understands that governance is not just about policy, but it is about people, people like myself.

It is about making decisions that address real challenges like budget pressures, public safety, and the infrastructure that keeps our communities moving.

One of the top priorities for many of us in labor is creating jobs, wages, and benefits.

And I feel that you know she has a plethora of experience coming from that background.

I also want to highlight, you know, Miss Yolanda uh Lewis understands that empowerment go hand in hand.

The kind of leadership that matters for workers, for working families, and for our community.

That is why I am proud to support Ms.

Yolanda Lewis.

Uh thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mariana.

Laura Christensen, followed by Ann Dorn.

Hi, I'm Laura Christensen representing United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 367.

UCW 367 formally and strongly endorses Yolanda Lewis for city manager.

Ms.

Lewis has an exceptional background in public service and public safety leadership.

She has successfully advanced criminal justice reform, coordinated inner if intergovernmental efforts, and uh implemented evidence-based crime reduction in major metro major metropolitan settings.

She's known for transparent leadership, data-driven accountability, and building community trust and diverse and growing communities.

USCW Local 367 offers his full support and cites her experience, integrity, and leadership capacity as the basis for this endorsement.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Laura and Dorn, followed by Barb Church.

Good evening, Mayor Ibsen, members of City Council.

Um, I am here as a resident of the Fifth Council District, speaking in support of you casting your vote to hire Ms.

Yolanda Lewis.

I believe that she is the correct and right choice for the city.

I want to let council know, or remind you if you already know, in the 350 Tacoma office, where my friends do environmental activism, there is a 10-foot-tall effigy of Elizabeth Paulie.

And that effigy has been brought out at protest.

It's been used to express deep dissatisfaction on the part of residents of the community or city of Tacoma.

And I think that council needs to consider that there is deep dissatisfaction around Ms.

Pauli's tenure.

And I'm not trying to imply that Mr.

Kim would necessarily automatically be an extension of that, but I I would urge this council to consider that we need a creative and collaborative fresh start.

Ms.

Lewis represents that.

Ms.

Lewis represents a vote for our future where the city of Tacoma and residents feel heard and listened to and are at the table and have more of a collaboration and a connection with council.

So thank you.

And I urge you strongly, please vote for Ms.

Yolanda Lewis.

Thank you, Ann.

Barb Church, followed by Oliver Webb.

Thank you, Council.

My name is Barb Church, Northeast Neighborhood Council, or Northeast Tacoma.

I'm a retired social worker and teacher, and I consider myself a lifelong public servant, as many of you do.

I've been attending city council meetings long before some of you even considered running for office.

Over the years, I've seen Tacoma choose familiarity and internal succession, most notably where the city attorney was appointed city manager.

Familiarity can feel comfortable.

I do respect the interim city manager, but in this moment, Tacoma needs change.

After watching the video interviews and reading resumes, I strongly support Yolanda Lewis.

Her career reflects deep experience and public safety, government accountability, economic development, finance, philanthropy, cross-section collaboration, or cross-sector collaboration.

She's led large complex public systems, advised elected officials, and most recently served in executive leadership as a mental health policy institute where she partnered with public agencies to strengthen crisis response systems, substance use strategies, and community-based solutions.

Justice reform, health systems, mental health, substance use, and education are central to her professional work.

There are also areas where Tacoma must act with urgency, compassion, and competence.

Please vote for Yolanda Lewis as our next city manager.

Thank you.

Thank you, Barb.

Our next speaker, who's our last in-person speaker, is Oliver Webb.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

My name is Oliver Webb.

I am the executive uh director of Diversity Alliance of the Puget Sound.

Uh I care deeply about cities that hold themselves and the programs, institutions, and organizations they fund accountable.

Transparency and accountability are the foundation of public trust, and they are values I will always advocate for in Tacoma.

Tonight's decision is about more than filling a position.

It's about the kind of leadership culture we want to continue building in our city.

I want to be clear that my comments tonight in support of Hyan Kim are not comments against Yolanda Lewis.

By all accounts, she is an accomplished and respected leader, and I appreciate anyone who's willing to step forward and serve a city like Tacoma.

What I can speak to is my own experience in my interactions with Cayenne.

He has consistently been willing to sit down, meet for coffee, answer questions, and engage with members of the community.

That kind of accessibility matters.

As an interim city manager, he stepped into a complex moment and navigated those waters head on.

For those of us who advocate for transparency, the goal is not to tear down a position or criticize leadership simply for the sake of it.

The goal is to remain open to accountability to ensure the position continues to serve the public in a way it was intended.

My hope is that to con Tacoma continues to move forward toward leadership that welcomes engagement, values, transparency, and understands that accountability strengthens public trust.

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you.

All right.

That concludes our in-person speakers.

We have a few people sign in virtually, starting with Melissa Millot, followed by Pastor Chavis Young.

Hello, City Council.

My name is Melissa Millot, and I'm the executive director of Communities for Healthy Bay.

I'm speaking tonight to urge you to vote for Yolanda Lewis as city manager.

Tacoma has a community engagement crisis.

At CHB, I actually warned staff before the holidays to brace for whatever comment period the city is going to drop for the holidays.

This last year on December 23rd, the city dropped a public comment period that ended January 8th.

Two weeks over the holidays.

As a community leader with over 10 years experience working on issues in the city, I have to be honest, it feels like the city is hostile towards community engagement.

From the methanol refinery to LNG to the bridge industrial warehouse, the city has consistently structured processes to minimize public input and advance a predetermined decision.

This crisis rests squarely on the shoulders of the city manager.

They are where the buck stops.

Yolanda Lewis has spent her entire career doing genuine community engagement, building trust with residents, and creating government that actually listens.

Tacoma residents deserve a city hall that listens to them and that wants to hear from them.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Melissa.

Pastor Chavis Young, followed by Jude Gray.

Good evening, uh Minister Mayer and members of the City Council.

I would just like to say after carefully looking at the presentations on last Thursday and listening to both Ms.

Yolanda Lewis and Mr.

Young Kim.

I believe that Ms.

Yolanda Lewis is the stronger candidate and the person that uh the city of Tacoma needs uh to move forward in the future.

Uh, and looking at those presentations and listening to both candidates.

I see that Miss Yolanda Adams, she has a vision for the city of Tacoma, and she has a vision as it states to as it relates to being involved and connecting with the community.

Uh, from my understanding, the last seven months that uh Mr.

Kim was interim manager, there was no reach out or notice with he and the community.

And I just think Ms.

Yolanda uh Lewis is the person that Tacoma needs.

Uh, thank you for your time.

Thank you, Pastor.

Jude Gray, followed by April Smith.

Hello.

Yes.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Um, hello, council.

I would like to start by saying the last council lost our trust uh with how they worked with and used or did not use Polly's power when she was our manager.

Pauly and the previous council destroyed your credibility.

This is one of those impactful decisions you're gonna make in the immediate future in terms of rebuilding your credibility and lost trust between us to your constituents and your office.

I'm sure you've already made your decisions, but I'm gonna echo the voices of the more eloquent people before me here.

I am from District One, and I am asking you to please hire Yolanda Lewis.

Show us that you're able to listen to us and can change your mind when necessary to actually factor in what we tell you we want in these meetings and outside of these meetings.

This has been an overwhelming show of support.

So I want you to show us that you actually hear us and can make the right choice by hiring Ms.

Lewis, who is going to be what Tacoma needs in the immediate future and likely long term.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jude.

April Smith, followed by Anita Arnold.

April.

Last call for April Smith.

Can you hear me now?

Yes, go ahead.

Okay, sorry about that.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

I am speaking tonight in strong support of the Women's History Month Proclamation and in deep appreciation for Andy.

Many of you know Andy for her public work, for the hours she gives to this community, the leadership she shows, and the way she consistently steps up when something needs to be done.

What you may not see is that this dedication does not end when the meeting adjourns or the event wraps up.

In her personal life, Andy shows the same unwavering commitment to people.

She goes above and beyond for her friends, for her neighbors, for anyone who needs help, often quietly and without recognition.

She shows up.

She follows through.

She carries others when they are struggling.

She leads with compassion.

Women's History Month is about honoring impact, not just titles or accomplishments, but the way someone changes the lives around them.

Andy does this every single day.

Thank you, April.

Anita Arnold, followed by Lorney Arnold.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Onita Arnold.

I'm a retired uh Tacoma Puppet School teacher living in District 2.

As Tacoma grows and changes, we need a fresh approach to the opportunities and challenges that come along with change.

Yolanda Lewis demonstrated such a wide scope of experience and presented problem-solving techniques that put real people at the center of development.

I was particularly impressed by her placing of economic development in public safety.

I believe she can carry our city's visions forward into our dynamic future.

I encourage you to vote for Yolanda Lewis.

Thank you.

Thank you, Anita.

Our last signed in virtual speaker is Lori Arnold.

Good evening, Council.

I'm Laurie Arnold, District 2.

I sent in my written comments, but I would like to just also echo what speakers before me have said.

Particularly Barb Church was very eloquent.

I just want to say that I watched the event at the dome and listened to both presentations, and I definitely came down on the side of Yolanda Lewis.

So I'm adding my uh voice to the support that I've heard tonight that she become your choice for our next city manager.

I really feel that we need innovation over just bureaucratic management at this point in time, and I was really impressed with Ms.

Lewis's background and breadth of experience, um, as well as the way that she demonstrated compassion and uh thoughtfulness and the way that she has engaged in uh in community involvement and engagement.

And I think that she would be uh a great candidate for us to, or excuse me, a great city manager for us to have going forward.

Um I feel like Mr.

Kim is you know fine as a city manager.

Uh you know, he's definitely got the experience doing that.

Um, but I just feel like his approach is much more as a functionary kind of management oriented person, and I really feel like we need innovation and bold ideas and compassionate community engagement.

So vote.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And with that, that is our last speaker, so I'm going to close public comment and we're going to move on to our regular agenda.

Thank you so much to everyone who testified.

We now have a motion before us for consideration.

I move to authorize the city attorney to make an offer of judgment on behalf of the city of Tacoma pursuant to Superior Court's Civil Rule 68 in the matter of Waia Mau Ariota versus City of Tacoma et al and the amount of 200,000, which, if accepted, would fully and finally resolve all of plaintiff's claims against the city.

Second.

Move from a second.

Are there any council questions or comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

I was supposed to say no.

Resolution is declared adopted.

We now have a motion before us for consideration.

I moved to nominate and make an offer of employment to Hun Kim for the appointed at will position of Tacoma City Manager, subject to biennial reappointment and conditioned upon successful completion of required pre-employment background checks and mutual agreement by applicant and the city council upon the terms and conditions of an employment contract prepared by the human resources department and recruiting consultant in coordination with members of the Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee and approved as deformed by the city attorney.

Second.

Movement secondary, would you like to speak to your motion?

Sure.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

And um I want to take a moment to just really appreciate all the folks that had applied for this position.

Um it was a national search, and we had a lot of really great qualified candidates.

Um, and I do want to especially extend my appreciation to Miss Yolanda Lewis.

Um, she has shown an outstanding leadership ability and has demonstrated she can learn the job and can do it very effectively.

Uh, but tonight I'll be supporting uh Hyun Kim.

And Hyun uh has demonstrated uh leadership in the city of Tacoma and has proven himself as an exceptional, exceptional interim city manager.

Uh Hugh naturally stepped into the interim role, uh, not and he's not flashy about how he does his work, he just shows up every day and dedicates himself to the challenges in front of him.

I know as a council member I can trust in Hume's readiness to make significant change when needed, and also provide stability where it makes sense.

But he also respects the role he is in, and at this moment, this is what I believe Tacoma needs.

Hun also brings an abundance of local knowledge.

We really can't overstate how important that is, especially given the tumultuous times we face as a community.

From relationships with other jurisdictions, nonprofits, tribal partners, he knows who he needs to talk to and when.

We're going into budget conversations facing yet another huge budget deficit, and Hun already knows the ins and outs of our finances and laws governing how we can collect and spend money, and we're striving, and where we're striving to have regional solutions towards regional problems.

Hun already knows all the regional stakeholders he needs to work with, and it's important that we as a council recognize the value of a candidate who brings this much experience with them.

And it's not just regionally here.

Uh, he has experience across the country.

He's been city manager of multiple jurisdictions facing challenges in economic development, affordability, and many other challenges across the country.

There was an occasion where uh where an opportunity had come up to purchase multiple fire engines on an expedite expedited timeline.

And folks in the weed of managing local government know it takes years in order to receive a fire truck.

Time we didn't have with our aging fleet.

Hun acted decisively and made strategic decisions to seize an opportunity that will better inform better that will be better for our city.

And when in like in this instance, and he does it in permitting and a bunch of other issues.

He doesn't take credit for it.

He makes sure that the people that are doing the work are getting the credit for it, but his leadership is a shining example of that.

I'm thankful to all my colleagues and the public for taking the time to thoroughly consider all the candidates and weigh the pros and cons of what the city needs.

It really is important that we had a robust public process as well as um it.

Sorry, I just went off track.

It's a robust public process, and I'm very confident in my choice in Hun for City Manager tonight.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Are there other council comments?

Councilmember Sidalge.

Um hi, yeah.

I was just kind of gathering my thoughts.

Um I will be um you know.

It's right.

It's it's true.

The appointment of a city manager is a big deal.

Um we went through, I believe it was 72 applicants in various rounds.

Um we did narrow it down to two.

There were many, many, many rounds that has to stay in in many ways um not as transparent because many of these very qualified individuals who apply really it's like you and me, they may not want their current employer to know they're looking for another job.

And and we met and interviewed some really um exceptional people.

Um based on the fact that this council has a lot to tackle this year and in the near future for this city.

And I am confident that taking the interim tag off of Hun will put him in a position to use all his experience having worked at different states and different cities and municipal roles to be the creative, strategic, and bold leader.

I know he actually is.

Something that resonated with me was his statement and realization that he used the term Tacoma as a very aspirational and ambitious place, and that's absolutely uh true because we're gritty, we get stuff done, we move forward in the face of adversity, and we need a city manager with that same ethos.

And Hun has that.

I also understood appreciated that he understood and underscored the importance of the contribution of each and every person who works for the city and the importance of leadership and culture and getting things done because the city manager can't get things done by himself or herself.

He continuously, not just in public but in direct conversations, lauds and recognizes the hard work of individuals and teams in this city because people in this city work despite the limitation, limited resources we have.

I have several quite a few personal examples of of his dedication to residents because I represent the district, and one thing that inspires me is being able to help my constituents.

And in every one of those questions, Yun has leaned into being responsive, showing genuine caring, and brought me real creative solutions.

And in so doing, he's helped me serve the residents of my district.

When I think of Hun, I think of characteristics like competent experience and intelligence, of course, but I also think of strong, humble, capable, creative, and something I really like, tenacious.

But more than that, I also think of honesty and integrity, and that is a rare mix of characteristics and something we are lucky to have.

This is a hard, hard job, but I have every confidence that Hun will perform it admirably.

I want to thank Hun for his willingness to step into this permanent role and to serve all of us here in Tacoma, especially this council.

And I look forward to working with him.

Hopefully, if this um vote goes away, um, I think it will uh on the next stage.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Sidalgay.

Any other comments from the council.

Councilmember Walker.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just briefly wanted to add um to the comments that my colleagues have talked about already about um Hugh and Kim.

Um, as noted, we had great candidates.

Um, but he for me really rose to the top for his experience, and I know that a lot of um uh my colleagues have said already having a variety of cities and with a variety of politics, I think really shows his ability to adapt and serve a city and work with a council.

Um I've really appreciated in the short time that I've worked with he and his creativity and willingness to try new things.

I've never brought him an idea that he has said no right out of the gate to.

He said, let's talk it through and let's figure it out.

And I appreciate that willingness to think through things together.

Um, and I appreciate his steady hand on tackling budget issues.

Um obviously a budget year, we we need um we need we're gonna spend a ton of time on this, and we need a steady hand while we're doing that creative thinking, while we're looking at new ideas on how we deliver to the people of this community.

So I'm looking forward to working with um Heon as a thought partner.

He asked specifically in one of his interviews are you ready to be a partner with your city manager?

And um we don't get anything done if we're not a partner with our city manager, and so um I'm I'm excited uh to get to work, and I've heard many things, I've took lots of notes um both tonight and on the in the public comment, but over the course of the last couple days as we've received feedback.

Um, we really need to get out into community.

We need to make sure our city manager has an opportunity to get out into community, and so I hear you loud and clear, and I'm looking forward to working on that and making sure that we can deliver to the people of Tacoma both the things that we need to deliver in content, but also in that community engagement piece.

So looking forward to continuing the work and looking forward to supporting Hugh and Kim in this vote.

Thank you, Councilmember Walker.

Councilmember Rumba.

Thank you, Mayor, and I just have a few remarks.

Um tonight's vote is the last step of the long process of considering who will be our next city manager.

I've taken the time to connect with residents of my district and to hear their vision for the future of Tacoma as I consider what leadership will deliver on the results we want to see.

There are a lot of perspectives that are valuable to this discussion, and it's clear to me that our community um wants to see the large challenges we face addressed.

They're looking for change.

There's also a tendency to think that achieving change requires drastic pendulum swings and leadership.

There is a more effective approach.

I think what we need to look for is which candidate brings the values in alignment with our city to the position.

It is really important that an individual has a North Star.

The city manager will be faced with incredibly difficult and trying decisions, and the person in charge needs to hold a sense of values that will show up in these most trying times.

Hyun Kim impressed me as the interim city manager because he always led with his values.

He has had them to make incredibly difficult decisions, and every time he communicated with me.

He came and talked with me about his choices.

He explained the values behind the decision and why he thought it was the right choice.

His values drove him to always do their hard thing that needed to be done.

Moosear, a Jewish spiritual practice dating back to the 10th century, teaches us that humility, anava in Hebrew is the foundational trait necessary for leadership.

Hun embodies this principle.

His leadership is in service to the city, its residents, and its employees, never to himself.

I am also impressed by technical skills and experience Hein brings to the table.

About 70% of city employee staff are union represented.

We are a pro-union city and pro-union council.

We're going into another tough budget cycle, and it will be a moment where our leader will need to show their values, their guiding star.

And I know Hian will lead by honoring and respecting the workers who dedicate their lives and careers to serving our city.

Hion understands the efforts invested in recruiting and training employees, and that when we return to a time of abundance, we will need a strong foundation so we don't start out behind.

As I mentioned, there are a lot of perspectives on this topic.

We might not all be voting for the same candidate tonight, but I believe that at the end of the day, Hin will be the type of city manager who will work with everyone.

It is my honor to support He and Kim in tonight's appointment to the city manager position.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Diaz.

Thank you.

Um I wanted to start by thanking our city staff and our recruitment professionals for all the work they did to get us a really good applicant pool.

I think the fact that we have a really exciting choice between two candidates is really monumental, not to be overlooked.

I've only been on council for a couple of years here.

I'm still in my first term, but as the historians around town tell me, apparently last time around, they didn't even have good choices, and they had to look in-house and see, please, someone do this job.

So the fact that we have choices, the fact that folks in the community have been as deeply engaged with the options that we've been given before us.

I think it's really really exciting to me.

Um I'm gonna be supporting um interim city manager Hean Kim tonight for this permanent position because I think we are at a moment where we really need um someone with the credentials to do this work.

He is accredited by the International City and County Management Association.

He has decades of experience in towns of various sizes.

He is currently and has actively been managing our 4.7 billion dollar budget.

It's a big task and managing several departments while managing nine federal council members.

I think is really important work that needs to be highlighted and um shared with the community.

I think it is as hard of a job to manage directors and look for talent in this moment where we have a lot of directors retiring, new folks coming in.

We have two brand new directors in just the time that we've been doing the city manager recruitment process.

So we have a lot of change and opportunity coming before us.

We have a lot more work to do together, and I'm really excited to appoint someone who knows how our city works and can get moving tomorrow upon appointment.

I think that's not going to set us back in policies, it's not going to set us up back in our budget priorities.

And I'm particularly looking forward to having someone who has both experience managing and working with labor partners in the abstract and in literally this community.

Um, and has experience with tribal sovereignty and understanding how we work with our pual lib tribe next door.

Um, I think that those are really key important factors that can be learned, but I don't have the time to be having someone learn that on the job right now, and I'm really excited about moving forward together as a council with this executive in place and seeing how we can build in some metrics to make sure we're communicating to the community, how we're meeting those marks, and if not, we come back to this and we do it again.

But for now, I think this is the moment to move forward and see how we can all as a community really be invested in Tacoma's future because I think we all are.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Diaz, Councilmember Hines, followed by Councilmember Palmer.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh thank I I think there's gonna be a lot of similar thank yous here.

I want to thank first of all the the wealth applicants we got.

I would reiterate what Councilmember Diaz said.

I watched the city manager interviews back in 2017, um, saw the pool of candidates we had, um, and the the pool we had in 2017 was nowhere near the quality level of the pool we had in 2026.

So I think that's a testament to the amount of work the staff did, the amount of work we've done as a city to be a place people want to come.

Right.

Um, people don't come to a city of the caliber we saw if they don't think it's a city on the rise, so I think it's a city where they can actually make a difference and do an impact.

So I think that's not only a testament to our staff and the people who did it, but also testament to you all in this room.

Testament to the community, the infrastructure we've built here, that this is a place people want to come to.

Um I, like many of my colleagues, um have been really clear that I think uh interim city manager heon is a great asset to us in the city going forward.

Um something people have asked me before, hey John, um, or hey council member, but it's more formal, but hey, what are you looking for in a new city manager?

And I said, what I want as city manager is different than what we've had in the past.

What I want is someone I can sit down with and say, hey, I have an idea.

I want to do something.

Like here's what I think I could do.

And I want someone who can come in and say, okay, hey, Councilmember Hey John, we could do that, but we let me work on some of these things that we can do this and this and this, and let me come back to you and talk to you about what I want.

Um has done that for me multiple times, over and over again.

And if there are members in the community that don't feel like he's been receptive to you in those conversations, I would encourage you to reach out to him and chat with him about that.

Because I have found him nothing but accommodating and working with people around those kind of issues.

Um, one example, I just off top of my head, I I talked to him a while ago about permitting reform about the idea that we've committed as a council to build more housing through Home at Tacoma, and I have developers who come to me all the time and say, hey John, I keep running these issues, I can't get this done, it takes me too long.

I'm trying to build housing because we all believe that housing is the end of homelessness.

You know, why is the city getting in the way of some of this?

And as if you were paying, if you were following along back in December, you'll see that we have started a pilot project for missing middle housing to try to speed housing through, to try to address the housing goals we have and to try to get closer to the goals of you know providing housing to end homelessness.

That's Hun Kim.

His work directed by council on that topic, taking those energies and working on that policy through.

Um and I have other complete confidence that he's gonna continue to do that as we move forward.

Um I would just to you know, and I hear the public.

We want somebody different.

We want somebody from another place.

I I would be remiss to say Hun is not Elizabeth Paulie.

In my interactions with him multiple times, I've seen that clear difference.

And I have all confidence that he will lead the type of change we want to see.

When after our we had our sit-down meeting with him on Friday, I was with a couple of council members, and I looked Hyun straight in the eye.

I said, Hey Hun, I'm gonna ask you a question.

The public's gonna tell me that you're the status quo, you've been here forever, even though you've only been here six months or a year and a half, and you're not only do exactly what we're doing right now.

I want you to tell me right now what you're gonna do differently if we put you in as a city in our the city manager.

He laid out a list of three or four things he was gonna do tomorrow, like when he got in, that gave me real confidence of like he is gonna really lead and take on some of those tough conversations that we can't wait for.

But underlying this entire conversation for many of you in the community and people out there I'm hearing from is we don't have time to wait.

Um we've got things we gotta do right now.

And I believe that Hyun is the person who can really get hit the ground running and start leading that change forward.

And I'm continue to be confident in that ability and look forward to working with him in the future.

I think those are the big ones.

Um as a lifelong Tacoma, right?

Somebody's been here my whole life.

I know the deep importance of knowing a community very well, being deeply integrated into the community, and Hyun, having been in Fife and been in the community for a long time, has some of that knowledge.

Oh, I was gonna say.

I would just pause for a second for folks that have said, well, he was interim for six months, he didn't lead any revolutionary change while he was interim.

And I would just be really clear, um, and not to speak for my colleagues, they can probably just speak me on this, but the council was very clear to him.

We wanted you to keep the city going while we did this process so we could pick a permanent city manager.

We did not charge him with revolutionary change.

We did not charge him to come in and shake things up and move things forward.

We said keep us going till we get a permanent city manager, which he's done very well.

And I have faith that once he becomes the city manager, if that's how it goes, um, he'll be ready to start leading change from the moment we make the vote.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Palmer, followed by Councilmember Scott.

Thank you.

Um I just wanted to point out again that you know, and acknowledge that the process attracted two very qualified candidates.

Um I do hope that Ms.

Lewis tuned in at least for the first part of the meeting to hear how much community appreciated what she had to say and uh the time that she took to come here.

Um, and whoever hires Ms.

Lewis will no doubt be better for it.

Um I think that opportunities like this allow us to take a little bit of a step back and examine our approaches and our expectations for our leadership here.

And this process also gave staff and the community a valuable vote into the kind of leadership Tacoma wants to see.

I hope the conversations we've had challenged some ideas and solidified others for our new city manager, particularly around uh the importance of stability and innovation, clear expectations, measurable milestones, and authentic, transparent communication as we work through the significant challenges facing our city.

Moments like this also remind us that governance structures matter.

Tacoma operates under a council manager form of government and processes like this give us an opportunity to reflect on whether our systems of leadership and accountability are serving the public as effectively as they can.

I'm voting yes for Hyun, transparently, mostly because my vote doesn't make a difference here, but also as a gesture to show that I know Hyun is capable of rising to the occasion.

I just hope that he chooses to.

Ultimately, our focus should always be on ensuring that our city's leadership, both elected and appointed, is aligned in delivering the desired results of the people of Tacoma.

I look forward to continuing to refine how we work together to achieve this shared goal.

Thank you.

Councilmember Scott.

Thank you, Mayor.

I wanted to first start by saying thank you to everybody who is engaged in the process.

Um, both uh all the candidates, the people who applied, our HR staff, uh, our recruitment firm, um, and just yeah, all the as well as my colleagues up here.

Um, and it's been a long process, and so again, I just wanted to say I'm I'm grateful that we have a community that's been engaged and staff that's been engaged, and um a council that's been engaged.

So it's been stated, and I will reiterate that selecting the city manager is one of the most important decisions that we all make as a council.

And I appreciate um again the work that's gone into it.

And I also want to acknowledge the leadership that Hen has already provided in stepping into the role during a challenging time.

Uh we are at a pivotal moment here in Tacoma, and um we're navigating difficult structural deficit, uh, growing demands on our city services and a community that's asking its government to be transparent, accountable, and responsive.

Uh the work ahead is going to require strong collaboration between the council, the city manager's office, the staff, our labor partners, the tribe, the community at large, and it's also going to require uh continued commitment to building and maintaining trust across that entire ecosystem.

Uh addressing our fiscal challenges and moving our city forward will take clear communication, partnership, innovation, and alignment around our council priorities.

Uh leadership in this role is not just about managing the organization, it's about continually earning the trust of council, of staff and the community that we serve.

And I look forward to continuing the work that we've been doing in effort to make sure that we are moving forward towards the Tacoma that the people here deserve.

And I think that ultimately, you know, we've we just really have to, you know, I've heard Councilmember Palmer say that she hopes to see Hen rise to the occasion, uh knowing that he can, and I would I would extend that to all of us.

I hope that we see that we are at a point where there is an occasion for us to rise to, and that we all make that decision to be clear-eyed, um, transparent, and unashamed and unafraid to rise to it.

So thank you.

Thank you.

I want to start by saying that I am absolutely inspired and so grateful for everyone who's been involved.

I, in my previous tenure on the city council, I was part of the process of hiring three executives, two city managers and one utility director.

And there was nowhere near as much public interest in any of them as there has been right now.

Uh, I think that speaks to the times we're in, certainly, um, but also the caliber of the people involved and just what it means to be civic and involved and to really care about Tacoma.

And I think despite the vote and despite how people feel about the vote, what I think that really means to me is just what it means to care about Tacoma and to be a community member who's involved, and that that means something so much to me.

So I want to say thank you to all the people who've been involved, so our community panelists as well for stepping up and representing all the different facets of leadership in our city, uh, to my council colleagues for all of your great questions and involvement.

Uh, I'm truly grateful for all that.

Uh, I'm also very grateful to Ms.

Lewis for her stepping up for her bravery and courage in getting involved here.

Uh such an impressive breadth of experience, uh, both in terms of local government as well as all the cross-functional experience uh in her philanthropic work and otherwise her interstate uh knowledge, her her deep, deep knowledge about all the issues, um, all the more pertinent these days with the unstable and certain federal climate, uh, and also just her quick learning style.

Um, being primarily someone who worked in the East Coast and then just learning on the go, drinking from the fire hose just as a candidate, learning all the policies, learn learning such deep understanding of all our 40 and change strategic plans and uh the priorities of the community.

Uh it was really well received, and I I think it's not an accident that despite the community only really getting to know her for a week and a half, two weeks, just such an overwhelming groundswell of support.

Um, but for me, major decisions like an executive hire, major policy decisions are really not about personalities, it's not about individuals, it's about the role itself.

And for me, this also comes down to what the values are that people have so strongly articulated.

And what I've heard time and again over the years, and especially now with the groundswell of people's interest in this whole process.

It's boldness over status quo and innovation over risk aversion.

That's that's really what it's come down to, and that's that's the primary challenge I think the community, the the gauntlet really that the community has thrown down for us is that fundamental shift in our city government's culture.

And in my conversations, um, both just my day-to-day responsibilities as your mayor and also as an interviewer in this process with Mr.

Kim, I do believe that he is up to the task of advancing those values.

Uh, members of business, labor, the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, and many others, um, what is important to you.

The message is absolutely received, I feel, by our candidates as well as by us, your council uh elected officials.

And while I intend to vote for Mr.

Kim, I'm looking forward to working with him to if he's appointed, not only to fulfill the objectives that you and that we have in terms of our policy goals, but also the desperately needed culture shift that you have told us is so fundamental to you about that bigness, about that courage.

And I'm looking forward to not just simply a vote, but the long-term follow-through, the focus in the follow-through in seeing her policy goals through, in seeing the real administrative, um, cultural, whatever you want to call it, the the day-to-day stuff that you experience as members of the public seen through uh in how Mr.

Cam, if appointed, uh, executes the role.

So I'm actually really excited to see that through.

Uh, this is the beginning, not the end of uh hopefully your involvement as community members.

Uh accountability does not end with a vote, it begins.

Uh and so with that being said, uh, that's how I am daylighting not simply my own vote, uh, but how I intend to own this process over my tenure.

And so with that, I'm truly grateful for all of you for all of my colleagues for your involvement here.

And with that, um, are there any final council comments or questions?

Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting resolution number four one eight six, just the motion.

Oh, excuse me.

Um, all those in favor, sorry, I jumped ahead to the other motion, please excuse that.

Uh, any other council questions or comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All supposed say nay.

The motion is adopted.

Congratulations to Mr.

Kim.

Please give him a big round of applause.

All right, um, I took the line share of the meeting, but we still have a number of uh agenda items.

If you can please keep your voices down as you exit the room.

Sure.

Uh, I have a request for a recess from uh the council is five minutes.

Okay, is there a motion?

So moved.

Second.

Moving the second.

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

We are recessed for five minutes.

We'll return at six twenty-three.

We are back from recess.

Um now on to the correct resolution this time uh rather than the last uh one I thought I was reading.

Uh item number seven under resolutions.

Will the clerk please read?

Resolution 41863, a resolution authorizing the execution of a memorandum of understanding with Parks Tacoma in the amount of one million dollars budgeted from the real estate excise tax fund for the design and construction of a skate park project in council district two.

I move to adopt resolution number four one eight six three.

Second moving second, I'd like to call on Ms.

Susan Calderon.

Good evening, Mayor Ibsen, members of the city council.

I'm Susan Calderon.

I'm the assistant finance director, controller for the city.

I'm here to present on resolution 41863, which proposes a memorandum of understanding with Parks Tacoma in the amount of one million dollars for the design and construction of a skate park.

Memorandum of understanding is required between Parks Tacoma and City and the City to be able to provide the funding for the state park that was that was a project selected through participatory budgeting program in Council District 2.

The city started participatory budgeting process in Council District 2 in 2024, sitting aside one million dollars.

There were over 2500 ideas collected from January through May of 2024, which were narrowed down to three proposals by the community leadership, excuse me, community leadership team, which was made up of three community representatives, more than half under the age of 18.

The voting process took place from June through September 2024, and a covered skate park under I-705 received the winning numbers number of votes with over 6,000 votes cast.

Parks Tacoma has agreed to manage the skate park project, including the site acquisition through at least with Washington's Department of Transportation, design, planning, community outreach, and engagement, permitting and construction, and we'll develop a plan for operational long-term maintenance of this of the skate park.

Parks Tacoma had the resolution presented to the board during their February 23rd meeting.

With that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Calderon.

Are there any questions?

Councilmember Rumbaugh.

I don't have any questions, but I just I want to just um extend my excitement for getting to this point and all the process that went into it.

I want to thank staff I see out there for all the work that they did getting young people involved in this because I was sure that the only way that we should really do this was making sure young voices were heard because we have so many schools in district two.

And I was I was thrilled to be able to come to those meetings and be there with the the young people and the other people who were a part of this.

They had huge crowds of people who came and participated.

Our staff led these so well.

I was excited about the end vote.

There were some really creative projects that didn't get funded, but this one will be something that really changes the way that we utilize um open space and activate it.

And it's in an area that we know doesn't have an have as much activity as it should.

I think it will bring young people to this area and it will do a lot of things to create um an environment that we're trying to have in the dome district.

So I'm just uh thrilled and excited, and I um just wanted to say I'm glad we got here.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rumbaugh.

Any other council questions?

All right, seeing none.

Are there any uh all those in favor of adopting resolution number four one eight six three, please signify by saying aye.

Aye, aye opposed to say nay.

Resolution is declared adopted.

Item number eight, clerk, please read.

Resolution 41864, a resolution authorizing the one-time use of council contingency funds in the amount of 25,000 dollars to sponsor the fifth annual citywide block party hosted by True Vine Community Church.

I move to adopt resolution number 41864.

Second.

Moving a second, I'd like to call on Councilmember Heinz.

Thank you very much.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, and thank you.

I'll keep my remarks very short.

Um, my we spoke about this today at study session.

I'm excited to bring forward a council contingency fund request to sponsor the fifth annual community block party hosted by True Vine Community Church.

Um I have talked to the the pastor and the person and the parishioners at this church.

I had been part of, I had visited their fourth annual block party, which was last year.

Uh the church is located in council district number one, um, off of 37th and Pearl Street.

Uh, and they have kind of explained a broader vision of a kind of citywide block party that was inclusive, it can bring the community together right before we go back to school to connect people to kind of the services that are available through the city through the community, um, and really just being kind of more resource fair, community party music, fun, great way to end the summer.

You know, this event will connect thousands of community members to critical support systems, including healthcare enrollment, housing support, utility assistance, employment services, and educational opportunities.

In addition, they're talking about distributing free backpacks and supplies to uh youth in need of assistance.

Um of the things we've talked about often, I said this at the study session was that the city does a lot.

Um, but often the community doesn't know all that we do, and they don't know all the resources that are available to them.

And so one reason why I was uh very uh eager about supporting this event was as a benefit to the city is this idea that they will be promoting a lot of what the city does and allow us space for our departments and agencies to kind of share what resources are available to them to connect with the public and really just have a fun time really embracing all that makes Tacoma Special and what's available to our community.

Um this proposal is for $25,000, which will help kind of cover the cost of them moving the event from their church to Cheney Stadium to make because they want to make this a big citywide event.

Um very excited about the opportunity and can't wait till August for the opportunity to go out and check this out.

And if you're listening online, um there'll be more advertising as we come, but I hopefully you'll join me.

Um I'd like to thank my co-sponsors, Councilmember Scott and Councilmember Palmer.

Um, and if I'm happy to answer your further questions, Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

Thank you.

Any council comments?

All right, well, thank you for bringing this forward.

I'll be supportive of this.

All right, so all those in favor of adopting resolution number 41864, please signify by saying aye.

Moving on to final reading of ordinances, item number nine, clerk please read.

Ordinance 29093, an ordinance amending chapter 1.12 of the municipal code relating to the comp plan to implement rates of pay and compensation for employees represented by local union number 117 general unit and IBEW local 483 clerical unit.

This item was presented last week.

Are there any additional council questions or comments?

Seeing none of clerk, please call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

Aye.

Excuse me.

Councilmember Diaz.

Hi.

Councilmember Heinz.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmer.

Aye.

Councilmember Rumba.

Aye.

Councilmember Sidalgay.

Aye.

Councilmember Scott.

Aye.

Councilmember Walker.

Aye.

Mayor Ibsen.

All right.

The ordinance is declared passed.

Moving on to first reading of ordinances, item 10.

This item will have a PowerPoint presentation.

Clerk, please read.

Ordinance 29094, an ordinance authorizing Tacoma Power to update the wholesale rates in the open access transmission tariff and to update terms and conditions to reflect current practices of the Western Energy Imbalance Market Effect of April 1st, 2026.

Oh, give me a minute.

Good evening, uh Mayor and the Council.

My name is Jean Liu.

I work for rates planning and analysis team for Tacoma Power.

I'm here today to uh present to you item number 10 regarding the updates to Tacoma Power's wholesale transmission and ancillary services rates, terms, and conditions in our open access transmission tariff, also known as OATT OAT.

Um first, I would like to give you a brief overview.

Um the transmission tariff is where um we detail out the rates, terms, and conditions for one utility to provide its transmission service to another utility or another interested market participant.

The proposed rate updates impact the wholesale transmission customers only, not the retail.

And the wholesale customer are those who use Tacoma Powers service to serve their own customers instead of consuming uh the service directly themselves.

Currently, our main uh transmission customer is Bonneville Power Administration, BPA.

BPA uses our transmission service to serve nine municipal and cooperative utilities.

In recent years, this service has generated nine to ten million dollars annually for Tacoma Power.

Um, providing the open access and setting the transmission rates.

Tacoma Power voluntarily follows the federal energy regulatory commission for its guidelines because it sets the industry best practice.

Next, I'm going to explain uh what drives the rate update.

Um, as you probably expected, uh, that is the underlying cost increase.

Our last OAT update was in 2021.

Since then, Tacoma Power has experienced significant inflationary pressure on both labor and material costs that's required to maintain and operate our transmission system.

Our latest cost review shows that costs have risen by $9 million over the last five years, which translates to an annual average increase of 6%.

And it is consistent with the industry cost trend.

We have researched the two different sources.

One is from Energy Information Administration, EIA, and the other one is from Handy Whitman Index, which is a well-respected construction cost index specific to utilities in our region.

Both sources indicate an average increase of uh 7.2% on the annualized basis.

In comparison, our transmission cost increase was moderate.

Tacoma Power staff has conducted a very thorough and detailed analysis of the costs to ensure accuracy and transparency.

We propose increasing the annual cost of service stated in the tariff for network integration transmission service from 26.7 million to 35.8 million, an increase of 9 million dollars, or approximately 6.0% on the annualized basis.

We also recommend revising rates for point-to-point service and six ancillary services by varying degrees as outlined in the council the council action memo and the red line tariff.

We provided a summary of the proposed rates versus the current rates in the appendix.

Also in the appendix, we provided a rates comparison to regional peer utilities, which shows that our rates are pretty favorable compared to other peer utilities.

The updated rates are projected to generate about 2.6 million dollar additional annual revenue for Tacoma Power, and this adjustment is well aligned with our cost causation and cost of service principles.

The next slide shows our timeline for uh the approval process and where we are.

Uh in last November, we posted our proposed tariff on a centralized transmission website.

This is an opportunity to provide interested parties to provide comments, and we have received none.

We have shared the proposed rate adjustment with our wholesale customer, Bonneville Power Administration, and we responded to all their questions.

At this point, they have no further comments on the proposed rates terms and conditions.

Staff have provided a presentation to public utility board twice, once last December and once this February.

Thank you.

Are there any council questions?

Seeing none of this ordinance will be set over for final reading next week.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Is there any unfinished business?

Councilman Bruce Adalkey.

Do you have any unfinished business?

I thought I was later.

Okay, well, we'll call you later, Doc.

If you'd like, sure, go for it.

Um, thank you.

Let me just get my notes up here.

I wanted to give the rest of the council um kind of an update because there wasn't a formal one on the immigration resources webpage.

Uh, as you know, on January 13th, we adopted resolution 41844 directing the city manager to create a web page to share resources with our immigrant community members and businesses related to immigration issues impacting the city.

We also directed the city count uh manager to create outreach materials and share this information with affected community members.

Um the uh webpage actually went up January 27th, which was actually ahead of schedule.

Um we've done a number of updates since we've even included uh uh a FAQ or frequently asked questions that really cover a lot of uh broad-based questions that community's been asking.

Um I've been told that the webpage has garnered approximately 2200 views by 1,400 unique individual uh visitors in that time period.

Um wanted to give you an update on um some of the outreach.

So media and communication um has pushed out the information through social media, but we have also had city staff reach out directly um to various community members during the meetings, uh during various community meetings and conversations, as well as reaching out to other city uh outreach staff to share this information and even walking people through uh the webpage.

People have been um really quite impressed with how much we have on there.

Um, in particular, also the ability to uh change um to various languages.

I want to uh specifically uh mention two employees, two uh very important amongst many, uh Maria Teresa Gomez and Lisa uh Sentucal who have been leading this charge in connecting directly with community.

I wanted to get this update because one of the most important parts of all this was to reach out directly to um uh community that's scared that doesn't understand where information is and and how we can help.

And we've been doing that.

Um we're also collecting some information back from them.

I also want to thank um Sonia Hollam uh for her lead on all of this.

Oh, and I forgot to put this up here.

One of the many resources we have.

Um, I'm doing this the wrong way because that says immigration rights or human rights.

This is the Northwest Immigration Rights Project, which is an organization uh that has offices here in Tacoma that that directly helps um uh detainees.

If you are a detainee and you have any sort of legal representation, you have orders of magnitude higher uh chances of being released from that.

And I this is just one of the many, many resources we have on that page, and I encourage everyone to share it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Sidalga.

So moving on to reports by the city manager, deputy city manager to report this evening.

Thank you, Mary.

I do have a brief item, and I also appreciate that you let Councilmember Snalgay go first because then I get to just lean into and express also uh the city manager's office appreciation for the staff members that uh Councilmember Sidalgay mentioned in his report.

So want to add our uh express appreciation as well.

Um moving on to an item that is perhaps a little bit more boring but equally worth celebrating.

Uh I'm a pleased to share with you this evening some good news on the city's credit ratings and some recent upgrades that we've had.

We recently completed three annual ratings for city bonds, two were conducted by Fitch ratings and one by Moody's.

Uh Moody's reviewed the city's general obligation bonds and provided a ratings upgrade from AA2 to AA1.

That's equivalent from basically moving from double A to AA plus.

So if you're following along with all the letters, uh, that just means it's really good.

Um Fitch reviewed environmental services, stormwater wastewater bonds and maintained the current rating at AA plus and Fitch also reviewed ES's solid waste bonds and gave them a ratings increase from AA to AA plus.

Uh the city now sits at one step below the highest rating, which is triple A for each of these sets of bonds.

So just wanted to share that news with you, uh, Mayor and Council.

And um also just want to stress that why am I talking about this?

This is important because credit ratings are a standard measure of the credit worthiness of government bonds.

Higher credit ratings reflect a well-managed, stable, financially sound city with strong financial policies and performance.

So that is due to your good work, Council.

Thank you very much for that.

So appreciate that.

And that is my report for the evening, Mayor.

All right, thank you.

Um Deputy City Manager.

Um, moving on to comments and committee reports of the city council.

I'd like to call on Councilmember Diaz, Chair of the Economic Development Committee.

Thank you.

Um, the economic economic development committee has met two times since our last report out.

We have been having some fun in the exploratory topic of community workforce agreements.

Um, to kick off our February 10th meeting, I presented my plan to review the 2019 Tacoma Community Workforce Advisory Committee's recommendation, evaluate the city's progress towards implementing these recommendations to date, and summarize my community engagement and outreach plan as we continue to see what more work needs to be done around community workforce and our progress to date.

Finally, staff delivered an annual report on three of the city's workforce development programs, including community and equity and contracting, Tacoma training and employment, and EPA Brownfield's job training programs.

EDC's next meeting is coming up next Tuesday, March 10th, when the committee will learn about two projects that were just completed by our artists and residents and the downtown Tacoma Partnership's recent and upcoming work.

Mayor, this concludes my report.

Thank you, Chair Diaz.

Are there any other council comments?

Councilmember Walker.

Um Mayor, we have an important birthday we have to celebrate.

Oh, good.

That would be yours.

Oh so we do have a card for you, Mayor, to celebrate your birthday.

And we hear it's a it's a big one.

Yeah.

Or was a big one.

As the 40th mayor, it was my 40th birthday last Sunday.

No clapping.

Uh you also have to take home half a cake from the back room.

Thank you so kindly.

And if I may take a point of personal privilege too, as presiding officer, there's an additional birthday, uh, because we we save the best birthdays for March 1st, apparently, uh, to my colleague, Councilmember Rumbaugh, who has the distinct uh the distinct honor of not just being our our fierce and formidable and dedicated District 2 representative, but also uh the chief operating officer of City Council Birthdays.

So as a result, you get two birthday cards.

So and we get two cakes too, which is even which is even rather too.

So I uh thank you so much.

Happy birthday to Councilmember Rumba.

We got a shirt.

Oh wow, what she calls me Rumbi and so you can see.

Thank you.

That is awesome.

All right, how do you someone have any comments that can top that?

All right.

Seeing none, um uh my birthday gift uh to my colleague is uh is a motion to adjourn if someone would like to make one.

I move to adjourn.

Move and second, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Ayes have it.

Good night.