I would like to call to order the city council meeting of March 10th, 2026.

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Deputy Mayor Bush now.

President.

Councilmember Diaz.

Councilmember Hines.

Councilmember Palmer.

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 Sidalgay, followed by a moment of silence.

We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Piala people where they make their home and speak the Leschutseed 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.

Are there any questions, comments, or corrections?

I move to adopt the consent agenda, including final reading of ordinance numbers 29061 and 29062, and first reading of ordinance number 29095.

Second.

Alright, move to the seconded.

Questions, comments, corrections.

Council Hines.

I I move to accept the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the hearing examiner for ordinance number two nine zero nine five.

Second.

Moving second, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Motion is declared adopted.

Um all those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, including setting ordinance number two nine zero nine five over to be to a date to be determined.

Please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those supposed to say nay.

Uh the consent agenda is declared adopted.

We have one ceremonial tonight.

Um for the girls' flag football teams from Stadium and Lincoln High School's recognition, I'd like to invite uh Shaws Jacomb, head coach from Lincoln High School, Avery Liati, captain from Lincoln High School, Fidney Blackmore, team most valuable player, and captain from Stadium High School, Maddie Kramer, captain from Stadium High School, and Bella Long, uh captain from Stadium High School to the podium, as Councilmember Hines reads the recognition.

All right.

And and while we're getting ready for this, and people are coming up, I'm gonna put bring out my prop I brought for this evening.

Still fits.

Still fits.

You know, back in back in the uh the turn of the century, early aughts, we believed in large letter jackets.

Um so yes.

I was also a lot bigger back then.

So uh whereas the Lincoln and Stadium High School girls' flag football teams have proven that Tacoma is a powerful force to be reckoned with in girls' sports by winning the inaugural 3A state championship and securing third place in the 4A state championship respectfully.

And whereas both teams left the football fields this season with studying plays and touchdowns and persevered through adversity by focusing on teamwork and maintaining an unselfish commitment to each other, and whereas these victories also belong to their incredible coaches, families, friends, and those who provided unwavering support showing that in Tacoma we stand by each other.

And whereas our city is so proud of each of these athletes and their historic achievements, and we have no doubt that they are just getting started dominating the field, and we'll be celebrating them for many more wins to come.

Now I, John Hines, on behalf of the city council and over the over 225,000 residents of Tacoma, do hereby recognize the Lincoln and Stadium High School girls' flag football teams for their championship victories, their commitment to teamwork, and their dedication to showing that Tacoma athletes are the best in the state.

Let's give them a round of applause.

Um, before I kick it back to the mayor, in all fairness, as I'm wearing this, I thought I would ask the question.

And who won that game?

Stadium High School.

So, yes, I would just I want to give this as I'm wearing my Lincoln.

Everybody knows for my loyalties are, but I wanted to give the stadium girls their due.

So with that, Mr.

Mayor will turn it back over to you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Hines.

And thank you so much for your uh your involvement and thank you for uh for bringing this to us.

Uh, are there any other council comments?

I will just say as as the stadium graduate, go stadium.

Thank you.

Very good.

Tigers as well as Aves.

All right.

Um Councilmember Sidalge.

I just wanted to congratulate you out.

I'm District 4 in Lincoln High Schools in my district, and we're absolutely so proud of all of you.

Thank you.

Very good.

Would any of you like to say uh a few words?

Ladies.

You let your accomplishments speak for themselves.

I'll kind of speak uh a little bit here.

Uh, just want to make sure I go on record and thank all the people that got us here, because um you can never do it alone.

And so uh just a big shout out to our athletic director at Lincoln High School, Curtis Fletcher, he does a lot of work for us.

Our principal Carl Holseh, who's always supporting our girls in every way possible, and last but not least, the wonderful parents of Lincoln High School who, without their support, this season would never happen.

Wonderful.

Well, please step forward and accept the nomination, and let's give a round of applause.

Oh, you wanted to say something.

Okay.

Sorry.

Um I just wanted to thank, like Coach Shaul said, all the parents that have been helping out with this season.

I wanted to thank my teammates for getting us here because it is a team sport.

We're all in it together.

Um, thanking my coaches specifically, they've put in so much work in us, and you can see in the way we play.

And just thank you for inviting us here today.

Absolutely.

Thank you guys.

Anyone else would like to speak?

Please.

Um, I want to thank my coaches and my teammates as well.

Uh, this was my senior year, so to finish it out in third place was pretty awesome.

I've been playing for four years.

So it felt really, really great to accomplish that, especially after switching to 4A after our sophomore year.

It was kind of hard going into it at first, so it was really great to finish it out like that.

And my coaches and my teammates have just been so supportive.

So thank you to them, and thank you for having us here today.

Yeah, any other speakers?

Okay, well, one more time.

Let's uh welcome our um our distinguished guests up here to accept the proclamation.

And uh with that, one more final round of applause.

Yes.

Let's have all the girls come up here.

Yep.

Yeah, bring the whole team up here.

Bring the whole team up here.

Come on down.

Come on, let's get in this picture.

More the merrier.

Pull this out of the box.

And we have our proclamations to give them to as well.

Oh, yeah, I got proclamations.

So let's see what we got here.

Two for stadium.

Lincoln.

Okay.

You guys are using team pictures.

I might need you to bring it in.

Oh, you're right.

I still don't have you both in there.

We gotta go.

All right, everybody.

One, two, three.

One more one, two, three.

Thank you all.

Yeah, absolutely.

All right, big congrats to our champions.

I was on north pool.

All right.

Moving on to public comment.

On tonight's agenda, there are two opportunities for people to comment.

Under public comment, you can speak about motions, resolutions, and ordinances on tonight's agenda, except for ordinances number two nine oh six one, two nine oh six two, and two nine oh nine five, for which a public hearing has already been held.

Under community forum, which is held at the end of this meeting, you can speak about items over which the city council has jurisdiction.

These forums are intended to give speakers the opportunity to share the review points and feedback with the city council and to aid in our decision making, and is not meant to be a back and forth.

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 send up at the back of the room if you have not done so already.

Your name or the last four digits of your phone number will be called out when it's your turn to speak.

Clerk, please read.

This is the time set aside for public comment.

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

All right, 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 acknowledging 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 refrain from clapping, cheering, booing, or otherwise being disruptive.

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

As always, you're 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, you'll have to move on, and we will end your time.

So we um have our first speakers lined up.

We have Michelle Reich, followed by Samuel Kaiser.

I'm Michelle Risham.

I'm speaking on 0185 uh the readjustment of the rules of procedure for the city council, and including uh the public forum.

And on that subject, uh I think uh you should uh change your procedure to have uh three minutes speaking for everybody, just like all the other city councils in Washington.

Uh the city council is alone in 90 seconds there, and other city councils uh uh the average is three minutes, and some go up to five minutes.

So you're uh disservice to all speakers and citizens of Tacoma by denying us the right to adequately speak.

Now, I've been the most advocate speaker here of anybody.

I've been here almost every week in every council meeting, and also I always supplement my uh speaking with pages to you.

You have more paid written pages from me than anybody else else in Tacoma.

You have enough to write a book, you know, that people haven't been here longer.

You have hundreds of pages from me, and you have hundreds of times of me speaking here, but uh I haven't practiced in speaking in my 90 seconds, but I could give you a more uh concise uh and explanation of my what at the point I'm trying to present to you if I had another 90 seconds like everybody else in Washington State, uh including Pierce County Council, and and so uh I wish that you would make the change.

Thank you, Michelle.

Thank you.

All right, uh, appreciate your comments.

Our next speaker is Samuel Kaiser, followed by Kyle Jolly Boyce.

Hello, City Council.

Um, I would also like to uh address the uh rule chains uh uh changes of of uh public forum.

Uh I think that you know suspending uh public forum is uh cowardly and repressive.

I think that as a community we have uh come to you time and time again and uh communicated uh demands, and then any reforms that we are going to have around public comment should be uh informed by the community.

It should be something that we should be able to determine for ourselves, and uh it is absurd to think that you guys can do that better than we can.

So uh yeah, that is what I would like to say.

Thank you, Mr.

Kaiser.

Kyle Jolly Boys, followed by David Schrodell.

Good evening, Mayor.

My name is Kyle Jolly Boys.

I live down here on Broadway.

Ten years ago when I started coming here and talking about the environment.

We were closer to you.

This wall wasn't here.

This table wasn't here that you guys don't use, it looks like we had three minutes.

We packed this room, standing room only.

Now it's fair, and we have 90 seconds to talk to you twice a month.

We are the reason you are the mayor.

I voted for you because I believe in you, and we need this time, and we need our three minutes back, and we need to be closer to you, not farther away, mayor.

Because I'm not going away.

And I'll be here on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, like I've always been.

But this commit is called community forum because Tacoma is a community, one of the best in the state, and you need to hear our voices.

We need to be heard.

I thank you for your time, Mayor.

Thank you, Mr.

Jolly Boys.

David Shraddell, followed by Jamie Cortez.

Mayor Ibsen Tacoma City Council, my name is David Shredell.

I'm here as the executive director of the Downtown Tacoma Partnership.

I'm here to speak today on resolution 41865 and 41866.

These are the reauthorization and approval of the budget that relate to the downtown Tacoma Partnership Business Improvement Area.

We've been operating since 1988.

That's a long time to have been running a business improvement area.

We're one of the oldest in Washington State, and we are one of the ones that stretches the dollars the furthest of all of those in Washington State.

So we do a lot with a little, and it is self-funded by the property owners in downtown Tacoma.

We need your approval to continue doing this work into the future.

We'll be back with a renewal process in 2027-2028, but this is just an annual budget and work plan update.

I do have to give a shout out to my uh board, which is made up of property owners and the representatives, with representation from Teagues Property Services, University of Washington Tacoma, Courthouse Square, Great Expectations, Laura Jewelers, Vintage Y residents, uh Courtyard Marriott, J Squared, and Shav Ellison.

Without them, we wouldn't be able to put this uh work forward, and they wouldn't uh be able to really move downtown Tacoma forward.

Some of the work over the last year, we've seen a 40% increase in the farmers market activity, 9,000 people at the block party, 22 new storefront businesses open, 3,600 tags removed, 113,000 pounds of trash taken off the streets of downtown Tacoma, 13,000 Instagram followers, and 400 attendees at our monthly community meetings.

So thank you for your support on this.

Look forward to doing the work into the year ahead.

Thank you, Mr.

Shroudell.

Mr.

Jamie Cortez, followed by Ari Hello, my name is Jamie.

I'm the chair of Climate Alliance of the South Sound.

I listened in on the study session today.

Thank you to Latasha and also you, Mayor, for um suggesting that you have a council response portion after community forum.

These are the ideas that I wish the community would have been able to chime in on.

So that's why we're here today to let y'all know how we're feeling about this about diminishing community forum to only once a month.

I love the idea to be more involved in your communities.

I think that should be done in addition to this community forum.

You know, this is a place that people continue to express their first amendment rights.

I think that's really important.

And like Kyle said, it used to be three minutes, right?

So it's already been cut down, and continuing to cut it down shows that I think you're a little bit afraid of the power of the people.

You know what I'm saying?

We've been in here, we've been rallying inside the building.

We marched 500 people outside of the building this weekend for International Working Women's Day, and we will continue to show up and make our demands heard really wherever you move it.

But we would like to continue to have this First Amendment forum for the people of Tacoma.

This is a long-standing tradition.

Um, and we continue to, you know, demand that our free speech be protected and that the council listen to their constituents.

So thank you.

Hands off free speech, all power to the people.

Thank you, Miss Cortez.

Ari, followed by Nathan.

Thank you.

I'm also here to talk about uh the changes to community forum.

I think uh it's a really important to hear the community.

You guys are here to serve the community.

I appreciate that you want to make sure that it's ran well.

I agree it'd be great to have more of a feedback uh situation there, but I also think we already have such little time to come out as a communicate community and communicate with you, and reducing that by half by removing a meeting while you make this decision uh is not beneficial to the people.

If anything, we are half of this.

We are the community that you are listening to.

We should be here, we should be involved in this decision, and we should be able to speak to you at least twice a month, at least for 90 seconds.

It would be great to have more time.

It would be great to have more community forums.

Uh, I do want this to be ran well, but getting rid of a community forum is not the solution.

You're supposed to listen to the people in a community forum, none.

Tell us what to do.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ari.

Nathan, followed by Des Chaufontez.

Hello.

I'm here to speak out about the uh changes to the community forum.

I think it's very cowardice to further limit our voice from the community and for further limit the amount of time that we have to speak out against changes in our community, both positive and negative.

I think it's not a good thing to limit the amount of voice we already have.

That's that's all.

Thank you.

Um Dez Chaffant, followed by Jeff Peel.

Hello.

Friends, colleagues, and fellow citizens.

Imagine a town square where only one opinion is allowed.

A world where your deepest convict convictions are silenced because they are unpopular.

This isn't just a dystopian plot.

It's a reality we avoid only because of the 45 critical words, the First Amendment.

The First Amendment is the matrix of our democracy.

It isn't just about the right to speak.

It's the right to think, to pray, to protest, and to hold power accountable.

Today, that foundation is shaking from efforts to ban books to local governments, limiting community forums and legislation that restricts the right to protest.

The moment we give the government the power to define offensive, we hand them a silencer for any voice they find inconvenient.

Let's keep the town square open, loud, and free.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jeff Peel, followed by Claire Thomas.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Jeff Peel.

I'm a homeowner in the South End in District 5.

And I'm here to speak about the uh changes that are being contemplated for the community forum.

Um I gotta be honest, I uh sometimes I get the vibe like when we come to community forum and we're saying our piece, like we're not really getting through, like we're not really listening, like you're not really listening.

So, you know, on the one hand, I kind of appreciate the honesty that you're just gonna not have us out, but also I wish the message was different.

Like, I appreciate you being honest, you don't want to hear from us, but I would like to ask you to reconsider that position.

Um, we we're we live in a time when there's uh rising authoritarianism and creeping fascism.

And authoritarianism does not need people's support, it does not need people's cooperation.

All it needs is silence.

When the community comes to speak to you, it's your responsibility to listen.

And if you're gonna shut that down, well, shame on shame on you.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

Peel.

Claire Thomas, followed by Ian Lindert.

Um, council, my name is Claire.

Um student, and I'm a member of the Peterson Progressive Student Union.

I'm here to talk about uh the proposed changes to the community forum.

Um personally, you know, I believe that what makes y'all good uh public servants is that y'all you know give us these community forums in the first place, right?

There used to be a back and forth.

Uh however, y'all have already have the time, right?

It was three minutes, now it's 90 seconds.

People have been talking about that.

Uh now y'all are gonna have it again, right?

There needs to be a back and forth for y'all to continue to do your jobs correctly.

Y'all need to listen to us.

Uh, we're so willing to work with y'all and to uh make the things happen that we want to happen.

We care about making Tacoma uh better for everybody.

So let's work together and let's not cut down community forum, which is so important for that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ian Lindertsen, followed by Abby Greenfield.

Evening, Council.

I'd like to speak on agenda item nine, in that removing the opportunity for public comment, even temporarily, really any reduction in the ability for your constituents to speak is an attack on free speech and an insult to the community that you are elected by and are charged with the task of representing.

Who again are responsible for representing those people is only a step in the wrong direction.

Democracy is built on a bedrock of public forum.

Restricting that public forum is a step against democracy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Abby Greenfield.

Hi everyone.

My name is Abby, and I live here in Tacoma.

I'm raising my kids here, and I hope someday that they will feel passionate enough about their communities to come show up at City Council and say their peace too.

I'm not here to say that Tacoma's doing community forum correctly.

I'm not even convinced you take us seriously.

That would be for you to prove.

But I'm here to point out that community forum is an easily accessible platform for Tacomans to say their piece about what they want.

Like public transportation, clean air, communities free from ice and police violence, accountability, and sustainable practices.

Reducing community time before a better solution is in place would be a mistake.

We will not give up what little we get until we are convinced the alternative option is better.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next online speakers are Tracy and Helga Judenau.

Hi, Council.

Uh, this is Gemini.

I just shared accounts, so it always says Tracy.

Um, I'm calling in today uh because I'm a new mother, I've got a young baby, and uh, I've got an eye infection, and I can't drive.

And this online option is so important for people like me, women, indigenous people, mothers, uh, sick people who can't be there in person.

Our voices still matter, and we should not be silenced uh by taking out a public form, whether in person or online, right?

So many of these meetings are already inaccessible, and you are taking yet another step to make it more inaccessible if you go through with the plans that you've outlined.

Kyle said it well when he pointed out that you removed almost 30 chairs from that room to put in a big conference room.

So now when we pack the room, the size of the crowd is obscured by the fact that we're forced into overflow rooms, that we have to rally in the halls outside of the chambers because it can't accommodate how many people are flooding into the building to tell you that we want to see change in our city.

We come here to see each other and to talk to other community members because we know that you continue to not listen to our demands.

Uh every time we come in to ask that you listen to us, you say, or the city council or the um city manager says, Oh, we can't do that.

We might get sued.

There might be a lawsuit.

What if we get sued?

Well, I'm here to tell you if you took it take away our First Amendment rights, you're gonna be in a lot of trouble.

Thank you for your comments.

Moving on to Afa, followed by Marilyn Kimmerling.

Hello, um, this is Ifa Pasquale.

Um, I'm a climb of the lines of the South Sound, and I just want to express like how proud I am of everybody in the chambers and people online who are commenting about this.

Um, I think it's really powerful when we come together and like and speak and unite on like these um these really important topics.

And um, and again, like we have such a smart, thoughtful, dedicated, kind and caring and fighting community here in Tacoma, and it is a shame to squander that to take the opportunity we have to talk to you guys away or like lessen it even further.

And also, you know, if you think that this is a way to try and quell like the outrage, the righteous outrage people have.

Um, I think you're sorely mistaken.

Actually, I think this is, you know, to me, this here's this sounds a lot more like an invitation for us to get more creative.

And maybe, you know, we've been we've been bringing hundreds of people rallying outside and encircling the building, having marches around city council building.

This isn't gonna, you're gonna hear more from us, if anything, if you take away this uh this format of speaking.

We will be heard and nothing is going to stop us.

Um so if you want us to get creative, be my guest.

Make my day.

Thank you, Eva.

Marilyn Kimmerling, follow by April Smith.

Marilyn.

Good evening.

Can you hear me?

Sure can.

Okay.

Um, I'm here to talk about uh the proposal to discontinue community forum while you decide how to deal with community forum.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that several years ago when Marilyn Strickland was still mayor, um, they hired um Mary Lise Hood Kwan from the conflict resolution center to work with the city council and come up with a solution to the feeling of people being shut down and shut out of being able to speak what's important to them.

Uh good money was spent, good work was done.

It was followed for a very short time and then forgotten.

I suggest you go back and look.

I'm sure it's written down in the records.

Look at what the work that Mary Lee did with the city council, and absolutely do not stop our tiny little time to do community forum while you make a decision of what to do.

Thank you.

Thank you, Marilyn.

April Smith, followed by Teresa Evans.

Good evening, Council.

I'm speaking to number nine on the agenda.

Community forum is one of the most important tools residents have to speak directly to their elected officials.

Removing it from upcoming city council meetings, even temporarily, limits the public's ability to participate in the decisions that affect their daily lives.

Many people rely on these meetings to raise concerns about housing safety, food access, neighborhood issues, and other urgent matters.

When that space is taken away, it sends the message that community voices are optional rather than essential.

Reducing community forum from twice a month to once a month also creates an additional barrier.

Residents often wait weeks for the opportunity to speak, and moving to once a month doubles that wait time.

Issues that affect families, neighborhoods, and vulnerable residents don't happen on a monthly schedule.

When access is reduced, people who already fill and heard may disengage entirely.

If the council is considering permanent changes to the rules, this is exactly when the community should have more opportunities to weigh in, not fewer.

Public comment is not just a procedural step.

It is a cornerstone of transparent and accountable government.

Limiting community forum risk, weakening trust, and distancing city hall from the people it is meant to serve.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Teresa Evans, followed by Emilia Escobeda.

Hello.

This is this is Teresa Evans.

Hello, Mayor.

Hello, City Council.

Um, I wanted to talk about uh your item number nine and your item number sixteen on your agenda, unless you change the numbers at some point.

The nine being uh community forum.

I've been a person who's at different times have felt um unheard and my voice wasn't wanted to be heard.

So I very much appreciate your community forum and I appreciate you having it.

And I wanted to work for not just me, but for other members of our community, if not all the community.

And number 16 was the eminent domain thing, uh, fairly close to where I am on Portland Avenue near Portland Avenue, 68th Street East.

I just wanted to know what the other eight properties were.

Um and when the first reading was if there, or is this the only reading?

Because yeah, my online search is a little interesting.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, Amelia.

Hello.

Every day to Calmians and Cassians, contribute to our communities.

They support their families and enrich our society.

We are being targeted and persecuted as we face detention and deportation in our communities.

Parents are separated from their children and entire communities destabilized by actions that prioritize enforcement over humanity.

This is also an attack on our humanity.

We cannot ignore the human cost of these policies.

Ma'am, sorry to interrupt.

Are you speaking to an item on tonight's agenda?

Yes.

Yes, I am, and you're in which item uh number nine.

Are you are you talking about the um the regular agenda item?

Yes.

Okay, please continue.

We cannot ignore the human cost of these policies.

Ho families endure emotional trauma and financial ruin.

Studies have shown that these effects are long-lasting and determined, not only to immigrant families, but to the overhealth and safety and economic well-being of our neighborhoods.

I'm here to say that there is hope.

Communities all over the nation are coming together to resist cruelty and protect our neighbors against stuff like this.

Lawyers are providing free legal counsel, volunteers are delivering food.

Ma'am, I'm sorry to interrupt.

Is there a specific agenda item that you were speaking to?

Yes, sir, and you keep interrupting me.

I need you to stop and restart my time, sir.

If you're interested in speaking about something over which the city has direct jurisdiction, you have the opportunity to do that.

We must raise our voices and educate our local leadership.

Especially since you're not speaking to an item on the public comment.

We're going to close public comment.

And this is a good thing.

And with that, we're going to move on to the regular agenda.

Thank you for your comments.

Um, again, you're welcome to reattempt to do the same thing at the end of the meeting where we have community forum.

So, with that, we're going to move on to the regular agenda.

We have an item before us for consideration.

And this is something that I'm going to make as chair of the OSAC committee to fully daylight this.

We will be discussing these changes this upcoming Friday morning if anyone's interested in either tuning in virtually or in person.

So the motion before us, after consultation with members of the community and the council, is a motion to modify the agenda for the regular city council business meetings to be held on March 24th, April 28th, and May 26, 2026, to temporarily remove community forum from the agendas while the city council considers permanent amendments to the city council rules of procedure.

And that the 60-minute limitation upon community forum under Rule 9 C of the City Council rules of procedure be temporarily suspended for the community forums to be held during the regular business meetings at the City Council on March 10th, April 14th, and May 12, 2026.

Mayor moves.

Is there a second?

Second.

Moved and seconded.

So this is what brought most of you here.

So why don't we talk about what this really means and what our intention is behind this, okay?

So in absolutely no terms, this is about limiting speech or not listening to people.

This is literally the opposite.

To not take up too much time, but to daylight what our intention is here.

Community forum as it exists right now with the city is fundamentally broken.

Literally no one is satisfied with it.

Not members of the public, not our staff, not our members of the council, because fundamentally what the purpose of our community forum is, if you if you look at the script that the city clerk reads out when we talk about it, currently what we're talking about is talking to the city council over pop about policy over which we have jurisdiction.

However, how how does it actually go?

A lot of people talk to us, we hear from you, and then there's a perception that we don't listen.

Even if there is discussions afterwards, that to me seems like it's a problem of structure that people come to the city council for resolution or for issues, and regardless of what we say, that if the perception is not listening, or if the perception is that there is a lack of follow-through, that to me seems like it's more of a failure of structure.

And where I'm coming from at least is that there are far better ways of engaging the community that are more informative, that are more civic minded, that really promote trust in community, and that are actually meeting people where they are instead of expecting you to come downtown at a predetermined time.

So that's really the intention.

Uh if folks haven't had the chance, I definitely welcome you to log in and listen to the study session at length to actually listen to what the city council has talked about in terms of our uh our interest in expanding um community accessibility, um, feeding people, um, really hearing from people and trying to be more in tune with what neighborhoods themselves really need uh in terms of services and also ideas for policies.

Um that is the intention.

Um there are also um opportunities if you have other ideas, if you're interested in uh commenting or providing additional ideas or feedback.

Uh the OSAC committee is going to be hearing this uh this Friday morning.

Um I myself will be bringing forward a recommendation for the longer term uh new idea subject to council feedback and public feedback, and you're welcome to attend.

Uh with that, we have a comment from Councilmember Palmer.

Yes.

So I don't think this is a normal thing that happens in council meetings, but uh I would like to move to amend the motion.

Okay, how would you like to move?

Um in the same the nine, the rule nine C currently says that speakers' remarks shall be limited to 90 seconds per person.

I think if we're removing one, um that we're st we can still allow the same amount of time if we if we say uh limited to 180 seconds.

Sure.

So what I'm what I'm hearing, Councilmember Palmer, and and my understanding is that um the amount of time per speaker is at discretion.

But is the intention of your amendment to bind the amount of time to a fixed amount?

Or can you just uh talk more about just to be clear the the amount of minutes here is is not about individual speakers.

Uh currently, just for everyone's information, um community forum is limited because another reason for this uh revisiting is that we're still in the Zoom era with our regulations uh because when there were no in-person meetings during the pandemic, that was the basis for having two community forums that were all virtual.

And because there was a lot of need to accommodate people online, uh the council then limited how long community forum could be in totality to just 60 minutes.

So, what this this current interim proposal does, uh, while it does reduce the number of community forums per month to once per month rather than twice uh while we flesh this thing out, uh it removes the 60-minute limit.

So, in theory, even though there's one community forum per month under the the in-between period, um community forum can go on an unlimited amount of hours.

So it could go up to midnight, which I've seen community forum do sometimes.

So so that's that's the change that's being reflected here, Councilmember Palmer, is uh this doesn't restrict people to speaking at a certain amount of time.

Uh that could be 90 seconds, excuse me, 90 seconds, could be a minute, could be five minutes.

Um the the reference to 60 minute limitation is how long community forum can be in totality.

I understand.

Um so uh is it are you're saying there's no limit to the amount per speaker?

Correct.

That that's simply something the presiding officer myself sets.

Um that's not something that's subject to um to this particular motion, uh unless I'm mistaken.

City attorney.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

You're I'm looking at your the current version of your rules at 9C, and it does limit to speakers in most circumstances to 90 seconds.

Um there are provisions that allow the presiding officer to reduce that amount of time if there are more speakers than there is time to get all those speakers in.

But not to be a good thing.

But it's a maximum of 90 seconds.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

So your amendment is to increase the default to from 90 to 180 to basically double it during the in during this interim period for this.

Yes.

Okay.

Uh so there's a motion to that effect.

Uh, does staff in have an adequate understanding of the of the text to that?

Okay.

So there's a motion.

Is there a second?

Um I'll second for the purpose of discussion.

So there's uh movement and a second.

Uh Councilmember Palmer, would you like to speak to your motion?

Yeah, so I think you know, we we've had some great discussion and in study session about kind of where we want to go and some of the things we want to do that I think will make community forum a better um a better uh place for us to kind of have this dialogue with community.

Um in the meantime, I I don't I don't see quite the reason for cutting it back if we don't have something to uh to replace it with yet.

And so if if it's not amended, then I wouldn't be able to vote yes on this as is.

Um but it if it is amended where we can keep the at least the amount of time where people can speak um during this time when we're figuring it out, uh that makes sense to me.

Okay, and so uh forgive me for uh adding additional clarification, city attorney, just so I understand what I'm what I'm voting on one way or another.

Um this amendment as brought forward would move the default uh period of time for community forum comments to up to a up to 180 seconds.

Um if there are say 50, 100, 200 speakers, there's still some discretion about this amount, but this basically allows for added flexibility for more time for speakers.

My motion was I can't really speak to the council members' motion.

My motion was no less than 180 seconds.

No less than 180.

So that's the floor rather than the ceiling.

Yes.

Okay.

All right, so moved and seconded.

Um looks like there are some comments uh to the uh motion here, starting with council member Hines, followed by Councilmember Sidalke.

Thank you.

Uh no, I I think the only reason I the only thing I bring up is just a council member to the mayor's point, which is in we've had conversation comments and opportunities where there have been 50 people signed up for community forum.

And one of the reasons why we kind of try to bring the time to a reasonable amount is sort of to not make sure some members of the public because I've been here till one o'clock in the morning, right?

And some members of the public are leaving because if time and speakers go long enough, we're actually disenfranchising some folks who maybe sign up late because they can't stay to live at to the end.

So I guess my question would be I my concern is like if we give everybody three minutes, then we're looking at certain people who are here and sign up originally at the very beginning, we'll be pushing the timeline out you know, hours and hours in the future where I you know sometimes think the flexibility of a chair being able to say we've got a hundred people signed up, can we provide some flexibility on the timing?

Um that brings me pause with the amendment of saying a floor of three and potentially I guess five, six, seven, eight minutes if that was what the chair wanted to do.

I that's just my question.

And I'm sorry, Mr.

Mayor, so I guess I would that was my question.

And I guess I defer to the motion maker if she'd like to.

Would you like to speak to your motion?

Then we'll move on to the the next.

We have a couple of other council um questions on this.

Is that is that okay with you, Councilmember Palmer?

Would would you like to speak to that?

Well, yeah, I was thinking, you know, maybe it's uh uh uh a hundred it it would be a hundred and eighty uh sec it's 180 seconds, not minutes.

Um if it's less than how many people or if we if we get to that point where it's a above that amount of people, then um we lower it.

I just to I'm fine with moving the default to three minutes and leaving it to the chair's discretion based on pop pro how many people are here to determine that what it looks like.

Um there's nothing magical about 90 seconds.

Um all it was really designed for was to try to provide as many people the opportunity to comment in a set period of time that was set at 60 minutes.

Um but if we're gonna if we're gonna blow the cap off of 60 minutes, then I think there's probably a r relevant conversation around timing um and how long people get.

Thank you.

Okay, and we can return to that.

And I I imagine since this is something we're sussing out of the day us, uh there might be a friendly amendment or two, but based on uh council preference.

Uh we have uh a comment from Councilmember Sidalga and then uh Councilmember Scott has her hand up.

Uh I have a technical question.

If we do a floor of 180, does that mean that if a speaker is not used all 180 seconds, we literally wait here and watch an empty lectern until the 800 if we do it word it as a floor of 180 seconds.

Uh good question.

Our current practice is that when the speaker has concluded their remarks that the counts the presiding officer moves on to the next speaker.

There's nothing in the rules that specifically address your question, so that has been the practice.

Okay.

And I should just mention that the rules currently allow when there are more speakers than 30 than the 60 minute time period would allow for speakers to speak, that the amount of time can be reduced.

But I think you're suspending that 60 minute period, so there would be no specific time frame within which um the time period for speaking would be adjusted under that provision of the rule.

So city attorney, what you're saying is that because the the council under this motion is suspending the the total time limit of 60 minutes, that in some ways it's a moot point because there is no there then is no cap on the amount of time someone can speak.

So some so we could in theory allow for longer time periods and our hands are not tied by the rules.

That is correct.

Without the 60 minute time period, then the provision that would allow you to reduce the three minutes that it would be now under this motion, there would be no basis for you to reduce the three minutes.

So if there were 300 people here, it'd be 300 times three minutes.

I have that was my amendment.

I'm sorry.

My amendment to my amendment was the amount of people uh that we include the amount of people, and if it's over that, um then they get less time to speak.

Okay.

I will return to this so I can understand it better before I I actually vote.

But um uh we we do have an additional council member who wants to comment.

I actually still have a couple more questions.

Please go ahead.

Um I'm trying to recall something that uh former Mayor Woodard said once up here, and I just want to confirm it.

Um she said that community forum used to be one times a month, one time a month at three minutes a person up to sixty minutes.

And based on community feedback, we switched it to twice a month up to sixty minutes, but have the time to a minute and a half.

Is that true?

So I'm not the historian.

I'm not sure Nicole knows.

I think there is a document that does identify the history behind the community forum.

I just don't have that in front of me, but we can get the answer to that question for you.

There used to not be a limit on community forums.

So so there it used to be like I remember myself community forums going well into the night sometimes for you know comp plan amendments or budget meetings or things like that.

So uh my understanding, um, having you know had a bit of a gap in my council service was that it used to be there used to be a time limit, but an unlimited number of of hours that community forum itself could go on, and then at some point during the Zoom era, um it got capped at a total of 60 minutes.

Okay.

That's my my layman's understanding.

I'm just trying to understand the historical to try to see, you know, what I'm comfortable with and what actually happens.

I what I didn't want to do is have a maximum of 180 seconds and then just watch time go by.

Um so in this one today, up until this motion, we do twice a month uh um a minute and a half up to sixty minutes.

Um and the proposal is to go to once a month with no time limit, and originally it was at 90 seconds, and we have a set of motions to try to move that 90 seconds up to 100.

Like that's what we're trying to discuss over here.

Okay.

Um I kind of understand that.

Um, and there's gonna be a second point to talk about our like we're gonna go backwards on our amendments.

There may be a friendly amendment potentially.

Yeah, and then there's gonna be another time to make some comments at the end before after we do all the amendment uh motion.

Okay, so I will save some of my comments to that next section while I kind of think through this.

Okay.

Uh councilmember Scott has her hand raised, followed by councilmember Hines again.

Yeah.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just wanted to say that um I think like this is uh thought that I had had at one point too during these discussions is just how um can we maintain a bit of even if we by sorry by increasing the the time that people get to speak during this period of time where we you know are adjusting these set number of meetings, it still gives people like in those times, you know, they might be missing out on three minutes of time to speak in front of the council, giving them this three minutes um when we're lessening that time, I think feels reasonable.

Um it's not like we're changing it this way forever.

Um I think as we're making these adjustments, uh making a little bit more consideration on making sure that people do have uh the time to speak because there's gonna be more time in between when they do get to engage in community forum, and so allowing them, you know, maybe they have a month's worth of things that they want to speak to us about rather than just a couple of weeks' worth.

And so um I think it makes a lot of sense.

I would support this amendment um and the best phrasing of it that allows obviously the space for us to um adjust the time as needed if we're realizing it is gonna go deep into the night and things like that.

Um hopefully we use that in a way that is considerate and really about the time that it's going to take us, um, and hopefully the community would be um gracious in allowing us to make that adjustment to make this experience go smoother for people because it might run longer.

Um but hopefully in the end, with this time given uh both for the people to speak, but also the time given for us to continue to dive into how do we make this experience better.

Um, that this that I think this feels like a reasonable compromise.

I would be more inclined to support um suspending these community forums, these upcoming community forums with this amendment in there.

So thank you for bringing it forward.

Councilmember Palmer.

Okay, thank you, Councilmember Scott, Council Hines.

Uh, were you still interested in commenting?

Just the historical context, right?

Because I guess I was here and so is Councilmember Walker, but so during the pandemic, we took no public comment, like no verbal comment.

It was all written comment for the first three months of the pandemic, Councilmember Walker.

I think I'm looking for a while.

Just written comments.

The mayor at the time decided we wanted to allow people to have public comment virtually, so we went to that in June, and then we heard from the community that was not enough of an opportunity just to have that one public com that community forum virtually.

So we added Councilmember Toms brought forward virtual forum, which was a separate forum that was happened a separate a second time.

The rule change we made more recently was to say, well, we're not virtual anymore, we're doing in person.

So we got rid of the title virtual forum and we expanded community forum to two opportunities.

And so now that's where we're currently structured, right?

Where we have two opportunities for community form.

But when we did that, virtual forum was always an hour.

Community forum had no cap on it, and so we moved we expanded community forum to two opportunities, we then capped both of them at the hour.

We we've changed the rules to put the cap on both both of them for an hour.

So that's how we've landed where we are today.

Um I you know, I think that's uh just this kind of is the historian, I guess, in this moment of how we landed here.

Um I you know, I think I'll just my kind of final thoughts here.

I think if you if you were to listen to the study session, I think what you heard from the council members multiple times that I think um I would encourage anyone who came here this evening thinking we were trying to shut down public comment to listen to that conversation was how do we allow an opportunity for more dialogue between the public and the council?

How do we provide more opportunities for you to ask questions, provide comment, and then provide us an opportunity to provide feedback and answer them?

Um it has been interesting enough that and everybody I talk to who is deeply involved in community forum does not like it.

It's like we don't have enough time, the council isn't paying attention, there's no back and forth, there there's a lot of issues that have been identified.

I I'm my goal of looking at these changes is that we can make it better so that we actually do have the public be part of this, but I I would regress to say is we will still take public comment at every single council meeting on items on the agenda.

So there will still be an opportunity for people like Michelle who come almost every night to comment multiple times on the agenda on Tuesdays.

Um we'll still have public hearings whenever major decisions are made.

Um we'll have lots of opportunities for public comment.

What we're really just trying to make sure is that this is the community's forum.

How can we make it more beneficial to the community?

Like what would be better?

And I would just hope that um as we're working through this that we don't get too bogged down into it could be worse and more excited about it could be better.

Um so to to the motion to council to Council Palmer's, I'm happy to support this.

I think it would be great to give if people want three minutes to be able to say something of and of which nothing else is going to change.

It will just be three minutes under the current structure, of which you're not gonna have back and forth dialogue because it's just gonna be the same rules.

Then I I I'm aware of that.

I just am concerned to the fact that we have people who have lives outside of this office, this work, who do other things who are busy raising their families, taking care of their siblings, being engaged in the community, and if we have a hundred people show up and they each get three minutes, we'll be losing people on the back end as we move into the midnight, one o'clock in the morning scenario with this.

So I would also just hope we can get to a place where we could, if there's that many people we could maybe adjust.

Or I mean the community could organize themselves and the people that really have to talk could go first, and then people later who could stay here till midnight or one o'clock in the morning would stay till the end.

But thank you.

So before I clarify the amendment, just one of the themes that I um that I'm hearing is that there are two countervailing good things that we're talking about.

One is ensuring that that speakers during this interim period feel like they have an adequate amount of time to express themselves.

I mean that that is one good thing that we're balancing.

And the other good thing to Councilmember Hines' point is that we need to make sure that enough people who attend the meeting um are included, and that because I I do concur that if a meeting does drag out, that does potentially in some ways stifle free speech because people without the um the privilege of being able to stay at a public meeting until midnight are effectively excluded.

So these are these are two good things, inclusivity in both ways that we are trying to reconcile.

So that is my context for my clarifying question.

So if my understanding of this amendment is that this is a proposal under these interim rules to make the regular speaking time be three minutes.

Um city attorney, one more question, sorry.

Um the clarification here is that even if that is the norm, uh, does the presiding officer have the latitude to let's say lower it to a minute and a half or let's say two minutes, for instance, if if it's a large amount of people just to accommodate more speakers so it doesn't go too late for people.

Is that still an option under this amendment?

There would need there would need to be a secondary motion to the amendment to add that provision.

And so someone would have to make that second.

Is there a motion for a friendly amendment to that effect?

So moved to to allow the presiding officer the opportunity to that discretion.

Yeah, that discretion if there's a high volume of individuals uh wishing to comment.

Okay.

I accept the friendly amendment.

Okay, and my understanding is friendly amendments do they or do they not need a formal vote?

This is a total inside baseball Roberts rules question.

Sorry, technically there's no such thing as a friendly amendment.

Okay.

Um so they're voting.

Okay, so an amendment is this an amendment to an amendment, basically?

It is, but this is the last one.

I'm sorry?

This is the last one.

You can only do one secondary amendment.

Okay.

So the motion in front of us, which has been moved and and seconded, is to add the ability for the presiding officer to, on a case-by-case basis, um, limit three minutes to uh another determined time uh on the basis of total attendance.

So that's the motion in front of us.

All those in favor, please say a question to the motion, please.

That limit needs to be done up front.

We can't go in the middle of the meeting and change the limit, correct?

Well, council member, you're making the rule up or the amendment up, so it's whatever you want it to be.

There we go.

I I just wanted to also understand like what if people come late?

Do we allow people to sign in really late?

My my interpretation, since this is not in writing.

So my interpretation as we currently do right now, right?

Which which is as the presiding officer of the meetings, speaking time is set at the beginning of the meeting.

That that is my interpretation of this motion, and as the presiding officer, I I get to interpret motions.

Um that you are correct that any such determination of speaking time is done once, applying to all people at the start of the meeting.

Okay.

So with that being said, the motion in front of us for the final time is to allow the presiding officer to make a determination of changing the three-minute default to something else in response to large amounts of people to accommodate more people being able to speak.

So it's been moved and seconded.

There's no further comment.

All those in favor of the adopting this amendment to the amendment, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

I'm supposed to say no.

All right, the amendment as amended is before us.

Um is there any final comment in front of us?

Is this the final final?

This is the final final.

No, no, this is this is the this is the final comment on the amendment as amended.

Okay.

Um other council comments or questions on this.

So the motion in front of us is an amendment to the text in front of us, which moves the default speaking time to community forum to three minutes, subject to revision by the presiding officer in light of attendance.

So that is the amendment in front of us.

Seeing no further comments or questions from the council.

All those in favor of adopting the amendment, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All those supposed to say nay.

All right, the motion is passed.

The regular uh agenda is now in front of us.

This is the motion as amended.

Are there any final council questions or comments about the motion as amended?

Councilmember Sidalga.

Thank you.

This is the opportunity I was looking for.

This is the final comment to the amended as as final.

Um, I'm agreeing to this because there is an end goal uh at the end of this, which is to um, as my colleagues have pointed out, to have a community forum that is more useful to everyone involved, um, especially the community.

You know, as we sit here and we have and we are required, you know.

When we sit here, we are the government, right?

In in our official capacity.

And there's fundamental rights that people have to free speech, including, and I've said this often, uh, the right to petition your your government for for um for anything that you want from that government.

And as we sit here, we can we do not respond.

Because if we were to say something uh positive about that person, there might be someone else that that feels completely different and feel that they have their rights stifled or opposite.

Um and you know, it's frustrating for me as well.

So as we reimagine this, um there are two things that are really important, the ability to um listen, consider, and at some point be able to give answers back after due consideration and something that's really important to me, and whether that requires something we've we've considered, which is a change in forum going out into community into my district, is opportunities for those that are not here right now, that I have talked to that are interested to have the ability to also speak to us.

Other Tacomans, just everyone that I represent, especially in in District 4.

So I'm okay with doing this right now with the end goal being that we get to someplace uh better that that includes everyone, including people that that do not feel comfortable coming downtown and coming into um uh here and this dais and that wall and that space.

Um so I will be uh voting for this one.

Okay, thank you, Councilmember Sidalga.

Councilmember Walker.

Um thank you.

Just a clarifying question about what happens at the end of this time.

I I know we fully intend to um complete our process for what's next far before um June.

But if we don't do anything and we get to the end of the dates listed here, does it default back to twice a month?

Uh no, my understanding is that um well it well it does, subject to uh well, we're amending council rules though, right?

So the this this is the in-between period between now and and the amendment of council rules which go into effect, right?

So the council rules that are being amended take effect later in the year, which have the same thing, you know, the the changing of community forum to once per month, for example, but in order for us to have those rules take effect now, prior to those rules going to effect, we would need to have this rule suspension, is my understanding.

City attorney, yes, uh Mayor.

The motion actually only affects the um council meetings for the dates that are specified in the motion.

Once those dates have passed, we would the council would return to its current rules.

There would be no suspension of the 60 minutes and no change to the time period.

But there are city rules changes, council rule changes which include community forum, which are currently up for discussion and adoption.

Yep.

And I think the question was what happens if those aren't adopted.

If those rules are not adopted.

Yes.

Uh but but those rules are separately adopted.

This is just a bridge to those rules being changed, which it's kind of complicated.

But they're basically two interims.

Um those council rule changes, if adopted would make this stopgap measure for community forum permanent.

Um but the intent here is is to have greater predictability while we vision community forum longer term.

So so this is short term versus the long term.

It's a little little complicated, but um there are council rules that are currently um being considered that if passed would make this permanent until we make the long standing changes to community forum.

Clear as mud Chris answered the question.

Okay.

All right.

So with that, um, if there are no final comments or questions, the motion in front of us is the adoption of this motion as amended.

And I myself would be supporting this as seeing as this is an interim step in fleshing out a full community forum process.

I feel it's fair to have this this uh sort of compromise while we flesh out the details and uh while we limit um community forum from two to one.

Uh seems like it's thoughtful, and I appreciate Councilmember Palmer for bringing this forward.

So with that, all those in favor of adopting the motion as amended, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Um the motion is adopted.

Uh this will mean um for those periods of time the rule will go into effect.

So moving on to resolutions, item number 10.

This item will have a PowerPoint presentation and will also cover item number 11.

Clerk, please read.

Resolution 41865, a resolution continuing the downtown Tacoma business improvement area for the 39th year, providing for levy assessments and other income in the amount of 1,960,865 and approving the work plan budget and assessment rates from May 1st, 2026 through April 30th, 2027.

Is there a motion?

I move to adopt resolution number 41865.

Moving second, I'd like to call on Debbie Bingham.

Uh good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

I'm Debbie Bingham with the community and economic development department, and I will be presenting on uh this resolution 41865 and the next 41866.

Um before I dive in just to dismiss any uh confusion, I'm gonna refer to this as the downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area, the BIA, and not the downtown Tacoma partnership because as a nonprofit, the downtown Tacoma partnership has a different budget than the one you will approve.

You are approving only the budget that has to do with the business improvement area.

This resolution will continue the downtown Tacoma business improvement area for the 39th year from May 1st, 2026 to April 30th, 2027, providing for the levy and assessment and other projected income in the amount of 1,960,865, and approve the um 39th year of the renewed BIA annual work plan and annual budget and assessment rates.

The BIA was started in 1988 as a public-private partnership which uses special assessments to finance improvements or services within the area.

The mission of the BIA is to provide common services for all property owners and to be an advocate for the general economic well-being of downtown property owners.

Every 10 years, upon presentation of a petition from the downtown property owners representing 60 percent or more of the property assessments, the city council considers re-establishment of the BIA.

The BIA was renewed for a period of an additional 10 years in 2018, with nearly 75% of those assessed signing the petition.

The BIA assesses each rate payer for two categories: a use rate and a land rate.

The use rate is split into high intensity use rate and low intensity use rate.

The high intensity rate is assessed to improve properties and the low intensity rate to undeveloped and surface parking areas.

The land rate applies to all parcels.

The assessments rates for the 39th year of the renewed BIA will be 16 cents per square foot for the high intensity rate, nine cents for the low intensity rate, and six cents for the land rate.

This is an increase of one cent for the high intensity rates only.

The um this is a map of the current um footprint of the BIA.

Funding of the BIA is through collection of the proposed rates presented earlier.

The BIA has a board made up of nine property and business owners from within the BIA foot footprint who meet monthly.

There was an annual general meeting, membership meeting on February 26th, to which all rate payers were invited.

At this meeting, the 2627 work plan and budget was proposed and approved unanimously.

On March 3rd, the City of Tacoma sent a notice to all rate players regarding the resolution to be considered tonight by the city council.

The approved work plan includes keeping downtown Tacoma safe, clean, and welcoming.

The safety team provides a security team 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The clean team removes debris from sidewalks and streets throughout the entire BIA footprint at least once a week and are on call during business hours to respond to incident cleanups.

In addition, the team pressure washes sidewalks and removes graffiti within reach of the sidewalk.

In the past year alone, over 113,000 pounds of trash and debris were picked up and 3,600 tags removed.

So on that, sorry, staff um staff recommends that the city council renew the BIA work plan budget and assessment rates from May 1st, 2026 through April 30th, 2027.

Sorry, that's the end of that resolution.

So the sorry, the next resolution 41866.

This resolution would allow the city to enter into a contract with the local development council of Tacoma, DBA, the downtown Tacoma partnership, uh, for services to administer operations of the downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area.

This agreement includes assessment collection of assessments and reimbursements to the local development council in the amount of two million um 24,180.

Pursuant to the BIA ordinance 28496.

Special assessments are collected by the city on an annual or semi-annual basis.

Monies collected are deposited into a special city fund designated as the Downtown Improvement Area Fund District number one.

The expenditures from the fund are used exclusively for the purposes specified in the BIA budget and work plan.

This agre this um agreement includes payment in the amount of two million twenty-four thousand one hundred and eighty dollars for the services in that work plan and budget.

That's the end of my presentation.

I'm happy to answer any questions that you have.

Thank you, Debbie.

Are there any council questions or comments?

Councilmember Walker.

Just wanted to say thank you to you, Debbie, and the entire team at Downtown Tacoma Partnership.

Um I am so impressed with the the work, both in the sort of behind the scenes, the safe and clean part that we don't always see every day.

Um although I get to say hi to Jim every time I see him out there every day.

Um, but also just the forward facing celebration of our downtown businesses.

And um I they recently posted about uh women-owned businesses for women's history month, and um I'm always finding out about new places, and I know the community sees that.

So just so much great work.

I'm very glad to hear that the businesses are excited to pay in again because they're the really the ones that make it happen, but happy that the city can play our little part in in continuing the work too.

So thank you.

Council Diaz.

Thank you.

Um, I also want to thank Debbie for all your work um with the downtown Tacoma partnership team and them for all their work, particularly David Shraddell.

He's been answering a lot of questions from us around their budget and the work they do, and I think that everyone there does a really good job and being good stewards of the uh portion that the city contributes, but particularly of their um dues paying members' memberships.

Um, they really do prove how much a BIA can do for for their for their rate payers.

I don't know the their members, um, for their property owners.

Um, especially when um at economic development this morning we got a deep dive from David Shraddell around how much they do with how little compared to most of the other BIAs in our state.

Um, if folks don't know, BIAs are an international thing, they have them all over the place.

Um, and we are very unique in how ours is structured in downtown, and we're very lucky that we have such a good team doing important work that um the city just wouldn't be able to fill the gap of.

So really grateful to that team and all their work.

Thank you.

Councilmember Rumbaugh is uh logged in to ask a question, followed by Council Member Palmer.

Hi, um, I'm at Co-Create to Recreate for the Parks Tacoma tonight.

So I just want to say I really support all of the work of the downtown Tacoma partnership of the BIA.

It's um really important to what happens downtown.

And it's a huge area, and this has made all of the difference for these business owners and the residents who live downtown.

Um they I just really appreciate what it means to have a BIA in our downtown, and it's been here for a long time, 39 years.

I really support this work.

I go to the downtown Tacoma partnership meetings every month.

They're the first Thursday of the month at 9 a.m.

If anyone on the council wants to attend, you'll hear from business owners and people who live in the area about how important and significant this work is.

So I want to thank David Shraddell and his whole team.

I want to thank Tembi Bigham for all the work she does.

And I also want to thank the Economic Development Committee for um listening to um the downtown Tacoma Partnership when they come and give their updates.

So thank you so much.

Councilmember Palmer.

I just wanted to thank Debbie too.

You gave me time yesterday to answer some of my questions, and then David showed up at EDC today.

Ummittee today and did a great presentation answering my other questions that I had.

So thank you for all your doing.

Okay, very good.

Looks like there are no other uh council questions or comments.

So all those in favor of adopting resolution number 41865, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

The resolution is declared adopted.

Um item number 11, clerk, please read.

Resolution 41866, a resolution authorizing the execution of agreement with the downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area in the amount of 2,224,180 dollars budgeted from the downtown business improvement area fund to provide administration services for operations included in the annual work plan and budget.

I move to adopt resolution number 41866.

Moving sec move and seconded.

Uh, this item was just presented.

Are there any additional council questions or comments?

Say none is in favor of adopting resolution number 41866.

Please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed to say nay.

Resolution number um excuse me, 41866 is declared passed.

Item number 12.

This item will also cover item 13 and 17.

Clerk, please read.

Resolution 41867, a resolution authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Customer and Field Services Unit.

Retroactive to January 1st, 2025 through December 31st, 2027.

I move to adopt resolution number 41867.

Second.

Moving second, I'd like to call on Dylan Carlson.

Good evening, Mayor Ibsen and members of the City Council.

I am Dylan Carlson, Labor Relations Division Manager for the City of Tacoma.

Resolution 41867 authorizes the execution of a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483.

Uh customer and field services unit.

The agreement is for three years and covers approximately 174 full-time equivalent positions.

The agreement was adopted by the public utility board as a resolution on February 25, 2026.

The agreement provides for wage increases and/or market adjustments or alignment by classification in each year of the agreement.

Other changes to the agreement include clarifying language regarding shift bidding and the filling of vacancies for TPU customer service positions.

Clarifying language regarding how overtime rules will be applied for employees working in the TPU Customer Solutions Office.

Increasing the reimbursement for eligible employees assigned to TPU field operations from 200 up to 300 for one pair of safety shoes, or if an employee elects to purchase two pairs of safety shoes, a reimbursement up to 200 per pair.

Modifying language regarding rain gear for automated meter field investigators to provide that the UN TV will repair or replace reindeer instead of a reimbursement.

Clarifying language regarding providing uniforms and cleaning to employees providing performing bargain performing work in the field and the specific items to be provided.

And adding an applied rate to support a TPU customer service language proficiency pilot program with an application of rate of 2% for employees covered by the agreement who are certified in an approved foreign language and act as a foreign language interpreter as assigned.

Resolution 41868 authorizes the execution of a collective bargaining agreement as negotiated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, local 43 Human Resources Unit.

The agreement is for three years and it covers approximately 25 full-time equivalent positions.

The agreement provides for general wage increase in each year of the agreement and market adjustments by classification effective retroactive to January 1 of 2025.

In addition, employees who are active on the first date as of the date of city council ratification of the agreement will receive a one-time lump sum payment of $1,000 for human resources analysts and human resources specialists and $2,250 for human resources analysts.

Other changes to the agreement include clarifying language regarding the disciplinary investigation process and adding language allowing for the consideration of individual training and development opportunities on a case-by-case basis.

Finally, ordinance 29097 will provide for the implementation of the provisions included in the collective bargaining agreements as negotiated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 43, Customer and Field Services Unit and Human Resources Unit.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Dolan.

Are there any council questions or comments in this item or items 13 or 17?

Seeing none all those in favor of adopting resolution number 41867, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposing nay, the resolution is declared passed.

Item 13, Clerk, please read Resolution 41868, a resolution authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483 Human Resources Unit.

Retroactive to January 1st, 2025 through December 31st, 2027.

I move to adopt resolution of 41868.

Moving and seconded.

Aye.

I suppose say no.

Resolution is declared passed.

Item 44.

Resolution 41869, a resolution designating garden root district municipality, South Africa as a sister city and removing George South Africa as a sister city.

I move to adopt resolution number 41869.

Second.

Moved and seconded.

So as you heard from some of our commentators tonight, uh Tacoma has maintained a sister city relationship with George since 1997, resulting in decades of meaningful exchanges in education, local government practices, and community support from the Tacoma Sister Cities Council and Committees.

This resolution will elevate that relationship to a district wide partnership with the Garden Route District Municipality, encompassing seven municipalities in South Africa and more than 630,000 residents.

Means that Tacoma has no longer has one sister city in South Africa.

We gain seven.

Seven municipalities, over 630 people, and this decision opens the door to bring Pierce County in.

So we finally become what our name always promised.

Tacoma Pierce County Sister Cities Association.

In honor of those who carried this work, Deborah King birthed this relationship from economic development in 1997.

May she rest in peace.

Jeff Robinson authorized the resources that took us to South Africa in 2024 to broker this deal.

May he rest in peace.

Catherine Uschka, Deputy Mayor Catherine Uschka, whose visit to George was instrumental in this transition.

May she rest in peace.

Debbie Bingham, our steady city partner, and the Tacoma Sister City Association under Claire Patrice's leadership, and now Rhea J.

Coventing Johnson.

Thank you.

The team carrying this forward, President Tanaja Mims, Vice President Aaron Romero, Secretary Don Lisa Scott, Treasurer Shelley Wilson, Cultural Integrity Invisor Tulila Shaba, Board Member Bernice Marlowe, Assistant VP, Rebecca Rosado.

We have seven subcommittees to build, citizens of Tacoma.

We need you.

Come join us.

This is historic.

This is a new era, and it is starts right here, right now, with your yes.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Let's give them a big round of applause for their service.

And thank you, Ms.

Cunningham, for your tremendous legwork in this.

All right.

Are there any other council comments or questions on this?

Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting resolution number 41869.

Please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed to say nay.

The resolution is unanimously passed.

Congratulations.

Of course, why don't you come up for a picture?

We're going a little bit out of order here, but uh such is the habit of our resolutions here.

Good morning.

Okay.

Woo!

Okay.

I just want to say my care.

I think it's good.

Okay.

All right.

One, two, three.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

All right.

With that, we're moving on to final reading of ordinances.

Item 15.

We'll let the clerk get situated.

And once you get situated, please read.

Item 15.

Ordinance 29094, an ordinance authorizing Tacoma power to update the wholesale transmission and service rates and to update terms and conditions to reflect current practices of the Western Energy and Balance Market Effect of April 1st, 2026.

All right, this item was presented last week.

Are there any additional council questions or comments?

Seeing none, clerk, please call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell?

Aye.

Councilmember Diaz?

Councilmember Hines?

Aye.

Councilmember Palmer?

Aye.

Councilmember Rumba absent.

Councilmember Sidalgay?

Aye.

Councilmember Scott?

Aye.

Councilmember Walker.

Aye.

Mayor Ibsen.

Aye.

The ordinance is declared passed.

Item 16.

This item will have a PowerPoint presentation.

Clerk, please read.

Ordinance 29096.

This is first and final reading.

An ordinance declaring the public necessity for and providing for the acquisition by eminent domain.

Certain property located along East Portland Avenue between East 64th Street and East 72nd Street for right away necessary to construct the pedestrian signal safety and road improvements in connection with the East Portland Avenue project and declaring emergency, making this ordinance effective upon passage.

This is the first and final reading of this ordinance.

I'd like to call on Candy Bremer.

Good evening, Mary Ebison and Council members.

I am Candy Bremer, Senior Real Estate Specialist with Real Property Services Public Works Department, providing an update on City of Tacoma Public Works Project Number PWK G0053, otherwise known as the East Portland World Portland Avenue, East 64th Street to East 72nd Street Road Improvement Project, and request approval for the authorization of the use of eminent domain to acquire the final property rights for one parcel.

The East Portland Avenue Project is a road improvement project, approximately a half a mile long, consisting of the following work.

Grind and overlay the roadway surface with new asphalt, upgrade to curb ramps to comply with American Disabilities Act ADA requirements, construction of new traffic calming bulbouts, and installation of a new high-intensity activated crosswalk beacon or hawk beacon, signalized pedestrian crossing at the intersection of East 68th Street and East Portland Avenue.

This project will benefit the community with a newly resurfaced roadway for the better drivability, new ADAA compliant curb ramps for better mobility and traffic calming bulbouts, and a new signalized pedestrian crop pedestrian crossing beacon, which will facilitate safer crossing of an intersection connecting a densely populated mixed-use and residential area.

Out of the eight parcels required for this project, the city has acquired all of the necessary property rights to construct the project with the exception of one remaining parcel.

The last remaining parcel holdout for this project is located at 1609-1621 East 68th Street.

This site is an apartment complex known as the Tuscany Court Apartments.

The existing conditions on this site is that it is located at the intersection of East 68th Street and Portland Avenue, at which construction of the new Hawkby can signalize pedestrian crossing is proposed to replace an existing dated crossing.

All work would be done at the perimeter of the property and property access would not be impaired.

At the site, the city requires a fee acquisition of 204 square feet to accommodate the new Hawk signal control cabinet.

The work area would be returned to its original condition or better upon completion of the project.

To move forward with constructing this project for the benefit of the community, real property services request the city council's authorization for the use of eminent domain.

If at any time during this process the property owners wish to contact the city to negotiate or settle the matter, the city will do so at any time up to and immediately prior to final determination at trial.

Thank you.

Are there any council questions or comments?

Councilmember Sidalgay.

And we did get um this presented to us in the study session, but I think because the term eminent domain is so charged in in this time.

First of all, is any actual property that is not like a sidewalk or the little grass strip?

It's a little grass strip.

Behind the sidewalk.

Right in front of the building.

And this is uh we've done a number of attempts to reach out to this property owner, and there's just been no responses, and this is kind of where we are in in trying to move forward and just start the project.

Correct?

That is correct.

Um will we be compensating this property owner?

Yes.

There will be just compensation.

And um in our experience, at least on one of the other projects we know when we went down this road, it actually got a property owner to come and actually negotiate with us and come to an agreement so that we could start the project, correct?

That is correct.

Okay.

Um I think one of the the commenters earlier also asked they wanted to know about the other uh properties.

I just want to make sure the other properties all engaged with us and we came to a mutually agreeable solution to whether it was a temporary or a permanent.

That is correct.

Yes.

Um and this is not a project that is uh holistically redesigning Portland Avenue because in my uh in my district, there is another project for my 5 to 56th Street that will that is currently in the design period um that will look further into additional things we can do along Portland Avenue, correct?

That is correct.

And this is primarily ADA ramps and uh resurfacing.

That is from 64 to 72nd.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any further questions?

All right, so this is the first and final reading of the ordinance.

Um seeing no further uh comments or questions, clerk please call the roll.

Councilmember Diaz.

Aye.

Councilmember Hines.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmer.

Aye.

Councilmember Rumba.

Absent Councilmember Sidalga?

Aye.

Councilmember Scott.

Aye.

Councilmember Walker.

Aye.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell?

Aye.

Mayor Ibsen.

Aye, the ordinance is declared passed.

Moving on to first ring of ordinances, item 17.

Clerk, please read.

Ordnance 29097, an ordinance amending chapter 1.12 of the municipal code relating to the compensation plan to implement rates of pay of compensation for employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Customer and Field Services and Human Resources Units.

Seeing none, the ordinance will be set up for final reading on March 24th, 2026.

Moving on, is there any unfinished business?

Seeing none.

Moving on to community forum, during which you may speak about items over which the city council has jurisdiction.

As a reminder, these forums are 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 back and forth dialogue.

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

At this time, I'd like to ask attendees if you want to speak under community forum, please press the raise hand button near the bottom of your Zoom window or star nine on your phone.

So we can see the number of people wishing to testify this evening.

If you are speaking in person, please sign up to the back of the room.

If you've not done so already, your name or the last four digits of your phone will be called out when it is your time to speak.

Kirk, please read.

The purpose of community form is to assist the council in making policy decisions.

Items of discussion will be limited to matters over which the council has jurisdiction.

Arguments shall not be made in support of or opposition to any matters on this week's agenda.

And each person may address the council only one time during this forum.

Alright, so before I read my script clarification, city attorney, do the new rules as amended apply, or is this still the old rules?

It's still the old rules.

It applies going forward.

Okay, very good.

All right.

So each speaker will have 90 seconds to make your remarks.

Please be mindful of the time frame.

As always, you are not required.

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 starting with our speakers who've signed in.

Um Audrey Boyston, followed by um Wanda Effinger.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Audrey Royston, and I live in the Hilltop neighborhood.

I'm also a parent of two elementary school students who walk to and from Bryant Montessori school every day.

My family and I chose to live here in part because it's a walkable neighborhood.

Being able to walk to schools, parks, and neighbors' homes allows us to drive less and be part of the community.

But crossing 9th Street is unsafe.

I've spoken with many neighbors who refuse to cross there because traffic moves so fast and drivers often don't slow down.

Ninth is a busy thoroughfare between Sprague and downtown with few lights between Strait Sprague and MLK to slow down traffic.

I often wear this vest just to be extra safe.

The crosswalk is situated on the ridge of the hill, which is difficult to see during certain lighting conditions and darker times of year.

Anyone who's crossed this street has witnessed close calls, including law enforcement officials who have been there to periodically monitor the crossing and attempt to calm traffic.

This is why our school crossing guard, who's also here tonight, has collected more than a hundred signatures on a petition asking the city to make this crossing safer.

Our school is primarily a walking catchment, and if we want families to keep walking, this infrastructure needs to support it.

We're asking the city to improve 9th and South Ainsburg crosswalk with proven safety measures like rectangular rapid flashing beacons and better high visibility markings so drivers can clearly see when pedestrians are crossing.

This is a simple proven step that would make a real difference for families and community members in our neighborhood and would prevent a tragedy rather than having to respond to one.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Wanda Effinger followed by Michelle Reich.

Hello, my name is Wanda Effinger.

I'm the crossing guard at 9th and South Answorth.

And I'm concerned every time I go to work for the safety of myself and for the families I cross.

So I put because the drivers are driving to go over the speed limit, and I please ask you guys to um look over the petition and consider what we've asked him for.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Michelle Rice, followed by Ellen Israel.

We're at war with Iran.

And this city council should support the war 100%.

And the reason why, I'll give you 2,000 reasons.

2,000 service members killed since the embassy was taken.

My supervisor was on the Desert 1 raid, and when the first blood, the first service members were killed.

And then I was part of Plan B, the arms for hostages deal.

I helped tranship the weapons to Iran to get our hostages back after Plan A failed.

And this war.

Yeah, every service member is committed, including members from Tacoma.

And we might have an end date, but Iran doesn't.

The new uh leader, uh, the brother of the kill leader, uh, also lost his sister during during the bombing.

So he has revenge on his mind, and he's not going to give up the war until he gets his revenge.

And we have a lot of service members and other people that are gonna pay for that revenge.

And this war started when our hostage was taken and members were killed all through the years up until now.

And I gave you a three-page uh paper that you'll get in the inbox tomorrow outlining the 2,000 members killed over the years since 1979.

And so this is not a war that started Friday.

It started in 1979.

Thank you, Michelle.

Thank you.

All right, Ellen Israel, followed by Kyle Jolly Boys.

Hello and good evening.

My name is Ellen, and I'm here representing the U.S.

Small Business Administration.

Uh, I just wanted to bring to your attention the disaster assistance we're offering in Pierce County and uh surrounding areas due to these storms that occurred in December of 2025.

Uh, our assistance comes in the form of low interest rate uh fixed rate loans, uh, starting at 2.875% for homeowners and renters, 4% for businesses, and 3.625 for nonprofit organizations.

Uh the funding can be used to repair and replace your personal property or any damage to your real estate, or if you're a business, the funding can be used to help you um meet financial obligations that you may be struggling to meet due to the disaster.

So things like meeting payroll or um if you lost some inventory, that sort of thing.

Uh, you can apply in a couple of different ways.

We have our website, which is sba.gov slash disaster, or you can apply in person at one of our several disaster loan outreach centers throughout this state.

Uh information about those can also be found online at our website, which is again sba.gov slash disaster.

And thank you so much for having me.

Thank you.

Kyle Jolly Boys followed by Samuel Kaiser.

Kyle Jolly Boys, I live on Broadway.

I've lived on Broadway for going into my 18th year.

I live in a 1928 hotel with one meter on it.

And the last two months, my utilities went from $90 to $468 for two months.

$90 a month, I'm sorry.

Went from $90 a month to 227 a month.

We don't have a certificate in our elevator for two years.

I haven't had a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector in my apartment.

And I have a 30-day notice to evict to be evicted.

I have five days left to come up with 2900.

When my rent should have been 2400 for two months.

It's now $2900 for two months.

And I need somebody from the city to contact me.

Look at my building on what's going on.

Because she's taking the meter, dividing it by the number of people in the units, then dividing them by or times in it by three or two or one.

In my house, I have three people.

So my utilities went up three times.

And it's every month.

I need help, Mayor.

You can reach me at Casey.

Thank you, Paul.

KC on the wall.

You're welcome to email the rest of the council.

At gmail.com.

Thank you, Mr.

Jolly Boys.

Thank you, Mayor.

And you can email the council your comments.

Samuel Kaiser, followed by Jamie Cortez.

I'm a I'm a proud member of the Climate Alliance of the South Sound.

This council skates around its complicity in the operation of the Northwest Detention Center.

The Northwest Detention Center is a geo-run for-profit detention center built on a super fund site and is toxic to human life.

Beyond it being a crime against human rights and the rights of immigrants and oppressed nationalities, it is also environmentally damaging.

The city of Tacoma's employee retirement is invested in Geo Group, which is a travesty.

As City Council, I ask that you pull out retirement from Geo Group, and that as a community, we should be able to block and shut down businesses like Geo that hurt everyone in Tacoma.

We need an empowered climate commission that can actually fight for our community's rights to a healthy environment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jamie Cortez, followed by Alison Chriswell.

My name is Jamie.

I'm with Climate Alliance of the South Sound.

I'm speaking on the detention center today and the ice out rallies that brought hundreds of people inside City Hall to demand the city revoke the permit of the detention center, which sits on a site so toxic it's been deemed unfit for human habitation.

Cass is currently working to achieve a strong climate commission that can stop polluting businesses that harm working and oppressed Tacomans.

You say your hands are tied, but the city is the one tying itself to GEO.

You say people talk to items during community forum that are not under your jurisdiction, but this issue clearly is.

And you're clearly intimidated by us rallying outside and inside and want to repress our political action.

Shame.

Hands off free speech, strong climate commission now.

Shut down the Northwest Attention Center.

Thank you, Jamie.

Allison Criswell, followed by Ari.

Hello, council.

I am a resident of East Tacoma and have been for the past 10 years.

I am here today speaking on a topic that's clearly important to many of our community members.

The decision to reduce community forum opportunities under the guise of fixing issues within that said forum communicates the lack of value the council has for actually listening to what we think would be wrong.

And that you will make unilateral decisions on our behalf.

This might give you the opportunity to fix what you think is wrong, but it removes and hinders our opportunities to express what we do.

Each of you has been elected to represent the communities you serve, and it is unclear how hearing less from us as you try to solve this is going to make our time together more valuable.

Without any clear solutions proposed along with this change, I would hope you could understand the optics of how this comes across to community members.

To me, it sounds like you're saying that our community's ability to collaborate effectively here isn't working, and that the solution is for you guys to tell us what's wrong and fix it without our input.

I do appreciate the desire to make the forum and our time together more valuable.

Uh but I do urge you to understand that this is a group project and something that we should have the ability to collaborate and fix together.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Chris Well.

Ari followed by Nathan.

Hello, I'm Ari with Climate Alliance of the South Sound.

Uh, environmental racism has left deep scars here in Tacoma.

Uh we have toxic earth everywhere, but specifically at the Northwest Detention Center.

It is an unlivable site.

There should not be people there.

Uh we have low tree canopy.

We have toxic air and high cases of asthma.

This is a very important issue.

The climate affects Tacomans significantly.

And it affects us, the people.

We should have a say in the way that the climate is handled in Tacoma.

We should have a say in what is allowed to be put here, what is allowed to harm us.

And that is why I think we should have a strong climate commission that the people has input in and that has an ability to actually block these things that are hurting us as Tacomans, as well as that are hurting people who are brought here illegally to the Northwest Detention Center, kidnapped against their will to be brought to our toxic place.

We should be able to fix this as the people who live here and as the people who are brought here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Nathan, followed by Jeff Peel.

Hello.

I am here to speak about the Northwest Detention Center.

It is shameful that we have to host this, and I hope you guys can do something about it, something to shut it down, something to stop the harm that's going on in that facility.

It is shameful that Tacoma is allowing it without anything really being done with it, to my knowledge.

And that's all I have to say about this.

Thank you, Jeff Peel, followed by Alma Viegas.

I call upon this council to immediately divest from any investments and that are appropriate or that are linked in any way with the geo group.

The Northwest Detention Center is a moral injury to this community.

It is not a scar, it is an open wound.

And it needs to be healed.

And that is within your power to begin that process by divesting from those.

Stop benefiting from human suffering.

Neoliberalism is an ugly ideology, political ideology that posits markets can solve any problem and turn a profit while doing it, including all social problems, climate change, and war.

It's ugly twin.

Neoconservatism posits that countries which do not conform to the U.S.

dominated world order shall be subjected to military force.

We're seeing this in our world now.

Together, these two toxic ideologies constitute a self-licking ice cream cone, if you're familiar with that term.

It legitimizes using human misery as a profit center while simultaneously immiserating any who would dare to disagree.

Do not ask to whom the profits accrue.

There's an old saying from George Carlin, it's a big club, and you ain't in it.

Bad news, guys, you're in it.

You're taking money from GEO.

You need to get divested.

Thank you for your comments.

Alma Viegas, followed by Lydia Zapeda.

Good evening, I'm Alma Villegas.

I am here to uh share something with the council.

Uh this was sent to the mayor.

Uh we had multiple conversations with some of the council members.

I have copies for the clerk to pass on to everybody.

Uh I'm part of a group of residents that are advocating uh around uh uh we have three asks.

Ask number one produce a policy that clearly specifies how the Tacoma Police Department will respond to the presence and enforcement from federal immigration agents and and or their contractors in the city of Tacoma.

Clearly define what is meant by interference, that the police department will not interfere.

So we want uh some clarity, and we're providing you with some recommendations and some language that I'm not gonna describe because it's on paper.

Um the second ask is establish a new resolution and or revise the language of council resolution 41817, clearly stating that the city of Tacoma prohibits the use of publicly owned property to be used for civil immigration detention or enforcement support except as required by law.

So you're kind of behind the eight ball here.

Other cities are being a lot more bold than you are, which is kind of interesting since we have the detention center here in Tacoma.

So we'd like to see you be a little bit more forward.

Um, we have taquila, we have rent and just um you know pass some resolutions tonight, city of Seattle.

So um we we want you to um be a little bit more bold in that.

And then the final ask is to commit to a dedicated annual line item in the city's budget to support detainees of a minimum 170,000 a year, 140,000 for one year of attorney costs, and 30,000 for detainee support.

Uh called and commissary.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're you're welcome to um continue the conversation via writing, and uh, I haven't forgot about you.

I appreciate your comments.

Um, Lydia Zapeda, followed by Kit Burns.

Good evening.

My name is Lydia Zapeta, and I have uh I'm in District 3, and I've spoken to most of you about these issues.

Um I've met with you.

Um I'm following up also to talk about you know the need for um a policy regarding interactions between police and federal agents.

This is really coming down on your shoulders because HB 2648, the legislation that would have provided statewide guidance on this failed in this legislature.

So it's now to the local jurisdiction, and this is something that we've been discussing with you and the police chief for many months about the need for having a clear policy.

Um we hear that the uh police will not interfere, but we want to know what does interference mean.

Does that mean they won't ask for a badge?

Does that mean that they won't ask for um a warrant?

Um, and we're also told the police you should call them if there's a crime occurring.

Well, those two things can be correct at the same time, but we need clarification because the average person doesn't understand what interaction will look like.

So we're asking you please, please come up with some clarification.

Community is really frightened right now, and they need to know whether they can count on their police or not, and in what capacity.

We're not asking for interference, we're just asking for clarity.

And Alma also talked about the need for um banning ICE activity or immigration activity on public land.

We need a clear policy about that, and we understand that the comfortable work on that.

Thank you.

Appreciate your comments.

Uh now, Kit, before you step in here, it looks like you signed in to talk about street vacations, which are items on the agenda.

So uh the the time to have spoken on that is public comment.

Are there is there a topic over which we have jurisdiction that's not on the agenda that you'd like to speak to?

Oh well, just real quick a history on that.

I did want to speak on it during the public comment, but I was told I couldn't.

And the reason I was going to speak on it is because the hearing examiner, Jeff Capell said actually, he's dealing with the hearing examiner, and that's something that wasn't going to be allowed to be discussed tonight.

What I'm talking about is the amount of money that was paid for, and so that was separate.

I think I should have spoken.

Okay, proceed.

But um, I didn't have that opportunity.

I was told I couldn't.

I said, okay.

Um so if I can just speak in general on street vacations and compensation.

I think the city needs to consider more um completely the cost and the benefit of what these street vacations are.

We can't keep giving money away.

October 14th, this was presented to the city council, and the city had a chance to obtain about 2.9 million dollars.

A couple of weeks later, the city reduced that to 600,000.

Basically, the city gave away 2.3 million dollars to um you dub Tacoma.

The same thing happened, or similar thing happened to Bridge Industrial.

I won't go into the detail on that.

But I think we need to reconsider that.

It needs to be completely evaluated.

Why would you turn down 2.9 million and say, oh, we'll take 600,000, that's good enough.

The city staff actually remended uh uh uh recommended that this waiver not be granted.

So I want to find out about that.

I'll check with you later, but thank you.

Thank you for your comments, Kitts.

Patricia, followed by Norma, good evening.

Sorry for my English, it's not very perfect because I am Spanish.

Uh but I'm requesting, I was trying to request to get in contact with different people from different areas from the city because I have big concerns about uh things are happening in Tacoma.

But I I spoke with Maria Teresa, the lady dender, then there, I don't know how to pronounce her name.

And then Daniela Garcia, I spoke with Carisa many, many times.

And uh recently I I have contact uh Ashley when I came here two months ago, somebody told me you can get in contact with Ashley, Samana here.

I text her, I call her, she texts me back, but she'll stop.

But I will I I I will appreciate you.

Uh my goal is to have to stay in contact with the how do you say the different areas?

Maybe three or four different it's hard to explain right now because it's I'm grateful I'm here, but they're huge, I say great concerns.

There's no little things.

Terrible things are happening in Tacoma.

And then even a little dangerous spot in the city.

It's it's hard to explain.

Sure.

And and we're you're welcome to submit your comments in writing, and we we will see what we can do to help you, okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, yes, my English.

Oh, you're you're perfectly fine.

Oh, you're you're perfectly fine, and ma'am, in the corners uh is one of our staffers who can help you as well with your issue.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much.

Hello, uh Norma, followed by Miyosha.

I'm Norma Ramirez, uh Tacoma resident, and I'm here to support what has been said earlier about city policies.

I came to ask that Tacoma clearly and widely publicize its law enforcement policies to ensure the safety of all in Tacoma in the face of ICE actions here.

When when wit and when witnessing ICE actions, TPD officers should be required to see the idea the IDs of agents to verify who they are, and see their judicial warrants that are signed by a judge.

TPD officers should also be required to turn on their body cameras when witnessing ICE actions and continue recording until the ICE agents leave.

This may help prevent the violence that Tacoma is now current experiencing now and later in the future at the hands of ICE.

I ask that Tacoma publicly state this that the city prohibit the use of publicly owned property for ICE enforcement, except as required by law.

This has been done by other cities, and Tancoma needs to do the same.

Also, we request that Tacoma formally include in its budget a line item of a minimum of 170,000 annually for detainee legal support and phone calls.

There are close to 1,300 detainees at the NWIPC and whose lives have been traumatically disrupted.

Many are detained without legal just justification and can only be released with legal services.

Thank you so much for your comments.

All right.

Good evening.

My name is Miosha, and I am a resident of Tacoma as well as Hilltop, well, Housing Hilltop North and South.

Is where I that's whereabouts where I live.

And um, I'm coming to you all today because it's very concerning.

THA has contract with FPI management and asset living to manage those properties.

And in essence, what they've done is they've turned over those thousands of families into the hands of people or companies that have normally violated the vulnerable the rights of vulnerable people for a long-standing history of time.

This has been a very big issue there.

People are vacating in the middle of the night and not willfully, afraid, scared, forced to sleep in their U-Halls, right back to the same thing that we are trying to eradicate.

And what that's done and the impact that is called is a wide spread public concern because it's doing nothing to help us at all.

The people that are once our neighbors are now people that we see on the curb.

In my hand right now, I have a $5,500 check in which I have been saving to pay Hilltop Housing Housing North since December, but they refuse to accept rent.

They are seeking self-help to do whatever their plan and their agenda is, and both FPI management and asset living both have a long-standing history here.

Thank you for your comments.

And we have staff in the back if you'd like assistance or connection to resources.

All right, GE followed by Abby Greenfield.

Okay, um, Abby.

Hello again.

I'm back during this valuable community forum time to talk about the Northwest Detention Center hosted by our city.

It breaks my heart that our city could be considered a hospitable place for ICE to operate.

It has been, or sorry, I've been in these chambers many times since the start of the year and heard many of my fellow Tacomans call out this council for a failure to do everything within your power to inhibit an inconvenience ICE operations.

Tacomans rally here to make our position known.

We do not want ICE here in the or the detention center.

We refuse to be complicit.

We use community forum to make our position known, and we know the city retirement plan has investments in Geo Group.

Geo Group, the very corporation that runs Tacoma's unconscionable detention center.

Tacoma must divest from the systems that oppress our fellow human beings and community members.

Tacoma must make this place inhospitable to ICE divest.

Our city government should lead that charge, but if you won't do it, the people will.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Des, a proud union worker and a member of the Pierce County Immigration Alliance.

I'm here to speak on the ongoing crisis that occurs in our own backyard.

The Northwest Detention Center is a blight on the on our community.

I am appalled that a for-profit center continues to detain and commit human right violations on people.

Detainees are people.

We've read in history books about what happens when certain communities are dehumanized.

They are people before anyone can say they are illegal.

No human is illegal on stolen land built by stolen hands.

The city of Tacoma, as it's meant to be a welcoming city, should from this day and all days to come condemn the human right violations being inflicted upon our immigrant neighbors.

Stop environmental racism.

Stop partnering with the Geo Group.

And that which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.

That is the whole Torah.

The rest is the explanation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That concludes our in-person speakers, moving on to our virtual speakers, starting with Teresa Evans, followed by Karina.

Hello, thank you, Mary Ipson.

Thank you, City Council.

This is Teresa Evans.

And that whatever we do with the community forum and whatever staff does or uh people who are interested in how the city runs or whatnot does that they are well with the people around them and not causing uh trouble or mischief.

Um or um arguments just so that um they can get people to stop coming to community forum or something like that.

Let's not do that kind of thing.

The other part is, and thank you for the time, is that I believe that uh I misspoke in a way that I was like, it was my turn to go and speak during your public forum or the public comment time, but it was uh I think Amelia, and if Amelia is listening or here, um I would be happy to give the rest of my time to that speaker as well.

Thank you so much.

All right, Karina followed by Tracy.

Hi, my name is Karina Saunders, and I am a hilltop resident neighbor with two young kids.

Um, I wanted to add my support for more crossing safety on South Ninth Street between Sprague and MLK with an emphasis on um South Ainsworth.

Uh we love to walk as a family.

We want to be able to take our bikes, our scooters, and visit neighbors and make our community safe.

Um, and we don't feel safe because of the fast cars that nearly hit our hit all of us.

Um, and I thank you for this time, and I wanted to add my voice to um the many people that have shared to close the Northwest Detention Center and stand up to ICE as a city of Tacoma.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Tracy, followed by Gloria.

Hi, this is the Gemini again.

Um, I want to say thank you to everyone who spoke at City Council today.

Uh I learned so much from the issues that people bring to these meetings, which is like what makes public comment and community forum so valuable that we can learn uh in public what's going on in our city.

Uh, this issue of inadequate crossing on 9th uh avenue or street, I forget, um, is you know important to me as well.

I don't live over there, but my mom was killed uh by a distracted driver on uh 26 in Pearl Street, uh trying to cross a street to catch um to go to her house, but into a bus stop.

And uh this this this kills people, right?

Um, inadequate infrastructure, systemic choices that prioritize certain groups of our other other over others results in people dying.

That's not an accident, it's built into the system.

When we build a city that's designed around cars, people die in car accidents.

They get killed crossing the street.

Just like if we build a city that has a concentration camp in it, ice rounds people up, puts them in there, and they die like Charles Leo Daniel, right?

There are real life living uh people who are impacted and killed by these decisions.

Um, and so I want to encourage the city count to demand that uh all city employees in retirements are divested from uh fossil fuels and the Northwest Detention Center, and we get a strong climate commission.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Gloria, followed by Tanner Christie.

Hello.

Uh I think it's obvious that uh the idea to limit public comment is not flying very well.

Uh we definitely all are letting you know that we don't agree with it.

And in order to correct that problem, what I need for you guys to do is one of you that voted in the affirmative for it, make a motion to reconsider in accordance with Robert's rules, Article 6, section 36.

I need it seconded by somebody else, and then you can open up debate again as if it had never passed.

I'd really appreciate it if two of you had the guts to stand up and do that now that you know that we do not like this.

Are there any of you willing?

That's the only solution to this problem.

That's the only way that it's gonna get reversed.

Is a rope is a motion to reconsider, and it needs to be done today according to Robert's rules of order.

And I understand that you guys go abide by Robert's rules of order.

So I would like your feedback on this, please.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Gloria.

Tanner Christie, followed by Marilyn Kimmerling, Tanner.

Are you logged in?

I'm here.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay, great.

Hi, my name is Tanner Christie.

I'm a resident in Hilltop on Ainsworth Avenue.

I'm a parent of children who walk to school.

My children have to cross 9th Street every day to get to class, and I hear how the crossing guard gets uh hit almost every day.

My neighbors and I have even seen a rear end crash when a car stopped for the kids and their dad crossing.

Um I'm requesting that you please prioritize making a safer crosswalk at 9th and Ainsworth.

Uh as my neighbor Audrey spoke earlier.

She we are a walking catchment, so kids walk from several blocks all over uh down past safeway.

Um all of the uh people have this one crosswalk to go to because the school pays a crossing guard.

So all the kids filter to this one spot, and uh there needs to be more lighting and better painted markings and signs to slow the drivers down.

We've posted on the 311 app several times about just even like clipping the bushes back from the existing signs, but it doesn't really slow the cars down, and there's near misses everyday people crossing here.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you, Tanner.

Marilyn Kimberly, followed by Dre.

Good evening again, council.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay.

So we have some awesome researchers here in Tacoma, and our attention was drawn for those of us that were listening to the fact that the city council apparently voted a while back that retirement was going to be tied in to the Northwest Detention Center, that for-profit abysmal abomination here in Tacoma.

So you talk about things that are within and without your power, surely divesting from the geocenter is within your power.

And I also want to second every single thing that Naomi, excuse me, that Norma Ramirez said earlier today, because that is really important.

So we need a police accountability and we need clarity.

Do not cooperate with IC.

We need to let people know that the city has their back on this, and that the police will not cooperate.

They will not be able to be on public proper property ice, I mean.

And put put the street uh lights and and uh and the guards down at ninth and spread.

I was almost hit by a car down there.

I was standing there with my little sign.

A car was speeding up the up the hill, they jumped the curb and came right at me because they were on the phone and not looking at where they were going.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um our final virtual speaker is Helga Judmel.

Hey, good evening.

Thank you for taking the call.

Um, another resident here, um uh ninth and right next to ninth and anxiety.

Um yes, I can only follow what everyone else has been saying.

Um I can love everything about living in this neighborhood, love how it's walkable to everything.

But there is a small part of Tacoma's population um that likes other hobbies and engages in using South Ninth, South Eleven, and South World Brazil as race courses.

I think the city could make a lot of tax revenue by handing out good old fashioned speeding tickets, but we also need all sorts of um help with safe crossings, stop signs, and reduced speech.

But for at first, we would severely ask for police presence here because I invite the entire city council to please come in my house and on nine grants, and you can hear the race course.

It is not good.

Uh following every uh speakers, please have asked from ice in every shape common possible.

This is just not acceptable as a negative chairman.

I can tell you a thing or two about dictatorships.

So we're on the way there.

So I don't want no secret police, neither in Tacoma, Tacoma or nowhere else in this country.

Thank you for the sound.

Thank you for your comments.

With that, that is our last speaker.

So we're going to close community forum.

Uh, there are no planned reports um by the city manager.

So we're going to move on to comments and committee reports of the city council, starting with uh Chair Walker, Chair of the Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee.

Thank you, Mayor.

The infrastructure planning and sustainability committee has met twice since our last report out on February 11th.

The committee was briefed on a pilot study conducted by our environmental services scientists to destroy PFAS forever chemicals in our central wastewater treatment plant.

The study was the first of its kind in many ways and reiterated Tacoma's position as a national leader in the promotion and science of healthy water in our neighborhoods and environments.

On February 25th, uh IPS discussed the pros proposed streets levy community outreach plan.

And my colleagues and I had the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the levy's community outreach plan, including the community levy committee or CLC, which is now meeting.

So that will come back to IPS and then be at the full council.

So you will get to see those too.

Um the committee's next meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11th, when we will see the proposed list of changes to the six-year comprehensive transportation improvement program.

Mayor, this concludes my report.

Thank you, Chair Walker.

Are there other uh council uh comments?

I have one.

Do you have one?

Yes.

Yes.

Um, just wanted to make a quick fun announcement.

Um, thanks to work um with the city manager and with Adam Cook over at the Tacoma Dome.

Um, we budgeted last fall to support um tickets to any state tournament that a Tacoma school was in, so that students in our students, our constituents, the students in Tacoma schools could attend those events.

And we for state wrestling, we had 110 Tacoma students take advantage of that.

And for basketball, um, which, as you all probably know, Lincoln Abe's were in the final.

We had 365 students over the course of the week take advantage of those tickets.

So um a big thank you.

Um I've already heard from many um students and especially from Lincoln that they were really appreciative of that in our budget.

Thank you, Chair Walker.

Uh, we have another comment from Councilmember Hines.

I Councillor Walker took part of my comment, but I was just gonna say I don't know if my Letterman jacket back on, but I would just say congratulations to Lincoln Men's Boys basketball team for a great uh run to the state finals.

I counselor Walker and I were both at the game on Saturday.

For me, it was like a high school reunion because this Lincoln High School won the state championship 25 years ago to the day of when they lost.

So back when I was a senior in high school, I won't take credit for it because I was not a basketball player.

Um I got caught in ninth grade.

But uh it was great event, and uh just another example of um to highlight so many great sports accomplishments here.

We had Maltahoma run away the state final in football.

We had two state um performers in flag football, and then a state basketball.

Um I can't wait to see what else we're doing, but Tacoma is definitely doing some great things with sports this year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Hines, Councilmember Sidalga.

Uh I will try to stay as brief as possible.

I wish there were certain people that were still in the audience uh for this.

Um I want to thank and show appreciation for my colleague Councilmember Diaz, who uh attended um an event with me on Saturday.

This is an event that we actually partially help support with Tacoma creates.

I'm forgetting, put on a uh uh uh uh symposium um that invited um uh health care workers, teachers, community leaders, a number of people who uh are the first people that would get questions and answers and and people would go to um and it was a type of uh know your rights and what are the resources uh available.

Um I was able to speak at that, and I do want to point out to the rest of the council that Saturday was the nine-year anniversary of the start of the zoning regulations, one of the few um uh uh court cases that the city of Tacoma has won and has made us a model uh for ordinances that has limited um uh detention centers across the city.

Um and Geo Group sued us, uh and we actually won the uh the ability.

They sued us because that um uh ordinance uh limited them to that current footprint and and no larger that is what was within our purview.

Uh we won that.

We won that uh years and years ago.

Um it is a model that that needs to be um uh used across um uh the state.

Um but the point being this was a meeting in which we were considering all those that are impacted and how do we get information out effectively to those people.

Um and we had quite uh a large crowd.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Sidalki, Deputy Mayor.

Um thank you, Mayor, and I just wanted to um let the city manager know, and through through the police chief, I had an opportunity uh to join uh an event at one of our local um local organizations that do uh work with our immigrant and refugee population here in Tacoma.

Um, and it was phenomenal.

Um we had four officers there, and particularly I want to call out Officer uh Sergeant Reets uh for his work.

Um it was a really amazing, well-attended uh event where they the police department came through and and talked about a bunch of different things that were pertinent to that population and and what they cared about.

And uh not only did they uh I think what was really really cool about it was not only were they speaking in English, but they had interpreters there that were speaking uh Spanish uh as well as French and also uh an African language I I couldn't identify, but it was it was just amazing because it was one right after the other.

They were taking questions from the audience in multiple different languages and really getting in and educating um our our folks that are newly to our country about all the different things that are going on and what the police department could or couldn't do.

And so I just wanted to really highlight that as just a really heartening.

There was over a hundred people as a packed packed room and and families were in there.

So um, I think that really kind of goes to the the credo that um the chief always talks uh um you know get to know us before you need us.

That was a really great example of that.

Um, and really meeting people where they're at and trying to get the best information uh out to our folks.

So I just wanted uh really highlight that as a really just an amazing thing that that that happened um that I was able to witness.

Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Seeing no final um council comments or questions, I'd like to remind everyone that the Tuesday, March 17th, City Council study session and business meeting, and the government performance and finance committee meeting have been canceled as the council travels with other cities across the country to meet with our federal delegation on our priority issues.

The next regularly scheduled study session and business meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026.

And seeing no final uh no further council questions or comments, uh is there an adjournment motion?

I move to adjourn.

Second moved and second, those in favor say aye.

Aye, those opposed to say nay, we are adjourned.