The Tacoma City Council met on April 14, 2026, to adopt a consent agenda, hold three proclamations (Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Week, Black Wellness Week, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month), receive public comments, approve appointments, discuss and vote on a transportation safety levy resolution (Connect Tacoma) and a boulders site reclamation resolution, pass ordinances, and hear community forum testimony primarily on immigration issues and concerns about removing community forum time.
I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of April 14th, 2026. Clerk, please call the roll. Deputy Mayor Bushnell. Present. Councilmember Diaz. Here. Councilmember Hines. Here. 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 Deputy Mayor Bushnell, followed by a mote of silence. We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Pualt people where they make their home and speak the Lashut seed 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. I move to adopt the consent agenda, including resolution number 41882 through 41884. Final reading of ordinance number 29095 and first reading of ordinance number 29102. Second. Move and second. Are there any questions, comments, or corrections? I move to accept the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the hearing examiner for ordinance number 29102. Second. Move and second. Those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Those supposed to say nay. Motion is declared adopted. All those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, including setting ordinance number two nine one zero two over to a date to be determined, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed to say nay. The consent agenda is declared adopted. All right. As I read the proclamation. So come on up to the front, everybody. And then uh members of the community, if you would like to join uh around them as well, um and stand behind them, uh, stand behind our people up here, that's that'd be great as well as I read the proclamation. Whereas Cambodia is one of the original civilizations in Southeast Asia, dating back nearly 4,000 years, and whereas between 1969 and 1973, the United States dropped 540,000 tons of bombs into Cambodia, destabilizing the country's already fragile government and helping fuel the rise of the Khmer Rouge and during the Cambodian genocide from April 1975 to January 1979. Approximately two million people lost their lives at the hand of the Khmer Rouge. And whereas today, over half the members of the Cambodian population experience varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder or other forms of mental health issues brought forth by the Cambodian genocide, and whereas this marks the 51st anniversary of our community coming together to remember the atrocities that occurred to the Khmer community under the Khmer Rouge regime. And whereas Khmer community leaders and elders from across Washington State work together tirelessly to rebuild the historical and cultural identity nearly exterminated by the Khmer Rouge and uplift our communities through advocacy, education, and cultural empowerment. And whereas it is critical to remember the ultimate sacrifice of those lives were lost during the Cambodian genocide and the resiliency of survivors, and to celebrate community members who tirelessly promote neighborhood revitalization by participating in public policy on local and national levels, establishing local and international businesses and professionals, and developing new art forms and community organizations.