Thank you.

I'd like to call to order the City Council meeting of April 28th, 2026.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

Present.

Councilmember Diaz.

Councilmember Heinz.

Councilmember Palmer.

Absent.

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 Hines, followed by a moment of silence.

Thank you.

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

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance 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 numbers 41895 through 41897.

Second.

Moving second, are there any questions, comments, or corrections?

Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed to say nay, consent agenda is declared adopted.

We have three ceremonials tonight.

For the International Firefighting Firefighters Day proclamation, I'd like to invite Pat McElagott, Vice President of Local 31, John Sleisner, Assistant Fire Chief, and all firefighters in attendance to the podium as I read the proclamation.

Welcome everyone.

Whereas firefighters dedicate their time to the protection of life, property, and the environment and make the ultimate sacrifice of risking their lives in protecting others.

And whereas International Firefighters Day is a time when the world's community recognizes and honors the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure their communities and environment are as safe as possible.

And whereas we observe the state each year on May 4th, the feast day of St.

Florian, the patron saint of firefighters, when we remember firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all.

And whereas the Tacoma Fire Department is our community's primary provider of pre-hospital emergency care and was dispatched to over 53,000 emergency incidents in 2024.

And whereas the demands of firefighting are accompanied by both professional and personal tolls that all firefighters knowingly accept while risking their physical and mental health to protect the lives of others.

And whereas by recognizing International Firefighters Day, we show our support and gratitude to the firefighters here in Tacoma and around the world who protect us throughout the year.

Now therefore, I, Andrews Ibsen, Mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim Monday, May 4th, 2026, as International Firefighters Day in the City of Tacoma, and invite our residents to join us in sharing gratitude for our Tacoma Firefighters for the work that they do every day to protect and care for our community.

Who would like to say a few words?

Well, I've got about five pages of notes here, so just bear with me, guys.

No, it'll be short.

Mayor and Council members, thank you for this honor and recognition of International Firefighters Day.

I'm proud to stand here, but this award really belongs to the men and women of the Tacoma Fire Department who show up every day on People's Worst Day with skills, compassion, and commitment.

Firefighting is a team effort, and I'm fortunate to be a part of the group that truly cares about this community.

We're here to serve, and it's a privilege to do so.

Thank you for your support of your firefight of our firefighters and the people we serve.

Mayor, Debbie Mary, Council, I want to thank you guys for ever for recognizing International Firefighters Day.

Um I just want to say thank you and uh we appreciate it.

And I think when it comes to this job, I think I can address the community also is we love the work that we do.

Um when you talk about all the risks and everything, it's like that is that's inherent with the job.

I think I was told uh one of my first years on the job by uh uh uh now Lieutenant or now Captain Tori Tollfrey, who is one of my classmates when I got hired.

The last heroic thing you'll do is take the oath.

Everything after that is your job.

And I think that that all of my brothers and sisters take that to heart.

Um this is the best, this is the greatest job in the world.

Um I'm blessed to be able to do it.

My brothers and sisters are also, we all feel blessed that we have been chosen to do this work.

Um it is definitely more than a job, it is a calling.

Um, this is something that I I feel like most of us feel born into, and uh I just want to thank you guys for recognizing uh firefighters and the risks that we take, and and just so you know we are we are happy to do it.

Every rock that's been thrown at my rig by uh somebody, every machete from an encampment that comes flying into a rig, um, all that stuff is worth it when we get the one kid in the crosswalk doing this, or or you know the families waving to us while we're driving to the street.

By the way, if you're in a crosswalk and you're doing this right in front of a fire engine, we're not gonna do it because you're gonna end up on your back.

That air horn is way louder than you think it is.

So just remember that.

Uh we might do it when we drive by, but just so you know.

But anyways, thank you very much.

We appreciate you uh all you and and all you've done for us, and uh hopefully we can continue to work in partnership and you know make this uh fire department the best of fire department in the country.

So thank you.

Yeah.

Any council comments?

Councilmember Rumbaugh.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just as chair of the South Sound 911 board, I want to thank all of the firefighters and every day that you show up to help those in need, like you say on their worst day ever.

Um, I want you to know every day is firefighter day of appreciation in our city.

People love our firefighter, we love our firefighters.

Um, they are the Tacoma firefighters, but I um those are the people who are here today, and I want to thank you all for this service that you give to our community.

It means a lot, and um it just makes it easier for us to do our job because you guys are so amazing.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Councilmember Scott.

Thank you, Mira, and thank you all.

I was gonna say very similarly to what Councilmember Rumbas said that um I don't think there's a day that goes by in the city that people aren't grateful for the work that you all do, and that you do it with the heart that you do it with, and you uh show up every day, and um sometimes you know I'm sure you're not getting treated the best, but you still come and you treat us the best.

And um, and I know it's expected as you're often meeting people on some of the worst moments of their day or their life.

And uh so we're just really appreciative that you all keep continuing to come back, and that uh there's such a legacy here that there are plenty of people who are waiting in line to be a Tacoma firefighter.

So thank you all for what you do.

Thank you.

Uh Pat, Josh, Chief, thank you so much to to you, to your team, to the rest of our department for all the amazing work that you do.

Um keep it up, stay safe, and uh please accept on behalf of the city council's proclamation and our round of applause.

All right, our wonderful firefighters.

I'm gonna have you all just speak down this way a little bit so that we can just make things a little bit more even, wonderful.

That's good.

Okay.

Let's see.

Okay.

All right, everybody.

Put this way.

One, two, three.

All right.

One, two, three.

Thank you all so much.

All right, thank you for your service, folks.

Moving on to our next proclamation.

Um, our next proclamation is proclaiming May 2026 as bike month for the bike month.

Oh, there we go.

Never too soon.

For the bike month proclamation, I'd like to invite uh Laura Svencharik, executive director of Tacoma on the Go, and Leon Nettles, executive director, second cycle to the podium as I read the proclamation.

Whereas the city of Tacoma has long been passionate about cycling, and our residents know that hills only add to the fun.

And whereas, since the invention of the first two-wheeled steerable and human-propelled machine in the early 19th century, the bicycle has proven to be an irreplaceable part of our transportation and recreational activities.

And whereas today our bikes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, from fat tire cruisers to mountain bikes to electric bikes that help power the ride.

And whereas no matter what style of bike you ride, we know that getting around on two wheels offers a sense of joy, community, and freedom that improves our health, environment, and quality of life.

And whereas building a connected bike network for people of all ages and abilities is essential to meet our 2035 Vision Zero goal to eliminate crashes that cause serious injuries and deaths, as well as the climate action plan goal for a fully built-out bike network by 2050.

And whereas making it safer, easier, and more fun to ride a bike in Tacoma helps build a more equitable transportation system and addresses safety, environmental and access disparities.

And whereas we believe that all people in Tacoma deserve the ability to safely ride their bicycles to parks, transit, school, libraries, work, and daily destinations.

Now, therefore, I, Andrews Ibsen, mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as bike month in the City of Tacoma and invite the community to join us for bike month celebrations and to check out the full calendar of events at Tacoma.gov/slash bike month.

Please say a few words.

Thank you, Mary and Council.

Uh, thank you for proclaiming May as bike month in Tacoma.

Uh people in Tacoma are hungry for cycling.

I see more and more people on bikes every month, it feels like every year over year, including over the winter.

There is a lot of people out on bikes, and it's really exciting to see.

So why do we seeing more people on bikes?

Um I think that some of it is electric bicycles, um, making it easier, more accessible, both to afford electric bikes, but also just to get around the city in general.

E-bikes reduce barriers to cycling, um, especially in in a hilly place like Tacoma.

Uh they work as car replacements, they're grocery haulers, they are kid movers.

They give people more freedom of mobility.

Um and for the benefit of everybody in the room, Washington State is running its e-bike rebate program right now, so you can uh enter to uh monthly drawing for 300 or 1200 dollars off of a quality e-bike, which you can purchase from a local bike shop like Second Cycle, which is really exciting, again, reducing barriers.

So e-bikes are a big part of why we're seeing more people cycling.

But the biggest part of that is absolutely the advances in safe infrastructure that we have seen in the city of Tacoma over the last five or so years in particular.

Um there's been tremendous strides in getting high quality infrastructure installed around the city.

Uh from East 64th Street to J Street.

Uh for the first time in years, we are seeing the fatality and serious crashes rates decreasing in Tacoma.

It's decreased the last two years, and that's a really big deal, and that's because of having more safe infrastructure.

And the reason why we're seeing that, uh, in part, I think it's always important to shout out the amazing women that work in the Department of Public Works that are fighting for uh and getting these projects designed and winning grants like Liz and Jackie and Jennifer and Carrie, some really great folks that we are lucky as cyclists to have um in the City of Tacoma staff um that are advancing the policies that you all have set forth.

Uh so people really want to bike, but they will only do so if they feel like it is safe for them to bike.

Cycling makes our city better, it advances public health, it moves us towards our climate goals, it increases empathy and connection and encourages people to engage with each other and the city on a really human scale.

And there's a lot of progress being made.

We have momentum, but that only continues if we continue to prioritize investment in safe infrastructure and keep that investment rolling.

If we stop now, our safety improvements stop too.

So I invite you to come join all of us uh for bike month events in the month of May.

Again, Tacoma.gov slash bike month is the calendar, we can find all of those.

Um but Tacoma on the go, we'll be hosting a bike everywhere day event in People's Park on Sunday, May 17th.

So come hang out with us.

Thanks.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Council members, for uh declaring bike month uh once again.

I really appreciate it.

My name's Leon Metals, I'm the executive director of Second Cycle Community Cycle Center.

Uh I feel honored to be here speaking on behalf of my staff and uh the community as well to appreciate uh you all for recognizing us.

Um I first want to let you all know that we're doing a lot of awesome things at Second Cycle.

Um where we have tons of youth programs which are getting uh bikes into the hands of kids that wouldn't necessarily be able to get them otherwise through the Climate Commitment Act.

We um were able to do an active transportation cycling unit with uh both let's go and um with uh uh just riding along our in-house program.

Um we are very excited to announce that we are starting an e-bike lending library also with climate commitment uh funding uh through Washdot Active Transportation.

Um I'm excited to have my daughter here with me.

You're doing great, man.

Yeah, thank you.

Um and uh I also want to announce that we have started uh an advocacy group here, uh uh Pierce County bike advocates, uh, which I think has helped to get a lot of other individuals who you'll get to hear from later today to advocate for more cycling infrastructure.

I really appreciate all of the the work that's gone into cycling infrastructure in the recent in the last five years.

I think protected bike lanes are the only way to build bike lanes in my opinion, and I hope that uh we continue to do that as we continue to build this infrastructure.

Uh I she rides with me uh on the roads, and uh there are very few roads that I feel comfortable taking her on, and I'd like that to change.

I'd like to see more of the infrastructure going in and being able to have her ride with me to ride her to school on her own uh someday and and feel comfortable that she's gonna be able to do that safely.

And I don't currently do feel that way yet, but we're getting there, and I'm very excited about the progress we're making.

So thank you so much for all the work that you all are doing to make our city safe.

Marvelous.

Council comments.

So it looks like we have one from Councilmember Sidalga.

Hi, thank you, Mayor.

I just actually uh a couple of things.

I 100% agree uh with everything you said, uh Laura, you're right.

There is an absolute um you know hidden demand and desire to to bike when it feels safe.

Um and we have a lot of really good programs we want to make sure um uh uh children can take advantage of.

I had the uh uh uh uh opportunity to bike all over our district last year.

Uh I e-biked all over it.

Um and you're right.

Uh being able to to experience our city on a human scale, as you said.

Um it really gets you closer to your neighbors and and where we live.

So I really appreciated those.

But I wanted to recognize that we have a lot of district four representing right now, because both of you are district four, I see several others over there.

Uh and I saw a lot of people coming out.

And uh, but the number one question was do I feel safe doing this?

And I am absolutely committing, committed to continue to uh with uh the rest of the council um to invest in safe uh infrastructure.

Thank you for being here.

All right.

Council Rahans.

Oh, thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and thank you all for being here and for the presentation.

You know, I I I would um I always tell this joke, Councillor Walker, I'll tell right now how do you know someone has an e-bike?

They'll tell you about it.

No.

Um I bring that up because I have a 12-year-old and his dream is to own an e-bike.

So he doesn't talk about buying a car, he talks about getting an electric bike, and like that's what he wants.

And so I as I think about the future, right, in a city it's comor or any city across the country, right?

E-bikes are I think rapidly going to become more and more of the infrastructure, like of how people get around.

And so when we think about how we build out our city, we have to take that deep consideration, right?

Because we're seeing more and more people use bikes.

And because is as Laura said, we're a hilly city, right, which has historically been an issue, but now the hills have been overcome by uh electrical assists, and you know, more uh e-bikes are being sold every day than their e and vehicles, EVs, and so I just thank you all for your work, and you are kind of on the the front lines of pushing this forward, but I I'm excited because I know that in the years ahead, this is only gonna become more accessible to more people, and I think more people like my son or other children or your daughter are gonna say, I don't need a car, I could get by with an e-bike, but that does require us making the investments in the infrastructure so they feel safe getting around the city on those bikes.

So thank you for being here.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Councilmember.

All right, well, with that, thank you so much for all that you do.

More to come.

Uh why don't you please come forward to accept the proclamation?

Round of applause, please.

Oh, you don't want to be a good thing.

Come on, bike.

Come on, bike feedback.

Yeah, please.

Of course.

Okay.

Everybody's got to get real kind of thing.

There we go.

I mean, let's do over many things.

Maybe like one person come on to a sigh from the end.

Oh, that's excellent.

Okay.

All right, I think I can see everybody.

All right, smiles up this way.

One, two, three, and take one more one, two, three.

Thank you all so much.

Okay, so Mo on to our third and final proclamation tonight.

For a third proclamation, um, I'm going to um proclaim 20 May 2026 on behalf of the city as literary month for the literary month proclamation.

I'd like to invite Mr.

Sayed Jamal, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Grit City Studio.org to the podium as I read the proclamation.

There he is.

Welcome.

Uh whereas storytelling, literature, and the written word are powerful tools for civic engagement, cultural expression, community healing, and social transformation.

And whereas Tacoma is home to a vibrant and growing creative community, including authors, poets, publishers, educators, readers, librarians, bookstores, and literary organizations who've contributed meaningfully to the city's cultural fabric.

And whereas Grit City Studio, a Tacoma-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing the creative economy and social impact through storytelling, education, and celebration, is hosting the inaugural Tacoma Literature Festival on May 2nd, 2026 at the historic historic Tacoma Armory, featuring authors, poets, publishers, musicians, and cultural workers from across the region.

And whereas the festival and related programming panel discussions, children's reading activities, workshops, book fairs, and community conversations will take place throughout the month of May in neighborhoods, schools, libraries, and public spaces across Tacoma, engaging residents of all ages and backgrounds.

And whereas by proclaiming the month of May as Tacoma Literary Month, the City of Tacoma affirms its support for creativity, free expression, education, and community-centered storytelling that uplifts diverse voices and builds a more connected, equitable, and joyful city.

Now, therefore, I Andrews Ibsen, mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of May as Tacoma Literary Month in the City of Tacoma and extend our deepest appreciation to Grit City Studio, its team and founder, Sayed Jamal, for the support and dedication to Tacoma's creative and literary future, and encourage all residents to participate in the celebrations, support local writers and bookstores, attend events, and continue building a culture of reading, writing, and storytelling in our city.

Please say a few words.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council members, and thank you, everybody, for coming.

We at Grig City Studio are very thankful for this.

We believe that stories are infrastructure.

Roads connect us, they help us go from one place to another.

Stories do exactly the same.

Traffic signals regulate us so that we don't bump into each other and don't hurt each other.

But that exactly what stories do as well.

They help us heal, they help us resolve conflict, and they help us keep safe.

Stories fill the gap.

They shorten distances, just like bridges do, just like highways do.

And in times when we lose hope, stories also rescue us, just like our firefighters.

Who we just heard.

In my life, I have repeatedly read and also met with men and women who had once decided to end their lives by jumping from the bridge or throwing themselves in front of a train or just poisoning themselves.

And over and over, I have heard and read that some story pulled them back.

That there was some story that gave them hope, and they didn't do that.

They came back and they started working on whatever else that they wanted to work on.

So stories save lives.

Again and again.

And because of our stories, uh I think uh promoting stories and advocating stories and seeing stories as infrastructure is very, very important.

It's also about our safety, our imagination, and the power of words to bring us together and to build a new kind of infrastructure that lives deep within us.

Our stories.

Celebrating May as Tacoma Literary Month is our way to envision and build that infrastructure.

Because our stories matter.

I thank you all.

And I would love all of you to please bike your way on Saturday to Tacoma Armory where Tacoma Literature Festival is going to happen.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sid.

Any council comments?

Councilmember Walker.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just wanted to thank you, Saeed.

This is such an exciting event.

I'm very excited to attend on Saturday.

And I just want to acknowledge, I think it was January when I announced from the Dais the invitation to participate.

And since then, you have done so much work to build this thing from the ground up.

Pre-events, author talks, learning to write, uh, working with kids.

Um it's just been incredible to watch.

And so while I think Saturday is sort of the the big thing, the lit litfest, um you have added so much to this community with everything you've done around that, and it's been really fun to watch that.

So I can't wait to go on Saturday.

I hope people come.

And as you noted, it's a very bikeable place to go.

So what a great combination.

Um as a first thing to do on bike month, bike month Saturday to go down to Litfest.

So thank you for all you do.

I hope that we're we're celebrating 15 years of this proclamation um in the future.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Uh with that, uh, thank you for all the wonderful work that you do.

Please come forward to accept the proclamation and uh let's uh give these nice people a round of applause.

Thank you.

Okay, let's see.

Commands okay.

All right.

Um can I have you folks just wait just a little bit?

Perfect.

Then everybody's lined up.

Wonderful.

All right.

Smile one, two, three.

One, two, three.

Thank you, everybody.

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.

Under the public hearing later on the agenda, you can also speak about the proposed annexation of ten parcels of land located adjacent to the city in the Five Heights potential annexation area.

This is the time set aside for public comment.

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

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

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

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

You will have 90 seconds to make your remarks.

Please be mindful of the time frame.

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

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

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

And with that, um we have uh the co-chair of uh BP Tags, Sarah Keysler, followed by Cam Solomon talking about bike months.

Thank you so much for declaring May bike month.

Uh, my name is Sarah Keysler.

I am the co-chair of the bike pedestrian and advisory group here in Tacoma.

Um here in Tacoma, we're really lucky to have an amazing mobility plan.

Um it explicitly prioritizes safe mobility for all better than just about any document you will see from any city in Washington State.

It's incredible.

Um but as someone who lives and bikes in South Tacoma, we have so far to go to make that mobility plan a reality to fund safe infrastructure so that people like Leon's daughter can bike safely.

Uh right now, for me to get anywhere in Tacoma, I have to take a full lane of traffic, whether that's on um Tyler Way, on 56th Street, on South Tacoma Way with the missing link, uh the missing link lane.

And we're doing a lot of great work.

We you see the work every day on South Tacoma Way that is happening, though we still have that missing link to fund, which I hope the new um safe streets package will.

And we have a lot of work to do across the city um from South Tacoma to East Tacoma and beyond.

But with plans like the mobility plan, with plans like the climate plan, I know it's a priority to this city.

I just want to continue to see the funding and the safe infrastructure.

Because without safe, protected, connected infrastructure, we don't make it possible for people like Leon's daughter to bike.

It has to be more than just a protected bike lane in front of a school.

So thank you.

Thank you, Sarah.

Our next speaker is Cam Solomon, followed by Ansley Zora.

Looks like you're both talking about bike months.

Yeah.

Uh hi, hi Mayor and uh the city council.

I appreciate you guys uh having the proclamation for for bike to uh to work to work month.

Um has the potential to be a absolutely world class uh biking city.

Uh you know, it's it's a generally uh a big, you know, safe, flat grid, with the exception of sort of around around this area where we, you know, a little a little bit of hills, just a small hills.

But and I ride everywhere I can in the city.

Um from my experience, uh the most work we have to be to have to do is around the massive barriers that are I-5 and highway 16.

Um it's it's almost impossible to c to get it get from one side to the other um safely, whether it's 6th, 12th, 19th Union, 38th, 48th, 65th, 72nd, they're all very dangerous.

Um I think that's where we would we should be spending a little bit of of of money uh in comparison to what we spend on on highways and roads and things like that to make those those those crossings, at least some of them, safe so that we can we can bike everywhere in the city and reconnect it.

Um yeah, so please please fix that and and uh and then with that'll move us a huge step towards making this a safe and world class city to bike in.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ansley Zora, followed by Chris Aberhart.

Good afternoon, Mayor Ibsen, members of the council, ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Ansley Thor Zora, and I thank you for giving me a moment to share some thoughts as we begin bike month.

I first moved to Tacoma in 2014, where I didn't think much about biking and only rode it to a few spots on six through our neighborhood in the summer.

But in 2019, I moved to the UK to a town where 30 to 50 percent of the locals commuted by bike.

Eventually I was able to sell my car and move around the town and region exclusively through bike, bus, and train.

So moments from that time that stick with me.

When I saw an elderly man in our neighborhood who slowly and carefully walked his bike to the path and then took off for his errands confidently and independently, not relying on a car or a driver to get him around, as school pickups, seeing all the kids on their bikes happily chatting with their parents alongside them or being transported luxuriously in the front of a cargo bike, and groups of kids and teens, students and adults so confident and safe in their bikes that they were able to text with both hands while riding, which I do not condone, but honestly, I thought it was cool that they felt safe enough to do it.

Instead of angry drivers passing you in the bike lane, you had other cyclists late for class dinging their bell to let you know you are going too slow and causing a cue.

I moved back to Tacoma in 2023 with a brand new perspective, determined to be able to move around with dignity without a car like I had.

I bought an e-bike and explored Tacoma with new eyes.

I'm happy to say that there's been a lot of improvements, but we need to connect the existing infrastructure to make it usable.

Because as they say in Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come.

All right.

Chris Aberhart, followed by Daisy Goldwong.

Hello, Council Mayor.

My name is Chris Eberhart.

It's nice to see some familiar faces from past bike with politicians in Hilltop.

When was the last time someone said to you to create community in your city, run highways through your neighborhoods?

My son calls the four-lane roads cut through Tacoma Highways.

South 38th Street, 50 56th, 72nd, Portland Avenue, et cetera.

My family lives in Hilltop.

On three sides, we're penned in by highways that separate us from our family and friends.

South Sprig, South 19th, and Yakima Avenue.

Most of the time we feel unsafe to bike or walk across because of all the cars.

So we drive.

Please fund policies that remove the highways from Tacoma.

Please help make Tacoma safer for bikers and walkers.

Not only those in this chamber, but those who pull all their life possessions through Hilltop at five o'clock in the morning.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Daisy Goldwong, followed by Larry Levine.

Hello.

So I just have some bullet points and I'm gonna yap for 90 seconds.

First, I live um I live in the southeast corner of the city, uh, so right by 64th Street and Pipeline.

I'm really lucky uh to be to live next to such great bike infrastructure, but um we don't have that everywhere in the city just yet.

64th Street is just really amazing.

I like the narrowed car lanes too, because I've driven on it as well.

And and it really doesn't feel good going any faster than 30, uh, which is exactly the point.

Uh and the bike lanes are on the correct side of parked cars.

Uh I want more bike lanes.

I want 64th Street to be finished to uh connect to Pipeline, um, which would just be really amazing as well.

And I think we have a unique opportunity in Tacoma with so many streets that are just two lanes, but they're wide enough for four lanes to to put in those bike lanes everywhere.

Uh I got my bike from the last rebate, and it's been a game changer.

Uh the first thing I asked the guy at the store in Tacoma was can this thing go up Seattle Hills?

And he said, Yeah, in fact, we got one right outside, want to try it out.

Uh so yeah, the big city, so many wide roads, so much space to take away from cars and give back to the people.

Let's keep at it.

Yes.

Thank you so much.

Uh Larry Levine, followed by Jennifer Halferson Keane.

Good evening, uh, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Larry Levine.

Thank you so much for recognizing Bike Month with the proclamation.

So much of what I wanted to say has already been said, so I will just um reiterate my thanks for the proclamation and uh we'll be very happy to talk um with uh Councilmember Sidalgay about um further potential investments in in District 4.

Um there as you all know, there is a there is an unused and very viable uh former railroad line uh connecting from downtown through the city in the southeast side.

And uh I look forward to the time when the city begins its planning, its initial planning work for uh redeveloping that corridor because um while it's awesome that we're uh providing funding for a vision zero uh plan and program, it's very important to have those data-based approaches for safety on our roadways, also uh looking for opportunities to provide new safe and inviting spaces for people who walk bike a role for all ages and abilities is also really important.

So thank you once again.

We look forward to seeing you out there riding safely around the city.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Jennifer Halverson Keene, followed by Mary Herman.

Good afternoon, Mayor Ibsen, Deputy Mayor Bushnell, members of the council.

My name is Jen Halverson Keene, and thank you for supporting Bike Month.

Um you may be aware, Senate Bill 5583, I believe, has raised the age at which driver's ed is required to get your license.

So we're gonna see more kids putting e-bikes on their wish list because they cannot afford driver's ed, and they have to wait until they're 25 to get their license if they're not gonna take driver's ed.

So, yes, this is a real thing.

Um because an equated young driver is a good driver, more than more so than if they are they have not had driver's ed.

So it's a good policy, but it is has its own barriers.

We are gonna start seeing more kids not getting their license, but that doesn't change the fact that they need to get around.

Um thank you to all the investments that have made in Tacoma schools in creating bike units and teaching our middle schoolers and our elementary school kids how to ride bikes, get around, rebates, putting e-bikes into the hands of the parents.

We're so much has been done in the 17 years since I've been here in Tacoma to make this a more bike-friendly city.

And with the growth that we are gonna experience, I guarantee you we need to continue to make it easier to to bike, especially for our young people who are waiting to get their license until much, much later.

So thank you for that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jen.

Mary Herman, followed by Casey Gifford.

Hi, everyone.

Um Mary Ibsen, members of the council, thank you for being here.

Um in 2019, I was hit um by a car, um, sideswiped and thrown into a ditch.

Um and so I know firsthand how vulnerable cyclists are.

Your body is on the line, not your vehicle.

Um I live in the south end of Hilltop and I have limited access to a car, and I often need to get to the Tacoma Mall area and Allen Moore area for medical appointments uh multiple times a week, in part for the injuries I suffered from the crash.

Um and I don't feel safe to ride in those areas.

Um the Scott Pearson Trail is a great way to get to Allen Moore, but it's really narrow and bumpy in that area, and I've literally collided with a person who was living on the trail at one time too.

So uh room for improvement there.

Um yet riding still seems to be the most efficient way to get around without a car.

Um and public transit is a great option, but um due to my specific injuries, it's actually harder on my body to walk to the bus and from the bus, whereas riding um is easier on my back.

Um it would be great to get more dedicated, protected bike infrastructure so that people have a choice on in how they get around.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh Casey Gifford, followed by Danny North.

Good evening, Council members and Mayor Ibsen.

Uh my name is Casey Gifford, and I'm a resident of North Tacoma.

Um thank you for recognizing Bike Month.

I'm here to ask you to support protected bike lanes, more neighborhood greenways, and paths and safer crossings.

Biking is a critical part of my family's means of transportation.

We're a busy family of four and have been able to remain a one-car household because we are able to bike for many of our local trips and when we combine it with transit for even longer trips.

Triple A estimates that it costs nearly a thousand dollars per month to own and operate a vehicle.

Um, and that's a lot.

We um are thankful to save over 10,000 a year in transportation costs thanks to biking being part of our equation.

Um, for example, this morning I was able to drop my kids off at day care and then continue to Tacoma Dome station to catch a bus to work and then bike here this evening.

I still have their little helmets with me here.

Umfortunately, there are many parts of Tacoma that we cannot bike, um, especially with our kids in tow uh because it is far too unsafe.

Although you'll find us pedaling around many parts of North Tacoma, you won't find us biking to the new YMCA on Pearl, to the Asia Pacific Cultural Center on South Tacoma Way, or Target and other shopping on UnionAff.

The lack of safe places to bike means we have to rely on our car for those trips or forgo those trips altogether.

I'm asking you to invest in safe bike infrastructure throughout the county, particularly focusing on community assets.

Thank you.

Danny North, followed by Lawrence Applen.

Uh good evening.

My name is Denny North.

I live in District 4.

I'm here today because I bike to work.

I'm asking you to invest more in common sense commuter bike infrastructure in low and lower Portland Avenue near the I-5 overpass.

I live in the neighborhood by EQC, which is rated as very poor on the Tacoma Equity Index map.

It is between two hills that make up the McKinley and Salishan neighborhoods.

Um there is a natural grade that leads right into the Tacoma Dome district, which is a very nice endpoint of many current and future public transit options.

Currently, the only safe way to commute to downtown from this underserved community is to ride two miles uphill opposite downtown till you reach the pipeline trail.

So you go directly to the port from my neighborhood.

It is only 0.3 miles downhill, so much easier.

But you have to battle homeless encampments, taking up the dark sidewalk under the overpass, semi-trucks, and cars coming up to highway speed.

It would remove a significant barrier to community connectivity if there was a safe and direct way to bike from the port from Lower Portland Avenue.

It would help the city achieve its climate action plan goals, vision zero goals, and help a historically underserved population of our city.

Thank you for encouraging Tacomans to ride our bikes more.

Thank you.

Lawrence Applanus Good afternoon, Mayor, uh Deputy Mayor and Council.

I'm here to speak about the bike proclamation.

Um I'm currently a senior urban design student at the University of Washington, just on the street.

Um first I'd like to thank uh the city, uh, their engineering and design teams and the road crews for their hard work building and constructing all of the bicycle facilities that we currently enjoy throughout Tacoma.

Um I am asking that we continue investing in and expanding in safe multimodal streets beyond what we currently have.

I grew up cycling in Dos, California, and I spent a considerable amount of my youth uh living in Europe and visiting family.

Um last summer I had the chance to uh visit the Netherlands and really experience their infrastructure firsthand, and that really only solidified my understanding that we have a lot to have to gain, a lot to improve, and there's a lot of potential here in America.

Um I recognize that there are a number of political, cultural, and economic issues uh regarding bicycle lanes and more recently bike regulation.

Uh but the most recent, but by the most recent data, just about one fifth of the US population is actively interested in living a car-free lifestyle, and then an additional 40% is engaged in or is interested in exploring the idea.

That's about 60% of the U.S.

population.

So there's a significant latent demand that exists, and we're not meeting it currently.

Um I just put through this together.

I just learned about this meeting not a lot, not long ago.

Uh in sum, so that represents 60 percent.

Um locally Portland State University.

Sorry, anyway.

I'll see you guys later.

That's okay.

You're welcome to email your comments too.

Thank you for your testimony.

All right, we have uh one more speaker who's signing in virtually, April.

And um if you can tell us what topic you're speaking to on tonight's agenda, please.

Hi, April Smith, uh District 5 speaking uh in support of ordinance of updating ordinance title 17.

I really appreciate that this proposal recognizes animal welfare, both physical and mental well-being, not just basic survival.

That matters more than people realize.

I've personally seen what happens when standards are unclear.

Animals can be technically alive but still suffering without clear authority for anyone to step in.

That's hard to witness and it's preventable.

By defining adequate care, proper shelter, and humane restraint more clearly, you're giving animal control the tools they need to act consistency, consistently and compassionately.

This isn't just about animals, it's about the kind of community we choose to be.

One that doesn't look away and one that sets clear humane expectations.

I strongly support this update and hope to see it fully implemented with the resources it needs.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our two other virtual speakers are Amber Weiler, followed by Teresa Evans.

Uh Amber, which topic are you speaking to tonight?

To the uh bike proclamation.

And um to start, hi, my name is Amber Weiler.

I'm mother to Michael Weilert.

Um Michael was killed riding his bike on SR 7.

I'm asking that you invest more in safe biking infrastructure throughout Tacoma because we need to remember that for teens, this is their primary form of transportation.

And we need to keep these users in the top in the forefront of our minds when deciding safety plans and road construction.

To continue with the work that stems from the city's vision zero, we need to invest in safer infrastructure for bicyclists and slow drivers down and continue to make our crosswalks safer.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Teresa Evans.

Hello, uh, City Council Mayor.

Um this is Teresa Evans, and I'm speaking about your proclamation for bike month and your literary month proclamations for the bike month.

My husband is an avid bike writer, and also likes uh reading.

I'm actually sorting books right now, um, and is and re and writes himself.

So I'm grateful for the both of these things.

My my son is starting to bicycle much more that's important to him.

And I bike mostly there was a young lady who talked about biking because of an injury she had being actually hit by a car when she was on her bike.

Yeah, I was hit by a car or a truck.

And I bike because that helps me to be able to walk, still healing all those things.

So thank you for the um making things safer for bicycles, and I really enjoy the Scott Pearson Trail and the pipeline trail in Tacoma and the extensions in um Pierce County.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Appreciate your testimony.

With that, there are no further speakers lined up to speak.

Um if you may, yes, uh, if you can identify your name and which item on tonight's agenda you're speaking to.

Yes, thank you.

Um my name is Dave Chapman.

I'm talking about bikes.

One of the previous speakers mentioned um unused railroad tracks, unused railroad rights of way.

This is an excellent opportunity to provide the kind of connectivity.

For example, there is one that runs from McKinley down underneath I-5 and meets up with the existing railroad tracks in the lower part of the uh railroad complex down there.

Because this railroad right of way goes under the I-5, I think that it would be very helpful to turn it into a bicycle trail.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we have one more speaker signed in, Jason Smerer, virtually.

If you can uh identify the topic you are speaking to, please.

Hello.

To the annexation is uh for another time.

Um yes, I believe that's covered under the public hearing.

So you are you're welcome to comment it during that project.

Okay, yes.

Thank you, Mayor and Council members.

Uh my name is Jason Smear.

Myself and I for both teachers and of two adolescent children.

Um I'm a property owner within the proposed annexation area.

Oh sir, I'm uh sorry to interrupt you.

Um the time to talk about that that particular topic is actually the public hearing, which is going to be later in the meeting.

Oh, okay.

I thought I was wondering at the beginning.

I'll be back.

Thank you.

Of course.

All right.

With that, we have no one else lined up to speak, so we're going to close public comment and move on to the regular agenda.

Moving on to appointments.

Item number 10, Clerk, please read.

Resolution 41898, a resolution removing and appointing individuals to the Commission on Elected Salaries.

I move to adopt resolution number 41898.

Second.

Moving and second, I would like to call on Kerry Lewey.

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

My name is Carrie Lewey, Assistant Human Resources Director.

Resolution 41898 will remove and appoint individuals to the Commission on Elected Salaries.

The Commission on Elected Salaries is comprised of seven members.

Five of the seven are selected by lot by the Pierce County Auditor from registered City of Tacoma voters, one from each of the five City Council districts.

The remaining two members must be residents of the City of Tacoma and appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Council.

One shall have experience in human resource management, and the second shall have experience in the legal profession.

The district number five position on the commission has been deemed forfeited by Jessica Weirick, the individual appointed to the position due to unexcused absences.

The Pierce County Auditor has selected by lottery Don Salinas for the district number five position to fill the remainder of the term expiring on September 30th, 2027.

And I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you, Carrie.

Are there any council questions?

All right.

Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting resolution number 41898, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

I was supposed to say nay.

Resolution is declared adopted.

Item number 11, Clerk, please read.

Resolution 41899, a resolution appointing individuals to committees that will prepare statements for and against Proposition 1, Connecticoma Safe Streets and Sidewalks relating to utility and property tax increases, which will appear in the voters' pamphlet for the Tuesday, August 4th, 2026 primary election.

I move to adopt resolution number 41899.

Second.

Moving second, I would like to call on Council Member Hines.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

At the April 21st, 2026 Government Performance and Finance Committee meeting, the committee reviewed the letters of interest and provided recommendations for the appointment of individuals for the for and against committee for Proposition 1, Connect Tacoma Safe Streets and Sidewalks.

For the for committee, we appointed Michael Katsey, Nathaniel Lauver, and Laura Swan Zarek, who is here this evening.

And then for the Against Committee, we appointed Stephen Cook, or we sorry, we propose to appoint Stephen Cook and Ben Lackey.

Sorry, we're going to be appointing them here officially this evening.

It's always good when people want to be engaged with the public process, especially at our ballot initiatives.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Councilmember Hines.

And to the GTFC committee as well.

Are there any additional council comments or questions?

Seeing none of those in favor of adopting resolution number 41899, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Resolution is declared adopted.

I think I see at least one of the appointees.

Would you mind standing?

Thank you for your service.

All right.

All right.

Moving on to purchase resolutions.

Item number 12, Cook, please read.

Resolution 4190, a resolution authorizing an increase to and extending the contract with United Site Services of Nevada Inc.

in the amount of 1,550,000 budgeted from various funds for portable toilet rentals servicing and septic and vault pumping services through May 31st, 2027 for a projected contract total of 2,500,000 plus applicable taxes.

I move to adopt resolution number 4190.

Moving and second, are there any additional council questions or comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting resolution number 4190, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

I was supposed to say nay.

Resolution is declared adopted.

Moving on to first reading of ordinances, item number 13.

Clerk, please read.

Ordinance 29104 and ordinance amending Title 12 of the Municipal Code relating to animal control by amending chapters 17.01 and 17.02 to clarify definitions and requirements for the adequate adequate care, humane restraint, and confinements of animals.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and I'll keep my remarks brief tonight as I spoke about this proposal at study session last week, and I'll have a chance to speak again at the second reading as well.

Just for the public's sake, I'll kind of go over the highlights.

This proposal is an important update to Title 17, which is the Animal Control Code.

Several community members have approached me with concerns about our current standards for restraining or confining animals, especially in a stationary vehicle.

I work closely with our animal control officers to examine the current code and identified several sections that need to be improved.

I'll go over the a few of the code updates at a very high level here briefly and can always answer questions later for in more detail next week.

First, our distant code has very few protections for animals that are kept in a stationary vehicle.

I'm recommending that we add at least some requirements to better protect the welfare of animals in these circumstances, including no more than four animals can be confined in a stationary motor vehicle at any given time.

No animal could be tethered inside a stationary motor motor vehicle.

There must be an evidence of adequate care and open view of the public for any animal confined in a stationary motor vehicle.

This includes food, water, and containers that cannot spill in proper shelter, and the animal must have access to at least 30 minutes of time outside the vehicle for every four hours are confined in it.

So the question is what does that mean for animal control?

Are animal control officers being called for these instances already?

What this is trying to do is provide some clarity around what are the expectations if you are going to keep an animal for in a vehicle for an extended period of time.

Right now, our animal control doesn't have the tools to really address this.

There's no real guidance in a code.

And this is providing a real clarity around that.

Second, uh we need to clarify and strengthen requirements around tethering an animal.

So tethering is has a clear definition of the decode, but we want to be really clear about what you can and can't do.

I proposed that we include language that bans tethering animals outdoors while exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Um recommended that we update the definition of adverse environmental conditions to include temperatures 32 degrees or below and 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above, right?

So this is leaving an animal outside in the sun or in the freezing cold with no protection, just tethered to something, right?

So it's concern I've heard from residents around animals being tethered outside.

This just provides clarity about when you can and can't do that.

Um there's also a real risk of animals.

I think we've seen this in the news of animals being tethered as people are fleeing during adverse weather conditions.

Um we want to make sure that's very clear that you can't just leave an animal outside unprotected for extended periods of time when there's adverse weather.

And then finally, along the change you see, there's a few other suggest updates around definitions to better meet current humane standards when it comes to animals.

Uh I want to thank our animal control officers, and I think it's um animal control officer celebration week this week.

So want to thank our animal control officers for all the work that they're doing on behalf of animals that are in our city.

Um also like to thank Council Mr.

Rumbaugh and Council Diaz for co-sponsoring this for me.

Happy to answer any questions.

Um, and again, we'll talk more at second reading.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you for bringing this forward.

Any additional council comments.

All right.

Seeing none, this uh ordinance will be sent over for final reading next week.

Moving on to public hearings and appeals.

Item number 14.

This item will have a PowerPoint presentation.

Clerk, please read.

This is the date set for a public meeting by the council on the proposed annexation of ten parcels of land located adjacent to the city in the Fife Heights potential annexation area.

I'll actually call on Mr.

Wesley Rhodes to begin the presentation.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Wesley Rhodes.

I'm a senior planner with planning and development services in the comprehensive planning division.

And the city has received a notice of intention to commence annexation proceedings for about 10 parts for 10 parcels in the uh Fife Heights potential annexation area.

Next slide, please.

Uh the city currently has uh several potential annexation areas.

Uh we they're the areas shown in orange on the map.

Uh so they are the dash point in uh Browns Point, potential annexation area in the north.

Uh the Fife Heights area is the one there on the right where the circle is, and then the one in the lower area is the Parkland spanaway potential annexation area.

Those are the areas that are within the city's urban growth area but are currently within unincorporated Pierce County.

This specific, so the the city received uh notice of intention from uh the Heiberg family to annex ten parcels in the five heights potential annexation area.

And the location is denoted by the circle there on the map.

So you can see that it's in the uh it's immediately adjacent to council district number two and the Northeast Tacoma neighborhood council district.

Next slide, please.

Uh this is a zoomed-in map showing a little more detail of the area proposed to be annexed.

Again, it's 10 parcels, it's approximately 40 acres.

The stated purpose for the annexation is uh to help support residential development and connection to city utilities to support that development.

Next slide, thank you.

Uh in terms of the regulatory and policy policy context, um, starting at the the state level and the regional level, both the Growth Management Act and the Future Sound Regional Council do support annexation of the city's potential annexation areas.

Um at the county level, the countywide planning policies state that uh PAAs should be prioritized for annexation, and within the city itself, within our comprehensive plan, we have goal GS 14 stating that the city should annex areas within a group urban growth area when conditions are appropriate.

And more specifically, policy GS 14.7 encourages expansion in a manner that will benefit both the citizens of Tacoma and the citizens of the area to be annexed.

Next slide.

Uh in terms of the initial process that's in front of us right now.

Uh so once we receive a notice of intention for annexation proceedings, we have a 60-day clock, which is what we're in right now.

And what we have to do in that 60-day clock is we have to first pass a resolution, which we pass on April 14th to set a public meeting.

We have to hold that public meeting, which is what we're doing tonight on April 28th.

And following that public meeting, uh the council may make a motion to accept, reject, or geographically modify that application, and also to indicate whether the annexation will require the assumption of any portion of indebtedness and/or the adoption of a comprehensive plan amendment.

Uh next slide.

What the so what happens if we choose, so if a motion is made and you accept that motion, that does not accept the annexation.

Basically, what you're saying if you accept the motion is that you are accepting the moving forward with the process of an annexation.

So what you're kicking off is approximately a 24 plus month timeline where annexation is not guaranteed.

So you go through a process that is outlined with the major steps on the right.

It includes the addition of a petition.

Uh so the uh applicants have to go through an additional process of filing a petition with the that then gets transmitted to the Pierce County Assessor's Office to evaluate the legal sufficiency.

There's a lot of staff analysis, agreements, and public uh engagement that occurs.

It goes through a zoning and land use process to determine what the zoning and land use would be should the area become annexed into the city.

There's additional city council processes highlighted in the yellow uh or gold, which is additional public hearings and also an ordinance to set the conditions for acceptance, rejection, or modification of the actual annexation itself and an effective date.

It goes through a process with the Pierce County Boundary Review Board, and uh finally we would end by uh a round of notifications in in public engagement.

So what we're doing tonight is we're basically stating if we accept the motion that is moving forward with this process to then study the annexation and decide at a later date if we want to actually annex or not.

So I just want to be clear about that.

Next slide.

And that's what I have for you tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any council questions or comments?

Councilman Rumbaugh.

Um, are we gonna do questions later or can we do them now?

Oh, we can do them now prior to public comment.

Is that okay?

Okay.

Um Thank you so much for um all this information.

Could you just remind me we have talked before, but could you just remind me, was there another annexation that was proposed at some point in this area?

Um not that I'm aware of.

Uh there may have been talks about an annexation in the past, um, but I'm not aware of any.

There was an annexation one year ago that's still being processed, and that is actually in the Parkland spanaway area.

Okay, great.

I just thought that there was some question about the size of this, and it had to be a certain shape.

Yeah, so uh the boundary is drawn in an intentional way.

So the boundary review board requires that boundaries be regular and they basically will reject uh applications if they deem it to have an irregular boundary.

And so the reason that the lines are drawn in the way that they are is to create a very regular boundary.

Okay, and then just I you mentioned it, but I just um is there so there's no idea what the zoning might be beforehand?

It's decided later.

Yeah, that goes through a process later.

I mean, typically you go through a process of looking at what the adjacent zoning is in the city, and so it's would be likely that it would be similar to what's adjacent to it, but it does go through a separate process.

Okay, and then one other question.

Yeah.

Um is can you just describe what services are part of joining the city of Tacoma if this becomes annexed?

Yeah, so generally you get all of the services available to the general public, so in terms of like police, fire, representation by political bodies such as the city council.

Um what you don't necessarily automatically get is is all of the utilities.

So for example, this area is currently on septic.

You're not necessarily required to join into uh city sewer.

Um generally that there's a process by which uh only if your septic is failing or you want to join it it's voluntary.

Or based on the development that you might be choosing.

Uh if it's new development, that's different.

Okay.

I'm talking about existing people existing.

Yeah.

New development, that goes through a process that would have to determine.

I, you know, I'm not sure if it would be required to connect or not, but generally yes.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, absolutely.

Thank you.

Councilmember Palmer.

Thank you for the presentation.

Um I'm hearing there's more steps, and we're going to have another chance to kind of voice our opinions and concerns.

Um the information that's still forthcoming, are we going to see, I don't know what it's called in this this universe, but like a cost-benefit analysis of the like because those are all super valid questions that you'd want to know is like what's the impact going to be?

Uh, how is this going to impact police fire?

What's the impact to the city's budget?

All of those things would happen in the next round.

So we're basically just if we say yes today, we're saying yes, we want to go ahead and have that discussion, we want to go ahead and do that analysis.

Um but we don't have that done at this time.

Thank you.

Yep.

Thank you.

Councilmember Diaz.

Umil thought, I guess, or question I have is how much would accepting this motion tonight cost the city, or is that already stuff that's built into the department's work plan?

Yeah, accepting the motion tonight doesn't cost the city any money because uh other than just staff time to facilitate the process of actually doing the study to look into the annexation itself.

So it doesn't commit the city to anything, it doesn't actually annex any property.

Um it basically just says yes, we want to procedurally move forward and we want to do the studies to understand what the impact would be.

Okay.

And then what are the I don't know, impacts is the right question, but what it I guess what are the impacts of if this motion fails today.

Uh that's the prerogative of the city council.

Um I don't know what the impacts of the impacts would be to the applicants who would not get to move forward with annexation.

Could they bring it forward again in the future?

Uh I believe that they could, yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh seeing no counsel uh further counsel questions or comments.

We're going to move on to the public comment.

Um I'd like at this time to ask attendees if you want to speak under the public hearing regarding uh the proposed annexation of 10 parcels of land located adjacent to the city in the five heights potential annexation area.

Please press uh if you're attending virtually the raised hand button near the bottom of your Zoom window or star nine on your phone now, so we can see the number of people wishing to testify this evening.

If you're speaking in person, please sign up in 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 is your turn to speak.

You will have 90 seconds to make your remarks for the public hearing.

Please be mindful of your time frame, and as always, you are not required to use all the time to make your point.

So with that, we're going to start with our first and only in-person speaker, and that is Randy Um Heisberg.

Please come forward.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor and Counsel for letting us speak.

Um my name is Randy Heiberg.

I'm speaking today as a property owner along with my brothers, Larry and Chris and my wife or wipes.

Um Cathy and Kathy, if that isn't confusing.

Um 97 and not so mobile, but she's still living in the original house.

Um give you an idea where we where this property is located.

We're immediately on the bluff above um Makey Lumber.

And if you've seen that big pellet, uh I mean uh sawdust pile, we're right above that.

Um I'm hoping um uh um that you'll consider this uh uh 4184 as a positive move because we're planning um uh uh around 55 homes of uh um that are affordable.

idea where we where this property is located we're immediately on the bluff above um makey lumber and if you've seen that big pellet uh I mean uh sawdust pile we're right above that um I'm hoping um uh um that you'll consider this uh uh 4184 as a positive move because we're planning um uh uh around 55 homes of uh um of that are affordable and and I know how important that is because we're right in that area um but um we also have ties that go back to all of us when we were born we haven't moved we're all in the same area that's being annexed and and we've found over the years that the best way to preserve a neighborhood is with single single family homes and and we certainly have an allegiance to the Fife school district we want everything to stay the same and be good stewards of the land so thank you for your consideration thank you for your for your testimony all right and with that uh we're moving on to our virtual speakers and that is Thomas um me should follow by Jason Smearer and a reminder that this is only pertaining to the public hearing about the annexation Tom Hello I want to put it on the record right now that I am 100 percent for this is the greatest thing that's happened to five heights in a long time for a lot of reasons let's face it we're all despint the city of destiny right well where's Tacoma gonna get any more than what they're looking at right now.

It's real and I would urge you all to vote yes I just want to make sure of one thing a good man long-term resident proud Tacoma citizen came to his final call by flowers unfortunate the struggle for annexation it's how you got your map the original map where my house is included I would urge you to go ahead and and take a hard look at what Tacoma wants because you should want a little bit more and uh we'll be looking uh at the process as it goes forward and this is the future those are my comments.

Thank you Tom our final speaker is Mr.

Jason Smearer thank you for your patience thank you uh mayor and council uh my name is Jason Smear and myself and my wife are both teachers have two adolescent children we are uh property owners within the proposed annexation area um the only one that isn't a high bird okay love the highbirds but um we have submitted I submitted comments earlier today I'm not part of the development group and I'm trying to understand how my property is to be included particularly particularly with the respect to zoning and how sewer related costs may be handled but appreciate clarification on whether in the future because I appreciate you guys uh laying some things out there uh a little bit ago um on whether local improvement districts for late or a latecomers agreement is being considered and how properties like mine may be affected as this is a potentially large impact on our finances thank you thank you Jason right with that those are all the people who've signed in we're gonna close the public hearing portion and move on to the motion before us for consideration and do uh quick question mayor yes you have a question uh thank you thank you mayor just uh based on some of the comments I've heard um during the process Wesley I know there's going to be a cost benefit analysis and things of that nature is that also gonna be um that kind of information my concerns over uh potential impacts to property owners is that going to be made available to uh members of the annexation area as well yeah absolutely great thank you so much thank you mayor um I can I move that the city council accept the property owners application for the proposed annexation of the 10 parcels located in the Five Heights potential annexation area with the conditions that a comprehensive plan amendment be adopted before final annexation approval and the annexation area must assume all or a portion of the city's existing indebtedness.

Seeing none, City Manager, do you have a report this evening?

Just a quick report.

Mayor Ipson, Deputy Mayor and members of Council, thank you very much for this opportunity.

I am happy to report that starting tomorrow, April 29th, navigating the Tacoma municipal code will be easier for the community and staff, as the code has been converted to a fully web-based platform that will make local laws more accessible.

Key features include an intuitive search function, quick navigation, easy sharing and saving, and integrated language access and training materials.

My script, Mayor Ibsen, has a call out to our principal staff that have led this program.

But I want to lead with our City Clerk, Nicole Emory, who led this effort.

Thanking them as well and all of the departments that have worked under the City Attorney's Office on making this possible today.

Small wins, big wins.

Thank you very much.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Nothing works without the clerks.

Okay.

Thank you, City Manager.

Moving on to comments and committee reports of the City Council.

I would like to call on Chair Diaz from the Economic Development Committee.

Thank you, Mayor.

The Economic Development Committee has met twice since our last report out.

On April 14th, staff from the Workforce Central presented a labor market analysis and briefed the committee on their 2026 priorities and impact.

This year's workforce central update differed from years past as Katie Condit and her team focused on the Tacoma specific data instead of countywide trends and patterns.

Council Member Scott then presented a draft of her council contingency fund request to sponsor a Tacoma Film Festival Film Task Force, which Council discussed during today's study session.

EDC met earlier today, April 28th, and the committee had its first briefing from the World Trade Center Tacoma since 2022.

A World Trade Center Tacoma update was particularly timely this year, as their work developing international business throughout the region is currently navigating economic disruptions stemming from tariff policies and global conflicts.

Staff also briefly updated the Committee on Wai Jamaya's return to Tacoma, summarizing the work CED has done over the past ten years to get to where we are today and what we can expect in the upcoming year as a Wajamaya gets settled back into Tacoma.

EDC meets again on May 12th when CED will provide a quarterly update on the Department strategy and high-level metrics and get caught up on the ongoing arts and cultural vitality strategic plan refresh.

Mayor, this concludes my report.

Thank you, Chair Diaz.

Are there any other council comments?

Councilmember Sidalgan.

Thank you, Mayor.

I wanted to make some comments about something we did earlier today.

So today, Mayor Ibsen, Councilmember Diaz, Councilmember Palmer, and I stood in solidarity with scores of community leaders and Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown in front of the Northwest Immigration Processing Center as they announced legal action against the GEO Group, the private company that owns and operates it.

Unfortunately, litigation against geo group is not new.

This action asked the court to order the geo group to allow inspectors from the State Department of Health into the immigration detention facility to ensure it is respecting court orders and follow state law and to investigate the more than 3,050 complaints about detainees about conditions in the facility.

As a background, in 2023, Washington State passed uh House Bill 1470 setting basic health and safety standards for private detention facilities and allowing the Department of Health, the State Department of Health, to conduct unannounced health and safety inspections to these facilities.

GEO Group has been attempting to defy this law ever since.

Initially, a federal judge blocked many of the provisions of this law from taking effect, but in August of 2025, the Ninth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that blocked House Bill 1410 1470 and its amendment uh amended House Bill uh 1232 from taking effect.

And in March of this year of 2026, it issued a order that formally lifted that injunction.

That order meant the GEO group, like all private detention facilities was now subject to Washington's health and safety standards, and DOH was allowed to inspect GEO's Tacoma facility.

However, in defiance of that, uh Geo Group continue to refuse um inspectors to access the facility most recently on April 20th.

For me personally, it is ridiculous that the state must sue to try to force Geo Group to respect a clear court decision.

I and I believe the rest of the council agree with Nick Brown who said, and I quote, the fact that Geo Group resists basic health and safety inspection and refuses to follow the law should trouble all Washingtonians.

Geo Group is not above the law.

They must allow health inspectors to inspect the Tacoma facility, end quote.

Lastly, I also want to recognize that we sit on a council that has been concerned about this issue for well over a decade.

Uh from uh former mayor um Marilyn Strickland, and I believe you, Mayor, when you were uh council member to various of the council members, uh we have been working uh hard to to try to regulate this.

Um and it's also uh shown itself by unanimous decisions both uh in in every year that I've been a council member around uh reaffirming the rights of immigrants and refugees.

But today I also want to recognize the work of my uh specifically recognize the work of my colleague, Councilmember Walker, who's done um a lot of this really from the start of her tenure.

Uh and I know this because when I was uh new and and appointed here, I got a lot of questions about um the Northwest Immigration Processing Center.

And she really um sat down and shared a lot of the information that the council has been working on that she herself had worked on at uh at the state level and quite frankly helped me at an early stage in in my um um uh uh uh life as an elected official when I felt a little helpless.

Um so it is because of elected officials like Councilmember Walker, the rest of us, and community leaders that we are here where we are, and I just wanted to say thank you.

Yes, thank you for your leadership on these issues, uh, Councilmember Sidalga.

Deputy Mayor?

I'll wait for Councilman Walker.

Okay, Councilmember Walker.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Sidalge for um all of that background and the compliments.

Um I wanted to give a really quick update on Sound Transit, um, as I know it's a topic that everyone's been tracking closely, and this body sent a letter to Sound Transit um uh regarding our enterprise initiative.

Um we uh Sound Transit board members did a town hall yesterday in Pierce County.

We had over 200 people there.

Um it was a great event.

Thank you to Tacoma on the Go and Transportation Choices Coalition.

Great discussion about the possibilities and how we're addressing the issues.

Happy to share that with folks.

We don't think it was recorded, so I can't direct you to that, but um did want to give a shout out to the folks that organized that um at UWT.

Um but the the big um news that I want to make sure everyone knows is that we'll be getting a proposal on May 7th at our executive committee, and then we'll have something to react to.

So I will be bringing that to the council so that you all know.

Um but a big thanks to all of our um uh partner jurisdictions, um of course Pierce County, um, but also every jurisdiction along the line has sent a letter to Sound Transit to say get Tacoma Dome link extension to Tacoma.

Um so very exciting.

And then unrelated, um, but but maybe even more exciting at the moment is um we approved on Thursday at our board meeting the Tacoma Dome Access Improvements.

And this is 23 million dollars that will be invested in Tacoma now.

Um there's still some work that has to be done around the contract signing and staff is working that through.

So we'll do a big um press release and and release of all of this when that happens.

But you all saw the draft project list uh when Sound Transit came to study session, and very excited to be able to bring those um improvements.

It's it's no small investment, 23 million dollars in the Tacoma Dome area, and those investments can start now.

Um we don't have to wait for light rail.

Um and they are all designed to be light rail ready as soon as light rail does get here.

So very exciting progress forward at Sound Transit.

Thank you, Councilmember Walker, Deputy Mayor.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um I just wanted to uh two things.

First, just super kudos to the clerk's office and everybody for the Herculine effort.

Um I know um digitizing and getting all that online is not no easy task.

Um it might seem simple, but it also I think it's gonna pay some significant dividends uh for for the members of our community.

Um and you know it's it's it's 2026, but it these things uh you know uh are just it's so monumental that had to have everything online and easily searchable.

Um so just really kudos to that.

Um and then just secondarily, uh, we're at the end of April um in um uh for the Cambodian community.

This was our uh Cambodian New Year's uh uh Khmai New Year's, uh but also for our Thai Laos and other Southeast Asian communities.

Uh I just want to say that there were events up and down the Puget Sound, and I saw many of you at at those events, as well as others around the community.

Um and just on behalf of the Cambodian community generally and members of the public that that attended those events, just we we see it, we appreciate it, and just thank you so much for for uh showing up to those things that the visibility is so important to us.

Um and um, you know, we had an opportunity to uh do the Cambodian Genocide Proclamation here earlier on this month, and it's just um it uh a lot of the young people I've talked to just really um it's been really impactful.

And so I just wanted to didn't want to leave April without just mentioning that and and just really thanking uh everybody in the community for all the support for our Cambodian community as well as our other Southeast Asian um members of our community.

Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Any other council comments?

All right, seeing none, is there a motion to adjourn?

Move to adjourn.

Second.

Move and second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed to say no, we are adjourned.

Good night.