Tacoma City Council Meeting — September 22, 2026

The Tacoma City Council met at 5:00 PM on September 22, 2026, in Council Chambers at 747 Market Street, Tacoma, WA. The Council adopted the consent agenda, approved a proclamation, took action on labor agreements, passed one ordinance, and advanced three ordinances to final reading. No public commenters signed up. The agenda listed routine minutes filed with the City Clerk, but no minutes document was included in the source materials.

Agenda Modification

• The Council approved an amendment to Resolution No. 42030 (Teamsters Local 313 collective bargaining agreement) to correct transposed percentages in the original resolution. Staff stated the clerical error had no fiscal impact.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent calendar, including Resolutions 42024 through 42027.
• Resolution 42024: Authorized an amendment to the interlocal agreement with Pierce Transit clarifying ownership and maintenance responsibilities for improvements in the Commerce Street Corridor between South 9th and South 13th Streets.
• Resolution 42025: Authorized a quit claim deed to clear any City interest in the Gault Middle School property to Tacoma Public Schools No. 10.
• Payments from August 24 to September 6, 2026: $24,619,138.99 in payroll and $40,745,441.12 in payments, totaling $65,364,580.11.
• Resolution 42026: Awarded a contract to Western Peterbilt LLC, a division of Dobbs Heavy Duty Holdings LLC, for two roll-off trucks for solid waste, recycling, and yard waste collection, in the amount of $859,989.04 plus a 10 percent contingency, for a projected total of $945,987.94 plus taxes.
• Resolution 42027: Awarded a contract to Western Peterbilt LLC for three compressed natural gas side-loader trucks, in the amount of $1,745,598.03 plus a 10 percent contingency, for a projected total of $1,920,157.83 plus taxes.

Proclamation: Week Without Driving

• Mayor Ibsen proclaimed October 1–8, 2026, as Week Without Driving in Tacoma, noting that almost 30 percent of Washingtonians cannot or do not drive and encouraging residents to use transit, walk, roll, bike, or use ride-sharing and carpooling.
• Speakers from Tacoma on the Go, the Transportation Choices Coalition, and the Non-Drivers Alliance expressed support for the challenge, with one speaker noting that about one in four Washingtonians do not drive and urging continued investment in safe, connected walking, biking, and transit infrastructure.
• Tony Hester, a long-time participant, spoke in favor of the week as a way for elected leaders to experience the daily realities of transit users, including weather delays and ADA accessibility problems.
• Holden Ringer, representing Transportation Choices Coalition and organizer of the Grit City Gauntlet, applauded the Council, noted the 200-person, 20-mile walk held the previous weekend, and said a walk through a different part of Tacoma might have produced a different perception of the city.
• Councilmember Walker voiced strong support for the event, credited Anna Zeifertz with growing it into a national event, and challenged colleagues to ride the bus at least once during the week.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to comment, in person or online, so the Council closed the public comment period.

Purchase Resolutions

• Resolution 42028: Adopted, authorizing an increase of $1,532,165.16 to the contract with IMCO General Construction Inc. for the progressive design-build of the Puyallup Avenue Sewer Utility Replacement project, bringing the projected contract total to $8,628,585.76 plus taxes.
• Resolution 42029: Adopted, authorizing an increase of $2,400,000 to and extension of the contract with Print NW LLC through April 30, 2027, including ratification of $1,400,000 previously spent, for a projected contract total of $8,900,000 plus taxes.

Labor Agreements and Compensation Ordinances

• Resolution 42030: Adopted as amended, authorizing a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 313 covering approximately 143 full-time positions retroactive to January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. The agreement provides general wage increases and market rate adjustments: 3 percent and 2 percent in 2026; 3 percent and 3 percent in 2027; and 3 percent and 3.5 percent in 2028. It also adjusts the senior sewer worker step-one rate to $42.00 per hour, increases a lead-worker pay differential for solid waste collector drivers from 8 percent to 11 percent, adds a 4 percent backup lead differential, allows retired employees to contribute 25 percent of unused sick leave to a VEBA plan, and pays double time plus holiday pay for work on a non-working holiday.
• Resolution 42031: Adopted, authorizing a Letter of Agreement with Teamsters Local Union No. 117, Tacoma Venues and Events Unit, correcting the pay rate for maintenance chief assistants. Corrected rates apply retroactively from January 29, 2026, through January 1, 2028; overpayment recovery will begin after Council adoption.
• Ordinance 29118: Passed on roll call, amending the Compensation Plan to implement rates of pay and compensation for employees represented by Tacoma Police Union Local 6.
• Ordinance 29119: First reading held for the Teamsters Local 313 and Local 117 compensation plan amendments; set over for final reading.

Utility Tax and Business and Occupation Tax Ordinances

• Ordinance 29120: First reading held. The ordinance amends the Tax Code to increase utility tax rates from 6 percent to 7.5 percent effective January 1, 2027, implementing Proposition 1, approved by voters on August 4, 2026. Danielle Larson, Tax and License Division Manager, explained Proposition 1 authorizes an additional 1.5 percent utility tax on natural gas, power, and telephone services for 10 years. The measure was recommended by the Government Performance Finance Committee on September 15 and set over for final reading on October 6.
• Ordinance 29121: First reading held. The ordinance amends Chapter 6A.30 of the Municipal Code to update Business and Occupation Tax definitions as required by state law, including the retailing tax classification definition under the model ordinance. It adds clarifying language and certain exclusions, such as for staff services used by hospital-based clinical providers. It was set over for final reading on October 6.

City Manager Report

• The City Manager reported that he gave a mid-year work plan update to the Council’s Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee and would transmit it to the full Council this week.
• The City Manager announced that the Planning and Development Services Department was awarded a potential $70,000 state Department of Commerce grant for streamlining permitting under the missing middle pilot program. The funds will be programmed into the 2027–2028 budget for Council consideration.

Council Committee Reports and Comments

• The Community Vitality and Safety Committee chair reported on meetings held August 13, August 27, and September 10, covering briefings on the Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority, the Community Police Advisory Committee, the updated comprehensive emergency management plan, the Human Rights, Human Services, and Immigrant and Refugee Affairs commissions, and the Community Council of Tacoma. The committee also interviewed applicants for the Human Services Commission. Its next meeting is September 24 at 4:30 PM in Room 248 of the Tacoma Municipal Building.
• Councilmember Sidalga reported on a trip to Wuhan as Tacoma’s representative at an international friendship cities conference with attendees from 24 cities and five continents. He said the delegation signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding reaffirming Tacoma’s sister-city relationship with Wuhan, visited Wuhan University and its affiliated foreign language school, and discussed economic development, environmental conservation, and student exchanges. He presented the City with a statue of the Yangtze River finless dolphin and emphasized that local, person-to-person relationships matter when national leaders disagree. He also noted he was the only representative from the United States at the conference.
• Councilmember Walker promoted Move and Groove, an open streets event on Saturday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM between Charlotte Blueberry Park and Bernie Elementary, in partnership with Park Tacoma and Tacoma on the Go.
• Mayor Ibsen thanked volunteers and staff for a citywide cleanup that drew more than 100 volunteers across several dozen sites, and reminded the public that the September 29 Council meeting is rescheduled to Wednesday, September 30 at 6:00 PM (doors at 5:30 PM) at the Star Center in South Tacoma, District 5. The in-district meeting will include a brief business meeting, community forum, food, child care, and music.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar adopted, including Resolutions 42024, 42025, 42026, and 42027.
• Resolution 42030 amended and adopted; Resolution 42031 adopted.
• Ordinance 29118 passed on final reading.
• Ordinances 29119, 29120, and 29121 were read the first time and set over for final reading.
• No public testimony was received.
• The meeting adjourned after council reports.