OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Study Session - June 16, 2026

City Council Study Session — Tuesday, June 16, 2026
BodyTacoma, Washington
SessionCity Council Study Session
DateTuesday, June 16, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:31
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

I'd like to call to order the city council study session of June 16th, 2026.

0:04

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

0:05

Deputy Mayor Bushnell?

0:07

Present.

0:07

Councilmember Diaz.

0:08

Here.

0:09

Councilmember Hines.

0:10

Councilmember Palmer.

0:12

Councilmember Rumbaugh.

0:13

Here.

0:13

Councilmember Sidalgay.

0:15

Here.

0:15

Councilmember Scott.

0:16

Councilmember Walker.

0:18

Is absent.

0:19

And Mayor Ibsen is absent.

0:21

All right.

0:22

Thank you very much.

0:23

We have a very short meeting today.

0:25

Our first meeting is under other items of interest, and I will call on Councilmember Palmer for the rental housing consideration request.

0:35

Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor.

0:37

So as someone who has personally dealt with housing insecurity and has had both caring and difficult landlords and heard from many residents dealing with safety concerns in their rental units.

0:48

It is clear to me that something is broken and needs to be fixed.

0:52

I care deeply about the well-being of our tenants and those who work hard to provide them with dignified housing.

0:58

We have to do all we can to set them up for success, or we become part of the housing crisis.

1:04

I hope the research and thought I have put into creating this proposal are seen as evidence of my commitment to this work.

1:11

I fully plan to advance this work as soon as possible, but we all know democracy is sometimes messy, and that's why we love her.

1:19

And I need to take uh some additional time to work through the best way forward.

1:23

So at this time I won't need any kind of comments or feedback from council yet today.

1:28

So uh, but I do look forward to future discussions.

1:32

Thanks.

1:33

Great.

1:33

Thank you, Councilmember Palmer.

1:35

Um, Councilmember Scott.

1:36

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

1:37

I just wanted to say a brief thank you for putting in the work and being committed to um, you know, a topic that I know that you're passionate about.

1:45

So thank you.

1:47

All right.

1:48

Um, I just want to ditter that.

1:50

Thank you so much for for looking at this.

1:52

And uh it's out, you know, I know you're very passionate about it and and uh you want to take in everybody's feedback on these issues, and I know it's sometimes it takes time.

2:00

Um so really appreciate your leadership on this, and uh hopefully we'll have some good conversations in the near future.

2:06

Thank you so much.

2:07

All right, uh any other final council questions or comments on that.

2:10

Seeing that, we're gonna move on to committee reports.

2:14

Do we have any committee reports at this time?

2:17

Uh seeing none, we're moving on to item number two, agenda review and city manager's weekly report.

2:21

I'd like to call on Deputy City Manager Alison Griffith to begin the presentation.

2:25

Thank you, Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Council for your information for tonight's meeting.

2:31

You have three ceremonials on tonight's agenda.

2:33

The first is proclaiming Friday, June 19th as Juneteenth.

2:38

The second is proclaiming Saturday, June 20th, 2026 as World Refugee Day, and there is a presentation of the 2025 Washdot Federal Highway Administration Excellence Award for the Best City Project.

2:53

There are no modifications to tonight's agenda.

2:55

There's one opportunity for public comment this evening under public comment.

3:00

Please let us know if there's any questions on tonight's agenda so that we can be prepared and for your review attached to the study session agenda to the weekly report.

3:08

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

3:09

Thank you, Deputy City Manager.

3:11

Any questions for the Deputy City Manager?

3:15

Alright, seeing none.

3:16

Uh next we are moving on to uh a closed session.

3:20

Are we doing executive and closed or you're doing both, Deputy Mayor?

3:24

Got it.

3:25

Okay, I will entertain a motion to convene to an executive session pursuant to RCW 42.30.110 per in one permit I to discuss pending litigation not to exceed 15 minutes.

3:34

So moved.

3:35

Second.

3:35

It's been moved and seconded.

3:36

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

3:39

Aye.

3:39

Any opposed?

3:41

Hearing none.

3:42

The motion is passed.

3:44

Uh next, I will uh entertain a motion to convene to a closed session pursuant to RCW 42.30.140, print four, print A and B to discuss labor strategy not to exceed 30 minutes.

3:56

So moved.

3:56

Second.

3:57

It's been moved and seconded.

3:58

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

4:00

Aye.

4:00

Any opposed?

4:01

Hearing none.

4:02

The motion passes.

4:03

Uh so after the executive session, we'll be doing a closed session.

4:08

Uh, but we will close out the meeting after the executive.

4:11

All right.

4:11

Uh, we stand in recess.

4:13

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████72%
Pending Litigation███████████17%
Personnel Matters███████11%
Summary of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Study Session - June 16, 2026

The Tacoma City Council held a study session on June 16, 2026, at 8:00 PM. Deputy Mayor Bushnell presided in the absence of Mayor Ibsen. The meeting included a rental housing consideration request, an agenda review with three ceremonial items, and motions to convene closed sessions for pending litigation and labor strategy. No public comments were heard, and no substantive votes were taken on policy items.

Rental Housing Consideration Request

  • Councilmember Palmer presented a proposal regarding rental housing, citing personal experience with housing insecurity and a desire to address safety concerns in rental units. Palmer stated that additional time is needed to refine the approach and did not request comments or feedback at this time.
  • Councilmember Scott and Deputy Mayor Bushnell thanked Palmer for their commitment and leadership on the issue.

Agenda Review and City Manager's Weekly Report

  • Deputy City Manager Alison Griffith reported three ceremonial items for the meeting agenda: a proclamation declaring June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth; a proclamation declaring June 20, 2026, as World Refugee Day; and a presentation of the 2025 WSDOT Federal Highway Administration Excellence Award for the Best City Project.
  • No modifications were made to the agenda, and one opportunity for public comment was noted but not utilized.

Key Outcomes

  • No items were added or removed from the agenda.
  • The council unanimously approved a motion to convene into executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) to discuss pending litigation, not to exceed 15 minutes.
  • The council unanimously approved a motion to convene into closed session under RCW 42.30.140(4)(a) and (b) to discuss labor strategy, not to exceed 30 minutes.
  • The meeting recessed after the closed sessions.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call to order the city council study session of June 16th, 2026. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Deputy Mayor Bushnell? Present. Councilmember Diaz. Here. Councilmember Hines. Councilmember Palmer. Councilmember Rumbaugh. Here. Councilmember Sidalgay. Here. Councilmember Scott. Councilmember Walker. Is absent. And Mayor Ibsen is absent. All right. Thank you very much. We have a very short meeting today. Our first meeting is under other items of interest, and I will call on Councilmember Palmer for the rental housing consideration request. Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor. So as someone who has personally dealt with housing insecurity and has had both caring and difficult landlords and heard from many residents dealing with safety concerns in their rental units. It is clear to me that something is broken and needs to be fixed. I care deeply about the well-being of our tenants and those who work hard to provide them with dignified housing. We have to do all we can to set them up for success, or we become part of the housing crisis. I hope the research and thought I have put into creating this proposal are seen as evidence of my commitment to this work. I fully plan to advance this work as soon as possible, but we all know democracy is sometimes messy, and that's why we love her. And I need to take uh some additional time to work through the best way forward. So at this time I won't need any kind of comments or feedback from council yet today. So uh, but I do look forward to future discussions. Thanks. Great. Thank you, Councilmember Palmer. Um, Councilmember Scott. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. I just wanted to say a brief thank you for putting in the work and being committed to um, you know, a topic that I know that you're passionate about. So thank you. All right. Um, I just want to ditter that. Thank you so much for for looking at this. And uh it's out, you know, I know you're very passionate about it and and uh you want to take in everybody's feedback on these issues, and I know it's sometimes it takes time. Um so really appreciate your leadership on this, and uh hopefully we'll have some good conversations in the near future. Thank you so much. All right, uh any other final council questions or comments on that. Seeing that, we're gonna move on to committee reports. Do we have any committee reports at this time? Uh seeing none, we're moving on to item number two, agenda review and city manager's weekly report. I'd like to call on Deputy City Manager Alison Griffith to begin the presentation. Thank you, Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Council for your information for tonight's meeting. You have three ceremonials on tonight's agenda.

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