Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - June 4, 2024
Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - June 4, 2024
The Yakima City Council held its regular meeting on June 4, 2024, at City Hall. The meeting was called to order at 5:38 p.m. due to technical difficulties, with Mayor Patricia Byers arriving at 6:01 p.m. The agenda included public comments regarding the recent decision not to pass a Pride Month proclamation, a discussion on the City Manager selection process, and approval of several consent and department items. The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the following items by a 7-0 roll call vote:
- City Council minutes from May 21, 2024 regular meeting and May 28, 2024 study session.
- 2024 1st Quarter Financial Update.
- Project Completion and Contract Acceptance with CP Mechanical LLC for YPD Chiller Replacement Project 2607.
- Resolution R-2024-102 setting a June 18, 2024 hearing to review and adopt the Six-year Transportation Improvement Program and Capital Facilities Element (2025-2030).
- Resolution R-2024-103 setting a June 25, 2024 public hearing to declare surplus property rights and dispose to Yakima Housing Authority.
- Resolution R-2024-104 authorizing sole source purchase of an Ion Chromatograph from Metrohm USA, Inc. for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Laboratory.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Rhonda Hauff (CEO, Yakima Neighborhood Health Services) invited the community to the Pride Festival on Saturday at Central Washington State Park and highlighted health disparities facing LGBTQ individuals.
- Heath Lambe (City resident) expressed profound disappointment over the council’s decision not to approve a Pride Month proclamation, citing statistics on LGBTQ population and arguing it sends a disheartening message and is bad for business.
- Phil Dindia (City resident) urged the council to stand with LGBTQ people, referencing Christian and national heritage of equality.
- Tim Janke (retired Yakima resident) warned that the 5-2 vote against Pride could lead to an economic boycott, putting business and tourism at risk.
- Julie Buse (City resident) shared her personal experience of acceptance in Yakima and asked the council to attend Pride and get to know the community before judging.
- Jeanna Hernandez (Yakima resident) thanked the council for incorporating public input into the HUD CAPER report and for community involvement.
- Toni Ballard (County resident) called the council courageous for their decision on the proclamation, describing Pride Month as a divisive social construct, and urged focus on other issues like homelessness and beautification.
- Tony Courcy (City resident) made remarks on various matters, including public safety and grant processes.
- Corey Gibson (County resident) stated the vote against the proclamation is not anti-gay, but rather an opportunity to unite under one flag as Americans, and expressed that the LGBTQ movement has become divisive.
Discussion Items
- City Manager Selection Process – Director of Human Resources Connie Mendoza briefed the council on next steps. The council discussed how to narrow the seven semifinalist candidates (one had been hired elsewhere) to finalists. They agreed to hold initial screening interviews via Zoom on June 17, 2024 from noon to 5:00 p.m. in executive session. The top candidates (likely three to four) would then be invited to a public meet-and-greet and final in-person interviews on July 1-2, 2024. The council emphasized treating all candidates equally and gathering community input after narrowing the list. Consensus was reached without a formal motion.
- Resolution R-2024-105 – City Engineer Bill Preston presented a resolution to appoint the City Engineer as an authorized signor of Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) documents required for obligation of awarded funds. The resolution was adopted 7-0 after a motion by Brown and second by Berg.
- Resolution R-2024-106 – Director Mendoza presented a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 760 representing the Public Works Division Managers Unit for January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2027. The resolution was adopted 7-0 after a motion by Deccio and second by Brown. During discussion, Councilmember Herrera asked about pay differentials for bilingual skills (writing Spanish worth 2%, speaking worth 3%), which was explained as negotiated.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda – Approved 7-0.
- Resolution R-2024-105 – Adopted 7-0.
- Resolution R-2024-106 – Adopted 7-0.
- City Manager Selection Process – Consensus reached to hold initial Zoom interviews on June 17, 2024 (noon-5 p.m.), and public meet-and-greet and final interviews on July 1-2, 2024.
- Motion by Berg – Directed staff to add a discussion on forming a financial advisory committee to the next business meeting. Passed unanimously (7-0).
- Motion by Brown – Directed staff to add to a business meeting in July a summary of the Grants Pass, Oregon court case decision and potential actionable steps for the council. Passed unanimously (7-0).
- AWC Delegates – The council identified Councilmember Glenn (in-person) and Assistant Mayor Brown and Councilmember Roy (via Zoom) as delegates, with Interim City Manager Zabell as an alternate for the June 20 Association of Washington Cities business meeting.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good evening. This is the uh City Council meeting for June 4th. Uh roll call, please. Bird? Here. Brown. Here. Byers is absent. DCL. Councilmember DCL. Here. Glenn. Here. Herrera. Here. Roy. Here. All right. Uh stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Ready to begin. I pleased allegiance to the United States of America. Thank you to the Republic. One nation of America. All right. Next up is interpretive services. Uh necessita lay on interpreted the number of radio disponible. Thank you. All right, next on our agenda is public comment. Uh, if you are interested in doing public comment, there is a form in the back, and you could please bring it up to the clerk up front. Uh, you have two and a half minutes per speaker. Uh and first up is uh Rhonda Hoff Good afternoon, Council. Rhonda Hoff, CEO of Yakima Neighborhood Health Services. I live and work in the City of Yacoma. And on behalf of the Board of Directors of Yakima Neighborhood Health Services, we'd like to invite the community to join us this Saturday for the Pride Festival at Central Washington State Park. For the last several years, Neighborhood Health has been a sponsor of the Pride Festival, and this year we're being joined in sponsorship by the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange. Health disparities among the LGBTQ individuals are significant, reflecting broad social inequalities. LGBTQ people often face barriers to health care access, including discrimination, lack of culturally competent services, and insurance gaps. These barriers contribute to higher rates of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and suicide. Gay individuals are at increased risk for physical health conditions, substance abuse, and certain cancers. Addressing disparities requires creating a welcoming environment from communities and organizations. Several years ago, with the help from our partners, we opened the space, our LGBTQ Youth Resource Center, and since then have helped hundreds of youth and their allies into services, including health care, housing, education, and vocational services. By fostering an inclusive and equitable environment, we can begin to close the health and equity gap and ensure all individuals receive the care they deserve. Please join us this Saturday at the Pride Festival. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up is uh Heath Lamb. Good evening, Council.
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