OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - October 1, 2024

City Council — Tuesday, October 1, 2024
BodyYakima, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 1, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:20:31

Transcript — Verbatim
0:13

Good evening.

0:14

I'm going to reconvene the Yakima City Council meeting for October 1st, 2024.

0:18

We'll have a roll call, please.

0:21

Berg.

0:23

Brown.

0:24

Here.

0:24

Byers.

0:25

Present.

0:26

Glenn.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Herrera.

0:28

Here.

0:29

Roy.

0:29

Here.

0:30

DCO is absent.

0:32

Thank you.

0:33

Please stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:38

Thank you again.

0:39

I pledge allegiance.

0:55

Next on the agenda is our interpreter services.

1:00

Good of a friend.

1:10

Thank you.

1:12

Next on the agenda is public comment.

1:14

There'll be 35 minutes allowed for public comment tonight.

1:17

Each person will be allowed two and a half minutes.

1:19

When I call your name and you come to the microphone, please identify the city in which you live.

1:25

Thank you.

1:25

We will start with Steve Hill.

1:35

I got you.

1:36

I live in the city of Yakima.

1:38

Good evening, Council members.

1:41

My name is Steve Hill, and I am currently the chair of the Yakima County Homeless Network.

1:47

Our organization is comprised of three groups of people, three large groups of partners, community members from all sectors of your community.

2:01

Healthcare providers, treatment providers.

2:06

We're here tonight because we were quite surprised, dumbfounded, when we heard that you had enacted soda.

2:15

Stay out of drug areas.

2:18

The following week we had our monthly meeting, and I asked our members, the 15 that were present, if any of them had been contacted by City prior to enacting this.

2:31

No one had.

2:32

So we thought, well, maybe there's um some information that you might be missing.

2:38

And so we're here today to deliver to you a letter asking for a meeting between council and network members, health care providers, and service providers.

2:51

Thank you.

2:52

Thank you, Mr.

2:53

Hill.

2:54

Do I do next to you?

3:00

Next is Tony Sandoval.

3:09

Hi, Mayor, Council.

3:11

My name is Tony Sandoval, and I live in uh District 3 by the college.

3:16

I'm here to talk a little bit about crime.

3:20

Um I uh reviewed that towards the end of the last council meeting, and uh you guys covered public defendants for indigenous individuals.

3:30

Um I think they could afford to get charged a little bit.

3:34

I mean uh I mean that I'm just gonna throw ideas out there, even 20 dollars or something that or $10 to pay towards um their own defense would I think deter them from thinking about committing the same crime again and the way Cynthia um presented there's some individuals that commit crime just once and minor crime uh and usually they come up with a uh something that so they don't have to go to court.

4:06

So we uh we need to stop coddling coddling these individuals and saying they don't they can't afford it.

4:13

Um when I had my business, I used to go to different homes outside it, not inside the house, but outside, and uh you'd be surprised what the what could they what could they afford.

4:23

Uh so I don't think um uh enough investigation is done for these individuals whether they could afford to uh pay towards uh uh their own defense.

4:35

So we we the taxpayers shouldn't be uh left with bill.

4:40

Uh and um Mr.

4:42

Brown, I think uh you you mentioned that the it affects the people of Yakima, so we we have to rally the people of Yakima behind you guys.

4:53

You guys can't do it alone.

4:54

You guys are representative, you guys are like family members where you talk to a family member, it goes one year and not the other year.

5:00

You got to get the rest of this community behind uh to say that that it's enough of of what's happening.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████14%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████14%
Substance Use Disorder█████████9%
Public Health█████████9%
Budget Equity Analysis█████████9%
Public Safety███████7%
Land Use Planning██████6%
Public Engagement█████5%
Public Transportation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - October 1, 2024

The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on October 1, 2024, at City Hall. The meeting included extensive public comment on the needle exchange program, a public hearing on a right-of-way vacation, approval of several resolutions, a preliminary budget presentation showing significant deficits, and council decisions on parking, rail service support, and future needle exchange regulations.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from September 17, 2024, regular meeting.
  • Set November 4, 2024, as the date for open record public hearings on Comprehensive Plan Amendments & Rezones for parcels at 2000 block Viola Ave/Simpson Ln, 7500 W Nob Hill Blvd, and 8603/8604 Ahtanum Rd.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2024-175 accepting the 2nd Quarter 2024 Claim Report.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2024-176 ratifying Change Order 7 with Apollo Inc for N 1st Street Phase 3 Project.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2024-177 authorizing contract with Knobel's Electric Inc for N 2nd Street & Staff Sgt. Pendleton Way Sidewalk Replacement.
  • (Items H and I were removed from consent and approved separately; see below)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Steve Hill (Chair, Yakima County Homeless Network) requested a meeting with Council and service providers regarding SODA areas.
  • Tony Sandoval (City resident) suggested indigent defendants pay minimal costs toward their defense.
  • Mr. Tim (City resident) complained about lack of response to neighborhood issues and loose gravel on streets without signs.
  • Jeanna Hernandez (City resident) urged a moratorium on right-of-way vacations that lack long-term economic development benefits.
  • Angelica Cisneros, Jocelyn Castro, Salma Zuazo (Heritage University nursing students) spoke in support of the needle exchange program, citing public health benefits, reduction of infectious diseases, and increased access to treatment.
  • Dr. Sheila Credit (South Central Chapter WA Academy of Family Physicians) read a statement in strong opposition to closing needle exchange, emphasizing evidence-based harm reduction.
  • Dr. Andrés Calvillo (physician) presented a letter with over 40 signatories supporting the syringe service program.
  • Meghan Tweedy (City resident) urged support for syringe service programs as a gateway to treatment, referencing the overdose crisis.
  • Dr. Noah Levine (HIV specialist) spoke in favor of maintaining the needle exchange to prevent HIV and hepatitis C, noting high treatment costs.
  • LaWanda Hatch (Franklin County resident) opposed the needle exchange, describing negative experiences in Franklin County including needles in public places and business closures.
  • Victor Lombardi (Moses Lake resident) posed questions about needle exchange effectiveness, crime, and liability.

Discussion Items

  • Aquatic Center at MLK Jr. Park Update (Item 5A): Parks and Rec Manager Ken Wilkinson reported parking lot complete, project anticipated for June 2025. Fundraising consultant Addy Logsdon noted total cash received $2,073,646, outstanding pledges $1.3 million, total construction cost ~$10.9 million, operating costs $250k-$300k annually.
  • Needle Exchange Program Discussion (Item 6A): Councilmember Berg opened discussion. Senior Assistant City Attorney Brooke Hargreaves explained that needle exchange programs are authorized by state statute and cannot be prohibited, but can be regulated. No other Washington cities regulate these programs. Lewis County recently passed regulation. Council requested a presentation from the Yakima County Health District on their program. Council member expressed concerns about 1.8% success rate into treatment and 99% of needles going to drug users (from health board meeting). After debate, council agreed to have health district present.
  • Public Hearing – Right-of-Way Vacation for N. 92nd Ave. (Item 8A): Senior Planner Eric Crowell presented staff recommendation to approve vacation of ~400 ft of unimproved right-of-way for Columbia Ridge Homes subdivision. Tom Durant (PLSA Surveying) spoke in favor, citing public benefit of replacing substandard road with improved streets. Neil Hauff, Michele Hauff, Marchal Tyler, and attorney Reed Pell opposed, arguing the road is a public easement used for 70 years, that improvements were built without proper engineering, and that the vacation essentially gives public land to developers. After discussion, a motion to close the public hearing and delay decision for two weeks carried 4-1 (Brown no; Berg absent during vote). Decision will be on October 15 agenda.
  • Purchase of Property at 10 North 9th Street (Item 9A): City Attorney Watkins briefed council on finalizing purchase of Chamber building property. Resolution R-2024-180 adopted 5-1 (Glenn no).
  • Nelson Dam Phase 2 Conveyance Improvements Contract (Item 9B): Water/Irrigation Manager Mike Shane presented $13.7 million contract with Interwest Construction. Resolution R-2024-181 adopted 6-0.
  • Perry Technical Institute Parking Agreement (Item 9C): Parks Manager Wilkinson and Perry Tech President Jason Lamiquiz presented temporary gravel parking on undeveloped Tahoma Cemetery land. Resolution R-2024-182 adopted 6-0.
  • Nuisance Activities in Downtown (Item 9D): City Attorney Watkins reported upcoming shopping cart ordinance and a stakeholder meeting on Greenway nuisance. Council requested update on Spokane sit/lie litigation.
  • 2025-2026 Preliminary Priority Based Budget (Item 9E): Finance Director Viren Mayani, Kimberly Domine, Jen Paxton, and City Manager Baker presented. Key points: 2025 General Fund deficit ~$7 million, 2026 deficit ~$9 million. Property tax levy rate decreased to $1.85 per $1,000 assessed value. CPI increases to street and park funds, unsettled collective bargaining, LEOFF 1 healthcare costs, and other factors contribute. City policy requires 16.7% reserve, but projections show inability to maintain it. Council will have detailed department presentations over next month.
  • City Manager Update (Item 10):
    • Council gave consensus to support All Aboard Washington's efforts to return passenger rail service.
    • Motion to direct staff to draft amendment raising public parking permit percentage from 40% to 50% passed unanimously.
    • Council accepted former City Manager Dick Zais's offer to volunteer on budget.
  • Other Business (Item 11):
    • Proclamation declaring October 12 as Sgt. Pendleton Day read and accepted for October 8 meeting (motion to suspend rules and accept proclamation passed unanimously).
    • Mayor Byers noted applications for Yakima County Health District Board due October 6.
    • Councilmember Glenn volunteered to attend USCIS Change of Command ceremony on October 9.
    • LTAC allocations will return for formal approval in December.
    • Motion to direct staff to bring ordinances regulating needle exchange programs back for discussion after health district presentation passed 5-1 (Herrera no).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda (excluding H and I) approved 6-0.
  • Resolutions H (Interlocal Agreement with Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue for Joint Training Academy) and I (OWV Grant for domestic violence prosecution) adopted 6-0.
  • Public hearing closed and decision on right-of-way vacation delayed two weeks (motion 4-1).
  • Purchase of property at 10 N 9th St approved 5-1.
  • Contract with Interwest Construction for Nelson Dam approved 6-0.
  • Lease agreement with Perry Technical Institute approved 6-0.
  • Directed staff to draft amendment increasing parking permits from 40% to 50% (unanimous).
  • Proclamation for Sgt. Pendleton Day accepted (unanimous after suspending rules).
  • Directed staff to bring needle exchange regulations to council after health district presentation (5-1).
  • Council consensus to support All Aboard Washington for passenger rail.
  • Council consensus to accept volunteer budget assistance from former City Manager Dick Zais.
  • Next meeting: City Council study session on October 8, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I'm going to reconvene the Yakima City Council meeting for October 1st, 2024. We'll have a roll call, please. Berg. Brown. Here. Byers. Present. Glenn. Here. Herrera. Here. Roy. Here. DCO is absent. Thank you. Please stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you again. I pledge allegiance. Next on the agenda is our interpreter services. Good of a friend. Thank you. Next on the agenda is public comment. There'll be 35 minutes allowed for public comment tonight. Each person will be allowed two and a half minutes. When I call your name and you come to the microphone, please identify the city in which you live. Thank you. We will start with Steve Hill. I got you. I live in the city of Yakima. Good evening, Council members. My name is Steve Hill, and I am currently the chair of the Yakima County Homeless Network. Our organization is comprised of three groups of people, three large groups of partners, community members from all sectors of your community. Healthcare providers, treatment providers. We're here tonight because we were quite surprised, dumbfounded, when we heard that you had enacted soda. Stay out of drug areas. The following week we had our monthly meeting, and I asked our members, the 15 that were present, if any of them had been contacted by City prior to enacting this. No one had. So we thought, well, maybe there's um some information that you might be missing. And so we're here today to deliver to you a letter asking for a meeting between council and network members, health care providers, and service providers. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hill. Do I do next to you? Next is Tony Sandoval. Hi, Mayor, Council. My name is Tony Sandoval, and I live in uh District 3 by the college. I'm here to talk a little bit about crime. Um I uh reviewed that towards the end of the last council meeting, and uh you guys covered public defendants for indigenous individuals. Um I think they could afford to get charged a little bit.

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