Yakima City Council Study Session, November 12, 2024

The Yakima City Council met in a study session on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:06 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima, Washington. The meeting was conducted in person and remotely. The agenda included public comment, a Yakima Health District presentation on the Harm Reduction Program, a Yakima Police Department presentation on 2024 drug trends, and discussion and action on Main Street tax credit funding for downtown lighting. The Council approved one resolution, R-2024-202, on a 7-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Carina Cuevas and Yanilett Posos, Heritage University nursing students, expressed support for the Harm Reduction Program. Posos called the program necessary and life-changing and said supporting it is a choice for compassion over stigma. Cuevas described harm reduction as a public health strategy that meets people where they are, reduces overdose risks, and helps people engage with health care and recovery.

Presentation: Yakima Health District - Harm Reduction Program

• Presenters: Executive Director Andre Fresco, Health Officer Dr. Neil Barg, and Disease Control Director Melissa Sixberry. The program began in 1993 and includes a one-for-one syringe exchange, naloxone/Narcan distribution, STI testing and treatment, wound care, vaccines, hygiene supplies, and referrals for housing, treatment, and health care.
• Key statistics cited: more than 3,200 doses of Narcan distributed this year between the Yakima and Toppenish sites; more than 500 overdose reversals in Yakima this year; syringe exchange declined from about 300,000 to about 70,000 per year; 40 hepatitis A vaccines administered during a past outbreak; 54 referrals at the Yakima site and 40 scheduled at the Toppenish site since March, with 11 entering treatment and one known to have completed treatment; and Yakima County has the lowest mean HIV viral load in Washington state.
• Presenters said the program is funded with state dollars, not city or county dollars, and costs roughly $60,000-$70,000. They said the one-for-one exchange keeps dirty needles off streets, and that removing the program would increase discarded needles, disease spread, and hospital costs.
• Councilmember Berg noted conflicting figures from a prior meeting: she recalled 54 referrals and roughly $54,000 in annual state funding. Presenters clarified that 54 was the Yakima referral number, 40 was the Toppenish number, and funding comes from multiple grants, including a Department of Ecology grant.
• Councilmembers asked about success metrics, syringe tracking, liability, and participant information. Councilmember Herrera said he was totally in favor of the program. Councilmember Brown described encountering people using metal detectors to pick up needles at Little League fields and said constituents ask how to stop it, but also praised the decline from 300,000 to 70,000 syringes. The Council did not take action on the program.

Presentation: Yakima Police Department - Drug Trends in Yakima 2024

• Detective Erik Horbatko, a 21-year law enforcement veteran assigned to a drug task force, presented on fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
• Fentanyl: appeared in Yakima in fall 2017 as counterfeit M/30 oxycodone pills initially costing $25-$30 each with users taking about one pill a day; now users take 25-30 pills a day at 75 cents to $1 per pill. Powder fentanyl is increasingly present and sells for about $100 per gram.
• Methamphetamine: prices have dropped from $8,000-$10,000 per pound to about $1,000-$1,200 per pound. Cocaine: prices have fallen to about $17,000 per kilogram, with increasing use among 16-to-24-year-olds.
• Horbatko said street heroin has largely disappeared, needles are rarely encountered, and most use now involves smoking drugs on foil. He described controlled substance homicide investigations and said his unit is self-funded through seized assets.
• Councilmembers expressed strong support for enforcement. One councilmember said 90% of the city's homelessness and crime relates to drugs, and that he was 100% in favor of helping enforcement succeed. Horbatko called for stiffer penalties and said repeat traffickers are not being held accountable by judges. No formal action was taken.

Discussion and Action: Main Street Tax Credit and Downtown Association of Yakima

• City Manager Vicki Baker said the city had access to an additional $120,000 Main Street tax credit, with a November 15 application deadline, requiring a scope of work and an agreement with the Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY).
• DAY Executive Director Curt Wilson said the funds would be used for downtown lighting to enhance the area and improve public safety through CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design). Potential work includes lighting assessments, alley and Yakima Avenue lighting, tree lighting, and seasonal lighting, possibly in a phased approach from First to Fifth Street, with attention to maintenance and tamper-resistant electrical boxes.
• City Attorney Sara Watkins explained that the amendment extends the existing Main Street tax credit contract through the end of 2025 or until the funds are expended, whichever is later, with all other terms unchanged.
• Councilmember Deccio moved and Councilmember Brown seconded to accept the amendment. The motion carried 7-0 by roll call, adopting Resolution R-2024-202.

Key Outcomes

• The Council received information on the Harm Reduction Program and Yakima drug trends; no action was taken on either presentation.
• The Council approved Resolution R-2024-202, amending the Yakima Downtown Development and Promotion Agreement, City Contract No. 2024-163, on a 7-0 vote.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:06 p.m. The next regular City Council meeting was scheduled for November 19, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers.