Yakima City Council Study Session – December 17, 2024

The Yakima City Council held a study session on December 17, 2024, at 5:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included a proclamation, a resolution for affordable housing funding, adoption of the 2025-2026 biennial budget, and an extensive discussion with community service providers regarding the opioid epidemic. The council took votes on the resolution and the budget, and heard public comments.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rhonda Hauff, a city resident, invited the public to the annual Homeless Persons Memorial Day on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. at Millennium Plaza, to raise awareness and reflect on the struggles of the homeless community. She noted this is the 20th year the event has been held.
• Joe Daniels, a city resident, read religious passages from the Bible.
• Stephen Epperson, a Union Gap resident, inquired about his water utility bill, stating he is charged $24 for water but an additional $74 per month because he lives across the city line. The city manager agreed to follow up.

Alan Sillence Day Proclamation

• Councilmember Danny Herrera proclaimed December 23, 2024, as "Alan Sillence Day" in the City of Yakima. Alan Sillence, a local sports broadcaster with over 30 years of experience, accepted the proclamation and expressed gratitude, sharing his career journey and thanking community organizations.

Resolution for Casa de la Mora Affordable Housing

• Community Development Director Bill Preston presented Resolution R-2024-228, authorizing a contract with Catholic Charities Housing Services using HOME-ARP funds for construction of a 72-unit affordable housing project known as Casa de la Mora. The city allocated approximately $1.8 million in HOME-ARP funds, with $1.6 million for the project and about $180,000 for administration.
• Councilmember Janice Deccio recused herself due to her employment with Catholic Charities, which was approved by council consensus.
• The resolution passed 6-0 on a roll call vote (Deccio recused).

Ordinance Adopting 2025-2026 Biennial Budget

• City Manager Vicki Baker provided context: a statewide survey of 157 cities (57% response) found that 86% of cities are discussing budget and finances, and 61% are facing revenues not meeting expenditures, up from 32% in 2022. Yakima has experienced 20.1% inflation over the last three years. The proposed budget is not balanced for two years; it will be revisited in April 2025 with community input.
• Director of Finance Viren Mayani outlined corrective actions: adjusting reserves to 12%, reducing street operating funds by $1.6 million (moved to general fund), reducing police and fire overtime by $250,000 each per year, and reducing professional services. These changes brought the 2025 budget reserves to an estimated 15.8%, with 12% maintained to free up about 3.8% to reduce the deficit by approximately $3 million, all without new revenue.
• Councilmembers expressed appreciation to staff for the lengthy budget process. Councilmember Glenn noted the economic challenges faced by citizens and reluctance to increase taxes. Councilmember Byers highlighted plans for town halls and surveys in early 2025 to gather community priorities.
• Ordinance 2024-049 passed 7-0 on a roll call vote.

Discussion with Opioid Service Providers

• City Attorney Sara Watkins facilitated a roundtable discussion with medical providers and experts. Participants included: Dr. Gillian Zuckerman, Dr. Richard Repass, and Jon Schlenske (Comprehensive Healthcare); Dr. Jocelyn Pedrosa and Annette Rodriguez (Yakima Neighborhood Health Services); Cassidy Leslie (Triumph Treatment); Melissa Sixberry and Erica Ochoa (Yakima Health District); Megan Tweedy (community leader); and Dr. Caleb Banta-Green and Dr. Mandy Owens (University of Washington Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute).
• Megan Tweedy opened with an emotional plea to see people beyond their addiction, emphasizing that stigma reduces access to care and perpetuates the disease.
• Melissa Sixberry and Erica Ochoa (Yakima Health District) reported on harm reduction programs: they distributed over 1,000 naloxone doses through vending machines in Yakima and Toppenish; expanded harm reduction services to Toppenish in March 2024 in collaboration with Yakima Nation; and implemented an overdose detection mapping application (OD Map) to track overdoses in real time. They noted a spike of six overdoses in a single day in October 2024 as a trigger for alerts.
• Cassidy Leslie (Triumph Treatment) described services including intensive inpatient programs (28-day model) for men (60 beds) and women (16 beds), pregnant/parenting women programs (30 beds), and a new women's facility under construction (phase one: 32 beds, opening January 2026). She reported the program is operating at 85-90% capacity and noted clients are relapsing quicker and fatal overdoses of past clients are increasing.
• Dr. Jocelyn Pedrosa (Yakima Neighborhood Health Services) gave an update: over half of their opioid use disorder patients are male, aged 25-44, and almost half are unhoused (47% living on the street). About 60% are receiving treatment. She reported an increase in overdose incidents requiring naloxone administration this year, with the most recent quarter being the worst. She highlighted whole-person care, including treatment for Hepatitis C: 78 patients initiated treatment since 2020, with a 73% cure rate; of those cured, 60% had substance use disorders, and 23% are in remission.
• Dr. Richard Repass and Jon Schlenske (Comprehensive Healthcare) noted they are the only provider of methadone services in central Washington (370 patients enrolled), and recently launched a medication-assisted treatment program in the Yakima County jail using buprenorphine. Schlenske emphasized that fentanyl is unprecedented—death is not a deterrent—and called for finding philosophical middle ground.
• Dr. Caleb Banta-Green (UW) explained that the current fentanyl crisis is unprecedented due to its potency and short-acting nature, leading to more rapid addiction and overdose risk. He stressed that medications like buprenorphine and methadone are highly effective (reducing mortality by at least 50%) and allow people to function normally, but they are underutilized. He urged shifting from punitive approaches to evidence-based treatment and harm reduction.
• Dr. Mandy Owens (UW) discussed her work with criminal legal systems: she worked with 40 of Washington's 57 jails to implement medication for opioid use disorder. She noted that jails are overwhelmed and that building alternatives to jail (e.g., crisis stabilization centers, permanent supportive housing) is more cost-effective.
• Councilmembers engaged in robust dialogue about balancing taxpayer concerns, the role of law enforcement, the need for permanent supportive housing with wraparound services, and the potential for a medical detox or sobering center. Multiple providers advocated for using opioid settlement funds to create a 24-hour crisis center with medical detox capacity and wraparound services. They invited councilmembers to visit their facilities and meet clients to better understand the issues.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution R-2024-228 (Casa de la Mora affordable housing) adopted 6-0 (Deccio recused).
• Ordinance 2024-049 (2025-2026 biennial budget) adopted 7-0. The city will conduct community engagement in early 2025 and revisit the budget in April.
• The council heard extensive testimony on the opioid epidemic and will consider next steps, including potential use of opioid settlement funds for a medical detox/sobering center and continued collaboration with providers.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m. to the next regular meeting on January 7, 2025.