Yakima City Council Regular Meeting January 21, 2025
Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - January 21, 2025
The Yakima City Council met on January 21, 2025, at City Hall (129 N 2nd Street, Yakima, WA) in a regular meeting that began at 5:30 p.m. after a 60-minute executive session on pending litigation. The meeting included public comments, approval of the consent agenda, departmental discussions on community service and aquatic facility funding, and a city manager update. Councilmember Rick Glenn was absent and excused.
Executive Session
- Council voted unanimously to adjourn to executive session for 60 minutes to discuss pending litigation pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(i). The session ran from 4:35 p.m. to 5:25 p.m., and the regular meeting was called back to order at 5:32 p.m.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dori Peralta Baker (Yakima resident, District 5; MLK Junior Aquatic Fundraising Committee) expressed donors' concerns about the ARPA funding for aquatic pool maintenance and operations. She stated that donors were told $719,000 in ARPA funds would cover maintenance for three years, and she urged the council not to jeopardize donor trust.
- Esther Huey (Yakima resident, 1311 S 75th Ave) also spoke on aquatic center funding. She recounted raising $11 million over 21 years and expressed disappointment that promises were not kept. She asked why a proposed tax increase would be spread across all pools when money was already allocated for the older pools, and she criticized the city for not using its own tax money for the pools.
- Rhonda Hauff (Yakima resident; Neighborhood Health) spoke in support of permanent supportive housing, sharing that her organization has provided housing and health care services for the homeless since 2005. She cited 2024 preliminary numbers: over 2,800 patients served in their Health Care for the Homeless program, plus medical respite and supportive housing services.
- Joe Daniels (Yakima resident) read from the Mayflower Compact and discussed historical slavery, asserting that 27 states had slavery and that over four million Black slaves built America. He questioned why the country owes them nothing.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved the consent agenda by a 6-0 roll call vote (Glenn absent). Items included:
- Approval of minutes from January 7, 2025 regular meeting and January 14, 2025 study session
- Approval of disbursements for December 1-31, 2024
- 2024 4th Quarter Treasury Report
- Resolution R-2025-020 setting a February 4, 2025 hearing on the amended Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program and Capital Facilities Element
- Resolution R-2025-021 authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Gray & Osborne, Inc. for general civil engineering services
Discussion Items
- Community Service Program (Item 9A): Municipal Court Judges Aryn Masters and Troy Clements presented on the court's community service program. Community service hours are assigned in three areas: the Community Diversion Program (soon to be Community Diversion Court), as a sentencing alternative to jail for non-violent offenses, and for juvenile infractions (ages 16-17, first-time, high school). They noted no formal partnerships with nonprofits exist; defendants must find their own nonprofit within city limits. Barriers include screening requirements, lack of ID, liability, and supervision costs. Judges reported that community diversion participants completed over 400 hours year-to-date (January 2025), and each judge sentences roughly 3-5 people to community service per docket. Council members discussed ideas such as directing service to city parks, downtown cleanups, and using the court's website to list providers. A councilmember suggested making sentencing options equally burdensome to avoid easy outs.
- Aquatics Facilities Revenue Fund (Item 9B): Finance Director Viren Mayani presented the first reading of an ordinance creating Special Revenue Fund 133 for aquatics facilities. The fund would be financed by a 5% increase in stormwater fees, estimated to generate just over $200,000 annually. Mayani assured that the $719,000 ARPA set-aside for the MLK pool and existing allocations for other pools would not be touched. Councilmembers discussed long-term pool maintenance costs, potential admission fee increases (current rates estimated at $2-$3 per swim), and the upcoming 2030 city responsibility for the YMCA/rotary pool. No action was taken; the ordinance received first reading only.
City Manager Update
- City Manager Vicki Baker provided an update on the budget committee. A survey with QR code access and a presentation PowerPoint are being developed for community outreach. Three district-based focus groups will be held. Councilmembers have selected community members for the budget committee; staff will contact them and schedule meetings expected to total 10 sessions of 2-3 hours each over the next three months.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved 6-0.
- Motion (Brown/Berg) to schedule a future study session on ordinances related to closing Yakima Avenue and special event permits passed unanimously 6-0.
- Motion (Brown/Deccio) to adjourn to the next regular meeting on February 4, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. passed unanimously; meeting adjourned at 6:26 p.m.
Council General Information
- Distributed preliminary agendas for the February 4 meeting, and complete records for two preliminary long plats (PLP#002-24 by WM Real Property Holdings LLC for 3.69 acres into 15 lots in R-1 district; PLP#001-24 by Summit Crest Construction for 12 common-wall lots in R-3 district) and a proposal to vacate a portion of N 68th Ave between Englewood Ave and Scenic Drive (RWV#003-24 by Ted Palmatier).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, welcome. I will reconvene the January 21, 2025 Yakima City Council regular business meeting. We'll start with roll call, please. Bird? Here. Brown? Here. Present. DCO. Here. Herena? Here. Roy? Here. Glenn is absent. Thank you. Please stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the plan of the United States of America. And to the Grepublic for which it stands. We'll have introduction of interpreter services. Yes, good evening. Thank you. Thank you. Next on the agenda is public comment. We will allow 35 minutes for public comment this evening. If you wish to make public comment, please fill out a form in the lobby and give it to the city clerk. When you come to the podium, please give us your name and the city in which you live. The first person we have for public comment is Dory Baker. Welcome. Can you introduce yourself and tell the city in which you live, please? Okay. Thank you. I'm my name is Dory Peralta Baker. I'm a resident of Yakima in District Five. Thank you so much. I just wanted to make comment that when I am also part of the aquatic fundraising, the MLK Junior Aquatic Fundraising Committee, and the funding that was set aside for maintenance of the pool, the 719,000 DARPA funds, were set aside, and I'm really representing the uh donors to the pool. They were very concerned about uh the maintenance of the pool and you know who's gonna fund that and how are you going to get through that. And as part of the uh fundraising committee, we told our donors that yes, there is money set aside in um DARPA funds that are going to be used towards maintenance of the pool for three years. So when the funding and the considerations for for the other pools, um, I just want everybody to know that the funders were told that that was that was part of the package, and it was it was oh, okay, then we don't have to worry about that. And so I don't want to um put their trust in jeopardy with our fundraising committee. So thank you. Thank you, Ms. Thank you, Ms. Baker. Next we have Esther Huey. Thank you, and good evening. Esther Huey, 1311, South 75th Avenue. Yakima. And I too am here to speak to the issue of funding for maintenance and operations for the aquatic center. Actually, that there would have to be money raised for uh maintenance and operations for the pool.
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