Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - March 18, 2025
Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - March 18, 2025
The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on March 18, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments on the budget and a controversial police equipment contract, a public hearing on a rezone request, approval of multiple resolutions and ordinances, and discussion of state legislation. The meeting adjourned at 7:49 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (7-0): Approval of March 4 and March 11 meeting minutes; disbursements for February 1–28, 2025; February 2025 investment transaction report; 2024 4th quarter financial report; project completion for WWTP Primary Clarifier Rehabilitation (Prospect Construction); project completion for Russell Lane Improvements (Knobels Electric); contract extension with Connell Oil for bulk fuels; acceptance of SIED grant for Wiley City Sewer Feasibility Study (Resolution R-2025-056).
- Items H, I, J, and L were removed from the consent agenda and voted on separately.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Budget and Harman Center: Susan Maza urged tax increases to maintain services. Jim Anson detailed Harman Center operations: $384,000 annual expense, $150,000 revenue returned to city, 50–55 volunteers per month, 45–50 participants per class in the Fitness Forever program. Sheila Haverfield emphasized the center's importance for seniors' mental and physical health, noting Yakima is the 11th largest city in Washington and should have a senior center.
- Item 7L (Axon contract): Ten speakers (Issac Wheeler, Dustin Case, Ashley Haney, Emily Case Wright, Priscilla Ortega, Noemi Sanchez, Michael Morrison, Samantha Zuno, Cosmo Jack) opposed the $1 million+ contract. Concerns included: excessive taser quantities (1,700 cartridges per year), surveillance software (Evidence.com) terms of service allowing Axon to use uploaded data, VR training seen as militarization, and funding cuts to community programs. Several audience members stood in solidarity.
- Other: Shelley White congratulated council on recent accomplishments but expressed strong opposition to state middle-housing legislation, warning it would eliminate single-family zoning and the American dream of homeownership. Joe Daniels spoke about artificial intelligence and read a religious passage.
Discussion Items
- Introduction of Assistant City Manager: City Manager Vicki Baker introduced Gary Ballew (day two on the job). Ballew has 30 years of economic development experience, including work at Benton County, City of Richland, and Port of Pasco, and will focus on the mill site, downtown revitalization, and the airport.
- 7H – Air Service Consultant Extension: Airport Director Rob Hodgman requested a six-month extension with Airplanners LLC at $6,000/month ($36,000 total) to continue securing flights (potential Salt Lake and Portland connections). Funded from airport enterprise fund. Passed 7-0 (Resolution R-2025-053).
- 7I – Irrigation Rate Study: Water and Irrigation Manager Mike Shane presented a supplemental agreement with FCS Group for an irrigation rate study ($42,079 from irrigation operating fund). Assistant City Manager Ballew explained the study is needed to support a financial plan for capital investments and potential bond borrowing. Passed 6-1 with Councilmember Glenn voting no (Resolution R-2025-054).
- 7J – Airport SIED Grant: Hodgman accepted a $2 million Yakima County SIED grant to match federal funds for terminal modernization (Phase 1A roof/HVAC, baggage claim, bathroom remodel, overflow parking). Additional $500,000 per year for three years for air service development also noted. Passed 7-0 (Resolution R-2025-055).
- 7L – Axon Contract for Tasers and Software: Lieutenant Tory Adams addressed community concerns: current tasers (X2 model) are no longer supported; Axon gifted 30 tasers to cover shortages. The proposed lease program costs $105,000 in 2025 for 85 tasers, plus community request software (voluntary video submission from the public). VR training provides immersive de-escalation scenarios. Funding from police capital fund, not general fund. Councilmember Herrera moved to amend the title to "community request software"; passed unanimously. Final vote 6-1 (Herrera opposed; Resolution R-2025-057).
- Public Hearing – Rezone (103-107 N 40th Ave & 3902 Summitview): Senior Planner Eric Crowell presented a rezone from R-1 (Single-Family Residential) to SCC (Small Convenience Center) on a non-project basis. Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend. Public comment included support from applicant Leanne Liddicoat and Daniel Tilley, and concerns from a neighbor about traffic. Councilmember Roy disclosed being a church attendee at the location but recused himself from conflict. Passed 7-0 (Ordinance 2025-007).
- Department Items:
- 9A – Gigabeam Internet Franchise: Non-exclusive franchise for telecommunications system (residential and commercial). Passed 7-0 (Ordinance 2025-008).
- 9B – Right-of-Way Code Amendments: Cleanup of Chapters 8.01, 8.20, 8.72 to clarify violations, transfer authority to Engineering, and cross-reference codes. Passed 7-0 (Ordinance 2025-009).
- 9C – Small Wireless Facilities Code: New Chapter 8.21 referencing existing Title 15.29 to eliminate redundancy. Passed 7-0 (Ordinance 2025-010).
- Other Business:
- HB 1380 Opposition: Council discussed House Bill 1380 (regulating camping on public property) which creates a private cause of action. Motion by Deputy Mayor Brown to direct staff to draft a letter of opposition for the April 1 meeting. Passed unanimously.
- Proclamations: Motions passed to bring proclamations for Arbor Day, National Day of Prayer, and America 250's "Two Lights for Tomorrow" initiative to the April 1 meeting (all unanimous).
- Homeless Coalition Update: Deputy Mayor Brown reported that the coalition's executive board voted to increase city representation, recommending adding a lower-valley and mid-valley city elected position.
- Recognitions: Councilmember Herrera thanked the Yakima Valley Sports Commission and the Davis High School girls basketball team for their state championship; announced the March Madness Youth Basketball Tournament and Rosie's Rosebuds cheer team performance on March 22.
Key Outcomes
- Approved (all 7-0 unless noted): Consent items A–G and K; Resolution R-2025-053 (Airplanners extension); Resolution R-2025-054 (Irrigation Rate Study, 6-1); Resolution R-2025-055 (Airport SIED grant); Resolution R-2025-057 (Axon contract, 6-1); Ordinance 2025-007 (rezone); Ordinance 2025-008 (Gigabeam franchise); Ordinance 2025-009 (right-of-way code amendments); Ordinance 2025-010 (small wireless facilities code).
- Referred to April 1, 2025 meeting: Staff to draft HB 1380 opposition letter; proclamations for Arbor Day, National Day of Prayer, and Two Lights for Tomorrow; introduction of new Assistant City Manager Gary Ballew.
- Next meeting: Regular City Council meeting on April 1, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome. I will call to order the um Yakima City Council regular business meeting for March the eighteenth, twenty twenty-five. We'll start with roll call, please. Berg. Here. Brown. Here. Byers present. DCO. Here. Glenn. Here. Herrera. Here. Roy. Here. Thank you. Please stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Again. I pledge allegiance through the play at the United States of America. And we read public for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for our all. See alguien necessity interpreter, then I'll sistema disponible for next on the agenda's public comment. There will be thirty-five minutes allowed for a public comment with two and a half minutes per speaker in order to allow as much opportunity as possible. When you come to the microphone, please identify yourself and the city in which you live. Um my issue with this is one we're allotting a million dollars to this when the city is failing to pay other things that are very important. Second, this company acts on enterprises is problematic. Um if you just Google Acts on Enterprises and Controversy or Evidence.com, which is the website that they utilize for the community engagement software that's mentioned here. Um you'll find really problematic things. I won't go into all of them, but I will go into one. I just want to read this. A criminal defense lawyer noted that evidence.com's term of service gives the company a non-excuse, transferable, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use of photos and videos that are uploaded by its users. That means everything that is uploaded to this software, they claim is their property, and then they can utilize it any way they want. And that is not a good way to use the sensitive public information of the citizens of Yacoma. So that's my opposition to that. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wheeler. Next is Jim Anson. Hello, my name is Jim Anson, and I live in Yakima City. And I'm an introvert, so I'm petrified to stand up here and talk to you all. You are very welcome. Great job. Okay. I wanted to speak to the uh Yakma Department of Recation, Parks and Recreation. And that's a big topic and a lot of things to cover, so I'm going to limit my comments to the Harman Center. Um I did a little looking into it because I wanted to know what I was talking about tonight. And the Harman Center, the figure that I found, this is from uh 2024. The expense of the city was 384,000. That's a lot of money. But I also found that 150,000 is returned to the city through the revenue collected at the Harman Center.
openpublica.com