Yakima City Council Meeting - August 4, 2025: Budget Cuts, Grants, and Public Hearings
Yakima City Council Meeting - August 4, 2025
The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on August 4, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:38 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, with four council members attending remotely via Zoom. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including public comments, appointment of committees for a levy lid lift ballot measure, approval of a consent agenda, two public hearings, adoption of a five-year Consolidated Plan and annual action plan for federal housing grants, acceptance of multiple grants, a first reading of a budget amendment, and a city manager update on a $3 million budget cut package. All votes were unanimous with council member Danny Herrera absent for several items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (6-0):
- Minutes from July 15, July 22, and July 24, 2025 meetings.
- Project completion and contract acceptance for N 2nd Street & Staff Sgt. Pendleton Way Sidewalk Replacement (Project 2603, no budgetary impact).
- Project completion and acceptance of Taxilane Charlie Extension Construction (federally funded).
- Vendor contract closeout with Boss Construction for wastewater treatment plant digester cleaning (WF2715).
- Revision of the annexation notice set date for Lochridge Annexation from August 12 to August 19, 2025.
- Resolution R-2025-110: authorizing a technology fee for online registration for Parks and Recreation programs and events (General Fund revenue).
- Resolution R-2025-111: authorizing multiple awards and agreements for tree trimming and removal services (General Fund/REET Fund).
- Ordinance 2025-025: repealing Ordinance 2025-003 (telecommunications franchise for Wholesail Networks LLC and Ziply Fiber).
- Resolution R-2025-112: authorizing the City Manager to sign a consent letter for a change in control to the franchise agreement with Wholesail Networks LLC and Ziply Fiber Pacific, LLC.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Juliet Potrykus, a Yakima resident, spoke against the closure of Franklin Pool (stated she lives a few blocks away and her five children use it).
- Tony Sandoval, a Yakima resident, commented on the importance of the Legal Department front counter staff position, noting that the tasks will not disappear if the position is cut and that the legal department is already working with less.
- Tony Courcy, a Yakima resident, expressed concerns about personal property matters and referenced the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
- During Public Hearing 8B (Consolidated Plan):
- Theresa Dingman spoke in support, sharing that the program helped her stay in her home by installing a walk-in shower after three surgeries.
- Melinda Pettibone expressed support and appreciation for emergency heating assistance and the respectful treatment from the Office of Neighborhood Development Services.
- Janet Larios, on behalf of Amelia Larios, thanked the city for the HVAC program, noting it provided air conditioning for the first time.
- During Item 9F (Cybercrime Grant Review):
- Samuel Sanchez spoke in favor of the proposal, citing social media concerns about individuals causing harm in stores and noting the need for such enforcement in the valley.
Discussion Items
- Appointment of Pro and Con Committees for Levy Lid Lift Ballot Measure (Item 5A): Council appointed Elmer Bud Backer, David Elofson, and Lisa Wallace to the "For" committee (motion by Deccio, second by Brown; carried 6-0). Council appointed Cameron Weber, Gunnar Berg, and Dana Johnson to the "Against" committee (motion by Berg, second by Roy; carried 6-0). Councilman Herrera was absent.
- Public Hearing 8A – Text Amendments to YMC Titles 14 and 15: Planning Manager Trevor Martin presented recommended changes from the Yakima Planning Commission: modifying notification processes for short plats, expediting home occupation business licenses, and removing conceptual site plan requirements. No public testimony was offered. The ordinance (2025-026) passed 7-0.
- Public Hearing 8B – Draft 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan (CDBG/HOME): Director Bill Preston and consultant Elizabeth McNannay (Resource Consultants LLC) presented the HUD-mandated plan, detailing $594,567 in grant funds for the first year, with activities including housing preservation (emergency home repair and ramp program), neighborhood improvements (sidewalk improvements), public services (up to 15% of CDBG allocation), and administration. The plan is budget-neutral as funds are formula grants. Three residents spoke in support. Council later adopted the resolution (R-2025-113) 7-0.
- Department Item 9B – WSDOT Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Grant: Acting City Engineer Bill Preston announced a $1.4 million grant for the Wendy Baker Shared Use Path along West Powerhouse Road, from Fred Meyer to Kawichi Canyon Road. Jennifer Gindt of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee thanked the council. Resolution R-2025-114 adopted 6-0 (Herrera absent).
- Department Items 9C, 9D, 9E – Airport Terminal Grant and Contracts: Airport Director Robert Hodgman presented three related items: a $1 million FAA Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grant for baggage claim and restroom upgrades; a task order with MWA Architects Inc. for construction administration; and a construction contract with Cliff Thorn Construction. All three resolutions (R-2025-115, R-2025-116, R-2025-117) were adopted 6-0 (Herrera absent).
- Department Item 9F – Review of DOJ Cybercrime Grant Opportunity: Sergeant Ryan Yates of the Yakima Police Department presented a $500,000 grant opportunity from the Office on Violence Against Women for the Cybercrime Response and Victim Support Initiative, in partnership with YWCA and Aspen Victim Advocacy Services, to enhance digital forensic tools (GrayKey and Cellebrite) and support investigations into domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and human trafficking. No council action was required, only review and public comment opportunity; one citizen spoke in favor.
- Department Item 9G – First Reading of 2025-2026 Budget Amendment: Finance Director Craig Warner presented a $2,194,507 budget amendment (including $594,567 in grant-funded public safety programs and a $1.6 million accounting adjustment for the street department). This was a first reading; no vote was taken.
- City Manager Update (Item 10): City Manager Vicki Baker reported that staff is implementing the $3 million cut package and developing two budget documents depending on the levy outcome: one with $9 million in cuts (if levy fails) and one with $3 million in cuts plus $6 million levy (if levy passes). She also stated that capital projects will be analyzed for long-term maintenance sustainability to avoid future budget impacts.
Key Outcomes
- Levy Lid Lift Committees Appointed: Pro and Con committees formed for the upcoming ballot measure (both 6-0 votes).
- Consent Agenda Approved: 9 items passed unanimously (6-0).
- Text Amendments Ordinance Passed: Ordinance 2025-026 amending Titles 14 and 15 (home occupation and notification requirements) passed 7-0.
- Consolidated Plan Adopted: Resolution R-2025-113 adopting the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan for CDBG/HOME funds passed 7-0. Final edits will incorporate public comments before submission to HUD (deadline August 15 or 16, 2025).
- Wendy Baker Shared Use Path Grant Accepted: Resolution R-2025-114 authorizing acceptance of the WSDOT grant passed 6-0 (Herrera absent).
- Airport Terminal Modernization Approved: Three resolutions (R-2025-115, R-2025-116, R-2025-117) for the ATP grant, architectural services, and construction contract passed 6-0 (Herrera absent).
- Budget Amendment First Reading: No action taken; will return for second reading.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for August 19, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
I'm not a very studious kid anyhow, so I thought I tried YBC. It lasted about a month and a half. Good evening and welcome. We hear you. We're gonna call together the order to meeting of uh the Acam City Council meeting August 4th, 2025. And just so that the audience will know, we have four council members appearing by Zoom this evening. So we really have a quorum despite how it looks. We'll start with roll call boys. Here Brown here. Here, Glenn. Here's not present yet. Roy. Here thank you. Please stand and join us. Thank you. Now I'll have interpreter services. Uh good evening, Jorge Villas in your language connection. See alguien necessita you an interpretes. Aki tengo lo radio, you still disponible para serlo. Gracias. Gracias. Next on the agenda is public comment. There will be 35 minutes allotted for public comment this evening. If you wish to make uh a comment, you need to fill out the paperwork in the lobby and give it to the city clerk. When you come to the podium, uh please give us your name and the city in which you live. State law prohibits electioneering at city facilities during public comment. Speakers cannot campaign for or against candidates or support or oppose any ballot measure in the upcoming election. So first tonight is Juliet Portikus. Hello, counsel. My name is Juliet Patrickas, and I live in Yakima. Yeah, I live a few blocks away from the Franklin Park pool, and over the years, my five children have had swim lessons there, and we often go there for recreation on hot summer days. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next is Tony Sandoval. So I decided to look into the legal department front desk staff. Some of the following I've uh came up with, discovered. And what this person does is she they I don't know if it's a her or she. Uh it inputs criminal referrals from the Yakim police department and county prosecutor. Arrival, domestic violence, intimate partners warrant requests, conducts court court rule mandated address, addresses checks for summons, file files various documents with a municipal co uh and superior court. Inputs summons in case settings notice provided by a uh Yakima municip court. I know I'm gonna run out of time, so I'm gonna skip around here. Um, also greets part patrons, including very difficult patrons who drop in the office or on the phone. So a note on this is none of these tasks will go away just because the position position is cut. There are business required for a functioning prosecuting office. And I've noticed that the uh legal department is already working with more with less. I took a gander, well, at the co at the um during the court session of that day, and I noticed there was only one attorney that had to deal with the whole caseload of that day. They had to do with the whole caseload of that day. The courtroom was packed. There was uh I even noticed people there had the green little um Joseph's sent to the right. So they do a lot.
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