OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - September 2, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, September 2, 2025
BodyYakima, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, September 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 55:16

Transcript — Verbatim
5:42

Good evening and welcome.

5:43

I will reconvene the Yakiman City Council meeting on September 2nd, 2025.

5:48

We'll have a roll call, please.

5:50

Bird?

5:50

Here.

5:51

Brown?

5:52

Here.

5:52

My ears.

5:53

Present.

5:53

TCO?

5:54

Here.

5:54

Glenn?

5:55

Here.

5:56

Herrena?

5:57

Here.

5:57

Roy.

5:58

Here.

5:59

Thank you.

6:01

Well, everyone please rise and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance.

6:04

Good evening.

6:06

Again.

6:07

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

6:12

And to the Republic for which it stands.

6:15

One nation under God.

6:17

Indivisible with liberty and justice.

6:24

We'll have interpreter services.

6:27

Good evening, Jorge Villy.

6:31

See alguien necessita la you an interpreter.

6:33

Tenemos los royal disponibles para serlo.

6:35

Y aquí stoy para ayudarles.

6:37

Gracias.

6:38

Thank you.

6:39

Next is public comment.

6:41

There will be 35 minutes allowed for public comment this evening, with each person having two and a half minutes in order to allow as many people as possible.

6:50

Written communication and email messages are strongly encouraged.

6:54

The state prohibits electionary and city facilities during public comment.

6:58

Speakers cannot cannot campaign for or against candidates or support or oppose any ballot measure in any upcoming election.

7:05

So when I call your name, please come forward and identify yourself and the city in which you live as you speak to council.

7:12

The first person is Ann Knapp.

7:51

Do taxpayer dollars support private individuals.

7:54

Who uses and who pays for the EV charger at the trolley powerhouse at Third Avenue and Pine?

8:00

Insurance and electricity are fractions of trolley costs.

8:03

They add up over the years.

10:00

If any of you I remember going down there to Davis and all of a sudden it was not railroad line anymore, it was comprehensive mental health.

10:06

The trolley people, I mean the railroad people then donated the trolley barn and about a little over an acre to the city of Yacoma for a railroad museum.

10:17

Since this land was donated to the city, what would be the possibility of the city donating the barn and that land to the trolley people now?

10:28

It was a it was it wouldn't be a gift of public funds because it was a donation.

10:33

And um since it was a donation, I think we should be able to do that.

10:37

But I'm not a lawyer, and I'm sure it will take some homework to get that figured out.

10:42

Um that way it would give the the trolley people the freedom and the authority to manage their line the way they saw fit.

10:52

It would also relieve the taxpayers of having to pay for the trolley.

10:57

Additionally, the trolley group right now has an office on 12th Avenue, and they could actually move their office into the trolley barn, which was not allowed before because it was city property.

11:08

They would that would save them some resources.

11:11

The two current trolleys that they have were purchased from Portugal in about 1985.

11:18

And I understand that the city owns one and the county owns the other.

11:24

Private and public funds were used to purchase and rehab the trolleys.

11:29

I think the city could lease back their trolley to the planning to the group until that debt was paid, and then they would own it free and clear.

11:39

I know some investigation will need to be done, but it seems this might be a good solution for the trolley group and for the city of Yacima, and in a tight budget year for the city taxpayer.

11:52

Thank you.

11:52

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety███████████████15%
Youth Programs█████████████13%
Procedural████████████12%
Tourism████████████12%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Public Transportation█████5%
Intergovernmental Cooperation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - September 2, 2025

The Yakima City Council convened on September 2, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. following an executive session (5:15-5:30 p.m.) on pending litigation. The meeting included a proclamation, a service recognition, recommendations for board appointments, a presentation on the sister city visit to Itayanagi, Japan, approval of a consent agenda (with one item removed for discussion), two department items, a city manager update, and other business. The meeting adjourned at 6:22 p.m.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the August 19, 2025 regular meeting.
  • Accepted project completion and contract with TTC Construction Inc. for WWTP Primary Digester Pipe Replacement Project WF2805.
  • Authorized a professional services agreement with Gray and Osborne, Inc. for Fair Avenue & E. Nob Hill Blvd. Intersection Improvements (Resolution R-2025-129).
  • Authorized contract extension with Airplanners, LLC for air service development (R-2025-130).
  • Authorized contract extension with Connell Oil for bulk fuels (R-2025-131).
  • Authorized agreement with WSDOT for Yakima/Ellensburg Commuter Service, funded by a $952,000 grant (R-2025-132).
  • Adopted Yakima Transit's Development Plan for 2025-2030 and Annual Report for 2024 (R-2025-133).
  • Authorized settlement of workers compensation claims for Sam Masters (R-2025-134) and David Cortez (R-2025-135).
  • Item 7C (Interwest Construction contract) was removed from the consent agenda and voted on separately.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Anne Knapp (Yakima resident) expressed support for the Yakima Valley Trolleys but opposed using city taxpayer dollars to support them. She suggested the city could donate the trolley barn and land (donated to the city) to the trolley group to give them freedom and relieve taxpayers of costs.
  • Mary Place (Yakima resident) echoed support for the trolleys but not at the expense of the city budget, offering options including a lease-back arrangement.
  • Greg Johnsen (New York resident, Yakima Valley Trolley Board member) addressed speculation from the prior meeting about $20 million track restoration costs, stating those assumptions are unrealistic. He cited a recent professional engineer's inspection that found only one segment of rail and brush that need clearing, achievable by volunteers. He urged council to rely on facts and offered open dialogue.

Discussion Items

  • Removed Consent Item 7C – Resolution authorizing contract with Interwest Construction Inc. for Fair Avenue & E. Nob Hill Blvd. Intersection Improvements
    Councilmember Herrera requested removal to discuss the project in his district. Community Development Director Bill Preston explained the project adds left-turn lanes, funded by federal STBG grants with a 13.5% match from TBD and stormwater funds; minimal general fund contribution. Work may begin after the fair, with underground work this winter and major construction in 2026. The resolution was adopted 7-0 (R-2025-128).
  • Resolution to repeal the Community Crosswalks Policy (R-2021-058)
    Director Preston presented the repeal as directed by council on July 15. The resolution was adopted 6-1, with Councilmember Herrera voting no (R-2025-136).
  • Resolution authorizing an agreement with Central Washington Fair Association for police services
    Police Captain Chad Janis briefed: a $22,500 lump-sum grant from the fair to cover policing costs during fair week, used for overtime to avoid pulling officers from streets. Resolution adopted 7-0 (R-2025-137).
  • City Manager Update
    City Manager Vicki Baker announced the launch of a new city podcast to improve transparency and communication.
  • Other Business – Government Transparency Portal
    Councilmember Berg moved to have staff present the feasibility of a government transparency portal at a future study session, following a previous retreat goal. The motion passed unanimously.
  • Councilmember Glenn’s Comment
    Councilmember Glenn reported an incident where a homeless individual was acting inappropriately near a school bus, urging better protection of children.

Key Outcomes

  • Proclamation: Declared September 2, 2025 as "Yakima United Day" to honor Yakima United FC's second consecutive Evergreen Premier League championship. Approved unanimously.
  • Service Recognition: Martin Cueva-Ramirez was recognized for 20 years of service to the city (presented by Police Chief Shawn Boyle).
  • Nominating Committee: Tyler Adams was appointed to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, approved unanimously.
  • Consent Agenda: Approved as amended (7-0 roll call), with all resolutions adopted.
  • Resolution R-2025-128 (Interwest Construction): Adopted 7-0.
  • Resolution R-2025-136 (Community Crosswalks Policy repeal): Adopted 6-1 (Herrera opposed).
  • Resolution R-2025-137 (Fair police services): Adopted 7-0.
  • Motion on Transparency Portal: Passed unanimously; staff to present at a future study session.
  • Executive Session: Held 5:15-5:30 p.m. on pending litigation; no action taken.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and welcome. I will reconvene the Yakiman City Council meeting on September 2nd, 2025. We'll have a roll call, please. Bird? Here. Brown? Here. My ears. Present. TCO? Here. Glenn? Here. Herrena? Here. Roy. Here. Thank you. Well, everyone please rise and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. Good evening. Again. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Indivisible with liberty and justice. We'll have interpreter services. Good evening, Jorge Villy. See alguien necessita la you an interpreter. Tenemos los royal disponibles para serlo. Y aquí stoy para ayudarles. Gracias. Thank you. Next is public comment. There will be 35 minutes allowed for public comment this evening, with each person having two and a half minutes in order to allow as many people as possible. Written communication and email messages are strongly encouraged. The state prohibits electionary and city facilities during public comment. Speakers cannot cannot campaign for or against candidates or support or oppose any ballot measure in any upcoming election. So when I call your name, please come forward and identify yourself and the city in which you live as you speak to council. The first person is Ann Knapp. Do taxpayer dollars support private individuals. Who uses and who pays for the EV charger at the trolley powerhouse at Third Avenue and Pine? Insurance and electricity are fractions of trolley costs. They add up over the years. If any of you I remember going down there to Davis and all of a sudden it was not railroad line anymore, it was comprehensive mental health. The trolley people, I mean the railroad people then donated the trolley barn and about a little over an acre to the city of Yacoma for a railroad museum. Since this land was donated to the city, what would be the possibility of the city donating the barn and that land to the trolley people now? It was a it was it wouldn't be a gift of public funds because it was a donation. And um since it was a donation, I think we should be able to do that. But I'm not a lawyer, and I'm sure it will take some homework to get that figured out. Um that way it would give the the trolley people the freedom and the authority to manage their line the way they saw fit.

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