Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – September 16, 2025
Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – September 16, 2025
The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on September 16, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments, a proclamation, consent agenda items, department items, and a discussion on the Yakima Valley Trolleys operating agreement. Key votes included approval of several resolutions and ordinances, and a six-to-one vote to extend the current trolley operating agreement through December 31, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from September 2, 2025 regular meeting and September 9, 2025 study session.
- Approved payment of disbursements for August 1–31, 2025.
- Accepted the August 2025 Investment Transaction Report.
- Adopted Resolution R-2025-138 authorizing an agreement with JUB Engineers for design of the airport crosswind runway rehabilitation (Airport Fund).
- Adopted Resolution R-2025-139 authorizing a $249,290 grant agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce for construction of an aquatic center at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (no General Fund impact).
- Items 7F, 7G, and 7H were removed for separate discussion and later approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Paul Edmondson (Vice President, Yakima Valley Trolleys) urged adoption of the negotiated contract, calling it favorable to the city and noting no other groups have expressed interest in operating the trolleys.
- Ken Johnsen (President, Yakima Valley Trolleys) reported that 62% of riders (first three months of 2025) are from outside Yakima, 15% from outside the state, with riders from 21 states and 6 countries. He invited the council to meet for a detailed discussion.
- Patti Graffe (Executive Director, Selah Downtown Association) advocated for the trolley, clarifying that the Pine Street route runs entirely on electricity, that the trolley's office is only the trolley barn, and that the Selah route is vital for tourism and historical landmark status. She noted the city provides $10,000 annually plus insurance, which is minor compared to investments in other facilities.
- Greg Johnsen (Yakima Valley Trolleys) highlighted optimistic developments: 40,000 views on a first TikTok video, a partnership with a local brewery, school curriculum programs, upcoming National Historic Landmark eligibility decision, restoration projects, and sold-out Halloween and Santa Trolley events.
Discussion Items
Proclamation – Yakima Freemason Day
- Mayor Byers called a vote to read and present the proclamation; the vote carried 5-2 (Brown and Berg voting no). Councilmember Danny Herrera proclaimed September 27, 2025 as "Yakima Freemason Day" in honor of the 150th anniversary of Cobalt Lodge No. 24. David Douglas accepted the proclamation.
Items Removed from Consent Agenda – Traffic Safety Grants
- Lieutenant Ira Cavin briefed council on two Washington Traffic Safety Commission grants: (7F) renewed DUI enforcement grant fully funding an officer and overtime for impaired driving emphasis patrols; (7G) new project funding for a regional crash team, including a $50,000 digital scanner and training/overtime reimbursement. Councilmember Reedy Berg praised the police department for obtaining grants. Both resolutions (R-2025-140 and R-2025-141) were adopted unanimously (7-0).
Item 7H – Opioid Settlement Allocation
- Councilmember Glenn expressed frustration with the settlement structure: Yakima receives 0.6% of $122 million (approx. $600,000 over 15 years), while plaintiff attorneys get 15% and the state takes a 10% management fee and retains 50% of funds. Despite criticism, he voted yes. The resolution (R-2025-142) was adopted 7-0.
Department Item 9A – Lodging Tax Fund
- Director of Finance & Budget Craig Warner presented Ordinance 2025-028 establishing Special Revenue Fund 184 "Lodging Tax Fund" to improve transparency by consolidating all lodging tax collections and distributions. The ordinance passed 7-0.
Department Item 9B – Affordable Housing Fund
- Warner presented Ordinance 2025-029 establishing Special Revenue Fund 185 "Affordable Housing Fund" to track $870,000 accumulated from a state sales tax credit. Councilmember Glenn asked why the funds were not being used; staff noted the council has not created a program. A motion later directed staff to bring options to a study session. The ordinance passed 7-0.
Department Item 9C – Bond Reimbursement Resolution
- Warner explained Resolution R-2025-143 authorizing the City Manager and/or Director of Finance to issue statements of official intent to allow reimbursement of pre-bond capital project expenses from future tax-exempt bond proceeds. This is a common protection measure. The resolution passed 7-0.
Department Item 9D – Yakima Valley Trolleys Operating License Agreement
- Community Development Director Bill Preston presented a proposed five-year operating agreement with Yakima Valley Trolleys (2025-2029). Discussion focused on: the city's small financial contribution (~$15,000 annually, partially covered by a fund balance of ~$47,000), lack of 2024 ridership data, a pending SEPA review question, and concerns about future costs for the Selah line. Councilmember Glenn expressed preference for funding other priorities (pools, senior center) over the trolley given budget constraints. Councilmember Berg wanted full financial data before commitment. After an amended motion to authorize the city manager to sign pending SEPA review and ridership numbers failed 3-4 (Berg, Brown, Deccio, Glenn voting no; Byers, Herrera, Roy voting yes), a motion to extend the current agreement through December 31, 2025 passed 6-1 (Berg voting no).
Other Business – Affordable Housing Study Session
- Councilmember Berg motioned, seconded by Herrera, to direct staff to bring a study session on options for the affordable housing fund, including examples from other jurisdictions such as Ellensburg. The motion passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved (7-0) all items except 7F, 7G, 7H which were later adopted separately (7-0 each).
- Traffic Safety Grants: Resolutions R-2025-140 and R-2025-141 adopted 7-0.
- Opioid Settlement: Resolution R-2025-142 adopted 7-0.
- Lodging Tax Fund: Ordinance 2025-028 passed 7-0.
- Affordable Housing Fund: Ordinance 2025-029 passed 7-0.
- Bond Reimbursement: Resolution R-2025-143 adopted 7-0.
- Trolley Agreement: Original motion to approve subject to SEPA review and ridership data failed 3-4; alternative motion to extend current agreement through December 31, 2025 passed 6-1.
- Future Study Session: Council directed staff to present affordable housing fund options at a future study session (unanimous).
- Next Meeting: October 7, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome. I will call the Ackham City Council meeting of September the sixteenth, twenty twenty-five to order. We'll start with roll call, please. Bird. Here. Brown. Here. Present. DCO. Here. Glenn? Here. Here. Roy. Here. Thank you. Before we move on this evening, um, the council likes to take a moment of silence for some of the tragic things that have occurred in our nation over the past week. Deputy Mayor Brown is asked to share some thoughts. Yeah, I just think this last week has been difficult for our country and um for a multitude of things. And so I think it would just be good for us to take a moment of silence. Thank you. So when you come to the podium, please uh give us your name in the city in which you live, and you'll have two and a half minutes to speak. I want to remind everybody that state law prohibits electioneering at city facilities. During public comment, speakers cannot campaign for or against candidates or support or press oppose any ballot measure in the upcoming election. Does any council member wish to pull an item off the consent agenda? Public comment. Pardon? Public comment. Oh, I've skipped the space. Okay, let's start with public comment. The first person is Paul Edmondson. If you've uh oh you're going to okay. Would you like Ken Johnson to go first? Is that your request? Yes. Okay. He wants to go second. Okay. Okay, thank you again. No take backs. Paul Edmondson, Vice President of YBT. I urge the council to adopt the uh negotiated contract to operate the city trolleys. Ten year contract. Uh it's been a long negotiation. The contract's very favorable toward the city, especially compared to previous contracts. And uh city is very well protected from their uh vantage point, maybe a little too protected for some of our members. But in any event, uh it's uh it's a contract we can live with and uh operate with. As far as I know, there are no uh other groups which have come forward or even expressed an interest in operating the trolleys. So basically it's YVT or no trolleys. Uh we do have two exceptional grant writers uh on our uh board who have uh secured hundreds of thousands of dollars for the trolleys to the benefit of the city.
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