OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – January 6, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 6, 2026
BodyYakima, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:30:01

Transcript — Verbatim
5:23

I know our seasoned vets, man.

5:26

I mean that's funny.

5:29

Good evening and welcome.

5:30

I'm going to call to order the uh Yakim City Council Business Meeting of January the 6th, 2026.

5:38

We'll start with roll call.

5:40

Berg.

5:40

Here.

5:41

Brown.

5:42

Here.

5:42

Byers.

5:43

Present.

5:44

Glenn?

5:44

Here.

5:45

Gonzalez.

5:46

Patricus?

5:48

Roy.

5:49

Here.

5:50

Thank you.

5:51

Please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance.

5:56

Again.

5:57

I pledge allegiance to the lab of the Chase of America.

6:02

And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and individual with liberty and justice as well.

6:14

Thank you.

6:14

And now we'll have interpreter services.

6:25

Maybe.

6:27

Do we have an interpreter here this evening?

6:34

Apparently not.

6:35

Okay.

6:37

If he comes, we'll introduce him.

6:39

Thank you.

6:41

Next on the agenda is item four, which is newly elected process.

6:48

I need a little help here.

6:50

Pardon.

6:52

Yes, thank you.

6:53

Can they hear me better?

6:55

Better.

6:55

Thank you very much.

6:56

Okay.

7:01

This is item four on the agenda.

7:04

It's this is newly elected process.

7:07

Item four A is an oath of office for newly elected council members.

7:12

There are two newly elected members of the council and one re-elected member that will be taking the oath of office.

7:18

They will formally be sworn in to office by City Clerk Rosalinda Ibera.

7:24

So those are Matt Brown, Felisa Gonzalez, and Juliette Portricas.

7:28

So would the three of you please move to the front of the diocese to be sworn in.

7:55

I state your name.

8:44

Congratulations, so speaking on behalf of the council, congratulations, Brown, for your re-election, and congratulations and welcome to both Felisa and Juliet to our council.

9:15

Item 4B.

9:24

Once a nomination has been made, we'll ask the committee if they accept the nomination, or the nominee if they accept the nomination.

9:31

If the nominee accepts, their nomination will be voted on by the entire council.

9:35

Nominations will remain open until no more nominations are made.

9:39

At that time, nominees will be voted on in order of their nominations or made.

9:51

So I left some information for council to consider tonight that gives you somewhat of a record of what has happened, what I've actively been doing in the city for the last four years as mayor.

10:03

So it's been an exciting, active, fun, and challenging opportunity to serve as the Acamas honorable mayor.

10:10

And we all know that that doesn't give me any more authority than anyone else.

10:14

It just gives me an opportunity to represent the city and in other ways, which I have been actively doing.

10:20

As you can see from the information I have shared, it has been a lot of hard work and consistency as I have engaged with our residents and community leaders, including the council.

10:32

Next, I have loved, loved, loved, loved every minute of it.

10:42

And I do receive a lot of informations from our city to simply come out, meet and participate in any way that they would like me to.

11:01

So it's my heart's desire to continue to serve as the mayor for my two years, my final two years are on council.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fire Safety███████████████████████23%
Public Safety█████████████████████21%
Budget Equity Analysis█████████████13%
Procedural████████████12%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%
Historic Preservation██████6%
Public Engagement███3%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Utility Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – January 6, 2026

The Yakima City Council held its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. on January 6, 2026, in Council Chambers. The meeting began with the swearing-in of newly elected members, election of the Mayor and Assistant Mayor, followed by extensive public comment, approval of consent agenda items, discussions on department items including a financial report and the future of Fire Station 92, and several unanimous and split votes.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from December 8 and 9, 2025 meetings.
  • Set February 3, 2026, as the date for a public hearing on the Lochridge Annexation.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2026-001 setting a hearing for the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (2026-2031).
  • Authorized award and agreement with The Print Guys for city-wide printing services (R-2026-002).
  • Authorized multiple awards for vehicle maintenance and lube/oil services for Police Department (R-2026-003).
  • Authorized interlocal agreements with Selah (R-2026-005) and Union Gap (R-2026-006) for limited paratransit services.
  • Authorized closeout of FAA grant for Yakima Air Terminal Building Modernization (R-2026-007).
  • Item F (Aquifer Storage and Recovery grant) was removed from the consent calendar but later approved separately (see below).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Station 92 (Fire Department): Multiple city residents (Rachel Stiles, Brianna Morton, Diane Trammell, Stephen Robbins, Rosemary Saul, Brian Korst, Dr. Gina Many, Howard Maxfield) spoke in strong support of keeping Fire Station 92 open. They shared personal survival stories, argued that closure would increase response times, and emphasized the station's importance for annexed West Valley residents who pay city taxes. Several speakers noted that call volume is growing due to development.
  • Yakima Valley Trolleys: Aileen Kane, Dave Cox (Northern Pacific Railway Museum), Shanna Buckles, Samantha Drake, Debra Yergen, Maria Ramos, Eric Eskilson (Everett resident), and Stephen Johnsen spoke in favor of preserving and funding the trolleys. They cited historical significance, tourism value, and submitted a petition with over 2,000 signatures urging the council to renew the operating agreement.
  • Flood Control: Bill Hicks (city resident) asked the council to stop funding for the proposed Yakima County Shaw Creek Flood Control Project, arguing it harms his development property and reduces tax revenue.
  • Immigration Enforcement: Ezequiel Morfin (city resident) spoke against Department of Homeland Security immigration actions in the city and requested an ordinance restricting ICE access to city property.
  • General Funding Concerns: Brian Korst and Dr. Gina Many expressed concerns about lack of funding for city services, with Dr. Many proposing a 0.1% sales tax increase (excluding food/non-alcoholic beverages) to generate $32.5 million annually.

Discussion Items

  • Oath of Office and Elections: City Clerk administered oaths to newly elected Councilmembers Matt Brown, Felisa Gonzalez, and Juliet Potrykus. Councilmember Byers nominated herself for Mayor; Councilmember Potrykus nominated Matt Brown. Brown was elected Mayor by a 6-1 roll call vote (Byers voting no). For Assistant Mayor, Councilmember Glenn nominated Reedy Berg, Councilmember Gonzalez nominated Patricia Byers; Berg was elected by a 5-2 roll call vote (Byers and Gonzalez voting no).
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day Proclamation: Unanimously approved, read by Councilmember Byers, accepted by Reverend Robert Trimble, Anthony Peterson, and James Parks.
  • Council Nominating Committee: Reappointed John Cooper to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) by unanimous vote.
  • Consent Agenda Item F (Aquifer Storage and Recovery Grant): Removed for discussion. Acting Water Manager Jeff Bond explained the $350,000 Department of Ecology grant for disinfection byproduct monitoring and recharge enhancement. Council approved the resolution (R-2026-004) unanimously.
  • Ordinance Amending Excavations in Public Rights-of-Way (YMC 8.72): Community Development Director Bill Preston presented amendments to add notification and repair requirements for utility hits. Passed unanimously as Ordinance 2026-001.
  • Right-of-Way Use Permit Denial (Minado Buffet): City Engineer Robert Washabaugh recommended denying a permit for two storage containers and a used cooking oil tank at 501 N Front Street due to sight triangle obstruction and oil leakage. Council debated; some members sought to work with the business. Motion to adopt the resolution denying the permit passed 6-1 (Councilmember Glenn voting no), resulting in Resolution R-2026-008. The business may appeal or reapply after relocating items.
  • November 2025 Financial Report: Director of Finance Craig Warner presented third-quarter highlights. General Fund revenues were at 91.4% of budget, expenditures at 82.4%. Sales tax shortfall projected at $2.4 million; property tax shortfall $375,000; utility tax overage $2.1 million, partially offsetting. A net reserve of approximately $2 million above the minimum was identified, but Warner cautioned it should be used for one-time purposes only.
  • Station 92 Operations Decision: City Manager Vicki Baker, Director Warner, and Fire Chief Aaron Markham provided a detailed overview of budget constraints leading to proposed closure. The Fire Department faced a net reduction of $3.8 million (including loss of $2 million from Union Gap contract). Station 92 has lowest call volume but is in a developing area. Staffing shortages (currently 81 firefighters, projected 77 by July) mean overtime is needed to keep Station 92 open. After extended discussion, an amended motion (Glenn/Potrykus) passed unanimously to authorize $150,000 per month in overtime through August 2026 to keep Station 92 open as a temporary solution, using one-time reserves. A second motion (Berg/Brown) passed unanimously directing staff to present at the February 3, 2026, meeting how a $0.25 per thousand EMS levy would improve services and provide documentation for potential ballot placement.

Key Outcomes

  • Swearing-in and Leadership Elections: Matt Brown elected Mayor (6-1); Reedy Berg elected Assistant Mayor (5-2).
  • Ministerial Approvals: Consent agenda approved 7-0 (with item F later separately approved 7-0).
  • Ordinance Adoption: Excavation amendments (Ordinance 2026-001) passed 7-0.
  • Permit Denial: Right-of-way use permit for Minado Buffet denied (6-1).
  • Station 92 Resolution: Council authorized $150,000/month overtime until August 2026 to prevent closure, using one-time reserves (unanimous).
  • EMS Levy Exploration: Staff directed to report on a $0.25 per thousand EMS levy for February 3, 2026 meeting (unanimous).
  • Meeting Adjourned: Adjourned at 8:58 p.m. to the next study session on January 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

I know our seasoned vets, man. I mean that's funny. Good evening and welcome. I'm going to call to order the uh Yakim City Council Business Meeting of January the 6th, 2026. We'll start with roll call. Berg. Here. Brown. Here. Byers. Present. Glenn? Here. Gonzalez. Patricus? Roy. Here. Thank you. Please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. Again. I pledge allegiance to the lab of the Chase of America. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and individual with liberty and justice as well. Thank you. And now we'll have interpreter services. Maybe. Do we have an interpreter here this evening? Apparently not. Okay. If he comes, we'll introduce him. Thank you. Next on the agenda is item four, which is newly elected process. I need a little help here. Pardon. Yes, thank you. Can they hear me better? Better. Thank you very much. Okay. This is item four on the agenda. It's this is newly elected process. Item four A is an oath of office for newly elected council members. There are two newly elected members of the council and one re-elected member that will be taking the oath of office. They will formally be sworn in to office by City Clerk Rosalinda Ibera. So those are Matt Brown, Felisa Gonzalez, and Juliette Portricas. So would the three of you please move to the front of the diocese to be sworn in. I state your name. Congratulations, so speaking on behalf of the council, congratulations, Brown, for your re-election, and congratulations and welcome to both Felisa and Juliet to our council. Item 4B. Once a nomination has been made, we'll ask the committee if they accept the nomination, or the nominee if they accept the nomination. If the nominee accepts, their nomination will be voted on by the entire council.

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