OpenPublica

Accountability starts with access.

© 2026 · Filed for the public record

Use casesAboutAPIPrivacyTermsLinkedIn
Home/Yakima, Washington/City Council
OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – January 20, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
BodyYakima, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:39:34

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
2:59

Good evening.

3:00

I'm gonna start our uh regularly scheduled uh council meeting.

3:04

Uh clerk, roll caller, please.

3:06

Berg.

3:06

Here.

3:07

Brown?

3:08

Here.

3:08

Buy yours.

3:09

Present.

3:09

Glenn?

3:10

Here.

3:11

Gonzalez.

3:12

Here.

3:12

Patrick is here.

3:13

Roy.

3:15

Here.

3:16

All right, stand with me for the pledge.

3:30

One nation under God.

3:33

Liberty and justice for all the time.

3:41

Next is uh interpretives, interpreter services.

3:54

Didn't make it last week.

3:56

Didn't make it.

3:59

Do you know Vicky?

4:00

I do not know what he was going to be here.

4:05

Who is going to be here?

4:07

Not here.

4:08

Not here yet.

4:09

Sounds good.

4:11

Moving on.

4:12

Uh we have public comment tonight.

4:14

There is a lot of forms that have been filled out already.

4:18

And uh you council has put into our agenda for thirty-five minutes of public comment at two and a half minutes per speaker.

4:27

Um Council, sometimes if we have over this amount, uh, we can extend.

4:32

We'll see how we get uh tonight.

4:34

But if you would like uh two public comment, there's forms in the back, you can bring them up here uh to the clerk.

4:41

All right, first up on and I would like to say this too.

4:44

I'm going to try my best with your names.

4:46

It is not uh it's not my forte to always have the best pronunciation of your name.

4:53

So if I don't get it right, please just state your first name and last name at the podium so that I can get it right for the next time you come.

4:59

Okay.

5:00

Thank you so much.

5:01

All right, first up is uh Logan Osborne.

5:06

Or not oh, he is here.

5:07

Okay.

5:08

We weren't sure if you were online or in person.

5:12

Where do I go?

5:13

Come right up here.

5:18

Uh apologies.

5:19

I misread the form online, so I submitted both forms.

5:24

Uh appreciate the time, everybody.

5:26

My name is Logan Osborne.

5:27

I'm a resident of Yakima.

5:29

Uh today I'd like to talk about flock safety cameras.

5:32

Uh first off, I've got a lot of concerns about them, so I'll stick to my main ones.

5:38

Uh firstly, data security and scope of collection.

5:42

The data collected by flock cameras is vast and not limited to just license plate numbers.

5:47

They are marketed as ALPR automated license plate readers.

5:50

They capture far more information than that.

5:53

Vehicle characteristics, physical damage, decals, political bumper stickers, and other identifying features.

5:58

This data is collected and uh sorry, uh losing my spider.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████17%
Procedural███████████11%
Public Safety███████████11%
Historic Preservation███████████11%
Transportation Safety███████████11%
Arts And Culture███████7%
Fiscal Sustainability███████7%
Public Engagement██████6%
Budget Equity Analysis██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – January 20, 2026

The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on January 20, 2026, at City Hall, starting at 5:31 p.m. and adjourning at 9:08 p.m. The meeting featured extensive public testimony, discussions on Flock Safety cameras, the Yakima Valley Trolleys operating agreement, Capitol Theatre capital improvements, and material changes to the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) project list. Several key motions were passed, including approval of the trolley operating agreement and authorizing a $20,000 impact fee study.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the January 6, 2026 regular meeting.
  • Approved payment of disbursements for December 1–31, 2025.
  • Accepted the 2025 4th Quarter Treasury Report.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2026-010 authorizing acceptance of a $120,000 Municipal Stormwater Capacity Grant from the Department of Ecology.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2026-011 amending the Master Fee Schedule for Parks, Recreation and Tahoma Cemetery rates.
  • Adopted Resolution R-2026-012 authorizing a grant application to the Federal Aviation Administration for the Yakima Air Terminal Building Modernization project.
  • All consent items were approved by a 7-0 roll call vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • On Flock Safety Cameras: Multiple speakers expressed concerns about data privacy, security, and potential misuse, including Logan Osborne (Yakima resident), Jamaica Zoglman (City resident), and Morgan Humes (non-city resident). Supporters included Mario Vela and Drew Shaw of the Yakima Police Patrolman’s Association, who detailed how the technology has aided investigations and arrests.
  • On Yakima Valley Trolleys: Over 20 speakers, including residents, teachers, and trolley enthusiasts from outside the city, urged renewal of the operating agreement. Many cited the trolley's historical significance, educational value, and tourism draw. A few speakers, notably Ann Knapp, raised concerns about insurance, cost, and legal status of the tracks.
  • Other Public Comments: Ralph Harvey (City resident) spoke about homelessness and proposed a tent city. Tony Courcy expressed frustration with various city matters.

Discussion Items

  • Capitol Theatre Capital Improvements: Charlie Robin (Capitol Theatre CEO) presented a $16 million project plan. Council approved three motions: (1) authorizing the Capitol Theatre Committee to raise funds on the city’s behalf (unanimous), (2) approving the design phase and extending the agreement with Graham Baba Architects (unanimous), and (3) directing staff to review legal and financial pathways for the project (passed 6-1, with Councilmember Byers voting no).
  • Transportation Benefit District (TBD) Project List: Community Development Director Bill Preston explained that cost increases require a public hearing. Options discussed included keeping the $20 car tab fee, raising it to $40, or switching to a 0.1% sales tax. The future of trolley track funding on Sixth Avenue was debated. No decision was made; a public hearing is scheduled for February 17, 2026.
  • Operating License Agreement with Yakima Valley Trolleys: After discussion of liability, insurance, and easement concerns, the council approved the agreement as presented by a 6-1 vote (Councilmember Glenn dissenting). The five-year agreement includes a $5,000 annual admin fee, reimbursement for insurance, and continued city utility payments.
  • Impact Fee Study: Following a motion to suspend rules, the council unanimously approved spending up to $20,000 in one-time funds to hire a consultant to develop a scope of work for an impact fee study. The study would examine potential fees for fire, streets, parks, and schools.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved 7-0.
  • Capitol Theatre fundraising authorized, design phase approved, and staff directed to explore legal/financial options (6-1).
  • TBD public hearing set for February 17, 2026; council will decide on funding mechanisms and trolley track eligibility at that hearing.
  • Operating license agreement with Yakima Valley Trolleys approved 6-1.
  • $20,000 impact fee study scope authorized unanimously.
  • Council agreed to allow open discussion at future study sessions and to consider starting regular meetings at 5:00 p.m. for consistency.
  • Next meeting: February 3, 2026, with executive session at 4:30 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I'm gonna start our uh regularly scheduled uh council meeting. Uh clerk, roll caller, please. Berg. Here. Brown? Here. Buy yours. Present. Glenn? Here. Gonzalez. Here. Patrick is here. Roy. Here. All right, stand with me for the pledge. One nation under God. Liberty and justice for all the time. Next is uh interpretives, interpreter services. Didn't make it last week. Didn't make it. Do you know Vicky? I do not know what he was going to be here. Who is going to be here? Not here. Not here yet. Sounds good. Moving on. Uh we have public comment tonight. There is a lot of forms that have been filled out already. And uh you council has put into our agenda for thirty-five minutes of public comment at two and a half minutes per speaker. Um Council, sometimes if we have over this amount, uh, we can extend. We'll see how we get uh tonight. But if you would like uh two public comment, there's forms in the back, you can bring them up here uh to the clerk. All right, first up on and I would like to say this too. I'm going to try my best with your names. It is not uh it's not my forte to always have the best pronunciation of your name. So if I don't get it right, please just state your first name and last name at the podium so that I can get it right for the next time you come. Okay. Thank you so much. All right, first up is uh Logan Osborne. Or not oh, he is here. Okay. We weren't sure if you were online or in person. Where do I go? Come right up here. Uh apologies. I misread the form online, so I submitted both forms. Uh appreciate the time, everybody.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com