Yakima City Council Regular Meeting – April 7, 2026

The Yakima City Council met in regular session on April 7, 2026, beginning with a 5:15 p.m. executive session on pending litigation and convening publicly at 5:33 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included public comment, recognitions, a consent agenda, a public hearing on zoning text amendments, and votes on economic development, pool funding, the budget, and a land-use moratorium. The meeting adjourned at 8:09 p.m.

Executive Session

• By unanimous motion, Council recessed to executive session from 5:17 to 5:29 p.m. to discuss pending litigation under RCW 42.30.110(1)(i). Mayor Brown announced no further action was expected.

Public Comments & Testimony

• State Rep. Jeremie Dufault, Rep. Chris Corry, and Sen. Curtis King thanked the community and Council for pool-reopening efforts. They reported that more than $120,000 had been raised for Lions and Franklin pools, with $30,000 in additional pledges, and that a local contractor had offered pro bono repair work at Franklin Pool.
• Fifteen residents spoke in support of keeping Lions Pool open, including high school swimmers, families, seniors, and a representative of Yakima Chief Hops. Speakers cited swim-team access, water therapy, affordability, and the pool as a safe community resource. Lynnette Whitney proposed seasonal hours and programming to increase revenue; several urged a permanent funding solution rather than a one-time fix.
• Carol Masterson urged the Council to reopen restrooms at Kissell Park, reporting about 28 to 30 cars and an estimated 100 people on Easter Sunday, and offered maintenance and water-saving suggestions.
• Tony Sandoval spoke in favor of keeping the Washington Fruit Community Center open, estimating it may need about $400,000 and challenging councilmembers to visit it.
• Joseph Kopsick recommended a land-value taxation approach, advocating taxes on land hoarding, speculation, and resource overuse rather than on income, sales, or buildings.
• Jack Williams of the U.S. Small Business Administration said federal programs could help December flood victims with up to $2 million, with no interest accrual and no payments for the first 12 months for eligible applicants.
• Tony Courcy questioned the Council’s handling of public comments and raised concerns about a development decision, including statements about a former planning review process.

Proclamations and Recognitions

• Council unanimously approved the Arbor Day proclamation, designating the second Saturday in April as Arbor Day. Garrett Brenden of the Yakima Area Arboretum accepted it and invited the community to Arbor Fest, the 25th annual event.
• City Manager Vicki Baker introduced Lisa Garcia as Human Resources Director; Garcia started the previous day and previously served at Yakima Chief Hops.
• Baker recognized Police Chief Shawn Boyle for 30 years of service. Chief Boyle began in 1996, served in corrections, and became chief in 2025; he said he planned to remain with the city.

Consent Calendar

• The Council approved the consent agenda 7-0 after removing Items F and I. Approved routine items included meeting minutes, project completion/acceptance for the City Hall Chiller Replacement Project, a bulk fuel contract with Christensen, Inc., a change order with Ascent Foundation & More LLC, a supplemental engineering agreement with HLA Engineering and Land Surveying, Inc., the national prescription opiate litigation settlement, and an interlocal agreement with Yakima County for juvenile detention services.
• Item F, the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) award for the Fair Avenue Multimodal Improvements Project, was removed for explanation and then adopted 7-0 as Resolution R-2026-040. The project is a sidewalk on the west side of Fair Avenue near the fairgrounds; a $1.2 million state TIB award will support a project on the city’s TBD list estimated at about $1.5 million.
• Item I, the 2026 summer open cruising dates on Yakima Avenue, was removed for discussion. Chief Boyle said police staffing for six cruise nights would cost about $40,000 and has historically been supported by federal grants; the Department of Justice grant had not yet been awarded. Councilmember Byers expressed concern about fairness because other community groups are fundraising for services. Resolution R-2026-043 was adopted 7-0.

Public Hearing: YMC Title 15 Zoning Text Amendments

• Planning Manager Trevor Martin presented the Planning Commission’s recommended amendments for drive-through queuing standards, parking standards, middle housing, and reorganization of the permitted-use table.
• Parking standard changes included commercial retail from 1 space per 200 square feet to 1 per 500 square feet; single-family from 2 to 1 space; multifamily to 0.5 spaces per unit. Martin said many standards came from state requirements.
• Councilmember Byers called the multifamily standard absurd but voted yes begrudgingly, noting the city had no choice under state mandates.
• Tony Courcy testified about his experience with shared-parking requirements and alleged the city misrepresented its review process.
• The Council adopted Ordinance 2026-011 on a 6-0 roll call; Gonzalez was not present for the vote.

Department Items

Hogback West Yakima SIED Application

• Assistant City Manager Gary Ballew asked Council authorization to submit a Supporting Investments in Economic Development (SIED) grant and loan application for infrastructure for the proposed Hogback development on Nob Hill Boulevard.
• The 32-acre property currently has an assessed value of about $70,000 and generates about $109 a year in property taxes. After the zone change, assessed value would rise to about $7 million; full buildout is projected at $120 million and about $150,000 a year in property tax. The first three buildings represent more than $25 million in investment, with one expected to generate about $7 million in sales and about $50,000 a year in sales tax.
• The request is for $650,000 in grant funds, a $650,000 loan, and a $327,000 local match from the developer, to pay for a fourth traffic-signal leg and about 3,900 linear feet of public sewer. The proposal uses a TIF-light structure returning 50% of new sales and property tax increments to repay the loan over 10 years; projected city benefit is more than $1.4 million during the project and over $300,000 annually by year 13.
• Council discussion noted the developer is local with a successful track record; staff said future developer agreements and loan repayment agreements would be brought back to Council. Resolution R-2026-044 was adopted 7-0.

Lions Pool / Franklin Pool Reserves

• Finance Director Craig Warner presented Resolution R-2026-045, authorizing $230,000 from reserves, in addition to community and state fundraising, to reopen Lions Pool and repair Franklin Pool.
• Discussion emphasized that the funds are one-time, that Franklin Pool leaks about 16,000 gallons a day, and that a repair assessment is needed before full cost is known.
• An amendment by Councilmember Byers to change the opening target to as soon as possible failed on a 3-4 vote. The final motion by Potrykus and Roy adopted the resolution and directed staff to open Lions Pool in some capacity by Tax Day, April 15, 2026; the motion carried 7-0 after Byers changed her no vote to yes.
• Staff noted hiring and training lifeguards is a limiting factor; the city manager said the pool might open in very limited capacity and possibly in the last week of April.

Biennial Budget Amendment (First Reading)

• Finance Director Craig Warner presented the first reading of the budget ordinance, which appropriates from unappropriated fund balances and carries forward 2025 encumbrances.
• The general fund includes $985,075 in new revenues from grants, including $658,461 and $221,914 grants, about $236,443 in carried-forward general-fund encumbrances, and reserve-funded appropriations including $1.2 million for Fire Station 92 overtime from January through August, $32,000 from Forbes Mercy for the Humane Society contract, $12,510 for increased probation costs, $100,000 for an impact-fee study, and $40,000 for cruise-night overtime.
• Note: The agenda describes this as amending the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget, while the minutes describe it as amending the 2026 Budget.
• No vote was taken; this was a first reading.

Halfway House / Secure Community Transition Facility Moratorium

• City Attorney Sara Watkins presented Ordinance 2026-012, imposing a six-month moratorium through October 6, 2026, on development applications, permits, and approvals for halfway houses and secure community transition facilities (SCTFs), with an expedited planning process to develop zoning and business regulations.
• Watkins said Washington State is seeking to site SCTFs under RCW 71.09 and the city lacks specific definitions and land-use regulations for them. She also said the city was not currently aware of any existing halfway houses under the code definition.
• A public hearing on the moratorium is scheduled for May 12, 2026. The ordinance was adopted 7-0 and became effective immediately.

City Manager Update

• Baker thanked state legislators for their pool fundraising and previewed upcoming Council topics: Fire Station 92 funding, council code of ethics, licensing, public safety update, fentanyl exposure ordinance, YPD Police Explorers, 2025 financial update, East Yakima annexation, master fee schedule, and municipal code amendments.

Other Business

• Councilmember Byers moved to direct staff to amend Yakima Municipal Code Section 9.25.020 to require any group or organization holding a cruise night to obtain a special event permit and be sponsored, and the motion was amended to include sanctioned parades. After discussion about fairness, costs, and not wanting to price out events, the motion failed on a 5-2 roll call, with Byers and Gonzalez in favor and Berg, Brown, Glenn, Potrykus, and Roy opposed.

Key Outcomes

• Executive session held; no action taken.
• Consent agenda and separately considered Items F and I were all approved 7-0.
• Ordinance 2026-011 passed 6-0, with Gonzalez absent for the roll call.
• Resolution R-2026-044 and Resolution R-2026-045 were adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 2026-012 was adopted 7-0 and is effective immediately.
• The budget ordinance had a first reading; no final action was taken.
• A motion requiring special event permits and sponsorship for cruise nights and sanctioned parades failed 5-2.
• The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers.