Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - April 21, 2026

The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on April 21, 2026, at 5:34 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, adjourning at 8:54 p.m. The council addressed a full agenda including public comments, consent calendar items, multiple department presentations, and financial reports. Notable actions included the approval of a law enforcement memorial garden, adjustments to irrigation and permit fees, and a decision to allocate $141,000 to reopen park restrooms.

Consent Calendar

• Approved payment of disbursements for March 1–31, 2026 (Resolution R-2026-050 for Geosyntec Consultants contract amendment, $445,000 for ASR and DBP monitoring).
• Declared two refuse trucks surplus (Resolution R-2026-051).
• Adopted ordinance amending the 2025-2026 biennial budget (Ordinance 2026-018).
• Adopted ordinance amending fireworks permit fees (Ordinance 2026-019).
• Item 7G (Historic Preservation Ordinance fee amendment) was removed from consent, later approved 6-1 (Ordinance 2026-020).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Julian Paschen, city resident, spoke about the indefinite closure of public restrooms at Chesterley Park, noting a contractual obligation with the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) to keep facilities open during the primary recreation season. He stated that budget shortfalls are generally not considered a valid reason for noncompliance by the state.
• Tony Sandoval, city resident, expressed support for the Washington Fruit Community Center and reported that only $1,000 had been donated so far via the Yakima Valley Community Foundation. He noted that the first business donor is Baragam Vinos, which will donate $2 per bottle sold online.
• William Chichenoff, city resident, proposed a mandatory 72-hour mental health and safety evaluation protocol for all domestic violence offenders before release, arguing the current system is a "catch-and-release loop" that fails as a deterrent and burdens police and EMS resources.
• Tony Courcy, city resident, voiced concerns about crosswalks at 16th Avenue and Hathaway and alleged that the city had hidden documents and misled him about bus stops and crosswalks.

Discussion Items

• Recognition of Officer Dulce Diaz: Police Chief Shawn Boyle recognized Officer Diaz for 20 years of service, highlighting her work with the Explorer program, community academy, and gang unit.
• Letter to KIMA-TV: Council approved a letter expressing appreciation to KIMA-TV for 73 years of service to the community, following its sale and move to Tri-Cities. The letter was read into the record and signed by the council.
• Yakima Police Explorers Presentation: Lieutenant Ira Cavin and Explorers Captain Dayanara Abundiz and Lieutenant Christian Sevao presented the program, noting it has been active since 1986 (40 years). They reported 25 active explorers, 4,600 volunteer hours in 2025, and fundraising for National Police Week in Washington, D.C. The program is a pipeline for law enforcement careers.
• Public Safety Update – Police Department: Chief Boyle reported 2024-2025 crime statistics: homicides down, clearance rate up to 89% (national average 61%), burglary and auto theft significantly down, but fatal collisions up. He noted the department is fully staffed at 124 budgeted officers (down from 147 in 2014). Corrections officers are at about 50% staffing, with 895 overtime hours worked in Q1 and over $400,000 in overtime costs. The Pro-Active Unit made 161 arrests, seized 30 firearms, and 0.5 pounds of methamphetamine in recent operations.
• Public Safety Update – Fire Department: Chief Markham reported 2,483 total responses in Q1, including 1,180 medical calls, 95 fire calls, and 41 hazardous situations. There were 21 structure fires (7 contained to room of origin), 10 cooking fires, and 30 cardiac arrests. The department conducted 509 commercial inspections and 440 student presentations. Staffing challenges: three firefighters left laterally (two to other departments, one to Texas).
• Law Enforcement Memorial Garden: Resolution R-2026-052 approved 7-0 to establish a memorial garden at the Yakima Police Department to honor fallen Sergeant Joseph Deccio and other line-of-duty officers. The project is funded by donations (just under $25,000 raised of $40,000 needed).
• Irrigation Rates 2026-2031: Resolution R-2026-053 approved 7-0, setting annual rate increases (8.25% in 2026, 6.5% in 2027, 9.5% in 2028, then 3% for three years) to ensure utility self-sustainability.
• Regulatory License Removal: Ordinance 2026-021 approved 7-0, removing unnecessary regulatory licenses from code.
• Engineering Permit Fees: Ordinance 2026-022 approved 6-1 (Mayor Brown dissenting), increasing excavation permit fees from $100 to $262 and engineering permit fees from $250 to $546.
• Business License Fees: Ordinance 2026-023 approved 7-0, removing curb number painting license and associated exemptions.
• Master Fee Schedule: Resolution R-2026-054 approved 7-0, consolidating various fee schedule changes into one resolution for future efficiency.
• 2025 4th Quarter Financial Report: Finance Director Craig Warner presented a preliminary report. General Fund revenues were about $2 million above budget due to higher utility taxes and investment interest ($6.5 million actual vs $2.7 million budgeted). Sales tax was $2 million below budget but offset by utility tax. The city has excess funds beyond the 12% reserve threshold. Warner recommended moving the reserve policy to 15% to maintain bond ratings. After discussion, the council approved a motion to allocate $141,000 to reopen park restrooms (unanimous). The council also discussed but deferred decisions on Washington Fruit Community Center, Lions Pool, and Franklin Pool funding, noting that Lions Pool appears funded through year-end via previous allocations and community donations.

Key Outcomes

• Approved (7-0): Resolution R-2026-052 for Law Enforcement Memorial Garden.
• Approved (7-0): Resolution R-2026-053 for irrigation rates 2026-2031.
• Approved (7-0): Ordinance 2026-021 removing regulatory licenses.
• Approved (6-1): Ordinance 2026-022 amending engineering permit fees.
• Approved (7-0): Ordinance 2026-023 amending business license fees.
• Approved (7-0): Resolution R-2026-054 for master fee schedule amendments.
• Approved (unanimous): Motion to allocate $141,000 to reopen park restrooms (staff to hire temporary maintenance workers).
• Approved (unanimous): Motion to direct staff to prepare a Mental Health Awareness Month proclamation for the May 12, 2026 agenda.
• Next steps: Council will revisit funding for Washington Fruit Community Center and Franklin Pool at future meetings. The next regular meeting is May 5, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.