Yakima City Council Regular Meeting Summary - May 12, 2026
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Yakima City Council Regular Meeting Summary - May 12, 2026
The Yakima City Council met on May 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments on fluoridation, surveillance cameras, and affordable housing, a public hearing on a moratorium for halfway houses, a discussion on fluoridation ballot process, and updates on the Mill Site corridor project. Consent agenda items were approved, and several resolutions were adopted.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution R-2026-064: Accepting the 1st Quarter 2026 Claim Report.
- Resolution R-2026-065: Authorizing a right-of-way use permit for Iglesia de Dios Puerta De Salvacion for an ADA ramp.
- Resolution R-2026-066: Authorizing a right-of-way use permit for Michelsen Packaging Co. for truck traffic on Quince Street.
- Resolution R-2026-069: Write-off of certain uncollectable central accounts receivables.
- Resolution R-2026-070: Write-off of certain uncollectable utility accounts receivables.
- Resolution R-2026-071: Authorizing a grant agreement with the Department of Ecology for cleanup of Tiger Oil site.
- Resolutions removed for discussion:
- 7D (R-2026-067): Authorizing an Interlocal Agreement with Purchasing Cooperative of America (PCA) for cooperative purchasing services. Approved 7-0.
- 7E (R-2026-068): Authorizing an agreement with InfoSend, Inc. for utility bill printing and bulk mailing services. Approved 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Fluoridation (20 minutes allocated): Nineteen speakers expressed opposition to ending fluoridation, including dental professionals, residents, and community leaders. They cited public health benefits, cost savings, and equity. One speaker (Daylene Ackerman, county resident) spoke against fluoridation, citing health risks and lack of consent. Several speakers urged the council not to put a repeal on the ballot.
- Flock cameras/ALPR: Zachary Galland (city resident), Michael Morrison (city resident), and Noemi Sanchez (city resident) urged the council to end the use of automatic license plate reader cameras, citing privacy concerns, cost, and potential misuse of data. They argued the funds could be redirected to community programs.
- Affordable housing funds: William Chichenoff (city resident) advocated using $900,000 in HB 1406 funds for secure housing for gravely disabled and terminally violent individuals. Meloney Rosen and Shelly Parker (Habitat for Humanity) asked the council to lower the minimum project size of 10 units and allow critical home repair to make funds accessible to smaller organizations.
- Other: Tony Courcy (city resident) spoke on ONDS home repair program and property issues.
Discussion Items
- Public Hearing 8A – Moratorium on Halfway Houses and SCTFs: The council held a public hearing on Resolution R-2026-072, which would adopt findings of fact for a 6-month moratorium on halfway houses and secured community transition facilities. Speakers Melissa Christianson, Gerry Heyen, and William Chichenoff supported the moratorium, citing zoning concerns, neighborhood safety, and the need for proper regulation. Tony Courcy also commented. After closing the hearing, the council discussed enforcement and the impact of state laws. The resolution passed 7-0, directing the Yakima Planning Commission to review and recommend Title 15 revisions.
- 9A – Mill Site Update: Community Development Director Bill Preston and Yakima County Engineer Matt Pietrusiewicz updated the council on the East-West Corridor project. The project is stuck in the NEPA environmental process due to wood waste contamination and Department of Ecology involvement. The city can proceed with water/sewer lines in the purple area (Phase 1A/1B) without NEPA approval. The county plans to begin removing wood waste in the kidney-shaped area this fall, bypassing Ecology delays. Matt Pietrusiewicz expressed frustration with regulatory delays, noting $60 million in state funding is at risk. The county has acquired right-of-way and relocated residents.
- 9B – Process to Put Fluoridation on the Ballot: City Attorney Sara Watkins outlined the legal process: because fluoridation was voter-approved by initiative, repeal must go to voters. State law requires 90-day notification to customers and the Department of Health. Staff recommended the council decide on a ballot date and schedule a public hearing. After discussion, Councilmember Potrykus moved to postpone the item indefinitely, citing insufficient evidence from both sides. The motion passed 6-1 (Mayor Brown voting no).
Key Outcomes
- Mental Health Awareness Month Proclamation: Approved unanimously (7-0) and proclaimed May 2026 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Angela Bazan accepted on behalf of NAMI Yakima.
- Consent Agenda Items: Items 7A, 7B, 7C, 7F, 7G, 7H approved 7-0. Items 7D and 7E removed for discussion and approved separately 7-0 each.
- Moratorium Resolution (8A): Adopted 7-0; directs Planning Commission to review halfway house and SCTF zoning and provide recommendations within 6 months.
- Fluoridation Ballot Discussion: Motion to postpone indefinitely passed 6-1 (Brown no). No further action on fluoride ballot measure at this time.
- America 250 Light It Up Proclamation: Motion to direct staff to prepare a proclamation for the June 9 agenda passed unanimously.
- TBD Car Tab Fee: Mayor Brown reported that the delayed removal of the $20 Transportation Benefit District car tab fee has been resolved and will take effect July 1 as scheduled, following intervention with the governor’s office.
- City Manager Update: Vicki Baker recognized National Police Week; noted YPD Memorial Service on May 15; Yakima will host the 2026 FIRA USA agriculture robotics conference at State Fair Park in October; upcoming topics include Opportunity Zones 2.0.
Meeting Transcript
I call this uh council meeting to order. Uh clerk, roll call, please. Bird. Here. Brown? Here. Buyers. Present. Glenn? Here. Gonzalez? Present. Patrickis. Here. Roy? Here. All right, stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance. All right. I believe we have interpreter services somewhere. Perhaps maybe not. Okay, well, I'm I thought we would have interpreter services, but I'm not sure they're here, so maybe we don't. But we will move on to uh public comment. So there'll be thirty-five minutes tonight allotted for public comment with two and a half minutes per speaker in order to allow as much opportunity as possible for audience participation. Written communication and email messages are also strongly encouraged if we don't get through everyone tonight. I urge you not to put removal of fluoride on the ballot. Yakima already faces serious oral health challenges, and our community simply cannot afford to lose one of the few preventive tools that reach everyone every day. As dean of the School of Dental Medicine, I see firsthand how limited access to dental care affects families across our region. Too many families in Yakima and the surrounding area already struggle to find routine dental care. For many children, seniors, and working adults, prevention is not something they can count on through regular dental visits. This is exactly why community water fluoridation matters. It reaches everyone regardless of income, insurance status, transportation, or whether they can get to the dental office. Fluoride and the public water supply is a basic and proven public health measure. It helps protect teeth from decay, especially for those at greater risk, children, older adults, and those lease at least able to access regular dental care. If fluoride is removed, we should expect more cavities and associated infections, more emergency room visits, more missed school days, more missed work days for parents and caregivers, and greater strain on the already limited dental services at a greater cost to the community. Yakima and the surrounding area needs greater access to care to address our community's needs. This is exactly why PNWU started the School of Dental Medicine. We're here to recruit and retain local men and women, and some of them you may have seen on billboards around town recently. We're here to train future dentists, have them stay in our community and meet their needs. But even with more providers in the future, prevention will still matter. Fluoride helps protect people now before they ever need a filling, an extraction, or an emergency room visit. Approximately 25 years ago, Yakima approved adding fluoride to the public water supply with over 60% of the voters approving the ballot measure. Please keep this proven equitable public health measure in place and protect the health of Yakima's children, families, and seniors. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Karen Young. Good evening, Council members. My name is Karen Tridinger Young. I live inside the city limits. I'm a general dentist, private practice owner, and president of the Yakima Valley Dental Society.
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