Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - June 16, 2026
Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - June 16, 2026
The Yakima City Council held a regular meeting on June 16, 2026, at 5:31 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, lasting until 7:31 p.m. The meeting included public comments, recognition of retiring Fire Chief Aaron Markham, council committee appointments, a consent agenda, a contentious debate on renewing the Flock Safety camera contract, airport updates, and a report on Franklin Pool repairs. Councilmember Rick Glenn was absent.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from the June 2, 2026 regular meeting.
- Approved payment of disbursements for May 1–31, 2026.
- Accepted the May 2026 Investment Transaction Report.
- Accepted project completion with Total Site Services LLC for Systemic Pedestrian Safety Improvements Project 2675.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-084 setting a hearing on July 7, 2026 to review the Six-year Transportation Improvement Program and Capital Facilities Element for 2027–2032.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-085 setting a public hearing on July 21, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. on proposed surplus of real property acquired for utility purposes.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-086 authorizing renewal of Euna/Questica Budget Management Software Subscription.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-087 accepting a WSDOT grant for the 72nd & Washington Avenue Sidewalk Project.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-088 authorizing a WSDOT grant for Paratransit Services (Dial-A-Ride).
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-089 authorizing an interagency agreement with Washington Traffic Safety Commission for dedicated DUI enforcement.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-090 authorizing an agreement with Selland Construction, Inc. for the Expanding Water and Wastewater Access to Underserved Communities Project.
- Adopted Resolution R-2026-091 accepting Change Order #2 with Ascent Foundation and More, LLC for the same project.
- Adopted Ordinance 2026-025 amending the 2026 budget and making appropriations from unappropriated fund balances. Item M (Flock Safety contract) was removed from the consent agenda.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Noemi Sanchez, Andreina Rangel, Zachary Galland, Michael Morrison, Drew Toop, Martha Ramirez, Steve Flynn, and Amanda G. opposed the Flock Safety camera renewal. They cited concerns about: unconstitutional data collection, cameras near schools and sensitive locations (12 cameras near four schools, a place of worship, two immigration agencies, and a medical facility), the contract granting Flock a worldwide perpetual royalty-free license to use data, and lack of transparency. Several speakers accused the council of not reading the contract. Michael Morrison quoted Chief Justice Roberts on Fourth Amendment protection. Martha Ramirez noted the new contract may remove a clause stating Flock does not sell data and that the city may be in violation of ARPA fund stipulations.
- Ed Falter (Marine Corps League) thanked Councilmember Patricia Byers for speaking at their convention and presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation.
- Anne Knapp (City resident) asked for clarification on the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) hearing (Item 7E) and expressed support for Flock cameras, stating she trusts the police department.
- Tony Sandoval (City resident) spoke in favor of the revised Terrace Heights annexation proposal and expressed support for Chief Boyle.
- Tony Courcy (City resident) discussed an ongoing water rights issue and property at 1021 N 34th Ave.
Discussion Items
- Retirement of Fire Chief Aaron Markham: Acting City Manager Gary Ballew recognized Chief Markham’s 35 years of service. Chief Markham thanked the council and noted his last day is June 30, 2026.
- Council Nominating Committee recommendations: Councilmember Berg reported the committee’s recommendations for appointments to the Arts Commission, Henry Beauchamp Jr. Community Center Advisory Board, Yakima Planning Commission, and Public Facilities District. The council unanimously approved the recommendations.
- Flock Safety Contract Renewal (Item 7M): After extensive discussion, Police Chief Shawn Boyle and City Attorney Sara Watkins answered questions about contract terms, retention periods, compliance with state law (SB 6002), and data sharing. Councilmember Gonzalez expressed concerns about the terms being on a hyperlink that could change. The initial motion to adopt the resolution failed 3-3 (Mayor Brown, Gonzalez, Roy voted no; Potrykus, Berg, Byers voted yes; Glenn absent). A motion to bring the item back the first week of July passed 5-1 (Gonzalez no). Later, under Other Business, the council reconsidered the item. A motion to reconsider passed 5-1 (Gonzalez no). The resolution then passed on a 5-1 roll call vote (Gonzalez no). The approved resolution authorizes the annual subscription renewal with Flock Safety for the Yakima Police Department.
- Yakima Air Terminal Update: Administrative Assistant Shelby Barrett reported that the 2026 Aviation Day drew 7,012 attendees, with 69 vendors, 12 food options, 4 helicopters, 12 fixed-wing aircraft, and a car show of 59 vehicles. She announced that next year the event will include an air show. Airport Director Christopher Hopkins highlighted ongoing projects: baggage carousel renovation (to be completed around November), Phase 1 of ticketing counter and rental car area renovations (starting fall 2026), an overflow parking lot (starting June 22), rehabilitation of Legacy Crosswind Runway 4-22 (funded by $3.6 million in FAA grants), and a feasibility study for air cargo and MRO capacity. He also described a successful intercept of a $60,000 scam package with help from YPD and FedEx.
- FAA Grants for Runway Rehabilitation: Council adopted Resolution R-2026-092 accepting two FAA grants totaling nearly $3.1 million for the Legacy Crosswind Runway project. The city’s match of about $166,000 comes from passenger facility charges, not the general fund. The motion passed 6-0.
- Grant for Cargo & MRO Feasibility Study: Council adopted Resolution R-2026-093 authorizing grant applications to the Yakima County SIED Board and the U.S. Economic Development Administration for a feasibility study on expanding air cargo and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capacity at the airport. The motion passed 6-0.
- Franklin Pool Repairs: Acting City Manager Ballew updated the council on repairs, including a new drain, concrete decking, and a broken pipe that was fixed. The pool will open on Friday, June 19, 2026 at 12:30 p.m., operating Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Lifeguard staffing is sufficient. The season ends on August 23 with a "Paws in the Pool" event.
Key Outcomes
- Flock Safety contract renewal was approved 5-1 (Gonzalez dissenting) after reconsideration, ensuring continued use of the automated license plate reader system.
- Council nominations for boards and commissions were approved unanimously.
- Two FAA grants for runway rehabilitation were accepted, and the city will apply for a feasibility study for air cargo and MRO.
- Franklin Pool will open June 19 with limited summer hours.
- Next meeting: July 7, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Call this uh regular council meeting to order. Uh clerk, roll call, please. Bird here Brown here. Buyers, President Gonzalez here. Patrick is here. Really? Here. Councilmember Glenn is absent. All right, join me for the poll. All right. Interpreter services. I believe Nate is here, yes. Next is public comment. Uh there's thirty-five minutes allotted for public comment with two and a half minutes per speaker in order to allow as much opportunity as possible for audience participation. You have refused to do so. Um experts or constitutional legal experts. You have allowed and supported the widespread unconstitutional collection of our data. You have allowed that unconstitutionally collected data to be retained and shared by Flock, however they choose, with no regard for what their harms actually causes. And it is clearly stated in the contract that has been approved by this council that they get to use the data however they want, even after YPD has deleted it. You have not read the contracts, and we know that for a fact because a couple council members have confirmed that to our faces that they have not actually read the contracts in full. And you have not read the laws. How the funds are used. How you procure the original contract, who retains ownership of the capital asset purchase or any conflict of interest. You have put Yakima at gris for more lawsuits, which the city cannot afford. You have opened up opened us up to extensive litigation that us as taxpaying residents have to fit the bill for. Your failure, your failures here with Flock are so widespread and they're so dangerous, and you're not serving this community, and you have proven to be untrustworthy. Since you have not done any research, I have provided you with some information to help you get at least a basic understanding. Today you will vote on their approval or renewing the city contract for 2,497. Do your research and vote no on the blanket approval of the contract. Thank you. All right. Zachary, are you here? Don't see him. Okay. Uh, we'll go to Andrina Rangel. My name is Andreena Rangel. I'm a Yakima County resident. Last week we heard Chief Boyle say that they had removed cameras from locations now deemed by Washington Senate Bill 6002 as sensitive locations where cameras can't be placed. The handout in front of you highlights where the law states it is unlawful for any agency to collect automated license plate reader data on the premises or immediate surroundings or access to and from facilities that provide protected health services, facilities conducting an immigration matter, elementary and secondary schools, places of worship, courts, and um, and food banks. Since the city has not complied with public records requests regarding camera locations and the information is absent from the YPD flock transparency portal, we conducted our own research by mapping camera locations with the help of DFund, I'm sorry, with the help of DFLOC.org. While the law doesn't define immediate surroundings, a one to two block radius is a reasonable standard. Within this distance, we found 12 cameras near four schools, a place of worship, two immigration agencies, and a medical facility. Even more alarming, five cameras sit directly outside of daycares and early learning centers, locations that deserve the highest priority, the highest privacy protections. Police departments cannot use mobile video, I'm sorry, mobile vehicle cameras around schools because they cannot be turned off to protect children from surveillance. Why then is it acceptable to post stationary cameras right outside daycares and parks? The handout titled City of Yakima Surveillance Cameras and at Prohibited and Sensitive Locations maps out these areas to save you time and disprove Chief Boyle's claims. Remember, each camera takes six to twelve photos of every vehicle or person triggering its sensors. That means six to twelve photos of every parent dropping off their child twice a day all year round with that data fed directly to Flock to use as they wish. We've asked the city council and YPD for months to end the Flock safety camera contracts and to invest in vital community programs. You've ignored us.
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