OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - August 3, 2026

City Council — Monday, August 3, 2026
BodyYakima, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, August 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:39:44

Transcript — Verbatim
4:03

Okay.

4:06

Call our regular uh scheduled city council meeting to order here at five thirty AM.

4:13

Uh clerk, roll call, please.

4:16

Here Brown.

4:18

Here.

4:20

Present.

4:20

Glenn?

4:21

Here.

4:22

Gonzalez.

4:23

Present.

4:24

Patrick is here.

4:25

Roy?

4:26

Yeah, I think I made it.

4:29

Wow.

4:30

So excited.

4:31

Okay, uh, join me in the food.

4:54

We have interpreter services.

5:00

I got the system and I'm ready to do it.

5:02

See alguien necessita layout interpreter, tengo los radios.

5:08

Thank you.

5:09

Thank you.

5:12

All right.

5:13

Next we have public comment.

5:14

Uh there's 35 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.

5:23

Uh state law prohibits electioneering at city facilities.

5:27

Ricky.

5:29

Oh state law prohibits electionering at city facilities.

5:38

During public comment, speakers cannot campaign uh for or against candidates or support or oppose any ballot measure in any upcoming election.

5:46

Um we will be calling uh names uh when you come up, please state your name and the city that you live in.

5:57

Uh first is Eric Rodriguez.

6:06

Eric.

6:08

Okay.

6:12

Next is uh Ken Wilkinson.

6:21

Thank you, Mayor Brown.

6:22

Good evening, Council members.

6:23

Ken Wilkinson, Parks and Recreation Manager for this city.

6:27

On consent tonight, we have for your consideration an agreement with our three Yakima Rotary Clubs for the installation, purchase and installation of a new playground at Larson Park.

6:40

If you don't know where Larson Park is, Larson Park is just uh adjacent to Yakima Valley Community College.

6:47

And um that's uh one of those parks I think that some people just don't know exactly where it is.

6:53

But uh about a year ago, met with all three incoming presidents for the rotary clubs to talk about a project.

7:00

And I know John Cooper is here and he'll talk a little bit more about it.

7:03

Um but I just want to say how grateful we are for our rotary clubs and the partnership that we've developed over the past few years.

7:10

I also want to recognize Yakima Valley Community College because they donated money for new lights in the walkway uh in the park.

7:20

They're all they're older.

7:21

We haven't gotten to it yet, but those the equipment is here, and our guys in the traffic division are going to install those fixtures sometime late summer, early fall.

7:30

Uh so the students that use that uh that park and the people who use that park in the from the neighborhood will have much better, safer environment.

7:39

So I want to do introduce all three of the presidents uh from Rotary.

7:43

John Cooper is the president of Downtown.

7:45

He is here, Kyle Raspison is here, and he is the current president of Sunrise Rotary, and Mark Hummel is here, isn't here, but uh he is the president of Southwest Rotary.

7:56

And I just want to again express my gratitude uh for them choosing to again partner with Yakima Parks and Rec to make improvements to uh our park.

8:07

So with that, I'll invite John and Kyle to come and talk a little bit about their project.

8:13

Well, good evening, council.

8:15

It's good to be up in front of you again, but in a different capacity than what I'm used to doing.

8:20

Uh yes, we met about a year ago to kind of brainstorm different projects that we could collectively work on, the three rotary clubs.

8:28

And Larson Park, as as Ken mentioned, is a park that it's been around since the 30s, but has never had a playground that we know of.

8:37

Right now, it just has an old swing set and a pavilion.

8:41

So we decided it's time for that playground to have a park.

8:45

It serves a neighborhood that has very small lots, very small homes in and around that area, and there's no really good playground within close walking distance of a good portion of that area around YVC.

8:59

We are not only partnering with the three clubs, uh Kwanis is also gonna be uh financial partner.

9:06

They have committed to be part of the program, and the Parker Youth and Sports Foundation is also kicking in some funds.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████15%
Affordable Housing█████████████13%
Public Safety████████████12%
Personnel Matters██████████10%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Homelessness██████████10%
Parks and Recreation█████████9%
Public Engagement██████6%
Utility Management██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Yakima City Council Regular Meeting - August 3, 2026

The Yakima City Council met on August 3, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included recognitions for long-serving employees and a heroic community member, public comments on Flock cameras and a park project, a public hearing on the 2026 Annual Action Plan, approval of several resolutions, and updates on wildfire response, power outages, and homelessness.

Recognitions

  • Linda Ford was recognized by Police Chief Shawn Boyle for 20 years of service to the Yakima Police Department. She has worked in records since 2006 and currently handles in-car video and discovery for the prosecutor’s office.
  • Scott Schafer was recognized by City Manager Vicki Baker for 30 years of service. Starting in the wastewater treatment plant (1996), he became Public Works Director in 2013. Baker praised his long-term planning and leadership.
  • Roque Garcia received an Apple Award from Interim Fire Chief Tom Huntington for his heroic actions on April 30, 2026. Garcia climbed through a kitchen window to extinguish a fire, preventing further damage to a duplex. His actions alerted Engine 95 to the fire.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes from July 14 and July 21, 2026, regular meetings.
  • Resolution R-2026-117 authorizing an agreement with the Rotary Clubs of Yakima for development, maintenance, and use of Larson Park playground (total budget $250,000; ADA-accessible; planned completion March 2027).
  • Resolution R-2026-118 amending contract with Christensen Inc. for fleet fuel card program.
  • Resolution R-2026-119 awarding contract with Albina Asphalt for liquid asphalt and fog seal products.
  • Resolution R-2026-120 approving a grant application for the Office on Violence Against Women Firearms Technical Assistance Project Pilot Sites Initiative.
  • Ordinance No. 2026-028 amending Yakima Municipal Code Title 8 (Streets and Sidewalks) concerning violations and penalties for work in the public right-of-way.
  • All items were approved by a 7-0 roll call vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ken Wilkinson (Parks & Recreation Manager) and John Cooper (President, Yakima Rotary Club) spoke in support of the Larson Park playground project. They highlighted partnerships with three Rotary clubs, Kiwanis, and Parker Youth and Sports Foundation, and noted the park has never had a playground. The structure will include ADA-accessible ramps and musical elements. Council expressed appreciation.
  • Amanda G. (SELAH resident) urged the Council to acknowledge public opposition to Flock cameras and suggested redirecting the $250,000 to schools, Camp Hope programs, and cooling stations. She warned about potential misuse by law enforcement and ICE.
  • During the public hearing on the 2026 Draft Annual Action Plan, Tony Courcy provided comments about notification procedures and other topics unrelated to the hearing.

Discussion Items

9A - 2026 Annual Action Plan (CDBG/HOME)

  • Assistant City Manager Gary Ballew and Program Supervisor Jesse Mooney presented program achievements for the current program year (through September 30, 2026): 90 emergency home repair projects completed, including 28 HVAC repairs, 23 roof replacements, 11 wheelchair ramps, and 5 bathroom remodels. The average assisted homeowner earns less than $20,000 per year. Participants emphasized that loans are deferred until sale or transfer of the home. Resolution R-2026-121 adopting the plan was passed 7-0.

9B - Refuse Rate Increase

  • Public Works Director Scott Schafer explained that a 3% utility tax increase approved by Council to fund Fire Station 92 requires an 8.2% increase on the ready-to-serve charge for refuse (bi-monthly billing). This will generate approximately $300,000 per year through 2028. The increase applies to weekly and monthly rates as listed in the Master Fee Schedule. Resolution R-2026-122 was adopted 6-0 (Councilmember Roy absent).

9C - Public Works Board Loan for 6th Avenue Roadway Project

  • Community Development Director Bill Preston presented a $985,560 loan from the Washington State Public Works Board at 0.53% interest for design of the 6th Avenue project. No city funds will be used for trolley tracks; tracks will only be replaced if the Yakima Valley Trolley Board secures funds. The loan improves cash flow for TBD-funded projects and allows water/wastewater divisions to use freed-up funds elsewhere. Design includes engineering, right-of-way, and environmental work. Resolution R-2026-123 was adopted 6-0 (Roy absent).

9D - 2026 Budget Amendment (First Reading)

  • Finance Director Craig Warner presented third-quarter budget amendments totaling $900,293. Key items: $36,000 JAG grant for GrayKey forensic software; $156,000 for taser replacement; $100,000 for fire pension medical costs; $120,000 for Franklin Pool operations; $50,000 for pool repairs; closure of three funds. This was a first reading; no vote was taken.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved 7-0.
  • Resolution R-2026-121 (Annual Action Plan) approved 7-0.
  • Resolution R-2026-122 (refuse rate increase) approved 6-0; Roy absent.
  • Resolution R-2026-123 (Public Works Board loan) approved 6-0; Roy absent.
  • First reading of budget amendment; second reading and vote at a future meeting.
  • The August 11 regular meeting was canceled; a special meeting on utility billing will be held August 25.
  • County allocated an additional $200,000 to Camp Hope to assist with transition (reported by Councilmember Byers).
  • Next regular meeting scheduled for August 18, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.

City Manager Update & Other Business

  • Wildfire Update: Interim Fire Chief Tom Huntington reported the Red Sky fire (near 2900 McCullough Rd) burned approximately 4,300 acres. One residence lost, no fatalities. Mutual aid from many agencies. A statewide burn ban is in effect through September 30. Drones near fires are prohibited as they ground air support.
  • Pacific Power Outages: City Manager Baker summarized outages: enhanced safety settings caused eight outages in Natchez Heights/Northwest Yakima/Southeast Cowiche; an emergency de-energization on July 31 affected 6,200 customers; on August 1, the Stone Road fire caused a shutdown for 21,000 customers (most restored within an hour); the Red Sky fire damaged equipment, affecting 1,300 customers. Pacific Power is reviewing system settings and customers can sign up for notifications.
  • Homelessness: Councilmember Glenn noted a dramatic increase in visible homelessness after July 1 and criticized Camp Hope not accepting new clients. He questioned Union Gospel Mission’s use of funds. Mayor Brown updated that the county is interviewing candidates for the Human Services Director position.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Call our regular uh scheduled city council meeting to order here at five thirty AM. Uh clerk, roll call, please. Here Brown. Here. Present. Glenn? Here. Gonzalez. Present. Patrick is here. Roy? Yeah, I think I made it. Wow. So excited. Okay, uh, join me in the food. We have interpreter services. I got the system and I'm ready to do it. See alguien necessita layout interpreter, tengo los radios. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next we have public comment. Uh there's 35 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. Uh state law prohibits electioneering at city facilities. Ricky. Oh state law prohibits electionering at city facilities. During public comment, speakers cannot campaign uh for or against candidates or support or oppose any ballot measure in any upcoming election. Um we will be calling uh names uh when you come up, please state your name and the city that you live in. Uh first is Eric Rodriguez. Eric. Okay. Next is uh Ken Wilkinson. Thank you, Mayor Brown. Good evening, Council members. Ken Wilkinson, Parks and Recreation Manager for this city. On consent tonight, we have for your consideration an agreement with our three Yakima Rotary Clubs for the installation, purchase and installation of a new playground at Larson Park. If you don't know where Larson Park is, Larson Park is just uh adjacent to Yakima Valley Community College. And um that's uh one of those parks I think that some people just don't know exactly where it is. But uh about a year ago, met with all three incoming presidents for the rotary clubs to talk about a project. And I know John Cooper is here and he'll talk a little bit more about it. Um but I just want to say how grateful we are for our rotary clubs and the partnership that we've developed over the past few years. I also want to recognize Yakima Valley Community College because they donated money for new lights in the walkway uh in the park. They're all they're older. We haven't gotten to it yet, but those the equipment is here, and our guys in the traffic division are going to install those fixtures sometime late summer, early fall. Uh so the students that use that uh that park and the people who use that park in the from the neighborhood will have much better, safer environment. So I want to do introduce all three of the presidents uh from Rotary. John Cooper is the president of Downtown. He is here, Kyle Raspison is here, and he is the current president of Sunrise Rotary, and Mark Hummel is here, isn't here, but uh he is the president of Southwest Rotary. And I just want to again express my gratitude uh for them choosing to again partner with Yakima Parks and Rec to make improvements to uh our park.

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