City Council Study Session — Yakima, WA
Date: 2025-04-22

YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
 April 22, 2025
 City Hall - Council Chambers - 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima WA
 5:00 PM City Council Study Session - Conducted in person and virtually via Zoom

1) Roll Call
 City Council Present: Mayor Patricia Byers, presiding; Assistant Mayor Matt Brown and
 Councilmembers Reedy Berg, Janice Deccio (attending remotely via Zoom), Rick Glenn,
 Danny Herrera and Leo Roy (present remotely at 5:17 p.m. via Zoom)
 County Commissioners Present: Chair Kyle Curtis, Amanda McKinney, and LaDon Linde
 Staff: City Manager Vicki Baker, City Attorney Sara Watkins and City Clerk Rosalinda
 Ibarra
 Mayor Byers recognized Yakima Police Department employee Matthew Sutton for his
 promotion to Captain and Police Department Employee of the Year Yvette Inzunza.

2) Study Session Items
 2.A City and County joint study session regarding homeless coalition
 The Yakima City Council and the Yakima County Board of County Commissioners
 held a joint study session to discuss the Yakima County Homeless Coalition and
 its efforts to address homelessness issues in the community.
 Yakima County Human Services Director Esther Magasis presented information
 about the homeless response network system including outreach, permanent
 supportive and transitional housing, case management, prevention, shelters,
 rehabilitation programs and employment assistance services. The funding is
 allocated through various federal and state program resources such as capital
 improvement, coordinated entry, permanent supportive housing, rental assistance,
 encampments and shelters. Ms. Magasis shared statistics about people who had
 received services in past years and talked about coordinated response for
 unsanctioned encampments which involve code enforcement, case managers,
 designated crisis responders, and law enforcement. She also highlighted Project
 Pause and a proposed Downtown and First Street Cleanup Project. Recent
 Charter updates allow for more representation on the Homeless Coalition by
 expanding the Executive Team and creating a City and Town Committee on
 homelessness issues.
 Yakima Police Department Captain Chad Janis provided information related to law
 enforcement response to matters related to the homeless community.
 City Councilmembers and County Commissioners engaged in extensive discussion
 about chronic homelessness issues in Yakima. Challenges noted include the crime
 and damage caused by chronically homeless individuals, lack of accountability and


April 22, 2025 – Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 2
 restrictions related to rental assistance, and the need for substance abuse and
 mental health treatment facilities. Both legislative bodies agreed to continue
 discussions and seek potential opportunities for future collaboration on solutions.

3) Public Comment (allow 15 minutes)

 Rick de Villa, City resident, made suggestions for public forums to include work force
 development and employment and engagement of families impacted by those suffering
 homelessness and addiction.

 Tony Sandoval, City resident, discussed his personal experience and mentioned some
 holes in the services provided by local service providers.

 Mike Kay, CEO of Grace City Outreach, the organization which manages Camp Hope,
 mentioned the ground-breaking of a behavioral health center embedded in a low-barrier
 homeless shelter. Mr. Kay also mentioned the need for a county-wide regionalized
 shelter system.

 Tony Courcy, City resident, commented on issues with prior Council members and
 ongoing concerns about water rights issue.

4) Adjournment

 MOTION: Brown moved and Berg seconded to adjourn to the next City Council
 regular meeting on May 6, 2025, beginning with Executive Session at 5:00 p.m. in
 the Council Chambers at City Hall. The motion carried by unanimous vote. The
 meeting adjourned at 7:46 p.m.

CERTIFICATION

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ATTEST:

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 CITY CLERK MAYOR




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