City Council Regular Meeting — Yakima, WA
Date: 2025-07-01

YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
 July 1, 2025
 City Hall - Council Chambers - 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima WA
 5:30 PM City Council Regular Meeting - Conducted in person and virtually via Zoom

1) Roll Call
 Present: Mayor Patricia Byers, presiding; Assistant Mayor Matt Brown (attending remotely
 via Zoom) and Councilmembers Reedy Berg, Janice Deccio, Rick Glenn, Danny Herrera
 and Leo Roy
 Staff: City Manager Vicki Baker, City Attorney Sara Watkins and City Clerk Rosalinda
 Ibarra

2) Pledge of Allegiance
 Mayor Byers led the Pledge of Allegiance.

3) Interpreter Services
 Mayor Byers introduced Jorge Villaseñor who announced interpreter services are available
 in Spanish.

4) Public Comment
 The following individuals made remarks about the City’s budget deficit and proposed levy
 and some expressed support for public safety services: Tony Sandoval, City resident;
 Nicole Berg, City resident; James Parks, City resident; David Elofson, City resident; John
 Gorman, City resident; Ryan Bleek, County resident; Patty Maggard Prediletto, City
 resident; and Kristi Foster, President and CEO of Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce.
 Mayor Byers read a written public comment from Samantha Reyes, City resident,
 regarding farmworker rights and working conditions.
 Mayor Byers read a written public comment from Alicia Tobin Stromme, City resident,
 encouraging transparency related to the budget deficit and potential outcomes.
 Tony Courcy, City resident, spoke about property matters including public/private
 partnerships.
 Carter Heald and Natalie Keister, non-City residents; expressed concerns about increased
 restrictions imposed by the Gambling Commission on cardrooms.

5) Open Discussion for the Good of the Order
 None.

6) Council Reports



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 Councilmembers Deccio and Glenn shared their experience at the recent AWC conference
 in Kennewick, WA.

7) Consent Agenda
 Mayor Byers referred to the items placed on the Consent Agenda, questioning whether
 there were any additions or deletions from Council members present. There were no
 changes. The City Clerk read the Consent Agenda items, including resolutions and
 ordinances, by title. (Items on the Consent Agenda are handled under one motion without
 further discussion-see motion directly below.)
 MOTION: Deccio moved and Herrera seconded to approve the consent agenda. The
 motion carried by a 7-0 roll call vote.
 7.A Approval of minutes from the June 17, 2025 City Council regular meeting
 7.B Set date of August 4, 2025, for a closed record public hearing to consider proposed
 amendments to Yakima Municipal Code Title 14 Subdivisions and Title 15 Urban
 Area Zoning Ordinance
 7.C Resolution authorizing Department of Ecology Grant Amendment 3 for
 environmental cleanup of Tiger Oil site at 1808 N 1st Street Project 2389/1st
 (Environmental Fund 555)
 RESOLUTION NO. R-2025-105, A RESOLUTION authorizing the execution of
 Amendment 3 to the Interagency Agreement with Department of Ecology
 (ECOLOGY) for the former Tiger Oil site located at 1808 N 1st Street Project 2389.

8) Public Hearings
 None.

9) Department Items

 9.A Clean City Program 2025 Year-to-Date presentation
 Solid Waste Manager Trace Bradburn and John O’Rourke, Solid Waste Code
 Compliance Officer, presented information about the Clean City Program and
 highlighted the 2025 year to date accomplishments, recent activities, and provided
 a 3-year comparison.
 The Clean City Program addresses chronic blight issues throughout the community
 by responding to graffiti, homeless encampments, illegal dumps, dangerous
 buildings, inoperable vehicles, and removal of tires and garbage.
 Recently, the city implemented a new strategy to reduce abandoned shopping carts
 in the public rights-of-way and also expanded the bulky waste collection service for
 residents and businesses in Yakima. Reducing the program would likely result in
 slower response times and an increase in graffiti and garbage in the city.

 9.B Discuss budget reduction impacts related to Police, Fire, Streets, Parks, and Clean
 City
 City Manager Vicki Baker and Director of Finance and Budget Craig Warner
 introduced the discussion regarding the impacts on services from potential budget
 reductions.




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 Director of Public Works Scott Schafer presented the budget impacts for the
 following programs/services:
 • Clean City Program - the proposed budget reduction amounts to $360,500 in
 savings and includes reducing an attorney position and eliminating a code
 compliance officer and code compliance assistant.
 • Streets and Traffic Division - the reduction amount totals $905,000 and
 includes reducing street maintenance (eliminating two street specialist
 positions), reducing snow and ice control, eliminating sidewalk improvements
 (tree removal), eliminating alley maintenance, and eliminating trolley
 maintenance.
 Parks and Recreation Manager Ken Wilkinson presented the budget impact for the
 Parks and Recreation Division. The budget reduction proposal equals $2 million
 and includes closing the Washington Fruit Community Center, Franklin Pool, Lions
 Pool and Harman Center; eliminating youth sports programming, youth summer
 program, adult sports, and community recreation; and reducing Tahoma Cemetery
 water and park maintenance services.
 Chief Aaron Markham, Yakima Fire Department, presented budget impacts for the
 Yakima Fire Department. A $1.7 million dollar budget reduction includes personnel
 costs equal to one full company or the staffing for one station resulting in the
 closure of a fire station and an adjustment to the daily staffing level from 23 to 20.
 Chief Shawn Boyle, Yakima Police Department presented budget impacts for the
 Yakima Police Department. Potential budgetary impacts include the reduction or
 elimination of the following services: property crimes unit, gang unit, narcotics unit,
 crime analysis, traffic unit, animal control and parking enforcement, and the crime
 free rental housing program.
 Mr. Warner reiterated the Council’s options to generate revenue. The City Council
 can authorize a sales tax or utility tax by passing legislation with five votes. Imposing
 a property tax or EMS levy would require voter approval.
 After considerable Council discussion and amendments, the following motions
 were considered:
 MOTION: Roy moved and Herrera seconded to amend the original motion to
 a $0.50 cent levy increase which would be just over $6 million. The motion
 carried by a 4-3 roll call vote; with Berg, Brown, and Glenn voting no.
 MOTION: Brown moved and Berg seconded to postpone the motion indefinitely.
 The motion failed with a 3-4 vote, with Byers, Deccio, Glenn, and Herrera voting no.
 FINAL AMENDED MOTION: Glenn moved and Deccio seconded to direct staff
 to bring back a resolution to place a levy on the November 2025 ballot that
 will result in revenue of $0.50 cent per $1,000 levy. The motion carried with a
 4-3 vote; with Berg, Brown, and Roy voting no.

 9.C Ordinance amending the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget for the City of Yakima and
 making appropriations from Unappropriated Fund Balances within various Funds
 for expenditure during 2025-2026 for various purposes (First Reading)




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 Director of Finance and Budget Craig Warner briefed Council on the first reading of
 the budget amendment. He noted new grant revenue and adjustments to the 2025
 budget that were not known at the time of adoption.
 The City Clerk read the ordinance by title only.
 First Reading of An Ordinance amending the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget for the
 City of Yakima and making appropriations from Unappropriated Fund Balances
 within various Funds for expenditure during 2025-2026 for various purposes.

10) City Manager Update
 City Manager Baker reported on her communication with Pacific Power & Light regarding
 recent power outages in West Valley and their efforts to prevent wildfires by installing
 enhanced safety setting devices to monitor future interruptions.

11) Other Business
 MOTION: Deccio moved and Brown seconded to add to the next agenda a
 proclamation for National Health Center week. The motion carried by unanimous vote.
 MOTION: Brown moved and Berg seconded to direct staff to approach entities that
 could be part of a regional fire authority or fire district and prepare financial
 information about the operational cost and available funding streams. The motion
 carried by a 6-1 vote; with Glenn voting no.

12) Adjournment
 MOTION: Deccio moved and Berg seconded to adjourn to the next City Council
 study session on July 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. The
 motion carried by unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.


CERTIFICATION
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY
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 ______________________________________
 COUNCIL MEMBER DATE

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 COUNCIL MEMBER DATE

ATTEST:

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_________________________________ /s/ Signature on File
 _________________________________
 CITY CLERK MAYOR




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