City Council Special Meeting — Yakima, WA
Date: 2026-03-26

YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
 March 26, 2026
 City Hall – Council Chambers – 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima, WA
 6:00 PM City Council Special Meeting – Conducted in person and virtually via Zoom.

1) Roll Call
 The meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m.
 Present: Mayor Matt Brown, presiding; and Councilmembers Rick Glenn, Felisa
 Gonzalez, Juliet Potrykus and Leo Roy
 Staff: Assistant City Manager Gary Ballew (Acting City Manager), Senior Assistant City
 Attorney Bronson Faul and City Clerk Rosalinda Ibarra
 Absent and Excused: Assistant Mayor Reedy Berg and Councilmember Patricia Byers
2) Public Comment (allow 15 minutes)
 John Whitney (City resident), Casey Kisser (City resident), Ryan Anderson (City resident),
 Ryan Hopkins (City resident), America Murillo (City resident), and Lulu Dufault (County
 resident) spoke in support of reopening City pools.
 Carol Masterson, City resident, commented about the closure of restrooms at city parks.
 Jeanna Hernandez, City resident, encouraged Council to focus on the public health and
 safety of residents in Yakima.
3) Special Meeting Items
 3.A Consider supporting a public-private partnership being proposed by Yakima
 County legislators that would reopen city pools
 Mayor Brown informed Council about a public-private partnership with Yakima
 County legislators that could result in the reopening of city pools this year,
 including Franklin Pool and Lions Pool.
 State Representative Chris Corry, State Representative Jeremie Dufault, and State
 Senator Curtis King urged the city to consider participating in the funding campaign
 to raise the necessary dollars to reopen the aquatic facilities. Forbes Mercy
 presented a $10,000 donation check towards the effort and challenged city
 business leaders to do the same.
 Mayor Brown asked the Council to support the local campaign by approving one-
 time funds toward this plan. He indicated an estimated $120,000 would be
 needed to reopen Lions pool immediately and approximately $150,000 to open
 Franklin Pool for the summer.
 Parks and Recreation Manager Ken Wilkinson and Recreation Program Supervisor
 Jason Zeller cautioned Council that opening Franklin Pool poses some challenges


March 26, 2026 – Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 2
 due to lifeguard staffing and training, as well as crucial pool repairs estimated at
 $80,000.
 After Council discussion and amendment, the following motion was considered:
 AMENDED MOTION: Glenn moved and Potrykus seconded to direct staff to
 prepare a resolution authorizing $230,000 from reserves to fund Lions Pool
 for the next two months and get Franklin Pool repaired and operational.
 The motion passed by a 5-0 vote; Berg and Byers absent.
4) Adjournment
 MOTION: Glenn moved and Roy seconded to adjourn to the next City Council
 regular meeting on April 7, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.
 The motion carried by unanimous vote; Berg and Byers absent.
 The meeting adjourned at 6:53 p.m.

CERTIFICATION
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY
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 COUNCIL MEMBER DATE

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ATTEST:

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 _________________________________
 CITY CLERK MAYOR




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