City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call the to order the Lakewood City Council meeting on Monday, February 2nd, 2026. Miss Schumacher, could you please call the role? Council member Bransetter here. Council member Laurisella here. Council member Lynholm here. Council [snorts] member Pearson. Council member Talbo here. Deputy Mayor Bell here. And Mayor Boi here. You have a quorum.

Thank you very much. And next is the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you everybody for being here tonight and uh for the various reasons that you're here. And and the first one we're going to have is a proclamation declaring February 2026 as Black History Month. And we have Ms. Kimmy Irene Gin from VI Vibrant Schools of Puget Sound. And the deputy mayor, Miss Bell, will uh will read it in.

Yes, please come and join me, Kimmy. Yeah. All right. We'll start off. Okay. So whereas Black History Month is celebrated throughout the United States of America during the month of February and the 200 two two 2026 Black History Month theme is a century of black history commemorations. And whereas this theme honors the significant achievements and contributions of black history of over the past century. And this obs observance affords an opportunity to reflect upon the journey and contributions of black Americans and to honor the many black leaders who have contributed to the progress of our nation. And whereas be it the traditional agricultural labor of enslaved Africans that fed lowcount country colonies, debates among black educators on the importance of vocational training, self-help strategies, and entrepreneurship in black communities or organized labor's role in fighting both economic and social injustice. Black people's work has been transformational throughout the United States. And whereas all Americans are reminded that our nation recognizes that all people are created equal and should be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. And whereas there still exists the need to strengthen the the insight of all of our residents regarding the issues of human rights and to eliminate discrimination towards minority groups. And whereas young people are encouraged to prepare to assume leadership roles to work towards the achievement of freedom, justice, and equality. And whereas the city of Lakewood is committed to the ideals of the free society and is a community of

great cultural diversity which it values and celebrates and is dedicated to the fraternity and community of all people. Now therefore, the Lakewood City Council dubai hereby proclaim February 2026 as Black History Month in the city of Lakewood and urge all residents to join us in the observance and by working to eliminate discrimination in our community. Proclaim this second day in February 2026. Lakewood City Council. Thank you, Kimmy, for joining us up here. I would love for you to say something. Well, I actually signed up for the three minutes, so I won't also do that. I'll just uh negate the three minutes on the comments. Uh, you know, it's always a pleasure for me to come to Lakewood, our beloved city, our beloved community city. Um, so it's an honor that I have was asked to accept this from the city. I took the opportunity to give all of our council folks some information about an outstanding event that's going to happen at Lakes High School on February 15th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. And if many of you are probably are not aware that this is the hundth year of observance of black history. It started in 1926 as Negro Week and now we've grown to a bigger larger celebration. I've been working with the Black Student Union at Lakes High School. They are going to be be performing at this as well as some uh folks from the community. Uh Dr. Carl Mack is going to be our keynote speaker. He is the developer and founder of the Black Heritage Calendar. He will be giving a whole chronological journey when it started in 1926 to now 2026. And we're going to do something a little different with Black History. We are going to honor hidden heroes. And one of the hidden heroes I met last week, and I'm excited about this. Her name is

Sonia uh Sophia, I'm sorry, Sophia Dannenburgg. She is on the Parks and Recreation Commission for our state of Washington. She is the first AfricanAmerican to climb Mount Everest and she will be joining us at this event. You all need to come. You all need to come and celebrate. Again, it's Lakes High School, February 15th, 3:00 to 5:00. And again, thank you. It's always an honor to see all of you and the city of Lakewood. Thank you.

Give me Thank you for all your work in the community, Kimmy. We really do appreciate it and we know you do a lot of a lot of stuff. Uh we have no youth council report tonight and so we will move on to public comments. I would point out we um are also having a public hearing later uh to speak to the um amendments to uh the Lakewood Municipal Code updating the allowed locations of alcohol production and sales and related regulations. And that is a little later in the agenda. So if you want to be on the record for that, you'll need to speak at that time on that subject. So public comments are accepted by mail, email, or by live virtual or in-person comment. And you can send comments in advance by mail or email to Briana Schumacher, the

city clerk, at 6000 Main Street Southwest, Lakewood, Washington 98499 or B. Schumacher at cityoflood. US comments received up to 1 hour before the meeting have been provided to the city council electronically. Uh Miss Schumacher, do you have the names of the individuals who have submitted comments in advance? Mayor, we received written comments in advance from Fred Feller, Virginia Jones, and Kim Underwood.

Thank you very much. So, we have received those. So, members of the audience may comment on items relating to any matter related to city business under the public comments period. Comments are limited to three minutes per person. Virtual comments. If you'd like to provide live virtual public comments, you'll need to join the Zoom meeting as an attendee by calling by telephone. Dial 12532158782 and enter meeting ID 868 72632373 or visit zoom. us and enter meeting ID 86872632373. Upon entering the meeting, please enter your name. Use the raise hand feature to be called upon. For those participating by calling in by telephone, to use the raise hand feature, press star 9 on your phone. When you're unmuted, please provide your name and city of residence. Outside public comments, all attendees on Zoom will continue to have the ability to virtually raise your hand for the duration of the meeting. You will not be acknowledged and your microphone will remain muted except for when you are called upon. So these rules will also take place when we do the the public hearing, but the public hearing has to be specifically on the subject. So, we're going to first do call on the in-person folks um and who have either signed in to speak or are here to speak. So, I've got a list uh for people who have signed in and then after I go through the signup sheet, I'll we'll we'll ask for other anybody else here inside uh the chambers who who would like to speak. The first individual on the list is Mr. Fred Feller. Mr. Feller, you have three minutes.

Mayor Bokei and members of the council. Oops. Uh my name is Fred Feller and I'm uh here as repres representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm the communication director for the congregations that are within the city limits. And I'm here this evening on behalf of a program by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints to honor the uh 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. And in that regard, what the church is doing is uh working towards alleviating or assisting issues with uh nutrition u health uh issues uh the lack of food, food insecurity. And what the church is doing is they're um providing 250 semitrs with food to various cities around the country uh to help with food insecurity. And one of those is coming to Lakewood on February 26th at 9:00 a.m. at the emergency food network. I'm here to um invite the members of the city council to be present at that because we are recognizing not just the delivery of food but also the uh anniversary the very significant anniversary of the country. The food will be 40,000 pounds of shelf stable commodities. Uh it will be uh uh also shared with other food banks in the area but the food as it is would be enough to supply a week's worth of food for for 1,400 people. uh if you would uh care to come or if we would certainly love to have you come. We are inviting members of the Pierce County Council and we will have a short uh ceremony at that time uh to recognize those who are there and also to recognize the importance of reaching out to the community and working together to create unity and cooperation all that we do to help each other. I'd be happy to take any questions. This isn't a question and answer period,

but we do thank you very much and tell the folks uh at your church that we thank them very much for this very generous donation. We'll try to have folks there. Thank you very much. And you all have the the flyer here.

Thank you. Uh next up was Kimmy. Do you want to speak again? Okay. Okay. The next uh person I have here is Paul Bryce. Mr. Paul Bryce. Mr. Bryce, you have three minutes. Hello, Mayor Council members. My name is Paul Bryce. I've been here a couple times. Um, I'm part of the social equity task force for cannabis. Also been part of the attorney general crime retail panel. I've opened up two shops. One in Clum that was considered one of the the funkiest in the Pacific Northwest and one in Proer that's considered to be the Meow Wolf of cannabis. Um, I'm also now on the newly formed cannabis advisory council by the LCB as the east side representative of Washington State as I lived here in Lakewood for over 20 years now. Um, raised my kids, my daughter president at Lakes High School. U, one of the things I want to talk about is cannabis and why it's not here. like Lakewood being one of the most diverse cities, I think a cause like this for social equity, this is one of the cities that I feel as if should really get behind cannabis, it's it's not anything that's going to be going away. And as we know, for the medical purposes and the do that's already been passed, like it seems kind of uh not right for myself. I was just in a car accident. I was a passenger in a car that was t-boned by a drunk driver. broke my femur, ribs five, six, and seven. And I'm not here just speaking for myself, but for anyone that uses it for medical or anything of the

sort to have the residents here in Lakewood to have to drive to a neighboring city like Tacoma to to to shop, to get their meds, or to even then spend their money outside of the city as they travel to to needlessly leave the city to go get marijuana that again uh was passed uh you know by by majority of the people. Um, you know, I just really hope that, you know, the council members and everyone really brings this back up, not to mention like the jobs and just the other things that will come and other people coming in from deliveries and whatnot to spend even money here in Lakewood. uh and just for the right reasons of like this should really be passed and we should really start bringing back up the discussion. Thank you.

You Mr. Bryce, Mr. Feifer, Mayor Balky, members of the council. Um, I've been coming to these council meetings. Oh gosh, help me Mike. Uh, the Barker property uh reszoning from what was it about 12 13 years ago? Something like that. I'm a member also of the Lake City Neighborhood Association and typically we have more attendees at that association meeting every month than I've seen in your chambers. And I think that the council, the city needs to get involved more with citizenry engagement. And it's, you know, yes, people can come in, they can drill down through the website and try and find the agenda and and that sort of thing, but there are a number of online uh groups that are Lakewood specific. And it just seems to me that, you know, you you need to push out to them because if you're waiting for them to go and and do it on their own without being invited, they literally need to be invited. And I think you'd probably like to see more people sitting out here and see what you do. Now, I know that that all of you are meeting with individual groups, but that's one on the group. It's a lot different when people here come and and see what you do as a group instead of just being at one of the

neighborhood meetings or some of the other meetings that that that uh there are around the city. But with a city of what nearly 65,000 people, we ought to be able to get 15 or 20 in the in the peanut gallery over here. Okay, that's it. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Fifer. Next up is Christina Manetti. Miss Manetti, and I assume you're also speaking for the Gary Oak Coalition. Hello everybody. Um, Christina Manetti, Gary Coalition, Lakewood. The Gary Oak Coalition urges the city of Lakewood to deny any request that would allow the removal of the 60inch diameter at breast height Gary Oak in the Woodbrook neighborhood next to um Emerson Lake. This tree is not simply large. A Gary Oak of this size represents centur centuries of ecological continuity. It supports complex habitat networks, moderates temperature, stores carbon, and anchors the last fragments of an once vast ecosystem that has been reduced to a tiny fraction of its historic range. No mitigation, planting, no fee or replacement plan can replicate what would be lost. The context of this proposal makes it makes the approval especially troubling. I mean, if there were an approval, the developer has already illegally removed a large number of trees on the site. Allowing the final and most significant oak to be cut down afterwards sends a damaging message. That environmental violations are merely a step in the permitting process and that enforcement exists only on paper. Fines for critical area destruction or mitigation fees are just part of the cost of doing business in Lakewood. Lakewood formally designated the Gary Oak as its city tree a couple of years

ago on the admirable initiative of U. Council member Brandsteader. That designation is meaningful only if it guides real decisions. If the city cannot protect what it is what is undoubtedly one of its most significant surviving Gary Oaks on one of the most visibly degraded sites in Lakewood, then the designation becomes symbolic at best and misleading at worst. Residents of the Woodbrook uh neighborhood and the area already experience the cumulative impacts of intensive warehouse development, loss of tree canopy, increased heat, noise, traffic, and declining neighborhood character. And there are still people living there on both sides of of that of that plot of that parcel. Um preserving this oak and sufficient surrounding land for it to be able to survive is not an unreasonable burden. It is a minimal act of stewardship in a landscape that has already given far more than it should have been asked to give. Approving its destruction for a semi-truck parking lot would permanently race a critical area of living system in exchange for the lowest and least durable use of land imaginable. The Gary Oak Coalition calls on Lakewood to demonstrate leadership, integrity, and respect for its own stated values by requiring preservation of this tree in place. This decision will be remembered. The city can either stand for protection when it matters or confirm yet again that its environmental commitments are merely empty words. And now one from myself, Christina Manetti Lakewood. I've lived here 54 years and ask that the city of Lakewood would start protecting our environment and people in earnest and not just on paper. Learning that a developer wants to cut down a Gary Oak and Woodbrook that is 60 in in diameter. I don't know if you if you go around measuring oak trees around here, you will see there are not trees oaks that measure 60

inches in diameter. That is just not a thing around here anymore. It completely took me a back. That is an oak that could be according to WDFW rule of thumb for estimating age a minimum of 900 years old and oaks you know their scinsesscent period is from 600 to 900. So this is like and the oldest kind of oak and that is the most valuable according to WDFW. And this tree was in good condition still. It's not like it's like falling apart, you know, deteriorating. It's the arborist said it is in healthy condition. On Saturday, a friend uh my son and I visited the site ourselves. Roughly 70 trees, not oaks it appears, had already been illegally cut down. The land had been stripped bare. And yet, to our surprise, we heard a rockous symphony of bird life still clinging to what remained nearby. Those birds who used to live in illegally logged trees had quite possibly been forced to overpop populate the remaining ones. That's called habitat compression, and it's a bad thing. We heard frogs croaking right by the sidewalk, not far from that ancient oak, living in a patch of garbage strewn blackberry bushes. It was heartbreaking and horrific to see the conditions that these creatures are being forced to survive in. This is not some distant place. This is my Lakewood. The city must stop further destruction of our critical areas. According to the city manager, the developer of Emerson Lake project falsely included this 60in Gary Oak that is still standing on his so-called retroactive tree cutting permit. the permit meant to address the illegal removal of those 70 trees. That is not a misunderstanding. That is deception. Even after being caught committing an environmental crime, because that's what it was, the developer attempted something even more outrageous. The retroactive legalization of cutting down what is supposed to be a protected Gary Oak. That is not merely

bad behavior. It is moral rot. The city issued fines. Yet, here we are with a developer asking permission to finish the destruction by cutting down the largest oak of all. That's like the developer spitting in the city's face after the city already kindly reduced the fine to a fraction of what it was originally supposed to be, $1.1 some million dollars. They've reduced it to 300 some uh not [laughter] million, 300 some thousand. What is the point of oak protections? What is the point of declaring the Gary Oak Lakewood City Tree if the city will not protect perhaps one of its most significant oaks? I ask if the city allows this oak to be cut down, it will expose a deeply ugly truth. Lakewood's environmental values are a performance. This would not be a mistake. It would be a deliberate failure, a moral failure. I ask that you deny this proposal as inappropriate in a critical area.

Thank you, Miss Manetti. Next up is Haley Ivy. Is Ivy [clears throat]

Hello. Um, I'm Haley Ivy. I'm a new resident of Lakewood from Memphis, Tennessee. Um, I was here in Lakewood last summer and enjoyed the people and the opportunity and the school children that I teach so much that I returned. Um uh as much as I love Memphis and I love Memphis especially for its greenery, it's uh the within the city uh we have uh old growth poppplers and oaks. We uh Overton Park homes Overton old growth forest which is the only old growth protected forest in that entire region. Um, so the the environment means a lot to me, too. And I also want to stick up for this uh 900 potentially 900 year old tree right next to the Amazon facility where there's already a huge semi-truck parking lot. Sounds like they want to expand it. Um, and I think there needs to be a heavy hand on developers who decide to break the law, pay a fine that's diminished, and then want to retroactively continue um getting one over on the people. Uh so many people talked about how uh there were so many beautiful things to see in Washington and I agree, but it seems within the towns and cities themselves, it's hard to find that um with all of the uh business and the warehouses and everything. Um and the beauty is truly found in the people. But I would really like for everyone in any city, but especially in a place as beautiful as Washington, to stand up to these developers and protect already lawfully protected old forests, old trees, oaks, wetlands. You we don't get wet lands like this in Washington. I don't see them over there. And the first time I

went to uh the one close to Olympia, my my heart like broke open in joy. Um, so when I heard that more and more developers were encroaching on really important wetlands for us, for all of the species that live on the wetlands, small and large, um, I I uh it is my passionate hope that uh Washington and Lakewood uh can consider uh the unique unique beauty that it has because everywhere else in the world has Amazon. on Amazon semi-truck parking lots and semi-truckss. Thank you so much for listening.

Thank you very much, Miss Ivy. Miss Helen Wagner. Welcome, Helen. You have three minutes. I think I have. Yeah, I do have it. Good evening, council. I am Helen Wagner. I live in Lakewood and I wish to speak also on the trees. When will we no longer be will it no longer be necessary to advocate for each individual oak? This time, a huge Gary Oak in Woodbrook is scheduled for demolition to make way for more Amazon containers. This tree is 60 in in diameter. We visited it this weekend and it stood alone in its field. Was a bucolic setting with birds singing and even a frog croaking. This tree is precious and it as it is represented as centuries of growth starting before the United States was a country. But also to very existence implies thriving species of plants and animals, some of which live in or around it into oblivion. A fellow field and a protecting tree are part of an increasingly unpopular regard for our natural heritage.

I'm sorry. Okay. Since I have lived here, I have seen quote growing places unquote make way for more asphalt in the name of industry. I realize that that trend is not unique to Lakewood. However, is this progress? We are trading beauty, in fact, the health of our community for uh filling city coffers. The more we continue to denude the land, the more we lay ourselves open for air pollution, unsafe water, and unstable weather conditions. Council, please do not let stand the permit to cut down this tree. We are slowly commercializing Lakewood, which is a situation of robbing it of its very character. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Wagner. Ibraham Margaly, Mr. Marshall Lee.

Hello. Good evening, council. I first want to take the opportunity to congratulate you on your new year and selections and uh Mayor Buchi for uh become um this council, putting their trust in you to lead this council and hopefully make this city a better city for every one of us. My title is about justice tonight. Well, speaking of justice, we we usually when we try to present it to someone, we think that well, if it's not served to us, then it's bad. No, I don't think that's the case. I believe that the justice it comes with what is given to us and if we respected or not. For example, if we pollute our waters which is not only for us but for the rest of the community, we are not doing justice to ourself nor to anybody else. the earth, the air and alike. In this case, I I could hear some of the city resident concern about about 900 year old tree. Do you know how long does it take that tree to become 900 years old? Do you know for how long it has taken uh this tree to produce how much oxygen for not us but the rest of the world because the air doesn't stay here. It

goes all over. This tree has served this word this earth a lot more than what we know. Yet it doesn't speak. It only shows itself way better respected. I will later on in coming council sessions we'll present this to you that the justice which was done the injustice that has been done to us it may not be just against us but would not become a norm in this community and I leave it at that but when When I come back next time, I will read the number to you. I will challenge you to go back to your engineer and ask him how come as an engineer you could not understand these numbers. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Margali. Is there anybody else here in the chambers that would like to make comments? Anybody else? Okay, Miss Schumacher, we will go online then. Does anybody have their hands raised? Oh, we've got a few. Mayor, first we have Kim Underwood. Thank you, Miss Underwood. This is your chance to talk. You've got three minutes. Warm. Hello. Hello.

Hello. Hi. Uh, you'd called for Mr. Miss Underwood, but my uh button on my Zoom says to unmute and speak. I'm uh Kathy Irwin. Okay. Um, looks like we lost Miss Underwood. So, Miss Irwin, go ahead.

Okay. Sorry. Um, my name is Kathy Irwin and I am a resident of South Tacoma and I wanted to speak tonight um on the Emerson Lake business park project as I am concerned with the plan to cut down and remove the very significant um 900year-old Emerson um Gary Oak Tree. I wanted to express support for what previous speakers have talked about, especially Christina Manetti comments on this whole project and the concerns with removing this tree. What would be um tree what would be really nice is if they there was a way to environmentally celebrate this kind of a tree that is so old that it should be preserved and not cut down. Something similar has happened down in Tumbwater. The city of Tumbwater chose to work around a very old, hundreds of years old um Gary Oak tree down there. And that had made the news about how the uh the city of Tacoma water is protecting that tree actually rather than trying to just cut it down like all the other ones. My concern is that the way that the forms also are filled out, the wildlife uh priority habitat form was completed, they really tried to minimize the impact of this form uh of this um cutting down this tree by seeming it making it seem like it wasn't really very much there to be worried about and that it was nothing more than just a snag or an old log. So, this is very deceptive. Could you have done this? And also by the removal of the other previous trees that were um illegally removed, maliciously removed, there ended up being a situation where this tree was left all by itself. And so it didn't constitute a significant um tree

population to be called a forest even. So I want to br that to your attention that there are some um tricks or other tactics that are being used to minimize the impact of removing this tree that this needs to be looked at as well. Uh while there are fees connected to the removal of this uh tree, penalties that are being assessed, there's nothing that will replace this tree. And you cannot replace a 900y old tree with other trees. And I just wanted to mention that city really needs to evaluate where they're going with the whole tree situation before it is too late and consider that overall. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Irwin. Uh, Mr. James Dunlop. Uh, can you hear me?

Yep.

Uh, my name is uh, James Dunlop and I'm a resident of, uh, Lakewood. I can't see a clock, so I hope I don't run out of time before I know it. But, uh, you know, I think that, you know, we we have a problem with trees here. I mean, Lakewood uh has made the Gary Oak its uh city tree. You know, that was a great gesture, and I think that I really do applaud uh council member Brandt for uh putting putting this idea forward. But it's not enough just to make uh the Gary Oak the city tree. That doesn't seem to do much in terms of protecting Gary Oaks because it does seem that the city doesn't seem too bothered about them. And uh it's it's it's you know it's easy to get permits and it's also about culture. I mean the city can have an idea about its development. It can it can message what it what it what its vision for Lakewood. And I'm sure if a city had a vision for Lakewood which included trees and it really tried to work with developers to protect trees, I I think it would uh would be better. But I think at the moment the trouble is that the lake would just does what the lake does what developers want. And as far as fines are concerned, I mean I think there's a sort of a concept you know of a rule of law. One thinks of a rule of law. I mean the concept of rule of law is if you if you break a law if you break a rule the penalty should make it not worth it. It can't be a situation where the fine is just a cost of doing business. So if you have a fine for example for cutting down a tree that fine must be sufficient to make it having not to make it not worth your while to have cut that tree in the first place. Cut down that tree in the first place. Now, as far as this particular tree is concerned, this tree is 900 years old, and you've just talked about Black History Month, and you you you're supposedly into Lakewood's history, the

country's city, as you know, one celebrates the United States's 250th anniversary. But 900 years old, this 900 years old, 900 years old, that is the 12th century. That is before the Magna Carta, that is before Genghis Khan, that is before the European Renaissance. It is 600 years before the birth of a republic and you are going to cut down that tree for a parking lot. I mean just think about that for a moment. That is going to happen on your watch and Lakewood uh is going to be remembered for that. And I think uh you the city council needs to think about the city's reputation because you oh not you but the city council uh will be remembered for this. They really will. And uh if you have you are if you are allowing Lakewood's history to be destroyed, not just its human history, but its environmental to be history to be destroyed because that tree once it's gone, it's gone. I think you need to think about this and uh it it's important. So uh get it together.

Thank you, Mr. Dunlop. Next up is Ms. Jones. Hello. Oh, here I am. Yes, Miss Jones.

Ah, yes. I have a quote from Winston Churchill. Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. There is no doubt that we live in historic times. In Germany prior to World War II, there was a militant group known as Stormtroopers who eventually evolved into the Gestapo. In the United States, we have Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency of the United States, also known as ICE. This group is heavily armed as if they were going into infantry combat. They hide their faces. They are reckless, intimidated, intimidating, and untrained. In Lakewood, we have a trained and professional police department. They serve this community with respect and dignity. My question for the residents of Lakewood is, will we support and welcome a group that would be harassing and harming not only our neighbors, but perhaps ourselves? And that's the question I leave with you today. But I also save the trees. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Miss Jones. And next up is Ms. Christy Jennings.

Hello. I'm on my mom's computer, but my name is Ashley Pepper Lazowski. I'm 16 years old and I live in Los Angeles, California. I was informed about the Gary Oak event and I am speaking because it affects us all. A Gary is vital to all animal species, including our own. For animals, a Gary oak is a home, a source of nutrition, and a source of protection. Gary oaks also combat the pollutants in our air, which are in constant increase and can weaken our health. A wetland shares many of the same qualities a Garyio has. A wetland also serves as a home to a variety of species, as a food and water resource, and as a safe haven from the present- day industrialized world. If the diesel truck parking lot was built, it would replace an irreplaceable, the home, resource, and living being, the Gary Oak. And not only would this parking structure cover the land the Gary Oak now inhabits and has adhabited for what is believed to be the past 900 years, but it would endanger the wetland. The amount of pollutants from the diesel trucks would harm the ecosystem and put its inhabitants at risk. Today, the na today, the world's natural environment is in danger and constantly decreasing, leaving the remaining Gary Oaks and wetlands like those in Woodbrook that much more precious. If these safe havens were to be lost to facilities like the diesel truck parking lot, animal diversities would be put at risk, clean air, and whether people's health would be compromised by the increasing diesel emissions. This moment in history may seem like an insignificant event, but really the effects of deforestation around the world is impacting this world's future. Generations like mine will be affected and future generations after will be put at risk. This is an opportunity for our society to grow our empathy and compassion for other living beings. We tend to look at the easy route with decisions that will make the most money or be the easiest for grand companies.

However, our world is grand. Our world is so valuable. We cannot treat it like it has no value. We cannot treat it like we do not have an impact. Our impact and environmental footprint has effects on this world. We can see it every day in the news, in the media, and in the world right outside of our windows and doors. Our world is filled with diversity that is precious and necessary and vital to this earth. We cannot go on and not understand this. We cannot go on and take it for granted. We have to start recognizing this. And it can start with actions like preventing the diesel truck parking lot from coming in. This would be a step in the right direction. This would be a step to helping our green space not only be protected but flourish. We have to end we have to understand the importance of our impact even if it seems small. Because in the grand aspect of it all, every action we make is huge. Every action we make is affecting this world that we live in. Please remember your empathy. Please remember survival. Please remember your role. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Okay, Ms. Underwood.

Hello. Can you hear me now? Yes, we can.

We're having some issues with the video tonight. I feel like I should stand and applause the previous speaker at 16 years old. I'm very impressed. Um, thank you council for your time. um the city's proposal to oh Kim Underwood. I'm 45 year resident here in Lakewood and a member of the Chambers Clover Creek Wershed Council as well as lead research for the CC. the city's proposal to remove the 900-year-old uh oak to build a parking lot and a federallymapped groundwater recharge area and legally protected critical area dedicated or designated by the city of Lakewood to Lakewood's drinking water and flood management. This tree is not only historic, but it plays a vital role in allowing rainwater to infilt in infiltrate the aquifer and reduce the storm water. So I think what everybody's missing here is that oak woodlands, wetlands, lakes operate as a component of a single hydraologic system. Mature oaks roots structures uh facilitate infiltration, reduce surface water runoff and contribute to the groundwater recharge that supports the nearby aquatic systems. Now according to the USGS survey uh maps groundwater mapping subsurface flow in the Emerson Lake vicinity trends towards American lake indicating this hydraological relationship. Now fragmenting management or loss of these features risk degradation of our groundwater function surface water quality and watershed resilience. It's also stated that under Washington gross growth man management act that local governments must protect aquafer recharge areas to prevent

degragation of groundwater quality and the quantity. In addition, the safe drinking water act provides federal oversight where project in sole source aquifer zone which we are pose contamination of or recharge risks. The consequences of or uh ignoring these protections are very clear. So take Spring Brook area for example where the removal of approximately 114 oaks and the construction of yet another warehouse in a again a federally uh protected recharge area caused flooding. This year alone waters and we're not even in a 100red-year flood. This year alone, waters within the man-made surface water retention pond there came close to toppling over I5. So accordingly, I respect respectfully urge the council to pause this action or just simply simply deny it and evaluate lawful alternatives and protect both the aquifer, the recharge system, and this irreplaceable tree. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Miss Underwood. Are there any additional speakers online? Miss Schumacher, mayor. There are no other virtual hands raised at this time. Thank you very much. And I'm going to close public comment. So, next up is the consent agenda. Miss Schumacher.

A. Approval of the minutes of the city council study session of January 12th, 2026. B. Approval of the minutes of the city council meeting of January 20th, 2026. C. Approval of claims vouchers in the amount of 8,47,94468 for the period of December 16th, 2025 through January 15, 2026. D. approval of payroll checks in the amount of 3,360,2948 for the period of December 16, 2025 through January 15, 2026. E motion number 2026-10 authorizing the execution of an agreement with Premier Electrical Contractors in the amount of $350,000 for the 2026 electrical services project. F. Motion number 2026-11 appointing Katie Crook to serve on the planning commission through December 15, 2026. G items filed in the office of the city clerk. One, community services advisory board meeting minutes of November 20th, 2025. Two, parks and recreation advisory board meeting minutes of November 25th, 2025. And three, planning commission meeting minutes of January 7th, 2026.

Thank you very much, Miss Schumacher. Uh, would anyone like to pull any items off of the consent agenda? Council member Brandansteader. Mr. Mayor, I'd like to pull item F from the consent agenda. Thank you very much, M. Council Member Brandstead. That is motion number 2026-11. So, we're going to pull that off and we'll deal that with that separately. Um, any other comments on the consent agenda? Did we do this by voice vote? I guess well I don't have a motion. Could I get a motion on the consent agenda? So moved. Thank you. Second.

Second. It's been formally moved and seconded. The consent agenda minus motion number 2026-11. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. Oppos. Nay. Thank you very much. Consent agenda has passed. Now motion number 202611. Miss Schumacher. Motion number 2026-11 appointing Katie Crook to serve on the planning commission through December 15, 2026. Thank you, Miss Schumacher. And Miss Council Member Brandsteader, would you like to speak to this?

Yes, Mr. Mayor. Um the motion itself is pretty straightforward. Um there's a vacancy on the planning commission and you have made [clears throat] an appointment and then you're asking the the council to confirm and this is all in accordance with past practice is how we have done it. However, uh I have a question because this is the first occasion for you as a mayor to make an appointment and refer it to us for confirmation. And during my time at the council with four previous mayors, they have each gone about the process of appointing people, evaluating things to do that um in in different ways slightly. And so this being your initial appointment, I wanted to ask you what your processes going forward for all appointments to to things are are going to be and [clears throat] to and and what role beyond confirming you would see for uh other council members. Thank you, Council Member Branset. So, I'll I'll I'll speak to that in in this case, just so everyone knows, um, we have two two newly elected council members who were members of the planning commission and they were replaced. Those names actually came forward from the previous mayor, uh, Mayor Whan, and they were approved by this council. another position opened up because we just recently had a resignation of an

individual who had been on there for quite some time. So, um I looked at the existing uh um applications that we had and I spoke to Miss Crook um and she was uh excited about being on the planning commission, understood her respons the the responsibilities of the position. And so in the going forward uh we'll do what we do which was we make a public uh ask for uh applications for whatever uh committee they're going to be on and we've got a number of committees as you know I'll review those and and I will either depending on the number of applications I'll make a first cut if there's a lot if it's one position we have 10 applications I probably won't interview all 10 but I spoke to the previous mayor and he said he tried to interview what he considered to be the finalists and I'm going to and I'm going to try to continue that. Um, so at least I have an opportunity to speak to the people and see kind of what they're gauge their level of interest and and kind of where they're they're coming from and their level of understanding. So I hope that answers your question and oh and going forward the council's role will be each of you are I think almost all of you are assigned to to those various boards. So I'll probably chat with you about where you think the board's at and what kind of qualities that you we should be looking for in folks who are going to get appointed to that board. And so your input is going to be important because you're the one watching the meetings. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I mean, that was really the clarification that I was uh looking for. And at this point, uh I would move adoption of motion number 2026-11.

Second. Okay. So, motion number 2026-11 has been moved and seconded. Is there any additional comments about the appointment of Miss Katie Crook to the planning commission? And and I would note that this is through just this year. So she's she's finishing up somebody's term. So it's up to her whether or not she wants to continue at the end of the year and discuss that. So any other questions? No. Okay. So do we do this by voice vote or do Okay. All those in favor of motion number 202611, please signify by saying I. I. I. All those opposed, nay.

Thank you very much. So, Miss Crook is on the planning commission, and I'm I'm glad now we have a full full roster on the planning commission. So, next up is the date for the public hearing on the Lakewood Municipal Code amendments updating the allowed locations of alcohol production and sales related regulations. And I believe the director of planning and public works, Mr. Jeff Remac is going to speak to this and then we will open it up for public comment.

Uh good evening council. Uh before you for public hearing tonight is a resolution that amend the land use zones within the city that drinking establishments would be allowed. This proposed change has the effects of updating the city's alcoholic drinking establishment regulations to ensure they remain consistent with the Washington state liquor and cannabis board regulations, adopting comprehensive plan policies, and sub area plans. It also has the added effect of providing clear directions to applicants, staff, and the public regarding where alcohol production and sale uses are appropriate and under what conditions. The revisions in front of you today are based on planning commission review and are intended to balance economic activity with neighborhood compatibility, public safety, and the overall community welfare. At the January 20th study session on this topic, the city council expressed interest in potentially expanding the allowance of the permit breweries, distilleries, and tasting rooms and all MF3 zoned zones around the city. in the packet before you and as we're showing on the page in front of us, we've gone ahead and identified the MF3 zones so that we can kind of explain as to exactly where those are at and what that location would be. We've also identified really what we're looking at in terms of what is in those zones currently. So the MF3 zone when we look at it is the multif family 3 zone. It is the greatest density zone that we're allowed for multif family currently. If you were to look at it, there is the station district which has a sub area plan and that was the original that we had that was MF3 parenthesis one because of the sub area plan. And then there is Springbrook which currently has Wellstone apartments as well as phase 2 of Wellstone Apartments to be moving into it. So that will take up the entirety of what we're looking at for the MF3 zone in the Spring Brook area. If we look at Oakbrook, which is right behind the neighborhood commercial that a front silicum, we're looking at a number of apartments that already exist there. There really is no open capacity or underly utilized zone. When we look at that, we also go ahead and there's

one section when you move to the north at the very north end of the city off of Meadow Park approximately across from the Walmart, there's another small section of MF3 that is apartments that are fully built out and utilizing the density. So when we looked and moved forward, the reason that we suggested looking at the station district was based on the fact that it had a sub area plan that specifically went towards economics and then mixed use with a bottom floor that would be commercial development. So it had a greater intensity that was in turn for it. It also still has areas that have SFR or underutilized in terms of density or some vacant lots. That was why we had the recommendation for MF3 parenthesy 1 when we move forward. The station district is a designated sub area plan to accommodate that higher both tall and density when it comes to the growth. So that was intentional as to where we wanted to move that. And then the zoning development regulations expressly allow for mixed use in that area. So that is the reason and what we're looking at for us. The city council after this is scheduled to take action on the proposed updates to alcohol production and use locations on February 17th. The draft ordinance that we bring forward will be included in the material medium materials and will reflect the allowance for breweries, distilleries, and tasting rooms in the MF3 zone within the station submar district as well as an optional if you wanted to move forward with the holistic of the MF3. That was my introduction.

Thank you very much, Mr. Remac. Um, so we've had disc council discussions about it. So, tonight is about the the public and and again, public testimony is accepted by mail or email or by live, virtual or in-person comment. Send testimony in advance by mail or email to Briana Schumacher, the city clerk at 6000 Main Street Southwest, Lakewood, Washington 98499 or B. Schumacher at city of Lakewood. us. Testimony received up to one hour before the meeting has been provided to the council electronically. Miss Schumacher, have we uh received any testimony in advance?

Mayor, the testimony received in advance uh on page 95 and 96 of the agenda packet from Alan Billingsley and Linda Shehan was the only testimony received in advance of this evening.

Thank you very much. So, and those are in our in our packets. There they are on page 95 and 96. Thank you very much. Virtual testimony. If you'd like to provide live virtual testimony, you will need to join the Zoom meeting as an attendee by calling uh 1253-2158782 and enter meeting ID 86872632373 or visit zoom. us and enter meeting ID 86872632373. Upon entering the meeting, please enter your name, use the raise hand feature to be called upon. And for those participating by telephone, to use the raise hand feature, ra press uh star9 on your phone and when you are unmuted, please provide your name and city of residence. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes to speak. Outside of public testimony, all attendees on Zoom will continue to have the ability to virtually raise your hand for the duration of the meeting. You will not be acknowledged and your microphone will remain muted except for when you are called upon. Um I'm going to look for per folks who are in person who would like to speak to these uh these changes that we're making to the mis Lakewood municipal code. Is there anybody? Nobody has signed up to speak specifically to this um this change. So, Mr. Margali, would you like to speak? And remember, this is about the changes to the code. These are zoning changes.

Thank you very much.

Hello again to your council and also member of the public. Um I'm Ibrahim Mir Jalili as a resident of the city of Lakewood. Regarding alcohol, well I have to say that I don't drink alcohol so I don't have not much comment about that. However, as a healthc care provider, I know a lot about it. Not to mention that I come from a land that it first was discovered at. Zakario Rosi was the person an Iranian scientist who actually first discovered it. So, um I hope that the council would be conscientious to that on a matter that having a brewery and job and taxes and like that does not lead to an abuse of that because we know what it does to the people's life and we we know that families get broken, people they develop health issues. among other thing and sometimes sadly so they violate the law they go behind the wheels and they know take take others life their owns among other thing so uh so much about the alcohol but there is another issue that I can see here this is about ordinance uh number 843 I know it's coming up but I thought I probably better mention and that

yeah that's not what this is for. I see. Okay, then I don't talk about it. All right, you can talk all you want about the zoning changes for the alcohol related. I see. I appreciate it very very much. Thank you. Thank you and thank you for the history lesson. Is there anyone else here in the chambers who would like to speak to these changes, proposed changes? Okay, Miss Schumacher, do we have anybody online who would like to speak to these proposed changes?

Mayor, there are no virtual hands raised at this time. Well, thank you very much. And so I'm going to close public comment on on this matter. And thank you very much Mr. Remac for the introduction. So next we have ordinance number 843. Miss Schumacher.

Ordinance number 843 relating to contracting indebtedness provided for the issuance sale and delivery of not to exceed 2,900,000 aggregate principal amount of limited tax general obligation. refunding bonds to provide funds to repay certain of the city's outstanding limited tax general obligation bonds and pay the cost of issuance of the bonds. Fixing or setting parameters with respect to certain terms and covenants of the bonds, appointing the city's designated representative to approve the final terms of the sale of the bonds and providing for other related matters.

Thank you, Miss Schumacher. Miss Krauss, Deputy City Manager Ta Krauss for uh her comments on this to inform us of this uh on this ordinance.

Sure. So, this item was presented to the city council on January 20th. It is an ordinance related to the shorter version of what our city clerk just mentioned. It's the refunding of the 2024 bonds that were issued in December of 2024. There's about uh 2.7 million that is outstanding on the bonds and the request here is for city council to approve this bond refund ordinance so that we may refinance it and achieve at minimum of 2% savings and at present value savings. That equates to about $153,000. And that concludes my presentation.

Thank you, Miss Krauss. Are there any questions for Miss Krauss? Council member Brandsteader.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Miss Krauss. And I first of all I'm um appreciate you're being alert to the opportunity that uh to save the save the city some money uh and and return it going on to be able to go and do that. Um, I there's a lot in this ordinance that u [clears throat] I'm not sure I even want to clearly understand uh it that that goes goes through and and and do this. But um if if I understood that the idea was this ordinance would allow for a uh replacing the existing bonds with some bonds with uh that don't have as much debt cost to them. And that your feeling is that that would be worth doing if there can be a savings of 2%. Um all the costs of going around and doing this would it doesn't make sense to do it if we can't serve that. Could you explain just exactly how that why 1% would be a waste of time?

Sure. So, there is cost involved in this. Um the net present value savings that at minimum um would be the 2% and currently that would be about 153,000. We do have bond council fees uh potential underwriter fees as well as our municipal advisor. So taking all of that into consideration, the net savings to the city after those fees would be 153,000 and in in this ordinance do do I understand that the way it's worded it is uh [clears throat] it doesn't it it it the the decision to move forward is at the discretion uh and is it any of of of of the finance director or a designate to do that and that um but that there's not I couldn't find in the ordinance a a date that let's say it goes for for four years that I I don't see an expiration of that in in the ordinance or is it there in some of the wording that I don't understand?

Yes, there is an expiration and if the city council were to approve this, you would authorize uh me to move forward if we can save at least 2% net present value the expiration date. And uh Mayor Boi asked about this and I was thinking near term. Um and I responded back with it could be as soon as the end of March. The bond ordinance for the transportation benefit district as a whole, you had authorized uh December 31st uh of this year to issue all of the bonds. And so we do have an expiration that is at the end of the year. The date uh the exact date when this would actually occur is going to be between the time that the city council approves this and 12:31 of this year. But the purpose of this ordinance is to set the parameter and the parameters u you know that includes like who would be authorized to do this. Um the net present value savings that we need to realize uh before jumping in and doing it because of the time involved as well as the um cost of issuance and such.

Okay. And then I guess my my my final [clears throat] question that would help me understand is has to do with on page 104 of our packet. Um there is a uh uh a a section on on debt capacity.

Sure. And then there are some some uh some subpar paragraphs. And there's and there's a sub paragraph too that says as of December 31, 2025, the city had limited tax general obligation indebtedness consisting of something of around well it says of 16,712,657. And then the next the sub paragraph says as of December 31, 2025 the city has no outstanding unlimited tax general obligation indebtedness. Could you just explain the difference between limited tax obligation and zedness and and which we have and unlimited tax general obligation and deadness which we don't

and then if the bonds subject in this ordinance were in fact to be issued which category would they fall in?

Sure. So, as of December 31st, we do have outstanding debts of $16,712,657. These are council manic bonds, which means they did not go out to the voters. They did not need to go out to the voters. It falls within the capacity that the city council could issue these bonds or allow for the issuance of these bonds. As of December 31st, the city had no unlimited tax general obligation bonds. So, we had no voter approved bonds. So, you're in the threshold of um the capacity that we have for issuing bonds by the city council passing those bond ordinances.

Okay. To just restate what I heard is that a a a limited obligation is one that is within the statutory realm and is an obligation that can be created console manically. And then an unlimited tax general obligation which we don't have would be ones that would be created by virtue of us putting something on the ballot uh and of and of asking voters to do that. those would and uh so so uh I I think u you know we're um

I I guess that's we're in the ground of things that are that are within our our capabilities and and and and and so I those are just a few things that I wanted to make sure that I understand without trying to understand everything. Thank you. Any other questions for us? Council member Loris Cellah.

Thank you, Mayor Bokei. Uh bear with me. It's been about 20 years since I took an econ class. So, uh net present value, we're talking today's value, right? Uh as we move down in the future, that value conceivably goes down if we don't refinance, right? Um I'm sorry bear with me. Yeah question. So the net present value savings is over the life of the loan what we would be saving right assuming that we refinanced today. Right. Yes. Within this time period and assuming that you know it's uh it could be more than 2%. Sure.

Um it could be 3% or 4%. The 2% is just the floor. Okay. And this 2% target that enables us to take this action, is that a 2% rate savings or a 2% net present value savings? 2% net present value savings. Okay. And uh I was going to ask how long we have to refinance? It sounds like we have till the end of the year. Yes. Um when we do that, does that give us a a new term length on these bonds? Do they get extended for 10 years from when we redo that financing or does the remaining time on that bond stay the same and the rate goes down?

The intent is to look at it. So for your transportation benefit district, the sunset date is based on the debt issuance or the debt expiration. So when all of the bonds are paid off and so right now we have it in the original ordinance um to go to 2044. So structurally, however uh we do this, the terms could be a little different, but as long as they all mature within the 2000 by 2044. Okay, got it. So we wouldn't be extending beyond that with this. No, and that's very intentional um just to keep it with the same uh sunset date.

Okay, that makes sense. Uh and then the last question, and you may not have this directly in front of you, but how close are we to that one and a half% limit uh in our bonds? we can issue a lot. Um, are you talking about the debt capacity? Right. So, if we had So, the debt capacity is about 160 mil $22 million just on the council manic bonds. Okay. Um, the thing is we really don't have that capacity from a debt service payment perspective. Sure. Yeah. Just because they approve us doesn't mean we can afford it. I get that. Like buying a house. Yeah. So, so we're about 10% of what we have the ability to do, but not necessarily a wise choice to go that route. Yes. Thank you, Miss Krauss. Thank you.

Thank you, council member. Are there any other questions for Miss Krauss? So, I'll make the comment these these bonds were for transportation related projects, roads, and the main source of of revenue to pay for these bonds is coming out of the transportation benefit district. The $20 vehicle licensing fee,

okay? That every everybody owns a car in the city of Lakewood pays a $20 to add. again that's added to their tab every year and we have a we're we're funding a number of transportation and projects out of here that we actually are going to issue more bonds going forward. So these savings do directly um acrue to that fund and to projects in that fund. So this is in is is an important savings. Yes. Okay. Thank you very much Miss Krauss. Thank you. So, I'm looking for a motion on on this ordinance number 843.

Mayor, I move to adopt ordinance 843. Second. Okay. It's been moved by council member Pearson, seconded by council member Brandansteader to um approve ordinance number 843. Council discussion. Does anybody like to make any comments on this? Deputy Mayor Bell. Okay, you're good with that. Okay, thank you. Um, all in favor of ordinance number 843 signify by saying I. I. I.

All oppose, say nay. The eyes have it. Thank you very much. And thank you, Miss Krauss. Okay, Mr. City Manager, is there any unfinished business? There is not, your honor. There is not any new business. There is not. So, we'll go on to reports by the city manager, Mr. Russell.

Yes, mayor, deputy mayor, and council. Just looking ahead at next week's study session. Uh, we'll have a review of an ordinance creating volunteer program, review of a franchise agreement with Clover Park School District for a fiber optic cable, review of Title 12 uh public works code amendments, and review of the fourth quarter police report. Some of the items uh for council activities over the next two weeks include public safety advisory committee on February 4th, the uh counted out uh community film documentary at Pierce College on February 5th, the Telecom Woodbrook Neighborhood Association on February 10th, the Lake City Neighborhood Association on February 12th, and as you heard tonight, uh Black History Month at Lakes High on February 15th. Outside of that, uh finishing up scheduling uh for individual meetings with our facilitator for the retreat and we'll get a schedule lined up and out to everyone once I finalize those dates. And although we're in the midst of the state legislative session, we are also looking at the federal component. um looking at an opportunity to go back to DC and like some direction from the council on um the interested parties, what you anticipate that team looking like so we can start getting those things scheduled. So if I could get direction uh from council, I sent out some potential dates, but also what council would envision that team looking like. Um just initially I think natural components would be the mayor and deputy mayor but if council would like additional people on that but again kind of looking for some guidance from council so we can start working with our federal uh lobbyists to get those uh scheduled and and in place.

So I don't know if there's any uh questions council has. You know I put out some three dates uh three different weeks. one of the week of the April 27th, also the week of the 4th and the week of the 11th. So, the dates are April 27th. Those would be the weeks of um normal and we'd have to work with our uh lobbyist on exactly what dates we'd go, but traditionally in past lives typically have gone out like on a Tuesday and then returned either on a Thursday or a Friday. Okay. So, say those weeks again. April, the week of April 27th. Okay.

The week of May 4th and the week of May 11th. Okay. So, anybody interested, just let me know and let the uh the city manager know and I'll and I'll I'll check those dates and let you know. Hey, any questions for the city manager? Council member Ansteader.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. [clears throat] Yeah, Mr. Russell. Um, we're getting down in the legislature of the cuto off date for bills to get out of policy committees. um that um one of the bills that's sort of been moving through that was either supposed to be in a policy committee this week to decide was the the uh House Bill 2489, which was the the the bill that would um essentially re re-establish the the the requirement regarding not having ordinances regarding camping or being in public places. Um and and and and essentially going back to uh some things over there that would seem to be work against some of the successes that we had as we established some ordinances which we've never had to charge anybody for, but which have created uh opportunities to to engage with folks and have resulted in some positive things to do that and have certainly been noticeable in the city of not the fact that there are not homeless people but the the where they are and being able to go and do that. But um do we have any word on how that um or or or or any need for any testimony by the city uh in a committee regarding that

bill or is it past that point? And are there any other bills that u either staff or there would be a request for anyone from council to to testify on this week of ones that we're trying to ensure move forward or uh would hope would not. So the first question you had was House Bill 2489 that did pass out of the housing committee on a 928 vote today. Um, we did sign on, excuse me. The vote was what? 9 to8 coming out of committee. So, it passed out of committee.

Okay. Out of the out of the policy committee. Okay.

Yeah. Um, we did sign on on a letter of opposition as you're correct. That does contradict the ordinances that council has previously put in place related to public spaces. So, it is one that we'll continue to watch as it uh progresses through the process. Terms of other votes, yes, we've had our uh planning and public works have provided testimony on several. We actually had someone uh prepared for the initial hearing on this one, prepared to provide testimony, let testimony was cut off in advance. So, it's one that we're continuing to work with our state lobbyist on when those opportunities that they would recommend uh putting in that extra effort of testimony and should those come forward, we'll look for those opportunities either at the staff or council level. So, Council Member Branset, I'll just just

Okay, I'm done, Mr. Mayor.

Okay. Because I was going to jump in and and dovetail with the uh city manager's remarks because I see a lot of these coming through. The two the two that were concentrating on um and and you know, I think it was 2849, which you mentioned. Uh last week the the the maker of that, the sponsor, the primary sponsor came up with a number of um amendments and it was sent out to this to the city staff and and I saw it also from a AWC about um where where are you guys on these amendments and and the staff recommended and I and I continue to support just opposition, right? I just I just right now I don't see any there's it was in my mind it was the old financial phrase of put trying to put lipstick on a pig, right? It was it's it's it in no way, shape, or form is ever going to be I I I don't see how it can the legislation can be fixed. And so right now we we remain as a city in opposition to it. And I think this I think all the cities pretty much are are on the in the same boat on that. Um the other one is the one about mixed use. Um and basically um and and and it really really could impact us if we uh in our downtown plan. Remember in our down and you know it better than I do in the downtown plan we have a a lot of we we'd like a lot of mixed use and and I don't know what the bill number is but it basically would would take that ability away from us to require mixed use. So um and basically allows

um residential housing to go in almost everywhere except industrial areas which would be uh Woodbrook and areas where they're not allowed which would be the the flight the the air corridor which are significant areas but you get the idea that if if you want to have a business climate in your or business community within your um in your community, you're going to you're going to have a tough time because uh you know, multif family especially is is in my mind is heavily subsidized. Um there's an ability to get really inexpensive financing. So, we we would have to if that thing passes and gets signed by the governor, we're going to have to have some very serious discussions about our downtown plan and and I I don't even know what those discussions would look like right now, but um so we're in opposition to that. So, those are the two really where I think most of our efforts are are going. Um, so hopefully that'll answer everybody's questions and if there's opposition to any of those items I or you know you think we should take a different tack, let let me know. Any more questions for the city manager. Okay. Well, we'll start with council member comments. Council member Talbo.

Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor, I attended the parks board or parks commission meeting last week and um it's pretty good pretty good meeting. My first meeting with that group. Um Miss Miles went through the capital plan and went through what is pretty I think robust chunky plan of capital projects. And so she gave some updates uh at that meeting. One nice takeaway from me at that meeting was um our youth council representatives uh were there and um because we talked about the legacy plan and you know what's going on with that. Um our youth council member uh Zoe spoke up that uh volunteering their time and participation to um provide some focused feedback if we invite them and ask them to carve out that time. Um recognizing that the youth council has kind of their own like uh self-generated agenda and curriculum. But, uh, I did think that it was a nice, um, a nice offer and also kind of speaks also to some of the public comment that we heard tonight about citizen engagement and citizen participation. And I think that, um, that type of focus group uh, work um, I haven't seen in a lot of our past endeavors. Um, I think what I have seen is the typical like, you know, here's an easel at an event and put your sticky note where you think something should be or here's a community survey and sometimes the community survey is and we post it on the web. And sometimes the

survey is written um very broad and and or or in a fun in a way that is not um uh that doesn't invite much more collaboration than just clicking buttons on a on a on on the web. So So suffice to say that um I think that I I thank folks for the public comment provided tonight. when we get to our council retreat, I would like to talk I would like to kind of discuss um maybe generating some new ideas of how we can refresh that um those customs of of getting out there with with our residents. Um you know, we we can there's I think there's ideas and things that we can explore that don't have to be just simply um going out to a neighborhood association meeting. So, um, and I would also invite or take take, uh, Zoe and the youth council up on their offer and time for some focused feedback, not just on the parks plan, but any of the initiatives that we continue to work on in the year. So, um, related to parks, I also had Saturday was nice, so I also had a chance to visit Wards Lake Park and it looks really great. In fact, um, job really well done. I was really impressed. And I also approached the park from 88th Street instead of the park entrance on 84th. Um that's the side that I used to get into that park with my friends. I saw a lot of dads with their young kids um at the pump track and even at the cement cemented bowl. And so I I just want to compliment ourselves on some really good work. And I can I can also see some room for um as we talk about the volunteer program and

taking up volunteers on their offer to to be of use with our parks and other other amenities. That park in particular, I think um could use some uh some some tender loving care with with a with a recruitment of of volunteers to keep it clean and and um and maintained. Um, I did also go out and see the the site at along 146th in Woodbrook um with the oak tree and other trees standing. Um, I also requested a copy of the wetland report and the tree survey and so I think that went out to everybody. Um, but in my view of what I saw, I think most of all I was really disappointed and irritated with the applicant for uh unpermitted clearing. Um, you know, I really do feel strongly that if you want to work I if you if you want to develop in Lakewood, do it the way you're supposed to do it and get a permit. And if you have questions and don't understand the process in the permitting, ask us because we have a pre-application process and that's what that's for. So, please take advantage of it. Um, I think my only question my my I do have some questions and I would like to explore those questions maybe offline uh with some with with Mr. Remac or staff. Um, did we really reduce the fine down or does the proposed fine still stand at 1.1 million or such? That's the only question I have and comment for now about that and I'll end my comments

there. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Tabo. City Manager Russell, are you ready to touch that rail?

No. So many of those things are set in city code and different parameters. Um, you know, you're going to have a wide variety of components related to it. You know, in terms of the maximum, I [clears throat] would say if you want to address city code, I would recommend taking a look at that and saying if you want to make it stronger, you certainly have that option in feasibility. You know, that's one of the things that, you know, we continue to try and look at for the sake of the development community and for the sake of the community at a whole is making as many things within city code black and white as you can because that sets the expectations and the feasibility of it. Talk about um mitigation. That's what has previously been in code is a range of components through there in terms of what may be done. Well, those are challenging because what may fits one community but doesn't fit the other. So, when you start to look at those things and you're looking at what those components are in city code, you know, that becomes a policy decision of the council. And that's where I'd recommend if you want to look at changes for making more severe penalties, that's a council discussion component that I would recommend you take. And there's always the trade-offs you're going to have in terms of well, you know, like right now, just as a perfect example, you have state legislature looking at reducing any types of restrictions related to residential in some of the other areas we're trying to protect because they're trying to make uh construction that much cheaper for the permitting process. So, anytime you put regulations within there, you're going to have that resulting component. Um, so you're going to have all those different variables at it, but that is more of a council discussion in terms of what you want to do with any regulatory matters as it relates to, you know, a violation of tree clearing.

So, Mr. City Manager, so I'm rather than wait for my remarks, I'm going to jump in this matter that was spoken to tonight, which a lot of people clearly are interested in. um that that request that application is going to the hearing examiner. Yeah. So you have two different components. You have the tree permit and then you also have the conditional use permit. Okay.

So the mitigation is within the tree permit and as part of that like I say well I guess as part of the conditional use permit the recommendation will likely be and I say likely because they're still under review. nothing has come out of the review process yet. Things change through that and they evolve. Sometimes the developer brings forth changes within it. Ultimately though, that condition use permit will go to the hearing examiner. They will make the ultimate decision as it relates to it. As things sit right now, the likely component will include a condition that they take mitigation efforts around that existing Gary Oak tree because it would not be approved as for a clearing with it. So that would eventually go to the hearing examiner.

Someone had mentioned that it's a proposal by the city of Lakewood. Well, it is not a proposal by the city of Lakewood as a developer for property that they own and what they're trying to do with it. So, so for folks listening, I mean, this is not just a permit the city of Lakewood can hand out. It's going to go through conditional use. It's going to go to a hearing examiner and that's really where these folks need to be making their public comments on the on the parking lot itself. Now permit is handled at the city of Lakewood that they go through the commission is free permit will be at the city of Lakewood then there's the conditional use permit for the entire project. Correct. They intertwine a bit, but they're different.

And people who oppose it can go to and anything that the hearing examiner says, they can appeal that to spear court. I believe that is a correct process. I'd have to verify that on where that appeal would go. So just just to to just to make sure we're on this on this everybody understands what what we're doing here. It's not our proposal. We're not building the parking lot. It's not our property. Correct. Um, and I and I'll speak to that a little later. Do you have something on this regard, too? And then we're going to we're going to have to go back to council member comments.

You know, I I appreciate council member Tabbo bringing it up as people have been brought up this evening in public comment, but over over time to be able to go and do that. and it's a uh an area that's of considerate, but the the um the first issue is that the um owner of the property went in and began to do work, particularly removing trees and and and other work on the property, uh without getting any permits, being able to go and do that. and that um that um city staff through both public works and code enforcement actually at got to a point of time of where that was recognized and issued stop work orders to be able to go and do that. Which got to the point of the recognition of a significant number of trees had been cut down without a permit. And there were there was a a problem with that. And the the oak tree is there and that um it did seem in the paperwork that was being provided that there was a uh that that that city staff is handling the issues, the sequence of issues, you know. um in line with what we've got in the code. In other words, they've determined that there were trees that were cut down without a permit, that there is a supposed to be a fine and a fortress. The decision about how big the fine should be is um

being decided within the discretion that in the code we we we have we have given to the the folks that are that are doing that that the um the issues uh regarding the conditional use permits and we've we have set up the conditional development that requires a conditional use permit. It is mandatory that it go before a hearing examiner and that the hearing examiner has a great deal of latitude to require mitigation being a things to do that and that can include you have to retain a certain trees or you have to be able to go and do that. that uh the paperwork that Ma Tabbo mentioned is uh you know it was pretty clear that the city was citing chapter and verse in the code to the developer about what to do with that. the the the the the issue about these sorts of things. People come to the council and they come to all of us for years and they say don't let this happen. and and and and and the issue is is that when city first incorporated um these are the sort of things that actually the city council would decide because we didn't use a hearing examiner process and before any of us were on the city council of previous city council made the decision to go to a hearing examiner process because without it everything became became quasi judicial and people

who would want to talk to us about an issue like this, we'd have to tell them, I can't talk with you. I can't even listen to you uh to to be able to go and do that because I might have to make a decision about it. So, we're really in a much better situation that that goes on now. But it's uh one of those things of where folks in the community need to understand that asking the council to do something. What they really need to do in this case and in other cases is ask the hearing examiner to make a decision. particularly on a a conditional use permits can be disapproved by the hearing examiner or can be modified to where there is there there is a significant amount of mitigation that that goes on to it. But that's not a decision for for us to be able to make. And I think that the the city staff have set the stage pretty well for that. Um uh I I I would say that as I was uh looking at it that I have uh uh some empathy for the tree. uh that uh I also think that it's uh that if the the report that was submitted in the alleging that if the tree stays, we can't build the parking lot, that's okay. That doesn't mean you can't do something else on the property that would be consistent to do that. And it's so so that that they have to do that. So uh at this point I personally as a citizen

and making it clear that I'm there as a citizen when there is a hearing before the hearing examiner I'm going to make the case that if the if the use being requested can't be can't accommodate the tree remaining then it it it shouldn't be allowed. But that that's my my my my personal view as a citizen. I I don't know what the hearing examiner will do. But I will will say that if we were to look across the street at the [clears throat] Alliance project, the Alliance project went through the same process of people saw lots of reasons why it might not. and the hearing examiner in that case made really good decisions about mitigation and things that allow that project to move forward in fact in a in a slightly downsized piece. So the hearing examiner process works the public needs to use it um and and to get together to do that because the hearing examiner only knows what people bring to his attention. Thank you, council member. Do you want to just continue on with your council remarks, then wrap them up?

Okay. The the only thing is that this Saturday on the 7th, I'm going to attend the Korean Day Korean-American Association event, which is their changing over their officers annually along with the cultural performances and things. And u if asked I'll make a few remarks to be able to go and do that. And then the only other thing I would say is that in my I I'm I'm going to be traveling to Baltimore at the end of the month u for a a reunion with some people with whom I served with in Desert Storm. Um, and the way that that schedule works, uh, that I will not be present for the March 2nd council meeting.

Thank you, Council Member Lynholm. Yeah, just to say that I too will be attending Korea Day. Really looking forward to that. Um, I also mentioned something to our city manager earlier today where I thought uh earlier this year we were assigned certain dates for neighborhood association meetings. It seemed to me that rather than staff just assign those, it could make sense for the council to sign up because I know there are some things that I'd really like to go to and there are some dates that are hard for me to make. Uh, and I know we're all busy people. So, that was a thought that I had.

Thank you, Council Member Lenol. Council member Laura Cella. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, first, I appreciate what council members Talbo and Bransetter said in regards to uh the oak tree down in Woodbrook. Uh, I too traveled down there uh to take a look at it and took some pictures and it's substantial. It's a it's a pretty pretty special tree. Um, from what I've seen, it could be the oldest and largest oak tree in the city potentially. Um, so that's something to definitely consider. Uh, and it makes me wonder what what options we have. I recognize we are not the hearing examiner, but as council member Brandsteader stated, maybe we could as citizens or concerned citizens or residents go speak when that hearing were to come up. Um, I know similar trees, Gary Oaks were saved uh in Olympia and Tumb Water and in Portland uh from my quick Googling while I was sitting here. Not that I wasn't paying attention to what everyone was doing, but uh I think we really need to figure out what we can do as a council for this sort of thing. Uh and maybe it's uh updating our tree code to identify if some things are untouchable like the oldest tree in the city or water frontage that is public, right? Those sort of things that maybe we can establish as offlimits. Um, so I'd like to hear what our options are, whether it's updating the tree code, speaking to the hearing examiner, or or other such things. Uh, it is concerning that this only comes to our attention when a developer cuts down a bunch of trees and then it gets reported uh and they get issued a a fine, then that fine gets reduced. Uh, it doesn't seem like the way things should go. So, I think we can do better. Um, on a more positive note, I wanted to

thank the city manager for letting me borrow his tie for pictures tonight. Uh, I felt like the kid that uh forgets that it's picture day, right? You show up at school and you're in your in your clothes that aren't uh necessarily appropriate. Uh, so he he did me a solid, so I appreciate it. Uh, hopefully the pictures turned out well. Um, I will be at the public safety advisory council meeting on Wednesday. Uh, and I will be absent next week. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Laurisella. Council Member Pearson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I attended PSRC um last week and got an um kind of a a pretty concerning email from Josh Brown, the PSRC director, about the region's job loss in 2025 and and the region lost 13,000 just shy of 13,000 jobs in 2025. And when you look at that on the national stage of like what's going on and and that's not what's going on everywhere else. And there's a few other states, Virginia. Well, what happened in Virginia in 2025? Massive federal layoffs, right? So, that's kind of a a different situation. Um the other one that had a fairly large job loss was um out in the Midwest where manufacturing isn't really going very well right now. But that's not our industry. And when you look at the industry that we have, it's tech, it's AI, it's all, you know, it's places, it's industries that are booming, right? And so that doesn't make sense. Why are we losing so many jobs in the region? And it kind of does make sense when you think about what's going on in Olympia and the overregulation um all of the all of the stuff that comes. It's I don't even think that half of these bills you can even realize the effects of them before other things are are tapping into it and like you know nothing's kind of nothing's stabilizing. So um it really is a it really is an US problem here in Washington. um that you know we need to be making our voice heard. Um you know things aren't getting cheaper for anyone here, businesses,

residences, and it shows it shows in the numbers and it shows that you know the the Ptown Sound region is losing 13,000 jobs and and those are good paying jobs um in in good industries, right? And those industries are moving out of state or they're closing up shop and moving somewhere else. So, um, really concerning concerning data that came from the the PSRC, uh, report. So, um, yeah, that's my positive comments for the day. Thank you, Council Member Pearson. Deputy Mayor Bell.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh, I piggybacking on what uh, Council Member Pearson just mentioned about making our voices heard. I did attend our city the AWC city action days and I thought it was very good. It's things that we're standing behind already. You can't hear me. Sorry. I hear I see I see you. Is that better? Okay. Um so the city action days it was really good to make connection with our not only our lobbyist was there. Um, I next year or when there's other events, I encourage my fellow council members to be there and I'd also encourage our city manager to come there and we can set up meetings and meet with our legislators also. So, it's just a really great opportunity to have our voices heard. Great networking for other cities, too. So, I just want to let you all know that it was wonderful, really good, and you all will be coming with me next time. Um, and then I'm looking forward to next week hearing about the volunteer program. I think that that is just something that we've been lacking and really really um I think it'll be beneficial to our not only just our green spaces but just anything of our volunteer programs coming up and getting that better organized. [snorts] And um when I also wanted to say thank you to my fellow council members who spoke on all of the tree initiatives things that are happening. I think that um really good comments. I appreciate it all. There's nothing new to add to that. So, thank you for what you brought up, what we've discussed and I look forward to hearing more on that. And with our youth council also, they meet I forget it's on it's like every other Monday or the 1st and the third. Yeah. And there. So if you get here a little bit earlier, which I've done, which I do as being one of the leaison, and talk to them, um we can go ahead and maybe see if Shannon could get us some time. Maybe that would

be good for us coming to them into their space and their time and maybe we could um kind of carve out something so we could talk to the special interest group like that. But I think it's really important that we go to them. We don't set up a special meeting where, you know, so that it's their space and their time. So on the 1 and the third, I don't know if that could be looked at possibly. Um, and that's about it for me. So, thank you everybody.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor Bell. So, a couple comments. First, thank you to the council members who are going to go to um the the Tacoma Korean Association Korea Day event. Um, I I do appreciate that. I'm unable to to make it. Um I think good discussions tonight around I I am in a I don't know what else I need to speak about. We have a town hall tomorrow telet town hall with uh representative Levit. I don't know if any of you are going to call into that. We also have the I'm trying to understand what day is our Olympia day and because we have the Lehi Chief Leeshi honor walk on the 19th. So it' basically be um us going down to meet with our delegation on any matter of legislation probably hit the topics of what is currently um moving through the respective uh sides of the houses and touch base on that or

we don't have a day for it broader um no we do we have uh yeah I don't know if yeah I don't know if I'll see if I can make the 18th. That's the February 18th. Sounds February 18th. Okay. I'll I'll check my availability on that date cuz I had

I had some scheduling I have some scheduling issues. Okay. So, um couple items. Council member Pearson's remarks. the the PSRC letter that came out and we got those is alarming because it was the f I think it was the first time in a nonrecession year that the Puet Sound area lost jobs. So nonrecession year so we lose them in COVID. We lost them in the great recession. first time in a non-recession year that and and when and and I believe it it covers Snowomish County, King County, Pierce County, and and Kitab. So, the four four large counties and and it should be alarming. Instead, we're constantly playing in in rather than talking about ideas to really invigorate our economy, we're constantly playing defense on these measures that could really be harmful to our our how how our community is, right? I mean, the the a couple of the measures that we talked about tonight could really have long-term negative re ramifications for our city. And um we're playing defense, right? We're we're trying to stop this. Um and hopefully we'll be successful. Um I I do want to point out and I back to the tree. This this is a a really good example um of a day late and a dollar short I I guess is a nice way I'm going to put it that that Pierce County every everybody every land owner in Pierce County pays into the conservation futures program

and some communities in and not just incorporated communities ities, but unincorporated areas of the of the county have been very aggressive about pushing forward properties that they want protected. Anderson Islands, you know, half the island practically has been purchased by Conservation Futures. They've protected areas. This is one where as a city all of a sudden we're like, "Wow, there's a pond there. Wow, there's this big oak tree. Wouldn't it be nice to preserve it?" but we don't own the property. So now we're at the mercy of the of the um of the uh the hearing examiner. So this is this is really a good example. We kind of keep having these battles because we haven't gone through and identified properties as a city at the 30-year mark. Conservation Futures has purchased some properties um that we asked for a few years ago to expand the the Spring Brook Park. We successfully got those. They score them every two years and then they fund them. So th this is an example of where as a city we never have institutionalized are there properties that really we should deem of ecological value in in the modern sense not just you know because a lot of the money just goes to saving a lot of trees way out where nobody lives right well that's not a negative thing but we pay into conservation futures we pay a lot into it. And and and these are the kind of things that, you know, maybe we should have identified that when when the

councils were sitting here making this big industrial area and trying to count, well, how much money are we going to make off this industrial area and this is a great thing of an industrial area and look at all the warehouses going up and there's jobs and everything else. But nobody nobody including myself said, "Hey, you know, there's this pond and I think we but the the issue there and and and it's not an easy issue because there were houses there up until recently, right? And then someone purchased it and kicked the people off. Well, would we have been as a city willing to purchase that property to protect that pond, protect those trees and and um and then kick the people off? would would we have been willing to do that? And I don't know, but I just I just push put that out there that there are ways to alleviate some of these discussions that we're having to have around these things by protecting those properties, looking for those properties when they're up for sale and saying, "We would like to purchase them, put them under contract, and then go to Conservation Futures and try to get get dollars for Let's all say I mean, Council Member Bell is probably aware and you're probably aware that King County does this also, but you but you as a as a city or as a group, you have to be proactive and and and I tell you there are groups that can bring those forward also. Doesn't have to be the city, but we just don't have a culture of that in the city of Lakewood of trying to protect those properties. And I'll just leave it at that. Council member Brans Center.

Well, Mr. Mayor, I mean, your point is well taken that we're gotten behind the the power curve on on on on actions like that. However, I would point out that just in our recent meeting where we were discussing climate change, natural natural resources efforts of the city and putting together a plan and made a decision to establish a specific advisory committee to help us find our way forward. I think that that is a an avenue at which we can can look at moving forward. you know, among the mixed opportunities is that three years ago, we uh put on the work plan for the landmark and heritage committee to come up with a program to identify heritage trees and historic trees and and and and processes to identify them and and and and what sort of rules tools to put around him. And then that that that committee stopped meeting to the point of where we ended up disbanding it because it seemed like we couldn't do that. But this new committee that we're putting together certainly should hear the charge that you're just giving us um and be and then be listened to when when we ask them to to speak to us about it.

Thank you, Council Member Brandsteader. And with that, um, we have a big day Sunday because we have a Super Bowl for those of you who are football fans and even those of you who are not, you'll probably end up watching the Super Bowl. So, um, we hope the hometown Seahawks uh, win. So, very nervous about the whole thing. So, thank you very much for your time. Thank you for all the folks who who stayed and for all the folks who spoke tonight. So, we appreciate that. Appreciate everybody's good work and we are adjourned.