City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call to order the City Council meeting of July 7th, 2026. Clerk, please call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

Present.

Councilmember Diaz.

Here.

Councilmember Hines. Here. Councilmember Palmer. Here. Councilmember Rumbaugh. Here. Councilmember Sedalge.

Here.

Councilmember Scott. Here. Councilmember Walker. Here. And Mayor Ibsen.

Here. Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgement and flag salute led by Deputy Mayor Bushnell, followed by a moment of silence.

We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Puyallup people where they make their home and speak the Lushootseed language. Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence.

With allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible,

Are there any modifications to the agenda this evening?

I move to adopt the consent agenda, including resolutions number 41954 and 41955. Second.

We've been seconded. Are there any comments, questions, or corrections to the consent agenda? Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, please signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. Consent agenda is declared adopted. Moving on to proclamations. Our proclamation tonight is proclaiming July 2026 as LGBTQIA2S plus Pride Month in the city of Tacoma. Yeah. For Pride Month, there's a wide assortment of characters here. I'd like to invite Michelle Massero, Neighborhood Community Services Manager for Tacoma Public Library Wheelock Branch, Perlita Payne, Librarian, Tacoma Public Library, Joanne Levy, Executive Director of the Rainbow Center, KB, Deputy Director of the Oasis Youth Center, and Michelle Douglas, Diamond Lifetime Achievement Pride Award winner of 2026, to the podium as I read the proclamation. Whereas in Tacoma, we believe that diversity is our greatest strength and that each and every person is a cherished part of our community, forever imbued with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And whereas celebrating our diversity is one of the great joys of life, and we are excited to stand with our queer and questioning community in celebration of their vital contributions to the world. And whereas we are proud to have the Queer City Collective, an affinity group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit city employees that is building a stronger and more welcoming community and serving as an invaluable resource and support system for all its members. And whereas the Tacoma Rainbow Center has served as a vital resource for the LGBTQIA2S plus community, fostering belonging, advancing equity, providing essential services, and creating safe, affirming spaces that strengthen the fabric of our Tacoma community, And whereas we also recognize that our LGBTQIA2S plus community has been and continues to be targeted with vile acts of hate and harm, devastating lives and leading many to question their own self-worth. And whereas we reaffirm our rejection of all forms of violence and discrimination and our unyielding commitment to the safety and inclusion of our LGBTQIA2S plus community and we remain focused and committed to ensuring that messages of love and acceptance are louder than those of hate and division, especially for our powerful and inspiring queer and questioning youth. Now therefore, I, Anders Ibsen, Mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim July 2026 as LGBTQIA2S Plus Pride Month in the City of Tacoma. And we declare to all the queer and questioning members of our community that your voice matters, your perspective matters, and you matter. You are very much loved by your city, and your city stands with pride alongside you. Please say a few words.

Thank you so much, Mayor Ibsen. And to all the elected officials, we want to say it's an honor to be here today, and it's a moment of bravery to do this proclamation. This year we are doing the Tacoma Pride Festival in Tacoma on July 11th and the Pride Awards. And we have two big sayings. One is pride in action and you are loved. No one represents those two more than everyone in this room. To show the unity for all the organizations that are part of this month's Pride, I want to bring up KB, Deputy Director of Oasis Youth Center, and then Michelle Douglas, our proud winner of this year's Pride Awards Diamond Award.

Hello. Thank you to the city for recognizing Pride Month and for taking the time to celebrate the LGBTQ plus community and the many ways we contribute to the fabric of Tacoma. Visibility matters. Sometimes it looks like a proclamation. Sometimes it looks like a flag flying outside a building. And sometimes it looks like it's simply being able to show up as yourself and know that you belong. Those moments matter because young people are watching. our youth are paying attention to how communities respond, how leaders show up, and how we treat one another. They're also learning from the generations that came before them, people who organized, advocated, built community, and created space for all of us to be here today. Pride didn't start as just a party, but I think those who came before us would be pretty happy to know that we kept the party, part two. The LGBTQ plus community has always been resilient. We know how to support one another, how to find joy even in difficult times, and how to keep moving forward together. That resilience is something our young people inherit from all of us. And it is our responsibility to help reassure them that this community isn't going anywhere. We will continue to show up. We will continue to celebrate. And we will continue to thrive. And fortunately for us in Tacoma, we're not done celebrating yet. While many communities wrap up Pride festivities in June, we get what I like to call our bonus bride. It's the sequel everyone actually asked for. As we head into the month of celebrations, community events, and memory making, my hope is that every young person sees themselves reflected in the joy, the visibility, and the community around them, and knows that they belong here. So let's make some memories. And these are one of my favorite people, Michelle.

MICHELLE MCGUIRE- Good evening. Nice job, KB. Good evening, Mayor Ipsen and the entire council. Thank you so much for welcoming us here today. I think it's particularly important to have visibility in times when there's a constant onslaught against our community. And to see the Tacoma City Council really expand on the long time history For those of you that might not know, Tacoma City Council was one of the first to enshrine LGBTQ protections into the government here, into healthcare here. I remember very distinctly you raising the pride flag almost 15 years ago onto this exact building and how important that was. It was the front page of the TNT. And we just have this long time history of visibility. I think sometimes when it's been going on for 15 years, you might have a mistaken impression that it's no longer needed. But what I hear every day is that visibility equals safety. It equals pride. It equals, really, it gives youth an opportunity to know that they're not alone. But for everyone involved in community, we know that when you can see yourself represented, it really is everything. So a deep amount of gratitude to all of you for continuing to stand by the LGBTQ Thank you to the Rainbow Center and to all the incredible organizations that are working together to make Tacoma better. I appreciate you.

On behalf of all of QCC, we just want to say happy Pride. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any members of the council who would like to comment?

I'll say something.

Okay, seeing none, well, please. No, I got you. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see your name.

I'll go. Council Member Scott. I don't, everything that was already said is better than I could say it, so I just also wanted to echo our QCC and say happy Pride to everybody.

Council Member Diaz.

Thank you. I would second that. And just to follow up on Michelle's kind words, I think this council has never been more queer. We have three of us now up here, and that's new and unique and exciting. And we're going to keep doing the work to make sure that we take care of our communities here. As folks might know, we became a sanctuary city for LGBTQ folks early last year. So we're going to keep making sure we bring forward protections for our community. Thank you.

You are loved. That's my comment. All right. Thank you. Well, please step forward to accept the proclamations. And one more round of applause, please. So we're shifting our colors. Okay, should we go over there?

All right. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

All right, everybody, big smiles. One, two, three. We'll do one more. One, two, three. Great job. Thank you.

Okay, before we move on to a regular agenda, I also understand that Scout Troop 299 is present here. Any of you like to come forward?

Don't be shy. Okay, if you're just observing, that's fine. You can always speak to any of the agenda items at public comment, too. Thanks for joining us, though. All right, with that, we are moving on to public comment.

Clerk, please read. This is the time set aside for public comment. Speakers are asked to identify the specific legislation they wish to address.

All right, so... With that, I'd like to remind everyone to please keep your comments respectful, relevant, focused, and on topic. We strive to provide a comment period where people can feel respected while sharing a wide variety of viewpoints and acknowledge that we may hear comments that conflict with our values. To ensure that all speakers can express their First Amendment constitutional rights, we ask you refrain from disruptive behavior. You will have 90 seconds to make your remarks. Please be mindful of the time frame. If you're online, then you'll be called on once you raise your hands or press the star nine button. So with that, we have Alice McDaniels here. and if you can specify which item you're speaking to.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. I'm not as fun as the Scouts, but I'm here from the Port of Tacoma. And I'm speaking to Item 8 on your agenda, Ordinance 29114, the Critical Area Ordinance. Specifically here, asking for your support for three amendments you're going to be seeing this evening. We appreciate Council Member Sadalge's leadership in sponsoring these amendments, and we're grateful to the Policy Department staff who have worked with the Port of Tacoma and our team come up with the best language that works for everyone. These amendments offer careful, targeted refinements to city code. They improve consistency, they reduce ambiguity, and they support clear and fair implementation of critical area code while maintaining environmental protections and respecting the adopted work of the Tide Flats Sub Area Plan. For these reasons, the Port of Tacoma respectfully urges you to adopt Amendments 1, 2, and 3 for Ordinance 29114 And thank you to all the council members for your engagement over the last several months and taking the calls to the meetings and diving into this issue. We very much appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you, Alice. Are there any other in-person speakers? Okay, well, moving on to our online speakers, we have Kathy Irwin followed by Heidi Stevens. And if you can specify which item on tonight's agenda you're speaking to, please.

This is Kathy Irwin. I am speaking to the critical areas ordinance that is up for our first reading for tonight. The one thing I want to share with the council is that the South Tacoma Ground Law Protection District ordinance previously approved is not really complete. It was to also include a memorandum of understanding to identify the roles of different departments and communication patterns that were needed to assure the safety of the water. This memorandum of understanding was to have been completed in 2025, and unfortunately it still is not completed despite multiple efforts on our part to try to figure out what's going on with why it has not been completed. So we don't really have the critical parts of protections that were lacking previously with the groundwater protection in place yet. And I am urging the council members to encourage the planning department and Tacoma Public Health Department to please get together and get this done. This is way overdue and this needs to be part of the critical areas ordinance and included in a complete form. Thank you.

Thank you. Heidi.

Good evening, my name is Heidi Stevens, speaking on Ordinance 29114, Critical Area Preservation. Thank you for updates to the Oregon White Oak requirements, the inclusion of acquiring land for preservation, and for more than just lip service to best available science by qualifying professionals. Also, finally, for any mention of the South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District, I'm assuming that was due to the efforts of Robin Bolster Grant, and someday I would like to shake her hand. However, this all is coming desperately late after years of tuning out residents and turning a blind eye to the damage being caused, and there still needs to be a memorandum of understanding regarding clear permitting cross-referenced between the STGPD and CARA, still no reference to proper SEPA lead agencies, still lacking effective tree requirements, and still no inclusion of the most important Washington administrative codes regarding critical aquifer recharge. The public was only given a few days to review this, but the only whack I saw noted is for exemptions, which always seem overused by Planning and Development Services. And considering that PDS has ignored prior code, how will it be ensured that PDS will actually apply this instead of skipping overall CARA and who knows what else. So still needing stricter oversight and enforcement with significant consequences to violators. 90 seconds is never enough, so please see my written comments. Thank you.

Thank you, Heidi. With that, seeing as there are no further comments, no further folks who are logged in for comments. We actually have Christine on. Excuse me, one more. Christine, are you logged in?

Yes, hello. I think I'm on now. Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Christine Non, the Local Government Affairs Manager for Puget Sound Energy. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Item 8, Ordinance 29114, relating to critical areas. We sincerely appreciate the collaborative approach by City Council, especially Council Member Hines for working with us on a request to support minor utility work. We also thank staff who dedicated time and effort into working with all partners to ensure the best language supports both utilities and the citizens of Tacoma. Again, thank you so much for the opportunity and consideration.

All right, thank you. Seeing as there are no further folks who are signed in to comment, we're going to close public comment. and move on with the rest of their agenda. Moving on to the regular agenda, we have a motion before us for consideration.

I move to authorize pursuant to Section 3.4 of the Tacoma City Charter to confirm City Manager Hyun Kim's appointment of Ramiro Chavez as the Environment and Public Works Director for the City of Tacoma, effective at 12 a.m. on July 13, 2026, and subject to the terms and conditions of a written offer and acceptance of employment and the applicable provisions of the Tacoma Municipal Code.

Second.

Moved and seconded. I'd like to call on the City Manager. Thank you, Mayor Ipsen, members of council, Deputy Mayor, thank you very much. Tonight, I am seeking your confirmation for the selection of Romero Chavez as our new Environment and Public Works Department Director. Director Chavez first came to the city of Tacoma as our Public Works Department Director in October of 2023. In October of 2024, he accepted a reassignment as the Director of Environmental Services. And now we find ourselves now at this opportunity I feel immensely blessed that we have someone of his caliber here as a professional engineer, and his background spanning all the way to 1991 when he first served the residents of Pierce County as a public works civil engineer for Pierce County, after which he led a very robust career within civil engineering, public works, He was also most recently the Thurston County County Manager from 2016 to 2023. I believe Director Chavez has the impeccable background as a professional engineer, as a leader, and as a trusted leader here at the City of Tacoma to take on this new role for the city as we consolidate these two departments. And with that, I seek your confirmation.

Thank you. Are there any other comments from the Council? Council Member Rumbaugh.

Thank you, Mayor. And I just thank you, Hugh, and I just want to echo my support. And I want Ramiro to know that we think he's doing a great job, and he's always available to go to lunch if you want and talk about things. And I really appreciate where he comes from, what his background is. We talked a lot about the discrimination in his field, and I appreciate and see that. And that's a really big thing. So I recognize what that must be like. And so I haven't experienced it, but I also want to say I really support him and I'm there for him. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy Mayor or Council Member Sedalge?

Thank you. Councilmember Rumba's comments kind of also echoed in my mind one of the reasons I'm very supportive of this. I met, I first interacted with Romero before I was a councilmember because he personally showed up to the Eastside Neighborhood Advisory MEET COUNCIL OF TACOMA'S MEETING I THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A ONE-TIME THING THEN I KEPT SEEING HIM AND I THINK IT GOES TO SHOW THE IMPORTANCE HE PLACES IN BEING OUT IN COMMUNITY IN VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS AND TAKING those considerations into account as you lead a very large organization. So I am more than happy to support this tonight. Thank you.

Thank you. And a thank you to the city manager for the nomination. I too am very grateful for Director Chavez's experience, what he's brought to the table already, and I'm certainly confident in his ability to move with innovation and And as this new department restructure in the context of the budget moves forward, I'm definitely in full support of this. So thank you for bringing it forward. Seeing there's no other council comments, the vote before us is for the confirmation of Director Chavez. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed say no. Resolution is declared adopted. And congratulations if you're watching. So with that, moving on to resolutions. Item five, clerk please read.

Resolution number 41956 is a resolution calling for a special election on November 3, 2026, concurrent with the general election, providing for transmittal to the Pierce County Auditor as ex officio supervisor of elections of Safe Homes for All Initiative Measure Number 1 for placement on the November 3rd special election ballot and directing the city clerk to transmit to the Pierce County Auditor a certified copy of this resolution.

I move to adopt resolution number 41956. Second. Move in second.

I'd like to call on the city attorney.

Mayor, deputy mayor, members of the council, Chris Boccia, city attorney, before you tonight is resolution 41956 that would, if approved, transmit the Safe Homes for All initiative measure number one to the Pierce County auditor for placement on the ballot at the special election to be held concurrent with the November 3rd, 2026 general election. The resolution before you is before you because the initiative petitioners submitted sufficient signatures as verified by the Pierce County auditor for placement on the ballot at the special election concurrent with the November general election. Initiatives are governed by section 2.19 of the city charter. The city charter at section 2.19 requires the council to take action within 30 days of validation of petition by the city clerk validation, meaning the city clerks validate that there are sufficient signatures to put it on the ballot. The council has the option of either enacting the initiative into law without change or rejecting the initiative and taking action to put the initiative on the ballot at the next general election that is not within 90 days of validation. The Council also has an option under Section 2.2 of the City to Charter to propose an alternative. Under Section 2.19, the Council's options are fairly ministerial. You cannot change the initiative. You either adopt it or put it on the ballot. The deadline for submitting the resolution to the Pierce County auditor is Tuesday, August 4th at 4.30 p.m. However, in order to have sufficient time to establish the for and against committees, if the council does not take action tonight, the council should take action no later than July 21st, 2026. I'm happy to answer any questions the council may have.

Thank you, City Attorney. Are there any council questions or comments? All right, seeing none, all those in favor of adopting resolution number 41956, please say goodbye by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed say no. Resolution is declared adopted. Moving on to item number six. Clerk, please read.

Resolution number 41957 is a resolution authorizing the one-time use of council contingency funds in the amount of $16,000 to support the 2026 Saver Fest PNW.

I move to adopt resolution number 41957. Second. Moved and seconded. I'd like to call on Councilmember Diaz.

Thank you, Mayor. I am bringing forward today's council contingency request for the amount of $16,000 to support Savorfest Pacific Northwest. It is an event put together primarily by Chef Lydia, but also by her community who has helped wrap around her. It was a vision of hers to bring important cultural flavors, really good food, to the Hilltop, and that is what we would like to support for all of her efforts on this community event that she has put together. With no city funding in years past, she actually won a City of Destiny Award this year, and we got to hear from her firsthand at those awards about the impact the event has made in the Hilltop in her partnership with MeCentro, and they anticipate having about 2,000 to 3,000 people this year. The event will be on Sunday, July 19th, And I'm really looking forward to, hopefully, as many of the community and council members who are interested in attending, it's going to be a really good time. There will be chef-led cooking classes. There'll be performers. There will be an opportunity for folks to meet characters, particularly Disney characters, if that's your thing. And this funding will help make sure that the food vendors are able to be there at lower costs than they would otherwise, which is an increasing demand that we're hearing from our local merchants and vendors is the skyrocketing costs of being in markets and being in fairs and events. So this is really going to help her make sure that she's got a breath of flavors to help recreate a lot of the culture that she saw in her home, New York City, before she came here and brought all her goodness and flavors here. So I'm really hoping colleagues will continue, will support this tonight and welcome any questions.

Thank you, Council Member Diaz, for bringing this forward. Any council questions? All right, seeing none, all those in favor of adopting the resolution, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Elizabeth say no. Resolution is declared adopted. Thank you for bringing this forward. Moving on to final reading of ordinances, item number seven. Clerk, please read.

Ordinance number 29113 is an ordinance amending chapter 1.12 of the municipal code relating to the compensation plan to implement rates of pay and compensation for employees represented by the Tacoma Firefighters Union Local 31 and the Professional Public Safety Management Association.

This item was presented last week. Are there any additional council questions or comments? Seeing none, clerk, please call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

Aye.

Councilmember Diaz. Aye. Councilmember Hines. Aye. Councilmember Palmer. Aye. Councilmember Rumbaugh. Aye. Councilmember Sedalge.

Aye.

Councilmember Scott. Aye. Councilmember Walker. Aye. Mayor Ibsen.

Aye. The ordinance is declared passed. Moving on to first reading of ordinances, item 8. This item will have a PowerPoint presentation. Clerk, please read.

Ordinance number 29114 is an ordinance amending Title 13 of the Municipal Code relating to the Land Use Regulatory Code. By amending Chapter 13.01, entitled Definitions, and 13.11, entitled Critical Areas Preservation, to update the Critical Areas Preservation Ordinance, a periodic update required by state law to incorporate new scientific information and ensure consistency with other policy and laws as recommended by the Planning Commission.

I'd like to call on Lisa Spadoni.

Good evening, Mayor Ibsen, Deputy Mayor Bushnell, and members of the City Council. It's good to see you again. And I am here to give a brief presentation of the Critical Area Ordinance 2026 update and in regards to the first reading of Ordinance 29114. So brief reminder, we are looking at updating our Critical Areas Ordinance to comply with Washington state law and the Growth Management Act. maintain consistency with our comprehensive plan, incorporate new best available science requirements and guidelines, and to ensure no net loss of critical areas, functions, and values. And the five categories of critical areas in the city are wetlands, fish and wildlife conservation areas, critical aquifer recharge areas, geologically hazardous areas, and flood hazard areas. This process has included significant public outreach and engagement. We've had a significant online presence, sent out multiple notices to Puyallup tribes, state agencies, and other interested parties. We have had press releases, engaged our language ambassadors, and been out to multiple community events. This obviously went through the planning commission process, had additional engagement through that process. And most recently, the city council held a public hearing on June 2. So part of this presentation is summarizing that public comment. We received 10 verbal comments and 13 written comments as part of the public hearing. And most of the comments expressed general support for the critical areas code update. Some comments expressed concern that certain code provisions were not sufficiently protective. And conversely, protections were too restrictive. And there were also multiple requests for code clarification. Some more specifics of the requests from our industry and utility partners. There were concerns about consistency with the expansion of the critical aquifer recharge area into the western portion of the tide flats and the prohibition of certain uses in the critical aquifer recharge high-impact use tables with uses approved or requiring conditional use permits through the tide flats subarea plan. The Planning Commission recommendation proposes the most conservative standards of best available science. prohibiting certain uses in the CARA. There were also comments concerning the bonding requirements for mitigation when mitigation is required of specific development proposals. The Planning Commission recommendation didn't propose any changes to the bonding requirements and after follow-up discussions with the parties involved it was UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CURRENT PROCESS IS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. THERE WERE CLARIFICATIONS REQUESTED TO SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF THE CODE, SPECIFICALLY OUR REASONABLE USE TEST AND VEGETATED BUFFER STANDARDS. THOSE CLARIFICATIONS ARE SUPPORTED BY CITY STAFF. THEN THERE WERE COMMENTS THAT THERE SHOULD BE ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCES FOR UTILITY INSTALLATIONS WHEN NO IMPACTS WOULD OCCUR TO CRITICAL AREAS. There are currently allowances in the code for the maintenance and repair of existing utility facilities, but there are no allowances for installation of minor new utilities if there are no impacts involved. Right now, the process would be a full permit for those. And so staff would support adding provisions that would allow new utilities if they are not providing or if they're not having impacts on the critical area. From our neighborhood groups and from Department of Ecology, there were comments in several areas of the code. There was a request for clarity on the biodiversity areas section and on the vegetation composition needed to qualify as a biodiversity area. Staff would note that additional clarification could be useful in that code section There was concern raised about displacing nesting birds during construction activities and a request for additional studies or ecological review and staff would note that expanding the critical areas code to cover those areas of review would exceed our best available science and our gap analysis and And finally, the Department of Ecology recommends updating the definitions for mitigation and wetlands to more closely align with the Growth Management Act. There are currently minor inconsistencies between those definitions and the state definitions. And so both of those corrections could be incorporated into the code. Ecology didn't have any additional substantive comments on the draft code. And that concludes the summary of the public review comments. The next proposed step for the ordinance would be a final reading on July 14. And with that, I understand that members of the council may have some substitute materials or amendments to discuss. And staff is here to support those discussions and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for the presentation. Before we move on to the substantive items, are there any questions for staff? Seeing none, are there any council amendments to bring forward? Council Member Rumbaugh.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Lisa, for your presentation. I move to consider as a substitute, substitute Exhibit A to Ordinance Number 29114 to clarify biodiversity classifications without reducing protections by amending the definitions of mitigation and wetlands in Tacoma Municipal Code TMC 13.01.110 on page 4 and 8 of the exhibit to more closely align with the requirements of the State Growth Management Act and amending TMC 13.11.510 subsection B.1.A.2 on page 47 of the exhibit.

Second. Moved and seconded. Council Member Romo.

Yes, this amendment would respond to comments by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the public by aligning the definitions of mitigation and wetlands and those in state law and clarifying that the revised biodiversity classifications do not reduce protections. And I want to just thank you all for considering the substitute ordinance. These minor code cleanups that were brought up in public written testimony would be good to implement. The Department of Ecology submitted comments requesting minor revisions related to the definitions of mitigation and wetlands so that they would more closely align with the state's requirements. Public comment highlighted the need for additional clarity regarding the classification of a biodiversity area to clarify that the update is not reducing protections. These are both fairly small and support the basic protections of the critical areas ordinance. I appreciate all the testimony we received, and this substitute is an example of how we incorporate feedback into our work and policy. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. This vote is on the substitution of Exhibit A to Ordinance Number 29114. All those in favor of the substitution, please signify by saying aye. Aye. I was supposed to say no. The ayes have it. Motion is declared adopted. Substitute ordinance number 29114 is now before us. Now we have an amendment from Council Member Sadalge.

Thank you, Mayor. I've got a few over here. I move to amend Substitute Ordinance Number 29114, Exhibit A, to add a new subsection 4 to Tacoma Municipal Code 13.11.820.A to read as follows. 4. Tideflats Manufacturing Industrial Center high-impact uses shall be allowed in the Tideflats Manufacturing Industrial Center consistent with the base zoning of the Seaport Zoning District subject to compliance with the development standards set forth in the South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District overlay for hazardous substance and storage management.

Second. MOVED AND SECONDED.

THIS AMENDMENT WOULD REMOVE CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE AND THE ADOPTED TIDE FLAT SUB AREA PLAN REGARDING THE USES OF ALLOWED, SORRY, REGARDING THE USES THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THE CRITICAL AQUIFER RECHARGE AREA ALSO KNOWN AS CARA BY ALLOWING THE SAME USES IN THE CARA THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THE RECENTLY ADOPTED TIDE FLAT SUB AREA PLAN. The Tideflat subarea plan was a multi-year, multi-agency process that created a new zoning district that created new zoning districts and carefully considered allowable uses.

All right. Thank you, Council Member Sedalge. Any other council questions or comments on this amendment? Council Member Palmer.

Thank you. I want to thank Council Member Sedalge for bringing forth an amendment, putting as much thought into it as possible and putting that forward. to try and come up with something that fits maybe more folks in the community and what they were asking for, or some of the folks in the community and what they were asking for. With the information that I have now, I support the Planning Commission's recommendations as is, specifically to prohibit future expansion. of asphalt and cement batching, metal recycling, and chemical manufacturing processing, and storage facilities within the critical aquifer recharge area. The Tideflats Subarea Plan reflects the principles of a just transition by seeking to preserve Tacoma's industrial economy, protect family wage jobs, improve environmental quality, and encourage cleaner, more innovative industries. While the plan does not explicitly use the term just transition, Its vision recognizes that Tacoma can maintain a strong working waterfront while evolving toward a more sustainable industrial future. The sliver of the port on the west side of the Puyallup River is a unique and sensitive area where high-impact industrial activities overlap with nearby communities, waterways, and an important aquifer recharge area. allowing additional expansion of industries with significant emissions, hazardous material storage, heavy truck activity, and potential contamination risks would increase long-term environmental and public health concerns. The recommendation as put forward by the Planning Commission does not call for eliminating the existing businesses we currently have or abandoning industrial jobs. Instead, it serves to encourage a gradual transition as properties redevelop prioritizing cleaner industrial uses that can preserve employment, maintain tax revenue, and continue to utilize Tacoma's valuable port, rail, and transportation infrastructure. By limiting future growth of the highest impact industrial uses in this critical area, Tacoma can advance the goals of the Tide Flat subarea plan, protecting workers, strengthening the industrial economy, reducing environmental risks, and creating a more resilient and sustainable future for the port and surrounding communities. So with that said, I cannot support this amendment. Thank you.

Okay. Any additional council questions or comments? Seeing none, the vote is on the motion to amend ordinance number 29114. All those in favor, please take a copy of saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say no.

Nay.

The motion is declared adopted. Amended substitute ordinance number 29114 is now before us.

I move to amend amended Substitute Ordinance Number 29114, Exhibit A, by amending Tacoma Municipal Code 13.11.240.B.2.A. To clarify the definition of reasonable use of property to read as follows, A, the maximum amount of disturbance shall be no more than 10% of the critical area and buffer area on the lot area or 2,500 square feet, whichever is greater.

Second. Move and seconded. Council Member Sedoga.

I'm going to ad lib just slightly. This one and the next motion for an amendment I have are really technical and were around conversations that planning professionals at the port and planning professionals at the city were discussing in adding some clarification and metrics in analyzing reasonable use of critical area private property. WHEN A PROPERTY IS MOSTLY OR FULLY WITHIN A CRITICAL AREA OR BUFFER, WASHINGTON STATE LAW REQUIRES ALLOWANCES OF REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY SO LONG AS THE IMPACTS OF THE CRITICAL AREA OR BUFFER ARE MITIGATED. THE DRAFT CRITICAL AREA CODE PROVIDES LANGUAGE ON HOW MUCH DISTURBANCE IS ALLOWED, AND THIS AMENDMENT IS PROPOSED TO CLARIFY THIS LANGUAGE.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS AMENDMENT? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, THE MOTION... The vote before us is on the motion to amend amended substitute ordinance number 29114. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed say no. The motion is declared adopted. Further amended substitute ordinance number 29114 is now before us.

Last time I swear. I move to amend amended substitute ordinance number 29114, exhibit A, by making three amendments to Tacoma Municipal Code 13.11.270.J to clarify the general mitigation requirements for vegetated buffers around wetlands and streams to read as follows. TMC 13.11.270, subsection J.3.D. REMOVAL OF DEBRIS, LAWN, AND ANY ILLEGAL FILL PLACED AFTER 1990 AS DETERMINED BY THE CITY, SUBSECTION J.4.A, EXCEPT AS ALLOWED UNDER 13.11.200 AND 13.11.210, ALL EXISTING IMPROVEMENTS AND STRUCTURES IN A BUFFER MUST BE REMOVED WHEN THE VEGETATED BUFFER INSTALLATION IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION 2A OF THIS SECTION. Subsection J.8, protection and maintenance of vegetative buffer. Critical areas and buffers shall be placed in recorded critical area easements or tracks or be noticed on title pursuant to TMC 13.11.280 and shall be maintained in perpetuity. Excuse me.

Second. All right. Moved and seconded. Any further council questions or comments on this amendment? Seeing none, the vote is on the motion to amend amended substitute ordinance number 29114. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All those opposed say nay. Resolution is declared adopted. Amended substitute ordinance number 29114 is now before us. Council Member Hines, do you have an amendment?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I move to amend amended substitute ordinance number 29114, Exhibit A, by making amendments to Tacoma Municipal Code, TMC, 13.11.200 and 210, to streamline the process permitting low-impact utility work in improved city rights way adjacent to critical areas or buffers to read as follows. TMC 13.11.200, subsection B.1, the maintenance and repair of legally existing utilities, roads, structures or facilities used in the service of the public and the installation of utility lines, pipes, and associated equipment within developed rights-of-way provided such work does not expand the developed footprint of the facility or right-of-way or alter any regulated critical area or buffer. Activities must be in compliance with the current city stormwater management manual and regional road maintenance manual and provide all known and reasonable protection methods for the critical area. TMC 13.11.210, subsection B9, I, co-location of minor accessory utilities with pedestrian trails may be allowed so long as all other criteria of this section are met.

Second. Moved and seconded. Any council comments?

All right. Yes. So this is based on the feedback we received from the public. The idea is to allow we have utility infrastructure that needs to be maintained for safety and health reasons. And this just puts here clearly in the code that minor utility work, which have temporary impacts or no impacts on critical areas, are allowed activities or activities allowed with staff review which already includes activities such as the maintenance and repair of existing utilities. So really, these are processes that are already allowed currently through the code, which just makes it very clear that these processes can move forward in writing. So I brought this forward. Happy to answer any questions.

OK. Are there any other council questions? Seeing none, the vote is on the motion to amend amended substitute ordinance number 29114. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. I was supposed to say no. Motion is declared adopted. Ordinance amended substitute ordinance number 29114 is now before us.

Is there a second amendment, Council Member Hines? No.

Okay. All right. Well, seeing none, the... Substitute ordinance number two nine one four is now before us as amended are there any final council questions or comments? All right seeing none All those in favor of adopting amended substitute ordinance number two nine one one four clerk.

Please call the roll mayor This is the first reading or my first read excuse me.

Sorry pardon I was there a lot of amendments here. I was reading the other part of the script Excuse me well seeing Seeing that we have amended this to our heart's content, this ordinance will be sent over for final reading next week. Thank you, clerk, for the correction. Moving on to unfinished business. Is there any unfinished business? Seeing none, city manager, do you have a report this evening?

Mayor Ipsen, members of council, I have two reports for you. Just one work product here. I am receipt of information that legislative work sessions for Olympia with the state legislature are ongoing. One thing for a pertinent Information for the City Council. I'm a receipt of a June 2026 report from the legislature on alternative local funding options for sidewalks this report I will be transmitting this to your offices with some context for potential briefings with staff here in the coming days and This report seems very pertinent for you all, for you to consider in the coming days. Other news report that I want to share with you, first and foremost, my heartfelt thanks to, first, our staff. Some great news from Public Works and our GR team. And then I'm going to finish with who I really want to help, you know, just emphasize our gratitude here from a staff perspective. We are in receipt as of Monday. The city of Tacoma was notified that We have received a 2026 appropriation from Congress for Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge Replacement Project for full funding of design and environmental review. So this will take our planning sets to 100%. $7.6 million, Public Works, PDS, all the teams that are working on the submission, our GR team led by Andrea Roper, thank them. And Mayor and Council, I want to thank you all. Our constituents often ask, what does it mean to go to D.C. and advocate for our projects? $7.6 million for final design, to complete design. We still have a lot of work to go towards full funding. of this project, but for Fishing Moors Memorial Bridge, I'd like to thank you, Mayor and Council, that went to D.C. this year, and Senator Cantwell's office for supporting this project submission. So thank you very much. Those are my two reports, Mayor Ibsen. I stand ready for any questions. Thank you, City Manager.

Council Member Sedalge.

Thank you, City Manager. I wanted to point out to the public at large how important that award is. And thank you also for thanking all the staff. There's a lot that goes into this. Every one of us, when we were in D.C. earlier this year, this was at the top of our list in our requests to get design funding for the Fishing Moor Memorial Bridge. so that we can eventually ask for construction funding. But the reason why that's important in this day and age is in several meetings I've been part of on transportation with the National League of Cities, There is a tendency right now in federal government to shy away from awarding design dollars. And in fact, the infrastructure bill that was passed recently in one of the areas, and I forget which one, They've reduced dollars available for design from 40% down to 5% in one of the categories because, ostensibly, it's to help stimulate more construction. The reason why this is important is it is more important than ever to have the ability to design on a local level because it will put you farther ahead when you're looking for matching funds to do construction. So this funding that gets us to 100% in design is a massive barrier that we were facing before we could even consider replacing the bridge, which is ultimately what we need to open up that bridge. And that bridge is so vitally important for multimodal access outside of our area, because if you really think about it, there's really no pedestrian crossing of the Puyallup River between Lincoln Avenue, which is a very I'll just use the word sketchy area to cross if you're on a bike or walking, all the way down to another kind of sketchy bridge along River Road and Levee Road over there. Those are the only two kind of pedestrian accessible crossings right now. So having design money today in a world in which the federal government is kind of moving away from that is a huge win for us. So I want to thank staff, and I know that we have the staff available that once we do design, we can also win some grants as well in the future. Thank you.

Thank you. I want to take this opportunity to reemphasize, I mentioned Senator Canwell. This is coming from Senator Patty Murray's office for sponsorship, so I want to correct the record, but both of our senators, as well as our Congresswoman Strickland they are very supportive this project, so I want to clarify that but you know the notes that I have here from Senator Murray's office In in notifying us of this potential award ahead of Monday Impressive Tacoma team and that collective team, so thank you very much for acknowledging our staff But also back to you all as well for advocating for these things in this changing climate see change of what we're trying to do. We need design dollars because we can't seek out those construction dollars without it. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Council Member Rumbaugh.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Hyun, for sharing all of this. And I want to thank our Government Relations Department for their good work, because they took us to D.C. and every single one of our delegation representatives, Congressmember Randall, Congressmember Strickland, our Senators Murray and Kemp. Cantwell, they all knew about this. They all knew it was important. And I also want to say the people of District 2 that are highly impacted by this, because if you're a pedestrian, as Council Member Siddalgi is talking about District 4, there is no way to get from Northeast Tacoma into Tacoma any longer, unless you want to ride on 509 or I-5. And so there is no way into town that's safe. And there used to be a bike group from Stadium High School of students that rode in every week. and they're not able to do that any longer. I also want to say the wear and tear on our general roads is high with all the trucks that are having to find ways to deviate from the route that they normally would take is a big deal. We have 167 opening up soon, which I think will help with this, but as it is, we're going to be paying for this no matter what. So if we don't get the money to build this bridge, I'm so excited we're going to design this, but we need the money to build the bridge because as we sit here letting these big heavy trucks ride on these roads, it's costing us more money because we're going to have to repave all the roads. Just, it's really, it's integral and important and it should be a priority for our city to get this funding. I know that we all know this, but also our residents do. I was at an event last weekend, the weekend before last, and all of them knew about this and were talking to me about what are we gonna do about this. People in Northeast Tacoma know about it. So I'm just really impressed with our citizens for being really up to date on the things that are happening that are impacting our community and our economic development of the city. So thank you so much.

Thank you, Council Member Rumbaugh. Council Member Walker, do you have another item?

Yes, do you want me to do that before the committee reports? Next week is Pacific Northwest Climate Week, and it kicks off on Monday the 13th, and there are events, many, many events in Tacoma, but throughout the Pacific Northwest, And if you go to pnwclimateweek.org, you can search by city. So you can see just how many are in Tacoma. So there's drop-in discussion sessions. There's formal panels. There's walks. There's talks. There's boats. There's business opportunities. There's a mending club. There's all the gamut of climate. issues and opportunities to connect with your community around Addressing climate in the city of Tacoma, and I am very excited that so many of our staff and community groups are participating and It's all free Thank You customer Walker moving on to comments and committee reports of the City Council from the Economic Development Committee I'd like to call on chair Diaz

Thank you. I also had my hand up to just ask Council Member Walker a quick question.

Oh, yes.

Can I clarify? Did you say votes like democracy or boats like a boat ride?

Great question. I said boats like a boat ride. I like both. Do you understand that there's going to be conversations around ballot measures that might be relevant as well? So great question.

Thank you. Very silly, but I did want to know. Great. With that, the Economic Development Committee has met twice since our last report out. On June 23rd, the Economic Development Board of Tacoma-Pierce County provided an annual business update. The President and CEO, Michael Katze, introduced EDB team members and presented their organizational direction for driving sustainable economic growth. It was really informative. At the same meeting, I summarized my outreach efforts on the community workforce agreements, including feedback from recent stakeholder meetings and our next steps in developing that policy. Next week, on Tuesday, June 30th, Vice Chair Bushnell provided an overview of the community and stakeholder engagement he did as part of the policy review of Tacoma's minimum wage. His report described economic conditions, key themes from his outreach efforts, and stakeholder recommendations. The committee meets again next Tuesday, July 14th, to hold interviews for the Equity and Contracting Advisory Committee and continue our discussion of policy options regarding the $20 Tacoma minimum wage proposal. We expect it to be a very busy meeting for those interested. So with that, Mayor, this concludes my report.

Thank you, Chair Diaz. Are there any other council comments? Council Member Palmer.

Thank you. I just want to take a minute to talk about a personal experience of mine this weekend. So Sunday night, I'm 1030. My daughter is yelling at me upstairs that there is a fire in my alleyway, possibly due to fire fireworks. And It was a very scary experience. It was something, of course, unexpected. And so I wanted to just shout out Engine House number four. They were there before I could change out of my pajamas to get outside and to take care of the issue. So I wanted to just take the time to personally thank them. And my neighbors who are out there with their little garden hose as well to try and help with the situation. So just shout out Engine House number four. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Palmer. And yes, thank you to TFD as well. Council Member Diaz.

Thank you. I also had a TFD shout out I wanted to do because there was also a fire kitty corner from my home last night until I want to say three or four in the morning. And folks were out there working really hard. I offered to come help since I could walk across the alley and go help, but they didn't want me. So I stayed in bed. But I'm very grateful to them and all their work. And I just wanted to shout that out. And honestly, I think, I don't know if it's appropriate, but I will just say, I am a little bit disappointed in my neighbors. There was, while they were out there working, I think the fire started around 10 o'clock at night. There was within probably three blocks, I don't know how sound travels, people still setting off fireworks. So it really, really... got me upset at some of my neighbors. I wish I had known who it was. But I don't know if the firefighters also heard that. So I really want to appreciate them for not just the work they do all night, but in the face of people not even making smart choices. So really appreciated.

Thank you, Council Member Diaz. I, too, have a TFD story. Just wanted to shout out and give thanks to everyone for making this. I swear we didn't coordinate this. No TFD-related content here. But what I will say in all seriousness is that I had the privilege of actually doing a ride-along with Station 11 last week on Fourth of July Eve at the Station 11. If there are any night owls watching, thank you for the delicious brats. And I wanted to say thank you for all that you do. It was really revealing, just seeing with my own eyes, the work that our first responders do. Supremely grateful for all the work TFD, TPD, our alternative responders do, and it was It lived up to be the active night that I expect it to be. So thank you for everything that you all do. It's clear also the challenges that our first responders face. That's not lost on me as well as us in terms of the thinking that we're doing moving forward into the rest of the year. But wanted to just give a big shout out to staff for making it happen and to the frontline folks who get it done. So thank you. So with that, seeing as there are no other council comments, is there a motion to adjourn? Moved to adjourn.

Second.

Moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say no. We are adjourned.