City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Kent City Council meeting for August 18th, 2026. If you could all please rise and join me in the flag salute.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for

All right. Kim, could you call the roll, please? Thank you, Madam Mayor. Mayor Ralph? Here. Council President Kaur? Here. Council Member Boyce? Here. Council Member Boyd? Here. Council Member Larmer? Here. Council Member Michaud? Here. Council Member Shoker? Council Member Troutner? Here. Thank you.

Thank you. Item number three on our agenda is the approval of the agenda. Are there any changes this evening?

No changes from staff, Your Honor.

Hearing none, a motion would be in order to approve the agenda as published. So moved.

Second.

Got a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed? Motion carries 6-0. That moves us right into public communications. We have several items this evening. I want to start out, Council, in your packet on the consent calendar, bringing forward two reappointments and two new appointments to our Bicycle Advisory Board. We have a new appointment, Daniel Shermer. Daniel moved to Kent in 2016 and one of the things I found interesting um he's passionate about promoting bike safety and health as a low impact way to get around the community and he started taking bringing his kids to school on a bike so i think that that will be a fun perspective we also have a new member miguel ibarra just moved to kent in late 2025 and rides his bike to kent station to catch the sounder train so that commuter perspective that family commuter and then we have two reappointments on the consent calendar. Maria Castro being reappointed thing that that really stands out to me about Maria is the amount of volunteer work that she does in the community. She has served as vice chair of the Bicycle Advisory Board and Prem Sabeti. We've all met Prem. He's been here and provided outstanding public comment in the past and has a great perspective on what it takes to roll around our city. Looking forward to your confirmation on the consent calendar to those for appointments to the Bicycle Advisory Board. The next item on our agenda is a presentation from our Kent Library. David Wright, the Library Regional Manager, is going to be joining us this evening to provide us some updates on what's happening at our downtown library. Good evening.

Good evening. Thank you so much for having me here. SO I'M EXCITED TONIGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU AN UPDATE ABOUT THE KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM'S REMODEL OF THE KENT LIBRARY. THE FIRST OF A MULTI-YEAR INITIATIVE THAT WE ARE GOING UNDER TO REIMAGINE AND REFRESH OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM. LET'S SEE IF THIS WORKS. OKAY. SLIDE. THERE WE GO. OKAY. So, as you know, the library will be closed to the public beginning on August 30th, and the interior transformation will begin shortly thereafter. We're grateful that the city of Kent issued us the permit on August 4th, paving the way for the construction bidding process to begin sooner than we expected. So thank you for that. And our facilities team says everything is falling into place, which is great news. Since KCLS Executive Director Heidi Daniel met with Kent City officials earlier this year to inform them of the library closure, we've been doing a great deal of work with Johnston Architects, which is the firm we partnered with, to help us with this project to create and refine what the library will ultimately look like and feel like. So they are a Seattle-based architect specializing in library design, and they've conducted research, hosted focus groups, with patrons of all ages and held many meetings with our Kent and regional staff to make sure that everyone's voices and feedback were heard in the planning process. The design reflects extensive community input, and when it opens to the public next spring, it is sure to delight and impress all of those who walk through the door. Next slide, please. So the first question you might ask is why are we doing this and why specifically are we doing it at Kent? So this is part of our Reimagining Spaces project, which is a larger KCLS initiative that will eventually touch all of our locations. And it's about modernizing our libraries to ensure that they are welcoming, accessible, and inviting to the entire community. Libraries are increasingly being viewed as essential third spaces where people can learn, grow, use technology, access resources, and connect with others. And they do all that free of charge at our library system. So Kent was chosen as our first library for this project because this is the number one, we wanted to highlight the resources we have here at Kent. And number two, we haven't had a refresh for Kent's library since 2010. So we are past due to really reinvigorate and rebuild that space. And the estimated cost for this project at Kent is going to be $5.6 million. Next slide, please. So what will that get us? Well, parents and caregivers are going to enjoy an expanded children's area with a play area, activities, and programs that foster early learning. We'll also have an enhanced teen area, which will provide spaces for gathering as well as studying. We'll have additional pods study rooms, which will be a much welcome addition to the library, and additional spaces for meetings. We'll have a new sensory room for those that need or prefer quieter spaces. We'll also have lower shelving throughout the library so that we have better sight lines and so that patrons and staff have a greater feeling of openness in the space. And finally, we'll have some flexible spaces that we can adapt to the various community needs. Next slide, please. So the look and feel is also going to be different. Part of what Johnson Architects has done is they've designed this Northwest inspired forest canopy theme for Kent. So they chose shades of green and tan for carpeting the walls and furniture. with natural wood elements designed to enhance acoustics and create warmth and comfort. Other libraries that go through this process as part of the reimagining spaces will also have similar Northwest themes and colors, creating more consistency across our locations. And this will also help to reduce our purchasing, storage, repair, and replacement costs, which strengthens our stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Next slide, please. So a little bit about what happens during the closure. Several KCLS libraries will be available for patrons to access programs, services, and materials. Kent Panther Lake will be open seven days a week, beginning with additional Sunday hours on September 6th, and this schedule will be in effect until the Kent Library reopens when Sunday hours will shift back to Kent. Similarly, patrons will be able to pick up their holds at Kent Panther Lake, or they can choose to use any of our other library locations via their online accounts or by asking library staff for assistance. THE PEER SERVICES AND WELCOMING CENTER THAT WE HAVE AT KENT WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT THE WOODMONT LIBRARY. AND COME THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION, VOTERS CAN DROP OFF THEIR BALLOTS AT KENT PANTHER LAKE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. KCLS IS GRATEFUL FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF KENT AND THE KENT COMMUNITY. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE CAN CELEBRATE THE LIBRARIES REOPENING TOGETHER. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

Thank you so much for coming down and taking the time. I'm really excited to see that seven days a week. That's one of the comments that I have seen several times now on social media as we've been sharing about the library closing. So that is fantastic. Looks like we have a couple of questions. Council President.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you, David, for the presentation. And thank you for coming down to our council meeting to share that information with us. I'm very excited about this. I think it's definitely needed in our community. My question is about the meeting space. Is that going to remain the size it is right now?

We'll actually have increased meeting room space. We'll have the Existing meeting room and the small meeting room will be turned into like a programming space for the children's area but we'll also be adding a Multi-purpose room over by the teen area that will be available for use and I think most importantly for a lot of our folks here We're gonna have three study pods that will accommodate one to two people apiece so that people can have a quiet Place to actually get together and study which I think will be a big bonus for people.

Thank you I'm looking really looking forward to this me too

Thank you.

Council Member Boyce. I have two questions. Madam President here asked one and got an answer. The second one, from a security perspective, right, there's going to be a lot of construction going on, and sometimes we have people hanging out.

Are we planning on fencing that area off to make sure it's secure to make sure people- We're in discussions about that right now in the planning group. One of the things that we have to be cognizant of is that we do have the other businesses next to us, the bicycle shop, the grocery store, that also use that space as access for their garbage. So we have to work with them to kind of work out what that's going to look like. But we are trying to develop a plan that will make sure that any construction materials are secured.

And also, I mean, even when you do construction, right, you want to make sure to keep people away and not camp close by, right? So I'm more concerned about that, making sure we have safety and security.

Any other questions? Thank you so much for coming out and taking the time. We are very much looking forward to this refresh of our downtown library.

And we can't wait to see you there when we reopen.

Thank you. Thank you. All right. We are going to move on on the agenda. The next item we have is community events. Council President. Thank you, Madam Mayor.

We always have events happening at our social center. August 30th is Mamamoo, and September 19th is a Bollywood singer, Sonu Nigam, coming here. So it should be a popular one, but the... South Asian community. September 28th, our Seattle Thunderbirds home opener versus Prince George Cougars and tickets go on sale on the 26th at 10 a.m. And the entire season for 2026-2027 goes on sale on September 2nd at 10 a.m. And you can purchase those tickets at assessoshowercenter.com.

Thank you. Any additional community events? All right. I'm not seeing any. We will move on. The next item on our agenda is our public safety report. And joining us tonight is Deputy Chief Matt Stansfield.

Good evening, Mayor, Council. Thank you for having us. I'm bringing you Deputy Chief Matt Stansfield, bringing you your public safety report for August 18th, 2026. We have some really good news this evening. We're going to be swearing in a total of five new employees, four police officers and a corrections officer. So really exciting when we get to do that. So I'm going to call them up one at a time, and I'm going to read a little bit about them, and then we'll go through the swearing in for everybody. So if I could have Corrections Officer Valentina Kafadar come up, please. Just go ahead and stand up here. So Valentina, she's been hired by us as a corrections officer. Yeah, you can stand right there. It's fine. She's born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. She moved to Washington in 2014 and earned an associate's degree in criminology. Before joining Kent PD, Valentina was a stay-at-home mom. She chose Kent because she wanted to be a part of a close-knit organization where people know and support one another. That's definitely our jail. And where the workplace feels more like a family. Outside of work, Valentina enjoys baking, eating chocolate, and spending time with her family. So, Valentina, do you have anybody here with you tonight, family and her friends? Yes, I have my husband, Greg. Thank you for coming, sir.

And my daughter.

So thank you for coming. Just stand right there and I'll come up, call up. Next we'll call up Officer Robbie Buxton. Robbie is a police officer, entry level police officer, originally from Colville, Washington. He's earned his associate's degree from Spokane Community College. Prior to joining Kent PD, Robbie worked for Liberty Mutual as an insurance adjuster for six years. Before that, he served in the United States Army as an infantryman. Robbie's reason for choosing Kent stood out to me. While researching departments, he looked at how easily public could access information about each agency. He found KPD's information very accessible and saw that as an indication that this is an organization that values honesty, transparency, and service to the community. Honesty is particularly important to Robbie. and he wanted to work for an organization that shared that value. Some pretty high praise from a candidate, so we appreciate that. Something interesting about Robbie is that he is a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom. Robbie, do you have anybody here with you this evening?

Yes, my wife, Danny.

Okay, thanks for coming. Next, I'll call up Officer Jesus Castaneda. Officer Castaneda was born in Los Angeles and raised in Long Beach and Compton, California. He later moved to Washington and graduated from Auburn Mountain View High School in 2010. Before joining Kent PD, Jesus worked as a corrections officer at the King County Jail in Seattle. Jesus spent much of his teenage years in Kent and Covington area and said he wanted the opportunity to serve the community that helped shape him. His path to KPD shows some persistence. During the public safety testing process in 2023, he met Officer Brian Cortinas, who spoke highly of Kent PD. Jesus applied to become an officer but wasn't selected. During that process, however, he learned more about KPD and recognized the department's values aligned with his own two years later he applied again and this time was selected to join us as a police officer so thanks for your persistence we appreciate that jesus is also the father of five children and his family is here to support him tonight jesus who do you have here to support you this evening my wife veronica all five of my kids my parents my brother his wife and his two kids that is fantastic thank you for bringing them all thank you all for coming we appreciate it next officer i'll call up is officer mike kim for goso paralysis Mike Kim was born and raised here in Washington and has spent most of his life in Kent, Auburn, and Federal Way areas. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, where he earned a certificate in automotive technology from Puget Sound Skills Center and later attended Bates College. Before coming to Kent PD, Mike Kim worked for Costco for six years, first in Federal Way and later in Tuckwell as a meat cutter. He chose Kent because he was looking for a career that would be both enjoyable and challenging. He also says that the way others speak about our department gave him a sense of pride in his decision to work here. Something interesting about Mike Kim is that he collects both new and old comic books with Moon Knight, I don't know who that is, being his favorite superhero. He also has nearly a three-year-old Doberman named Draco who joins him in running and hiking and apparently pulls Mike Kim along on his longboard sometimes. Mike Kim, do you have anybody here with you this evening? Okay. And last but not least, I'll call Officer Lucas Stover up. Lucas was born in Renton and spent most of his life in Covington and Maple Valley. He graduated from Tahoma High School in 2019. Before joining Kent PD, Lucas worked in aluminum handrail fabrication for about eight years and also did some on-call IT work. He chose Kent because of the positive reputation of the Kent Police Department and because he enjoys being in the Kent community. Outside of work, Lucas enjoys hiking and spending time in nature. He also recently got engaged to his girlfriend of two and a half years. Lucas, do you have anybody here with you this evening? That's awesome. Thank you for coming. Mayor Ralph?

I, Robert Bux, do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America, the state of Washington, and the city of Kent, that I will uphold the Constitution and laws

Of the United States.

Of the United States.

And the state of Washington.

And the state of Washington.

And that I will obey the rules and regulations. I will obey the rules and regulations. Of the Kent Police Department.

Of the Kent Police Department.

Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you. One, two, three. One, two, three. Thank you. Congratulations.

Okay, so really fun to wrap that up, working our way to our goal of being fully staffed and making some big strides tonight. So it's really a good thing for us to see. So that concludes my public safety report for tonight, unless there's any questions from Mayor or Council.

All right, any questions? Okay, thank you. Alright, we're going to move on to item number five, which is reports. So to our council members not only serves the city here on council meeting nights on the first and third Tuesday of each month, but also representing the city on regional and statewide committees that ensures that Kent's voice is being represented no matter where the conversations are happening. whether it be related to policy or grant opportunities and funding. I'm going to start with a couple of quick updates. I chair the King County Flood Control Advisory Board. We met last week, so the way that the charter is set up for the Flood Control District is there's an advisory board that meets every year and provides input and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, also known as the King County Council. part of that recommendation or part of the requirements are that we present a letter to the Board of Supervisors by the end of August we're struggling a little bit this year as the budget documents were not prepared there's been a lot of things going on at the King County flood control district and so that has been delayed so we will be doing two letters this year the first one is going to be more policy based really talking about the need to find a way to to in a more timely manner get flood control projects done across the district. We saw the importance of those projects and the gaps in the system in the December flooding. I would say I've served on this committee now for many years and this is going to be the most direct letter the more most forward this group has ever been and I think there is a lot of frustration both around the delay of the of the budget but also just the the speed at which these projects are being done. So we'll be presenting that final meeting is August 28th. I'll be presenting that to the Board of Supervisors in September. and then we'll be coming back again when we have those budget documents and doing a second letter dealing with projects. Another highlight from last week, so the city of Kent has had a long-standing relationship with Tomba Japan, and part of that is a student exchange, so both a one-year student exchange and then a 10-day program where students from both Kent and Auburn travel to Tamba and stay, and then those students come back and visit. And we had the pleasure of hosting the Tamba students here last week. One of the highlights is the student that my family hosted in 2014 was a chaperone this year. So getting to see Sheena and all the things he was up to and reconnect, just as a reminder of how important that program is and why we want to establish those relationships and give our students that opportunity. So very, very good meeting. I also had an opportunity, along with Assistant Chief Jared Kasner, to take a tour with Director Nance and some members of the command staff of the King County Jail that is located here in Kent. So at the Regional Justice Center, I know there's often confusion about that being the Kent Jail. It is not. It is the King County Jail. And after all this time, I'd never taken a tour. So I had an opportunity to tour the facility, learn a lot about the programs that they have that are offered for inmates, what the process is. These are all the, everyone there is part of the felony court system, working through the King County process. So again, Kent does not have any control over that facility, but we are a partner because they're located right here in our downtown. So really appreciate Director Nance reaching out and making that tour possible. I learned a lot and I'm grateful for that partnership that we have with them. With that, I'm going to turn it over to Pat Fitzpatrick, our Chief Administrative Officer.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. One issue I want to update the council on is the fact that we've been working on our emergency management response system. I've been working with the RFA to update our plans, ensure that our training is fully up to speed and that staff is fully trained. And we're looking at our system and looking at ways we can refine that to provide better and more responsive services. We will have more on that to come in the future. And then a quick update. I think I briefed you on this previously, but the law department is working on an ordinance that we're going to bring to you within the next couple of meetings to address unlicensed food vendors, street food vendors, which is becoming a fairly significant regional problem. Seattle Health Department, Seattle King County Health Department, has asked for assistance from the city. We've been out talking with folks who are running these vendor businesses, and there is a clear unwillingness to comply with any regulation whatsoever. We're going to be addressing this in a way that other agencies have started addressing this, and we'll be bringing an ordinance to you that would make these unlicensed vendors, their activities a misdemeanor in our city. We're confident that we will get some traction when we do that, so you can look forward to that coming within the next two council meetings. So more to come on that. Thank you. So Pat, will they be able to obtain a license and operate if they decide to do that? Absolutely, they can. It's just there's an unwillingness to do so. County has had, from the last meeting that I attended, which was about six weeks ago, zero success in a single vendor getting or attempting to get a license. So, thank you.

All right, Council President Kaur. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Earlier tonight, we had a council workshop and Two items on our agenda, recode Kent Phase 3 and drones as first responders. It's a great presentation that our community members can watch on Kent TV 21 or on our Facebook page. I serve on various boards and commissions regionally, and I'll have updates on that at our next council meeting because we did not meet this month. And also a reminder that our council newsletter comes out tomorrow. So if you do not already subscribe, you can subscribe to that so you can get updates on what we are up to during the last two weeks. All of my colleagues here participate in giving updates from all the boards and commissions they serve on, including the events they have attended in the city. And with that, I'm going to go ahead and get started on my right here, Council Member Tartner.

Thank you, Madam President. I sit on the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority Governance Board. We have our next meeting tomorrow. I am also on the Regional Transit Committee, and we do not meet in August. And then lastly, I would like to say congratulations to my son, Kyler, and his beautiful bride, Channing. They were married yesterday in Friday Harbor, and it was absolutely amazing. Only a few tears, so congratulations to them. Thank you.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Council President. Last week, Thursday, at my aging and disability service meeting, we focused our meeting on a program called Wild Cares. Wild Care is a program that provides Washington workers with a lifetime long term care benefits up to $36,500 adjusted for inflation. It can also help families for in home care services, assisted living and other services. that can help people remain independent. This program actually started, contributions started back in July the 1st, 2023. And right now as of this past July 1st, 2026, benefits have officially started becoming available. So it's a program that if you're planning on having additional, not planning on, but if things arise and you need additional help for like in-home health care, home care, look into Y Cares, okay? And that's all I have. Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Council Member Boyd. Council Member Boyce.

Thank you, Madam President. I sit on the Sound City Association PIC Committee, which is a public issue committee which consists of 38 cities. And we pretty much get together once a month and we kind of get together and help set policy procedure for within the region. We did not meet the month of August. We took the August off and we'll have our next meeting in September. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Boyce. Council Member Larimer. Thank you, Council President. So I sit on the Growth Management Planning Committee, and we likewise took August off, so our next meeting will be in September. But I did have an opportunity to go to a Mariners game with the kids from Tampa, and it was a lot of fun.

It was a great, great group of kids, yeah. Thank you, Council Member Larimer. Council Member Michaud. Thank you, Madam President. The Human Services Commission is meeting this week on Thursday. They did not meet last month due to a quorum issue. So fingers crossed everything goes well on Thursday and they will have their final funding review and recommendations. On Thursday and this past Saturday I and Council President core were at the Green Kent event on the Upper Mill Creek Canyon. This is our first time working in this area and we were removing Ivy with about 18 volunteers and that is actually super rewarding because Ivy is much easier to remove and so you can instantly see. the results. And we did a good job of clearing out areas relatively quickly. So that concludes my report.

Thank you, Councillor Michaud. And if you want to see all those before and after pictures of ivy removal, they will be in the council newsletter tomorrow. Back to you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you. Item number six is public hearing. We do not have one this evening. Item number seven is public comment. So the public comment period is your opportunity to speak to the council and the mayor on issues that relate to the business of the city of Kent or agenda items the council will consider. This is not an open public forum and comments that do not relate to the business of the city are not permitted. Additionally, Washington state law prohibits public comment from being used to support or oppose a ballot measure or a candidate for office. So speakers may not give political campaign speeches, but instead must speak to an item concerning a matter on the city council's agenda. Furthermore, in providing public comment, we do ask that speakers address the mayor and council as a whole. and that you refrain from any sort of derogatory comments. With that, Kim, could you please call our speaker?

Thank you, Madam Mayor. We have one person signed up to provide public comment. It's Dan Perkey.

All right, if you could come up and state your name and city of residence for the record. There will be a three-minute timer that will go up on the screen.

Thank you. My name is Dan Perkey. I'm a resident of Kent. I want to thank the council and the mayor for providing the opportunity for me to speak tonight. I'm here today to ask for your engagement in making Kent a more desirable place for people to move, especially families with school-aged children. We all know that how schools perform is a factor when choosing a place to live. You already know that we're in competition with cities near us for these families. My personal reason for taking up this issue is that, as a Kent homeowner, I want to see the value of my property increase. If no one's moving here, that won't happen. But the real reason is that I'm a teacher at my core and currently certified to substitute teach in the Kent School District. I have an intense interest in improving math performance particularly. You may not know that only about one out of every three students in Kent are performing at or above grade level in math, 34% to be precise, for the State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Now let's compare that to our competitors. Issaquah's at 75%, Bellevue's 69%, Maple Valley 64%, Seattle 59%, Renton 41%, Fife at 35%, Auburn is slightly below us at 33% while Highline and Federal Way are at 26%. Therefore, we're pretty disadvantaged from the get-go. One of the three core values expressed by the Kent School District is excellence. To me, A 34% level of performing to grade level in math is not excellence. I hope you share this conclusion. Since this past November, I've been trying unsuccessfully with the Kent School Board to get their engagement in solving this problem through several public appearances. Not only are they not responding, staff is actively resisting putting some different tactics in place to try to improve math performance. To the best of my knowledge, the school board has not had a single public session or even meetings behind closed doors where they've specifically addressed how to improve math performance. This situation exists even as twice a month they sit in public session in the boardroom below a large fancy sign that proclaims excellence as a core value. My request of this council and mayor is to engage with the school board to find out what the hell is going on, either formally or informally, to put some pressure on them to do something, anything, to address this issue and to do it now. I have some ideas I'd be happy to share that might help. I'd appreciate if you'd invite me to talk with you in more detail in a more interactive format than this. You have my contact information. You should also know that in addition to being certified as a substitute teacher, I'm a business operations consultant, the concepts of which are transferable to a school environment. I bring an extensive resume and expertise with me in a purely voluntary capacity to get solutions put in place. I'd entertain any questions that you might have if it's allowed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

There are no other public speakers.

All right. Thank you, Kim. Item number eight on our agenda is the consent calendar. We have items A through I this evening. The consent calendar is a compilation of agenda items that the council has had the ability to receive presentations, ask questions, and provide input. These things have all passed out of Committee of the Whole without controversy. Is there a motion to approve the consent calendar? So moved. Second.

Second.

Got a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed? Motion carries 6-0. Item number nine is other business. We do not have any, nor do we have any bids or an executive session. That brings us to the bottom of the agenda. And with that, we are adjourned.