City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of 04/28/2026. Clerk, please call the roll. Deputy

mayor Bushnell?

Present.

Councilmember Diaz?

Here.

Councilmember Hines?

Here.

Councilmember Palmer? Absent. Councilmember Rumba? Here. Councilmember Sidalgo?

Here.

Councilmember Scott? Here. Councilmember Walker? Here. Mayor Ibsen?

Here. Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgment and flag salute led by Councilmember Hines, followed by a

moment of silence. You. We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest in the traditional lands of the Puyallup people, where they make their home and speak the Lushootseed language. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance and remain standing for a moment of silence.

Are there any modifications to the agenda this evening? Seeing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda.

I move to adopt the consent agenda, including Resolution Numbers 41,895 through 41,897. Second.

Moved and seconded. Are there any questions, comments, or corrections? Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, please signify by saying aye. Aye. All opposed, say nay.

Consent agenda is declared adopted. We have three ceremonials tonight. For the International Firefighting Firefighters Day Proclamation, I'd like to invite Pat McGelligott, Vice President of Local thirty one John Slaesner, assistant fire chief and all firefighters in attendance to the podium as I read the proclamation. Welcome, everyone. Whereas firefighters dedicate their time to the protection of life, property, and the environment, and make the ultimate sacrifice of risking their lives and protecting others.

And whereas International Firefighters Day is a time when the world's community recognizes and honors the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure their communities and environment are as safe as possible. And whereas we observe this date each year on May 4, the feast day of St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters, when we remember firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. And whereas the Tacoma Fire Department is our community's primary provider of prehospital care and was dispatched to over 53,000 emergency incidents in 2024. And whereas the demands of firefighting are accompanied by both professional and personal tolls that all firefighters knowingly accept while risking their physical and mental health to protect the lives of others.

And whereas by recognizing International Firefighters Day, we show our support and gratitude to the firefighters here in Tacoma and around the world who protect us throughout the year. Now, therefore, I, Anders Ibsen, mayor of the City Of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim Monday, 05/04/2026, as International Firefighters Day in the City Of Tacoma, and invite our residents to join us in sharing gratitude for our Tacoma firefighters for the work that they do every day to protect and care for our community. Who would like to say a few words? Well,

I've got about five pages of notes here, so just bear with me, guys. No, it'll be short. Mayor and council members, thank you for this honor and recognition of International Firefighters Day. I'm proud to stand here, but this award really belongs to the men and women of the Tacoma Fire Department who show up every day on people's worst day with skills, compassion, and commitment. Firefighting is a team effort and I'm fortunate to be a part of the group that truly cares about this community. We're here to serve and it's a privilege to do so. Thank you for your support of your fire of our firefighters and the people we serve.

Mayor, Deputy Mayor of Council, I want to thank you guys for recognizing International Firefighters Day. I just want to say thank you, and we appreciate it. And I think when it comes to this job, I think I can address the community also, is we love the work that we do. When you talk about all the risks and everything, it's like that is that's inherent with the job. I think I was told one of my first years on the job by now Lieutenant or now Captain Tory Tollfrey, who was one of my classmates when I got hired, the last heroic thing you'll do is take the oath.

Everything after that is your job. And I think that that all of my brothers and sisters take that to heart. This is the best this is the greatest job in the world. I'm blessed to be able to do it. My brothers and sisters are also we all feel blessed that we have been chosen to do this work. It is definitely more than a job. It is a calling. This is something that I feel like most of us feel born into. And I just want to thank you guys for recognizing firefighters and the risks that we take. And just so you know, we are happy to do it.

Every rock that's been thrown at my rig by somebody, every machete from an encampment that comes flying into a rig, All that stuff is worth it when we get the one kid in the crosswalk doing this or you know the family's waving to us while we're driving down the street. By the way, if you're in a crosswalk and you're doing this right in front of a fire engine, we're not going to do it because you're going to end up on your back. That air horn is way louder than you think it is. Just remember that. We might do it when we drive by, but just so you know. But anyways, thank you very much. We appreciate all you and all you've done for us. And hopefully we can continue to work in partnership and, you know, make this fire department the best fire department in the country. So, you.

Yeah. Any council comments? Councilmember Rumbaugh.

Thank you, Mayor. I, just as chair of the South Sound nine eleven Board, I want to thank all of the firefighters, and every day that you show up to help those in need, like you say, on their worst day ever, I want you to know every day is firefighter day of appreciation in our city. People love our firefighter. We love our firefighters. They are the to come firefighters. But those are the people who are here today, and I want to thank you all for the service that you give to our community. It means a lot, and it just makes it easier for us to do our job because you guys are so amazing. So thank you so much.

Thank you. Councilmember Scott.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you all. I was going to say very similarly to what Councilmember Rambass said, that I don't think there's a day that goes by in the city that people aren't grateful for the work that you all do, and that you do it with the heart that you do it with, and you show up every day. And sometimes, I'm sure you're not getting treated the best, but you still come and you treat us the best. And I know it's expected, as you're often meeting people on some of the worst moments of their day or their life. And so we're just really appreciative that you all keep continuing to come back, and that there's such a legacy here that there are plenty of people who are waiting in line to become a firefighter. So thank you all for what you do.

Thank you. Pat, Josh, Chief, thank you so much to you, to your team, to the rest of our department for all the amazing work that you do. Keep it up, stay safe, and please accept on behalf of the city council's proclamation and our round of applause.

Alright. Our wonderful firefighters. I'm gonna have you all just scoot down this way a little bit so that we can just make things a little bit more even. Wonderful. That's good. Okay. Let's see. Okay. Perfect. Alright, everybody. Put this way. 123. Alright. Let me get one more. 123. Thank you so much. Thank you.

All right. Thank you for your service, folks. Moving on to our next proclamation. Our next proclamation is proclaiming May 2026 as bike month for the bike month oh, there we go. Never too soon.

For the bike month proclamation, I'd like to invite Laura Svendsharek, executive director of Tacoma on the Go, and Leon Nettles, executive director, second cycle, to the podium as I read the proclamation. Whereas the city of Tacoma has long been passionate about cycling, and our residents know that hills only add to the fun. And whereas since the invention of the first two wheeled steerable and human propelled machine in the early nineteenth century, the bicycle was proven to be an irreplaceable part of our transportation and recreational activities. And whereas today, our bikes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, from fat tire cruisers to mountain bikes to electric bikes that help power the ride. And whereas no matter what style of bike you ride, we know that getting around on two wheels offers a sense of joy, community, and freedom that improves our health, environment, and quality of life.

And whereas building a connected bike network for people of all ages and abilities is essential to meet our 2035 Vision Zero goal to eliminate crashes that cause serious injuries and deaths, as well as the Climate Action Plan goal for a fully built out bike network by 2050, and whereas making it safer, easier, and more fun to ride a bike in Tacoma helps build a more equitable transportation system and addresses safety, environmental and access disparities, and whereas we believe that all people in Tacoma deserve the ability to safely ride their bicycles to parks, transit, school, libraries, work, and daily destinations. Now, therefore, I, Anders Ibsen, mayor of the City Of Tacoma, on behalf of the city council, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as bike month in the city of Tacoma and invite the community to join us for bike month celebrations and to check out the full calendar of events at tacoma.gov/bikemonth. Please say a few words.

Thank you, Mayor and Council. Thank you for proclaiming May as bike month in Tacoma. People in Tacoma are hungry for cycling. I see more and more people on bikes every month, it feels like, every year over year, including over the winter. There is a lot of people out on bikes, and it's really exciting to see. So why are we seeing more people on bikes? I think that some of it is electric bicycles, making it easier, more accessible, both to afford electric bikes, but also just to get around the city in general. E bikes reduce barriers to cycling, especially in a hilly place like Tacoma. They work as car replacements. They're grocery haulers.

They are kid movers. They give people more freedom of mobility. And for the benefit of everybody in the room, Washington State is running its e bike rebate program right now, so you can enter to monthly drawing for $300 or $1,200 off of a quality e bike, which you can purchase from a local bike shop like Second Cycle, which is really exciting, again reducing barriers. So e bikes are a big part of why we're seeing more people cycling, but the biggest part of that is absolutely the advances in safe infrastructure that we have seen in the city of Tacoma over the last five or so years in particular. There's been tremendous strides in getting high quality infrastructure installed around the city.

From East 64th Street to Jay Street, for the first time in years we are seeing the fatality and serious crashes rates decreasing in Tacoma. It's decreased the last two years and that's a really big deal. And that's because of having more safe infrastructure. And the reason why we're seeing that, in part, I think it's always important to shout out the amazing women that work in the Department of Public Works that are fighting for and getting these projects designed and winning grants like Liz and Jackie and Jennifer and Carrie, Some really great folks that we are lucky as cyclists to have in the City of Tacoma staff that are advancing the policies that you all have set forth. So, really want to bike, but they will only do so if they feel like it is safe for them to bike.

Cycling makes our city better. It advances public health. It moves us towards our climate goals. It increases empathy and connection. It encourages people to engage with each other in the city on a really human scale. And there's a lot of progress being made. We have momentum, but that only continues if we continue to prioritize investment in safe infrastructure, and keep that investment rolling. If we stop now, our safety improvements stop too. So, I invite you to come join all of us for bike month events in the month of May. Again, tacoma.gov/bikemonth is the calendar. You can find all of those. But Tacoma on the Go will be hosting a Bike Everywhere Day event in People's Park on Sunday, May 17. Come hang out with us. Thanks.

Thank you, mayor. Thank you, council members, for declaring bike month once again. I really appreciate it. My name's Leon Nettles. I'm the executive director of Second Cycle Community Cycle Center.

I feel honored to be here speaking on behalf of my staff and the community as well to appreciate you all for recognizing us. I first want to let you all know that we're doing a lot of awesome things at Second Cycle. We have tons of youth programs which are getting bikes into the hands of kids that wouldn't necessarily be able to get them otherwise. Through the Climate Commitment Act, We were able to do an active transportation cycling unit with both Let's Go and with just riding along our in house program. And we are very excited to announce that we are starting an e bike lending library also with climate commitment funding through WashDOT Active Transportation.

And I'm excited to have my daughter here with me.

You're doing great, man.

Yeah, thank you. And I also want to announce that we have started an advocacy group here, Pierce County Bike Advocates, which I think has helped to get a lot of other individuals who you'll get to hear from later today to advocate for more cycling infrastructure. I really appreciate all of the work that's gone into cycling infrastructure in the recent in the last five years. I think protected bike lanes are the only way to build bike lanes, in my opinion. And I hope that we continue to do that as we continue to build this infrastructure.

She rides with me on the roads, and there are very few roads that I feel comfortable taking her on. And I'd like that to change. I'd like to see more of the infrastructure going in and being able to have her ride with me to ride her to school on her own someday and feel comfortable that she's going be able to do that safely. And I don't currently feel that way yet, but we're getting there and I'm very excited about the progress we're making. So thank you so much for all the work that you all are doing to make our city safe.

Marvelous. Council comments? Looks like we have one from Councilmember Sidalgo.

MR. Hi. Thank you, Mayor. I just actually a couple of things. I 100% agree with everything you said. Laura, you're right. There is an absolute hidden demand and desire to bike when it feels safe. And we have a lot of really good programs we want to make sure children can take advantage of. I had the opportunity to bike all over our district last year. I e biked all over it and you're right Being able to experience our city on a human scale, as you said, it really gets you closer to your neighbors and where we live.

So I really appreciate those. But I wanted to recognize that we have a lot of District 4 representing right now, because both of you are District 4. I see several others over there. And I saw a lot of people coming out. But the number one question was, do I feel safe doing this? And I am absolutely Committed to continue to with the rest of the council to invest in safe infrastructure. Thank you for being here. CHAIRMAN

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And thank you all for being here and for the presentation. You know,

I I

would I always tell this joke councilor Walker, I'll tell right now. How do you know someone has an ebike? They'll tell you about it. No. I bring that up because I have a 12 year old and his dream is to own an ebike.

So he doesn't talk about buying a car, talks about getting an electric bike and like that's what he wants. And so, I think about the future, in the city of Tacoma or any city across the country, right, e bikes are I think rapidly going to become more and more of the infrastructure like of how people get around. And so, when we think about how we build out our city, we have to take that deep consideration, right? Because we're seeing more and more people use bikes and because as Laura said, we're a hilly city, Which has historically been an issue, but now the hills have been overcome by electrical assists and you know more e bikes are being sold every day and then vehicles, EVs. So I just thank you all for your

work and you are kind of

on the front lines of pushing forward. But I'm excited because I know that in the years ahead this is only going to become more accessible to more people. And I think more people like my son or other children or your daughter are going to say I don't need a car I could get by with an e bike but that does require us making the investments in the infrastructure so they feel safe getting around the city on those bikes. You being here and thank you Mr. Mayor.

Thank you councilmember. With that thank you so much for all you do more to come. Won't you come forward to accept the proclamation? Round of applause, please.

Guys scoot over this? Yeah. It's like, anyway, maybe like one person come on this side from the end. Perfect. Oh, that's excellent. Okay. Alright.

I think

I can see everybody. Alright. Smiles up this way. One, two, three. I take one more. One, two, three. Thank you all so much.

Okay, so on to our third and final proclamation tonight. For our third proclamation, I'm going to proclaim May 2026 on behalf of the city as Literary Month. For the Literary Month proclamation, I'd like to invite mister Syed Jamal, chief executive officer and founder of gritcitystudio.org, to the podium as I read the proclamation.

There he

is. Welcome. Whereas storytelling, literature and the written word are powerful tools for civic engagement, cultural expression, community healing and social transformation, and whereas Tacoma is home to a vibrant and growing creative community, including authors, poets, publishers, educators, readers, librarians, bookstores, and literary organizations who've contributed meaningfully to the city's cultural fabric, And whereas GRYT City Studio, a Tacoma based nonprofit dedicated to advancing the creative economy and social impact through storytelling, education and celebration, is hosting the inaugural Tacoma Literature Festival on 05/02/2026, at the historic Tacoma Armory, featuring authors, poets, publishers, musicians, and cultural workers from across the region. And whereas the festival and related programming panel, discussions, children's reading activities, workshops, book fairs, and community conversations will take place throughout the month of May in neighborhoods, schools, libraries, and public spaces across Tacoma, engaging residents of all ages and backgrounds. And whereas by proclaiming the month of May as Tacoma Literary Month, the City of Tacoma affirms its support for creativity, free expression, education, and community centered storytelling that uplifts diverse voices and builds a more connected, equitable, and joyful city.

Now therefore, I, Anders Ibsen, mayor of the City Of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of May as Tacoma Literary Month in the city Of Tacoma and extend our deepest appreciation to GRYT City Studio, its team and founder, Syed Jamal, for the support and dedication to Tacoma's creative and literary future and encourage all residents to participate in the celebrations, support local writers and bookstores, attend events, and continue building a culture of reading, writing, and storytelling in our city. Please say a few words.

Thank you. Thank you, council members, and thank you, everybody, for coming. We at Grid City Studio are very thankful for this. We believe that stories are infrastructure Roads connect us. They help us go from one place to another Stories do exactly the same Traffic signals regulate us so that we don't bump into each other and don't hurt each other But that exactly what stories do as well They help us heal.

They help us resolve conflict and they help us keep safe When we are away from people we love and miss, stories fill the gap. They shorten distances just like bridges do, just like highways do. And in times when we lose hope, stories also rescue us, just like our firefighters who we just heard. In my life, I have repeatedly read and also met with men and women who had once decided to end their lives by jumping from the bridge or throwing themselves in front of a train or just poisoning themselves. And over and over, I have heard and read that some story pulled them back.

That there was some story that gave them hope and they didn't do that. They came back and they started working on whatever else that they wanted to work on. So stories save lives. They allow us to see each other. They allow us to hear each other better again and again.

And because of our stories, I think promoting stories and advocating stories and seeing stories as infrastructure is very very important. This proclamation is not just about literature or literary richness of our city. It's also about our safety, our imagination, and the power of words to bring us together and to build a new kind of infrastructure that lives deep within us, our stories. Celebrating May as Tacoma Literary Month is our way to envision and build that infrastructure because our stories matter. I thank you all and I would love all of you to please bike your way on Saturday to Tacoma Armery where Tacoma Literature Festival is going to happen.

Thank you.

Thank you, Saeed. Any council comments? Councilmember Walker.

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to thank you, Saeed. This is such an exciting event. I'm very excited to attend on Saturday. And I just want to acknowledge, I think it was January when I announced from dais the invitation to participate. And since then, you have done so much work to build this thing from the ground up pre events, author talks, learning to write, working with kids. It's just been incredible to watch. And so while I think Saturday is sort of the big thing, the Lit Fest, You have added so much to this community with everything you've done around that, and it's been really fun to watch that. So I can't wait to go on Saturday.

I hope

people come. And as you noted, it's a very bikeable place to go, so what a great combination as a first thing to do on bike month, bike month Saturday, to go down to Lit Fest. So thank you for all you do. I hope that we're celebrating fifteen years of this proclamation in the future.

Thank you.

All right. Any other comments? All right. With that, thank you for all the wonderful work that you do. Please come forward to accept the proclamation, and let's give these nice people a round of applause.

Here. Come here. Let's see. Okay. Alright. Can I have you folks just scoot this way just a little bit? Perfect. Then everybody's lined up. Wonderful. Alright. Smile. One, two, three. We'll do one more. One, two, three. Thank you everybody. Very good. Thank you.

Alright. Moving on to public comment. On tonight's agenda, there are two opportunities for people to comment. Under public comment, you can speak about motions, resolutions, and ordinances on tonight's agenda. Under the public hearing later the agenda, you can also speak about the proposed annexation of 10 parcels of land located adjacent to the city in the 5 Heights potential annexation area. 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. I'd like to remind everyone to please keep your comments respectful, relevant, focused, 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 that you please refrain from clapping, cheering, booing, or otherwise being disruptive. You will have ninety seconds to make your remarks. Please be mindful of the time frame. As always, you are not required to use all of your time to make your point. If you cannot remain on topic, you'll be given two warnings. If you remain off topic, you'll have to move on and will end your time. And with that, we have the co chair of BP TAG, Sarah Kiesler, followed by Cam Solomon, talking about Beike Month.

Hello, mayor and council. Thank you so much for declaring May bike month. My name is Sarah Kiesler. I am the co chair of the bike pedestrian and advisory group here in Tacoma. And here in Tacoma, we're really lucky to have an amazing mobility plan.

It explicitly prioritizes safe mobility for all, better than just about any document you will see from any city in Washington State. It's incredible. But as someone who lives and bikes in South Tacoma, we have so far to go to make that mobility plan a reality, to fund safe infrastructure so that people like Leon's daughter can bike safely. Right now, for me to get anywhere in Tacoma, I have to take a full lane of traffic, whether that's on Tyler Way, on 56th Street, on South Tacoma Way, with the missing link lane. We're doing a lot of great work. See the work every day on South Tacoma Way that is happening. Though we still have that missing link to fund, which I hope

the

new Safe Streets package will. And we have a lot of work to do across the city from South Tacoma to East Tacoma and beyond. But with plans like the mobility plan, plans like the climate plan, I know it's a priority to this city, I just want to continue to see the funding and the safe infrastructure. Because without safe, protected, connected infrastructure, we don't make it possible for people like Leon's daughter to bike. It has to be more than just a protected bike lane in So, front of a

thank you.

Thank you, Sarah. Our next speaker is Cam Solomon, followed by Ansley Zora. Looks like you're both talking about bike month.

Yeah. Mayor and City Council. I appreciate you guys having the proclamation for bike to work month. Tacoma has the potential to be an absolutely world class biking city. You know, it's generally a big, know, safe, flat grid, with exception of sort of around this area, where we, you know, a little bit of hills, just small hills.

But, and I ride everywhere I can in this city. And from my experience, the most work we have to be have to do is around the massive barriers that are I-five and Highway 16. It's almost impossible to cut to get a get from one side or the other safely, whether it's 6th, twelfth, nineteenth, Union, thirty 8th, forty 8th, 65th, 72nd, they're all very dangerous. And I think that's where we should be spending a little bit of money in comparison to what we spend on highways and roads and things like that, to make those crossings, at least some of them, safe so that we can bike everywhere in the city and reconnect it. And yes, so please fix that, and then with that, I'll move us a huge step towards making this a safe and world class city to bike in.

Thank you.

Thank you. Ansley Zorra followed by Chris Eberhardt.

Good afternoon, Mayor Ibsen, members of the council, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Ansley Zorra and I thank you for giving me a moment to share some thoughts as we begin bike month. I first moved to Tacoma in 2014, where I didn't think much about biking and only rode it to a few spots on six through our neighborhood in the summer. But in 2019, I moved to The UK to a town where 30 to 50% of the locals commuted by bike. Eventually, I was able to sell my car and move around the town and region exclusively through bike, bus, and train.

Some moments from that time that stick with me, when I saw an elderly man in our neighborhood who slowly and carefully walked his bike to the path and then took off for his errands confidently and independently, not relying on a car or a driver to get him around. At school pickup seeing all the kids on their bikes happily chatting with their parents alongside them or being transported luxuriously in the front of a cargo bike and groups of kids and teens students and adults so confident and safe in their bikes that they were able to text with both hands while riding which I do not condone but honestly I thought it was cool that they felt safe enough to do it instead of angry drivers passing you in the bike lane you had other cyclists late for class dinging their bell to let you know you were going too slow and causing a cue. I moved back to Tacoma in 2023 with a brand new perspective, determined to be able to move around with dignity without a car like I had. I bought an e bike and explored Tacoma with new eyes. I'm happy to say that there's been a lot of improvements, but we need to connect the existing infrastructure to make it usable.

Because as I say in Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come.

All right. Chris Eberhardt followed by Daisy Goldwong.

CHRIS Hello council mayor. My name is Chris Eberhardt. It's nice to see some familiar faces from past bike with politicians in Hilltop. When was the last time someone said to you to create community in your city, run highways through your neighborhoods? My son calls the four lane roads that cut through Tacoma highways South 38th Street, 56, 72nd, Portland Avenue, etc.

My family lives in Hilltop on 3 sides were penned in by highways that separate us from our family and friends South Sprague South 19th And Yakima Avenue. Most of the time we feel unsafe to bike or walk across because of all the cars so we drive. Please fund policies that remove the highways from Tacoma. Please help make Tacoma safer for bikers and walkers not only those in this chamber but those who pull all their life possessions through Hilltop at 05:00 in the morning. Thank you.

Thank you. Daisy Goldwong followed by Larry Levine.

Hello. So I just have some bullet points, and I'm going to yap for ninety seconds. First, I live in the Southeast corner of the city, so right by 64th Street and Pipeline. I'm really lucky to live next to such great bike infrastructure, but we don't have that everywhere in the city just yet. 64th Street is just really amazing.

I like the narrowed car lanes too, because I've driven on it as well. And and it really doesn't feel good going any faster than 30, which is exactly the point. And the bike lanes are on the correct side of parked cars. I want more bike lanes. I want 64th Street to be finished, to connect to pipeline, which would just be really amazing as well.

And I think we have a unique opportunity in Tacoma with so many streets that are just two lanes, but they're wide enough for four lanes to put in those bike lanes everywhere. I got my bike from the last rebate, and it's been a game changer. The first thing I asked the guy at the store in Tacoma was, can this thing go up Seattle Hills? And he said, yeah, in fact, we got one right outside. Want to try it out? So, yeah, the big city, so many wide roads, so much space to take away from cars and give back to the people. Let's keep at it.

Yes. Thank you so much. Larry Levine, followed by Jennifer Halpherson Keene.

Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Larry Levine. Thank you so much for recognizing bike month with the proclamation. So much of what I wanted to say has already been said, so I will just reiterate my thanks for the proclamation. And we'll be very happy to talk with Councilmember Senthalge about further potential investments in District 4.

As you all know, there is an unused and very viable former railroad line connecting from downtown through the city in the Southeast Side. And I look forward to the time when the city begins its planning, its initial planning work for redeveloping that corridor. Because while it's awesome that we're providing funding for a Vision Zero plan and program, it's very important to have those data based approaches for safety on our roadways. Also, looking for opportunities to provide new, safe, and inviting spaces people who walk, bike, or roll for all ages and abilities is also really important. So thank you once again.

We look forward to seeing you out there riding safely around the city. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Jennifer Halverson Keane followed by Mary Herman.

Good afternoon Mayor Ibsen, Deputy Mayor Bushnell, members of the council. My name is Jen Halverson Keane and thank you for supporting bike month. You may be aware Senate Bill 5,583, I believe has raised the age which drivers that is required to get your license. So we're gonna see more kids putting e bikes on their wish list because they cannot afford drivers ed and they have to wait until they're 25 to get their license if they're not going to take driver's ed. So yes, this is the real thing.

Because an educated young driver is a good driver, more so than if they have not had driver's ed. So it's a good policy, but it is, has its own barriers. We are going to start seeing more kids not getting their license, but that doesn't change the fact that they need to get around. Thank you to all the investments that have made in Tacoma schools in creating bike units and teaching our middle schoolers and our elementary school kids how to ride bikes, get around, rebates, putting e bikes into the hands of the parents. So much has been done in the seventeen years since I've been here in Tacoma to make this a more bike friendly city and with the growth that we are going to experience, I guarantee you we need to continue to make it easier to to bike especially for our young people who are waiting to get their license until much, much later.

Thank you for that. Thank you.

Thank you, Jen. Mary Herman, followed by Casey Gifford.

Everyone. Mary Ibsen, members of the council. Thank you for being here. In 2019, I was hit by a car, sideswiped, thrown into a ditch. And so I know firsthand how vulnerable cyclists are.

Your body is on the line, not your vehicle. I live in the South End Of Hilltop and I have limited access to a car. And I often need to get to the Tacoma Mall area and Allen Moore area for medical appointments multiple times a week, in part for the injuries I suffered from the crash. And I don't feel safe to ride in those areas and the Scott Pearson Trail is a great way to get to Allenmore but it's really narrow and bumpy in that area and I've literally collided with a person who was living on the trail at one time too so room for improvement there. Yet riding still seems to be the most efficient way to get around without a car and public transit is a great option but due to my specific injuries it's actually harder on my body to walk to the bus and from the bus, whereas riding is easier on my back.

It would be great to get more dedicated protected bike infrastructure so that people have a choice on how they get around.

Thank you.

Thank you. All right. Casey Gifford followed by Danny North.

Doctor. Good evening council members and Mayor Ipsen. My name is Casey Gifford and I'm a resident of North Tacoma. Thank you for recognizing bike month. I'm here to ask you to support protected bike lanes, more neighborhood greenways and paths, and safer crossings.

Biking is a critical part of my family's means of transportation. We're a busy family of four and have been able to remain a one car household because we are able bike for many of our local trips and when we combine it with transit for even longer trips. AAA estimates that it costs nearly $1,000 per month to own and operate a vehicle and that's a lot. We are thankful to save over $10,000 a year in transportation costs, thanks to biking being part of our equation. For example, this morning I was able to drop my kids off at daycare and then continue to Tacoma Dome Station to catch a bus to work and then bike here this evening.

I still have their little helmets with me here. Unfortunately, there are many parts of Tacoma that we cannot bike, especially with our kids in tow, because it is far too unsafe. Although you'll find us pedaling around many parts of North Tacoma, you won't find us biking to the new YMCA on Pearl, to the Asia Pacific Cultural Center on South Tacoma Way, or Target and other shopping on Union Ave. The lack of safe places to bike means we have to rely on our car for those trips or forgo those trips altogether. I'm asking you to invest in safe bike infrastructure throughout the county particularly focusing on assets.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Denny North followed by Lawrence Applin.

Good evening. My name is Denny North. I live in District 4. I am here today because I bike to work. I'm asking you to invest more in common sense commuter bike infrastructure in Lower Portland Avenue near the I-five Overpass.

I live in the neighborhood by EQC, which is rated as very poor on the Tacoma equity index map. It is between two hills that make up the McKinley and Salishan neighborhoods. And there is a natural grade that leads right into the Tacoma Dome District, which is a very nice endpoint of many current and future public transit options. Currently, the only safe way to commute to downtown from this underserved community is to ride two miles uphill opposite downtown till you reach the pipeline trail. To go directly to the port from my neighborhood is only point three miles downhill, So much easier.

But you have to battle homeless encampments taking up the dark sidewalk under the overpass, semi trucks, and cars coming up to highway speed. It would remove a significant barrier to community connectivity if there was a safe and direct way to bike from the Port Lower Portland Avenue. It would help the city achieve its climate action plan goals, vision zero goals, and help a historically underserved population of our city. Thank you for encouraging Tecomans to ride our bikes more. Thank you. Lawrence Applin.

Good afternoon, mayor, deputy mayor, and council. I'm here to speak about the bike proclamation. I'm

currently

a senior urban design student at the University of Washington, just down the street. And first, I'd like to thank the city, their engineering and design teams, the road crews for their hard work building and constructing all of the bicycle facilities that we currently enjoy throughout Tacoma. I am asking that we continue investing in and expanding in safe multimodal streets beyond what we currently have. I grew up cycling in Deos, California, and I spent a considerable amount of my youth living in Europe and visiting family. Last summer I had the chance to visit Netherlands and really experience their infrastructure firsthand, and that really only solidified my understanding that we have a lot to gain, lot to improve, and there's a lot of potential here in America.

I recognize that there are a number of political, cultural, and economic issues regarding bicycle lanes, and more recently bike regulation. But the most recent but by the most recent data, just about one fifth of The U. S. Population is actively interested in living a car free lifestyle, and an additional 40% is engaged in, or is interested in exploring the idea. That's about 60% of The U. S. Population. So there's significant latent demand that exists, We're not meeting it currently. Sorry, pardon me. I just put through this together. I just learned about this meeting not long ago. In sum, so that represents 60%. Locally, Portland State University. Sorry, anyway,

I'll see

you guys later.

That's okay. You're welcome to email your comments, too. Thank you for your testimony. All right, we have one more speaker who's signing in virtually, April. And if you can tell us what topic you're speaking to on tonight's agenda, please.

April Smith, District 5 speaking in support of ordinance of updating ordinance title 17. I really appreciate that this proposal recognizes animal welfare, both physical and mental well-being, not just basic survival. That matters more than people realize. I've personally seen what happens when standards are unclear. Animals can be technically alive but still suffering without clear authority for anyone to step in.

That's hard to witness, and it's preventable. By defining adequate care, proper shelter, and humane restraint more clearly, you're giving animal control the tools they need to act consistency consistently and compassionately. This isn't just about animals. It's about the kind of community we choose to be, one that doesn't look away, and one that sets clear, humane expectations. I strongly support this update and hope to see it fully implemented with the resources it needs. Thank you.

Thank you. Our two other virtual speakers are Amber Wyler, followed by Teresa Evans. Amber, which topic are you speaking to tonight?

To the bike proclamation. And to start hi. My name is Amber Wyler. I'm mother to Michael Wyler. Michael was killed riding his bike on S R 7.

I'm asking that you invest more in safe biking infrastructure throughout Tacoma because we need to remember that for teens, this is their primary form of transportation. And we need to keep these users in the in the forefront of our minds when deciding safety plans and road construction. To continue with the work that stems from the city's vision zero, we need to invest in safer infrastructure for bicyclists and slow drivers down and continue to make our crosswalks safer. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Theresa Evans.

Hello, city council mayor. This is Theresa Evans, and I'm speaking about your proclamation for bike month and your literary month proclamations for the bike month. My husband is an avid bike writer and also likes reading. I'm actually sorting books right now. And is and and writes himself.

So I'm grateful for the both of these things. My my son is starting to bicycle much more, that's important to him, and I bike. Mostly there was a young lady who talked about biking because of an injury she had being actually hit by a car when she was on her bike. Yeah, I was hit by a car or a truck. And I bike because that helps me to be able to walk. Still healing, all those things. So thank you for the making things safer for bicycles, and I really enjoy the Scott Pearson Trail and the Pipeline Trail in Tacoma and the extensions in Pierce County. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Appreciate your testimony. With that, there are no further speakers lined up to speak.

If I may. Doctor.

If you may, yes. If you can identify your name and which item on tonight's agenda you're speaking to.

Doctor. Yes, thank you. My name is Dave Chapman. I'm talking about bikes. One of the previous speakers mentioned unused railroad tracks, unused railroad rights of way.

This is an excellent opportunity to provide the kind of connectivity. For example, there is one that runs from McKinley down underneath I-five and meets up with the existing railroad tracks in the lower part of the railroad complex down there. Because this railroad right of way goes under the I-five, I think that it would be very helpful BERRY: to turn it into a bicycle trail. Thank you.

Thank you.

And we have one more speaker signed in, Jason Smerer, virtually. If you can identify the topic you're speaking to, please.

SMIRROR: Hello. To the annexation? There's that for another time.

Jason Yes, I believe that's covered under the public hearing. You're Okay, welcome to comment during that

yes. Thank you, mayor and council members. My name is Jason Smier. Myself and my wife are both teachers and of two adolescent children. I'm a property owner within the proposed annexation area.

-Oh, I'm to interrupt you. The time to talk about that particular topic is actually the public hearing, which is going to be later in the meeting.

Oh, okay. Yeah, I thought I was wondering at the beginning.

All right,

I'll be back.

No problem. Thank you. Of course. All right, with that, we have no one else lined up to speak, so we're going to close public comments and move on to the regular agenda. Moving on to appointments, item number 10. Clerk, please read.

Resolution forty one thousand eight ninety eight, a resolution removing and appointing individuals to the commission on elected salaries.

I move to adopt resolution number forty one thousand eight ninety eight.

Second.

Moving and seconded, I'd like to call on Carrie Louie.

Good evening mayor ipson and members of the city council my name is carrie louie assistant human resources director resolution forty one thousand eight ninety eight will remove and appoint individuals to the commission on elected salaries. The commission on elected salaries is comprised of seven members five of the seven are selected by lot by the Pierce County auditor from registered City Of Tacoma voters one from each of the five city council districts. The remaining two members must be residents of the City Of Tacoma and appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. One shall have experience in human resource management and the second shall have experience in the legal profession. The district number five position on the commission has been deemed forfeited by jessica werick the individual appointed to the position due to unexcused absences.

The Pierce County auditor has selected by lottery don salinas for the District Number 5 position to fill the remainder of the term expiring on 09/30/2027. GALLAS: And I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you, Carrie. Are there any counsel questions? All right. Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting Resolution Number 4100898, please signify by saying aye. Supposed to say nay. Resolution is declared adopted. Item Number 11. Clerk, please read.

CHAIRMAN Resolution 4100899, a resolution appointing individuals to committees that will prepare statements for and against Proposition one, Connect Tacoma Safe Streets and Sidewalks, relating to utility and property tax increases which will appear in the voters' pamphlet for the Tuesday, 08/04/2026, primary election.

I move to adopt resolution number forty one thousand eight ninety nine.

Second. Second. I'd like to call on councilmember Heinz.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. At the 04/21/2026, Government Performance and Finance Committee meeting, the committee reviewed the letters of interest and provided recommendations for the appointment of individuals for the For and Against Committee for Proposition one, Connect Tacoma Safe Streets and Sidewalks. For the For Committee, we appointed Michael Katzie, Nathaniel Lauver, and Loris Wanzarek, who is here this evening. And then for the Against Committee, we proposed to appoint Stephen Cook and Ben Lackie. We're going to be appointing them here officially this evening. You know, thank you to everyone who applied. It's always good when people want to be engaged BERNANKE. With the public process, especially on

our ballot initiatives. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Hines, and to the GTFC Committee as well. Are there any additional council comments or questions? Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting Resolution Number forty one thousand eight ninety nine, please signify by saying aye.

CHAIR

Opposed to say nay. Resolution is declared adopted. I think I see at least one of the appointees. Would you mind standing? Thank you for your service. All right. All right. Moving on to purchase resolutions. Item number 12. Clerk, please read.

Resolution 41900, resolution authorizing an increase to and extending the contract with United Sites Services of Nevada, Inc. In the amount of $1,550,000 budgeted from various funds for portable toilet rental servicing and septic and vault pumping services through 05/31/2027, for a projected contract total of $2,500,000 plus applicable taxes.

I move to adopt Resolution Number 41900.

Second. Movement seconded. Are there any additional counsel questions or comments? Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting Resolution Number 41900, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, say nay. Resolution is declared adopted. Moving on to first reading of ordinances, item number 13. Clerk, please read.

Ordinance 29,104, an ordinance amending title 12 of the municipal code relating to animal control by amending chapters seventeen point zero one and seventeen point zero two to clarify definitions and requirements for the adequate care, humane restraint, and confinements of animals.

I'd like to call on Councilmember Hines.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and I'll keep my remarks brief tonight as I spoke about this proposal at study session last week, and I'll have a chance to speak again at the second reading as well. Just for the public's sake, I'll kind of go over the highlights. This proposal is an important update to Title 17, which is the Animal Control Code. Several community members have approached me with concerns about our current standards for restraining or confining animals, especially in a stationary vehicle.

I worked closely with our Animal Control Officers to examine the current code, and identified several sections that need to be improved. I'll go over a few of the code updates at a very high level here briefly, and can always answer questions later in more detail next week. First, our existing code has very few protections for animals that are kept in a stationary vehicle. I'm recommending we add at least some requirements to better protect the welfare of animals in these circumstances, including no more than four animals can be confined in a stationary motor vehicle at any given time. No animal could be tethered inside a stationary motor vehicle.

There must be evidence of adequate care and open view of the public for any animal confined in a stationary motor vehicle. This includes food, water, and containers that cannot spill in proper shelter. And the animal must have access to at least thirty minutes of time outside the vehicle for every four hours are confined in it. So, the question is, what does that mean for animal control? Are animal control officers being called for these instances already? What this is trying to do is provide some clarity around what are the expectations if you were going to keep an animal for in a vehicle for an extended period of time. Right now, control doesn't the tools to really address this. There's no real guidance in a code. And this is providing a real clarity around that. Second, we need to clarify and strengthen requirements around tethering an animal.

And so, tethering is has a clear definition of the code, but we want be really clear about what you can and can't do. I propose that we include language advanced tethering an animal outdoors while exposed to adverse environmental conditions. Also, I recommend that we update the definition of adverse environmental conditions to include temperatures 32 degrees or below, and 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above, right? So this is leaving an animal outside in the sun or in the freezing cold with no protection, just tethered to something, right? So it's a concern I've heard from residents around animals being tethered outside.

This just provides clarity about when you can and can't do that. There's also a real risk of animals. I think we've seen this in the news of animals being tethered as people are fleeing or in adverse weather conditions. So we want to make sure that's very clear, that you can't just leave an animal outside unprotected for extended periods of time when there's adverse weather. And then finally, along these issues, there's a few other suggested updates around definitions to better meet current humane standards when it comes to animals.

I want to thank our animal control officers, and I think it's animal control officer celebration week this week. I want to thank our animal control officers for all the work they're doing. And on behalf of animals in our city, I'd also like to thank customer Rumbaugh and customer Diaz for co sponsoring this for me. Happy to answer any questions. And again, we'll talk BERNANKE. More at second reading. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Thank you for bringing this forward. Any additional Council comments? Seeing none, ordinance will be sent over for final reading next week. Moving on to public hearings and appeals. Item number 14, this item will have a PowerPoint presentation. Clerk, please read.

This is the date set for a public meeting by the council on the proposed annexation of 10 parcels of land located adjacent to the city in the Fife Heights potential annexation area.

I'd call on Mr. Wesley Rhodes to begin the presentation. Good evening, counsel.

My name is Wesley Rhodes. I'm a senior planner with planning and development services in the comprehensive planning division, and the city has received a notice of intention to commence annexation proceedings for about 10 parcels in the 5 Heights potential annexation area. Next slide please. The city currently has several potential annexation areas. They're the areas shown in orange on the map.

So they are the Dash Point in Browns Point, potential annexation area in the North. The Fife Heights area is the one there on the right where the circle is. And then the one in the lower area is the Parkland Spanaway potential annexation area. Those are the areas that are within the city's urban growth area but are currently within unincorporated Pierce County. This specific so the city received a notice of intention from the Heiberg family to annex 10 parcels in the 5 Heights potential annexation area, and the location is denoted by the circle there on the map.

So you can see that it's immediately adjacent to Council District Number 2 and the Northeast Tacoma Neighborhood Council District. Next slide, please. This is a zoomed in map showing a little more detail of the area proposed to be annexed. Again, it's 10 parcels. It's approximately 40 acres.

The stated purpose for the annexation is to help support residential development in connection to city utilities to support that development. Next slide, thank you. In terms of the regulatory and policy context, starting at the state level and the regional level, both the Growth Management Act and the Puget Sound Regional Council do support annexation of the city's potential annexation areas. At the county level, the county wide planning policies state that PAA should be prioritized for annexation, and within the city itself, within our comprehensive plan, we have goal GS14 stating that the city should annex areas within a urban growth area when conditions are appropriate, And more specifically, policy GS 14.7 encourages expansion in a manner that will benefit both the citizens of Tacoma and the citizens of the area to be annexed. Next slide.

In terms of the initial process that's in front of us right now, so once we receive a notice of intention for annexation proceedings, we have a sixty day clock, which is what we're in right now. What we have to do in that sixty day clock is we have to first pass a resolution, which we passed on April 14, to set a public meeting. We have to hold that public meeting, which is what we're doing tonight on April 28. And following that public meeting, the council may make a motion to accept, reject, or geographically modify that application, and also to indicate whether the annexation will require the assumption of any portion of indebtedness and or the adoption of a comprehensive plan amendment. Next slide.

So happens if we choose, so if a motion is made and you accept that motion that does not accept the annexation, basically what you're saying if you accept the motion is that you are accepting the moving forward with the process of an annexation. So what you're kicking off is approximately a twenty four plus month timeline where annexation is not guaranteed. So you go through a process that is outlined with the major steps on the right. It includes the addition of a petition. So the applicants have to go through an additional process of filing a petition with the, that then gets transmitted to the Pierce County Assessor's Office to evaluate the legal sufficiency.

There's a lot of staff analysis, agreements, public engagement that occurs. It goes through a zoning and land use process to determine what the zoning and land use would be should the area become annexed into the city. There's additional city council processes highlighted in the yellow or gold, which is additional public hearings and also an ordinance to set the the conditions for acceptance, rejection, or modification of the actual annexation itself. And an effective date, it goes through a process with the Pierce County Boundary Review Board. And finally, we would end by a round of notifications in public engagement.

So what we're doing tonight is we're basically stating if we accept the motion that is moving forward with this process to then study the annexation and decide at a later date if we want to annex or not. I just want to be clear about that. Next slide. That's what I have for you tonight. You.

Thank you. Are there any council questions or comments? Councilmember Rumbaugh.

Are we going to do questions later, or can we do them now?

We can do them now prior to public comment.

Is that okay?

Yes. Thank you so much for all this information. Could you just remind me, we have talked before, but could you just remind me, was there another annexation that was proposed at some point in this area?

Not that I'm aware of. There may have been talks about an annexation in the past, but I'm not aware of any. There was an annexation one year ago that's still being processed, and that is actually in the Parkland Spanaway area.

Okay, great. I just thought that there was some question about the size of this, and it had to be a certain shape.

Yeah, so the boundary is drawn in an intentional way. So the boundary review board requires that boundaries be regular, and they basically reject applications if they deem it to have an irregular boundary. And so the reason that the lines are drawn in the way that they are is to create a very regular boundary.

Okay, and then just, you mentioned it, but I just, is there, so there's no idea what the zoning might be beforehand? It's decided later?

Yeah, that goes through a process later. I mean, typically you go through process of looking at what the adjacent zoning is in the city, and so it would be likely that it would be similar to what's adjacent to it, but it does go through a separate process.

Okay, and then one other question. Yeah. Can you just describe what services are part of joining the city of Tacoma if this becomes annexed?

Yeah, so generally you get all of the services available to the general public. So in terms of like police, fire, representation by political bodies such as the city council. What you don't necessarily automatically get is all of the utilities. So, for example, this area is currently on septic. You're not necessarily required to join into city sewer. Generally, there's a process by which only if your septic is failing or you want to join. It's voluntary.

Or based on the development that you might be

choosing Doctor. If it's new development, that's different. I'm talking about New existing. Development, that goes through a process that would have to determine. I'm not sure if it would be required KELLY: to

connect or not, but generally, yes.

Okay. Thank you.

CHRISTOPHER Yeah, absolutely.

CHRISTINE WILLIAMS:

Thank you. Councilmember Palmer.

Thank you for the presentation. So I'm hearing there's more steps, we're going to have another chance to kind of voice our opinions and concerns. In the information that's still forthcoming, are we going to see I don't know what it's called in this universe, but like a cost benefit analysis Yeah, of absolutely. Yeah,

so all of that, because those are all super valid questions that you'd want to know. It's like, what's the impact gonna be? How's this gonna impact police fire? What's the impact to the city's budget? All of those things would happen in the next round. So we're basically just, if we say yes today, we're saying yes, discussion. We want to go ahead and do that analysis. But we don't have that done at this time.

Thank you.

CHAIRMAN Yep.

Thank you. Councilmember Dios.

A similar thought, I guess, or question I have is how much would accepting this motion tonight cost the city, or is that already stuff that's built into the department's work plan?

Yeah, accepting the motion tonight doesn't cost the city any money other than just staff time to facilitate the process of actually doing the study to look into the annexation itself. So it doesn't commit the city to anything. It doesn't actually annex any property. It basically just says, yes, we want to procedurally move forward, and we want to do the studies to understand what the impact would be.

Okay. And then what are the, I don't know, impacts is the right question, but what are the impacts if this motion fails tonight?

That's the prerogative of the city council. Don't know what the impacts. The impacts would be to the applicants who would not get to move forward with annexation.

Could they bring it forward again in the future?

I believe that they could, yes.

One time only? Okay. Thank you. CHAIRMAN All

right. Seeing no counsel further counsel questions or comments, we're going to move on to the public comment. I'd like, at this time, to ask attendees if you want to speak under the public hearing regarding the proposed annexation of 10 parcels of land located adjacent to the city in the Pfeif Heights potential annexation area, please press, if you're attending virtually, the raised hand button near the bottom of your Zoom window or star nine on your phone now so we can see the number of people wishing to testify this evening. If you're speaking in person, please sign up in the back of the room if you have not done so already. Your name or the last four digits of your phone number will be called out when it is your turn to speak.

You will have ninety seconds to make your remarks for the public hearing. Please be mindful of your time frame, and as always, you are not required to use all the time to make your point. So, that, we're going to start with our first and only in person speaker, and that is Randy Heisberg. Please come forward.

Randy Thank you, mayor. Thank you, deputy mayor and counsel for letting us speak. My name is Randy Heisberg. I'm speaking today as a property owner along with my brothers Larry and Chris, and my wife's our wives, Kathy and Kathy, if that isn't confusing. My mother is 97 and not so mobile, but she's still living in the original house.

To give you an idea where this property is located, we're immediately on the bluff above Menke Lumber, and if you've seen that big pellet I mean sawdust pile, we're right above that. I'm hoping that you'll consider this 41,884 as a positive move, because we're planning around 55 homes that are affordable, and I know how important that is, because we're right in that area. But we also have ties that go back to all of us when we were born. We haven't moved. We're all in the same area that's being annexed.

And we've found over the years that the best way to preserve a neighborhood is with single family homes. We certainly have an allegiance to the five school district. We want everything to stay the same and be good stewards of the land. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you for your testimony. All right. And with that, we're moving on to our virtual speakers. And that is Thomas Michaud, followed by Jason Smear. And a reminder that this is only pertaining to the public hearing about the annexation.

Tom?

Hello.

Hello. I

wanna put it on the record right now that I am 100% for this. This is the greatest thing that's happened to 5 Heights in a long time for a lot of reasons. Let's face it. We're all destined. The city of destiny. Right? Well, where's Tacoma gonna get any more than what they're looking at right now? It's real. And I would urge you all to vote yes. I just wanna make sure of one thing.

A good man, long term resident, proud Tacoma citizen, came to his final call by flowers. Unfortunate, the struggle for annexation. It's how you got your map, the original map where my house is included. I would urge you to go ahead and and take a hard look at what Tacoma wants because you should want a little bit more. And we'll be looking at the process as it goes forward, and and this is the future.

Those are my comments.

Thank you, Tom. Our final speaker is mister Jason Smear. Thank you for your patience.

Hi. Thank you, mayor and council. My name is Jason Smear. Myself and my wife are both teachers. I have two adults and children, and we are property owners within the proposed annexation area.

Only one that isn't a Heiberg. Love the Heibergs. I submitted comments earlier today. I'm not part of the development group and am trying to understand how my property is to be included, particularly with the respect to zoning and how sewer related costs may be handled. I'd appreciate clarification on whether in the future, because I appreciate you guys laying some things out there a little bit ago, on whether local improvement districts for lake or a latecomers agreement is being considered, and how properties like mine may be affected, as this has a potentially large impact on our finances.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jason. All with that, those are all the people who've signed in. We're going to close the public hearing portion and move on to the motion before us for consideration.

I do have

a quick question.

Deputy Mayor,

yes, you have a question?

Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Just based on some of the comments I've heard. During the process, Wesley, I know there's going be a cost benefit analysis and things of that nature. Is that also going to be that kind of information, like concerns over potential impacts to property owners, is that going to be made available to members of the annexationary as well?

Yeah, absolutely.

Great. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mayor. I move that the city council accept the property owner's application for the proposed annexation of the 10 parcels located in the 5 Heights potential annexation area with the conditions that a comprehensive plan amendment be adopted

BERNANKE: before

final annexation approval, and the annexation area must assume all or a portion of the city's existing indebtedness. Second. Moved and seconded. Are there any council questions or comments? Seeing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed to saying nay. Motion is declared adopted. Thank you. With that, we're going to move on to unfinished business. Is there any unfinished business? Seeing none, city manager, do you have a report this evening?

Just a quick report. Mayor Ipsen, deputy mayor, members of council, thank you very much for this opportunity. I am happy to report that starting tomorrow, April 29, navigating the Tacoma Municipal Code will be easier for the community and staff, as the code has been converted to a fully web based platform that will make local laws more accessible. Key features include an intuitive search function, quick navigation, easy sharing and saving, and integrated language access, and training materials. My script, Mayor Ibsen, has a call out to our principal staff that have led this program.

But I want to lead with our city clerk, Nicole Emory, who led this effort. Our project team and staff training team, Susan Hague from the city clerk's office, and Maria Theresa Gomez from the city manager's office, thanking them as well, and all of the departments that have worked under the city attorney's office on making this possible today. Small wins, big wins.

Thank you

very much.

Wonderful. Thank you.

Right. Nothing works without the clerks. Okay. Thank you, City Manager. Moving on to comments and committee reports of the City Council, I'd like to call on Chair Diaz from the Economic Development Committee.

Thank you, Mayor. The Economic Development Committee has met twice since our last report out. On April 14, staff from the Workforce Central presented a labor market analysis and briefed the committee on their 2026 priorities and impact. This year's Workforce Central update differed from years past as Katie Conda and her team focused on the Tacoma specific data instead of countywide trends and patterns. Council Member Scott then presented a draft of her council contingency fund request to sponsor a Tacoma film festival film task force which council discussed during today's study session.

EDC met earlier today April 28 and the committee had its first briefing from the World Trade Center Tacoma since 2022. A World Trade Center Tacoma update was particularly timely this year as their work developing international business throughout the region is currently navigating economic disruptions stemming from tariff policies and global conflict. Staff also briefly updated the committee on Ouajamaia's return to Tacoma, summarizing the work CED has done over the past ten years to get to where we are today and what we can expect in the upcoming year as Ouajamaia gets settled back into Tacoma. EDC meets again on May 12 when CED will provide a quarterly update on the department's strategy and high level metrics, and get caught up on the ongoing arts and cultural vitality strategic plan refresh. Mayor, this concludes my report.

Thank you, Chair Diaz. Are there any other council comments? Councilmember Sidalgo.

Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to make some comments about something we did earlier today. So today, Mayor Ibsen, Councilmember Diaz, Councilmember Palmer, and I stood in solidarity with scores of community leaders and Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown in front of the Northwest Immigration Processing Center as they announced legal action against the GEO Group the private company that owns and operates it. Unfortunately litigation against GEO Group is not new. This action asked the court to order the GEO Group to allow inspectors from the state Department of Health into the immigration detention facility to ensure it is respecting court orders and follow state law and to investigate the more than 3,500 complaints about detainees about conditions in the facility.

As a background, in 2023, Washington State passed House Bill fourteen seventy setting basic health and safety standards for private detention facilities and allowing the State Department of Health to conduct unannounced health and safety inspections to these facilities. GEO Group has been attempting to defy this law ever since. Initially, a federal judge blocked many of the provisions of this law from taking effect. But in August 2025, the Ninth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that blocked House Bill fourteen seventy and its amended House Bill twelve thirty two from taking effect. And in 2026, it issued a order that formally lifted that injunction.

That order meant that GEO Group, like all private detention facilities, was now subject to Washington's health and safety standards and DOH was allowed to inspect GEO's Tacoma facility. However, in defiance of that, GEO Group continued to refuse inspectors to access the facility, recently on April 20. For me personally, it is ridiculous that the state must sue to try to force GEO Group to respect a clear court decision. I and I believe the rest of the council agree with Nick Brown who said, and I quote, the fact that GEO Group resists basic health and safety inspection and refuses to follow the law should trouble all Washingtonians. GEO Group is not above the law.

They must allow health inspectors to inspect the Tacoma facility, end quote. Lastly, I also want to recognize that we sit on a council that has been concerned about this issue for well over a decade. From former mayor Marilyn Strickland, and I believe you, mayor, when you were a council member, to various other council members, we have been working hard to try to regulate this. And it's also shown itself by unanimous decisions, both in every year that I've been a council member, around reaffirming the rights of immigrants and refugees. But today, I also recognize the work of my colleague, Councilmember Walker, who's done a lot of this really from the start of her tenure.

And I know this because when I was new and appointed here, I got a lot of questions about the Northwest Immigration Processing Center. And she really sat down and shared a lot of the information that the council's been working on, that she herself had worked on at the state level, and quite frankly, me at an early stage in my life as an elected official where I felt a little helpless. So it is because of elected officials like Councilmember Walker, the rest of us, and community leaders that we are here where we are. And I just wanted to say thank you.

Yes, thank you for your leadership on these issues. Councilmember Sidalgo, Deputy Mayor?

I'll wait for

Councilmember Walker. Okay, Councilmember Walker.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Sidalgo, for all of that background and the compliments. I wanted to give a really quick update on Sound Transit, as I know it's a topic that everyone's been tracking closely, and this body sent a letter to Sound Transit regarding our enterprise initiative. We, Sound Transit Board members, did a town hall yesterday in Pierce County. We had over 200 people there. It was a great event. Thank you to Tacoma on the Go and Transportation Choices Coalition. Great discussion about the possibilities and how we're addressing the issues. Happy to share that with folks. We don't think it was recorded, so I can't direct you to that, but did want to give a shout out to the folks that organized that at UWT.

But the big news that I want to make sure everyone knows is that we're beginning a proposal on May 7 at our executive committee, and then we'll have something to react to. So I will be bringing that to the council so that you all know. But a big thanks to all of our partner jurisdictions. Of course, Pierce County, but also every jurisdiction along the line has sent a letter to Sound Transit to say, Get Tacoma Dome link extension to Tacoma. So very exciting.

And then unrelated, but maybe even more exciting at the moment, is we approved on Thursday at our board meeting the Tacoma Dome access improvements. And this is $23,000,000 that will be invested in Tacoma now. There's still some work that has to be done around the contract signing, and staff is working that through, so we'll do a big press release and release of all of this when that happens. But you all saw the draft project list when Sound Transit came to study session, and very excited to be able to bring those improvements. It's no small investment, dollars 23,000,000 in the Tacoma Dome area.

And those investments can start now. We don't have to wait for light rail. And they are all designed to be light rail ready as soon as light rail does get here. So very exciting progress forward BERNANKE. At Sound Transit.

You. Councilmember Walker, Deputy Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to two things. First, just super kudos to the clerk's office and everybody for the herculean effort. I know digitizing and getting all that online is not no easy task. It might seem simple, but it also, I think, it's gonna pay some significant dividends, for for the members of our community.

And, you know, it's it's it's 2026, but these things, you know, are just it's so monumental that to have everything online and easily searchable. So just really kudos to that. And then just secondarily, we're at the April, and, for the Cambodian community, this was our Cambodian New Year's, Khmer New Year's, but also for our Thai, Laos, and other Southeast Asian communities. I just wanted to say that there were events up and down the Puget Sound, and I saw many of you at those events, as well as others around the community. And just on behalf of the Cambodian community generally, and members of the public that attended those events, We see it, we appreciate it, and just thank you so much for showing up to those things.

The visibility is so important to us. And, you know, we had an opportunity to do the Cambodian Genocide Proclamation here earlier on this month, and it's just, a lot of the young people I've talked to just really it's been really impactful, and so I just wanted to didn't want to leave April without just mentioning that, and just really thanking everybody in the community for all the support for our Cambodian community, as well as our other Southeast Asian members of our community. Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Any other council comments? All right. Seeing none, is there a motion to adjourn?

Move to adjourn.

Second. CHAIRMAN Moved and seconded. All those in favor, say aye. CHAIRMAN Opposed to say no, we are adjourned. Good night.