City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I call the Auburn City Council meeting for August 3rd, 2026 to order. And we will begin with a land acknowledgement. We would like to acknowledge the federally recognized Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the ancestral keepers of the land we are gathered on today. We thank them for their immense contributions to our state and local history, culture, economy, and identity as Washingtonians. Tonight's meeting will be held both in person and virtually. If you would all please rise and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to

All right, tonight we do have one mayor's proclamation, so I'm going to go over to the podium. The mission areas of prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery align with the core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal. Whereas City of Auburn Emergency Management, emergency managers across King and Pierce counties, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, community partners, the Washington State Emergency Management Department, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency dedicate countless hours to developing preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation programs to p

Oops, turn that on. First, at the last city council meeting, council voted down a motion to have the city create a request for proposal for a third party audit to the flock camera system or automated license plate readers that we have within Auburn's purview. Since that meeting, I have spoken with our council members about my concern and hope that we could come to a better resolution. I'm happy to share that they are in agreement with that from both sides of the voting that evening. And since that time, we have been actively engaged with the state auditor's office about having them perform the

Councilmember Amher. I second. Thank you. Deputy Mayor Taylor.

Council, any questions or comments? All those in favor to approve the reappointments of Fia Chia, Michaela Pedraia, Rowan Santos to the Auburn Junior City Council for a one-year term expiring August 31, 2027. Please say aye.

Sean, do we have any agenda modifications this evening? We will now move to public comment. This is the place on the agenda where the public is invited to speak to the City Council on any issue.

All right. So the public can participate in person or submit written comments in advance. Did we receive any written comments?

And there is no one online, I take it? No, Your Honor. All right. We will move to in-person comments. Has everyone that wants to provide comment signed in this evening? Yes? Okay. Typically, if there is a long list, I do use that to call them off. I did not do that two weeks ago, but we will do that this evening. So I hope you all wrote legibly. Did somebody already raise their hand and say they didn't? You didn't write legibly. Oh, you didn't, okay. We'll just have you come up at the end. First is Mr. Ken Blevins.

Jay Wright and I didn't say it but your name and city of residence for the record and please limit comments to three minutes and thank you Mr. Blevins for doing all of those.

Thank you. And I'll write your name down when you say it.

Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to speak tonight that didn't get a chance to sign in? Anyone else want to speak this evening? All right. We are going to close public comment. and we are going to uh council is going to adjourn into an executive session per rcw 42.30.110 sub 1 sub i sub 2i to discuss with legal counsel representing the agency litigation or potential litigation to which the agency is or is likely to become a party when public knowledge regarding discussions is likely to result in adverse legal or financial consequence to the agency. The length of time for the exec

All right, we will call the Auburn City Council meeting back to order. Sean, do we have any correspondence this evening? No, Your Honor. All right, we'll move to the consent agenda. All matters listed on the consent agenda are considered by the City Council to be routine and will be enacted by one motion in the form listed. Is there a motion? Deputy Mayor Taylor. I move to approve the consent agenda, Mayor. Thank you. Is there a second? Council Member Ammer. I second, Mayor. Thank you, Deputy Mayor Taylor.

Thank you. Questions or comments or any items on the consent agenda that you would like removed for separate consideration? All those in favor of the consent agenda, please say aye. All opposed, please say no. The consent agenda passes. Moving to ordinances. Ordinance number 7029, an ordinance relating to electric motorcycles and electric electric assisted bicycles amending section 10.56.010 of the Auburn City Code and adding a new chapter 10.57 to the Auburn City Code. Is there a motion to approve? Councilmember Amor.

I make a motion to approve ordinance number 172970. Thank you. Is there a second?

This ordinance update came because we are responding to concern raised by public. Council asked staff to review recent state update, and we had a meeting in July 13. This update, which will be allowed City of Auburn, update Auburn, City code to address electrical motor cycle, electrical assistant bio cycle. It's add clear rules for their operation within the city and provide enforcement authority for Auburn Police Department to help improve public safety.

Thank you. Questions or comments? All those in favor of ordinance number 7029 please say aye. Aye. All opposed please say no. Ordinance number 7029 passes. Moving to resolutions. Excuse me. Resolution number 5910, a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute on behalf of the city a lease termination agreement followed by a new lease agreement with Longhorn Barbecue Outpost, Inc., doing business as Bogey's Public House. Is there a motion? Councilmember Sturgis.

Thank you, Mayor. Motion for council to adopt resolution number 5910. Thank you. Is there a second? Councilmember Ammer. I second. Thank you, Mayor. Adopting resolution number 5910 will have us take this lease and replace the existing concessionaire agreement for Bogies Public House at the Auburn Municipal Golf Course. The new lease provides a more organized and comprehensive framework that better defines the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of both the city and the tenant. And... Yep, that's it.

Thank you. Questions or comments? All those in favor of Resolution 5910, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, please say no. Resolution number 5910 passes. Resolution number 5924, a resolution adopting supplement number one to the City of Auburn's automated traffic safety camera 2025 program expansion study and program overview and affirming that enforcing speed limits with an automated traffic safety camera on Auburn Way South at the current location is consistent with state law and supports city safety goals. Is there a motion to approve? Councilmember Sturgis.

Thank you, Mayor. Motion for the council to adopt resolution number 5924. Thank you. Is there a second? Councilmember Taylor.

Thank you, Mayor. I second. Thank you. Councilmember Sturgis.

Thank you, Mayor. This resolution adopts a supplement to the city's original study that specifically evaluates potential impacts of the speed camera on Auburn Way South to the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and confirms that the current camera location meets state requirements and supports city safety goals. Thank you. Questions or comments from council?

All those in favor? Council Member Baldwin.

Thank you, Mayor. As noted on the agenda page of this particular resolution, the final paragraph indicates the following, the adoption of this supplement number one to the study. The city will move the Auburn Way South Camera from issuing warnings to issuing infractions as the minimum 30 warning period required by statute has been met. Can you provide an update for council around what the expectation would be for activating cameras?

If passed. Go ahead, Director Gow. Yeah.

Any other questions or comments? All those in, Council Member Baldwin.

Thank you, Mayor. One of the things I wanted to check on with this is in our partnership with the Muckleshoot Tribe, what would our plan be after activation of the cameras for working with the tribe to review the data for how our safety numbers are affected and for the number of people that would be receiving citations?

Thank you, Director Gaub. I just wanted to make sure that we were all in alignment that that continued opportunity would be there for additional conversation going forward and making sure that our data is shared so we can work together to have safety in that corridor. Thank you.

Any other questions or comments? All those in favor of resolution number 5924, please say aye. Aye.

All right. The motion carries. Resolution number 5924 passes. All right. We have come to the end of the business portion of the meeting. We now move to Mayor and Council Member reports. At this time, the Mayor and City Council may report on significant items associated with their appointed positions on federal, state, regional, and local organizations. And we will begin with Deputy Mayor Taylor.

So thank you Thank You councilmember hammer

July 22nd, I attend the Forensic Investigation Council meeting, two hour. I don't know why all my meeting usually two, three hours. So in the meeting, we review grant funding requests where we had to make decision where the funding need to go between sending staff for training or increase the evidence get. I learned that take around 18 month to train and certified firearms lab examiner. I was shocked. It takes 18 months. So one of the proposal I ask why not the state will have overall class, like the police, to certify them. July 30th, I attend Fairfax Station Grand Break, the 38th and Pacific

Thank you, Mayor. Last week I had the opportunity to, I was super honored to be invited by a local nonprofit, the Washington Ethnic Studies Now in the Seattle area to serve as a guest speaker at their first annual Youth Power Lab. It was a summer camp program for high school age students. middle school and high school. And I got to spend time with about 15 to 20 young folks from across the region. There was a couple students all the way from Thurston County there in Beacon Hill. And each of these young people signed up because they were seeking an opportunity to be uncomfortable and step out o

Thank you, Mayor. Last week I had an opportunity to attend the Senior Center's Volunteer Award Banquet along with Council Member Rakes and Baldwin, and it was a lot of fun. First time I had been to one, and it was great to be able to see a lot of the folks that make – things happen behind the scenes that a lot of times don't get the recognition or the thank you. And so to publicly thank those folks and celebrate with them was awesome. And I look forward to attending again next year.

Yeah, I'm not going to talk about the past. I want to talk about tomorrow, which is National Night Out. And I just want to remind everybody in their communities to go out and meet your neighbors and have a discussion and build relationships. And that's really the first step in making the community safer is on the ground level at all your places, your houses, your businesses. And so take the opportunity that we all get tomorrow night and meet your neighbors.

Thank you, Mayor. As noted by Councilmember Taylor, on the 24th, I had attended the Senior Center Volunteer Awards. which was great to see. I had an attendee at my table. We were joking that our table represented the KP duty, or kitchen patrol, because it was a lot of folks that help out doing dishes, cleaning dishes, clearing tables, and making sure that folks are taken care of. But we had someone who had over a decade worth of volunteering that they had done within our community, which was very impressive. In addition to that, I had a meeting with Ms. McNeil of the Gold Star Families of Wash

I won't go on too much about the volunteer lunch, but it was a great time. It's been my fourth year going. So I will continue to always go to those. On Friday night, I attended up at Muckleshoot the Welcoming the Canoes Back. And this year was very special since they had a couple of news that overturned this year. And thank goodness nobody was hurt. And so each tribe gets together, when they come back on the canoes, each tribe hosts something at their city. And Friday night was at Auburn. So there was a lot of people, a lot of people, and just had fun watching the kids and the dancing and the

So as an update for. The fires in Spokane Deputy Mayor just showed me and I just got the news too that they have determined that those fires were intentionally set and they have arrested an arson suspect, but wanted to say thank you to Valley Regional Fire Authority. Valley professional firefighters. We have 14 members of. VIRFA who are over in Spokane right now. But Chief Day assured the mayors that however we maintain full capability and staffing reserves to handle anything unusual within the VRFA service area. So we typically in the Valley Regional Fire Authority do deploy firefighters to m