Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon. I'd like to call to order the Pierce County Council. Today is August 18th, 2026. The time is 3 p.m. If the clerk could please call the roll.

Council Member Morrell. Excused. Council Member Herrera.

Here.

Council Member Kruever. Here. Council Member Ayala. Here. Council Member Iombe.

Here.

Council Member Denson. Here. Council Member Hitchen. Here. You have six members present.

With six members we do have a quorum. Thank you all for joining us both in person or online. In a moment here I'm going to ask Council Member Ayala to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and read a land acknowledgement following the pledge I'll ask that you remain standing for a moment of silence in honor of the men and women serving overseas in our military. If you can stand, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Followed by a line.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish tribes. Coast Salish people have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial and continue to do so today. We recognize that this land acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship, and we commit to uplifting the voices, experiences, and histories of the Indigenous people of this land.

Thank you. We are now at Section 5, which is our consent agenda, which today, or no, actually, I skipped one. Word approval of the agenda. Are there any objections to the agenda as it's been presented? Seeing none, we'll consider the agenda approved. We're now just gonna remind you a little bit about public comment. On today's council agenda, there'll be multiple opportunities for public comment. During the consent agenda, you may provide comments on any final action item. This does not include the items that are on the consent agenda for introduction and scheduling. And then during Section 9 of the agenda, we'll take public comment on each ordinance individually. And then finally, under community forum, there'll be an opportunity to address the council on any topic that was not up for final consideration. Pursuant to state law, Pierce County Council may not accept public comment during this meeting that supports or... a candidate or ballot measure. This includes proposed charter amendments, statewide initiatives, referendums, levies, bonds, or any other measure appearing on an elections ballot. For more information on the rules of public participation, please review the bottom of the first page of the agenda. Now we're at the consent agenda, and on today's consent agenda, we have one set of minutes, four final resolutions related to the service on boards and commissions, two grant applications, and two motions to approve cost changes for the Planning and Public Works projects pursuant to Ordinance O2025-5623S. Does anyone wish for something to come off the consent agenda before I look for a motion? Seeing none, Vice Chair, for a motion?

Chair, I move to approve the consent agenda as presented.

Second.

been moved and seconded and before we open it up for general public comment i do want to make space if anyone is here because they are being appointed to a border commission i believe i saw matt wakefield online so if we want to if you are online because you are being appointed to a border commission if you want to raise your hand and then is there anyone in the room that's being appointed to a border commission So we do have some guests today. Well, Matt, thank you for saying yes to be part of the Pierce County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. If you'd like to introduce yourself, we'd love to just hear a little bit about you and why you want to serve.

Absolutely. My name is Matt Wakefield. I'm the chief marketing officer of Visit Tacoma Pierce County, the destination marketing organization for all of Pierce County. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to serve here. What I do every day is to bring visitors to town to get to the county, get them to spend a bunch of money, then leave, and then come back again, hopefully. I take the responsibility very seriously in investing public dollars to make this happen. And so again, just thank you very much for the appointment to this position.

Thank you so much for saying yes. So just checking, I don't have anyone named Nick Neville, Benjamin Neal, Michael Neeson, Michael Kula, or Ulysses de la Torre.

Okay.

not seeing anyone else, we're gonna go ahead and open this up for public comment. If you'd like to provide comment on the consent agenda, please come to the podium or Ms. Price will tell you how to engage online.

If you'd like to provide comment on the consent agenda, you can press the raise hand icon on Zoom or star nine on your telephone keypad.

I'm not seeing any hands at this time. With no hands raised, I'm going to close public comment, bring it back to the council. Is there any further discussion on this item? Seeing none, can I get the clerk to, oh, sorry, Council Member Krueger, I was turning on your mic for the roll call.

Thank you, thank you, Manager. I just wanted to say how important Nick and Matt are to the lodging tax. Their information and their knowledge is very helpful. The expertise brings a lot of ideas to the group, and I'm just very glad that they chose to re-up their membership. Thank you so much.

Thank you. And thank you for serving as the leader of that group. Okay, so now I'm going to ask the clerk to call the roll on the approval of the consent agenda as presented.

Councilmember Denson? Aye. Councilmember Herrera?

Aye.

Councilmember Kruver? Aye. Councilmember Ayala? Aye. Councilmember Iombe? Aye. Councilmember Hitchen? Aye. You have six ayes, zero nays.

With six ayes, zero nays, the motion is adopted. Thank you. That brings us to section six, which is messages from the executive. We received five different items from the executive that were all approved and signed on August 6th, 2026. First was ordinance number O2026-535, which was repealing the notice of funding availability process. Second one was ordinance O2026-536, which was a non-exclusive franchise agreement with Fat Beam LLC. The following one is ordinance O2026-537, which was another non-exclusive franchise agreement with Ziply Fiber Pacific LLC. And another franchise agreement under Ordinance O2026-538, which was NFC Northwest LLC. And the last one was not a franchise agreement, so Ordinance O2026-546, which is wage adjustments to nonrepresented employees in the Office of Pierce County Council. We also have no proclamations or resolutions today. So we will go to ordinances. We now have proposal O2026-543 before us. Council Member Krueger for a motion.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to move O2026-543 for approval.

It's been moved and seconded. Can the clerk please read it into the record? Proposal number O2026-543, an ordinance of the Pierce County Council granting a non-exclusive franchise to Citizens Water Association for location of water lines on certain county-owned rights-of-way and authorizing the county executive to execute said franchise. Thank you.

And Mr. Tom Swanson, one of our policy analysts, is here to tell us what this does.

Thank you, Chair Hitchen. Before the council, this afternoon is a proposal that would authorize the executive to execute a 15-year franchise agreement with the Citizens Water Association, allowing for the construction operation maintenance of a water pipeline system in the county's right-of-way. Citizens Water operates a Group A water system in District 3 in the unincorporated area of Pierce County. It is near Alder Lake in the Eatonville area. It serves an estimated 60 residential customers on 34 approved connections. As a group A water system, this application has been reviewed under the coordinated water system plan by PPW staff. It has been found to be compliant with, to be consistent with that plan. The county engineer also did review the application and does recommend the granting of the franchise. The $2,500 application fee has been paid by the applicant and has been received by the county. The public hearing was held in the Rules Committee on August 3rd related to this proposal, where it was forwarded with a do-pass recommendation. With that, Madam Chair, Council staff, and I believe on the Co-Planning and Public Works staff, are available to answer any questions.

Thank you. Are there any questions from Council members? not seeing any so i am going to open this up for public comment uh if anyone in the chambers would like to provide comment on o2026-543 please come to the podium not seeing anyone come to the podium so miss price will go online for any member of the public that would like to provide comment on proposal number o2026-543 you can press the raise hand icon and zoom or star 9 on your telephone keypad

Not seeing any hands at this time, Madam Chair.

With no hands raised, we'll close public comment, bring it back to the council. Is there any further discussion on this one? Seeing none, I'd like to ask the clerk to call the roll on the approval of O2026-543.

Council Member Yambe.

Aye.

Council Member Denson. Aye. Council Member Herrera.

Aye.

Council Member Kruver. Aye. Council Member Ayala. Aye. Council Member Hitchen. Aye. You have six ayes, zero nays.

With six ayes and zero nays, the motion is adopted. Thank you. That brings us to item number two, which is ordinance O2026-544. Council Member Kruver for a motion.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to move O2026-544 for approval.

It's been moved and seconded. Can the clerk please read it into the record? Proposal number O2026-544, an ordinance of the Pierce County Council vacating portions of 174th Street East, Gold Street, and East D Street, Spanaway Boulevard, all in the plat of Sunnydale Addition in the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 28, Township 19 North, Range 3 East of the Willamette Meridian, Pierce County, Washington.

thank you and to help us understand what all of that means mr swanson is here to brief us thank you again madam chair again this proposal is in response to a request from the spanway from spanway mutual water to vacate undeveloped portions of 174th street east also known as gold street and a portion of East D Street, also known as Spanaway Boulevard. A map and an aerial view are provided in the staff report on that technical description you heard read with the title. It shows that area. The intersection on the lower left corner of that aerial view is 176th and Pacific Avenue. That kind of gives you a reference point for where we're talking about in the county here. The county engineer did review this application and determined, one, that the right-of-way segment in question is no longer needed for the county's roadway system, and two, it is in the best interest of the public to grant the proposed vacation. Further, Planning and Public Works staff reviewed these two segments of right-of-way and determined that both are type NE rights-of-way, meaning the properties are not tax title and there is no credible evidence existing that public monies have been expended on these right-of-ways in either the acquisition or the maintenance thereof. Thus, the payment of the appraised value for those properties by the applicant is not required. What is required is the $1,500 application fee that has been paid by the applicant and been processed. A public hearing on this proposal was also held in rules. That was on July 28th, where this proposal was forwarded to council with a two-pass recommendation. And again, we have council staff here in chambers, myself, and we do have, I believe, planning and public works staff available on the call to answer any members' questions.

thank you appreciate that are there also no sir we do we do have a representative from the applicant in the audience perfect thank you i'm going to assume they may have some comments during public comments so but we'll start with any questions are there questions from any of my colleagues related to this item not seeing any, so I'm gonna go ahead and open this up for public comment. I know we have one person that signed in, but if anyone would like to address the Council on Ordinance 2026-544, please come to the podium. And Mr. Rossman or Roseman, I'm not sure, you signed in. If you'd like to go first, you have up to three minutes.

Yes, Roseman.

Roseman.

So yes, my name's Gomer Roseman. I'm with Habitat for Humanity. I'm the Real Estate Development Manager. and we watched the video of the the committee meeting on this there was a lot of unanswered questions so i thought i would come and be in the room in case there were questions and otherwise habitat would just like to express our appreciation for this um assuming this has passed this street vacation will enable us to construct two more units of affordable housing so um it's it'll be a great addition nice little fill-in project and kind It'll be homes for two people that are very deserving. So I'm in the room with my colleague, Joan Akinchi. If there are any questions, we're happy to answer them. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. Anyone else have comments on this item? Please state your name if you'd like it on the record.

Good afternoon. My name is Matthew Sweeney. I'm an attorney on behalf of Spanaway Water Company. I was the proponent for this when Spanaway contacted me and asked if it would be plausible to vacate this portion of unopened right-of-way. I investigated the matter, ran it up the flagpole with Pat Turco, who is very helpful in public works, and we're here today to ask for the vacation to go through. This also vindicates and validates Spanaway Water Company's anti-age discrimination policy because they hired me to come here. And I was just down at the Department of Licensing. They won't even renew my license online now. I have to go in person so they can pinch me to make sure I'm still going. I assume there's no questions or problems, but I appreciate your attention.

Thank you for the lightheartedness and for the work. No one else in chambers is jumping up to say anything. So Ms. Price, let's just check online.

For anyone online that would like to provide comma on proposal number 02026-544, you can press the raise hand icon in Zoom or star nine on your telephone keypad.

I'm not seeing any hands at this time. No other hands raised. I'm gonna close public comment, bring it back before the council. Is there any further discussion on this item? So I will just say gratitude to the department staff and for Habitat for Humanity and the people that figured out a way to do this. We know that some of these infill projects are really an interesting and creative and logical way to fill in. And instead of leaving land that is of no use off on its own, unattended potentially a nuisance depending on what's happening we're going to put affordable housing on it which i think is a fabulous idea so thank you councilmember krueger for sponsoring this and thank you to the partners that is that are working to make this happen i'm going to ask the clerk to call the roll on the approval of o2026-544 i'm going to turn on some mics there we go

Council Member Ayala. Aye. Council Member Yambe.

Aye.

Council Member Denson. Aye. Council Member Herrera.

Aye.

Council Member Kruver. Aye. Council Member Hitchen. Aye.

You have six ayes, zero nays. The six ayes and zero nays, the motion is adopted, so congratulations. I know there's probably more paperwork coming your way. We are now at community forum. Community forum is an opportunity for members of the public to address the council on any topic of significance to or affecting Pierce County government that did not appear on the agenda for final action this afternoon. There is a three minute limit. Please state your name if you'd like it on the record and address all comments to the chair. There are no longer any members of the public in chambers, so we will go online, Ms. Price.

For anyone on Zoom who would like to participate in the community forum, you can press the raise hand icon in Zoom by pressing star nine on your telephone keypad. And first we have HP.

Hello, I'm Jerry Hood.

I sure hope this is working.

We can hear you, Mr. Hurd. Good.

I wanted to bring the attention for a safety issue where Military Road meets 38 next to the Natchez Trail cross park. It's an intersection that's a Y. Since I live out there, I noticed that the issue is coming down the hill, you cannot see traffic at a good distance that's headed in a westerly direction um if okay i live there so i slow down a lot if not come to a stop before i make a left in front of what would be the traffic but in the past somebody has gone in and cut down some of the shrubbery so the visibility was open and i'm hoping that uh whoever would be responsible for that in the department would go out there and look at it and move the shrubbery back because it's grown up again. Thank you very much.

Thank you Mr. Hurd and the Planning and Public Works Director was in the audience when you said that so we'll make a point of passing it along.

And next you have Andra Lynn.

Good afternoon council members. My name is Angelina scared out. And I'm from Pierce County district number 2, so we're walking and driving through our personal neighborhoods and I've noticed that structures of our water systems in help. There's a safety concern due to the sets of amounts of limestone. Russ and other visible corrosion from where our water runs and exits into our faucets to shower and drink. I think that there needs to be a bit more proactive action and taking into account all of the visible destruction that's basically going into our body systems um i know that there has been some cleanup to where there has been construction so some areas have been have been corrected as in had to be rebuilt but i'm wondering if there may be a possible quicker solution to where we can be able to at least touch one time each area for not just cleanup, but also a check in our system to make sure that we're not having to ingest all of those chemicals on a daily basis and that there's visible improvements for us to be able to continue forth on our bigger project of having to figure out what damages have been to our water system, like underground or elsewhere. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments.

There are no other hands at this time.

With no other hands, I'm going to close community forum, bring it back before the council. Is there any other business from any of my colleagues? Seeing no other business or announcements today, we are adjourned. Thank you, everybody.