City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you all for being here. Appreciate everybody coming out this evening. Would you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

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

Thank you. Will the city clerk please call the roll?

Deputy Mayor Johnson? Present. Councilmember King? Present. Councilmember Gilliam?

Present.

Councilmember Casima? Present. Councilmember Smolko?

Present.

Councilmember Adler?

Present.

Mayor Whitting?

Present. We'd like to take a moment at the start of our meetings to recognize young people that attend our meetings. We see them as being our next generation of city council members. Hopefully you get it in your blood and you want to come back and sit up here in the future. So thank you for being here and I suspect some of you will want to address us a little later in the meetings. I look forward to it. Moving on to the agenda, do I have a motion to approve our agenda?

Motion to approve.

Second. All those in favor? Aye. Motion passes. Presentations and proclamations. Item 2A on our agenda is a proclamation honoring one of our past council members. This is in memory and honor of our former former council member Robin Ferris. Whereas the city of Puyallup mourns the passing of former city council member Robin Ferris, who passed away on August 27, 2026, and joins her family, friends, colleagues, and community in remembering a life defined by service, leadership, and dedication to others. And whereas Robin was raised in Puyallup and was a proud graduate of Puyallup High School, maintaining a deep connection to her hometown throughout her life, and whereas following high school, Robin answered the call to serve her country by joining the United States Navy, beginning a distinguished military career that would span 20 years, and whereas during her naval career, Robin proudly became one of the first female naval officers to serve aboard the USS Blue Ridge at its home port in Japan, and after two decades of honorable service, retired at the rank of lieutenant commander. And whereas Robin continued her commitment to public service here in Puyallup, Robin worked on behalf of Puyallup residents and brought to her role the leadership, commitment, and sense of duty that characterized her lifetime of service and served for eight years on the Puyallup City Council and representing the residents of District 1 with dedication and genuine love for her community. And whereas Robin was especially proud of Team Puyallup and frequently expressed both during and after her service on the City Council, her admiration and appreciation for the city employees who serve the Puyallup community each day. And whereas Robin's legacy is one of service to her country, to her hometown, and to her fellow residents, and her contributions to Puyallup will be remembered with gratitude and respect. And whereas the city of Puyallup extends its deepest condolences to Robin's family and loved ones and honors the lasting impact she made on the community she was so proud to call home, Now therefore, I, Ned Whitting, Mayor of the City of Puyallup, Washington, on behalf of the Puyallup City Council and the entire Puyallup community, do hereby recognize and honor the life and public service of Lieutenant Commander Robert Ferris, United States Navy, and express our profound gratitude for her decades of service to her country and her community. May her dedication to service, her love for Puyallup, and her pride in Team Puyallup serve as an enduring legacy and inspiration to us all. Rest in peace, Lieutenant Commander Farris. In witness whereof, I have heretofore set my hand and caused the seal of the city of Puyallup to be affixed this 15th day of September, 2026. And I would like to invite forward those that knew robin particularly those that served with robin on our city council we have a number of former council members and former mayors former mayor john palmer former mayor julie doerr former mayor john hopkins former council member heather shadko and tom swanson former Councilmember Tom Swanson as well. So I would like to invite them forward. I see a hand raised by Councilmember Adler. Would you like to?

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, for some reason, Councilmember Adler and I have switched identities.

I actually, I think for a moment, all of the buttons were saying that you all are Councilmember Adler.

So we got it corrected now. Mr. Mayor, I would like a point of privilege after you've acknowledged everyone, please.

I have finished my acknowledgments. Go ahead, Councilmember Castamante.

Oh, thank you. If anyone else would like to speak, I would like to say a few words. Last week, I talked in my personal comments about former Councilmember Robin Ferris. And I wanted to make some comments tonight because she requested that I make them. And I want to live up to that promise. Before Robin Farris passed away, she asked me to share a story with the public. And I think, as many of you know, that Robin and I agreed on a lot of things. And we disagreed on a lot of things. But we were colleagues, our family. She was very close to my family. But she wanted me to share a story that I had never heard before. But it explains why we were both such advocates, actually, of the Meeker Mansion, which I often refer to as the Diamond of Puyallup. Robin and I were both children in the 1960s when the mansion was slated to be torn down and the land turned into a parking lot. Over the years, the mansion had become rundown, being used as a nursing home. And I remember when it was painted entirely in gray. I didn't even know Ezra Meeker had once lived there when I was a kid. It required tremendous upkeep. And you'll see in Robin's words her connection to this period in time. And these are her words. My grandpa was my guiding star. We adored each other. Before the current MultiCare parking lot, there was a bulb processing plant with loading docks across 4th Street Southeast in front of the building. My grandpa lived at 123 4th Street. He died in a horrible car accident on River Road in 1969. It was at this time the person who owned the land under the Meeker Mansion wanted to sell the property for parking and offered the structure to the Meeker Historical Society if they could find a suitable property to move the mansion to. They didn't have the money, and resolved the Meeker Mansion would be torn down. When my mom and uncles were selling my grandpa's property, someone inquired about buying that property. vacating the road and putting a parking lot where it currently resides. In a twist of fate, the sale of Robin's grandpa's property freed up the land under the mansion so it wouldn't be a parking lot. And in a small way, Robin believed the mansion would not exist today if it had not been for the sale of her grandpa's property. The mansion, she said, constantly reminded her of her love for her grandpa. She said, my deep desire is for there to be some sort of promenade to remind me of my deep love for him and the city I grew up in. That history actually helps me understand something about Robin that I hadn't fully understood before. In her final message to me, Robin ended her by saying, I appreciate everything you've taught me in life's journey and wish you the very best in your future. Robin asked me to tell this story, and tonight I want to keep that promise. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you for that, Councilmember Kastner. And I think a lot of us feel We've worked with Robin, and I think we all are a little tenderhearted here tonight. And so I'd like to just give everybody the opportunity to say a few words if they're so inclined. Deputy Mayor Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to speak, too, in honor of our former colleague and all the great work that she did here on the eight years. I, too, share some great memories with Robin. Her and I were elected at the same night, our first time to city council. I remember celebrating together with her. I, too, had a real fondness for her as a colleague and respect for her as a colleague. But, you know, sometimes we disagreed on a few things. But we never let that get in the way between us. We had disagreements, but it was really never this large feud. She didn't see me as her enemy, and I didn't see her as my enemy. Just different perspectives. And we always had respect for each other. And one of the things that was interesting is... Robin, I think Mayor Dorr was mayor at the time, and she may remember, but Robin, I think we came up with, the saying came, somebody bites out the apple, because Robin loved to kind of expound, and she would really go at it. And so we came up with this, three bites at the apple or something. And Robin would take some pretty big bites, and the bites would go on for quite a while. And what I found is, personally, that if you were patient enough to get through all the bites, you would find some really good nuggets. But some people, they got kind of overwhelmed by all of the bites, and they were missing the insight that she had. And so for me, I was able to have that patience to let her finish her, you know, long-winded statement. And then if you did, you would find that she had some really good insight. And so it was just her style. And I learned to adapt her style and certainly appreciated that. And so anyway, tonight, I want to honor you know, someone who is a very special part of our city. There's a few people that earned the trust of the Puyallup residents to elect and represent them. She's one of the few. And so that was quite an accomplishment she was able to do. So I want to honor her and thank her for her service. And I also want to honor and thank her for her, if I could speak frankly, her vulnerability. She oftentimes publicly confesses her struggles. A lot of folks wouldn't have the courage to do that. They would keep a facade up that I'm perfectly fine, I have no issues, but she had no problem saying, hey, I'm struggling with X, Y, and Z, and she did it. That took a lot of courage, and I really appreciate her vulnerability as a leader. And then Councilor Castema, I had not heard that story, and it's quite moving to know that, and I'm glad that she had you recall that because it could have got lost in history. I'd like to make a suggestion that if that promenade has ever developed, that there's some discussion that we maybe name that Ferris Promenade in honor of her grandfather. So let's put that out there for discussion, and we'll cross that bridge if and when it comes. But

me that would be appropriate uh memoir for her grandfather and for her as one of our study leaders thank you mr mayor and seeing no other names on the list up council member adler is going to have to wait for me very good uh i you know i served with with robin for four years and and we You know, council members never agree on everything, but we agreed on a lot. And whether we agreed or disagreed, the one thing that I really believe about Robin is her heart was always in the right place. she always tried to do what she felt was right. And I just admire that characteristic. There wasn't much politics in Robin. She just did the things she felt like she should be doing. And I honor and respect that. Council Member Adler.

Thank you. I'll be brief. I just, what I'm about to say, I said last week, during our council comments. But as the individual who has the honor and privilege of succeeding Council Member Ferris in the seat that she represented, and because she was a friend, this is tough, like it is for many of us in this room. uh as i often say and as i said last week i believe you die twice one when your body is done on this earth and the second time when they stop telling stories about you and as council member castema demonstrated tonight in in the story that council member ferris shared with him Council Member Ferris will be with us for a very long time and certainly for as long as we have this beautiful city. And the last thing I'll say to Council Member Ferris, well done, faithful servant. Thank you.

Council Member King.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. As my colleagues have mentioned here tonight, Councilmember Ferris was a staple in this city. Her and I got along, and even though we might not agree on a few things, we got along fairly well. Civility on this council was very strong. She understood that. Having conversations, having difficult conversations, even when You don't agree. And understanding how to get from point A to point B, even when things were tough and discussions were hard, she understands civility. She also thought she understood jokes. And some got them, some didn't. And she knew that. But the biggest thing was that she had heart. She had heart for the city. And it was an honor to know her and serve with her for the two years that she remained on council during that time. And I'm honored to have known her and to serve with her. And I'm thankful to have known her. So rest in peace.

Council Member Gilliam.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council Member Ferris was a very wonderful and didn't know what to expect sometimes with her as a person. But one thing she did believe in was the youth of our community. And some of my most fond memories of her were her And our amazing former council members, Dor and Shadco, would come to the youth center and just love on the kids. Lots of great memories decorating the daffodil float together. Lots of memories of Council Member Ferris trying to give tips on leadership. And again, just taking opportunities to speak life into young people whenever she had that opportunity. So I'm reminded of my dear, my fondness for these amazing women that served with her. And I will continue to love on you, even though she's not here anymore. So thank you, Council Member Ferris. Appreciate your legacy.

Okay. I'd like to invite our friends of of Councilmember Ferris to come forward and receive the proclamations at this time and get some pictures. And anybody amongst that group that would like to speak, I welcome it.

Good evening. Heather Shadko, former city council premier and friend of Robin. Robin was, as you all know, a lot. And you didn't always agree with her. And sometimes you would go head to head with her. But she was all heart. And I think all of you touched on different things about Robin. Her deep love of this community. I remember her one woman trash brigade. It didn't matter if it was raining or pouring. She'd be out there, and she'd invite us all to come all the time. And most of the time, it was just her. But she was out there, and she was doing it. Robin, when you're on council, you all know that there's a lot of events. And when I heard about Robin's passing, I was going through Facebook and all the pictures that were coming up, you know, of us putting together the float before it became a professional endeavor. And some event that we just got poured in rain, we looked like drenched dogs. But we were always smiling. We were always having a good time. And, you know, she... she thought so hard about everything. I mean, she really cared about this community very passionately. And you didn't always get along with her, but she was your friend forever. And I think it's very important to remember that she served on this community, but she did share her struggles from the dais. That is not something that a lot of people are comfortable doing. I mean, we always tend to keep a stiff upper lip. And she shared a lot. And I'm sure that reached people who were struggling and going through similar things. And so Robin, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just two things I wanted to add to make sure they got in the records and haven't heard them yet about former Councilman Farris. I mean, her military service was obviously mentioned. And being this is an Army town, it was nice having another Navy person on the council when that happened. But not just her military service. Anything we did with veterans in the community, like on the front end, we used to do the Salute to Troops was a big event we used to do. that when we had a partner brigade at JBLM, she was always very involved in that. Any of the Memorial Day, Veterans Day, any of that, you would see her front and center, putting her full effort into it. So I want to make sure, not just for military service, we want to make sure that everybody knows that got extended to the veterans in our community, too. And then, you know, we take for granted now because food trucks are everywhere. Like, 10 years ago, food trucks were kind of a weird thing. And, like, people were looking at us when we brought it up, like, people are cooking in their car. Like, what are you talking about, right? But let people know, when you see food trucks this year, don't think – she played a big part in that in really getting – the council as a collective to understand, OK, here's what food trucks are. They're not a threat to brick and mortar restaurants and this whole thing. I won't go into all the details. But all the food truck things you see, know that she put a ton of work into that, first off, and played a very big role in getting that legislation across the finish line and getting everybody to understand it. So just make sure those two things are added to the record of her legacy. And thank you for giving us this opportunity to honor her. Thank you.

Thank you, Tom.

Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I can't resist a microphone. To continue with what Tom Swanson had said and to echo what Lauren Adler said, she will be remembered. We will be working on something to memorialize her, and I will leave that to come out later on. But it will be very fitting and very appropriate, and she will not be forgotten. And I'll tell you a few other people that won't forget her. Anyone that she doorbelled. I have never seen such a good doorbeller in my life. She instantly connected to people. It's like, how do you do that? It was really good, which tells you what kind of a human being she was. So I'll miss her. There's some other stories I'd love to tell you, but they'd get edited out in a heartbeat. So I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.

Well, thank you for the opportunity to honor Robin tonight. I really appreciated listening to everybody speak about her and just kind of reflect on all that and bringing back all that memory. I served with Robin for her eight years. And many of the things that were stated today are all so true. And you know, heart sticks out to me quite a bit. And she really poured herself into it. Councilmember Johnson. Yeah, she could put a spin together and put a tail together up at the dais. And there were a lot in there. And she did kind of help us come up with the apple bite rule and the three minute rule. And I know that you, Mr. Johnson also, Councilmember Johnson, you guys competed on that a little bit how long ago. But I really enjoyed working with Robin. And she would just be honest and represent her people. She was grounded in her constituents and connected with the constituents and connected to Piala. And way too soon, but we'll miss her. So thank you.

Thank you for the opportunity to talk about Robin. I apologize. This is hard for me. Robin, I remember sitting up there the first time that she came to make public comment. And standing here the first time is intimidating. And if you notice, you're the only one standing in the room, except for we have an overflow. And I saw Robin out in the hallway, and she was shaking. Her legs were shaking. Her voice was shaking. But she had something to say. And she came in, made her public comment despite her struggles. And then she turned out to be one of the most fierce advocates on the council. And that is something that I will always carry with me, watching that progression. And all of my previous colleagues have recognized a lot of Robin's heart. Robin and I did not always agree. Sometimes we went head to head, and she would let me know about it. But she was grounded in what she thought was right. And at her last council meeting, I talked to her. And she did a hard time. That's a horrible thing to have to say about a council position, but she did. She exposed her vulnerabilities for everyone to see, which made her so much more susceptible to criticism and criticism Just the public scrutiny was unbearable for her at times. And it's really unfortunate, because at the root of everything that she did was her heart. She really wanted this community to thrive. She bled purple and gold, actually. That's another story from a Rogers graduate. I had the opportunity to have lunch with Robin right when I was cycling off the council. And in true Robin fashion, she wanted to strategic plan my life, my post-council life. But she was looking out for me. She wanted to make sure I was OK. Like I said, I'm going to share a story. Robin and I went to San Antonio to the National League of Cities. And Robin got sick on the way down. So she was out for a couple of days. Then I got sick while we were there. And I was getting my first level of certificate from the National League of Cities. Robin went to accept that for me. There's a knock on my door, and there's a bag hanging there. She had put in popsicles, which cracked me up because I didn't have a freezer. So it was like, am I going to eat all these popsicles? But it was popsicles, Imodium, Aspirin, anything she could think of. But before she went and got that certificate, she wanted to make sure that I was OK. And at the end of the day, when I was cycling off, Robin wanted to make sure that I was OK. And that's what she wanted for each of you and for this city. And I hope that we take away some of the lessons that she, it's not easy to sit up there. And it's easy for us to be frustrated, us, the constituents, with things at times. But remembering that people are human. And Robin brought that human element in all of its forms to this job. And the story that Heather's talking about was we were going to the base for something. I'm driving, and we're getting up to the gate. And I didn't have the right, I wasn't sure how to get on there. And Robin's telling me, got to do this, got to do this, whatever. So I stopped the car. It was like Chinese fire drill. Robin got in the driver's seat, and I'm like, you're taking us in, because I was over getting the backseat driver. And then it did pour. And there's a picture I have. She was just showing a picture of us soaking down. We were just soaked wet. And she's sticking her tongue out. And it just, it was fun. So I will miss her. She gave her heart to this job. And she'll be missed. Thank you. Thank you.

I want to thank everybody for their patience with us. We had some tender feelings here tonight and delayed the other city business for a bit. I appreciate your patience. We have another proclamation, this one for the College Appreciation Week. And it goes as follows. Whereas the city of Puyallup recognizes the profound impact that higher educational institutions have on the intellectual, cultural, and economic development of our community, And whereas colleges and universities contribute significantly to the local economy, provide valuable educational opportunities, foster innovation, and prepare students of all ages to become engaged, knowledgeable citizens. And whereas the city of Puyallup is grateful that the Washington State University Research and Extension Center has been a beacon of innovation and education, serving as a national leader in agricultural research, environmental stewardship, and technological innovation. And whereas since the campus was established in 1894, the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center has been an integral part of the community committed to enhancing the intellectual, creative, and practical abilities of individuals, institutions, and communities throughout Puget Sound. And whereas the 168-acre main campus is comprised of laboratories and offices, state-of-the-art greenhouses, a master gardener's demonstration garden, the Washington State Stormwater Center, and associated low-impact development research installations, six acres of certified organic farmland, and several acres of agricultural and natural resource plots. And whereas the ongoing achievements and contributions of the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center embody the spirit, dedication, and excellence that reflects the core values of the city of Puyallup, and serves as an inspiration for generations of future Cougars and whereas the City of Puyallup is excited to celebrate the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center in conjunction with the Washington State Fair on Saturday, September 26, 2026 during WSU Day at the Fair as part of the City's WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center Appreciation Week. And now, therefore, I, Ned Whitting, Mayor of the City of Puyallup, do hereby proclaim the week of September 21st to the 26th as Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center Appreciation Week in the City of Puyallup. I encourage all residents to recognize the invaluable impact of the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center by shouting aloud, go Cougs. We'll give it another shot. Go Cougs! And join the city of Puyallup in extending our deepest appreciation for their continued presence and contributions to our community. In witness whereof, I have hither unto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Puyallup to be affixed this first day of September 2026. And I'd like to invite Todd Murray, the director of the WSU

All right, thank you. I won't take up too much of your time tonight. That was really wonderful to listen to before this. But before I get started, I want to point your attention to these hats to protect you against the sun so you don't have to have one of these Band-Aids on your head someday. But it's great to be here. And I'm joined by one of our rock star researchers, Dr. John Stark, and the director of the Stormwater Center tonight for this appreciation and this real recognition of our long relationship and strong relationship. I'm happy to be here tonight for the formal proclamation signing, but really enjoyed the celebration that leadership from WSU came over and enjoyed with some of you, with our Provost Riley Tillman, our Dean Raj Khosla. and two associate deans, Sig Snapp and Vicki McCracken. But on behalf of WSU, the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, and the Puyallup Research and Extension Center, I want to thank you, Steve, and your team that are great to work with. and Mayor Ned Whiting, and city council members, especially Councilmember Lauren Adler and the Puyallup community for recognizing the strong partnership that exists between our Institute and local communities across Washington State. I'm proud to be here to celebrate this seventh annual recognition of our honor and partnership. and our deep history and strong relationships between the city of Puyallup and now the Washington State Fair again. And thank you for rekindling those relationships, Council Member Adler. Our collaboration reflects a shared commitment to healthy communities, resilient agriculture, and science that serves the public good. We deliver that meaningful science here in Puyallup across diverse disciplines that affect our health, economy, and well-being. To share a few examples, the Washington Stormwater Center at WSU Puyallup guards the health of our state's water systems through research, education, and technical assistance. WSU Puyallup is the home of the Master Gardener program which was founded over 50 years ago and now deployed across the country in all states and even in other countries. The research at Puyallup supports healthy urban forests, fosters sustainable farming, protects pollinators, safeguards Christmas trees and ornamental crops, small fruit, diagnoses diseases of plants, livestock, pets, and zoo animals, and helps keep our food supply safe. Research is at the forefront of urban issues including the fate of microplastics and automobile tire byproducts that affect our environment and our health. Not only do we identify the issue, but we also offer solutions like engineering green water infrastructure. WSU is launching a new Puyallup-based aquaculture center supported by $50 million federal dollar appropriation. And this project integrates AI to improve the health of Pacific salmon, advance sustainable aquaculture, and protect Washington waterways, with an additional state investment into our avian health and food safety lab, resulting in two new planned buildings to which we will need your continued support to get those projects completed. So thank you, City of Puyallup, for your leadership and support. And we look forward to many more years of collaboration, discovery, and service together. And we're really looking forward to WSU Day at the fair tailgate on September 26, where the fair, the city, and WSU are hosting the tailgate featuring cougar cheese, Ferdinand ice cream sandwiches, also known as grabbers, if you know, and other WSU goodies, as the WSU football team plays University of Arizona. With that, go Cougs, and thank you very much.

OK, we will now move into our citizen comment phase. Could the city clerk please provide instructions for public comment?

This part of the meeting is for general citizen comments. Please reserve any public hearing testimony to that section of the agenda. The mayor will call on those who have provided their names in advance. Then the mayor will call for other citizens who wish to speak. For the record, please state your name and address or city council district in which you reside. Please direct your comments to the council as a whole, not individual council members. All comments are limited to three minutes. The clerk will provide verbal notice when only 30 seconds remain. As a reminder, this portion of the meeting is council's opportunity to hear from the community and not the time to engage in debate. Lastly, per state law, This public comment period cannot be used to speak in support of or in opposition to a ballot measure or individual candidacy, and no such comments will be allowed. Thank you.

Our first speaker will be Lydia Mayer.

Good evening. Members of the City Council and all those viewing, my name is Lydia Mayer. I'm a junior at Puyallup High School, and I'm here tonight to graciously ask you all to deny any effort to reopen the street adjacent to Puyallup High School and to permanently vacate this right of way as requested by the Puyallup School District. When we evaluate our city streets, it's extremely easy to focus on driver convenience, flow of traffic, and cutting down on commute times. But adult convenience should never come at the expense of a child's safety. Firstly, we don't need to guess what's going to happen if this road reopens to regular vehicle traffic. We already have the track record. Two teenagers were injured simply trying to navigate their school day. That isn't a minor traffic issue, it's a clear warning sign. Reopening the street means knowingly reintroducing those exact same hazards back into a high density zone filled with young pedestrians. Secondly, with the new bell-to-bell phones away system that we have in place this year, students no longer have the option to just sit down and scroll on their phones at lunch. From the outside perspective, I see many students making new friends through playing foursquare or spikeball on the stretch of road during lunch. It isn't just about a physically safe space anymore, but a mentally safe one. One where students can participate in fun activities with their peers. Closing this road has given our students a safe, walkable environment to move between buildings without fearing oncoming traffic. The Puyallup School District petitioned for this permanent vacation because they see the daily benefit to a student's safety firsthand, whether it be actual safety or the newfound interaction between students. A minor detour for local traffic is a very small trade-off to ensure that no more children are struck by vehicles outside their own school. No driver's shortcut is worth risking another student's life. Please prioritize the well-being of our youth, stand with the school district, and keep this road closed indefinitely. Thank you.

Thank you, Lydia.

Hello. Good evening, members of the City Council. I am from Puyallup High School. For all of you who don't know me, my name, like I had said earlier, was Aubrey Jones. I am a senior at Puyallup High School. And tonight, I'm here to respectfully and kindly ask of you to deny any thought or action of reopening of the road that is at Puyallup High School. Now, when we look at the road, yes, it is a convenient road to be able to get through to houses and other roads and etc. It is also easier to look at the convenience of the drivers rather than the kids crossing the street. However, at what point do we put the safety of our students, these children, at greater risk than the cars driving through a middle of a major school walk path? Two years ago at our school, we had two kids hit during the school time, and because of these students getting hit, the Puyallup School District petitioned for this road to be closed. I understand you want to accommodate to the adults who live by. You and me want to make traveling easier for them. However... When kids are getting hit or there are close calls, why is a minor inconvenience to drivers a bigger worry than the student's safety who attend Puyallup High School? As a driver myself, I understand wanting the road open. It was open when I first started at Puyallup High School, but also, people don't pay attention to kids crossing the street. Yes, I understand kids don't cross exactly where the walk path is, but that is also because we have roughly 1,815 kids who attend Puyallup High School. So to have them all cross on a very tiny crosswalk and only do it in increments so cars can go through with only a five-minute passing period just isn't reasonable. As being a student athlete who goes to away games and comes back to school late at night, people drive erratically, and the lightning is drastically decreased over the years and is no longer necessarily functional. And because of us getting back at late times, such as the hours of 10 to 11, people are less careful with how they drive. As being a student athlete who has been injured and has had to be on crutches getting across that street at night after a game or during school hours with cars that don't pay attention is unrealistic. People fly down that street, especially at night. At what point do we put the needs of the students and the safety of us higher than the people complaining about a minor inconvenience? Us as kids should not have to fear walking across the road just to get to our next class. We should not have to be worrying if we will be the next kid to get hit because of a reckless driver. I do not want another kid to get hit or, even worse, end up dead. A driver's complaint is not worth the life of a student, so I stand here before you to ask you to prioritize the safety of the Puyallup High School students and to keep this road closed indefinitely. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Noah Reyes.

Hello, my name is Nola Reyes, and I am a sophomore at Puyallup High School. Now, I myself cannot drive yet, so it may be unfair for my perspective, seeing as I cannot understand how motorists think. But I think it would be unfair to let a few motorists have their way and reopen the road rather than the 1,800 kids that go to this school. It would be short-minded to prioritize them over the many students that go to this school. Every day, a lot of students go across that road. They fill the road and a lot of them have to go through that to get to their next class. And if cars are allowed through, then a lot of them would probably be late, seeing as that many people cannot cross the road at one time. My first reason is that the amount of time drivers would save is simply not worth the risk to students. Seventh Street is surrounded by roads that go to the same places that Seventh Street goes to. Anywhere a car can go from Seventh Street is just as easily accessed by adjacent roads. And maybe a minute's worth of saved time just isn't worth the odds that a student is hit by a car, which is likely. Roughly 8% to 12% of all reported car crashes involved some form of driver distraction and over 300,000 people nationally were injured by distracted driving in the year 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Teenagers are, let's be honest, not very self-aware or good at avoiding danger. It only takes one car for these traits to collide and someone to get hurt. The last time the road was open, two students were hit by cars. Considering the number of current students, it would be only a matter of time before that happens again. Lastly, the school would have to alter schedules to unreliable times. Not the same amount of cars would come through every day, which means that there would be a lot of tardies, a lot of paperwork, and a lot of unnecessary excuses that can easily be avoided by keeping the road closed. Those are the reasons why I believe the road should stay closed. So for the safety of the students of Puyallup High School, keep 7th Street closed. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, we'll hear from Chris Louis Antonio.

Good evening, city council members. My name is Chris Luis Antonio. I am a sophomore at Puyallup High School. As previously stated, two years ago, we have seen two accidents that happened over in that road. And I stand before you to ask that you deny any motion to reopen that road because it could cause a lot of unnecessary tardies, which are not excused under under the school's excused tardies or absences. I think that now, without the use of phones, we have seen a lot more socializing inside of our schools, which may cause other distractions that are not just staring at our screens, but this time interacting with friends and filling this street, which would be inconvenient to the drivers, causing more traffic, and also dangerous to the kids who are crossing the street. While it is a minor inconvenience, there are also some alternatives, such as 8th Street Northwest, 5th Street, and Stewart Avenue. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Jim Jenkins.

Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and council members. My name is Jim Jenkins. I live in District 1. I'm speaking on the 7th Street closure. I would like to publicly thank the two council members and the city manager who met with me several weeks ago at Puyallup High School where we reviewed the schematic from the school district's plan. We saw that the district plans to move the student parking across the street to the ball field area and add classrooms to eliminate the portables. This means the district is solving the crossing problem that they caused. So there is no reason to permanently close 7th Street, and there never was. Now for temporary closure, I'm for that. But there are no school safety needs during the summer. The street can be opened and closed very quickly with signs stating those dates. I'm convinced most can tolerate it for a while, but will not get used to it. We saw that I was wrong about the gym going across the street. It's a soccer field or a baseball field. These get little use during school hours and can be handled with a crossing light. There's five of them, I think, on Pioneer right now. The sports complex will require seventh to be open after school for access to the parking lot. If not, people will be parking all over the neighborhood. These are two reasons from the district's own plan to have the street open. I know this issue. But I don't know the real reason the district wants this street. It can't be the stated reason they're fixing that. So is it a land grab? Mass hysteria? I don't know. And is it really a public information meeting if you're not sharing all the information? A council member suggested bringing people from the neighborhood, the city, and the district together to work on these things. You should be voting on that. A lot of people have ideas. I've already rewritten the plan. It took me 20 minutes, and 10 minutes was finding a number two pencil with a good eraser on it. By the way, they're not hiding this. They're just not telling you, and you don't know to ask. The studies don't matter. You can't open it. You can't close it permanently. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker will be Jim Jenkins. Oh, sorry. We want you to get it right next time. Sorry.

Our next speaker will be Christy Sparks Galan.

Thank you.

To the Puyallup City Council members, my name is Christy Sparks Galan. I'm part of a five-generation Puyallup family. Our family started here when my grandpa, Carl Sparks, came to teach and coach at Puyallup High School in 1939. I'm here tonight in support of the permanent closure of 7th Street NW between 2nd Avenue and Main Street. I grew up in Puyallup just four blocks west of Puyallup High School on the corner of 11th Street Northwest and 2nd Avenue Northwest. And I graduated from Puyallup High School in 1990. When I was at PHS, Main Street was open, and we had to dodge traffic between the main building and the gym. and there was some close calls. I witnessed firsthand the benefits of closing West Main, just that short section, in the mid-1990s. At that time, many of us in our neighborhood avoided driving past the high school due to safety concerns related to student crossings. While the closure required an adjustment in traffic patterns, it ultimately improved safety for our students and staff and the neighborhood adjusted to the closure. Now, as a staff member in my 10th year at Puyallup High School, I strongly support the closure of 7th Street Northwest. Our student population has grown significantly with these three main buildings and 19 portable classrooms. Our campus is so spread out. Ensuring the safety of our students and staff moving between these areas is essential. Prior to the closure in December of 2025, I personally experienced a few near misses while crossing 7th Street in a marked crosswalk when a vehicle turned the corner unexpectedly. A permanent closure will enhance the students traveling between buildings and portables. It provides an additional space for our students to gather for instructional activities that require a little bit more room. One of the benefits of the street closure is that our support center students received a grant last spring and several of our special needs students learned to ride a bike, rode safety, and got much needed exercise that they would not have the space for them to safely learn to ride their bikes. I understand and respect the concerns of the neighboring residents. I was one of them. My parents still live in the neighborhood at that house on 2nd Avenue. Increased student drivers and changing traffic patterns can result in added noise, congestion, and parking impacts. While these changes can be challenging, I know Puyallup High School community is committed to being good neighbors and can work collaboratively to ensure a positive transition for all. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Paul Wicklander.

Good evening, Council. I'm Paul Wicklander from District 1. I'm here speaking on behalf of the Home Addition Neighbor Group, which is District 1 and 2. On August 31st, we formally entered our comprehensive 23-page technical supplement into the legislative record for the critical area ordinance update to support our June 2nd neighborhood petition. Now our goal is to provide the city with the exact field verified data required under the state's best available science standard. Our submittal outlines the actual physical layout of 9th Street Southwest Corridor from 15th to 23rd Avenue Southwest, documenting unverified computer modeling errors, seasonal dryness, also winter flooding. And we also did a forensic title search from the Pierce County auditor that showed that 27 out of the 29 parcels had stormwater easements. So it shows that this corridor has stormwater utilities within it. Also, we greatly appreciate the productive and on-site discussions we had with council leadership regarding a collaborative path forward. Our packet provides the precise technical findings needed to safely support and implement a functional disconnect framework for this specific segment. We used the water type modification form that the Department of Natural Resources uses to submit this information. So we used their framework on changing water types. So we look forward to partnering with the city during the study delay to lock this balanced framework into the final text, protecting both neighborhood home values and the municipal drainage network. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Dave Sunich.

All right, good evening, Mr. Mayor, Deputy Mayor Johnson, council members. If it's all right, I'd like to ask my administrative team member, Mr. Barnes, to just hand you a couple documents that I'm going to reference in my comments here. I'm not going to spend a great deal of time talking about my belief in the need to keep the street closed, specifically for the safety of our students. I think the students have adequately emphasized that. I do want to talk to you a little bit about some of the efforts we've been making to be better neighbors to our neighboring community. If you remember back to last spring, we had a presentation about the proposed street vacation and some questions were raised about what kind of things we were doing as a school to address student driving and citizenship and that sort of thing. We heard lots of testimonies from neighbors where they shared things that they had experienced that were unsafe and disrespectful that happened because they were living in close proximity to the high school. I will add, many of the things that were shared were not directly related to the proposed vacation of the street, but they were of concern to us nonetheless. So within days of that meeting, we developed a Good Neighbor Action Plan, which you have a copy of there, that formalized some of the things we already were doing and outlined some additional steps that we planned to take to teach our students and families about our expectations and to improve our neighbor relations and the safety of everyone in our community. These action steps included plans for communicating expectations with students and families, engaging student groups in teaching about the expected behaviors, and incorporating ways for students to take ownership for ensuring our neighbors saw our students in a positive light. One of these that was included was an Adopt-a-Block program that we're working on. This is really encouraging student groups to serve as ambassadors for our school and the surrounding neighborhoods. Since last spring, we've increased administrative and security officers' supervision in the parking lots and on surrounding streets, particularly during arrival and dismissal times. We've engaged with neighbors, observed traffic flows, and when needed, although it's really been quite rare, we have addressed unsafe or disrespectful behaviors with violators. 30 seconds. Okay. just hit a couple more key points. So we have weekly meetings with our SRO. The Puyallup Police Department has conducted emphasis patrols around the campus, ensuring drivers are being safe. And then I will share that with the Good Neighbor policy really outlines our expectations for students and parents. We've shared that through digital communications messages and then at our back-to-school meetings with all of our students. So thank you.

Thank you, Dave. Our next speaker will be Valerie Dent.

Valerie Dent, District 2. first and foremost i want to thank all the supporters on this survey that i conducted and for my advocacy towards slower speeds safer school zones and city council spending I also apologize for my absence the last week of July due to a family emergency which took me out of state for several weeks. My sincerest apologies for the delay. The survey was a big success. There were approximately 4,500 surveys passed out. These included 300 surveys that were mailed out. The survey covered all three districts. I want to thank all my fellow constituents who contacted me by phone and gave me their opinion over the phone. Your opinion is included in this final write-up. Thirteen surveys were returned for incorrect addresses. Five were readdressed and remailed. Eight were left unanswered. Five surveys were returned due to vacant homes. Three surveys were returned unaccepted. Two surveys were responded to by constituents living within the city. Options of the opinions of council members. suspicious activities with money and voting too many multiple family dwellings and an increase in established neighborhoods being destroyed not seen at any community events for district 2 lack of communications concerning district 2 and not holding recordable community meetings since 2014. No infrastructure support. Puyallup is not Seattle, and there is no pushback on some of the laws in regards to building multi or single family units. Even though City Council says they are proactive with their constituents, there is a very strong feeling of closed door policies. At last meeting, there was a question raised about, are you hearing your constituents? City Council may think this survey is a failure, but it truly shows how wide the gap is between the constituents of the city and City Council. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Noor Al-Bermani. Thank you.

Good afternoon, city council members. My name is Nora Albramani, and tonight I will be speaking not as a Puyallup school district employee, but as a resident of the city of Puyallup, and more importantly, as a student of Puyallup High School. I have attended PHS for all four years of high school, and the 7th Street Northwest Road closure was one of the best things to ever happen to me and my peers. I was finally able to cross the street without a worry. My mother would have peace of mind that at school I am safe, like I should be, especially when I'm just trying to get to my classes. As a school, we have really grown, and this year more than ever before, we are crossing 7th Street Northwest. With the new portables, I am crossing the street twice a day. Speaking as a fellow high schooler, there is no way that students such as myself, who have classes in the portables, are always going to steer clear of cars. Someone is going to get hurt and that's the last thing we want as a community. I'm sorry, but it's just the harsh truth. It is an especially touchy subject for me because this year, my sister started as a sophomore at PHS, and I can't imagine her trying to cross an open street in the middle of her school day. No student should have to do that. So please, for me, my sister, and for future generations, permanently close 7th Street Northwest. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, we'll hear from Archer Grimes.

Good evening, council. I'm here to speak on the 7th Street closure. I am a resident of the neighborhood nearby, and I'm just going to speak from my heart today. I understand a lot of the feelings of a lot of the students who are working and living and going to these schools and experiencing these things. But it leads to a lot more of a strict view of mind of how it actually is to experience living on a street where this road closure has happened. I'd like to mention the fact that most of the drivers that we experienced in that area are either student drivers or parents of the students in the school. And all of the traffic moving from that closure has spread out into all of the streets surrounding Puyallup High School. It is constantly a danger zone outside of 7th Street. There are cars that do not stop at the stop signs. There are cars that constantly take the turns way too fast. Closing the street off has just pushed the cars to be directly next to the school, where students are still passing to get home if they're walking home, where students are still walking to get to cars for their parents in their cars. The problem is not solved by closing the street so the school can continue to do their vanity project and make it look nicer for the school district. And it is great that the students have an area to walk, but it is horrible for the residents in the neighborhood nearby. It's not just a traffic convenience. It is a safety issue. My girlfriend is vision impaired, and she walks to work every day. And there are constantly times where I'm watching her dodge and weave between the traffic of the parents after school when she's trying to get home safely. It is not safe, and there has not been enough outreach in trying to fix the solution. This is the first I'm hearing of a good neighbor project by the school in any capacity, if it really was targeting the neighbors, maybe we would have heard about it. Maybe we'd be spoken to about it. Maybe this wouldn't be the first time we're hearing about something of this nature. It's frustrating to have to come here week after week and hear no feedback, no pushback from the council, and no movement in a positive direction on this. And I am tired of having to be here about it. It is frustrating, and I don't want any premature decisions to be made. I want the safety of the students to be paramount and the safety of the people living near the school to also be paramount. Thank you guys for your time.

Thank you. Next, I'm struggling with the last name. Jessica? Degner. Degner. Thank you.

Good evening, and thank you for allowing me to speak. My name is Jessica Degner, and I live at 806 2nd Avenue Northwest, directly in the neighborhood affected by the proposed permanent road closure. I want to begin by sincerely thanking the Puyallup Police Department. I'm grateful that officers have been present before and after school and have taken the time to witness what is happening in our neighborhood. Thank you, Chief Engel, for being here. I also want to thank Jim Casima and Lauren Adler for showing up, listening to the residents, and pushing for the four-way stop at our intersection. Those things matter to me because we aren't asking to be difficult. We're asking to be heard. The school district has said that permanently closing this road is about the safety of the students. And I have to ask, what about the safety of the neighborhood? What about the safety of my children? I work in the school district. I'm a child advocate. I love kids and care deeply about their safety. But I also live here, and I don't feel safe letting my own children be kids in their own neighborhood. I don't let them ride their bikes or walk around by themselves. And honestly, this breaks my heart. If this is truly about safety, then where are the crosswalks? Why aren't there sidewalks throughout the entire area? Within the last year, I have personally witnessed three accidents in the neighborhood. How many accidents are enough? And these concerns aren't based solely on what I'm seeing tonight. My neighbors have submitted photographs and videos documenting what is happening. The police have repeatedly come out, sat at our intersections, and even used drones to observe the traffic and behavior around the school. The problems have been seen. They have been documented. They are known. So my question is, what is being done about them? I appreciate the four-hour parking signs. I appreciate the new four-way stop. And I appreciate the police officers who have come out to enforce these things. But they can't be there every minute of every day. When they aren't there, I still see people running the stop sign. I still see students speeding through our neighborhood. People continue to park all day in the four-hour areas. And I regularly find trash thrown throughout my front and side yard. This is our home. It is not a dump. It is not a racetrack. What has been most frustrating is that I have not seen the school district come to us with any solutions. First, the road was closed temporarily for safety. Then we had an open house that was presented as an opportunity to hear the community's concerns, but it felt more like a presentation of what had already been decided. And now we are being asked to permanently close the road. Why can't we find a solution where students are safe and the neighborhood is safe? I have some suggestions. Clearly paint the four-way stop. Add flashing lights or warning signals. Have someone direct traffic during the busiest times. create pickup and drop off zones on both sides of the school, stagger dismissal times if necessary, add crosswalks and sidewalks. These aren't unreasonable requests, they are basic safety measures. I'm not standing here because they don't care about students, I'm standing here because they care about children. I care about the students walking to school and I care about the children who live there. Those children deserve to feel safe too. So I have to ask, if you lived in my neighborhood, watch these accidents happen. Watch cars speed through your street and people run stop signs and felt too afraid to let your children ride their bike outside. Would you be satisfied with this solution or would you be asking for more? I'm asking for more. Please don't make someone getting hurt the thing that finally makes this neighborhood worth protecting. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Mitzi McMahon.

Hi, Mayor and Council. Thank you so much. Quite frankly, I'm really tired of coming and talking about this. You know, as neighbors, I work from home. I don't even drive anywhere. And the biggest concern is safety, okay? This was a conditional use permit, and the school district has not been a good partner. We have said... This closure has pushed the issue out into the neighborhood. I have to sit in my neighbor's yard because it's scary because people yell at me when I'm videoing so I can send it to my council members who send the videos on to the police. I've asked for them to be shared here so people could get a flavor of what our students are having to walk through in morning and evening. School district, you should be ashamed of what's happening out there. Because as neighbors, we've said we are willing and able to come to the table and come up with solutions. You know, on 8th and Main, The police, they're doing the best they can. Your marked vehicle drives through the intercept, stops, and then goes, proceeds onto Main from 8th. The next car stops. The ones after, California roll all the way through. There is a pickup and drop-off route that has happened here. We watched the same car circle. 8th Up 8th, Main, back over 8th, 2nd, doing a loop, back out onto Pioneer. Cars are stacked from Pioneer to Main. Kids are navigating with no crosswalks. Students are walking with no crosswalks. Through this area, they're weaving across the streets. I sent the videos. It's not that we're saying don't close 7th. We're saying someone's going to get killed because you have closed 7th and you haven't thought about the unintended consequences. Is it budget? Is it what? We have been willing and able as neighbors to meet and talk. And we are quite frankly sick of it. Someone's going to get hurt. It's going to be bad. And... I would have to say city staff, you got to step up. School district, I don't know where you've been in this plan. I'm still willing to be. I've talked to Steve today and said we're willing and able to work with the city on decisions. Police, please have them at the table. They see what's happening out there. Councilmember Adler, thank you for coming to our impromptu Friday night meeting with the neighbors where we're just trying to figure it out. Councilmember Kastema, you're out doing all of the foot traffic. You're notifying neighbors on your own. These things are not public involvement. This is not trying to solve a problem. We're saying someone's going to get killed. 30 seconds. It's not because we're saying don't close 7th. We don't want students to get hurt. If you sit there and watch what's happening, your toes should curl and you should think, oh my God, how have we let this happen? Because it has happened. And at the last council meeting, at the 428 council meeting and 721, most of you had great ideas. No motions were made. Nothing followed through. You can't wish and hope that the school district's going to do something because they're not. We need to all work on this and I encourage you- Mr. Mayor, speak.

reached three months.

To allow for some appropriate mitigation measures and actually involve the neighbors. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, we'll hear from Leanne Mahaffey. Mahaffey. Mahaffey.

My name's Leanne Mahaffey, and I teach at Puyallup High School. I am not representing the school district. I'm here to share my experience. I have personal experience of crossing that road. I taught in the portables across the street. And about 12 years ago, I was hit by a car crossing the street to use the bathroom after school. Because the bath, the portables are on one side of the road. The bathrooms are on the other. We currently have 15 portables on the other side of the road. The bathroom is still on the other side of the road. Kids are not just out there during passing period. If you go to the bathroom, you have to cross the road. There's not a sidewalk right where that is. Anyway, you have to cross the road. There's lots of kids out there. We have 1,850-ish kids there every day. It's not safe to be out and have traffic and have to dodge traffic. And in my case, I was being safe, and a teenage driver backed up into me. I was fine, thankfully, but... It happens, and this was 12-ish years ago. And so new traffic issues are not new to this area. It's so much safer to have that road closed. It's safer for our kids. It's safer for our staff. It's safe to get to the bathroom. And I would like to just have you imagine for a minute that the community had passed us a bond, and we were building a new high school. And it was going to house 1,800 or 1,900 students plus 100 and so staff. And it's going to be this wonderful place where there's students and there's activities and there's facilities. And we have this all designed. And I said to you, oh, we're going to build a road right through the middle of campus. And traffic will go through there right through the middle of campus. It'll be great. You would all think I was crazy. This is your chance to fix that. Because it is crazy to have a road through the middle of a high school campus. Thank you.

Our next speaker will be Nadine Weinreich.

Hello, dear community officials. My name is Nadine Weinrich. I reside at 204 H Street Northwest, Puyallup. I'm here to request that the Puyallup School District, city officials, and the police department work together to address urgent traffic safety concerns in our neighborhood. Over the past 30 years, I have seen my intersection at H Street Northwest and Second Ave northwest progressed from a yield sign to a stop sign and now to a four-way stop sign yet traffic safety issues remain and no physical improvements have been made to the existing roads i would like to urge each entity to take the following actions. Puyallup School District, please educate parents on designated safe drop-off and pick-up zones and remind students how to safely cross streets around campus. City please consider installing bump outs on all four corners of 8th Street Northwest and 2nd Ave Northwest as well as 8th Street and main These shortened the bump out shortened pedestrian crossing distance and improved visibility at the intersections Also, maybe the money the city gets from this road closure they could The city will get money from the Puyallup school district and maybe they could use that money to improve the roads for safety police department Well, I understand your department manages many priorities I request increased enforcement of parking violations during and after school including after school sports activities Installing bump-outs and increasing enforcements would help eliminate illegal parking on corners, making these intersections and roads significantly safer for students and residents. Thank you for your time and for working together to prioritize our community's safety.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be Andrew Lynn at Square Doe.

Good evening, council members. My name is Angelina Sciarato, and you got it. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Again, I'm from Pierce County District 2, and I'm here today with a need to inform you of a pressing matter that is spreading digitally that does affect the city's areas via technology and culturally, as some of you do know. There is an extremist group that is racist and sexist located in every state, yet mainly from the state of California and New York. within our country who have an agenda of legalizing rape and slavery. They are focusing on women, hence the reason why I mentioned sexism, but also the other characteristic of Hispanic, which is racist. Please believe me. They are known as Marvel with their partners from their official and unofficial rosters, not entirely public who they associate with, as they are affiliated through the dark web and also the pornography industry. They are wanted to be global dominators and wish to enslave the world as they try and make it as their universe. This affects everyone. It may sound absurd, but I only speak the truth to you on this matter. They are part of a national and international human trafficking ring called Force Rapists, exercising operations in all of its branches of violence, focusing especially on sexual violence. It is true that they have kept women in restraints, balls and chains, and collars for long periods of time strangling them including me via technologies while being sexually assaulted i ask that you reject and do not follow through with the legalization of rape and slavery it is so important for our public safety our community and visitors too which most all of you do prioritize throughout the year so i greatly appreciate that So also thank you for the proclamation honoring the colleges for the week. So I went to WSU at the Puyallup campus for the Pierce County Master Gardener, aka PCMG, extension program. It was quite an experience, including working with the research center and the Tacoma office adjacent to the Pierce County Health Department. I was there from 2020 to 2024. So thank you very much. And I appreciate the moment to speak.

Thank you. Next, we'll hear from Rebecca Singer.

Good evening. My name is Rebecca Singer. I live on the corner of Main and 9th, and I'm here to talk about the 7th Street closure. I do want safety for our kids. I don't want that to be lost on any of this. However, like my neighbors, I am really concerned about our safety. We have increased traffic. They speed through our street. They bypass the 7th round by the high school now and come straight through our neighborhoods. They're parking in front of our driveways. They're parking where they shouldn't all day long on corners. People are not paying attention as they're going around the corners. They're not ceasing and stopping. They're not looking both directions. So when we're talking about children crossing the street and needing to move in that space, yes, we need to do that. But we also need to plan this out in a way that provides them parking so they're not parking within our neighborhood. In addition to that, walkways so that it is safe for everybody. I walk that neighborhood. I walk it every single day. It's just part of what I do. Yet I am not safe in my own neighborhood because we can't cross the streets in any way that's safe in that manner. We have increased litter, a lot of litter. It's every day I'm walking outside and I'm having to pick up garbage and trash out of my own yard. I don't appreciate that. We have the drop-offs for parents. They park all along the street, and they will park in the middle of the street waiting for their kids. Or they'll circle the roundabout before waiting for their kid to get out. They park on the corners where you can't make a turn because they're blocking the way. There's been a lack of respect for those of us living in that neighborhood on a day-to-day basis. We have not been engaged. No one has ever come to our door. Nobody has ever come to try and talk with us or engage with us in any way to talk with us about what we're experiencing or seeing what it is that's going on down there. So while we do want our children to be safe, we want the kids to be safe, there needs to be a plan for how we're going to allow the high school to grow, because it will grow. Population growth, they're going to grow. We need parking for them. It needs to be designated for them. They need to have walking spaces within the area of the high school. But the neighborhood also needs to be respected. I moved there because it's a quiet neighborhood. I loved the layout of it and being in that space near the school. But since that street has closed, traffic is now using our streets as byways to get around. And that's drawn all that traffic into our neighborhoods. And it is not safe for ourselves, our children, our pets. But also, it's bringing litter and everything else into our neighborhood. And we want it to quiet back down, but we want to do that in partnership with all of you. Thank you.

Thank you. That concludes the speakers that have signed up in advance. At this time, we give those that are present that might like to speak. I see a hand if you'd like to come forward. Please state your name and your district or residence.

Cross my shirt, I will. My name is Sandy Monahan. I am the head coach of Puyallup High School Cross Country. I also live within the city of Puyallup at 2505 25th Street Southeast. I am talking about 79 athletes who some of you have seen running down the sidewalks of Puyallup in a ginormous parade. We have no facilities given to us by Puyallup High School to participate and warm up or anything. I do not have a facility. I use the public parks. I use the public sidewalks. And we warm up every day on the closed road because it is the only place that I can have those 79 athletes all in one location. I don't have access to the gym. The volleyball team is in there. People are like, oh, you warm up at Sparks. No, football and soccer at Sparks. I don't have a facility. I definitely need that facility. I do understand the community's concern because there are a limited number of sidewalks around Puyallup High School. I would know because we only ride on sidewalks and in bike lanes. So I do understand their concerns, but I also know that that road is used beyond the school day. It is used on a regular basis. The football team uses the other road that is now on Main that has been closed for their warm-up activities. The space is used beyond the school day. And I really want the community to know that. And I know that you have seen us. If you are anywhere after school from 3 to 4, 4, 430, 445, you have seen my group running. And they run on sidewalks. They run on bike lanes. I understand. But we deserve a facility to warm up in as well. And that is what my team uses as our warm-up facility is the closed road. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Any additional

Good evening, Mayor Winning and council members. Over the years, many of you have known me. My name is Joseph Romero. I'm a Puyallup School Board member, past president three years during my term. I come to you today because I am in support of keeping 7th Street closed. In my terms of service, I bore witness to probably around 10 students being hit in multiple different streets. This one in particular hits close to home because since many of you have known me, I have transitioned into a position with the City of Tacoma where I work with the Public Works Department. And my team with Rural Property Services specifically works on street vacations. You talked about partnership earlier with Washington State University. I've witnessed and seen partnership between the City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools where dozens of street vacations have taken place in order to keep kids safe. Our rules for street vacation is that abutting owners to the street have the ability to petition for the vacation. And in my research, I believe that Puyallup School District owns all abutting parcels to 7th Street in that particular area. I mention this because my team processes the street vacations and works with the hearing examiner, works with the attorneys, works with all agencies within the city of Tacoma, including our planning and development services. to understand the impacts of what that closure looks like. But most importantly, I recently processed a full vacation for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. And the thing that I cited as a public benefit to the air rights vacation that they sought was it was to help achieve target zero in Pierce County, where the goal is to not have anyone, no matter the modality, be hit on one of the rights-of-way. This street in particular is extremely unsafe. It's very apparent. I can speak not only as a school board member supporting schools or kids in our schools for the last seven years, but I can also speak with multiple years of experience where my team processes these, does it effectively, looks for all of the feedback, and then makes sure the space is safe for for the people, in particular here, the students. I had no plans to speak tonight. But that's why it's a little offbeat. I do want to say thank you to all the staff at the school district who have worked on this. Thank you to the staff for the city who've worked on this, obviously for all the time that you've spent on this. And I do petition you to keep that portion of 7th Avenue or 7th Street closed. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else like to speak at this time? Okay. Next on our agenda is the consent agenda. These are items that are considered to be non-controversial and likely to receive a unanimous vote. Council members have the ability to pull any item off for further discussion. Is there any such request?

Move approval.

Second. The consent agenda's approval has been moved and seconded. All those in favor, please so indicate.

Aye.

Motion passes. We now are going to start on our public hearing about the street vacation. a public hearing and first reading of an ordinance to vacate a portion of West Main between 6th Street Southwest and 7th Street Southwest and all of 7th Street Northwest between West Main and 2nd Avenue Northwest. We have our Development and Permitting Services Director, Courtney Brunell, to introduce the public hearing.

Good evening, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, members of the Council. I'm Courtney Brunelli, your Development and Permitting Services Director, and I am joined this evening by Brady Martin from the Puyallup School District. He serves as the Executive Director of Construction, Maintenance, and Facility Planning. We'll be providing a joint presentation this evening on the history of the proposed street vacation, the work that has occurred during the temporary closure, and the proposed mitigation associated with making this closure permanent. I'll first turn it over to Mr. Martin, who will walk the council through the background of the project, the district's work and community engagement, and the results of the temporary closure. I'll then return to discuss the city's involvement, the proposed street improvements and mitigation, and the options before council this evening. With that, I'll turn it over to Mr. Martin. Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Whitting and fellow council members. My name is Brady Martin. I serve as the Executive Director of Construction, Maintenance, and Facilities Planning for the Puyallup School District. Tonight is my pleasure to provide you with a summary of the work that has led the district to petition to vacate the portion of the roadway adjacent to the Puyallup High School. Located at 105 Seventh Street Southwest, Puyallup High School is a longstanding institution founded in 1890. Today's 15-acre campus includes many property additions over the years. The history includes several street vacations, with the most recent completed in 1998 along a portion of West Main located between the school's main building to the south and the gym and the swimming pool building to the north. Like today, these past street vacations were considered in the interest of student safety as our community has grown. Even with history of expansion, the campus is challenged to provide the same amenities provided at other districts' comprehensive high schools due to its limited footprint. The genesis of the road closure proposal dates to October 23, 2023, when the district submitted a conditional use permit to demolish a library science and arts building due to its poor condition. The conditional use application to demolish the building also, but also the addition of six portables were included next to the part of the existing nine portable classrooms located west of the gym building and 7th Street Northwest. The portable classroom addition allowed the school to mitigate for some, but not all, the space that was lost with the library science building being demolished. During the CUP review process, the city and the district staff discussed the need to improve pedestrian safety of students and staff traveling between the main campus and the portables, particularly with the greater demand of pedestrian crossings. Throughout the day, due to the portable additions, in July 2024, the city approved the district CUP with conditions. The conditions included implementing a temporary street closure along a portion of West Main and 7th Street Northwest, with traffic analysis required to study the post-road closure conditions. Following months of community engagement, the temporary road closure pilot began on December 23, 2024. The district's traffic consultant, Heffron Transportation, completed its post-closure data collection and traffic analysis, followed by a vicinity safety assessment report. Following months of city review and coordination, the district moved forward with this request for consideration of a permanent street closure via the street vacation petition submitted last month. The pilot study confirmed that closing 7th Street NW enhanced the student's safety by eliminating vehicle vs. pedestrian conflicts between the portables and the main campus. Additionally, the road closure provides a more cohesive, secure campus and provides greater flexibility in future school planning. The district submitted its petition to make the street closure permanent to maintain these benefits. The next slide shows the location of the new portables, classroom buildings that became operational in January of 2025. Based on current campus planning projections, portable classrooms are expected to remain in this location for the next 10 to 20 years. This area will be used for transitional spaces through a phased construction approach. In 2024, the district put forward in front of the voters a bond package that included Puyallup High School campus expansion, that included a new standalone three-story classroom building to be built where the demo library science and arts building used to reside. Also included was the second and third floors of the existing CTE building that opened in 2008 during construction The portables will be needed to house the students through a phase construction process. Construction baseline costs were estimated at $120.3 million. Community engagement has been an integral part of this process. Following the conditional use permit approval, that included a public hearing with the city's hearing examiner, the district held two community meetings in August 2024 at Puyallup High School. These meetings were well attended and provided two hour long sessions of information and community feedback. An additional community open house was held in October of 2024 before the temporary road closure began later that December. In 2025, the district presented twice to the City Council and held an additional community open house at Puyallup High School focused on the post-road closure traffic analysis and vicinity safety assessment. In addition to these formal meeting opportunities, district staff have met with community members individually upon request and provided project information through the district's website and social media channels. Puyallup High School administration is also committed to promoting the good neighbor practices throughout its student engagement plan. School principals have identified the following steps in their planning for the 2026-2027 school year. Featured expectations for respecting community values at the beginning of each semester and during the parking permit application process. Engage student media channels including the Viking News Network and the Puyallup Vanguard to provide educational media to help promote this message. And finally, include good neighbor reminders during daily announcements. This traffic plan map shows the temporary road closure area along the portion of West Main and 7th Street Northwest in red. The original proposal extended the road closure area to 3rd Avenue Northwest, one block further north than what exists currently. After hearing from the community, together with coordination with city officials, the road closure area was reduced. The traffic map also shows the location of student and staff parking, designated parent pickup and drop-off zones, as well as school bus loading zones. Several traffic and parking-related recommendations have been identified by the district's traffic consultant following its post-road closure study. The first is to maximize the use of school parking lots. In response to this recommendation, school leadership has increased the allocation of parking permits to reduce the number of unused stalls due to student absences. The second is to create student and family drop-off and pickup instructions. Currently, Co-op High School provides information to families on its website and through email correspondence. These efforts will continue to be built upon moving forward. The third is monitoring curb use, which includes recommendations on the next slide. Primary conclusions from the post-road closure traffic study and vicinity safety assessment include the pilot street closure has substantially improved student safety before and during and after school by eliminating vehicle and pedestrian conflicts between the main campus and the portable buildings. The traffic report found no adverse impacts to traffic, travel speeds, or parking due to the closure. While traffic increased along certain sections of roadway, like 8th Street Northwest, traffic has also decreased in other areas like West Pioneer and 7th Street Southwest. This was an intersection identified by community members early in the process with concerns. While traffic surrounding Puyallup High School remains within acceptable levels as determined by city level of service standards, the district is prepared to make certain street improvements as a condition of approval. Capital funds have been earmarked for the project in the amount of $1.5 million. Additional funds will be needed to cover the balance of $600,000. The city has proposed the possibility of waiving the fee of $375,000 for the street to allow the funds to be contributed towards the additional scope of work on 8th Street Northwest from West Main North to 2nd Avenue Northwest. The balance of $300,000 would be funded by the district to complete the work. I will now turn it back over to Courtney to discuss the city's involvement during the pilot program.

Thank you, Brady. In addition to policy and programmatic changes made by the school district, the city has also implemented physical and enforcement measures in response to our observations and neighborhood concerns. We've installed a new stop sign at 2nd and Northwest and 8th Street in order to create a four-way stop. We've installed white delineators at 8th and West Main. And the Puyallup Police Department has increased patrols through our SRO Sergeant Traffic Unit. patrol officers, and transit officer. We've flown drones in order to better understand traffic violations and vehicle movement patterns, held student assemblies, used morning announcements to reinforce rules of the road and safe driving, increased communication with parents, and worked directly with student leadership on neighborhood concerns. The Puyallup Police Department remains committed to additional targeted patrols and working with the district as it implements its good neighborhood plan and to continuing enforcement at pickup and drop off. I was on campus yesterday to observe the traffic. I know many of you have visited in the last week, and I did see officers actively patrolling the area and have confirmed with Chief Engel that we have had patrol officers every day since the start of the school year. For mitigation, I offered to present the district's draft proposal because city and district staff have worked collaboratively to develop a street improvement plan within the resources identified as available and based off of the direction that we've received from council. This is still a conceptual plan and would still be subject to full civil design review and future council direction and deliberation. As a reference point, when council last reviewed this proposal, the district's mitigation focused primarily on the improvements at the two intersections, which are still depicted here, as well as proposed to be in the vacated right-of-way area itself. Based on council and community comments during that April meeting, the city asked the district to go back and reevaluate whether some of those resources could be reprioritized to address the impacts along 8th Street Northwest. In doing that, staff approached this the same way we would any development project. We looked at the impacts associated with the proposal, identified improvements that have a reasonable nexus to those impacts, and then considered what level of mitigation would be proportionate to the project. Here, the nexus is fairly straightforward. With the closure of 7th Street Northwest, both neighborhood observations and the provided studies from the school district have documented additional vehicle and pedestrian trips throughout the neighborhood. Proportionality means that the district should be responsible for mitigating the impacts created by its project. In other words, it should not be forced to correct every existing condition in the surrounding neighborhood that may have previously been considered deficient. Based on that analysis, staff believes that the proportionate package includes the intersection improvements necessary at each end of the closure, together with the improvements to the block of 8th Street that runs parallel to the proposed vacation area between West Main and 2nd Avenue. So the revised plan before you tonight can really be thought of in two parts. The intersection improvements at each end of the road closure and the half street and pedestrian improvements along 8th Street Northwest. At 7th and West Main, the proposal narrows the roadway for traffic calming using bulb outs. includes new crosswalks, lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping with a permanent gate that maintains emergency and maintenance access. At second and seventh, similar improvements are proposed along with a diagonal crosswalk that reflects how students are actually moving between the student and school areas. This type of crossing pattern can be found in other locations. I most recently saw this design outside of Climate Pledge Arena, but it is becoming more frequently used in busy pedestrian intersections. In this design, emergency vehicle access would also be maintained at that intersection. The proposal itself also now includes half street improvements on the east side of 8th Street from West Main to 2nd, replacing the unimproved shoulder with sidewalk, a planter strip, curb and gutter, lighting, and reconstruction of half of the roadway. Bulbouts at Main and 2nd will also provide additional traffic calming and shorten pedestrian crossings. And the missing sidewalk connection along 2nd would also be completed. Wayfinding signage would also help direct parents to the designated pick up and drop off areas. Separately, I do want to mention that the district and the city are reevaluating the parking time restrictions adopted as part of this process. And both the city and district have identified potential changes to that as well. Staff will be bringing back those to council through a separate ordinance. We refer to the full improvement package as option one. Under this option, council would waive the approximately $375,000 cost of the right-of-way, and the district would put those resources towards completing the additional improvements on 8th Street. As Mr. Martin mentioned, the district had originally budgeted approximately $1.5 million for mitigation and acquisition of the right-of-way. With the expanded improvement package just now over $1.6 million, with $375,000 as the purchase price, the total would exceed $2 million. Waiving the right-of-way costs allows the district to instead invest those funds into the neighborhood improvements and complete the full package. Option two would require the district to purchase the right-of-way for $375,000 or the fair market value. Based on the resources currently available, the district has indicated that that would likely require reprioritizing either the two intersection improvements or the improvements along 8th Street for completion before the 2027-2028 school year. The remaining improvements would then be dependent upon a future budget cycle or bond measure. The ordinance before you this evening waives the fees, but should council choose option two, we are prepared to make those modifications to the ordinance prior to second reading. Under either option, the school district has indicated their goal would be to submit the civil construction permit by January of 2027. We would hope to issue that permit by April of 2027, and they would hope to complete all of the construction improvements prior to the start of the 2027-2028 school year. Thank you, Mayor. That is the extent of the staff presentation. We look forward to hearing from council and the community and receiving feedback, making modification to the proposal or the ordinance ahead of second reading. With that, at this time, the next step is to open the public hearing, followed by council consideration of first reading of the ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you. And I will now open our public hearing. Each speaker is allowed two minutes. Nobody has signed up at this point. Everybody will get a chance to speak. Val, you want to go first?

So, for the dramatic pictures that were shown for students crossing the street, down at the event center, There is that wide open space with signal lights for people in mass to cross onto the fairgrounds from their parking lot. School district, you have this manual on school safety. You have not implemented anything except stage one. You are entitled to get all the reader signs for speed, photoed, enforced. those student crossings with the flashy lights, you've had ample years to have that done. To close these streets down is a slap in the face to your students and the people in the area. I can't believe that you are going to bring this to a closure. It's unacceptable. There were established rules and regulations that the school district approved and has not abided by. And you're not listening to the people living in the area or the other schools that you are willfully neglecting in the pedestrian safety. You're just being negligence all across the board.

30 seconds.

Thank you. Mitzi, you want to?

Hey, Mitzi McMahon, District 1. I just want to speak a little bit to the proportionality that the school district spoke of. It's the parents circling for 15 to 20 minutes that are a result of the closure. OK, so that's proportionality. It's a definite problem. The traffic analysis found no adverse safety impact due to the road closure, yet there have been accidents, and the city was compelled to put a stop sign at second and eighth because of this, because of the safety issues. And, you know, Councilmember Adler, you started sending the videos that I was shooting to the police, and then we started seeing the patrols because they saw what was going on out there. So I just encourage all of you. I've talked to your staff. There have been a lot of visits as of recent, and I do appreciate that. This isn't a problem that we can't solve. We just need to be consulted. There aren't that expensive of items that need to be done for traffic calming. I'm not an engineer. This is where I haven't even been consulted about the timed parking. This doesn't happen in a vacuum. We see what's happening out there. We're out there trying to make sure the students aren't getting run over. My son, his girlfriend, my partner who has limited visibility. This is just a concern and it doesn't make sense. It's about safety. The issue, if we're really concerned about safety, it has nothing to do with closing 7th. It's what's closing 7th? What is it done to the rest of the neighborhood? 30 seconds. And I would encourage all of you, I would say the area was worse before the police started patrolling. And yes, they have been patrolling every day. So imagine for those of you that have just recently gone out what it might have been like before the police were coming out. And yet, the parents are definitely one of the biggest problems. They're circling with their cell phones, waiting to pick up their students. They're stopping at stop signs. They're doing mid-block U-turns. They're triple parking. But it's all in the documentation that I sent. So I just encourage you to review that.

Thank you.

You get a second chance. On paper, this is my third time. You know, I worked security at Puyallup High School for almost nine years. So I had a lot of time to look at this problem, the students crossing. And I also had a lot of time to look at the land there. I don't know when the portables went in. There was actually 13 of them that went in years ago. Four of them were over on the other side of the pool. Two of them were on the pool lot, and two of them were in the field behind it. And there's plenty of room there. All of those could have been put over there. They could have been put in the pool parking lot. Because the pool parking lot really isn't used, other than for a few teachers and for some of the smaller transport vehicles. Because they did put four of them on a parking lot that's across the street. You wouldn't have that crossing problem if they had done it. But that was their land, and they didn't want to use it for that, because really, Crossing wasn't a priority. They've had other plans to increase parking across the street because crossing wasn't a priority. It's like nobody saw it. And I don't understand it. Now it is. I read the school district's proposal to put those new portables in there when they took out the building. And they identified that it's a crossing problem. And you know what we're going to do? We're going to make it worse. We're going to put three more over there. And then we're going to come to the city and say, my God, look at this problem here. If I did this, I wouldn't be in front of you asking you to fix it. I'd be in front of a judge asking for leniency. 30 seconds. OK, so it does need to be fixed. They have a plan to fix it. It's long range. It's going to take a while. Maybe those portables that they put in, those three, should be on the Main Street that they've never used. Now they're telling us it's going to be 10 more years. I think Main Street that's vacated has plenty of room for portables. Every one of these portables can be brought back across and end that crossing problem. And maybe we can then address the temporary crossing problem with the students that are coming over from the student parking lot.

thank you thank you any further public comment good evening again council um it seems as though everyone's issues is that a road's being used as a road and i absolutely 100 agree the littering and the speeding and driving unsafely is not okay by any means but as mr senate stated there are measures being taken just not as rapidly as everyone wants Does the issue truly lay within the road closure, or is it the fact that students cannot drive safely? I believe that's an entirely separate issue that can be addressed in a separate way. You win some and you lose some, but in this case, don't let that loss be in other students' life. Thank you.

Thank you.

Joseph Romero speaking again. I shared with you that my team processes street vacations for the city of Tacoma. What I didn't share is today I met with faculty and staff from the University of Tacoma because in December of last year, then mayor of Tacoma, Victoria Woodards, met with the chancellor of UWT. And the chancellor of UWT showed an outline of the crown jewel of Tacoma and expansion of that university and making that a primary university for Pierce County and the South End. I hear a lot about the tradition. I was at the 100th anniversary of Puyallup High School in, maybe it was the 125th anniversary. Puyallup High School is the flagship school of the city and of our district. The reason I mention all of these things is because the City Council of Tacoma decreased the amount for the street vacation from $3 million to $600,000 in an effort to support UWT's expansion to create a wonderful campus in Tacoma. You've been presented with a couple options with regarding to the hearing earlier, and My ask would be to get the same kind of grace and leniency so that we can provide the off-site improvements without having additional effects for the stratification in terms of how much that cost. Thank you.

Thank you, Joseph.

Hello, my name is Aubrey Jones, and this is my second time speaking today. I am from Puyallup High School. I would first like to state that I understand that most people's frustration seems to be with either kids littering or kids parking in front of the driveway, and it has nothing to do with the actual road closure. I understand that kids driving unsafely is a hazard. But also, like Mr. Sunich has stated, we have been implementing things into our school with more SRO officers or the stop signs to be able to implement kids driving safely through the school zone. And also, as Ms. Monahan had stated, with cross-country, because as I, being a former cross-country runner, running on the street or the sidewalk is a hazard. But with having that 7th Street closed, it gives her an area to be able to warm up with the kids, to be able so they can run it safely and not have to worry about being hit. One of the things I understand, like I said, I understand kids driving is unsafe. It's a safety hazard. But it's people driving straight through a school campus, not a safety hazard as well. We have stuff implemented in there. We closed this road so there was nothing helping to ensure the safety of students putting a crosswalk in. Putting a crosswalk in with flashing lights won't really do anything much more than what we already have. We already have a crosswalk, and that did nothing more. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further speakers?

Good evening again, Council. I feel like a lot of the people who have spoken tonight are referencing and believing that the people in the neighborhoods around us are just wanting to close the street for convenience and the sake of Wanting to have this road open for our own sakes, a lot of the times that could be how I could see it comes across. But again, I would like to put forward the point that we have barely been roped in in any of the conversations surrounding the schools that are doing a really good job of pretending to put forward an effort of having community involvement, especially from the people in the neighborhood, but not actually fully reaching out or developing those conversations. processes and communications that need to happen with people who are living in the area in which they are affecting directly, especially with that report showing that there have been no adverse safety effects. Three accidents, three car accidents, multiple of which I've had to get past to get to either work or get home. Multiple collisions on that intersection near 7th. It's bad. and a hasty continuation of this without any further thought to actually understanding the issue at hand. They're not separate issues. Students, parking, littering, everything is not a separate issue from what we are currently facing with this road closure. It's a direct consequence of these pre-decided and thought to be complete things. It's the school teachers thinking they already have permission to go forward with this and are already moving forward with plans to continue doing it without having the access to understanding what everyone else around them is going through is frustrating. And it's obnoxious to have to come back to and constantly hear about it every single week. I just want you guys to make sure you don't make any hasty decisions and that you actually listen to people who are speaking to you and coming out to help foster the community that you're in. Thank you guys so much.

Thank you. Any additional speakers? With that, I will close the public hearing. Do I have a motion to approve the first reading of the ordinance? Council Member Gilliam.

I would like to know how to proceed a little bit by making a motion to approve. How much time do we have to actually work on the concerns of the residents before second reading? What's the process here?

City Manager Kirkley.

Yeah, thank you, Council Member Gilliam. The typical practice is if council approves that first reading, they would come back at second reading. which is typically the next regular meeting. So in this case, that would be October 6th. However, it's council discretion. So if council wanted it to be beyond October 6th, you just need to have a date certain in which second reading would come back.

Okay. So team, council member team here, first of all, student safety is number one. Residential safety is number one. They're not two separate issues. I am very proud of Principal Sunnage. He came up here with, he listened to us. He put something together. I'm a little disappointed in the students. You advocated for your school, but you're not thinking about the impact that you have on the community. And that breaks my heart a little bit as a teacher. Thank you for sharing your mind. Thank you for saying, hey, this is important to us. But I'd also like to hear you say, hey, you know what? I'm going to help my peers take responsibility for the negative impact we're having on our community. So I just want to challenge you to consider that, OK? Neighbors, I hear that you want to work together. I hear that you want to be heard. So at this point, I'm comfortable with moving it forward because the school district needs to prove that they can step up. But I don't feel comfortable doing a second reading on October 6. Although I don't have an idea of when second reading should take place, so if a teammate can help me out here, I just want to give the school district an opportunity to actually implement the things that they do want to implement. So I put out as a motion, maybe make an amendment to the procedure here, that we go ahead and move ahead with first reading. And then does anybody have any idea on when a good second reading would be?

We need a precise. We need a precise number.

Anybody have any ideas? I can give you dates of future meetings if that would be helpful. Your next regular meeting is October 6th. The next meeting after that is October 27th. The next meeting after that is November 10th, then November 17th, and December 8th. So you have five more regular meetings this year.

Point of order.

Councilmember Kasten?

Yes. Keep in mind, we can postpone those meetings, too. Am I correct? In other words, if we give a date certain and we decide that we do, in fact, not want to have it at that date, we can set another date, correct?

Yes, if you're saying you have a date certain and then council majority decides to continue it to another date, you certainly can do that. Certainly.

Thank you for that clarification.

So I make a motion to approve second reading. Sorry, forgive me. Whoa, forgive me. I make a motion to approve first reading and postpone second reading until January. What's the first meeting in January that we will be here for?

We have not set that yet.

Okay. Well, maybe we should do the last one in December then, whenever that one is available.

That was December 8th.

December 8th, to allow the Puyallup School District to implement what they can as we work towards working with the community to be able to approve second reading.

Second. We have a motion moved and seconded. Is there any discussion?

Councilmember Kastner, do you? Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Actually, I have spent time observing the PHS campus under the current scenario. I've also gone through the Heffron report. I've also looked at the study that was done on Fruitland Elementary School, and you'll see why that is relevant as I bring that up. And if it's possible, I have a proposal. If not, I will just go ahead and ad lib it from there. But if you could put something on the screen, my observations I would like to be able to provide to the public. If not, everyone here has been given those observations. As you can see, and if you could click it, please. There you go. As you can see, the pathway between the gym and the portables, I will agree. address a clear safety issue. Having 15 portables across that street creates a just clear and present danger. And I know that we have issues as to the motive of the school district to do that, but I'm not looking at that motive. I'm looking at the fact that I have 15 portables there, and that's reality. And I believe that also those will probably be there for at least 20 years. I grew up in this community. I understand how slow things operate when it comes to bonds and then actually following through with that. So I think we're going to be seeing those for at least 20 years. Sorry for the students who don't want to be in portables that often. But I think that's a reality. So as you can see from this slide, the red indicates where the pickup and drop off areas are designated around Puyallup High School. And I have gone out. I've actually looked at every single sign. So what you see here is from actually me looking at the signs. If you could go to the next slide, let me show you the reality. This is the reality of the situation. is that people for pickup and drop off, or pickup especially, they are parked where those lines are, on both sides of the road. And by the way, nobody stays there for five minutes. They're there a minimum of 30 minutes beforehand. And if you look over on 8th, where it says no parking, they're parked there every single day. and where the red arrow is, people frequently go through that stop sign. They roll right through it. So my point is that I believe we have a clear situation where we need the street closed. But the discount... The neighbors' complaints, I think, is unwarranted. When I look at that, we have created a tremendous mess in that area of how people actually use that area. Now, you may ask yourself, why don't people, why don't the police just ticket everyone? Well, you'd have to ticket everybody, OK? And then if they ticket them, I have a question. Where do they go? Do those parents just circulate around the neighborhood? They have nowhere to go. They, in fact, could cause more trouble with safety, et cetera, by constantly going around. We heard one lady say they continue to go around a roundabout to delay time to pick up their students. Well, so I don't blame the police for not ticketing. But the reality is people are there far beyond the five minutes. So what's the solution to this? If you look what they did at the Fruitland School, elementary school, I mean, they had similar issues. They had the public parking on public right of way. And they had that interfering with public safety on public right-of-way. And they moved everything into a self-contained situation that was well-managed. Now, I know it's an elementary school. It's a difference, students, et cetera. But nevertheless, the school district hired a traffic analysis study. I believe it was Heath. associates who did that. They studied that to determine what would be the best pattern. So this is what I propose going forward. Oh, by the way, on this, take a look over near the sounder parking lot in the top of this. Notice that the five-minute parking place, nobody uses that. I looked over there. I didn't see one car. So that's entirely an area designated for parent pickup, and nobody uses it. I even talked to one of the staff at Puyallup High School, and they said that's not a pickup place. In other words, they had no idea because parents don't use it. There's no signage that indicates to parents, go over there to pick up your student. And it makes a lot of sense. But nevertheless, nobody uses it. So this is my proposed amendment. Next slide, please. I propose the city of Puyallup, with its expertise, work with the Puyallup School District on a 60-day traffic management pilot designed to redirect student pick-up and drop-off activities away from the residential streets, move it out of the residential neighborhoods. Same philosophy we use at Stewart, at Fruitland, excuse me, move them away from more residential areas. um and do and and move that to more designated areas around third now it could include third avenue as you see to the north there over near the sounder or it could even include on the east side of the campus but get the pickup especially the pickup drop off is not as much of an issue because people just pull up they drop off their student and they go away but But to pick up, they go there and they sit for sometimes up to a half hour. That's where the real issue is. So look at all these alternative areas outside of the path of the neighborhoods. That, to me, just makes sense. Also, look at a concept of the cell phone lot like we used at Sea-Tac Airport. Now, you may laugh, but they did that at Fruitland Elementary School. For an extended time, they had a cell phone lot, so it works. And it works at airports. Investigate that kind of a concept. And then finally, you should have appropriate signage, communication. No one is out there directing traffic. And I mean zero. Please counter me, OK? Say that that's not true. But no one is up there with a flag. All that people are being told is, you know, it's a bad idea, which is true because I was there, that your truck sticks out in the middle of oncoming traffic while you're waiting for your student. People will say the most obvious, but they're not directing them. And I don't fault the parents. I do not fault the parents. Every parent that I saw was very polite. They just need a place to go. So we have to have appropriate directions. And we have to have volunteers out there telling them where to go to get them used to this process. So that is what my amendment is. And I think it's fully backed by the PHS traffic analysis. I've read the Heffron report. It says the 7th Street improves pedestrian safety. But it does shift all that traffic onto 8th and 2nd. And they say 3rd Avenue is a loading zone that is underutilized. I say we completely utilize that area non-neighborhood. section that's adjacent to the campus. And with that, and by the way, the Fruitland analysis, I think everybody can read. I get tired when people read me PowerPoint. Sorry about that. But I think you can see the Fruitland analysis is also appropriate in this area. So I would propose an amendment to Councilmember Gilliam's motion that we adopt this first reading.

I'll second that. Yeah, I'll second that.

Thank you. Will you accept the proposed amendment? I do accept the proposed amendment. Thank you. OK, so we now have a motion and no amendments, which is the way I like it. Deputy Mayor Johnson, are you complete? Council Member Kastemann? I have another amendment, but I'll wait in queue. OK, Deputy Mayor Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Sometimes I've decided tonight to talk about this rationally and keep the emotion or my own personal preferences out of it. I do believe and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we can come up a collaboration between the school city staff and council, and the neighborhood, no question in my mind that we can come up with a plan. I don't think we're there yet, but we're close because we'll get there. We can come up with a plan that will provide safety for the students and the neighbors. We can get there, and we will get there. In fact, I don't see it going without it. So that's a given. I think that's going to happen. We're not there yet. The school is the flagship school. It's a great school. My parents went there. Countless people I know have gone there. Great school right in the heart of our city. But if you look at some of the history in their growth, they've closed several streets over the century and decades. They've likely closed, recently closed West Main. They probably likely closed Meeker. If you look at the overhead map, you can see that, don't pull up my slide, I'm not ready for mine yet. They closed Meeker. There was a continuation. You can see that gap. They closed 2nd Avenue Northwest for the ball field and the gym. So there's been some growth where the footprint has picked up property and they've grown. So to close another street or two, because they own the majority of the property to the to the west makes sense in the growth. So I see that as a continuation or evolving of a campus that's growing and needs to provide an expansion and safety. I just don't think it goes far enough. I think Mr. Martin did mention that initially that the school had asked to vacate two blocks of 7th Street Northwest. And my understanding, and bringing this to light several meetings ago at this topic, was that I understand that City Council had some concerns about that. And then subsequent, maybe further discussions, they peddled it back to one. Since I've had a chance to view it, I think the school district got it right the first time that both of those blocks for safety need to happen. They own property on both sides of the aisle and to only close one street, which I think is the most important street for sure, so I will grant that between the gym and the portables. It's a no-brainer. I still think it goes far enough. You should go one more block up to the north to connect those parcels. And if it's a budgetary issue, let's find a way to get money out of it, but let's not let that be the issue. I did hear students say over and over again, Specifically, don't reopen the street. Well, I'm for you, but I said let's not reopen the whole 7th Street, 7th Street Northwest. It was referred to as a major walk path. It's still a major walk path to the north. And students are crossing all over the place they stated, safety of residents and students as possible. But here's, and I did hear residents also say, that when we did the pilot project, that it did divert. People are coming down 7th, and they're making that right on 2nd Avenue, and they're going into 8th. They're coming from Pioneer on 7th Street Southwest. They're taking a left and going up on 8th. So they're still kind of invading 8th at probably a higher density due to the 7th. And so I think that's an issue. So I think as much as possible, The opportunity, and again, I'm not a traffic engineer. I don't pretend to be one. But I do maybe have some ignorant common sense, perhaps. I'm just kind of throwing it out to be determined by traffic engineers. But I think we should do all that we can to divert pickup and drop offs to the east of the campus, not to the west, which would, in fact, 8th Street southwest. So I'd like to propose a scenario. I mean, these are just talking points. Again, I'm not saying this has to be it. And maybe my proposal is completely not possible. So I'll say that, but if we're going to go back to the drawing board and look for some resolution, I think this could tie into a complimentary to Councillor Castema's proposal, possibly. So if we can put up that slide, I'll take a look at that and see if we can find something here as a possibility. Most of the traffic is coming in probably from two areas, your Main Street, your Pioneer, which is the lower southern area with the purple, and then on Stewart Street. So let's just talk about potentially coming in from Stewart. Right now, they can come in from Stewart, drop all the way down 7th to the ball field, and then they're going to have a forced to go east or to go west on 2nd Avenue. And then they got to take a right or left and really hit and impact 8th Street Southwest. So that's just drawing traffic in there, whereas before it probably wasn't affecting it that much. They would just come down 7th and then hit down 7th Street Southwest. There's no doubt in my mind that closing 7th Street Southwest did push over cars, into 8th Street Southwest, which is undue burden that wasn't that way before. So that's a problem. So, also as I understand and talking to a resident that lives in that area, let's just say that we were able to mitigate the area up on Stewart. It doesn't solve the problem because they're still coming off Pioneer, they're coming down 7th Street, they're heading north on 7th Street Southwest, and they're heading east on West Main and going up 8th and waiting for pickup there. I'm proposing that we go back to the school, again, just take a look at that traffic injury, go back to closing the full 7th Street Northwest right there at 3rd Avenue Northwest, and then also closing at the corner of 8th Street Southwest and Main, sealing it up, which at that point you wouldn't need 2nd Avenue Northwest. There's no reason to come through there. And that would give them that whole... block to continue over their campus and when you look at that you've got two basic blocks already you have the ball field in the gym at some point council closed west main then you've got the high school so that's a one big block now you can have this l-shaped block it's all continuous school it's all safe and traffic can that at that be at that point be moved to the east what i'm recommending against this Traffic engineers, throw this out, come up with it. I don't know. I'm recommending we wouldn't want to close off 7th Street Southwest, but make a nice come in, do a roundabout pickup, and then come out back on Pioneer again and not have them be able to have the option of heading west on West Main. So that's my thoughts. I do think that we can, I'm not saying it's correct, but have these options been brought up to the neighbors? I don't think so. I haven't heard them say they have. So we need to at least help some options, find a way to mitigate unnecessary traffic on 8th Street and beyond. These are some ideas that could happen, but also by diverting pickup and drop-off primarily on 6th Street Southwest, there's virtually no residences being impacted there. That's all school property. And so there's no impact there. So if we move everything and encourage all pickup on that 6th Street Southwest, and then coming in and out of Pioneer and Stewart, it's going to avoid any impact on 8th Street and other areas. And so there is some merit to that. So council, this is a team sport. You know, I've been pretty adamant on if we're going to, you know, approve it, let's approve it right and get it actually shut down for future growth. Minimize the mitigate, protect the neighborhoods. As Councilmember Kastema said, I 100% agree. Let's move, pick up and drop off away from residential streets, which I think is really right there on 8th Street. Southwest let's move it over towards the 6th Street Southwest and we can't have our cake and eat it too again. These are ideas I don't claim to be a traffic engineer, but I haven't heard any of these areas talked about so unless we talked about studied it They could be that could not be other than that. Mr. Mayor. That's all I have at this point.

Thank you Councilmember King

Darn it, Deputy Mayor Johnson, you threw a curveball. And I'm trying to think about that as I give my thoughts and remarks on this. That was very interesting. I kind of like it, but I think that Gosh, why did I have to go after you? I had to think about that one. But obviously, the biggest thing I think about tonight is obviously the mitigation of the drop-off and pickup. The solution is firm communication by moving the pickup to the north and northeast. And just add some more time to think about Councilmember Kastema's proposal and amendment. Councilmember Johnson does have some valid points. I see some other things that would cost a lot of money to do. So I'm just trying to juggle that for the moment. But I do, I'm just going to stick to Castema's proposal for now. while I continue to think about Deputy Mayor Johnson's. I would even suggest adding additional pickup locations on the north side of 3rd Avenue in between 6th and 7th. That is basically the curbside of the Sounder lot. So that way, both sides could be implemented for pickup and drop off. after visiting this afternoon for the second time and seeing if any improvement has been made, I believe the root of this problem is the drop-off. And thank you for a copy of that so I can continue to look at it as I talk. And so the two areas that I believe we should take immediate action is West Main Street by installing reflective traffic linears, or the bollard sticks with reflective on them, just like there are on 8th in front of the home there, to prevent anyone from wanting to park or try to wait to park there. Just based off of my comments on Councilmember Castema's presentation. um and and i think that would help deter those that are wanting to park along there so that way we can move them by not allowing any additional space there to linger and wait for their student to be picked up i also think that we need to move the ecology blocks that are along eighth closer to the road where there is no parking, but we do see parents continue to hang out there waiting for their student to be picked up. There are ecology blocks that are along that road of 8th that are, I believe, on the school district property. If we could get those moved out to the street to prevent any parking there, I think that would help mitigate a lot of that congestion until the sidewalks and bull belts are built out. So I think that those two things could help immediately to be able to Help that congestion in that sector of the neighborhood I Do like that we are connecting the sidewalk from 8th Street Along second there I believe if I'm Yeah second and connecting it to the existing sidewalk So I do like that. And I do like all the drawings that were presented tonight regarding the new crosswalks that will be implemented for the current proposal that's on the table. I would also like to see large signage directing drop offs to the designated areas. I mean, this has to be large and in charge signage that's going to direct people just like you would see at the airport. I mean, this is going to be imperative for our pickup and drop off areas to really send a message. We have to get the message out there. It can't be a small no parking sign. It has to be large. That's the only way that you're going to make a dent in this? whether you do large signs on the, on the posts where, you know, we have just implemented a lot of free parking signage throughout the city that has helped a lot. And I think that if you use that same size template to be able to help mitigate those that are wanting to, to loiter in that area to the appropriate drop-off areas, that'd be great. I also think having someone out there, maybe a volunteer or a, someone on staff to be able to go out and hand them a piece of paper. Hey, follow this map. Go over here instead. That's the new drop-off area. But there's going to be some learning curves for a lot of these individuals that are wanting to use this area. But we've got to figure out a way to get them over there, whether it's large signage on the post or even A-board signage throughout the campus in those areas that you don't want these drivers to loiter and wait for their students for pickup. I think that'll help the neighborhood. I think that it'll help the safety in those areas and make the quality of living in that area a little bit more enjoyable. PHS also has two large lots. One is located directly behind the portables and the other one that I've noticed is on 7th, just between Pioneer and Main next to the Lutheran Church. They also have a parking lot just off 8th Street currently next to the Lutheran Church. The one on 7th is currently dirt and I would encourage to have discussion amongst council members to even potentially consider that as a quote unquote cell phone lot that could be used during this period of construction through a conditional use permit possibly by just laying simple gravel down in that lot. I don't know if the lot behind the portables would be best suited for this. It could be. I'm not sure. But just from logistical standpoint, I think that the lot that is in between next to the Lutheran Church, I think that would be great. That's right across the street from the high school. And I think that it could house 50 to 60 stalls as a temporary use, which would be potentially permitted with the construction permit that they would be using for other projects throughout the campus. So that's something to consider there. And I also think it's imperative that every crosswalk that is adjacent or touching the campus must have flashing buttons, just like we do on Meridian, just like we do over by Anthem. Every crosswalk that is adjacent or touching the campus, whether it's crossing Pioneer, there's one right there on the corner of 7th and Pioneer. But anywhere else inside those streets and touching the campus, I believe that there should be a flashing light crosswalk beacon. And I think that should be considered very heavily for the students that are crossing out of the campus. You know, it only takes one driver to come through 7th, and I think that there's no argument there that the current vacation on 7th Street between Main and Third Avenue there's no argument really there for the safety of our kids that are going to high school there because it only takes one car one bad actor to come barreling through that road and taking out 30 students and making it a mass casualty event and we don't want that and but like I mentioned earlier in council regarding a different topic You know, we're all going to figure out a way to get from point A to point B. We might not get everything that we hoped for, but we will try our best to get a lot of what we need. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Okay. I'm going to weigh in at this point. When in time, I'd like to start off by just identifying the magnitude, quantifying the relative magnitude of the problem. We've got 15 portables there. If we say 20 students come from each portable and end up crossing that street, some of them may stay in place. So assuming 20 at a time, that would be 300 students crossing 7th. those students have to be replaced by other students coming from campus. So that would be another 300 students coming from the other direction. So that's 600 students, 300 from one direction and 300 from the other direction. And they probably have five minutes to get between classes. So within a five minute time frame, we've got 600 students. That's about 120 students crossing that street per minute. there's no place else in the community that has anywhere near the safety impacts that we have within that one block of 7th Street. So that, to me, if we're talking safety, that's number one, and community safety is number two. That's not to say that community safety isn't important, but that block of 7th Street is critical. The other observation I'd like to make is the school district has over a million dollars of mitigation funds available to start rectifying the situation. And the longer we delay this decision, the longer it will be before the mitigation takes place. So I think there's a real incentive to make decisions quickly and expeditiously so we can put the mitigation measures in place to serve the students and to serve the community, both. The longer we postpone this decision, we're not serving the community and we're not serving the students. I'm a strong advocate for shortening up the decision point. Now, the other thing I'd like to say is I love what Councilmember Kastema put forward. I've been out there, and there isn't anybody on Third Avenue. We had a city waste signage program to direct our citizenry that are visiting downtown to places where they can park. We need that same kind of a program going for the school district. because people are going to go where they're used to going because they don't know that there's an alternative close by that is better and safer and less congested. So we need to educate students and parents to that alternative. And expanding that parking west of 7th will add additional capacity there. And if Johnny has to walk another block to preserve the safety of the students and make the community more livable for community members, then I think it's a good idea for Johnny to walk that extra block. So that's where I would like to weigh in on this. Again, I think Councilmember Kastema's proposal here has a great deal of merit. But I would hope that we could consider that and come to a proposal quickly. So I would propose that we put the, I would suggest that we put the this due date sooner. And if we need to postpone it later, do that rather than set it for the end of December now, because we're losing half the school year with unsafe conditions that we might otherwise be mitigating today. Council Member Adler.

Thank you. So I certainly have a lot of thoughts and things to say, but I am going to try to keep this short and sweet. So a couple of things. to just be very direct and plain talk. So number one, I have said it before, I support the vacation of 7th. I went to Puyallup High School. I graduated almost 20 years ago. Many of you have heard me say this before. When I was at Puyallup High School, a classmate of mine was hit in front of the gym. This is very real to me. Obviously, the situation has not gotten better in 20 years, because that's why we're here today. So this is very serious and material. It does only take one. And tonight, we heard from at least four people, myself included, that have had close encounters, four, just in here. um so you know that i just want to be really clear about that i i support the vacation the issue has now become what some during the public comment uh pointed out which is this is now about mitigation of the vacation of seventh um And what are we going to do to actually provide the mitigation? And what does that look like? I appreciate Councilmember Castema's proposal. I support it. I appreciate so very much the call out of the Fruitland traffic analysis somewhere else where I also went to school even longer ago. And traffic and parking was bad even then. I think that that is a great reference. And what it also shows me is Fortunately, unfortunately, this council and this school district are going to be right back in similar conversations about other schools in downtown Puyallup very soon because this community is going to continue growing. And the schools that we have anywhere add so much charm to our city, but the ones downtown are so unique in the charm that they add. And we're going to have to figure this out. And it's going to happen school by school by school. I have taken many phone calls since being elected about the downtown schools and the traffic challenges that surround them during the school year and during pick up and drop off. So I support the pilot. The pilot is short term, obviously. And so while I don't much like slow walking opportunities for betterness, for lack of a better term, I do think that pushing out or being very thoughtful with second reading and tying it to a time frame of the pilot would make sense, because we need to be thoughtful. The pilot is short term. I would be curious to get school district feedback on the proposal, as well as Deputy Mayor Johnson's proposal, feedback on both of these. from the school district, from the neighbors, from the students, from staff, everyone else in the area. That's really important. And we've heard time and time again tonight that folks in the neighborhood feel like they haven't been heard or they haven't been sought out. I'm not a judge, right? I think that feelings are valid. And so if folks in the neighborhood are feeling as if they haven't been heard or they have not seen what is being shared here tonight about good practices and being good neighbors, I think there's a disconnect somewhere. I want to thank our school board president for being here. I appreciate what you say about partnerships. I actually asked. when this issue came before us over a year ago, I said, this council and the school board should have a joint meeting or joint study session to talk about this. That would be great. No one wants an extra meeting. But this certainly, I think, calls for one. I would love that. I would love for us to figure out a way to work. more closely together. And the example you gave about UWT, absolutely. I mean, I would agree with you that Puyallup High School, I am biased as a third-generation Viking that it is the crown jewel of our city. And it has incredible history that we must preserve. But I couldn't tell anyone that stopped me on the street what the long-term plan is for Puyallup High School. So again, to your point, That partnership is very important to me. And you have my commitment as one person to work on that and to continue having very thoughtful conversations about not only this campus, but all the campuses that are within the Puyallup School District. I very much appreciate students being here tonight. I appreciate the neighbors and residents for being here, sharing with us what you see every day. Much of this, the challenge that we have before us, is going to be changing personal behavior. And it's going to be very tough. It is. And it's going to take a very long time. And it's on all of us. I think we can all agree on that tonight, that it is on all of us to help move that personal behavior and those personal decisions behind the wheels of all the drivers to hopefully make better choices so this is better for all involved. So with that, again, I do think that we have a ways to go. I think we're on a good track. I really do appreciate my colleagues bringing forward some solutions to think about. But again, what's paramount to me is the partnership with the school district, having real conversations, whether that's a joint study session, public meeting, what have you. Great. And also ensuring that students, staff, as well as the neighbors, have opportunity to give feedback on what's being proposed here. Thank you.

Thank you. And I've been waiting with bated breath for, for, after your first proposal, Councilmember Kasima. I've been excited to hear your second.

Well, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Actually, I have an amendment to propose and it will be the subject. I just look at Councilmember Smokal has not commented, I think, on the underlying proposal that we have here. If she wants to go before me, before I propose that amendment,

With your discretion. I should have called on you first, Councilmember Smolko. My apologies. Go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thanks, everybody. I appreciate also the amount of time in engineering design thinking as a STEM teacher. I love that, that everybody out here has done and my fellow council members have done. I'm hearing a lot of good ideas tonight, but I'm also hearing us start to become traffic engineers, and we are not. My skin also crawls at the us versus them Conversation, neighbors versus students, or the school district versus the city, that makes me uncomfortable, and I would love for us to get beyond that quickly. Everyone here wants students to be safe, and I think everyone also recognizes that the people who live around the high school deserve a safe, livable neighborhood. We can't expect police officers, tickets, a good neighbor policy to solve an engineering problem. The enforcement matters, but enforcement can't overcome bad design. I agree with Councilmember Adler about a meeting of the minds. I would like us to deliberately bring the people affected by this to the same table, and I don't mean another meeting where everyone comes in defending the solution they've already chosen. I mean starting with the problems we agree need to be solved, safety and peace of mind and property for everyone. We have a lot of ideas. What we don't have yet is consensus. I don't think the answer to that is for one side to win and the other to lose. I think the answer is to create a deliberate process for getting to a design we can all live with so we don't end up here again in December. Then we let the professionals bring us options born out of that. Let the neighbors tell us what those options would mean on the ground. Let the school district tell us what works operationally and use traffic and safety data from the city to evaluate them. That's my two cents. Thank you.

Okay. Councilmember Kasten. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would like to propose an amendment regarding the Puyallup High School Good Neighbor Action Plan. I think that it has the bones of a very good plan. However, I think we need to put into this proposal that the city would receive an annual report. We receive a report. It doesn't have to be in person, but if we have to, if we ask them, they would do that. I don't want to do something onerous, but I do want to hold the school district accountable. So my amendment is to provide to the city an annual report on the status of the Good Neighbor Action Plan as presented this date. So we know we're talking about this one. So that's the amendment.

Council Member Gillian, are you willing to accept that amendment?

So I guess point of clarification. Certainly. We are going to approve the first reading so that the Puyallup School District has an opportunity to start implementing this to show to the neighbors that they are serious about hearing them. And we're going to come back for, OK, I believe also included is consideration of your map.

Right. Well, the initial amendment, as my understanding is, in the proposal, underlying proposal, this would be an amendment to that.

Yeah, I'm just trying to clarify what we're actually voting on. I'm confused.

Okay. Mr. Mayor? So the amendment, the motion as it stands now is to approve first reading with second reading scheduled for the end of December.

Does that include my amendment, initial amendment?

And that includes an annual report of this action step?

Councilmember Kasten, those two proposals have not been embedded into the motion at this point. OK, so before we go on to an amendment, we should vote on my underlying amendment, correct? if you want to include that as part of the thing.

Well, I'll call the question then. Let's vote on my underlying First Amendment, the one that has the 60-day pilot project. Correct?

So, Joe, help me out. Mayor, so what has happened at this point is you had the motion to for first reading, bringing it back in December. And that didn't pass, but there was a motion and a second. And then Councilmember Kastema made an amending motion to modify that question. um, to include his proposal for, and I, I'm sorry, I can't restate it, um, because I don't have a memory, but it was his proposal that he talked about. There was a motion in second to implement, to embed that into the underlying question. You never voted on the, on the amending, that amending motion.

Got it. Okay. Thank you. So we, so the, um, the motion on the table now includes, uh, council member Kastem is, uh,

It does not include it until you vote to include it. I thought you said that we had... You had a motion and a second to amend the original motion, but there was no vote on the motion.

Yes, okay, so we've got the motion on the floor. Is everybody clear on where we are at this point?

No. So to clarify, we are doing a sub-amendment, which would be to include Councilmember Castaneda's map.

It's a single motion that, again, I'll restate it again. The motion on the floor is to approve first reading with a second reading scheduled for December and includes the amendment which you accepted Councilmember Kastema's map, which you accepted.

And we're voting on that now?

We are voting on that one. Mayor, I need to further clarify. The motion on the floor does not yet include Councilmember Kastema's original amending motion. We need to vote to add Councilmember Kastema's original amending motion to the main motion. Then you can move on to his second amending motion and vote on that.

So Councilmember Gilliam accepted his motion.

That is not a... Under parliamentary rule you have to vote on it.

Okay, we will vote on Councilmember Kastema's will now call it an amendment So we are Everybody clear on we're voting on the map And there was a second, correct? I Believe there was a second.

If not, I'll second it. I provided that Councilmember Johnson

Okay, so no further discussion, I'm hoping.

Well, before it's passed on the first initial, I still have some discussion. I want some clarity on what we're actually proposing on the First Amendment when we get there. So I'm not done with discussion yet. I'll wait until Council Member Caston has completed that.

I can read it.

No, no, I don't want that. But there are some other aspects to the initial motion that I want to come to before we go there on that discussion. So we can do your amendment, but before we vote on the initial...

Okay, so there's more discussions at this point in time. So Deputy Mayor Johnson.

Council Member Kessler, are you done?

Well, I think... What we're trying to do here is vote. What we did is we put forward the ordinance. And then now we amend it. And I have an amendment, my proposal, that is now I put forward. And now we have to vote on whether it attaches to the original ordinance that was proposed. And that's what we're voting for right now. I think I've given my argument. Yes. OK.

OK, so you don't want to have further discussion of that amendment?

Not on the amendment, but I do want to have a discussion on the motion before we pass that. Thank you.

OK, so we're voting on the amendment. It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes.

Now, I do have that second amendment. And that was the amendment dealing with the Puyallup High School Good Neighbor Action Plan. And I would like to propose that, if that's appropriate right now. Yes, please proceed. Okay. I would like to propose an amendment that we receive back on an annual base annual basis a report from the school district on the status of the good neighbor action plan as Presented to us this evening this one Second Motion has been moved and seconded any discussion?

I'm going to delete everybody's name off here so that I can see if anybody needs to discuss. So seeing no discussion, then I'll take the vote. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes. OK, now queue back up again. Deputy Mayor Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to, I don't want to offer a third amendment, but maybe kind of a council member, gentleman and gentlelady acknowledgment. I did hear a few of my colleagues say that in council member Castamore's amendment that we were going to look at that and have traffic engineers look at that. I also heard several of you say that my map could be included as possible discussion as part of that. Could that be expanded to that or do I need to make another amendment to include that as well or can that be by default as additional studies are happening that they'll look at this document as well as part of that overall overreaching kind of reevaluation. Question on that? And then some more discussion.

So did you have any action?

Well, I can make a third amendment and ask that to be included in the continued discussion and evaluation, but if it's understood that they're going to view that in addition as kind of part of Councilor Acasima's overview of mapping, I don't need a formal discussion. I just want to make sure the staff has a chance to look at it as well as the school.

Okay. We'll carry that understanding forward.

Is everyone comfortable to include that understanding without a formal amendment? I need to make a formal amendment to put it on the record.

I just kind of wonder if we're overcomplicating things for the Puyallup School District. This is something they need to prove to the community that they can be good neighbors. So we need to give them time to do that. And they already have a lot of work poured into the map. It's been over a year, almost two. So I'm just curious if we're overcomplicating things. I want the students to be safe, and I want the community around it to be safe. And I just wonder if we're overcomplicating things.

So city attorney. I just need to make a technical observation here that actually has an impact on Councilmember Johnson's potential motion to amend. Insofar as it would add anything to the street vacation, this ordinance can't do that. In a street vacation, council can reduce what is requested to be vacated, but cannot add segments or extra road to the vacation. It can be done, but it has to go back through the process completely, either through a new petition from the school or with a city-initiated resolution and process. So it can't be done as part of this ordinance. So there's not really a point to add that vacation to this motion because we just can't do it. You can do some other things around it, like study the effects of it or that sort of thing as part of this staff processing this matter, but we can't add anything to the vacation.

Thank you for that clarification.

Okay, I can continue to discuss that. So thank you for that clarity. If it does, if, okay, let's just back up. If in fact a re-look at this includes further vacation and that starts the process over, but we get it right the second time, it's worth the extra weight. If, in fact, closing just the one street and we don't add any more closures to that impacts 8th Street, then all the mitigation you want is not going to work. So I would like to say, could it be possible if, in fact, there were some studies done that show that some extra vacation would mitigate any negative impact on residential streets which would cause everything to shift over to the east. Could the city provide some expedited process on this to move it forward quickly without having to drag this out for a longer period of time?

If I may. I was asking staff. I'll weigh in here. I think that starting a new process is going to recalibrate and we're looking years down the road to implement this. And I don't think that that's something that we want to entertain because of the thing. So I'm hoping that we don't see fit to consider that at this time. I will defer to my colleagues on that.

I'd rather get it right than look at extra time if, in fact, it's proven that extra closure need to happen to mitigate and protect the neighborhood to the west. But that being said, I do want to put that aside for now, and we'll let the process play that out. I do want to understand, is this motion, does that include the city yielding the normal valuation of $375,000 donation back to the school? We need to clarify that, because I'm assuming that is?

Are we yielding $375,000? It is part of the ordinance that was moved for approval.

Right, so we're basically giving $375,000 to the school for mitigation improvements. I remember bringing that up publicly, and part of the contingency, I brought that up. Initially, the school wanted to do two street closures, which would equal to about three-quarters of a million. And I'm the one that offered, say, hey, listen, I'll be happy for the city to entertain waiving those 375 twice, contingently close both streets on 7th, as you originally proposed. Now it's come back, and they don't want to close 2nd Street, and so now they're asking for the 375. That wasn't what I proposed in terms of a... Incentive to make it safe for the students on the whole 7th Street Southwest to be closed. So I'm against that just that whole factor second thing is You know, that Sounders surface lot to the north as a pickup area could be negotiated with Sound Transit. Now, that is a Sound Transit property. The smile, I get that. I appreciate that. I get that. I appreciate that. But I want to remind people that the county of Pierce County paid in taxes, we're committed to $8.9 billion for the ST3. And that surface lot, if it's not being used to its capacity, the school should be able to negotiate and the city of Puyallup should be able to help negotiate use, much like we did when the garage was built. We made arrangements with Sound Transit to use that garage on weekends and evenings. So that is a discussion that we should be having to make sure that mitigates traffic off of the school area where parents can pick up and drop off in the area. It's already paved, already there. So I hope that we're looking at that as a possible mitigation offer. And I'd be willing to go to bat and put a coalition to meet with Sound Transit to make sure that if They're not using that. They could allow the school to do it. I do ride the sounder on a weekly basis. And ever since COVID, those trains are not full. That garage is not full. And even that surface slot in front of the train is not full. So I think that that could be a viable usage if the school needed it to help mitigate against the neighborhood and some of the parking things going on there cell phone waiting a lot or whatever the case may be for a few hours for an hour in the morning, an hour in the afternoon. So I would say that would be another thought. And lastly, I'm just throwing it out there for a discussion. Depending on where this amendment comes back and making sure that everyone's satisfied, I like to think that we could reach that agreement. But if we're not able to reach that agreement, I think it would behoove the city in the best interest of not only the school, but also in the residents that we consider an independent second study of a traffic mitigation for second opinion to make sure that we're looking at all options that are unbiased and not looked at by anybody but a third-party standard on that. Now, maybe we can reach that without it, but I certainly wouldn't be opposed for a second opinion on that if that was needed. So, thank you.

Okay, seeing no further comments, I'd like to... Councilmember King, I'm hoping you're calling the question.

I will shortly after my question to my colleagues. as it was noted, the $375,000 that the school district would be paying, quote unquote, for the vacation of 7th Street, only to then utilize those funds to coordinate construction of said curb and gutter and bulb outs and reconstruction of 8th Street and using a portion of those funds for that construction. The city essentially is giving the farm away. I just want to make sure the council is all on board with that and I don't believe that was ever really discussed in the initial discussions of that. I for one I'm not sure if I'm okay with that, but I'm open to hearing what my colleagues have to say regarding that. That seems unfair to the city as a whole and our constituents.

I'm willing to weigh in on that. I think the actions we're taking with vacating 7th Street is having a serious negative impact on our on some of our community and I am in favor of taking the 375,000 mitigation funds and applying it to mitigate some of the traffic impacts for the neighborhood. Council Member Smolko.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and I appreciate my fellow council member King bringing it up because I too has kind of been noodling on that this whole time. I'd like to interrogate the word equivalent in option one that would have us waive the $375,000 in compensation because we're saying the public will receive equivalent value through the 8th Street improvements. So then I just want to make sure, as Councilmember King mentioned, that we're considering that in our weight. I don't know that I would agree with Mayor Whitting about that being a gift. I think we have to ensure that there is truly equivalent value. Equivalent means equal to $375,000. Where is that going to be? Show me the money for 8th Street is basically what I would like to know. Thank you.

Councilmember Gilliam Thank You mr. Mayor in the school district presentation they did show the pricing of what it would cost to mitigate and Equivalency is not accurate because they're doing above and beyond so we are Offering and I believe it was in the first reading when we said hey, we're gonna pass this option that That 375 would be part of Their what was it? I believe it's like one point something million. I'm trying to look for it in the presentation here. But I'm in full support of supporting the school district in doing what they need to do to improve the quality of the residents around because we are considering vacating that street. I don't understand why there's this much controversy about it.

Council Member King.

Thank you. The reason I bring that up is simply because we don't trade similar favors, if you will, to other builders in our community. We don't do that for mitigating traffic impact fees or anything like that in such a way to trade that out. And so my question is, why are we allowing that with the school district respectfully? That's the only question I have. And I'm just looking for some answers regarding that. So I'm not saying I'm for it. I'm not saying I'm against it. I'm just wanting to kind of get some clarity as to why we are doing it for the school district and where we don't allow or allow for builders or other entities in our city to trade this out for like type. That's the only question I have.

I'd Just like to say that we want to take good care of about 1,800 of our residents. Maybe it's too simple an answer. Councilmember Gillian.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I can think of the AOB lot where we did sell property for $1 so they could build apartments for growth of our community. I can think of... how they're doing improvements for the street so that the senior citizens can park. I can think of, it's not an equal swap, but it is improvement for the community. And for us to be a good partner with the school district and to be a good partner with our residents, I don't see how this would be harmful in any way. So I hope that that puts your mind at rest, Councilmember King. And I genuinely hope that we can move tonight forward so that the Puyallup School District can go to work proving that they want to be good neighbors to the residents. I think that that has to be shown, and we have to move this meeting forward, please. Thank you.

I'm going to pause here. Second, City Manager.

All right. I did want to just provide some context to Council Member King's question, which is a fair question. However, in this context, the statute that allows for street vacations specifically calls this out as a potential option that cities can do. So that's why it's in there. So there is a statutory basis for it. Where the vacated amount can be used towards public infrastructure the other reason and but it is ultimately a City Council decision the other reason is the as its Courtney and Brady had mentioned in their Presentation the amount of mitigation that is required the mitigation by the school district as proposed on 8th of 8th Street is above and beyond what the Nexus requires so this additional amount is Technically not required and so that is the other reason why the option one is there So that's just kind of some background just just so you know fair question But I just want you to understand why that option is before the council Thank you for that clarification councilmember Adler Thank you.

I'm not gonna get into this I'm not adding to the sale conversation right now. But I do want to use that as an example of what I said earlier, that I really do feel as though council should consider with staff and the school district and neighbors, the community at large, on having a special meeting dedicated to this. I mean, we're getting real into the weeds. It's almost a quarter to 10. We still have students here. Most folks in here are professionals. You've been hanging tough with us since 630. And I just think getting to the later hour in the evening, I'm trying to be thoughtful of everyone's time, energy. And are we really making the best, most clear decisions and having the best conversation given the time of the evening and just the focus that this issue certainly requires. So I just put that out there. I hope that someone will take my desire seriously. If that means that we have to have a special session or a joint meeting with the school district school board on a Saturday or what have you, I really hope that we can give that serious consideration and continue the conversation. Thank you.

Do we have a motion?

Sorry about that. I just want to thank everyone on the council for allowing that conversation to exist regarding the $375. And I appreciate everyone that came out tonight. And hopefully I'm doing everyone a favor by saying I call the question.

Thank you.

I appreciate your calling the question and I also appreciate your asking the question on the $375,000 because it really did get lost in the weeds a little bit. So the question has been called. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion carries. We have a first reading. Thank you all for bearing with us through our difficult conversations. We will now move on to item 5A. Those of you that have come about the street vacation, if you feel like you'd like to leave now, you're allowed to leave. We'll give you a moment. It's been fun all. OK. Item 5A, first reading of an ordinance amending Puyallup Municipal Code Design Review and Historic Preservation Board. Planning Manager Chris Beale, take it away.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Chris Beale. I am the Planning Manager for the Development and Permitting Services Department. Tonight we're presenting an ordinance amending Puyallup Municipal Code Chapter 2.29, which regulates our Design, Review, and Historic Preservation Board. The proposed ordinance would amend the PMC to transition our applicable architectural design review standards currently under the Design Review and Historic Preservation Board to an administrative process which would be integrated with our typical land use review. The change is intended to improve efficiency and predictability of development review while maintaining compliance with our design standards, particularly for housing development. A little bit of background on our board. Some folks on council probably know board members, but it's a seven-member board. Essentially, most folks serve at large. There are a number of disciplines, architectural, builder community, technical community, historic preservation as well that serve on that board their design review process covers most of our downtown so our mixed-use and commercial zones of CBD and CBD core and our multifamily zone downtown and then it also covers design review for our mixed-use design review overlay and and the design review board also manages our historic register So to overview some of the issues that we've had with our board just here in the last about a year and a half, the city's basically been experiencing reoccurring difficulty maintaining a quorum for the design review board. The board meets about once a month. Some months we don't meet if we don't have new applications. So we've had five different board meetings in about a 16-month period, which is a healthy bulk of the meetings that we try to schedule, where we don't have board members responding prior to the meeting. We schedule meetings. We have applicants that are queued up at that meeting with their consultants and their proposal, and those meetings are canceled at the last minute. So those have caused significant delays for those applicants that are waiting for those permit reviews. So what this ordinance would do, it would amend 2.29 of the PMC. It would shift our architectural design review, again, for those downtown and multifamily zones, as well as our mixed-use overlay to administrative process. That administrative process wouldn't change any of the design review standards themselves. It just wouldn't change who is reviewing and approving these. Essentially, staff already does the review and presents those findings to the board. uh we would just take that last step out of the process and make those reviews administrative under the director of the department so this would essentially streamline our adopted review standards it would reduce and avoid delays associated with those permit reviews and can't meeting cancellations i would obviously support faster processing for housing proposals we currently actually have one housing proposal it's had two canceled meetings back to back That project's essentially on hold because of this logjam with the board. Again, the proposal here would not be to amend any of our actual design review standards or codes. We are proposing to do that in 2027. As council may recall, we do have a mandate from the legislature to create more streamlined and clear and objective design standards. We're going to provide the council with an overview very soon, probably in the next month or two. on what the scope of those changes are going to be. But essentially, the board process would be substituted by the director and staff, and our standards would remain the same until we make those changes later on. So again, tonight, the council would consider adopting the ordinance amending the chapter, would transition most of those architectural design reviews to an administrative process now. And it will maintain our design standards while approving the efficiency. And then the council would be given the opportunity to amend those actual regulations at a later date. So that's my presentation for tonight. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Okay. I'm seeing people queuing up on this. I was hoping that this would move fairly quickly. And given the hour, do we... want to consider postponing the full consideration of this to a later date? Or do we think we can get through it quickly?

OK. Councilmember Kastema. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So you're not going to eliminate the Architectural Design Review Committee, correct?

No. The board will remain mainly to maintain our historic register listing. We have a separate code section for that. And the board would also still conduct design review for historic buildings, particularly for refaces or modifications on historic buildings.

Would they come forward with recommendations as to what we should adopt as a city?

For the actual design review standards, that would come from planning commission, not from the board. Although we will probably meet with the board because anytime we change our design review standards, we do meet with the board additionally.

I would want a provision that requires that. In other words, I understand you don't want them making every decision. And there's been many delays associated with that. But they're there for a reason. And their expertise, we need to at least consult them.

We do do consultation with them.

Well, I would want that kind of provision that you shall consult with. Is that already like prima facie? So you already do that?

We do consult with them always, but the provision to amend Title 20, which is where the design review lies, is with the Planning Commission just by code.

OK, you understand the gist of what I'm saying, right? Correct, yes. OK, that's what I want.

And that would occur.

OK. Council Member King.

To keep the night young, I would like to move approval.

Second. Move to second. Council Member Adler.

Thank you. This is brief. I don't have a problem with this because I recognize the delays. But I just have to make the observation that this is the second time that we've had a board or commission come before us and have concerns about quorum or ability to have folks make the meetings or stay consistent, which really challenges the work of said board commission. So I just have to say that for staff, I hope that we're thinking about ways to continue trying to engage those that are prescriptive for our boards or community resident involvement at large. It's a concerning trend. mainly outside of our control. But I hope that we're giving some thought on how to bring more folks to the table that are consistent. Thanks.

Just a question. Do we have an attendance requirement for these boards and commissions?

Yes, Mayor Whitting. Pursuant to our code, there are attendance requirements and if members of the volunteer boards or commissions, with certain limited exceptions, miss three consecutive meetings, they are removed from the commissions or the boards.

And are people missing three consecutive?

We have had individuals across multiple boards in the last four years. In those three consecutive meetings, they have been removed. And then subsequently, openings are placed before council for new appointments.

OK. We might want to consider tightening those up, but that's not a topic for this evening. OK. So the motion has been moved and seconded. All those in favor? Motion carries. We'll move on to our city manager's report.

I'll be brief, Mr. Mayor. Your next meeting is next Tuesday. It's a study session. There's three topics on that agenda. One will be a presentation by Pierce County regarding the Pierce County Unified Regional Approach to Homelessness. Second presentation will be by Pierce Transit. It will be an educational presentation on their Proposition 1 sales tax that will be on the November ballot. And then the third matter will be city staff discussing the rural buffer zone and potential changes to that that would come back before the council, something you discussed during the comprehensive plan process. Those are the three items set for your study session next week.

Thank you. Council Member Keene.

I will pass tonight.

Council Member Kastemann. I will pass. Thank you. Council Member Gillian.

I'm just going to do one shout out, and that is to our Deputy Chief Greg Massey is retiring next week, so his party's next week. If you know the man, he's done incredible work for the city of Puyallup and with the team with our Puyallup Police Department. So give him a shout out, send him a message, come to the party. It's City Hall, 4 p.m. here. Thank you. Please forgive me. Thank you. Public Safety Building, 4 p.m. next Tuesday. Be there or be square.

Council Member Smolko.

keep it brief I get to leave tomorrow for Tulsa to talk about you guys a little bit don't worry I won't name any names but I get to give a TED talk on Friday so I leave tomorrow and I'm going down there to give a speech called in the room where it happens encouraging educators to run for office so interesting councilmember Adler

Thank you. I'll just be brief and, again, give my gratitude to those who came tonight for the public hearing and stuck with us until the late hour. In particular, our students for being so poised, so well-spoken, and very engaged. Thanks.

Deputy Mayor Johnson.

Thank you, Mayor. I want to utilize my council comments to not reopen an item, but just for a clarifying question to city attorney or city staff. I want to know if I made a mistake in suggesting as an option to utilize that Sound Transit open lot if that was a subject matter that we could not entertain or have a discussion with the impression that I got from body language but maybe misread it was that was kind of a foolish question on my end and I want to make sure if it was that I stand corrected on that.

Thank you for giving me a chance to address that. I did not intend to in any way comment on what you were talking about with body language or As far as I know, you didn't do anything wrong. I was literally smiling at something completely different, just happened to turn to you and made eye contact at the wrong moment.

So I apologize for that. So I want to clarify, that is a viable option if the city or school want to go into negotiation to discuss possibly use of that?

The city has certain rights that we've negotiated to park there. and it's available to the public, I'd have to get back to you on the specifics.

I just want to make sure it's viable. If I was trying to suggest something that wasn't doable, I want to stand corrected on that. But if it's not, I want to clarify that to make sure it's a viable option. And so thank you for clarifying that question. I want to make sure I'm accurate in my recommendations really an elected official. I'm not a professional, right? So we're trying to figure things out as residents of our city. And I'll utilize that. Sometimes my ignorance is there, but we try to do the best we can to find solutions. I do want to just state, I am a little bit disappointed in, you know, my suggestions of possible increased vacations if in fact it is objectively proven that those increased potential vacations could solve the impact on the neighbors. And even if that meant that it delayed it or restarted it, my question, isn't it better to get it right and take it a little longer rather than to do it and know that unintended consequences are going to happen? and I would just state for the record my council comments, is if in fact it was proven that some additional vacation might ease some neighborhood burdens to the west through those vacations, that the city and the council, because we have authority to override and do certain things within limits, that we could expedite that in a way that wouldn't be like we're starting from ground one. So the same timeframe that they took to start this process would be the same timeframe they'd have on that one. There might be some latitude that we could empower staff to expedite. So I just hope that that doesn't objectively take away a better approach if in fact it sure starts over again, but I'd rather start over again than build on a faulty foundation and then always shoring it up the whole time because it's not fixing the problem. So I hope that that helps in my thinking. I respect the fact that they can do that with just the one street vacation fine, but if it's not and we're honest and objective about that outcome and realize that increased vacations are could secure that neighborhood to the west, then I think we should do that. And council should do all that we can within our authority to empower staff with whatever expedited process we have to do it. Because ultimately, I think we need to be considerate to the impact of the neighbors. Thank you.

Thank you. And so the only thing I'd like to mention tonight is we're coming up on budget session. And as you all know, we have the opportunity to present some council member initiatives during that process. And I would ask that my colleagues submit those a couple of weeks in advance of our budget session so that staff has a chance to look at them and evaluate them and comment on them. So that's my request. And with that, meeting adjourned.