Economic Development Committee - Regular Meeting

Excellent. I'd like to call to order the economic development committee meeting of 04/28/2026. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Vice Chair Bushnell?

Present.

Councilmember Palmer? Here. Councilmember Satt? Here. Chair Diaz? Here. Moving on to public comment. Is there anyone signed in online or in person? Not that I see. No no hands are raised, so there's no one that signed in. Okay. If you'd like to sign up for public comment online, just feel free to raise your Zoom hand, and we'll open it back up at the end. So we'll skip that close that up for now. I'll just check back in again. Moving on to our first order of business.

We are going to get a World Trade Center Tacoma annual update. So I would like to call on Michael Fowler from the World Trade Center. To go. Thank you. Good morning. Thanks for being

here. Good morning. Yes. First, thank you for the time to allow me to give you updates. It's been a bad company here in trade as I think you know, and especially amongst our our to go back here as you

know, the

companies that are engaged in trade.

First, let me since it's been a while since I've been here, let me explain quickly that World Trade Center, we are a nonprofit that is focused on helping small and medium sized enterprises as well as some large enterprises to get in to get involved in international trade. And we are a member of over 320 world trades worldwide in the network. The license is owned by the board of. And we're supported by not by the board of but also by the city and and the the county. And we focus on Tacoma and Pierce County exclusively.

And as you know, it's been a couple years. And even before even before so called liberation day on April when tariffs went went into place, we we were talking about that. In fact, we gave a presentation to the public club even before the election explaining what tariffs are, who pays them, and went through informational presentation. We also published in there, etcetera, Halloween nineteen before the election. Scary tariffs coming.

That was our theme. But the small and medium sized enterprise, there's a lot of companies that in the in the past decades have designed products, engineered them, trademarked them, and they rely on overseas components to to put them together, get them onto the market efficiently. And with the tariffs that came on on April 2, they went up to over a 140, in some cases, on products coming in into China, which was an effective blockade. It disrupted, decades of of of planning, and we had companies here in Tacoma who could not get their products out of. They had to pay two or three times what they paid for the products to get.

It was a very challenging time, and we became the center for information. People came. We suddenly had all these calls coming in from the press, from from our our companies. They and so we we ended up getting very active in in the area. And they wanted to know what what are tariffs, who pays them, how do you mitigate, you know, by negotiating with your suppliers, negotiating with your customers.

How how do you use foreign trade zones, how do you use bonded warehouses in order to mitigate it. And we we very quickly found a lot of of need to get out there. And so we we cooperated with our partners in the region, and we estimate that we got out to over 250 individuals and nearly as many companies during the months that followed. And so that that was it kept us, I'd say, quite quite busy. Just just feeling that surviving.

Staying for many companies. Now the the dust has settled, and we are going back to our primary efforts, which are they include training. Also, we do trade missions. Also, we do consult companies that come in. And so we have have gotten back to our programming, which, you know, has has kept us moving along.

And amongst these up there, the the interesting ones are we, Tacoma, are on the map for Vietnam. Whenever Vietnam officials come to Washington State, they come to Tacoma first. That's a wonderful consultant. Used well, today, in fact. We had a DC we had a in January, and and we brought it all night, introduced him to the city, the port, all of the visit.

And he he had never been to Tacoma or even the West Coast. So he put Tacoma. Up there also, we we have done, for example, export roundtables where we have an annual global where we award a local company that has excelled in trade. And so we called back our global winners and put them up there and and and have many many companies that want to engage trade. They're not sure, and we we have them share their experiences.

And another thing that we had going is every Monday, 4PM at the World Trade Center, it's free Chinese. This is a cooperation. Another interesting development is our our consultant for India for for many years. We he's helped us, and and we helped him get started. He's doing many wonderful things now on his own from his Diwali festival last year to his establishing sister city with India, Gucci, and and also, yeah, establishing.

But, anyways, he's he's doing wonderfully in May 2. And we also do a lot of presentations. I'll talk more about that later too to universities and high schools, get getting them excited about trade. This 2024, we took three trade missions. It was very active.

This is after post pandemic. We had a chance to get out, and we went to Vietnam. We went to Japan and and China as well. China China with the city. We have to go with

the air. And

in 2025, we we some of the benefits of those of those missions. For example, trade promotion. When we went to Japan, we spoke companies that had aerospace suppliers in our region, including, for example, which is here in Tacoma and And. Aerospace hired hundreds of employees. And we had we actually helped as a as a team to get help them to get those employees.

But we we visit the home offices of these companies, and they're willing to talk frankly about what their issues are. Take City, for example, 70 people. And so we we work on helping them to get what they need. With regard to Vietnam, we successfully established relationships for our University of Washington Tacoma with three top universities in Vietnam. And students have gone to Vietnam.

And we had students coming from Vietnam as well. So that that has been very effective. We also brought hatcheries companies over there, primarily looking they were looking to change their their suppliers from China to Europe in order to avoid tariffs. With regard to manufacturing, we we have helped a local vendor to find suppliers in Vietnam and China for expansion so that he can he can sell it effectively on this side. We're also working back today and meeting with company that has proprietary technology to make a rain garden beetle out of water treatment pests that is far superior to 40%.

Because it it's far better for plants and variety of plants. It it there's all kinds of advantages, including cost of production. He wants to build a facility into home. So we meeting with him again today to talk we introduced him around the scientists that we've introduced to. And with regard to the to the next generation, the We have had we have gone to every university in the area and a few different high schools and teaching them about how interesting international trade is and opportunities that exist for trade and also for languages.

That's that's a lot of fun. In the past year, every year, we pretty much reach about 60 technical assistance efforts. And and these these involve people calling us, reaching out to us because they have a need, and we oftentimes can help them. Yesterday, I met with North Star Club Steelstream and the new owners, and they have a product. It's not been marketed well, so they want there's international opportunity for so working.

One of the I introduced them to manufacturing industrial council. Lead that there was a lot of synergies there. But, also, we told them about our June 25 bet we have with the company, biggest company that you've ever heard of. It's called. They are based in Seattle. Yeah. Yeah. They're based in Seattle. They have 50,000 employees. They are, like, the Amazon.

Yeah. And so we will host them at at the World Trade Center and bring in comments that are interested of. So we wanna bring them onto the platform, get them into. And also Taiwan. We had a a large event participant's number because thanks to tariffs needs there.

We did 17 presentations. We did 16 programs and events over the last year. Now what's on the horizon? Top of the list is the International Software Lending, which is a community development department initiative to take what we have already packaged it in such a way that when we have sister city, and so we have we have something to offer them. Say, look.

Tacoma is a great place to get started. We are also following up with the with the tabletop games in the aerospace mission. We'll be supporting secretary. Right. The secretary of laws as he goes to Japan, and we help him everything with communications to coaching the exam, bringing a delegation of 40

next month.

So we've them on how to do transactions, how how to deal with Japan. Just kinda. And that'll be in May. And then in June, we're doing the coupon event. And then we're working also with some of our consultants to bring African executives to Tacoma.

This is a a a new effort, and we're excited and hopeful to do it in October. Also in October, which is just just came on the weekend, our executive delegation And I will be answering questions.

Thank you. I will open up to questions.

Sir?

I can ask my newbie newbie question. Yes. Yes.

No more. Thank you. Could you define small and medium enterprises?

Yes. There there there are various definitions, but, generally, microenterprises are we we help them as well. Micro enterprises are a one man Yeah. I'm like, I'm gonna be starting. But, normally, we try to work with small companies that are that are already existing here and functioning stable and ready to expand.

So, I mean, in terms of dollar amounts, if you're talking billion dollars, don't have to be that high. Most importantly is thanks to cell phone and thanks to the pandemic. When I started to trade, we had to use. It was very cumbersome, expensive. And then the fax came.

Internet came. But now we have these video conferencing. My phone number used to be hired. This is back in in the eighties and nineties when started our. And now with video conferencing, you can talk live for free on WeChat, live, WhatsApp with somebody who can set up the world and show you your product and show you exactly. So it takes that trust out from them. Small companies, individuals who can do it. I know students that are doing international training. So small can be small. That

was my next question. There was, like, a criteria for, you know, the companies that you're wanting to work with.

I think the criteria is developing. I've I've worked with companies that that have something they need, something overseas or or work done with them. And they despair because, oh, So you want stability because and, also, the overseas, if you're if you're gonna, for example, sell a product from this country into another country, they're gonna say, well, how is it selling at home? So you well, actually, we didn't start yet. You don't wanna say that. So they want the seasons. So I'm just gonna go. We'll be here.

I'm excited to hear about the American delegation coming in October. I'd love to see how I can help with that or anything else you guys are needing or wanting help

with. Great.

Thank you. I'm gonna get here. Excellent. Sure.

Thank you, Sharon. Thank you, Mike, for coming in talking about this. The international trade is very exciting to me. I think it provides a lot of opportunity both abroad, but then here locally. It really helps build jobs, helps create economic opportunity across the board. I think it's it's really a good thing to have. Really prime here in Tacoma, particularly in the West Coast, and the entire Asian market is is an opportunity for us. That's, you know, the NAF population just in that area. And it's growing. And it's growing.

Yes. And so one of the questions I had earlier is the tariff issues. It it seems like they're kind of getting resolved at this point, but that doesn't mean that the hits that the tariffs created doesn't keep a weak or a vacuum. Could you talk a little bit about how companies now are kind of navigating the most? And is there, like, tariff refunds going on? Like, just curious about it. Yeah. Because and we don't know what curveball, you know, this administration went from next to

make it difficult. Right. Just just a little bit more a week ago. They started issuing. And you have to you have to register with a program to get paid electronically, then you have to go through another thing.

Interestingly, we got already has the information they're asking for, but they're requiring you to get. So that if we don't ask them yet, which Yeah. Barrier. And so we will probably be involved in education regarding that because hospitals over the world are fine. They're they're they're taking care of by So that that is in process, and and we plan on doing some education.

Harris Arnold, July 24, the current regime of tariffs, 10% across the board, is going to expire, and they are preparing section two, one of tariffs, which are the anti competition there. They're primarily gonna use that. And so they're doing studies right now, and they try to they're gonna and try and finish it on July 4. 10% disappears,

and

then three zero ones and two thirty twos, which are the security defense tariffs will come into effect. And and, basically but their their idea is that they will reinstate the reciprocal tariffs, luckily, at the same rates, something smaller less than so the tariffs are this current administration believes in that wants that to be in place as a. So there's not one way. And, you in the way that companies are just dealing with it is still even with the tariffs.

Fortunately,

funds on the broad bill is attractive because the price is fairly good while it is getting So better. There's there is some there are efforts to make sure and to ensure production. That is the one. So that that is that is possible. But things are used to.

They're getting better at it, and they've learned. We we have, in some cases, people who felt victimized into navigators. And they say, you know, sometimes better than my competitor. We're we're alright.

Have other countries done? Recyclical? Yeah. Recyclical.

That's where the economists were wrong. They thought we thought that we would hit really hard inflation because we expected other countries to reciprocal tariffs. But thanks to the personality and president, they're afraid of the territories escalation. And so they do not do a lot of that, but still, the costs are coming through. And trading companies sucked it up for months, and now they can't do it.

So the so costs are coming through. And with the with the Iran world, they're really Because fuel is a large amount of transporting products, fertilizer, alching. We're gonna see we're gonna see some substantial inflation.

And I'll I'll just leave my final question. I part of the reason

why I wanted I'm glad you brought up this.

Was kind of the next question is what what's the lag time events to actual price? I mean, we've seen immediate price impacts, but, like, there's a larger, but the the supply chain kinda catches up with logjams. Yes.

I I I am not an expert on this, but I have heard I I love my trade guys podcasts. I listen to specialized podcasts. But they say they say that for a long term. You know? It could be years before because of the production disruptions.

It could be a year before. So that's that's going to have stations, especially especially immediately for. That's gonna be the price. It it is I think it's it the the we expected immediate impact because it has been more gradual because the importer exporters have been able to pull product in during the downtime, the tariffs, and and and load front load. That that has reduced.

Also, they have been fighting, you know, the the margins that they didn't provide. But now they cannot produce it anymore, so the costs are coming in. You can see it gradually. Believe in Yeah. It's not a not a positive, though, and then.

K. I had just one question for you. Think everybody asked for the questions. Is there I know this is an annual update, and I've heard from you in the past. I'm just wondering if there's anything else we can do to help plug in, help support that you're work that you're teaming up with CET on. What are the different kinds of ways that we as committee members, council members can interact with the Well Treatment Center and what like, I mean, it's like, to LitFest. Like, what what else is there for us? You you had homework to give us. What is it?

Follow us on. Because we and the good news is, as of Thursday, I have an intern on board who is gonna focus on on getting what we're doing out there. And so, yeah, follow something that I think that'd be wonderful. And and when we have folks come in from overseas, it's wonderful to have. K. There.

Alright. Well, we'll be sure to follow, and then if you can make sure that it might come either through the CED staff or directly to us, we'll make sure we try to Great.

The global ones. Right? So you get That'd be as important as. Excellent. But I will let you I will get that we'll get that back to you.

Perfect. Thank you. So Yeah. Just one more question.

I was curious. I know you're the World Trade Center, but have the tariffs do you guys also ship, like, from, like, coast to coast, or do you is that in your wheelhouse, or is that

somewhere else?

Well, the court refers that we focus on ocean transport. But there, we we work with we we have a. Yeah. There's trade. Mexico.

That's. But we assist that sometimes there are products that may at least go. Primarily, we focus on where we can increase traffic. We do focus on. But we try to keep to to.

It's not international. We tried to.

Great. Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you. Enjoy

the day. So next up, we have a rhodiumitis coma update. So after that, I'll call on deputy Widom.

Tara, are you okay if

I stay here? Do I need to get a seat?

Okay. Why

would you move? I actually think the mic is probably better here. So Okay. So good morning, and council members. This is just a really super quick update.

We had this idea of kinda just doing, like, two minute updates on some big projects that we're working on in different sites. So you probably all have read by now that in January, there was it came out in the news that Swatch and Maya were announced they were returning to Tacoma, and they literally said Tacoma were coming home. And it was a a big thing. They filed the pre application in December, which I saw right away, and reached out to them. And the president, Denise, emailed me back the same day actually came down, and I met with her in January with one of her colleagues and kind of talked about their plans and what they're going to do.

It is interesting. You know, we Colma has been courting Wajimaya for a long time. I have a letter here that was written in 2015 that was in my files, and we were trying to get them to come talking about all the things that we had on Verizon. So I I will I can't say that we necessarily had anything directly to do with this. We didn't you know, I didn't call them up and say, hey. There's this thing at Tacoma Central, but we've been trying to get them to Tacoma for a long time. So their actual plans are a store in the former Hobby Lobby building on South Union there, which will be a really good anchor. I mean, I know Target's there and you have, but it'll be a really good anchor for that shopping center. It's a 30 to 40,000 square foot grocery store with multiple tenants. And, I mean, I've gone to watch Maya forever, but I didn't really think about it.

And Denise or Gucci was telling me that they really think of themselves as an incubator. Like, they're one in Seattle. They have some their smallest one is, like, a 150 square feet, and people start there, and then they move to other stores. And that's the same thing they wanted to in Tacoma. I can't I I can't promise it, but in their plans on Firewood City, we even talks about the Kenobi bookstore, them having that as well, which people who love much more.

I love that bookstore aspect, so that's really neat. We can we would think that it would probably be between a 100 and a 150 employees in a store that size, so that's really exciting along with the restaurants and things that are gonna serve for that. The interesting thing that Denise talked to me about was how all this outpouring I mean, people social media went crazy, and people were so excited that it really touched her. She said, you know, they're looking at expanding to one other location at the same time, and they really hadn't thought about how it was gonna be impactful. And then it really started because it was her grandparents who started the sewer in Tacoma.

And they were, you know, in Tacoma from 1928 until 1942 when they were then interned to the whole family along with 700 other Japanese Americans who lived. As you know, they we have a large Japan town downtown Miyamachi, and 700 people were taken and put in return of it. And they ended up in Jewel Lake, Oregon. So and then when that was all over, only six families of Algeridge, Tacoma, and almost everybody else went to other places. The more that we just had to go back to Seattle, they built a business there.

So she was reflecting to me on how it's think it was way more emotional than she had thought because they chose Tacoma as a business model. Right? But they think that they could, you know, make money and they have an impact here. And so she didn't really necessarily think about all that. So but the community has been super enthusiastic, and even the Japanese American community has been been informative and being really happy.

And so I think there's been a lot done in Tacoma to kind of obviously, the reconciliation part with Chinese, but it kind of we're thinking, you know what? How this can kind of be another part of that. We, know, UW Tacoma did the Japanese language school memorial. There was a Japanese language school on their campus back in the 20s where all of the, Japanese families said their kids still learn Japanese language. After their regular school, they would go there.

When they had to tear that building down, it was it was just falling down. And so then they promised to build a memorial to it. And we raised money and actually did several two of the professors at did a history on Nihomachi and wrote up this and did oral history and interviewed, like, the surviving members who had gone to that school as children. And I I hopefully, you've seen it. It's right down there on on the trail.

But kind of that, and they really wanted the folks we talked about doing something near where they're going to build their, you know, like, rehab store and whether that's we don't we don't know what that's gonna be. Yeah. But it would be great if the city was part of doing something to kind of recognize that this was a mature, you know, of a historic, you know, store back to Tacoma. They are also our sister city reached out to them once they came, our deputy sister city, and they do a children's day. It's their second year they're doing it at Pointe Science.

And I put them in contact, and they're gonna be a sponsor. They're gonna be there and be giving out treats and talking. It's a great time for them to come, you know, too. But so that's next month. So it's pretty exciting that they're willing to do that. And then the kind of the next step. So they're they did their pre app, and they're getting ready to have a follow-up meeting with planning services just to know through what the requirements will be. Honestly, because it's just a tenant improvement, it's not gonna be you know, I think it'll be fairly simple for them to do. But it is a $8,000,000 tenant improvement, so it's a large investment in. And they are they are talking about making some access easier into that shopping center as part of it.

There's a few of the driveways need to be redone. And I don't know if it's is going to be a requirement, but they talked about should they possibly relocate so the buses came into Toba Central rather than just dropping people off on Union and having to get that far. But I'll be attending that meeting just to make sure that things go smoothly with planning. Then they'll apply for building permits, and they plan to open

the 2027.

So should be exciting. And Tanya Carter had said, well, can you to this meeting, can you bring, you know, the more would you you know, that Denise with you? And I said, well, let's wait until they're getting ready to open or something, and then I'm sure she'd be happy to come and talk to you or do a ribbon cutting or something for Kansas people. Yes. It's okay. It's been cool. Perfect. Thank you. So any questions?

Just excited. This is great. Been trying to get to what we should mind here forever.

This is awesome.

I'm not worried. Yeah.

I was worried for a little bit because I there's still, like, the lease sign on the that building over there. So I was like, okay. Please, like, please come through. So it's good to hear all all of this news. It's still working. It's still moving. I did have a question about because I know we're we're looking for maybe some of the freight house square businesses to have a place to move to, and I don't know if we maybe introduced them to Ujimaya since they're kind of working with smaller, big to bigger companies.

Yeah, Ketzler. That's a really great idea. And I know that when I'm done with it, she said as they got further along, they'd love, you know, introductions or ideas we had or, you know, businesses that would be interested. So that's a really good idea.

Yeah. Super. Cool.

Thank you. No questions for this topic. I will kick it back to Debbie again for our next topic, which is the response to the economic development committee questions on workforce development programs. Great. And for that, I didn't get a call off Deborah because she's the expert on this.

Hey. Good morning, Cheryl. Thank you.

So as you said, it's response to the questions that came up with the virtual orientation about the previous on the advisory to further the grounds in these.

First,

councilmember Scott asked why there's a lower number of leave hours from the city residents rather than the community stressed area residents. And it's really the area size and

the population.

So the EDA, the area is, excuse me, huge. It's all within the GP service area, but it's really large. And so that's why we get more hours from those areas than. And then Doctor. Palmer asked the purpose of the data we provided and what goals we're working towards.

So the data really is to show reflection of the product requirements and how we're meeting them. And with LEAP, it's to increase utilization of the local hires, the primary hires, and the premises on projects. And the local hire and premise or I'm sorry. Local priority hiring requirements are being met. The apprentice numbers are trending up recently, especially for projects where we can use apprentices from the entire state rather than the main legal risk requirement since you have to find the services from service area.

Sometimes that's a problem when companies go to the treating agents and they're training programs. A lot of them have where they need to hire, you know, the first person, and they dispatch first person on the list. They can't go through. So with with our rules, that works against us as far as really putting a premises to work. And then for the EIC program, we do aim to utilize small minority and women owned businesses, and and the percentages for that utilization are up.

Then that's when Palmer also asked about process reviews to get into requirements. So with both LEAP and the IC, we receive an engineer's estimate of project cost and cc location. We see scope of work, cc costs. And with those items, we then set the requirements for the parameters policy. The the contractors then have to submit plans. So here's how we're gonna meet the requirements. Here's who we're going to use. And and then the that's when the ICPIC group then verifies that with a small sense.

Do you know your name?

Here's what you know, were you part of that? And they really question it. They can share it. For Lee, that that planned it was one of the recommendations from the the past advisory committee. So that one's in court.

It's

legal purchasing. There is some pushback, but when I tell them, hey. This was this was on the recommendations or not implemented, then they're a little more talk to. So it would be a a tough one. I mean, you have to stop the evaluation of this process and and give time to look at that.

But then further on in the projects, we provide updates, what you're doing, what you're labbing. And then at end of projects with their if there's a penalty or or some of the information. Make them show us the work they've done to meet the requirements. And then last, we talked about the EIC steps to capacity building and training. And so gathered the information in 2025.

They held 11 events for 432 participants. That's most events we've had in years. So they did provide support for contractors to become ONWBE certified, and that is the requirement to be considered an AIC firm. We had to work on a project. We just call those certified firms, small minority owned enterprises. And then for technical assistance, it was bonding, taxes, and capability statements. So they were small and then access to capital

to confirm.

You've seen this chart before. It's part of the data just to show how the is doing on requirements, how the contractors do this. So we do show for the local and priority hire section, PDAs in Tacoma, passing the 15% requirement. And then apprentices from the TQ service area is below the 15% but still trending upward. And that has started to increase when the contractors were notified.

We will be in force penalties. This is part of why you should do this. And then the ones, again, from Washington State. Some of our projects only have that Washington State Department, so it's out the dams really far out. And so utilization there has gone up past the required amount.

And then for EIC, this chart shows the percent of utilization being met and and the increases in that over the years. Been trending up, and he actually feels that they contribute strength and outreach, strengthening education. That's going And we did have besides the part about here's the updates on the the community advisory committee. We had the workforce program section. Can you guys update of that?

So in response to some questions you've had about that, what does the EIC do in eliminating disparities in contracting on our public work and improvements? It helps contractors grow and be successful in the long term. And one of the goals is for those smaller contracts contractors

to be able to be

a prime contractor job and or to support our mentors and smaller firms that that really want help. They wanna learn how to succeed. And then with LEAD, it's using the the public funding and contracting opportunities to then help contractors, union or nonunion, to be successful in employing and training residents and practices and trades. So that is the focus of those. Then we have TTAB, the triple one training employment program.

And the training folks receive really is geared toward getting them in apprenticeships and family wage jobs. So the focus right now, programs we've we've had over the past year is construction trade, IT, and warehousing and logistics. And for example, we had a contract with Florida Park Technical College, and they was kind of passed through to Palmer Pathworks. So that is state Washington State Friendship Council approved free apprenticeship program. And Palmer has agreements with several trades as far as, like, might might be a direct entity, might be a guaranteed interview, but it's a good through way for folks to get trained and get some good paying work.

EPA Brownfields program, so that training is aligned with green economy. The the folks receive certifications that allow them to work in remediation of hazardous waste in lands that are being considered for reuse. So it's like you have to meet the ports. There are a lot of areas. Also with that one, we do have support services during the program and after. So they they can have transportation help. They can day care help. It is limited by what they get us, but it's still there. So that's the follow-up on the questions you just had. And we appreciate the interest and your questions. Thank you.

Now Perfect. Thank you. This is really helpful, particularly for me, because I know the memo that came back to us, I believe, really meaty. And so this is just a really good it was good information in the memo. Good opportunity for us to sort of hear it also, allow it, and then maybe make other connections and think through. So with that, I will open up to see if folks have questions for you. Questions on the questions.

Most of the questions were mine. Thank you. Yeah. I don't have any further questions. It's also

obviously not the last time we'll talk about this, but I think it's just because all these presentations also come annually, Also, all all the programs. Yeah. So I just wanted to make sure if anybody anything Bernie, you wanted to on? Excellent. Thank you. Appreciate it. You Am

I able to ask any questions?

I can have I can have just comment if I have to ask her. Okay. And then follow-up so you can submit that question, but we'll get we'll get back. And then alright. Next, we will get to topics for upcoming meetings. Monday of the week. Topics. Oh, I'll do that.

Okay. In two weeks on May 12, we will have

a community and economic development quarterly update, and arts and cultural vitality will present on their ongoing plan refresh. The May 26 meeting is canceled. And on June 9, there will be interviews for the city events and recognitions.

Thank you. Can I confirm some other topics of interest? Nope. Great. With that, I will look see if you would like to make a public comment. Just don't sign up front. I'm gonna open Oh, that's okay. Sign in your social. No. That's okay. And then if anybody online has a hold of a comment they wanna share, please feel free to raise your hand now, I will have we'll go back in time, have a clerk raise a little public comment. Speaking. Thank you. Public comment items on the agenda. Please sign up to front of the room if you're already. If you're speaking virtually, please press the raise hand button near the bottom of your Zoom. You'll never start right after the phone. Your name is the last four, and you can give a phone number to be called out when you're starting this week. Thank you so much. So we'll quiet up while you're signing in.

Okay. Great. Yeah.

Right. Hi. I'm a Pierce County resident, and I'm a representative for the North Coast State Regional Council Partners. Great report, Deborah. Partners certainly support LEAP and community workforce agreements. We did mention that there's an issue with employers, I guess, requesting certain apprentices, and they were unable to do that or permitted to do that. But just so you know, the carpenter's union does not have any limitations on that. Contractor may request someone that lives in a certain

ZIP code,

someone who's graduated a pre apprenticeship program, so on and so forth. So not sure if that's the same with other grades. I'm like, maybe not, but I just

wanted to make you Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Appreciate that. Next up. Oh, okay. Cool. Thank you. Alright. I don't see any Zoom Zoom's shooting up, so I will go ahead and upload a public comment and ask for the final motion. Second. All those in favor, say goodbye to saying aye.

Aye.

That works. Thanks.