Votes at a glance: Federal Way council approves market budget, AV upgrades, hires capital projects manager, and passes park/land‑use ordinances

Federal Way City Council members approved multiple consent and ordinance items Wednesday, voting on budget, contracts, staffing and code revisions in a single meeting.

What passed - Farmers Market budget and staffing: Council approved the 2025 City of Federal Way Farmers Market budget and the addition of 0.85 full‑time equivalent (FTE) staff to manage the market. The motion passed unanimously after a presentation from Bill Bodino and staff that described vendor, EBT and sponsorship mechanics and projected a revenue‑neutral season.

- City Council chambers AV upgrade: Council authorized sending the city council chambers AV upgrade request to bid. Council and staff discussed relocation options during the roughly 60‑day construction window and committed to holding in‑person meetings at alternative city venues; the motion passed unanimously.

- Safe City camera purchases: Council approved purchase/installation of new safe‑city cameras funded through a legislative grant. Council Member McDaniel voted no on the item citing concerns about long‑term maintenance and surveillance scope; roll call showed a 6–1 approval with McDaniel opposed.

- Hire capital projects manager (King County Parks Levy): Council approved hiring one FTE for a capital projects manager funded from King County parks levy funds to accelerate backlog projects and pursue grants. The position was described as project‑management and grant‑writing focused; the final vote recorded a 6–1 approval.

- WCIA risk reduction grant: Council accepted a WCIA risk‑reduction grant for $15,000; the motion passed unanimously.

- Annual code amendments and park impact fee methodology: The council advanced and approved several code cleanup and technical amendments for Titles 18 and 19 and forwarded the park impact fee methodology amendments for second reading and enactment. These amendments update references and set an inflation‑adjustment approach consistent with state law (Senate Bill 5258) and the city’s adopted park impact fee study.

Why it matters: The decisions move multiple administrative, capital and service items forward at once. The Farmers Market action transfers operational responsibility to the city and creates recurring staff capacity; the AV upgrade will temporarily relocate meetings and require logistics planning; the capital projects manager is intended to help close a backlog of park and facilities work that staff said cannot be managed within current bandwidth.

Key vote details (selected): - Farmers Market 2025 budget & 0.85 FTE — passed unanimously. - AV upgrade request to bid — passed unanimously. - Safe City cameras purchase (consent item E) — passed 6–1 (Council Member McDaniel opposed). - Approval to hire capital projects manager funded by King County Parks Levy (item H) — passed 6–1 (recorded as one dissenting vote). - WCIA risk‑reduction grant acceptance ($15,000) — passed unanimously. - Multiple annual code cleanup ordinances (Titles 18 and 19) — advanced with affirmative votes; ordinance amendments were forwarded for second reading where required.

Next steps: Staff will coordinate logistics for meetings during the AV upgrade, implement Farmers Market financial and operational transitions, and begin recruitment for the capital projects manager. The park impact fee ordinance will return for second reading on April 15. Council asked staff to provide additional information on grant performance, projected project lists for the parks manager role, and maintenance implications for the safe‑city camera program.

Ending: Most consent and ordinance items passed with broad support; several items that expand infrastructure or staff capacity passed with at least one dissenting vote citing long‑term maintenance or prioritization concerns.