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Votes at a glance: Sumner council adopts commute-trip ordinance and confirms three commission appointments
Summary
On April 21 the Sumner City Council unanimously approved a consent agenda including two RCO certifications and FEMA grant acceptance, appointed members to three advisory bodies, and adopted Ordinance 2925 updating the city’s commute trip reduction code.
The Sumner City Council on April 21 approved several routine actions and one ordinance affecting transportation policy.
Key outcomes
- Consent agenda adopted unanimously (7-0). Items listed by the clerk included: Resolution 1717 (Commute Trip Reduction Plan 2025–2029); Resolution 1719 (South Tank seismic retrofit, FEMA HMGP grant acceptance); and two Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) certifications of applicant match for Bill Heath Sports Complex projects (multiuse synthetic turf and lighting improvements).
- Appointments confirmed (each 7-0): Nicholas Johnson was appointed to the Forestry and Parks Commission; Mark Malcolm was appointed to the Planning Commission (term through April 2029); Charles Hendricks was appointed to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
- Ordinance 2925 passed unanimously (7-0). The ordinance amends Sumner Municipal Code chapter 16.06 to adopt and implement the city’s Commute Trip Reduction Plan for 2025–2029, aligning local code with state requirements and regional planning guidance.
What Ordinance 2925 does
Economic and community development director Ryan Windisch told the council the update adopts the city’s Commute Trip Reduction Plan 2025–2029, cleans up code language, and references the correct state statutory citations. Windisch said the state-required program targets worksites with 100 or more full-time employees whose employees arrive between roughly 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.; it promotes alternatives to single-occupant vehicle trips such as transit, guaranteed-ride-home programs and employer incentives. The city coordinated the update with the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Roll calls and tallies
Motions and roll-call votes were recorded on the record for each item and passed unanimously (7 yes, 0 no). The clerks’ roll calls registered affirmative votes from the seven council members present.
Why it matters
The commute-trip ordinance implements a state-directed local program intended to reduce carbon emissions and congestion at qualifying worksites. The RCO certifications enable the city to pursue state grants and match offers for the listed athletic-facility improvements at Bill Heath Sports Complex. The appointments fill advisory-body vacancies that influence parks, planning and lodging-tax funding recommendations.
Ending note: All listed items were enacted by unanimous vote; no public hearings on these items were held at this meeting.
