Residents debate DEI commission as council suspends 2026 annual comp-plan amendment cycle to prioritize periodic update

Public comment at the Ellensburg City Council meeting centered on the city's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commission and competing views about whether the commission should remain. Dozens of residents took the microphone in pro- and anti-DEI remarks during the non-agenda public-comment period; many later submitted comprehensive-plan amendment forms asking the council to remove Chapter 9 (DEI) from the city's comprehensive plan.

Why it matters: More than 300 comprehensive-plan amendment requests and repeated public comment indicate a strongly felt community dispute. The city is simultaneously preparing a state-mandated periodic comprehensive-plan update due June 30, 2026; council action to suspend the 2026 annual amendment docket reallocates staff resources toward that larger, legally required review.

Community speakers expressed sharply divided views. Supporters of the DEI commission argued it improves access to services, amplifies underrepresented voices and hosts listening sessions used to inform city work. Christy Stepton, who identified herself as a resident, said the commission's listening sessions helped her…