Votes at a glance: Yakima City Council approves proclamations, committee appointments, numerous consent resolutions and schedules study sessions

The Yakima City Council took a series of routine and procedural actions at its Jan. 7, 2025 meeting. Key votes and agenda moves included proclamations, citizen board appointments, removal of an advisory‑board member, adoption of a broad consent agenda containing multiple resolutions and interlocal agreements, and several motions to add future study sessions and agenda items.

Proclamations and nominations: the council approved two ceremonial proclamations — for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and National Mentoring Month — by voice vote. The council also approved the nominating committee’s slate of citizen appointments: Carolus Davis and Connor Hopkins for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Greenway representative position), Manuel Olivas for the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) and Alejandra Tapia for the Yakima Housing Authority Board. The council adopted the slate by motion, 7–0.

Advisory‑board removal: the council voted 7–0 to remove Lisa Graham from the Henry Beauchamp Community Center Advisory Board (formerly Southeast Community Center advisory board); the motion was made from the floor and seconded during the meeting.

Consent agenda: the council adopted the consent agenda by roll call, 7–0. The consent agenda included the following items read into the record (item letters as presented by staff): - 7(a) Approval of minutes: Dec. 10, 2024 regular meeting and Dec. 17, 2024 study session. - 7(b) Set Feb. 4, 2025 closed‑record public hearing on the preliminary plat of Aspen Estates Phase 3 (WM Real Property Holdings LLC). - 7(c) Set Feb. 4, 2025 closed‑record public hearing on the preliminary plat of Occidental Place (HLA Engineering & Land Surveying). - 7(d) Set Feb. 4, 2025 open‑record public hearing on a right‑of‑way vacation petition for Ted Palmateer (portion of North 60th Avenue). - 7(e) Resolution adopting the 2025 master fee schedule for the City of Yakima. - 7(f) Resolution accepting Change Order No. 1 with Granite Construction Company for the Nob Hill Boulevard grind and overlay project (2793). - 7(g) Resolution authorizing purchase of a temporary construction easement from Holling Berry Hop Storage LLC for the Nelson Dam removal/water supply/fish passage and riverine process phase 2 conveyance improvements project (IC2010). - 7(h) Resolution authorizing a professional services agreement with Gray & Osborne, Inc., for stormwater system engineering services including downtown parking‑lot stormwater improvements (task 1). - 7(i) Resolution authorizing award for Bid 12427 and agreements with Amtest Inc. and Anatech Labs Inc. for analytical lab testing services. - 7(j) Resolution authorizing award for Quote 22408 and agreements with Pelican Chemicals and 2 Rivers Terminal to provide runway de‑icer for Yakima Air Terminal. - 7(k) Resolution authorizing an amendment to the fuel‑farm lease with Miquito Aviation LLC at Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field (2401 S. 21st Ave.). - 7(l) Resolution authorizing an amendment to the fixed‑based operator lease with Miquito Aviation LLC at Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field. - 7(m) Resolution authorizing acceptance of funds on a Community Aviation Revitalization Board loan application with the Washington State Department of Transportation for Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field. - 7(n) Resolution authorizing an agreement with Yakima Housing Authority to provide funds through the Connecting Gron… (text as read: connecting grama ptd 0981 with WSDOT) to support Yakima Transit fixed‑route operations (full contract details in staff packet; staff read title into record). - 7(p) Resolution authorizing WSDOT Agreement GCC‑1097 between Yakima Valley Conference of Governments and WSDOT for sharing city transit planning information. - 7(q) Resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement with Yakima County Technology Services for network equipment maintenance and repair on Spillman CAD workstations. - 7(r) Resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement between Yakima County Fire District No. 4 and the City of Yakima for emergency aid response services. - 7(s) Resolution approving the City of Yakima garbage receptacle wrap program and authorizing the Arts Commission and city manager to contract with selected artists for new garbage can wraps.

Other procedural actions and study sessions added: councilors moved several future agenda/study session items during the meeting. Motions were made and approved to add the following to a future study session or business agenda: - A study session to discuss billing nonresidents for use of emergency fire and police services (motion passed to add to a future study session). - A study session on home‑occupation permits and the home‑occupation permit/rezone question; staff was asked to provide a short presentation summarizing the current ordinance and permit requirements before the council’s discussion (the item was scheduled for the first business meeting in February per an amended motion). - A future meeting discussion on the city’s utility billing policy, specifically whether property owners remain liable for unpaid utility accounts when tenants/non‑property owners fail to pay; council instructed staff to place the topic on a future regular meeting agenda so the council can review the city’s current policy and ordinance.

Votes: all motions and resolutions recorded on the Jan. 7 agenda were adopted unanimously where votes were taken (roll call results stated as 7–0 for the items listed above). Several agenda items were scheduled for future public hearings on Feb. 4, 2025 as noted above.