Agenda Items & Discussion

• Public Hearing on FY27 Budget: The council held a public hearing on the proposed FY27 budget. A significant number of city employees affiliated with SEIU Local 205 spoke during the hearing, urging the council to prioritize wage increases. Workers from departments including forestry, water quality, and wastewater described financial hardship, noting that many hold two jobs despite a policy requiring city employment to be their primary position. Speakers emphasized that frontline workers are essential to keeping city services running and deserve compensation that reflects that.
• Arts Funding Advocacy: Multiple residents and nonprofit workers spoke in support of arts education funding, particularly for organizations like Arts Build and the Be the Change Youth Initiative. Speakers described the transformative impact of arts programs on youth and communities, arguing that arts funding is a necessity rather than a luxury.
• Planning & Zoning — Rezoning Case: The council reviewed a rezoning request to change a property from CC (Community Commercial) to IH (Industrial Heavy) zoning to allow outdoor storage of vehicles. Staff noted the property has been used commercially since 2007 and has expanded into a residentially zoned parcel, creating a non-conforming use situation. The surrounding area consists primarily of single-family residential land uses with no adjacent industrial zoning.
• HR Department Leadership: Council members congratulated Erica Collins on her appointment as Chief Human Resources Officer, along with Mandy Green and Deputy Darren Leard, who also served on the hiring panel.
• School Board Member-Elect: Vice Chairman Elliot acknowledged school board member-elect White, who attended the meeting, and congratulated them on their election win.

Key Decisions & Votes

• Ordinances — Final Reading: Ordinances on final reading were considered at approximately the 2:10 mark of the meeting.
• Ordinances — First Reading: New ordinances were introduced on first reading.
• Resolutions: Resolutions were considered and acted upon.
• Purchases: Purchasing items were approved.
• No specific vote counts were captured in the transcript for individual items, but the agenda proceeded through all formal action items.