City Council Condensed: January 7, 2020

City Council Condensed is a brief summary of the most recent Yelm City Council meetings with each Council member's roll call votes on action items. The entire video can be viewed here. If you would like to provide input, please send a comment to the Mayor or City Council.

TRPC Provides Regional Transportation Update:
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) presented an update for their work plan in 2020 and their strategic plan to maximize the benefits of all modes of transportation by assessing regional impact of all projects in Thurston County, which will benefit Yelm and neighboring communities. TRPC will host a community survey later this month and we will post it as soon as it is published.

Parks Advisory Presents Recommendations for 2020:
The dedicated volunteers of the Parks Advisory Committee recommended a few changes for the upcoming year, including changing the park hours to sunrise to sunset.[MG1]  The Committee also discussed a possibility of charging a small fee to rent the pavilions at Yelm City Park and establishing a reservation process. Currently park facilities are reserved on a first come first serve basis which inhibits residents from planning ahead and utilizing these amenities for parties and family events considering the park’s increased popularity. The City is looking to restructure how the pavilions are rented to better the experience for all park users and the Parks Advisory Committee will reconsider the ordinance and bring it forward for a second reading at a later meeting.

Update on the Killion Road Property and Local Improvement District:
City Council received another update regarding the 640 acre parcel on Killion Road that is now an asset of the Local Improvement District (District), which is a separate entity from the City of Yelm and was formed by multiple land owners to build the main roadway leading to the Tahoma Terra development. One of the land owners stopped paying into the LID and a 640-acre parcel of their property was foreclosed upon, making that parcel an asset of the District as of January 3, 2020. The District will conclude its annual bond payments for the roadway in 2024 and officially dissolve by 2026. Next, City Staff will work with the bank and personnel who support the District to determine possible options for the 640 parcel. Currently, the District’s reserve accounts have adequate funds to make the payments without doing anything with the 640 acre parcel for at least 2023.  

Elected Official Representation:
Although there is no requirement to collaborate with regional partners or a formal Council policy on how to do so, the Mayor and City Council traditionally represent the City on regional committees and boards of organizations to ensure we are collaborating with neighboring jurisdictions and other community partners. On Tuesday Mayor Foster shared a draft of possible committee representatives for both regional entities and internal committees for City Council members to review and follow-up with him on. Once the list of representatives is finalized, we will publish it on the website so residents and community organizations know who to connect with on key issues and hot topics, such as regional transportation, homelessness, solid waste, etc. Please stay tuned.

Homelessness Task Force Update:
The Yelm Homelessness Task Force,  led by Council Members DePinto and Carmody, is still pulling together their research, compiling data, and conducting a thorough analysis as required by the resolution drafted by Council Member Carmody and adopted by Council in December last year. The Task Force’s final report was due in December of last year but is said to be completed by Councilmember DePinto later this week. The formal recommendations of the Task Force and supporting analysis will be discussed at the February 4 Council Study Session at the Yelm Community Center and will hopefully be ready to be brought forward for Council for formal consideration and deliberation at a regular Council Meeting in late February or early March. We recognize this is a sensitive issue with many passionate community members and we will make sure to post the report as it becomes available from the Yelm Homelessness Task Force.