[0:18] But you can't open it from this laptop
[0:21] that's attached to that.
[0:24] » Yeah, you're good. But you'd have to go
[0:26] I'd have to one of us has to go put our
[0:28] controller
[0:29] » Yeah.
[0:32] » We'll do it when
[0:34] » Okay.
[0:34] » Okay.
[0:35] Looks good. Okay. Whenever you're ready.
[0:37] » Okay. Let's call the meeting to order at
[0:39] 6:02. If you'll all stand for the Pledge
[0:41] of Allegiance.
[0:43] I pledge
[0:43] » Allegiance to the flag of the United
[0:45] States of America and to the republic
[0:49] for which it stands, one nation under
[0:51] God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:54] justice for all.
[0:55] » You may be seated.
[0:58] Perkins, call the roll, please. Smith.
[1:01] » Here.
[1:01] » Wolfcale.
[1:02] » Here.
[1:02] » Arsena.
[1:03] » Here.
[1:04] » Burbank.
[1:04] » Absent.
[1:05] » Burgerson.
[1:06] » Here.
[1:06] » Mazoni.
[1:07] » Here.
[1:07] » Green.
[1:08] » Here.
[1:09] » Motion to excuse Councilmember Burbank.
[1:11] » Second.
[1:13] » It's been moved and seconded. All those
[1:15] in favor?
[1:15] » Aye.
[1:16] » Motion carries.
[1:17] » All right.
[1:18] » Moving on to agenda modifications.
[1:20] Council, do you have any agenda
[1:21] modifications for tonight?
[1:23] » Move to approve the agenda as presented.
[1:26] » We've got it.
[1:28] Is that you, Denise? I'm sorry, I didn't
[1:29] hear you.
[1:31] It's been moved and seconded. All those
[1:33] in favor?
[1:33] » Aye.
[1:35] » Motion carries.
[1:36] Moving on.
[1:38] Moving on to my favorite part of
[1:40] tonight's council meeting.
[1:42] Announcements, appointments, and
[1:43] presentations. So, tonight we have
[1:46] uh the volunteer of the year award for
[1:49] the senior center. So, I'm going to read
[1:51] the information here about our awardees.
[1:55] Uh tonight I have the honor of
[1:57] recognizing two very special volunteers
[1:59] from the Buckley Senior Center with the
[2:01] K Skogan Volunteer of the Year Award.
[2:05] This award was established in
[2:07] remembrance of K Skogan, a long-time
[2:09] coordinator of the Buckley Senior
[2:11] Center, and recognizes a volunteer who
[2:14] demonstrates exceptional dedication,
[2:16] leadership, and service to our senior
[2:19] center and its members.
[2:21] For our inaugural year, the review
[2:23] committee had a large stack of
[2:25] nominations to review, and after careful
[2:28] consideration, it was decided that two
[2:31] volunteers were exceptionally deserving.
[2:34] Our first
[2:36] recipient is Maria Zaffi.
[2:38] Maria is someone who puts her heart into
[2:40] the Senior Center and its members day in
[2:43] and day out. She is always there to
[2:45] help, to listen, and to make people feel
[2:48] welcome and cared for. Her kindness and
[2:51] genuine care for others are exactly what
[2:53] makes the Senior Center such a special
[2:55] place.
[2:57] Our second recipient is Nancy Moriarty.
[3:00] Nancy has demonstrated extraordinary
[3:02] administrative leadership, both at the
[3:04] Senior Center and throughout our
[3:06] community. She is someone who steps up,
[3:09] gets things done, and is always willing
[3:11] to use her time and talents to make
[3:13] things better for others.
[3:15] Maria and Nancy represent our city and
[3:18] the Senior Center so well, both using
[3:20] their times and talents because they
[3:21] care deeply about the people and the
[3:24] community that they serve.
[3:26] On behalf of the city, the Senior
[3:29] Center, and our community,
[3:31] congratulations to Maria Zaffi and Nancy
[3:33] Moriarty on being our first recipients
[3:36] of the K Skogan Volunteer of the Year
[3:39] Award.
[3:53] Um.
[3:54] Hahaha.
[3:58] » Yes, who's guilty?
[4:00] Ready?
[4:00] » Oh, oh.
[4:00] » Ready, two, three.
[4:01] » Go ahead, right up. Oh, we'll take your
[4:03] picture.
[4:03] » Picture of the mayor.
[4:04] » So, that way it's
[4:06] » Yep, so you can hand it to the mayor.
[4:08] » These are for me.
[4:09] » Thank you.
[4:10] » These are for you.
[4:13] These are for you.
[4:16] And these are for you.
[4:20] » No, that's all right.
[4:21] » Thank you.
[4:23] » Okay.
[4:24] » Good job, team.
[4:25] » Thank you, ladies. Thank you.
[4:33] » Hey, thank you so much.
[4:35] And I love to see you so much in the
[4:37] meeting.
[4:39] This is for you. Bless your house and
[4:41] anybody that's in your house. And I
[4:45] appreciate it.
[4:46] Thank you so much.
[4:47] » Thank you. Good night.
[4:54] » Okay, moving on to public comments.
[4:58] Uh tonight we have three opportunities
[5:01] for public comment. The first is the
[5:03] normal public comment period, and then
[5:06] also the one at the end. Thank you. But
[5:08] in the middle, we will have a public
[5:11] hearing on the PSE energy
[5:15] uh
[5:15] moratorium. So, I will ask you when you
[5:19] um when you signed up here, did you plan
[5:21] to testify?
[5:23] It looks like the only person I have
[5:25] planning to testify is Christine from
[5:28] PSE. And so, she I know wants to be
[5:31] during the public hearing. So, I will
[5:32] just move on from that unless there is
[5:35] someone who's decided
[5:38] um that did not sign up that would like
[5:40] to do public comment tonight.
[5:44] Seeing none, I'm going to move forward.
[5:47] Uh, mayor's report for tonight. Uh, the
[5:50] only thing I would like to just say is
[5:52] that council member Mazzoni and I
[5:55] uh, had a great time at the summer
[5:58] luncheon barbecue for the senior center
[6:00] today. Very well attended. I don't know
[6:02] how many 70 people there. Lots. And um,
[6:07] Patty and the Traveling Four were the
[6:09] music today.
[6:11] And I've seen them before a couple times
[6:13] at the Eagles back in the day. So,
[6:15] they've they were they were a lot of
[6:16] fun. Um, Parks and Community Services
[6:19] Council Member Green.
[6:21] » Yes, Parks and Community Services met on
[6:23] August 3rd. Uh, we had a lot of topics
[6:26] to to go through. Um, one is the ongoing
[6:29] conversations between the city and the
[6:31] food bank. Uh, we heard about uh, the
[6:34] Pierce County Library and there's an
[6:36] update or there will be an update uh,
[6:38] forthcoming August 17th, is it?
[6:40] » Our meeting's on the 19th.
[6:41] » 19th, okay.
[6:43] Two days off.
[6:44] » Choice.
[6:44] » Um,
[6:45] uh, regarding the camping issue that's
[6:46] been happening at the library. So,
[6:48] mayors from Buckley,
[6:49] Sumner and Bonney Lake are going to meet
[6:51] with the Pierce County uh, executive
[6:52] director of the Pierce County Library
[6:54] executive director, rather, to talk
[6:56] about
[6:57] uh, community values regarding
[6:59] homelessness and camping in public
[7:00] areas.
[7:01] Um, Miller Park update. So,
[7:03] uh, see, we heard recently about the
[7:06] cultural resource survey that was kind
[7:07] of taking a while. Seems like the review
[7:09] is uh, been sent was sent for
[7:11] consultation. Uh, the tribal consulting
[7:14] party a request that additional field
[7:16] work be completed. Uh, there's there was
[7:18] an issue with standing water in the
[7:21] shovel probing process that doesn't
[7:23] allow them to fully assess uh, any
[7:25] impacts. Um, so, there's unclear
[7:28] results. Uh, some might say it was clear
[7:29] as mud. Shush. Um,
[7:33] uh, youth center update. So, uh, we
[7:35] heard that recently heard that like the
[7:38] the YPV grant funding, we did not get it
[7:40] this year, which was anticipated $45,000
[7:43] $45,000 revenue that we were expecting
[7:47] and was in our our finances here.
[7:49] So, we didn't get that. So, we heard
[7:51] about um
[7:52] what kind of offsets were
[7:54] the city's looking at. There's a $7,500
[7:56] allocation that we got from Council
[7:58] member Morell.
[7:59] Uh
[8:01] $4,000 above budget for the TPCHD
[8:04] donations small grant awards at
[8:07] our 70
[8:08] 7,000 but almost $8,000 above budget.
[8:11] But, there's still a big gap, almost
[8:13] $26,000 because of that missing $45,000
[8:16] grant that we didn't get. So, city's
[8:18] looking at different ways to reduce
[8:20] costs and also looking at a lot of
[8:23] different applications for grant
[8:24] funding. Some notable ones is Northcliff
[8:27] Foundation for $40,000. So, that's
[8:29] pending. Hopefully, that goes through.
[8:32] Another one is Names Foundation for
[8:34] $20,000.
[8:36] And so, there's a lot of great work and
[8:37] there's some other ones here, too, that
[8:38] don't have exact dollar figures tied to
[8:41] them, but a lot of great work being done
[8:42] by the city to to try to bridge this
[8:44] gap. We also heard about three mural
[8:47] applications that have been received and
[8:48] are under review.
[8:50] » Thank you, Council member Grave.
[8:52] » Council member [clears throat] Smith,
[8:53] admin, finance, public safety.
[8:56] » Admin, finance, and public safety met
[8:58] yesterday afternoon.
[9:01] Um
[9:03] administration items talked about
[9:05] Buckley Food Bank.
[9:07] Status quo from last meeting uh yet to
[9:10] sign terms of the offer.
[9:12] The use of Buckley Hall is work in
[9:14] progress.
[9:16] Administrative Bank shared details of a
[9:19] one-year contract extension for
[9:22] the IAFF
[9:24] International Association Firefighter
[9:27] members represented.
[9:29] Uh their local is escaping me, but they
[9:32] um their contract is coming up. So, he's
[9:36] we will have this on our August 25th
[9:38] agenda. Share the terms of what is
[9:40] proposed.
[9:42] Municipal Court, Mrs. Cash advised that
[9:45] the office is working through the
[9:46] budgeting process. It's that time of the
[9:48] year, and they're preparing for the
[9:50] implementation of new court management
[9:52] system known as Enterprise Justice.
[9:57] Police Department, Chief Alfano advised
[9:59] that he has pulled the Civil Service
[10:02] list
[10:04] for entry-level police officers. So, if
[10:06] anybody doesn't know, when you apply
[10:11] to be a law enforcement officer in a
[10:13] municipality, it's
[10:16] uh control It is overseen by a Civil
[10:19] Service Commission.
[10:21] So, those officers or potential officers
[10:24] who have applied,
[10:26] they're now on a Civil Service list, and
[10:28] the department is processing them for
[10:32] uh
[10:33] potential hire to replace Detective
[10:35] Plaster's spot.
[10:37] He retired at the end of June.
[10:40] Fire Department, we had no update.
[10:43] Uh and then Finance,
[10:46] you're going to find uh what we talked
[10:48] about, the 2026 mid-year adjustments on
[10:51] tonight's agenda.
[10:56] » Thank you, Council member Smith. And
[10:58] finally,
[10:59] uh Planning Commission with Council
[11:01] member Wolthausen.
[11:02] » Yeah. The uh Planning Commission met
[11:04] last Monday. Um the bulk of what was
[11:07] discussed will be um
[11:09] discussed tonight during the public
[11:10] hearing. Um one thing that was nice is
[11:12] we were able to get a representative
[11:14] from PSE to attend our meeting uh
[11:17] virtually and uh answered a lot of
[11:19] really good questions and kind of um
[11:21] gave us some clarity before uh the
[11:24] Planning Commission made their
[11:25] recommendation that you guys are going
[11:26] to be hearing tonight. So, that'll be
[11:28] the
[11:29] that topic will be what is discussed
[11:31] primarily going forward on the planning
[11:33] commission. So
[11:35] » Thank you.
[11:37] » Mayor Council consent agenda.
[11:40] » On tonight's consent agenda is approval
[11:42] of the minutes of the May 26th, 2026
[11:45] City Council meeting, approval of the
[11:47] minutes of the July 14th, 2026 City
[11:49] Council meeting and claims and payroll.
[11:52] » Move to approve the consent agenda as
[11:55] presented. Second.
[11:57] » It's been moved and seconded. All those
[11:59] in favor?
[12:00] » I
[12:01] » Motion carries.
[12:03] » Mayor, can I say something real quick?
[12:06] Do we should
[12:08] let Council and the audience know that
[12:10] there are some documents related to code
[12:12] updates that were stapled or as part of
[12:15] the best hearing. It's not part of the
[12:17] best hearing. Those documents are
[12:19] related to a staff report later in the
[12:21] meeting.
[12:28] » Thank you.
[12:31] Okay, so let's move on to
[12:34] public hearings.
[12:36] So tonight we have a moratorium on the
[12:39] development of a uh
[12:44] batter, is that correct? Battery.
[12:46] Oh, battery. It's just missing a Y. My
[12:49] » Sorry. That's not the right word.
[12:51] » Battery energy storage system, BESS.
[12:55] So we are going to recess the City
[12:58] Council meeting at 6:14 to
[13:00] enter into that public hearing.
[13:03] And uh
[13:05] Senior Planner Farnsworth, if you would
[13:07] come up and do your presentation.
[13:13] » Good evening, Mayor, City Council
[13:14] members. Um so I just wanted to do
[13:16] elaborate on the work that the Planning
[13:17] Commission has been doing over the month
[13:19] of July regarding the battery energy
[13:21] storage system moratorium.
[13:23] Um so on June 23rd, Council approved a
[13:26] moratorium on these battery energy
[13:27] storage systems and part of that is we
[13:30] need to have a public hearing within 60
[13:32] days of adopting that initial ordinance.
[13:35] So we we have the opportunity to spend
[13:37] two full meetings kind of
[13:39] just trying to gain an understanding of
[13:41] what these energy systems are, how they
[13:44] function and potential implications of
[13:46] for the community at large. And so after
[13:49] our initial review, we are the planning
[13:51] commission is recommending it to extend
[13:53] the moratorium for 1 year while we have
[13:56] an additional opportunity to review
[13:57] materials. And the way I've been
[14:00] thinking of it is we'll break it into
[14:01] three different sections, environmental
[14:03] concerns, emergency response and
[14:05] preparedness, and then the final one
[14:07] will be project siting.
[14:09] Which is a more a little bit more of a
[14:11] hands-on what does this actually look
[14:12] like in the community. And my goal would
[14:15] be to provide Council with quarterly
[14:17] updates so you can kind of track our
[14:19] progress while we work through it.
[14:22] » Okay.
[14:23] Thank you, Chris.
[14:26] And I believe we have a representative
[14:27] here tonight from PSE, Christine Rompa,
[14:31] who wanted to testify during the the
[14:32] hearing. So please come on up.
[14:35] » Thank you.
[14:36] Good evening, Council and esteemed
[14:38] Mayor. My name is Christine Rompa and I
[14:40] work for Puget Sound Energy as a local
[14:42] government affairs representative.
[14:44] For over 150 years, PSE has served the
[14:47] region by providing safe, reliable
[14:49] energy for our customers. Due to a
[14:52] variety of factors, including population
[14:55] growth, electrification,
[14:57] and changes in state law, we are now
[14:59] going through the most transformational
[15:01] time in our history and battery energy
[15:04] storage systems will play a critical
[15:06] role in helping PSE successfully meet
[15:09] this challenge. Demand for electricity
[15:12] is growing, especially during summer
[15:14] heat waves and in winter cold snaps.
[15:17] During those peak times, PSE can use the
[15:19] energy stored in batteries to continue
[15:22] serving our customers instead of buying
[15:24] expensive power on the market. BESs are
[15:27] an important part of PSE's plans to
[15:30] provide the reliable power our customers
[15:32] expect while delivering more of the
[15:34] clean energy required by Washington's
[15:37] aggressive clean energy laws.
[15:39] Batteries have the potential to solve
[15:41] energy challenges we all care about,
[15:44] like providing temporary backup power
[15:46] when you experience an outage, to
[15:48] helping businesses manage their power
[15:50] use. Installing BESs helps employ men
[15:53] and women in the building trades who
[15:55] live here in Buckley and throughout our
[15:57] region.
[15:58] PSE has always been a safety-first
[16:00] company. Safety for our customers,
[16:03] employees, and our systems is paramount
[16:06] to PSE.
[16:07] Our state's energy code has safety
[16:09] regulations for these systems that were
[16:12] developed by first responders,
[16:14] electrical and chemical engineers, and
[16:16] other key subject matter experts in the
[16:19] energy industry.
[16:20] PSE requires any type of BESs facility
[16:23] connected to our system to meet
[16:25] stringent multi-layered safety
[16:27] standards. We'd like to partner with you
[16:30] to create an ordinance that addresses
[16:32] your concerns and aligns with your
[16:34] comprehensive plan.
[16:36] CF policy 5.2 calls for the use of
[16:39] renewable energy resources to meet the
[16:42] region's energy needs. CF 5.3 promotes
[16:46] energy consumption through conservation
[16:48] and alternative energy forms to extend
[16:51] the life of existing facilities and
[16:53] infrastructure.
[16:55] BESs infrastructure can eliminate
[16:57] [clears throat] the need to build costly
[16:59] new overhead transmissions lines, which
[17:02] can cost two to three million dollars
[17:04] per mile.
[17:05] CF 5.4 supports investments in
[17:09] low-carbon energy sources.
[17:11] Buckley's BESs moratorium provides an
[17:13] opportunity to address community
[17:15] concerns through a thoughtful, thorough,
[17:18] and fact-based review of current best
[17:20] technology. We believe that you will
[17:23] find that best systems provide
[17:25] compelling benefits for grid reliability
[17:27] in Buckley, and that best safety has
[17:29] dramatically improved over the past
[17:32] several years. We are hopeful your
[17:34] deliberations will provide a permitting
[17:36] pathway for residential, commercial, and
[17:39] utility-scale bests so we can continue
[17:42] providing safe, reliable, and clean
[17:44] energies
[17:46] to customers in Buckley. PSE looks
[17:48] forward to working with you. Thank you
[17:50] very much.
[17:51] » Thank you.
[17:52] » Thank you.
[17:55] » Is there anyone else who did not sign up
[17:56] that wants to speak during the public
[17:58] hearing related to this moratorium?
[18:02] Seeing none,
[18:04] I will then uh
[18:06] reconvene the
[18:09] reconvene Excuse me. I will close the
[18:12] public hearing at 6:19 and reconvene the
[18:15] council meeting.
[18:19] Okay. So,
[18:20] ready for ordinances when you are.
[18:22] » Ordinance number 08-26
[18:25] amending the 2025-2026
[18:28] biennial budget.
[18:29] » Move to approve ordinance 08-26 amending
[18:33] the 2025-2026
[18:35] city budget.
[18:37] » Second.
[18:41] » Wonderful.
[18:44] » It's No, it's
[18:45] It's been moved and seconded.
[18:50] Uh so, what I what we'll do at this
[18:51] point is then ask Director Hines to come
[18:54] up and and answer any questions that you
[18:57] may have of her related to this.
[19:05] Now, I'm Councilmember Woodbury.
[19:07] » No.
[19:07] » No.
[19:08] » I [laughter] I told her that I would
[19:11] call her today and with questions and
[19:14] » And you did not call
[19:15] » I did not. I
[19:17] » [laughter]
[19:18] » All right. So, I am seeing that Council
[19:21] member Council member Smith
[19:22] » I just there's no question. I just like
[19:24] to state that this happens every year.
[19:26] We go to the mid
[19:28] part of the budget and we have to
[19:29] adjust. We have to
[19:31] This is we cannot run a deficit or a
[19:34] debt like the federal government
[19:36] or like
[19:38] other places. We have to live within our
[19:40] means and this was this is a
[19:43] I've been here this is my ninth year.
[19:45] This happens all the time. This is not
[19:47] new.
[19:48] This is good.
[19:50] » All right. Any other comments?
[19:53] Thank you Director Council.
[19:55] Okay, so it has been moved and seconded.
[19:58] All those in favor?
[19:58] » No, this will be a roll call.
[20:00] » Oh, sorry. Ordinances, I keep
[20:01] forgetting. Yes, go ahead.
[20:03] » Smith
[20:03] » I
[20:04] » Green
[20:04] » I
[20:05] » Arsenaul
[20:05] » I
[20:06] » Wolfel
[20:06] » I
[20:07] » Burgerson
[20:08] » I
[20:08] » Mazoni
[20:09] » I
[20:09] » Motion carries.
[20:11] All right.
[20:13] Moving on then to staff reports. So,
[20:17] let's start with uh
[20:19] City Engineer Miller and the A Street
[20:22] and Main four-way stop.
[20:27] You're up.
[20:29] » Okay.
[20:30] Good evening everybody. Um
[20:34] We are
[20:36] Let's first I'll give you some
[20:38] background. Um
[20:39] » [clears throat]
[20:40] » Back in April of 2025
[20:44] um the city initiated a intersection
[20:48] evaluation for the intersection of Main
[20:51] Street and A Street. And the intent of
[20:54] the evaluation was to determine whether
[20:56] it was warranted to convert it from the
[20:59] existing two-way stop to a four-way
[21:01] stop.
[21:03] And there are there is a warrant
[21:06] analysis. There are five criteria that
[21:09] you go through on these
[21:11] um
[21:13] evaluations, and I won't go through
[21:15] every one, but two of the five warrants
[21:18] were met, meaning
[21:20] um that
[21:22] the recommendation is yes to convert it
[21:25] to a four-way stop. Um the significant
[21:28] issues, one was for southbound traffic
[21:31] on A Street. There is a sight distance
[21:34] issue looking east.
[21:37] So, as you approach
[21:39] from the north, and you are looking to
[21:42] your left, there's a building right
[21:44] there.
[21:46] And it's hard to see.
[21:47] So, the um official
[21:51] um
[21:52] sight distance required there is 250 ft.
[21:57] What is available is 160 ft.
[22:01] So, it's not available.
[22:02] Um and what drivers do is they stop at
[22:06] the stop bar, some of them, and then
[22:08] they creep forward in order to see
[22:11] before they go.
[22:12] And when you creep forward, they enter
[22:14] into a crosswalk, which is where people
[22:17] walk. So, it's an unsafe situation. And
[22:20] then the second major um
[22:24] item pointed out in the analysis that
[22:26] was conducted
[22:28] is that um the presence of heavy
[22:30] pedestrian traffic, just cuz of the
[22:32] proximity of the schools.
[22:34] Um it talked about uh account of 71
[22:37] pedestrians during a peak hour period,
[22:40] which
[22:42] um is significant.
[22:45] And um
[22:47] so, the recommendation is to convert it
[22:49] to a four-way stop.
[22:51] Um
[22:53] there are some drawbacks that I want you
[22:56] guys to know about. And what the
[23:00] negative impact of making it a four-way
[23:02] stop is that
[23:04] um there will be queuing and um backups
[23:09] on Main Street because everybody's used
[23:12] to going straight. So, when
[23:17] uh
[23:17] during the I think it's more in the PM
[23:19] peak hour or well, it it's usually
[23:22] during um after-school pickup. They're
[23:25] going to be coming west on Main
[23:28] and they're going to have to stop now.
[23:31] So, the backup that's anticipated
[23:36] is not as long as the backup that's
[23:38] currently on Main Street for people
[23:40] coming south, but
[23:42] it's like a lot of things. It's not a
[23:45] perfect solution, but um it is um our
[23:49] recommendation that the city go forward
[23:51] with it and because the safety of the
[23:54] pedestrians and the um the overall uh
[23:57] it's called level of service, the
[23:59] operation of the intersection is
[24:01] enhanced by switching it to a four-way
[24:03] stop.
[24:04] Um so,
[24:07] if you have any questions,
[24:09] I can try to answer them.
[24:14] » This This just for you guys to know,
[24:17] this isn't a like a
[24:21] formal voting deal, but it's looking for
[24:23] a head nod from council on which
[24:25] direction we should
[24:27] move forward with. Um there is Dom, if
[24:30] you correct me if I'm wrong, but once we
[24:33] do these evaluations
[24:36] and there is a
[24:39] recommendation,
[24:41] we do carry a certain liability moving
[24:44] forward by not taking that
[24:46] recommendation.
[24:47] Meaning if we leave it as is and
[24:51] we have a
[24:53] a recommendation and somebody gets hit
[24:56] there, there is a certain amount of
[24:57] liability to the city.
[24:59] » Yeah.
[25:02] » For the record, uh Engineer Miller is
[25:04] nodding his head yes.
[25:07] » [laughter]
[25:07] » Yes. I
[25:11] » Councilmember Smith.
[25:13] » This was brought up by me
[25:16] from a lot of
[25:17] uh
[25:19] information.
[25:22] People already try to treat that as a
[25:25] four-way stop. Sometimes it's it's
[25:28] but there's a lot of stuff going there.
[25:30] City Hall,
[25:32] the hair salon, Scoop,
[25:35] Anchor House, kids walking to school,
[25:39] and the back up has to be the trade-off
[25:41] for the people who've been screaming
[25:43] about this intersection.
[25:45] And uh just my um
[25:48] educated guess is there's about 300
[25:51] pickups
[25:53] and drop-offs in the morning and
[25:57] drop-offs and pickups in the afternoon
[26:00] from there. Not everybody's going
[26:03] west.
[26:05] However, to make that safer, this is
[26:08] what they've been asking for, and this
[26:10] is what it's going to have to be.
[26:12] And I think it's going to be safer for
[26:14] everyone,
[26:15] especially
[26:17] with all the other challenges we have
[26:19] with the e-scooters and all this other
[26:21] stuff.
[26:22] Four-way stop,
[26:24] everybody takes a
[26:26] left and right and go. And let's hope
[26:28] that there's we can eliminate issues.
[26:32] » I will say too, on behalf of the
[26:34] business community, I did reach out to
[26:37] uh President Taylor Stark, who said he
[26:38] could not be here tonight, but wanted
[26:40] Council to know that that he is fully in
[26:43] support of this. I also spoke to Bill
[26:46] and April Ratray at the Scoop. They said
[26:49] there's been numerous times uh that they
[26:52] have picked up car parts in their
[26:54] parking area there because people get
[26:56] into accidents and one day he said it
[26:58] was a bumper, another was another car
[27:00] part in their parking lot when they came
[27:02] in on the following day. So, he's very
[27:05] also supportive of this and he's right
[27:06] there on that.
[27:09] » There's two quick things I'd add. One, I
[27:11] believe Okay. I believe the timing is
[27:14] intended if there's the head nod
[27:17] to be done toward the end of the month,
[27:20] so before school starts.
[27:22] And the second thing I would say is
[27:27] there is the potential for other effects
[27:30] besides right here at A and Main. So, we
[27:33] are going to have our eye on two
[27:36] specific other intersections being C and
[27:39] Main
[27:40] and C and Mason.
[27:43] Um
[27:44] you haven't authorized
[27:47] those formal studies to happen,
[27:50] but we didn't think it was a fair
[27:53] representation to
[27:55] evaluate those intersections now because
[27:58] they will be very much affected by this
[28:01] conversion if it happens. So, it's
[28:03] better data to figure out um
[28:08] because human nature is
[28:10] if I'm stopping too long on Main,
[28:12] I'm finding another way. And so
[28:16] that can have ripple effects, which
[28:19] we're sensitive to and want to
[28:21] to make sure um
[28:23] that that is accommodated as well. So,
[28:26] that will be our Keep our eyes out for
[28:28] that as well. So, just I don't
[28:31] Let me step on your toes for that.
[28:34] » That's what I was going to ask, but one
[28:35] of the
[28:36] since I've been on the council and on
[28:38] the
[28:39] the utility commission, the biggest
[28:42] complaint I've gotten is A Street
[28:44] that intersection. Every time someone
[28:46] gets in a wreck, they send it
[28:48] send it to us about the what can we do
[28:50] to make it a four-way stop? And that's
[28:52] what initiated the
[28:54] study in 2025 for part of it.
[28:57] So, I mean, I really don't think there's
[28:59] much of an option not to put a four-way
[29:00] stop there.
[29:03] » So, I'm hearing council support.
[29:06] So, we will reach out to
[29:08] » We will reach out Yeah, we'll reach out
[29:09] to the school district. We'll get stuff
[29:12] out on social media, website.
[29:15] Plenty of advanced warning that this
[29:17] will happen.
[29:18] » Right. And Chris, you mentioned to me
[29:20] today that there is a process for we put
[29:23] this in that there will be signage up
[29:25] that says there's a a change in
[29:28] » Traffic or
[29:29] » Yeah, John, do you want to speak to
[29:30] that?
[29:31] » Speak with Speak to what that looks
[29:32] like.
[29:33] » Yep, that's that's an advanced sign.
[29:35] It's approximately 100 ft in advance.
[29:37] They are orange signs, so they they look
[29:39] like construction signs, but it is a
[29:42] traffic modification.
[29:44] Um
[29:44] The requirement is that stays up for a
[29:47] month, but cities municipalities can
[29:49] decide to keep it longer if
[29:53] I don't know, people don't get the hint.
[29:54] You can leave it up for 2 months, but um
[29:57] And then, our recommendation is that be
[29:59] done in all four directions even though
[30:02] the stop sign's not changing for A,
[30:05] it's still is notifying them that, "Hey,
[30:07] this intersection's changing." So,
[30:10] Go ahead. Oh.
[30:11] » No, I was just going to ask you, does
[30:13] that impact leaving cars? If we put a
[30:16] stop sign there, does that impact our
[30:17] handicap stalls?
[30:19] That was the only thing I seen that.
[30:21] » Uh
[30:22] » Because you can't park within 25 ft of
[30:24] the stop sign, right?
[30:25] » We may have to move it.
[30:27] They act They handicap stall.
[30:29] » They may have to shift the handicap
[30:31] » Yeah.
[30:35] » Council member Bergerson.
[30:37] So, the stop signs that we have on
[30:40] Brandy Street
[30:42] » Sure, flashing lights.
[30:43] » Are those much more expensive than just
[30:46] a regular stop sign? Would it be
[30:48] » So, those run
[30:51] I I
[30:52] they're going to be between $800 and
[30:54] $1,000.
[30:55] » Compared to
[30:57] » Uh
[30:58] Councilmember Arsenao might have a
[30:59] better idea what a normal stop sign
[31:02] costs, but couple hundred bucks, 300
[31:04] bucks, 400 bucks.
[31:05] » Just I'm just thinking that
[31:08] with the big change
[31:10] never having a four-way stop there
[31:11] before, those with the lights might be
[31:14] » You you can see them from a long ways
[31:16] away. It might be worth the extra money
[31:18] to
[31:19] make them flash.
[31:28] » Councilmember Wohlfeil?
[31:31] Councilmember Messina? Thumbs up. Okay.
[31:34] Flashing lights, four-way stop it is. We
[31:36] will move forward. We'll note that.
[31:38] » Thank you.
[31:39] » This real quick, I don't want to put our
[31:41] police department on the spot, but do
[31:44] they have Does the police chief or
[31:45] assistant chief have any comments to
[31:47] make?
[31:49] » No, I I think
[31:50] » Please come to the microphone. Thank
[31:52] you.
[31:52] » I don't mean to put you on the spot, but
[31:54] » Yeah, no, just the
[31:57] it's plugging a hole, right? And so,
[31:59] that's what I wanted Council to be aware
[32:00] of. You're plugging a hole here, but we
[32:03] it will likely create problems on our
[32:05] side streets.
[32:06] Um there's other intersections, like Don
[32:08] said, that need to be addressed. Um
[32:11] and one of them
[32:13] not even one we talked about is Spiketon
[32:16] and Ryan Road.
[32:18] That intersection in the last 2 months,
[32:21] we've had four accidents at
[32:23] intersection, where we've had zero at A
[32:25] and Main. And so,
[32:28] um we can attribute that to probably
[32:29] speed
[32:31] coming down Ryan Road.
[32:32] So, a shift in speed limit from Ryan
[32:34] Road could help that intersection. But
[32:37] also a four-way stop. And so, if the
[32:39] council wants to do an evaluation,
[32:41] that's my suggestion there. So, cuz
[32:43] we're getting a lot of accidents there.
[32:45] But, you will have we will have other
[32:46] issues that will we'll need to address.
[32:48] And And Dom was very clear in that, you
[32:51] know, it's going to impact side streets.
[32:54] Uh specifically, there's a lot of kids
[32:56] that walk down Mason and those things.
[32:58] And so,
[33:00] cars are going to skirt Main Street, so
[33:04] they don't have to stop.
[33:06] And they might head down Mason or C
[33:08] Street.
[33:09] That could turn into a raceway. So,
[33:11] that's going to be a big big impact is C
[33:13] and Mason is going to need to be
[33:15] addressed next, I would believe.
[33:18] » Chief, you brought to my attention what
[33:20] you alluded to today, which I think is a
[33:22] very valid point and no cost involved
[33:26] other than us preparing an ordinance,
[33:28] which would be, as I understand it,
[33:30] changing the speed limit on Ryan to 25.
[33:35] » All the way down.
[33:35] » All the way around. Love that. Collins,
[33:37] the whole list.
[33:38] » So, right now, it I think it adjusts
[33:39] right at Belvins. So, so, we probably
[33:43] Dom should weigh in on the cost of that.
[33:45] I don't know if we have to evaluate that
[33:48] or
[33:49] » Yeah. We have to do a study.
[33:51] » You do.
[33:52] So, there is some cost associated with
[33:54] it.
[33:54] » Okay. Well, we'll get more information
[33:57] on that and the cost associated and then
[33:59] we will bring that probably to
[34:01] Transportation Committee
[34:03] and see what we think.
[34:05] Thank you, Chief.
[34:08] Okay. So, yes.
[34:10] » Um I I believe um
[34:13] the
[34:14] uh speed study on Ryan and the
[34:17] intersection evaluation of Ryan and
[34:20] Spiketon can be the same study. It's
[34:23] collecting similar information. So, it
[34:25] can be a
[34:26] a twofer evaluation.
[34:28] » [laughter]
[34:29] » Well, feel feel free to use the accident
[34:32] report from the mayor's uh uh
[34:36] » Earlier this year
[34:37] » Earlier today. Get Yes, traffic
[34:39] accident. I was not at fault, for the
[34:41] record.
[34:43] » We'll see, for the record.
[34:45] » [laughter]
[34:45] » That's to be determined.
[34:48] » Well, Officer Frazier has it on camera.
[34:52] Okay, so moving on, I think we're going
[34:54] to move on to um Senior Planner
[34:57] Farnsworth
[34:58] and we're going to talk about code
[35:00] updates.
[35:02] » Okay.
[35:04] So this is our first uh code update
[35:06] package for 2026 and
[35:09] um everything included in this memo, we
[35:11] are addressing other state law
[35:13] compliance aspects and so that's really
[35:16] what this is and I'm just here to answer
[35:17] any questions you guys might have.
[35:20] Um one thing that is not in the packet,
[35:22] but I wanted to verbalize is so when we
[35:24] did our big rezone and code update in
[35:27] the first part of 2026, there was an
[35:29] oversight with one of the parcels being
[35:31] rezoned incorrectly. So 720 Park Ave,
[35:35] you guys might be more familiar with as
[35:36] Bark of the Town. Um it was originally
[35:39] zoned neighborhood mixed use and so when
[35:41] that business went in there, that was
[35:43] absolutely permitted. That's an allowed
[35:45] use. Um it was an oversight, but it was
[35:47] changed to R6000.
[35:50] And so as part of this initial update
[35:52] package, I would like to include that
[35:54] rezone to bring it into uh central mixed
[35:56] use, which will allow the business to
[35:58] continue to operate.
[36:02] » And Chris, if I understand correctly,
[36:04] NMU, when we updated the comp plan,
[36:07] everything that was NMU went to CMU.
[36:09] » Yes, went to CMU. There were a couple of
[36:11] parcels farther south that are still
[36:13] residential and will most likely
[36:15] continue to be residential. Um
[36:17] and you know, we re we rezoned
[36:20] over a hundred parcels and so we just
[36:22] did have an oversight with this
[36:24] particular one.
[36:27] » Questions? Council Member Smith.
[36:29] » I can say that uh I live close to 720
[36:33] Park
[36:34] and 760 Park.
[36:36] Um
[36:37] they have been whatever the city's
[36:39] asking them to do, they seem to be doing
[36:41] it. And I've been watching I see it
[36:44] every day.
[36:45] And I don't I don't believe
[36:48] I think they want to be in compliance.
[36:50] » Yep.
[36:55] » Chris, just for
[36:58] edification, to make sure I understand
[37:00] this correctly,
[37:01] in your update, one of the things you
[37:03] quote uh in that floor area ratio
[37:07] discussion is code from the city of
[37:09] Issaquah.
[37:10] » Yep.
[37:11] » And what would they consider the green
[37:14] necklace amenity
[37:16] that they reference?
[37:19] Item C.
[37:21] I've never heard that before.
[37:32] If you're not sure, we you can follow up
[37:33] with me.
[37:34] » Yeah, I'll I'll follow up with you about
[37:35] that.
[37:36] » Before. [clears throat]
[37:40] » Yeah, I I can follow up. Green necklace
[37:42] My My assumption would be it would be
[37:44] like a green belt.
[37:45] » Okay.
[37:46] » Something similar to that.
[37:47] » Okay.
[37:53] And as Chris stated, these are
[37:55] requirements from state law that we are
[37:57] having to move into with unit lot
[37:59] subdivisions and the
[38:02] church property
[38:04] allowances for housing on sites.
[38:08] So.
[38:11] That That did not come from us. That
[38:13] came from the powers that be.
[38:15] » Yep. And even the the ADU code updates,
[38:18] those were just it's just tying up some
[38:19] odds and ends. Um for example, there's a
[38:22] section in here about the impact fee
[38:23] reductions for the ADUs we permitted
[38:26] since we adopted the updated code. We
[38:28] have been following state law, so this
[38:30] is just enshrining it in our own
[38:32] municipal code.
[38:37] » When can council expect to see this
[38:40] package of code coming back to them,
[38:42] Chris?
[38:43] » Well,
[38:44] I'm not getting a lot of comments here,
[38:45] so I would like to move rather quickly
[38:47] with getting it to getting it to the
[38:49] Department of Commerce for their 60-day
[38:51] review, and hopefully look for an
[38:53] adoption sometime in October.
[38:59] » Any concerns, council?
[39:01] No, I'm not seeing any, Chris. Nice job.
[39:04] » Thank you.
[39:06] » And then finally, I'm adding Chief
[39:09] Skogen with an update for us on a couple
[39:11] of items.
[39:15] » Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh,
[39:17] just a handful of things here to share
[39:19] with each of you. We are in the thick of
[39:22] fire season. We currently have a crew
[39:24] deployed to the Little Giant fire in
[39:26] Chelan County.
[39:28] They're doing well. As of this morning,
[39:30] they are in the thick of it performing
[39:32] structure protection.
[39:34] It looks like they'll be staying the
[39:35] full 14 days with possibly a a swap of
[39:38] crews occurring this Friday.
[39:41] Um, so three personnel over there, one
[39:43] of our volunteers, uh, is working as a
[39:45] contract timber faller assigned to the
[39:48] Grasshopper fire in Oregon.
[39:50] So, while fire danger remains high here,
[39:53] it's not as bad as other parts of the
[39:55] state,
[39:56] um,
[39:57] but we did put out on our social media
[39:59] earlier today that because of the
[40:02] continued dry pattern,
[40:04] a week from or Monday, August 17th,
[40:07] we're going to join Pierce County and
[40:10] ban all outdoor fires until further
[40:13] notice.
[40:14] So,
[40:16] it's [clears throat] very confusing for
[40:17] the public. It's very confusing for
[40:20] firefighters when we hear words of
[40:23] countywide burn ban or a governor's
[40:25] proclamation of a statewide burn ban.
[40:28] None of that has affected us at all up
[40:31] until this point. So, in any city or
[40:34] town in Pierce County,
[40:37] um the only fires that are allowed at
[40:38] any time of year is a recreational fire.
[40:41] So, it has to be firewood,
[40:43] 3 ft by 3 ft by 2 ft tall contained in a
[40:47] fire pit or a fireplace.
[40:49] All of the other bans that have been
[40:51] implemented at the county or the state
[40:53] level up until this point, um have
[40:56] banned everything other than
[40:57] recreational fires. So, Monday, August
[41:01] 17th,
[41:02] countywide,
[41:04] all outdoor fires will be banned until
[41:05] further notice.
[41:07] Um we anticipate that it'll probably
[41:09] remain in place until we get measurable
[41:11] rainfall that reduces fire danger.
[41:15] I'm not a weather person, but I can
[41:17] guess
[41:18] probably October sometime.
[41:20] Possibly later.
[41:23] Um the good news is is at this point
[41:25] charcoal, pellet, and gas grills will
[41:27] continue to be okay.
[41:29] Um so, any questions on burn ban or fire
[41:32] danger currently?
[41:35] Okay.
[41:36] Um
[41:37] last piece of really good news that we
[41:39] found out this morning, the fire
[41:40] department was notified from Department
[41:43] of Labor and Industries. For the third
[41:45] year in a row, we were awarded a grant,
[41:48] and this is for our voluntary
[41:50] participation
[41:51] in a firefighter injury and illness
[41:54] reduction program that we are a part of.
[41:57] Our grant award is for five sets of
[42:00] turnout gear in the amount of $23,190
[42:06] with a 0% match from the city. So, I
[42:09] just wanted to say thank you to Captain
[42:10] Connor Smith.
[42:12] He is the department's health and safety
[42:14] officer.
[42:15] He administers our program with L&I, and
[42:18] he also authored and submitted the
[42:20] grant. So.
[42:21] » Great job. Thank you, Chief.
[42:24] » Thank you.
[42:25] » City Administrator update.
[42:28] » So, earlier today we
[42:31] » [sighs and gasps]
[42:31] » Had a visit from our next Public Works
[42:35] Director, Mr. Jake Waldo. Stopped by
[42:37] City Hall, stopped down at Public Works,
[42:39] met few people.
[42:42] Um is meeting with IT on Thursday.
[42:45] Um to go through his IT training and get
[42:48] his laptop and phone. His first official
[42:52] start date will be Monday, August 17th.
[42:56] Um he will be attending the Development
[42:58] Services meeting on August 18th.
[43:01] And then he will come to Council on
[43:04] August 25th to meet and greet all you
[43:07] folks and say a few words. So.
[43:11] It's exciting news. Um
[43:14] sad but exciting news. Um for me. Um
[43:20] » No going back.
[43:20] » No going back.
[43:22] But this is a great job, too. So.
[43:24] » [laughter]
[43:27] » So, um
[43:29] Spruce Street update Spruce
[43:31] Spruce Spruce Street improvement update.
[43:34] Dom, correct me if I'm wrong, but water
[43:35] improvements are done.
[43:37] In and done.
[43:39] Um they're currently installing sewer.
[43:42] The natural gas main has been relocated
[43:45] by PSE.
[43:47] So, they're moving right along.
[43:49] Um South Prairie Creek crossing status.
[43:53] Uh
[43:54] Grant Osborne and some city staff met
[43:58] um with some permitting agencies down in
[44:00] the canyon
[44:02] a week ago.
[44:04] Um so, we're still working through that
[44:05] permitting process. Dom has been in
[44:07] contact with a contractor that we are
[44:11] familiar with that has performed that
[44:12] type of work previously up there, so
[44:15] they're aware of
[44:17] of the obstacles that it presents.
[44:20] Um and then lastly, we are starting
[44:22] police negotiations with the guild um on
[44:26] Wednesday, August 18th.
[44:29] » And for the community, the Spiketon
[44:31] Ditch discussion is a transmission line
[44:33] that goes across the for our water
[44:37] system.
[44:37] » South Prairie Creek crossing. Yeah,
[44:39] yeah, it's the water transmission line
[44:41] that crosses.
[44:42] » Damaged during
[44:44] » The flooding events in December of '25.
[44:46] » Right. So, we are replacing that and
[44:48] getting that up and running and ready to
[44:50] go.
[44:52] » And if any council member is ever
[44:54] wanting to take a tour, I'm more than
[44:57] willing to give you a tour.
[45:01] » You have [clears throat] to take your
[45:01] volume
[45:03] » [laughter]
[45:05] » Pretty steep.
[45:06] » I'll let you know.
[45:08] » Okay, that's all of the stuff.
[45:10] » I will say.
[45:10] » It's okay.
[45:13] So, I I have one more option for public
[45:15] comments. If anyone that didn't sign up
[45:18] or decided they have something to say.
[45:20] Also, excuse me.
[45:20] » Chamber president.
[45:22] » Taylor.
[45:29] » Hi there. This is
[45:30] Taylor Stark, the president of the
[45:32] chamber. Uh I am a Buckley resident
[45:36] outside of city limits.
[45:38] Uh
[45:39] just wanted to say thank you for
[45:42] considering the four-way stop and the
[45:44] stop signs at A and Main.
[45:47] Uh and also the talk of adding flashing
[45:51] lights to that. Being a business owner
[45:53] for a construction
[45:55] company, any chance that we can uh make
[45:57] ourselves more visible uh uh, is a heck
[46:01] of a lot better for the general public
[46:03] and the
[46:04] the family members crossing the street
[46:06] because seems like everyone has their
[46:08] head in their phone and not paying
[46:10] attention looking down there.
[46:12] Uh, a lot of the businesses have talked
[46:15] to me directly about how fast people
[46:18] drive down Main Street and it's becoming
[46:20] an issue for them,
[46:22] their clients, their customers. Uh, and
[46:24] so
[46:25] adding a stop sign would help them out
[46:27] uh, and their clients feel safer. Uh,
[46:31] one of our next events is the
[46:34] trick-or-treat event down on Main Street
[46:37] this fall.
[46:38] Uh,
[46:40] and keep an eye out for that permit
[46:42] which will start. Other than that, thank
[46:44] you for being there and and have a good
[46:46] night and thanks for your time.
[46:48] » Thanks, Taylor.
[46:53] Okay, anyone else?
[46:55] » I see you.
[46:56] » Seeing none,
[46:58] uh, council member comments in good of
[47:00] the order.
[47:02] » [clears throat]
[47:04] » Council member Smith.
[47:07] » Well, I thought it was quite, uh,
[47:10] ironic when
[47:12] the gentle lady from PSE, um, presented
[47:16] around the best moratorium.
[47:20] And one of the things she said is,
[47:22] "Washington's aggressive clean energy
[47:24] laws."
[47:26] So, that people in Olympia
[47:29] passed the climate commitment act and
[47:32] we're paying 60 some cents a gallon
[47:35] at the pump for that.
[47:38] For clean energy laws, but here we are
[47:41] in a municipality
[47:45] within the state of Washington that
[47:46] passes laws
[47:48] that is asking for a moratorium
[47:51] for clean energy stuff.
[47:53] I thought that was just ironic.
[47:57] And it it
[47:58] I ain't appreciated her presentation,
[48:00] but here we are.
[48:03] It is not just Buckley, it is it over in
[48:06] Enumclaw, Maple Valley, everybody
[48:09] because
[48:10] the
[48:11] kings and queens in Olympia and the
[48:15] fewer who signs these laws
[48:19] then it gets kicked down to
[48:21] municipalities and we don't know what to
[48:23] do.
[48:25] And people don't know what to do.
[48:28] And here we are.
[48:30] And then at the same time, we've had
[48:32] hydroelectric
[48:34] on rivers
[48:38] creating hydroelectric energy
[48:41] that ignored the 1854
[48:45] treaties with the tribes
[48:47] about their salmon
[48:50] what they're entitled to that at Point
[48:52] Elliott and the others what was agreed
[48:55] to. So, here we are in a conundrum
[48:58] about energy.
[49:00] I just thought I'd throw that out there.
[49:02] If you pay attention, you know what time
[49:04] it is.
[49:05] Secondly, I would just like to say
[49:08] that I was very heartened this afternoon
[49:11] to see a post from the owner of Rainier
[49:14] Fresh on 410
[49:18] right next to Blue Max
[49:20] who said that their Good Roots Northwest
[49:24] truckers
[49:26] served 400 families in July
[49:30] with over 1,200
[49:33] pounds of food.
[49:35] And of course, July is a long month, 31
[49:38] days.
[49:39] 400 families they served them right
[49:41] there. They can they can show up
[49:43] whenever. I'm sure that there's an app
[49:46] and they say that this is here or there
[49:48] what time it is
[49:50] and they can go get it. I thought that
[49:52] was absolutely good news serving the
[49:54] community. Thank you.
[49:58] » Anyone else?
[49:59] Okay. So, if not, I'll accept a motion
[50:03] to adjourn.
[50:04] » Motion to adjourn.
[50:05] » Second.
[50:06] » All those in favor?
[50:07] » Aye.
[50:08] » Motion carried.
[50:10] We are adjourned.
[50:27] So, you can always send an email.
[50:30] » They steal the information.
[50:34] » I have no problem with that.