City Council

MEETING MINUTES TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL September 2, 2025 CONVENE: 7:00 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Pro Tem Leatta Dahlhoff and Councilmembers Peter Agabi, Michael Althauser, Angela Jefferson, Eileen Swarthout, and Kelly Von Holtz. Excused: Mayor Debbie Sullivan, Councilmember Joan Cathey Staff: City Administrator Lisa Parks, City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick, Police Chief Jay Mason, Fire Chief Brian Hurley, Finance Director Troy Niemeyer, Information Technology Director Lance Inman, Transportation & Engineering Director Brandon Hicks, Communication Manager Jason Wettstein, Program Manager Patrick Soderberg, Engineer III Ryan Blaser and Deputy City Clerk Tracie Core SPECIAL ITEMS: PROCLAMATION: Councilmember Swarthout read a proclamation declaring NATIONAL VOTER September 16, 2025, National Voter Registration Day. The goal REGISTRATION DAY for the 2025 National Voter Registration Day is to create awareness of elections and motivate eligible citizens to vote in coming months. Mayor Pro Tem Leatta Dahlhoff presented the proclamation to Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor. PUBLIC COMMENT: Public Comment was given by residents Holthaus, Norton and Nicandri. CONSENT a. Approval of Minutes: City Council, August 19, 2025 CALENDAR: b. Payment of Vouchers TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL- SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 1  c. Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with National Purchasing Partners d. Award of Bid with Active Construction for Percival Creek Fish Passage Barrier Removal project MOTION: Councilmember Agabi, moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to approve the Consent Calendar as published. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. COUNCIL CONSIDERATIONS: LOCAL AGENCY Engineer Blaser gave a presentation on the Local Agency AGREEMENT AND Agreement and Project Prospectus with Washington State PROJECT Department of Transportation for the Somerset Hill Fish Passage PROSPECTUS WITH Barrier Removal. WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF The agreement was recommended for approval on the consent TRANSPORTATION calendar at the May 22, 2025, Public Works Committee meeting. FOR THE SOMERSET Then it went to the June 3rd City Council meeting and was HILL FISH PASSAGE approved. WSDOT requested we make several changes to the BARRIER REMOVAL funding amounts on the Project Prospectus and Local Agency Agreement so it was presented again to be approved with those changes. MOTION: Councilmember Von Holtz, moved, seconded by Councilmember Swarthout, to approve the Local Agency Agreement and Project Prospectus with Washington State Department of Transportation for the Somerset Hill Fish Passage Barrier Removal project. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. ORDINANCE O2025- Administrator Parks gave a presentation on adopting Ordinance 12 CREATING A O2025-012, that would amend the municipal code creating a new COMMUNICATIONS department entitled Communications Department. Changes to DEPARTMENT the municipal code included updating several sections to include the communications department and communications director. MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson, moved, seconded by Councilmember Althauser, to adopt Ordinance O2025-12, Creating A Communications Department. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL- SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 2 R2025-012, PURPLE Communications Manager Wettstein presented R2025-012, A HEART CITY Resolution of the City Council designating Tumwater as a Purple Heart City which honors bravery and sacrifice of our growing community of veterans and military families. MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson, moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to adopt Resolution R2025-12, Designating Tumwater as a Purple Heart City. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS: PUBLIC HEALTH & The next meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2025, and they SAFETY: will be discussing the following items: Peter Agabi • School Resource Officer Contract • Tumwater Safe Program Briefing GENERAL The next meeting is scheduled for September 10, 2025. GOVERNMENT: Michael Althauser PUBLIC WORKS: The next meeting is scheduled for September 4, 2025, and they Eileen Swarthout will be discussing the following items: • Old Highway 99 and 79th Avenue SE Roundabout – Design Amendment • Trails End Park – Design Amendment BUDGET & FINANCE: No Report - Excused. Debbie Sullivan MAYOR/CITY Administrator Parks introduced the new Economic Development ADMINISTRATOR’s Coordinator, Gene Angel. She also requested direction from REPORT: Council on moving forward to seek Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) funds in the amount of $50,000 for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Fan Zone and she discussed possible event locations. COUNCILMEMBER Councilmembers Althauser, Jefferson, Swarthout and Mayor Pro REPORTS: Tem Dahlhoff gave reports. Councilmembers Agabi and Von Holtz had nothing to report. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL- SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 3 ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Mayor Pro Tem Dahlhoff adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. Prepared by Tracie Core, Deputy City Clerk TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL- SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 4