City Council

MEETING MINUTES TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL December 2, 2025 CONVENE: 7:00 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Debbie Sullivan and Councilmembers Peter Agabi, Michael Althauser, Joan Cathey, Leatta Dahlhoff, Angela Jefferson, Eileen Swarthout and Kelly Von Holtz. Staff: City Administrator Lisa Parks, Assistant City Administrator Kelly Adams, City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick, Fire Chief Brian Hurley, Finance Director Troy Niemeyer, Information Technology Director Lance Inman, Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Denney, Police Chief Jay Mason, Brandon Hicks, Transportation & Engineering Director, Water Resources and Sustainability Director Dan Smith, Communications Director Jason Wettstein, Deputy Community Development Director Sharon Lumbantobing, Associate Planner Dana Bowers and City Clerk Melody Valiant. Others: Franida Maudsley, Sacajawea Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution SPECIAL ITEMS: UNION PIONEER Mayor Sullivan introduced Franida Maudsley with the Sacajawea CALVARY CEMETERY Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution who has been HEADSTONE working over the last year on restoring headstones at the Union RESTORATION Pioneer Calvary Cemetery. Franida talked about why it was PRESENTATION: important to the Chapter to preserve the headstones, and she emphasized the importance of preservation to prevent further deterioration. She shared all the tools and cleaners they used to restore, raise, level and straighten the headstones. The group will return this TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL– DECEMBER 2, 2025 1  summer to continue their work in the cemetery. Councilmembers thanked them for the dedication and hard work to preserving Tumwater history. COMMUNITY CENTER Director Denney recapped the September 23, 2025, Work PUBLIC OUTREACH session where Barker, Rinker, Seacat Architecture came to PROCESS: discuss with the Council potential locations and designs for the Community Center. They had recommended two potential locations and discussed the pros and cons of each. The locations were a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) site located at 5202 Capitol Boulevard SE and Kimmie & 80th Street which is owned by the Port of Olympia. Since the Kimmie and 80th street location was a new consideration, it was determined that there needed to be more discussion and public outreach before making a decision. Director Denney outlined what would be done over the next few months including a discussion at the January Parks and Recreation commission meeting, followed by a discussion the next week at the Community Center Steering Committee and lastly a February 4, 2026, public open house to get community input. Directory Denney said after all that occurs they will then come back again to the Council for a discussion and to select the location for the Community Center. PUBLIC COMMENT: Public comment was given by residents Farr and Kitabayashi. CONSENT a. Approval of Minutes: City Council, November 18, 2025 CALENDAR: b. Payment of Vouchers c. Service Provider Agreement with Fehr & Peers for Vehicle Miles Traveled Gap Analysis d. Service Provider Agreement with Carollo Engineers for the 2025 Sanitary Sewer Comprehensive Plan Update e. Technical Services Agreement with King County for Regional Collaboration for Better Resilience Outcomes in the Puget Sound Basin MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson, moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to approve the Consent Calendar as published. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL– DECEMBER 2, 2025 2 PUBLIC HEARING: RESOLUTION NO. Director Hicks presented Resolution No. R2025-020, Craft R2025-020, CRAFT District Development Agreement Amendment No. 4. The Craft DISTRICT District is located off Capitol Boulevard and is centered on craft DEVELOPMENT brewing, distilling, cider-making, restaurants, retail, office AGREEMENT space, and a 1,000-person amphitheater that has not been AMENDMENT NO. 4: constructed yet. The amendment will extend the agreement until December 31, 2026, and is needed due to lending constraints, market uncertainty and tenant demands. Staff recommends that pursuant to testimony at the public hearing, the City Council adopt Resolution No. R2025-020, Craft District Development Agreement Amendment No. 4. Mayor Sullivan opened and closed the public hearing at 7:46 p.m. There was no public testimony. MOTION: Councilmember Swarthout, moved, seconded by Councilmember Agabi, to adopt Resolution No. R2025-020, Craft District Development Agreement Amendment No. 4. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. COUNCIL CONSIDERATIONS: ORDINANCE NO. Director Hicks presented Ordinance No. O2025-015, Eminent O2025-015, EMINENT Domain for the X Street roundabout which is the 4th project being DOMAIN FOR X implemented from the Capital Corridor plan which was a plan STREET: that was worked on from 2013-2017 with lots of public outreach and engagement. The purpose of the project is to relieve congestion, improve safety, make multi-modal improvements and help revitalize the corridor. The total cost of the project is $6.8 million with the City receiving $5.4 million in grant funding towards it. Construction of the roundabout is scheduled for 2026. Director Hicks talked about why roundabouts are chosen over a signaled light including that they are safer, better for multi-modal transportation, more cost effective for long term maintenance and better capacity for vehicles. TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL– DECEMBER 2, 2025 3  Director Hicks explained how the eminent domain process works and highlighted the properties that would need to be acquisitioned. Councilmembers asked questions about how the process works for the property owner’s including potential lost revenue, construction and relocation. Staff is recommending that the City Council adopts Ordinance O2025-025-015, Eminent Domain for X Street. MOTION: Councilmember Jefferson, moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Hotlz, to adopt Ordinance No. O2025- 015, Eminent Domain for X Street. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. ORDINANCE NO. Planner Bowers presented Ordinance No. O2025-009, 2025 O2025-009, 2025 Comprehensive Plan amendments which includes the 2026- COMPREHENSIVE 2031 Capital Facilities plan (CFP). The Capital Facilities Plan PLAN AMENDMENTS: coordinates resources over the next six years to complete high priority projects. The plan is updated biannually, and is updated through a Comprehensive plan amendment process. The Council suspended Comprehensive Amendments from 2022-2025, but this amendment is allowed because it’s a City sponsored amendment and a required element of the Comprehensive plan. The Planning Commission held a public hearing in October and recommended the ordinance be approved. Next the General Government Committee was briefed on the ordinance. Staff is recommending that the City Council adopt Ordinance O2025- 025-009, 2025 Comprehensive Plan Amendments. MOTION: Councilmember Althauser, moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to adopt Ordinance No. O2025- 009, 2025 Comprehensive Plan Amendments. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. QUARTERLY BUDGET Director Niemeyer presented a quarterly budget update. UPDATE: He updated the Council on the following: • Sales Tax • Public Safety Sales Tax • B&O Tax • Building Permits TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL– DECEMBER 2, 2025 4  • General Fund Revenues & Expenditures • Water and Sewer Revenues & Expenditures • Economy Upsides and Risks • K-Shaped Economy Directory Niemeyer talked about a K-Shaped economy where certain industries rebound strongly while others continue to struggle. Council asked questions to see if there are ways to check in with industries struggling to recover in Tumwater such as hotels and restaurants. COUNCIL POSITION Attorney Kirkpatrick presented the Council Position No. 1 NO. 1 SELECTION selection process that had been discussed at last week’s work PROCESS: session. The interview questions were updated as Council had requested. Councilmembers thanked staff for their hard work incorporating everything they wanted added to the questions for the interviews and they liked the process as presented. Applications will be accepted from December 8 to December 22nd, 2025, at noon and interviews will be held on January 10, 2026, at Tumwater City Hall. The person selected will be sworn in on January 20, 2026, preceding the regular council meeting. MOTION Councilmember Swarthout, moved, seconded by Councilmember Agabi, to approve the Council Position No. 1 selection process. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS: PUBLIC HEALTH & The committee has not met. The next meeting is scheduled for SAFETY: December 9, 2025, and they will be discussing the following Peter Agabi items: • T-2 Remodel Update GENERAL The committee has not met. The next scheduled meeting has GOVERNMENT: been cancelled. Councilmember Cathey thanked Michael Althauser Councilmember Althauser for his years serving as the chair for the committee. PUBLIC WORKS: The next meeting is scheduled for December 4, 2025, and they Eileen Swarthout will be discussing the following items: TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL– DECEMBER 2, 2025 5  • Sustainability Division 2026 Work Program • R2025-018, Fee Resolution Update • SPA with MTN2COAST for On-Call Services Amendment No. 1 BUDGET & FINANCE: The Budget & Finance Committee has not met. The next Debbie Sullivan scheduled meeting has been cancelled due to the Christmas holiday. MAYOR/CITY Administrator Parks said there would be rolling night-time lane ADMINISTRATOR’s closures at the Capitol Boulevard bridge to evaluate future REPORT: maintenance decisions. She also shared lots of community events that were coming up including Santa stops and the Christmas Tree lighting on December 6, 2025. She also informed Council that she would be out of the office on vacation and in her absence Chief Hurley and Assistant Administrator Adams would be covering her duties. Mayor Sullivan attended a Thurston Economic Development (EDC) meeting and talked about an upcoming Innovation Expo Conference sponsored by the Thurston EDC. She also reminded everyone that next week’s Work Session is joint with the Planning Commission and it will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. following the regular Planning Commission meeting. COUNCILMEMBER Councilmembers Agabi, Jefferson and Von Holtz gave reports. REPORTS: Councilmembers Althauser, Cathey, Dahlhoff and Swarthout had nothing to report. ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Mayor Sullivan adjourned the meeting at 8:56 p.m. Prepared by Melody Valiant, City Clerk TUMWATER CITY COUNCIL– DECEMBER 2, 2025 6