City Council

CITY OF UNIVERSITY PLACE DRAFT MINUTES Regular Meeting of the City Council Tuesday, September 2, 2025 1. CALL REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Figueroa called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Figueroa read Councilmember Steve Worthington’s formal resignation letter, announcing his departure from the University Place City Council effective August 30, 2025. He noted that there will be an event to honor him. 2. UROLL CALL N Roll call was taken by the City Clerk as follows: O Councilmember Boykin Councilmember McCluskey Present Excused FF Councilmember Flemming Councilmember Grassi Mayor Pro Tem Wood Present Present Present Mayor Figueroa ICIA Present Staff Present: City Manager Sugg, City Attorney Kaser, Public Works Director Ecklund, Administrative Community and Economic Development Director Briske, Police Chief Burke, Business Outreach Liaison Metcalf, Deputy City Clerk Highlan, and City Clerk Genetia. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE L D Councilmember Grassi led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA O C MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Flemming, to approve the agenda. The motion carried. U 5. M PUBLIC COMMENTS – The following individual provided comments: Jim Stevens, 9723 60th Street Court West. 6. CONSENT AGENDA EN MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Flemming, to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: A. Approve the minutes of the 08/04/25 Council meeting as submitted. T B. Receive and File: Payroll for period ending 07/31/25 and 08/15/25; and Claims dated 08/07/25, 08/08/25, and 08/15/25. C. Receive and File: Pierce County Proclamation re: University Place 30th Anniversary Day. D. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Sponsorship Agreement with UP for Art substantially in the form attached hereto. E. Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 2 to the Lease Agreement with Sunak MM, LLC. F. Authorize the City Manager to execute the Participation Agreement and Allocation Agreement for participation by the City of University Place in the Opioid Settlement with Purdue Pharma, Sackler, and eight generic opioid manufacturers reached by the Washington State Attorney General.  City Council Minutes of September 2, 2025 Page 2 G. Authorize the City Manager to approve a final billing amount of $56,145.00 to be paid from the Parks CIP budget. The motion carried. PUBLIC HEARING AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION 7. SIX-YEAR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE Staff Report - Public Works Director Ecklund presented the annual update to the City’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), detailing key infrastructure projects scheduled for 2026 to 2031. The primary changes to the TIP include the following: U   The Day Island Spit Road project has been added (Project 4) The 35th Street Phase 1 project has been removed   NThe 35th Street Phase 2 project has been removed The 67th Avenue Phase 2 project has been removed   O The Grandview Intersection (36th St Roundabout) project has been removed Funding statuses have been updated to reflect recent grant awards: FF Project 6 – Chambers Creek Road Roundabout Project 12 – 67th Avenue Phase 3 Project 14 – 40th Street Phase 3  Project schedules and costs have been updated ICIA State law requires the City to adopt and update this Plan annually. Approval of the Six-Year Transportation Plan does not commit the City to any financial expenditure. Rather, each project will be reviewed individually by the City Council in each relevant budget cycle as a component of the Capital Improvement Plan. Approval of the Six-Year Transportation Plan, however, does create eligibility for the City to apply for various L grant opportunities. Many grant funding sources require a project to appear in the City’s TIP to be eligible. In addition, the TIP provides an indication to other jurisdictions of the City’s planning direction for transportation needs. Public Comment – None. D OC Council Consideration – MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Wood, seconded by Councilmember Flemming, to adopt a Resolution amending the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan for years 2026 to 2031. The motion carried. (RESOLUTION NO. 1070) U 8. CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL COMMENTS/REPORTS M EN City Manager Sugg acknowledged the recent success of a community event, highlighting that it was made possible through the collaborative efforts and hard work of a committed team, Council’s support, and the participation of contractors and vendors whose contributions were part of the event. T Councilmember Grassi recognized University Place School District educators for their dedication and community impact. She stressed the importance of school zone safety amid student returns and city construction. Grassi thanked staff for organizing the City’s 30th Birthday celebration and highlighted other vibrant summer events. She also announced the Inclusive Playground ribbon-cutting, commending Public Works Director Ecklund, the Parks team, and community members for their contributions. Councilmember Flemming reported that the Pierce County Regional Council did not meet. He praised the City’s 30th Birthday celebration as a major success, likening its impact to incorporation day and suggesting it become an annual tradition. He highlighted the City’s growth and affirmed it is “open for business.” Though he missed the Inclusive Playground ribbon-cutting, he expressed admiration for the project. Councilmember Flemming also acknowledged Mr. Stevens’ concerns and stressed the importance of responsive City leadership.  City Council Minutes of September 2, 2025 Page 3 Mayor Pro Tem Wood attended the Asia Pacific Cultural Center grand opening, praising its celebration of Pacific and Asian communities. He represented the City with Mayor Figueroa at the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade Ball, highlighting the strong City-Brigade partnership. He also joined National Night Out, commending its role in community building and thanking City staff, especially the Police Department. Mayor Pro Tem Wood updated the Council on the Alliance for Sustainable Climate Action and concluded by congratulating the City on its 30th anniversary, expressing pride in being part of the community. Councilmember Boykin represented the City in statewide coordination for the upcoming World Cup and missed the National Night Out due to attending the Association of Washington Cities’ budget workshop. He acknowledged Councilmember Worthington’s resignation with appreciation for his service. Boykin also attended the Inclusive Playground ribbon-cutting, highlighting Councilmember Grassi’s remarks on inclusivity. He praised the City’s commitment to family-friendly events and emphasized positioning University Place as a welcoming and vibrant community. U Mayor Figueroa attended the NATOA Conference, highlighting concerns over declining cable revenue and N its effect on city budgets. He attended the 25th anniversary of Bridgeport Place Assisted Living, offering remarks and greeting attendees. Reflecting on the City’s 30th Birthday celebration, he emphasized public O safety and shared positive community feedback, commending Councilmembers Grassi and Boykin for their hosting. He praised Mayor Pro Tem Wood and the Council’s strong presence at the 16th CAB events for FF enhancing University Place’s reputation. During National Night Out, he visited 7–8 neighborhoods, receiving enthusiastic responses and noting strong civic engagement. Lastly, he proposed sending a thank- you letter to West Pierce Fire & Rescue for their ongoing partnership and support. IA The Council approved the following proclamation/recognition requests: Indigenous Peoples Day, Native IC American Heritage Month, Sidney Davis and Bridgeport Place Assisted Living and Memory Care’s 25th Anniversary. STUDY SESSION 9. PARKING METER REPORT L D Public Works Director Ecklund presented a detailed update on the Market Place parking meter program. He reported an average occupancy rate of just over 60% and a compliance rate of 33%. The program targets C a maximum occupancy of 75% to promote turnover and support local businesses. Data was collected O through random observations between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. over several months. A financial analysis comparing sales tax data from January to May in 2024 and 2025 revealed an 8% increase in sales tax revenue along Market Place, despite a citywide decline. Since the program's launch, parking meters have U generated approximately $28,000 in total revenue, with net revenue just over $5,000 after deducting transaction fees from the payment app and credit card processing. Director Ecklund emphasized that the M program’s primary goal is parking management, not revenue generation. Enforcement has been lenient so far, with around 600 warnings issued—some to repeat offenders. To improve compliance, the City plans to EN begin issuing fines of $25 per violation. Discussion followed with regards to cost recovery plan for the initial installation cost; enforcement and turnover; business and community feedback, parking meter program public communication; and parking meter program review. 10. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT/UPDATE T Community and Economic Development Director Briske and Business Outreach Liaison Metcalf delivered a comprehensive update on the business landscape in University Place. Ms. Metcalf highlighted the city's impressive growth, noting that the number of businesses increased from 706 in 2005 to 1,730 by the first quarter of 2025, representing a 63% growth since 2011. Home-based businesses now make up 56% of all business licenses. The transition to a state-managed licensing system has enhanced both reporting accuracy and compliance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, University Place saw a surge in new business licenses, with over 400 issued between 2020 and 2021, largely driven by home-based startups. A temporary state moratorium on automatic license terminations led to inflated license counts until 2022.  City Council Minutes of September 2, 2025 Page 4 City-issued grants played a vital role in helping businesses weather the pandemic, with most closures affecting businesses that were already struggling beforehand. In terms of sector growth, healthcare and social services now represent the largest segment of the local economy, with miscellaneous health services leading among subcategories. Construction and retail trade have also shown notable expansion. Currently, there are 74 licenses in the accommodation and food services sector, including 43 full-service or limited- service restaurants. This figure excludes specialty shops and grocery store dining areas. The City is exploring the idea of publishing a restaurant directory on its website and distributing it to local medical offices to promote dining options. Business outreach efforts include welcome emails to newly licensed businesses, exit surveys for those terminating licenses, and offers of ribbon-cutting ceremonies and other support services. Discussion followed with regards to revenue/sales tax derived from businesses; a proposal to conduct more frequent and proactive surveys to gather input from businesses before they close; clarification on licensing U rules, including monetary thresholds and exceptions for different types of business activities; licensing for charging stations; regulations for home-based businesses; guidelines for food truck operations; and peddler N permit application, enforcement, public safety and education. 11. O ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m. No other action was taken. Submitted by, FF Emy Genetia City Clerk ICIA L D OC U M EN T