Yakima City Council Meeting July 7, 2026

The City of Yakima held a regular City Council meeting on July 7, 2026, which included extensive public commentary primarily focused on concerns about the city's contract with Flock Safety, a private surveillance camera company. Residents expressed strong opposition to the expansion of Flock's surveillance system, citing privacy violations, constitutional concerns, and distrust in the council's decision-making process, especially regarding contract review and transparency. The council discussed various transportation infrastructure projects in the city's six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2027-2032, including funding statuses and the contentious issue of trolley track infrastructure funding, ultimately passing a resolution to restrict city funds from being used for trolley track infrastructure except for donated or council-approved funds. Additionally, the council approved a resolution to amend the contract with CWA, Inc. for Yakima-Ellensburg commuter services, noting that cost increases would be covered by grants and partner contributions without impacting the city budget. The meeting also addressed homelessness funding challenges, particularly the potential reduction of beds at Camp Hope shelter, with the council authorizing up to $50,000 in city funds to help sustain the shelter temporarily and expressing no confidence in the county's funding allocation. Finally, the council directed staff to prepare an ordinance within 90 days to codify state protections for all camera systems operating in the city, including Flock cameras, to address concerns about surveillance regulations.