Vancouver City Council

0:00 Good evening. Welcome to Vancouver City Council. Today is Monday, September 14th. This afternoon we had three workshops, the development fee update, municipal code title 19 parking cleanup, and then we had a quick discussion with Joy Fowler about our boards and commissions for recruitment. You're now in our regular city council meeting. Would you please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Ms. Warren, would you please?

1:00 Please call the roll. Council Member Harliss? Present. Perez? Present. Fox? Here. Paulson? Here. Stober? Here. Hanson? Present. Mayor McInerney-Ogle? Present. Thank you very much. Councilors, you have in front of you the minutes of August 24th. Are there any corrections or changes? Move to approve. Hanson, seconded by? Fox. Fox. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Proclamations this evening. Let's go ahead and get started with our National Preparedness Month, and we have all sorts of people who are going to come and join us. Geraldine and Jordan, Giovanni and Jennifer. Whereas the City of Vancouver recognizes that record-breaking heat waves, severe winter storms, and raging wildfires repeatedly demonstrate our city's

2:00 ability to natural hazards. And the city is committed to building community-wide resilience to the increasing hazards of climate change. Whereas disaster preparedness is an essential component of our sustainable and resilient community, and everyone who lives or works in our community shares responsibility for minimizing the impact of disaster. Therefore, September is National Preparedness Month, and it provides each of us the opportunity to use information available on www.ready.gov and on our city website to prepare for when disaster strikes. Now, therefore, I, Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor of Vancouver, Washington, do hereby proclaim the month of September as National Preparedness Month in the City of Vancouver, and encourage the community to take steps now to get ready for disaster. Can I get this to somewhere?

3:00 I'm going to take a picture of the... I'm going to go... I'm going to go... How much are you saying?

3:30 I'm going to take a picture of the... I'm going to go... How much are you saying? I'm going to take a picture of the... I'm going to go... I'm going to take a picture of the... I'm going to go... How much are you saying? All right. Good evening. I'm Geraldine Moyle, the General Services Director, and Emergency Management is part of the General Services portfolio. I'm pleased to accept this proclamation alongside Jordan McFarlane, our Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator at CRRSA, and two partners who are helping us put preparedness into action. And I'm going to turn it over to Jordan. Thank you, Geraldine. Tonight we wanted to... we wanted you to hear from those who are participating in the collaboration between CRRSA and the City of Vancouver, part of our Emergency Preparedness Initiative, Be Ready Vancouver.

4:29 So, first, I'd like to introduce you to Giovanni Strano from the City's Information Technology Department. GIOVANNI STRANO: Thank you, Jordan. I'm grateful and proud to say that IT has always valued high availability, performance, and resilience. It's our best practice. It's the technology that we do. And for the past year, it's been the best practice that we've done. And for this year, we've been engaging with CRRSA, going down a journey exploring personal preparedness. And in doing that, we've been encouraged to take a closer look at the individual employee. And really, to use that as a foundation to build on and to scale out, really, what we're already... it's part of our goals. I mean, literally, a safe and prepared, performing organization is literally, in our list of goals, a safe and prepared, performing organization is literally, in our list

5:29 of goals. And so, as we work with CRRSA, here's what we did. We did a pilot of personal preparedness exercises and discussions. We developed and carried out a tabletop exercise. And I'm excited about the future one that we're currently developing. And we are working on our COOP, our Continuity of Operation Plan. So, as we peel back the layers of technology to get to the individual, it really highlighted that true resilience is not just technology. Actually, it's more than that. It's our core values and the relationships that emerge from the city's values. So, compassion, collaboration, empowerment, inclusivity, innovation. They all help

6:27 build the relationships with others. And so, as we focus on ourselves as individuals, it really just highlights the need that we need to lean on these values. And really, the technology will follow, as long as we are true to those values. So, it really pointed out that each of us, as an individual, has a role. And really, it's that connection. Again, it's that relationship. And so, in the alignment, with the values, I really wanted to point out that compassion really, really spoke to me as one of our values. And so, with technology and compassion, I guess I really liked observing the true meaning of compassion. So, to be with, co, and passion to suffer and endure. And so, for personal preparedness and resiliency,

7:27 we are preparing ourselves to be able to suffer and to endure through times when we do need to rely on each other in alignment with our core values. So, I would like to thank Jordan and Cressa for journeying with us for the past year and on the future initiatives we'll be doing. So, thank you, Jordan. Thank you so much, Giovanni. introduce Jennifer Beard. She is the co-chair of the Evergreen Highlands Neighborhood Association. Jen recently attended a Be Ready Vancouver workshop event, and she's going to share what happened next. Thank you, Jordan. I went into that workshop thinking I was pretty much prepared. I have

8:21 emergency backpacks in our cars, our RV, our home, but I was not prepared for what I learned. I came away realizing that being prepared at home is not the same as being prepared to leave your home quickly. I had an emergency supplies, but I hadn't really thought through what we would need if we suddenly had to evacuate. With the very active fire season that we've had this year, and seeing people we know personally have to evacuate, evacuate their homes, that lesson really hit home for us. The workshop got me thinking about things I hadn't considered before, like having an actual go-back that is ready with the things that you need, such as medications, documents, maybe things that your pet needs, such as food and medications. I realized that even those of us who think we're prepared can still benefit and learn from workshops like this.

9:21 I realized that we could learn a lot, and that is what prompted me to invite Jordan to speak at our neighborhood. And since then, we secured a larger space, so we were able to invite some surrounding neighborhoods and the parish of St. Joe's Church to attend as well. I'm really excited that we've been able to take something we found so valuable and share it with our community. And I hope that that helps our neighbors take care of themselves. And I hope that that helps our neighbors take care of themselves. And I hope that that helps our neighbors take care of themselves. And I hope that that helps our neighbors take care of themselves, their families, and each other in case of an emergency. Thank you, Jordan. Awesome. Thank you, both, Jennifer and Giovanni. I really think that both of your experiences demonstrate what this proclamation is about, that preparedness starts with each of us here, but resilience is something that we build together. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Council, for recognizing National Preparedness Month.

10:20 Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Council, for recognizing National Preparedness Month. And for supporting a more prepared and resilient Vancouver. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Let's do Hispanic Heritage Month with Nicole, Kimberly, and Damaris. Whereas the Hispanic heritage of the United States extends historically over five centuries and has been a consistent and vital influence on our country's growth, development, and long-term success, the Hispanic heritage of the United States extends historically over five centuries and has been a consistent and vital influence on our country's growth, development, and long-term success. And Hispanic and Latinos are multiracial and multicultural. Hispanics represent people with origins from over 20 countries throughout the United States, Latin America, South America, and Spain. And Hispanics have and continue to support Washington's economy with growing labor force contributions, raging in fields from professional and business services to education, health services, transportation, and utilities to production and much more.

11:17 transportation and utilities to production and much more. Whereas the City of Vancouver supports the organizations, institutions and people assisting with faced disparities encountered by Hispanics and continued access to resources, jobs and livable wages for Hispanics in imperative for success. Now therefore I, Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor of Vancouver, Washington do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of Vancouver and encourage all community members to join in this observance and participate in events that celebrate rich cultural traditions.

12:13 Thank you.

12:43 Good evening Mayor Ann and Council Members. My name is Kimberly Quiroz. It is an honor to receive this proclamation on behalf of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber and our Hispanic community. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate our culture, our roots, our many contributions Latinos make to our communities. I am the senior business developer for the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber. Over the last five years I've had the privilege and honor of supporting hundreds of entrepreneurs as they start and expand their business in Vancouver. I've watched people turn ideas into businesses, businesses into jobs and hard work into opportunities for their families. The 2025 Latino GDP report confirms what we see every day. Latinos are driving America's growth. At a $4.4 trillion, the Latino economy would be the

13:40 fifth largest economy in the world if it was its own country. Behind the numbers are real people. Parents building businesses, families creating jobs and entrepreneurs investing in their communities. Here in Vancouver, HMC is currently supporting several businesses to getting started and ready to open up their doors these next coming months, including two daycares, a restaurant, a floral business, and several construction companies. Every day these openings represent a dream, a family, a commitment to build something better for our next generation. And for me, Hispanic Heritage Month is personal. It's deeply personal. This past summer I've had the privilege of climbing three of Pacific Northwest's largest mountains: Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and most recently Mount Adams. When I reached the top of Mount Adams, I raised my country's flag. I wasn't just celebrating the climb. I was honoring my heritage,

14:38 my roots, my journey that brought me here. Because our heritage is not something that we leave behind. We carry it with us. Thank you to the City of Vancouver for recognizing our community and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with us. We are here, we are building, we are contributing, and we are proud of where we come from. Muchas gracias.

15:08 And let's finish this with National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims. And Michelle Bart, Karen, Keith Morrison. Okay. Whereas each year, thousands of families and communities across our nation are forever changed by the tragedy of homicide, and the National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims observed annually on September 25th honors the memory of those whose lives have been taken by violence, and recognizes the enduring grief and resilience of their loved ones left behind. And this Day of Remembrance offers an opportunity to increase public awareness about the impact of homicide, to support survivors and their families, and to reaffirm our collective commitment to preventing violence and seeking justice.

16:06 An organization such as the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation, Odyssey World International Education Services, Every Town for Gun Safety, and the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children provide vital advocacy, resources, and compassionate support to survivors of homicide victims. And now therefore I, Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Mayor of Vancouver, Washington, do hereby proclaim: September 25th, 2026 is National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims in the City of Vancouver, and encourage all community members to honor the lives lost, support survivors, and renew our commitment to help prevent violence in our community.

17:06 Thank you.

17:36 City of Vancouver, Honorable Mayor, and Honorable City Council Members, we want to thank you for acknowledging this event. My name is Karen Morrison, and I am the President of Odyssey World International Education Services. And it is an honor and a privilege to be recognized as someone who has gone through this. My son, Julian Morrison, was murdered in 2018. He was murdered in 2013. And so this is my way of helping other parents who have lost their children to heal. And I'm grateful for our opportunity to come to Esther Short Park on September 25th from 5:00 to 7:00, and help those needing a voice and needing a place to heal, to come together and heal together as a collective,

18:35 community. I am joined here today with these two lovely individuals, and they are board members of NWCAVE. And they will be introducing themselves. Good evening. My name is Eileen Young. I am the treasurer. Sorry. Good evening. My name is Eileen Young. I am the treasurer for NWCAVE, the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation. With me tonight is Jennifer Orsini, our secretary. I'd like to thank Mayor Ann, along with City Council, for this proclamation and for recognition. NWCAVE is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting victims, survivors, and family members of violent acts, including murder, rape, human trafficking, stalking, domestic violence, and among other acts. As Karen alluded to on Friday, NWCAVE is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting victims, survivors, and family members of violent acts, including murder, rape, human trafficking, stalking, domestic violence, and among other acts. As Karen alluded to on Friday, NWCAVE is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting victims, survivors, and family members of violent acts.

19:33 to 2 on Friday, September 25th. We will be holding our Candlelight Vigil. NW Cave, along with Odyssey World International, will be hosting this event, National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. We'll be having an impactful program along with some wonderful speakers. This event is free to the public. Again, Esther Short Park, Friday, September 25th from 5 to 7. We hope to see as many of the public there attend as possible. Thank you again, Mayor Ann and City Council, for this recognition and proclamation. Thank you again. Thank you. That concludes our proclamations and brings us into community communication. We have several people that have

20:30 registered to talk about items on the agenda. Michael Moore and Brent Baker, please. Yes, come on up and join us. Give your testimony.

21:00 Okay, there you go. Thank you once again for the clarity and thank you for your time. I'm here to discuss some of the issues on the agenda as well as some other vital kind of things for the community. Michael, this is the opportunity for items on the agenda. Yes. Dealing with the... Other items, we have a forum following our business meeting. Well, this is about the do-good Multnomah. Yes. Yes, because there is an AG complaint out there against them. And I did not know if you knew this, but yes, there is. And there's eight and a half years of state oversight on that and you won't be able to fund them because they got an AG complaint because they didn't manage their website and they haven't attended.

22:00 It's still not fixed. So that is germane to your decision tonight. And I would suggest you take that under advisement. But that is a fact because of this E-Trend makes eight and a half years of state auditory requirement and because there's that file, it hasn't been dealt with, but it's still there. So that's going to prevent you from doing that. And I know that. I've looked it up because that's germane because... And I'm going to ask you about your other position on the other board. And that's mostly because this person here had some other issues with that, but I assured her I am not doing any risk management. No. No, that would not be wise. So I'm going to let the person who has the pen that is mightier than the sword, which is at the county level, which we've had a discussion, and I have some items that are yours, as in technology. So that's...

23:00 This is some technology I developed for all of you and in every form of government. And it's right here on my phone. And, Lon, can you look at this? So this is the NASA type of stuff, what they have with Euler's method. So this is up-to-date GPS. And I developed this, Lon. And you'll watch. This is the Cascadia. And watch this. Here's your tsunamis. You'll watch that. Come up. And you can sit there. So you notice that's a cell phone. Have you ever seen anything such as this? Not that I can recall. Because I made it. Because I have another primary patentable technology that goes along with this. This is all yours. I made this for government. So I'm trying to get you your property. I talked to USGS today. They agree with me. They were correct about some other engineering problems.

24:00 problems that are just fiat in these days, which is one of the engineering problems you face, which I would suggest you hold. You have the counsel. You can call the attorney general, and they will say, yes, you will have a problem with that. So as a timeout, because I want to help everyone, like I say, I'm not doing risk management. I don't have to, because at the top of the pen here has already agreed to make me the consultant and get your technology for you, but someone who understands Euler's method. Okay. Thank you for your time. Bren, go ahead. Hi, my name is Bren. I'm a longtime Vancouver resident and organizer for the No Hate in Washington State campaign. I would like to thank you for discussing initiatives 001 and 638 today. I hope that you will take advantage of that.

24:56 We will take a strong stance on the initiatives, providing guidance for residents so we can defeat these harmful and poorly written initiatives in November. 001 would repeal our current Student Safety Act, which was sponsored by Vancouver's own representative, Monica Stonier. That act provided important protections for a safe and supportive public education system by reinforcing parental and guardian rights, students' rights, and employment protections for school staff. It would remove common sense school record protections for victims of abuse, discouraging kiddos who are facing domestic violence and sexual abuse or bullying from seeking help from teachers or counselors, and force schools to knowingly release students' counseling and other records, including notes about being LGBTQ plus to abusive families. While many parents are loving and supportive, we know that not every child is a parent. We know that not every child is a parent. We know that not every child is a parent. We know that not every child is a parent. We know that not

25:56 is safe at home. Outing kiddos to unsupportive families can have terrible consequences, including abuse and homelessness. And we know that 40% of unhoused LGBTQ plus youth are unhoused because they were kicked out of their homes for their identities. Initiative 638 is poorly written and discriminatory. It's the most extreme measure of its kind in the nation. It changes the law only for girls to require medical sex certification as part of sports physicals for girls of any age, literally listing examinations of reproductive anatomy in the text of the initiative with birth certificates not being allowed as a method of proof. Girls do not currently expose themselves in physical exams because it's not a law. It's a law that's not a law. It's a law that's not medically necessary in order for them to play sports. As a child survivor of sexual assault,

26:55 I couldn't have exposed myself in order to play, and this will obviously keep many girls out of sports. These initiatives are harmful and discriminatory, and that is why so many organizations here in Washington state and here locally are opposing them, including the Washington Education Association, along with both Evergreen and Vancouver Education Association, Washington State Nurses Association, the ACLU, and many other orgs. I hope the Vancouver Council will pass a resolution against both of these initiatives in support of the children and teachers that they will harm, in addition to doctors, nurses, unions, parents, and all of the community members here in Vancouver that do oppose them for our children's safety. Thank you. Thank you. Emily Crow and Heidi Green, please.

27:54 Thank you. Emily Crow and I am here to thank the council for discussing the resolutions around no hate in Washington state and emphasize the importance of taking a stand and making it clear in our community through that hopefully swift act on the resolution to just make it clear that our community is not one that can be dictated by out-of-state campaign financiers or culture wars that we want to inflict on some of the most vulnerable children in our community.

28:49 As Bren mentioned, the data shows the impact that these initiatives will have on kids. They're at danger at homes of being outed to family members who may not be supportive or may become abusive. They're less likely to feel safe going to the people that are supposed to protect us, teachers and counselors and authority figures, because if they're potentially being abused for reasons that might be related to their sexual identity, whether or not they're going to be abused, they're less likely to feel safe going to the people that are supposed to protect us, teachers and counselors and authority figures, because if they're potentially being abused for reasons that might be related to their sexual identity, whether or not they're going to be abused, they're less likely to be abused. And so I think that's one of the things that we need to be thinking about.

29:49 And I can only imagine, I guarantee all of us know someone who was abused as a kid, potentially in an authority figure like a doctor or a teacher, and requiring something like this, making it part of our culture and requirements, just creates a standard that I think opens the door to a lot of really problematic snowballs that our children are going to be experiencing and facing and will take a lot of undoing in our community. Thank you.

30:49 And we all come together to oppose these two harmful initiatives you've been hearing about, 001 and 638. These poorly written initiatives that were bankrolled by a mega donor, they remove common sense protections for child abuse victims and put girls at risk. Domestic violence experts say that 001, for example, could make it harder just for a child to talk to somebody who's safe. Because what it does is it restricts student access to help for challenges like depression, sexual assault, domestic violence, and bullying. Parents have the right to know what's going on with their kids at school, full stop. But while most parents are loving and supportive, the sad reality is that not all kids are safe at home. According to researchers, 40% of LGBTQ plus children are safe at home.

31:49 Homeless youth were kicked out because of their identities. Child abuse is more widespread than most of us would like to believe. LGBTQ plus kids, like all kids, deserve someone safe to talk to while they just figure out who they are.

32:08 Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

53:13 Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions. Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

54:13 Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions. Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

55:13 Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions. The Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school girls to undergo intrusions.

56:13 The Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions. The Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

57:13 The Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions. The Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

58:13 The Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school, and high school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

58:43 So, the Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

59:43 So, the Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions. So, the Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

1:00:13 So, the Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.

1:08:42 So, the Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of electrodes to undergo intrusions.

1:09:12 So, the Initiative 638 would require tens of thousands of elementary school, middle school, and high school girls to undergo intrusions.