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The Yakima City Council held its most recent regular agenda business meeting on Tuesday, March 3^rd, 2015.

Action taken by the Council on March 3^rd included:

–    Approving the Yakima Airport Master Plan

–    Authorizing an engineering contract for phase 2 of the North 1^st Street revitalization project

–    Approval of parking improvements for downtown Yakima

Follow this link to watch Y-PAC coverage of the March 3^rd Yakima City Council meeting – http://bit.ly/1Gkx5NP

Yakima City Council regular agenda business meetings air live on Charter Cable channel 194 and are replayed at 7:00 pm the following night. The meetings are shown again at 9:00 am on the following Saturday and Sunday and are also available on the City of Yakima website – http://www.yakimawa.gov/.

Lions Pool, the City of Yakima’s indoor aquatics facility, has been closed temporarily while a main recirculation pump is replaced. The pump replacement project will be completed as quickly as possible, potentially by this weekend. However it is not known at this point exactly how long it will take to finish the work.

Once the project is finished and the pool is ready to be reopened, the City will provide notice utilizing its various media platforms.

“We certainly apologize to the loyal users of Lions Pool that the facility will have to be closed for a few days while the recirculation pump is replaced,” said Parks & Recreation Manager Ken Wilkinson. “The pump has simply worn out after many years of use. The recirculation pump is a critical piece of the system that keeps Lions Pool operating. The work is being done as fast as it can be, and Lions Pool will be back in business soon,” said Wilkinson.

Lions Pool is the most heavily used of the City’s two public pools (the other being Franklin Pool). The facility is used for recreation, swimming and diving competitions, therapeutic purposes, etc. It is open year ‘round, with the exception of periodic closures for maintenance or other repair projects.

Lions Pool Pump Replacement

The Yakima City Council holds its next regular agenda business meeting on Tuesday, March 3^rd, 2015. The meeting begins at 6:00 pm at Yakima City Hall.

Items on the March 3^rd agenda include

–    Recognition of retiring fire department secretary Rita Mantey

–    A public hearing on adoption of the Yakima Airport Master Plan

–    An engineering contract for phase 2 of the North 1^st Street revitalization project

–    Downtown Yakima parking action plan

To see the complete agenda for the March 3^rd Council meeting, click on the following link http://bit.ly/1DfCJdY

Yakima City Council regular agenda business meetings air live on Charter Cable channel 194 and are replayed at 7:00 pm the following day. The meetings are shown again at 9:00 am on the following Saturday and Sunday and are also available on the City of Yakima website – http://www.yakimawa.gov/

It is that time of year again when the City of Yakima Refuse Division resumes weekly collection of yard waste. The service will start next week and continue until the end of November.

More than a quarter of Yakima’s 25,000 refuse customers voluntarily subscribe to the yard waste pick up service, which costs $2.96 a week for a 96-gallon container. In 2014, the program diverted nearly 3,500 tons of yard waste from the county landfill by turning the yard waste into composting material.

Yard waste customers will soon be receiving post cards reminding them about the program and when containers should be put out for pick up in their neighborhoods.

“To make the program work, certain types of items should never go into the yard waste containers,” said Yakima Solid Waste and Recycling Manager Loretta Zammarchi. “Unacceptable items include gabage, plastic bags, food scraps, animal waste, ashes, sod, building materials, tree trunks and large branches. We also have a 150-pound weight limit to prevent damage to our equipment,” added Zammarchi.

Additional information on the yard waste program is available by calling the City of Yakima Refuse Division at 575-6005 and on the City of Yakima’s website www.yakimawa.gov.

2015 Yard Waste News Release

The longtime home of the Warehouse Theatre Company, a gallery that often featured the work of local artists, multiple classrooms, and the offices of the non-profit Allied Arts of Yakima Valley will be razed on Saturday, February 28^th. Demolition of the building is expected to begin around 8:00 am that day.

More than a year ago, Allied Arts officials asked the City of Yakima’s Codes Division to inspect the building because they were concerned about its structural integrity. Inspections revealed a significantly bulging exterior wall, problems with the roof trusses, and other dangerous conditions in the building. It was determined that the building was no longer safe to occupy. Since then, the building has sat empty.

The building was originally a fruit warehouse owned by the Gilbert family. In 1951, it was donated by the family to the City of Yakima for use as an arts center.

Efforts by the Allied Arts board and other community members to raise funds to potentially repair the building were unsuccessful. A claim filed with Allied Arts’ insurer was denied. Earlier this month, Allied Arts Board President Meredith Bruch sent a letter to the City expressing regret that the building was not able to be saved.

“The Board has no other option but to cede the building to the City of Yakima for demolition,” wrote Bruch. “We are very sorry to lose the historic building, such a valuable resource to the Community. We are also very sorry to saddle the City with the responsibility to address the matter,” said Bruch in her letter. “However, our lack of resources makes that necessary.”

The City has contracted with Russell Crane Services, Inc., a Yakima contracting firm, to raze the Allied Arts building at an estimated cost of $100,000. The demolition debris will remain at the site in a fenced-in area for about a week before being removed. The area where the building has been located since the 1930s will eventually be planted with grass.

Allied Arts Building Demolition – News Release

Traffic along a one-block portion of 40^th Avenue near Fisher Park Golf Course will be impacted today, Friday, and next Monday while work associated with a golf course parking lot project is underway.

The outside northbound lane of 40^th Avenue in front of the golf course will be closed from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm each day on Thursday, February 26^th, Friday, February 27^th, and Monday, March 2^nd while the curb and sidewalk along that stretch of 40^th Avenue are replaced. The inside northbound lane will remain open and the southbound lanes will be unaffected. The curb and sidewalk along that portion of 40^th Avenue were removed as part of a project to expand the Fisher Park Golf Course parking lot.

During the project, traffic delays in the area are likely to occur. Drivers should use alternate routes if possible until the project is completed.

Access to homes and businesses in the area will be maintained and traffic will be allowed through the project area when possible.

As always, the schedule for this type of a project is subject to change daily dependent on weather, equipment failure, and emergencies.

For additional information about this project, contact Yakima Parks and Recreation Manager Ken Wilkinson at 576-6416.

Fisher Golf Course Parking Lot Project – News Release

In 2013, the Yakima Arts Commission, an advisory group appointed by the Yakima City Council, developed an idea to harness the creativity of Central Washington artists to help invigorate windows of empty downtown storefronts by displaying their work as part of a new project called, “Windows Alive!”. Based on similar projects that have proven successful in other cities, “Windows Alive!” is part of an ongoing effort to bring new life and activity to Downtown Yakima.

Following a submission and evaluation process that took place earlier this fall, six outstanding artists from the region were chosen to be part of the 2015 “Windows Alive!” exhibition, which will run from March 8^th through September 6^th. To kickoff the project’s spring-summer exhibition, a reception will be held on Sunday, March 8^th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 401 East Yakima Avenue. The six artists chosen to display their work through will be on hand at the reception to talk about their pieces and to help explain the concept of the “Windows Alive!” project.

“Empty windows in unoccupied storefronts send a message that isn’t very positive,” said Yakima Cheryl Hahn who is chairperson for this year’s “Windows Alive!” project. “The idea behind ‘Windows Alive!’ is to fill those storefront windows with beautiful art and create a more engaging and vibrant environment downtown. The project also gives local artists a wonderful opportunity to showcase their work,” said Hahn.

The six artists who were chosen for “Windows Alive!”, each of whom received a $250 stipend, are Renee Adams (surreal sculptural forms), Deborah Ann (fiber art), Goathead Press (collection of prints), Lynne E. Harrison (nature photographs), Raul Marquez (metal sculptures), and Stephen Robbins (acrylic paintings and pencil drawings).

In addition to the contributions made to the project by the Yakima Arts Commission, support has also been provided by the City of Yakima, JEM Development, Inc., Stems, Gasperetti’s, Action Window Cleaning, David Lynx and the Yakima Bindery.

Additional information is available at www.windowsalive.com

Windows Alive Project News Release pdf

The Yakima City Council held its most recent regular agenda business meeting on Tuesday, February 17^th, 2015.

Action taken by the Council on February 17^th included:

–   Approval of $100,000 for marketing and operational expenses at the Yakima Valley SunDome

–   Rejecting a public advisory vote on the proposed Yakima downtown plaza

–   Establishing no parking zones along parade routes

–   Approving the use of federal grant funds to promote air passenger service at the Yakima airport

–   Providing direction on potential and pending items before the state legislature

Follow this link to watch Y-PAC coverage of the January 20^th Yakima City Council meeting – http://bit.ly/1vXeC6K

Yakima City Council regular agenda business meetings air live on Charter Cable channel 194 and are replayed at 7:00 pm the following night. The meetings are shown again at 9:00 am on the following Saturday and Sunday and are also available on the City of Yakima website – http://www.yakimawa.gov/.

The Yakima City Council holds its next regular agenda business meeting on Tuesday, February 17^th, 2015. The meeting begins at 6:00 pm at Yakima City Hall.

Items on the February 17^th agenda include:

–    Council direction on potential and pending items before the state legislature

–    Establishing no parking zones along parade routes

–    A public hearing date on amendments to the City’s sign code Ordinance

–    A request for $100,000 for marketing and operational expenses at the Yakima Valley SunDome

–    Approval of a U.S. Department of Transportation grant to promote air passenger service at the Yakima Airport

–    Report on implementation of downtown Yakima parking recommendations

To see the complete agenda for the February 17^th Council meeting, click on the following link http://bit.ly/1ELMnXR

Yakima City Council regular agenda business meetings air live on Charter Cable channel 194 and are replayed at 7:00 pm the following day. The meetings are shown again at 9:00 am on the following Saturday and Sunday and are also available on the City of Yakima website – http://www.yakimawa.gov/