City Plans Closures for Juneteenth Observance

City of Yakima offices and most non-emergency services will close Monday, June 20th, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday.

Closures include City Hall, the Public Works office, the Y-PAC office, the Law and Justice Center and the Harman Center.

Yakima Transit will not provide bus service on June 20th. Garbage pick-up will not be delayed, but the Refuse Division office will be closed June 20th.

Several local events are planned to mark Juneteenth celebrations this year, such as Yakima County NAACP hosting the 31st annual Juneteenth event at the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday. In October 2021, the Yakima City Council amended City of Yakima Municipal Code Section 2.40.080, Holidays with Pay, to add Juneteenth as a paid holiday for city employees.

Though City offices will be closed for observance of the Juneteenth holiday, registrations for City of Yakima Parks and Recreation programs, as well as picnic shelter reservations, can still be made Monday by visiting https://yakimaparks.com/

In addition, City water, sewer and refuse customers can use a bill payment kiosk outside City Hall’s main entrance on 2nd Street that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Online utility bill payments also continue to be an option. Click Utility Services (yakimawa.gov) for more information.