Yakima Group Collects Signatures To Force City To Reinstate Committees

A group of Yakima residents will present signed petitions to the Yakima City Clerk today in an effort to force the Yakima City Council to reinstate five citizen committees that the group says helps "improve the quality of life in the city."

THEY WANT THE CITY TO REINSTATE THE COMMITTEES ASAP

They want the city to reinstate the committees or send the issue to the ballot for voters.
According to a news release two petitions oppose "the removal from the city code of the Sustainable Yakima Committee, which addresses climate change issues affecting city residents including clean air and water, and the Community Integration Committee, which focuses on equity issues across Yakima Neighborhoods, from community pools to sidewalks."

SPECIFIC COMMITTEES WERE CANCELLED BY THE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR

The third petition is opposed to placing "the Bike/Pedestrian Committee, the Historic Preservation Committee, and the Tree Board under the jurisdiction of the Planning Commission."

MORE THAN 1100 SIGNATURES WERE GATHERED IN YAKIMA

The release says the group collected more than 1,100 signatures on the three petitions the signature requirement for petitions in the city.
Officials with the unnamed group say they spent hours over the past month collecting signatures from residents.

YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MATT BROWN SAYS HE SUPPORTS THE RIGHT TO PETITION

Yakima City Council member Matt Brown says he supports people's right to petition government but he says the committees were created to serve a purpose and the council deemed their purpose was no longer needed. Brown ads "it's not like we banned them from existing inside the city. We told them they can still meet as an outside group and bring ideas to the council."