Yakima City Council to Decide Fate of Trolleys and West Valley Fire Station

If you live in Yakima do you want the Yakima City Council to fund the operation of Yakima Trolleys and Fire Station 92? Two important meetings by the Yakima City Council later this month and next will determine if the trolleys will roll and if the fire station will remain open in west valley.

THE FIRE STATION REMAINS OPEN FOR NOW

At a meeting earlier this month council members approved a temporary measure to keep Yakima Fire Department Station 92 open until August while exploring long-term options for its permanent operation. Currently, around $2 million from city savings across various departments is being used to maintain the station.

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CLOSING THE STATION COULD IMPACT GROWTH IN THE WEST

Newly elected Mayor Matt Brown says closing the station in the west part of the city could hinder growth, pointing to increased response times as a potential issue. The council is expected to talk further about funding for the station at a meeting set for February 3 at Yakima City Hall.

A MEETING ABOUT TROLLEYS FIRST THEN THE FIRE STATION

But before that a meeting set for January 20, or next Tuesday to talk about funding the operation of Yakima Valley Trolleys. That meeting starts at 5:30 pm. You can watch is live at city hall or on Zoom at yakimawa.gov.

WILL THE CITY VOTE TO FUND BOTH?

In early December the council was looking at offering a five-year agreement to operate the trolleys but instead decided to continue a discussion until later this month. KIT News has learned that some council members are inclined to not vote in favor of funding trolleys at least not this year but no decision has yet been made. Many people who are in favor of keeping trolleys running and the fire station open are expected to attend both meetings to show support.