The Normandy Park City Council’s study session on Mar. 24, 2026, centered on long-term infrastructure and labor commitments, highlighted by the unanimous approval of a new five-year contract with Teamsters 763.

While the labor agreement—which offers retention-based raises and doubles on-call pay—found easy consensus, a proposal to remove five mature trees at City Hall Park sparked a sharper debate over taxpayer spending and the city’s environmental stewardship.

The meeting, which also mentioned an upcoming annual presentation from Waste Management, balanced immediate operational needs with a broader discussion on the council’s role in local land-use decisions.

Increases For Union Contract

There was only one item for the council to vote on at the Study Session, and that was a new five-year contract with the Teamsters 763 Union. The previous contract had expired at the end of 2025. The new one contains similar terms, along with some increases to keep up with the times. On-call pay will increase from $50 to $100, and employees who stick around for longer will see bigger pay raises, with the aim of retaining staff. These contract changes were based on a market survey of salaries, and passed unanimously.

Tree Removal At City Hall Park

It was determined by staff, and agreed by the Parks Commission, that five mature City Hall Park trees will need to be removed. According to Public Works Director Ken Courter, these trees, which are near the end of their lifespan, were topped decades ago, and topping trees causes issues. One tree in particular has been frequently dropping heavy branches, presenting a liability and safety issue. The roots of these trees are also doing a lot of damage to the parking lot. The Parks Commission is looking into the most substantial, appropriate, and beautiful replacement trees now, according to Courter.

Councilmember Susan West said she agreed that removing the one hazardous tree was appropriate, but did not feel comfortable about spending taxpayer dollars to remove four other trees that are doing very little harm. She said replacing mature trees with tiny new trees is unsubstantial, and does not provide the equivalent canopy, shelter, bird habitat, or noise abatement.

Mayor Eric Zimmerman said this is technically a decision that city staff is empowered to make, and all the council can do is say yes or no to funding the project. Councilmember West felt the council should be able to weigh in on such a dramatic change, and wants to revisit the code that takes tree removal out of the purview of the council. Bids will be brought to the next regular meeting, when the council will vote on the funding allocation.

Upcoming WM Presentation

For anyone interested in learning more about local waste collection, including services and charges, Waste Management (WM) will be giving their annual presentation at the upcoming regular business meeting.