Council roundup: Loud vehicles and proclamations

Students were honored for their art skills, Juneteenth was celebrated, and public hearings were held about loud vehicles and fireworks at the June 18 meeting of the Federal Way City Council.

During public comment, someone mentioned their concern about noise pollution in the city, citing loud vehicles. Mayor Jim Ferrell took a moment to ask the Federal Way Police Department’s Chief Andy Hwang if there was an emphasis on addressing loud noises with cars, saying that he also heard loud vehicles from his home near 1st Avenue.

“She brought up two issues I wanted to share, that starting June 30 to July 5, we will have a special fireworks emphasis patrol,” Hwang said. “We’re signing up officers for that detail, so we’ll have a high emphasis on that starting here soon. Second, on the car meets, the car gatherings, we’re constantly gathering more information about where the groups are gathering on social media. So we have gathered intel with that.”

Hwang said when police find car meets online, they contact the organizer and discourage them from meeting in Federal Way, then put more officers on patrol. Hwang said the department has zero tolerance, and one of the violations police give out is for modified exhaust systems on vehicles. He said the department has been successful at keeping those car meet groups out of Federal Way because the word is that they do enforce the laws and go after the organizers for violating state law.

Regarding July 4 fireworks, Hwang said they have been getting the word out through social media that fireworks are not allowed in Federal Way, and violations can carry a $300 fine.

Art contest

The meeting kicked off with the celebration of the Federal Way Municipal Court Student Art Contest sponsored by the Federal Way Arts Commission and requested by the Federal Way Municipal Court Judge David Larson and Judge Brad Bales. The contest is open to all students in first through eighth grade living within the boundaries of Federal Way Public Schools, and the selected students will be displayed in the Federal Way Municipal Court.

“This is, I think, our sixteenth year of doing this since 2009. We were talking in the room back here, and some of the students that won the original year now have families and are almost 30 years old,” Judge Larson said. “It’s been around a while, and I very much appreciate your support over the years for that.”

Juneteenth proclamation

Council member Hoang Tran read a proclamation declaring June 19 as Juneteenth in Federal Way and encouraged community members to celebrate the day.

“Whereas, on New Year’s Day, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln cited the Emancipation Proclamation, which made the permanent abolition of slavery and provided the legal framework for the emancipation of nearly 4 million enslaved peoples at the Union army’s advance,” Tran said. “And whereas on June 19, 1865, Major General Golden Ranger announced in Galveston, Texas, the end of both Civil War and slavery. And thus, Texans began the celebration of Juneteenth in 1866 with community events such as parades, cookouts, prayer gatherings, musical performances, and historical cultural readings. And whereas Juneteenth is a day held in high importance for our African American brothers and sisters and is known as America’s second Independence Day, and in Federal Way, we proudly celebrate our annual Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony and other celebrations.”

Saudia Abdullah, the chair of the Federal Way Diversity Commission, accepted the proclamation. Abdullah recognized Trenise Rogers, saying Rogers’ daughter was the one who sparked this idea and brought it to the mayor.

“Trenise and her daughter literally sat in the mayor’s office and, I’m sure, called many of you on the council about making sure Juneteenth is recognized in our city,” Abdullah said. “I really want us to make sure we acknowledge the Rogers family for teaching their children, because it really was a child that got this done in Federal Way. So, thank you very much, Trenise.”

In other council action

• A new 2025 to 2030 Transportation Improvement Program was adopted. This program included various road improvements and lights, a local road safety plan, and traffic signal rehabilitation.

• An updated amendment plan to the 2023 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan was presented. Federal Way Human Services Coordinator Kim Bachrach said the plan uses federal funds to grant those funds to city agencies. Some of the agencies to which these funds are granted include FUSION, Habitat for Humanity, Highline Economic Development Plan, and the African Community Housing and Development Small Business Support.