Tacoma City Council Meeting - February 7, 2012

This week’s Council meeting was quick and efficient, with little to no comment from the public. The big highlight of the first reading of the large-scale retail zoning changes was a little anti-climactic, but it’s good to see that going forward, with a reasonable expectation that we’ll see it passed before the moratorium expires at the end of the month.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nothing to proclaim, recognize, present, or announce.

PUBLIC COMMENT
One commenter came forward to offer support for changes to City codes on big box stores.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution No. 38425 Awards contracts to:

1. Carollo Engineers Washington, P.C., on its bid of $1,061,070.00, sales tax
not applicable, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, for the design and
procurement phases of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Computer Control
System Upgrade Project; and

2. Northwest Cascade, Inc., on its bid of $206,026.00, excluding sales tax, plus a
10 percent contingency, for a cumulative total of $226,628.60, budgeted from
the Wastewater Fund, for the replacement of approximately 1,000 linear feet of
8-inch diameter sewer pipe.

This money will come from the Wastewater fund, not the General Fund, and the second came in at 15% below the estimate, so that’s a small piece of good budget news.

Resolution No. 38426 Changes the regular meeting time for the Economic Development Committee to 10:00 a.m. on the second, fourth, and fifth Tuesday of each month, effective February 14, 2012.

Resolution No. 38427 Authorizes the execution of an amendment to the lease agreement with Morris McCollum, d/b/a Mr. Mac Ltd, for City-owned property located at 1120 and 1124 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, to extend the lease beyond a one-year term on a month to month basis.

This building is owned by the City, and slated for future development, but as Mr Mac is something of “an institution” in the community, staff worked to make it possible for him to stay until that development is ready to go forward.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28049 Amending Chapter 12.13 of the Municipal Code, relating to Click! Network Cable TV Products, to increase rates for cable television products and related services, effective April 1, 2012.

According to a letter from TPU requesting this change, the proposed rate increase is designed to generate additional revenue, and to assist in recovering costs as represented in the 2011/12 budget. TPU says the rates (last updated in 2009) will maintain “prices that are competitive” with other companies. The standard level rate would increase to $40.50 within Tacoma, compared to $45.49 from Comcast for similar service.

Ordinance No. 28050 Amending Title 13 of the Municipal Code, relating to Land Use, and Title 1, relating to Administration and Personnel, to modify the zoning provisions for large retail uses by instituting a new Conditional Use Permit requirement, increasing
associated notification and community input opportunities, and increasing the use
of size limitation in certain districts.

This is the large-scale retail ordinance as we heard it discussed last week. Changes in the ordinance include caps on square footage for new or expanded uses in the various zoning classifications, with any larger proposed uses triggering a “conditional use permit” process. Expanded public notification is also provided for. These changes are a step towards addressing public concerns, but as was noted in the Planning Commission recommendation letter (pdf),)%20signed.pdf in order to ensure that continued development is consistent with Tacoma’s vision for walkable mixed-use neighborhoods, continued work will be necessary.

“While these recommended amendments will significantly enhance the review of such projects, the commission’s brief analysis under this moratorium also highlighted that further work with the Zoning Code’s design and development standards is warranted, particularly as they relate to our important Mixed-Use Centers.”

The final reading of this ordinance is scheduled for February 14.

PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPEALS

This is the date set for a public hearing by the City Council on the proposed sale of a single-family home and ten acres acquired by Tacoma Power located at 1670 Spencer Road in Onalaska, to John and Ashlee Remmereid, for the amount of $185,000.

Public comment?

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

T.C. Broadnax, Tacoma’s new City Manager, will be officially beginning next week. Ray Arellano thanked staff and Council for the “professionally broadening” experience, and pledged that he and staff will continue to work diligently to solve the challenges at hand.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Neighborhoods and Housing Committee

Councilmember Fey was absent.

ADJOURNMENT

Well, after a lengthy study session, that was a pleasantly quick meeting.