City Council Meeting - June 17, 2008
Tonight’s Tacoma City Council meeting ran rather long due to last week’s canceled meeting and four public hearings.
Public Hearings
The public hearing discussions included revising the size of marine buffers in the Land Use Regulatory Code, designating 658.6 acres in downtown Tacoma as a Revenue Development Area and applying for a Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) grant, and congratulating the City of Tacoma for its promptness in answering public records requests.
The public hearing that attracted the most attention regarded the proposed agreements with ProLogis and BNSF Railway for the proposed sale of surplus property. Tonight, the discussion of the BNSF Prairie Line Trail deal centered on the closing of A St. and the consequences this would have on nearby businesses. Others were concerned that although Prairie Line Trail was a great idea, there would not be enough land allotted to the project.
Regular Agenda
Resolution # 37462 authorized the eight-year Multi-Family Housing Limited Property Tax Exemption agreement with IJF Construction LLC, for the construction of six townhouse condominium units at 4618 South Junett St.
Amended Resolution # 37500 amended the Rules of Procedure of the Council of the City of Tacoma to allow City Council members to participate in study sessions and committee meetings by phone.
Resolution # 37508 designated an International Financial Services Area (IFSA) as a special emphasis area within the Downtown Commercial Core Zone. This will expand the number of international financial services businesses in the IFSA.
Some important discussion was raised about the benefits and repercussions involved in the ProLogis/BNSF Prairie Line Trail deal. And Mr. Hill might have a new competitor for most public comment: Alan “from University Place” Douglas.
Filed under: City-Council, City-Council
7 comments
G gina June 18, 2008
wish you’d stop drawing attention to the attention seeking people. it just gives them incentive to do more of it. bleh.
R RR Anderson June 18, 2008
gina, would you prefer drawing attention to non-attention seeking people? Now that’s perverted.
G gina June 18, 2008
not really.
R RR Anderson June 18, 2008
touché
A altered chords June 19, 2008
This was the first meeting I’ve attended. No popcorn, no beer, no garlic fries. Little dissapointing.
M Mike the Railroad Fan June 22, 2008
So the City Council had enough members present to have a quorum and complete some business. Bravo….
Im regards to BNSF tracks that are still in place behind Grassi’s and UW Tacoma, why doesn’t the city tell them to take them out? The tracks will never be used again. BNSF has already taken out the tracks on the Foss side of Pacific Ave that connected with the BNSF main line along Dock Street. Then, maybe the city could fix the streets such as S. 25th and S. 21st where the tracks cross. With high steel prices, there must be some cash for that rail. That rail is from the 1900’s.
We will never that track cross Pacific Ave again due to Link (aka Light Rail to nowhere)
Oh BTW, was it true that Council Member Connie Ladenburg was out of town with her hubby at the US Open Golf Tourney? If so, did we pay her for those days since she wasn’t on city business? I hope there is no expense report from her saying she was representing Tacoma. I hope we didn’t pay for her flight down etc through Pierce County either…
Since City Staff didn’t know where she was.
M Mike the Railroad Fan June 22, 2008
So the City Council had enough members present to have a quorum and complete some business. Bravo….
Im regards to BNSF tracks that are still in place behind Grassi’s and UW Tacoma, why doesn’t the city tell them to take them out? The tracks will never be used again. BNSF has already taken out the tracks on the Foss side of Pacific Ave that connected with the BNSF main line along Dock Street. Then, maybe the city could fix the streets such as S. 25th and S. 21st where the tracks cross. With high steel prices, there must be some cash for that rail. That rail is from the 1900’s.
We will never see railroad track cross Pacific Ave again due to Link (aka Light Rail to nowhere)
Oh BTW, was it true that Council Member Connie Ladenburg was out of town with her hubby at the US Open Golf Tourney? If so, did we pay her for those days since she wasn’t on city business? I hope there is no expense report from her saying she was representing Tacoma. I hope we didn’t pay for her flight down etc through Pierce County either…
Since City Staff didn’t know where she was.