Tacoma City Business Sneak Peek - Week of May 7, 2012

Bi-Monthly Trash Pick-Up
A conversation about the proposal to move Tacoma trash pick-up to every other week heads this week’s City Council Study Session agenda. We’ve heard a wide variety of reactions from many of you, so we’re looking forward to hearing what staff and the Council have to say about the issue. Read more about every-other-week pick-up at www.CityOfTacoma.org.

Citizens’ Forum Rescheduled
In case you missed it, you’re going to have to save your Citizens’ Forum comments for another week, as the CF scheduled for this Tuesday has been moved to next week’s May 15, 2012 City Council meeting.

Money In
Only one first reading of an ordinance is currently on this week’s agenda:

Revising and ratifying rates charged for wholesale transmission and ancillary services provided pursuant to Tacoma Power’s Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT).

The OATT rates are rates Tacoma Power charges to its wholesale transmission customers for the use of Tacoma Power’s transmission systems. The proposed OATT rates are based on recent financial and operations data, which TPU says are more closely aligned with our current costs for providing the services. Tacoma Power estimates the increased annual revenues associated with the revised OATT transmission service rates and the revised ancillary service rates at approximately $2 million and $1 million, respectively.

Money Out
Two items on this week’s list of Purchase Resolution items:

1. 300-gallon plastic solid waste containers to allow for continued garbage service, replacing broken solid waste containers.
2. Geotechnical stabilization and reconstruction of Stadium Way from South 9th Street to Tacoma Avenue South to stabilize the subsurface of Stadium Way, which is settling due to historic use of “non-engineered fill.” Read more about the Stadium Way upgrades that may finally be on their way.

Another resolution on this week’s agenda authorizes the purchase of a 9,100-square-foot parcel located east of the landfill to allow for the future expansion of landfill storm water holding ponds.

Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Tax Plan
Also on Tuesday’s City Council meeting agenda is a resolution approving the Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Program Implementation Plan directing the use of tax revenues collected from the sales tax increase of one-tenth of one percent for mental health services. The plan considers policy goals, program criteria, and the funding approach for the taxes that will begin to be collected this July, with revenues beginning to come in this September. A key component is the timeline for the release of funds, which staff recommends pushing out to the end of 2012 or early 2013 to better assess how much money is in fact available. Between now and then City staff will assess existing programs and work with the Health Department to assess needs and identify service gaps. Staff is also working to streamline the timeline with other similar funding processes (i.e. the CDBG grant cycle) to improve effectiveness.

Critical Areas Changes
The only final reading this week is of the ordinance to amend the TMC that deals with preservation and reservation of public and private natural areas. For more about the ordinance, see Exit133’s previous coverage of the proposed Critical Areas Preservation Ordinance changes. We also heard about the changes at the April 17 public hearing and the May 1 first reading.