Tacoma City Business Sneak Peek - April 2, 2012

MLK Subarea Plan & EIS Update

The main item on the agenda for this week’s City Council study session is an update on the progress of the Martin Luther King Jr. Subarea Plan process. The process, which began last fall, is expected to last eight to 12 months, and is heavily dependent on public input. The results will govern long-term development in the area, so it’s important to get it right. Or at least as right as possible. Several public meetings have been held so far, so we’ll hear a little about the initial community input, and hopefully a little more on where the process will go from here. For more on the MLK Subarea Plan and EIS, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/MLKPlan.

6-Year Comprehensive Transportation Program

This week’s City Council agenda includes both an amendment to, and a public hearing on the City’s Six-Year Comprehensive Transportation Program. The public hearing is on an amendment proposing the inclusion of the Puyallup Avenue Multimodal Improvement project in the Transportation Program. An ordinance on the agenda for its first hearing proposes the amendment, and the adoption of the Six-Year Comprehensive Transportation Program as so amended. The Puyallup Ave project supports Council-adopted complete streets principles. According to the ordinance, grants and funds “contributed mainly from programmed utility improvements and additional sources” would help minimize the impact on the City’s general fund.

Upcoming Public Hearing

A resolution on this week’s City Council meeting agenda sets Tuesday, April 17 as the date for the public hearing on proposed amendments to the Land Use Regulatory Code regarding the preservation and enhancement of public and private natural areas throughout the city, as recommended by the Planning Commission. This resolution refers to an area of the code aimed at providing regulations that guide environmentally sound development to protect and preserve environmentally critical areas, such as aquifer recharge areas, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, flood hazard areas, geologically hazardous areas, streams, and wetlands. Most of the proposed changes come in response to “growing public interest and desire by citizens to voluntarily participate in the preservation and enhancement of public and private natural areas throughout the City.”

Also Rans

Also making an appearance for a first reading this week is an ordinance to remove the $10,000 cap on the Cumulative Reserve Fund for Tacoma Power in order to expand the use of the fund to allow for flexibility and rate stabilization. The ordinance would also deposit $26 million from current operating funds into the fund, which it would rename the “Rate Stabilization Fund.” According to Tacoma Power, “The $10 million cap on the Fund is not adequate to provide meaningful flexibility for revenue recognition in order to stabilize rates.”

We will also hear the final readings of ordinances from last week relating to unionizing a couple new categories of City employees, and to retirement and compensation changes for City employees.

And a resolution on the agenda requests that staff apply for federal assistance to help pay for repair costs resulting from Snowmageddon 2012.

Maybe we could sell tickets…

A purchase order is on this week’s agenda for “a 2012 Lenco BearCat armored swat truck” gives us an idea; put that up against last week’s RedZone Robotics SOLO Robots, and we’re thinking we could sell a ticket or two to that – we bet the Monster Truck crowd would show up in droves. Maybe that’s a good way to fill the Tacoma Dome…