Sneak Peek: Tacoma City Council - Week of February 6, 2012

Budget

Phase one of addressing the City’s budget gap is wrapping up; at this week’s study session the Council will hear a summary of steps taken so far, along with a preliminary 2011 year-end budget report. With that information firmly in hand, the Council will turn to phase two adjustments. Next up will be staff recommendations on possible changes in funding to external organizations.

Elks on Broadway

This is the week we’ve all been waiting for. On this week’s agenda is an update on the Elks on Broadway project. The much postponed update will include a request from the developers to modify the project. We already know it’s going to be a scaled-down version of the original project, but we don’t know the details of the exact plans, or the funding situation. Our fingers are crossed for good news.

Previously on Exit133: Elks on Broadway Update.

Large Scale Retail

This week we’ll hear the first reading of the results of the now nearly six month conversation on large scale retail development. The ordinance to make changes to the zoning code governing large scale retail uses will require conditional use permits for buildings over certain threshold sizes, depending on zoning, and will increase requirements for public participation. At last week’s public hearing we heard concerns that some of the proposed changes would be onerous, and possibly discouraging to development. We’ll see if any of those concerns are addressed.

Other Stuff

If you’re a Click! customer, your rates may be about to go up again. TPU has requested the increase in order to “generate additional revenue for commercial telecommunication operations and to assist in recovering costs as represented in the 2011/2012 budget.” The requested increase would leave rates just lower than Comcast at $40.50 within Tacoma, compared to $45.49 from Comcast for similar service.

So there you have it.