Tacoma City Business Preview - Week of March 19, 2013

South Downtown Subarea Plan
The main discussion item on this week’s City Council study session will be an update on the status of the South Downtown Subarea Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. Planning and Development Services staff and representatives from the “Cross Cultural Collaborative of Pierce County”:http://www.crossculturalcollaborative.org/ will provide an update on the status of the process, which is designed to lay the groundwork for development in the South Downtown area. The update will include an overview of the project’s community outreach to date, the scoping process and comments received, next steps, upcoming community input opportunities, and an overview of the CCCPC’s involvement with the project.

Water Ditch Trail
A resolution on the agenda this week would authorize a Quit Claim Deed and Real Property Donation Agreement with Tacoma Public School District No. 10 for Phase II of the Water Ditch Trail project. The City will declare surplus a 1,685 square foot parcel of land, which it will convey to the School District in exchange for a 3,679 square foot piece of land, which will be dedicated to the City as additional right-of-way for the project. The City-owned land is located within the perimeter of the Edison School site, and is not needed for other purposes.

Phase II of the Water Ditch Trail project will be a 6.5 mile trail improvement to connect the South Tacoma area to the Dome District, creating a regional non-motorized transportation system. The long-term goal is to connect the Trail with the Thea Foss Waterway and the UWT campus.

Eastside Community Center
A resolution on this week’s agenda would express Council support for Metro Parks to conduct a feasibility study for a potential new Community Center on Tacoma’s Eastside, and back up that support with $25,000 from the City’s General Fund to match investments made by Metro Parks, the Tacoma School District, and the Tacoma Housing Authority for the study. According to the request for the resolution, there has been significant growth in the Eastside since the last community facilities supported by the City were built in the 1980s – the City partnered with Metro Parks and the School District on East Side Pool in 1982, and Metro Parks built the Portland Avenue Community Center in 1989; those facilities have since experience deterioration, and are in need of repairs.

Since the death of eastside youth Billy Ray Shirley, the Billy Ray Shirley Foundation has been formed to promote the need for additional youth amenities on the eastside. Other community groups have organized, and several possible locations have been identified for further study. The study would identify opportunities to consolidate and replace existing facilities, and to leverage existing public resources; prioritize program, service, and facility needs; identify strategies and funding needs to allow sustainable operations, and to raise necessary capital funding. The anticipated completion date would be October 2013.

Local & Sustainable Purchasing
An ordinance on the agenda for its first reading this week would amend the section of the TMC relating to the Purchasing Policy Manual to ensure the inclusion and consideration of “locality and sustainability factors in the evaluation and award of City contracts”:/7488/local-sustainable-purchasing-changes. The changes would allow for the consideration of locality in contract awards when a specific, identifiable purpose could be served by contracting with a local firm, and would allow for the consideration of sustainability criteria where appropriate.

Historically Underutilized Business Small Business Enterprise Program
Another ordinance up for its first reading this week would amend the TMC as it relates to the Historically Underutilized Business program, renaming the program as the “Small Business Enterprise” program, updating language to clarify the intent of the program, and aligning related appeal rights.

The City feels that the name “Small Business Enterprise” better defines the program’s overall responsibilities to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964), Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Equal Employment Opportunity) EEO, as well as applicable Women and Minority Business Enterprises (W/MBE) programs.

In November 2000, the City of Tacoma established its HUB program to ensure equitable opportunities for HUBs in City contracts, in response to the 1998 passage of Initiative 200, prohibiting discrimination or grants of preferential treatment by government entities.

No Wake Zone
A final ordinance scheduled for a first reading this week would amend the TMC to establish no-wake zones in the Thea Foss Waterway and within 1,000 feet of marine fueling docks. Currently, the Harbor code specifies a five-mile-per-hour-speed limit in City Waterways. To further reduce life safety risks and environmental risks, members of the boating community and operators of fuel docks have expressed a desire for “no-wake” or “steerage-speed only” zones in the Thea Foss waterway and within 1000 feet of any marine fueling dock.

Swan Creek Library Sold
A resolutions on this week’s agenda would authorize the sale of the Swan Creek Library to 4 Rent Check.com, LLC for $91,000, with a covenant restricting its use. In keeping with the restrictive covenant, which requires that the property be used in a way that aligns with the interests of the community and the city, the property will be rehabilitated and used as a daycare center. Initial RFP processes didn’t produce any proposals, but the use of a real estate broker yielded four proposals, which were evaluated by a selection committee on price offered, as well as alignment with criteria including the vision and goals of the neighborhood; the City’s goals to be a safe, clean, and attractive community; and the City’s planning and economic development goals.

Comprehensive Plan Amendments
The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing this Wednesday, March 20, 2013, to take public comment on nine proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Use Regulatory Code for 2013. Staff from Planning Services conducted an information session last Wednesday to provide an opportunity for interested citizens to leam more about the proposed amendments and be prepared for providing comments at the public hearing. Find more information at www.cityoftacoma.org/planning.

Mark Your Calendar
The City’s Neighborhood and Community Services department has announced the calendar for neighborhood clean-up days for 2013. Beginning April 20, through September 7. The proposed schedule is available now in the City Manager’s most recent report to Council (pdf), and should eventually be posted on the City’s Community Based Services page.

Purchase Resolution
This week’s purchase resolution would award contracts to:

 
1. $595,358, plus sales tax, plus a 10% contingency, budgeted from various departmental funds for recapped tires, new tires, and tire repair services on an as-needed basis, for an initial one-year term with the option to renew for four additional one-year terms, for a projected contract total of $3,274,470;

 
2. $1,616,710 budgeted from the Wastewater, Surface Water, and Tacoma Water Bond Funds for the replacement of 2,800 linear feet of wastewater sewer pipe, 300 linear feet of surface water pipe, and 740 linear feet of water pipe at various locations in the city;

 
3. $395,758, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Solid Waste Fund, for the purchase of one track material handler;

 
4. $251,752 budgeted from the Police Special Revenue Fund for specialized technical equipment to support field operations for criminal investigations and Homeland Security initiatives – Sole Source; and

 
5. $14,175.75, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, for a cumulative total of $309,508.75, to increase the contract for painting the Wastewater Treatment Plant digester No. 5 cover.

Item 1 would provide tires and tire services as needed for the medium to heavy duty trucks and equipment tires on the City’s garbage trucks, street maintenance equipment, sewer and fire fleet.

Item 2 continues the process of repairing and replacing Tacoma’s aging water infrastructure; The deteriorated wastewater pipes addressed by this project require complete replacement using traditional open-cut excavation methods rather than less disruptive pipe-lining repairs.

Item 3 would allow for the purchase of a “track material handler” designed for recycling and recovery operations to sort and separate recyclable or valuable material from the waste stream, helping to divert tons of waste from the landfill.

Item 4 would waive the competitive process to purchase proprietary specialized technical equipment to support field operations for criminal investigations and Homeland Security Initiatives, specifically dealing with improvised explosive devices. 75% funded by A federal grant will fund 75% of the purchase, with the remaining 25% coming from the Tacoma Police Federal Asset Seizure fund.

Item 5 would increase funding for an already approved project to repaint a wastewater treatment plant digester cover, last repainted in 1988, to protect it from corrosion. Labor hours for the project were increased after delays relating to a leak and to uneven power loads.

Other Items
An item on the consent agenda this week would authorize a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a $188,814 Port Security Grant. The grant, along with a matching contribution of $62,938 from the Police Special Revenue Fund, would go to purchase technical support equipment to assist in the prevention, detection, response, and recovery of improvised explosive devices.

An ordinance scheduled for a first reading this week would continue the downtown Business Improvement Area for its 26th year. This is the annual renewal that would provide for the levy of assessments and other income ($814,365 this year), and approve the renewed work plan, budget, and assessment of rates for the next 12 months. The BIA is paid for by property owners within its boundaries. If it is not renewed, the work of the program would end, including clean-up and graffiti removal in the area, security patrols, hanging baskets, and evening and early morning escorts for downtown employees.

This week we’ll hear the final readings of two ordinances that got their first readings at the last Council meeting two weeks ago. The ordinances would provide for the issuance and sale of the Water Supply System Revenue Refunding Bonds, and Water System Revenue Bonds, up to $83,000,000 and $87,000,000, respectively. The sale of those bonds would refund or defease all or a portion of water system bonds issued in 2002 and 2003. Interest rates have significantly improved since Tacoma Water originally issued the bonds, and Tacoma Water wants to take advantage of today’s much lower interest rates to refund the bonds.

Citizens’ Forum
And finally, it’s the week you’ve all been waiting for: this is the week for this month’s Citizens’ Forum. Get your grievances, your gratitude, and your supporting documents ready; it’s time to share your opinions on any issue over which the Council has jurisdiction.