Tacoma City Business Preview - Week of March 25, 2013

Community Based Services
The main item on this week’s City Council study session agenda is a discussion of the expansion of the City’s Community Based Services program. An initial CBS pilot program began in 2006 in four neighborhoods, and has since been expanded incrementally. The City considers the program a success, and plans to extend it citywide. This week Neighborhood and Community Services staff will provide an update on a timeline and elements of the planned expansion.

Transportation Benefit District Board Meeting
A special meeting of the Tacoma Transportation Benefit District Governing Board is scheduled for this Tuesday, March 26 at 5:30 p.m. “or soon thereafter” (conveniently coinciding with this week’s meeting of the City Council, who also happen to make up the membership of the TBD Board). The Board will consider two resolutions.

The first would authorize the execution of an interlocal agreement with the Washington State Department of Licensing for administration and collection of fees on behalf of the TBD. The second would approve a material change policy to address “major” TBD transportation plan changes.

BIA
The ordinance to continue the operation of the downtown Business Improvement Area for its 26th year is up for a final reading this week. At “last week’s City Council meeting”: we heard several speakers describe the positive impact the program has had in the downtown area over the last quarter of a century. Wow, has it really been that long? The ordinance under consideration would extend the BIA’s operation from May 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014.

Local and Sustainable Purchasing Changes
An ordinance that would amend the City’s purchasing policy to ensure the inclusion and consideration of locality and sustainability in awarding City contracts is up for its final reading this week as well. The ordinance would amend the TMC to allow for the inclusion of locality where appropriate in awarding contracts, and would ensure that issues of sustainability are considered as well.

HUB SBE Program Changes
A third ordinance up for final reading would make changes to the TMC relating to the Historically Underutilized Business program. The ordinance would change the name of the program to the Small Business Enterprise program, and update language to clarify the intent of the program, and its bid and appeal processes.

No Wake Zones
A final ordinance scheduled for its final reading would reduce the speed for boats and other watercraft in the Thea Foss Waterway, and within 1,000 feet of fuel docks in Tacoma from the existing five miles per hour to a “no wake” speed.

Point Ruston CLID
On the agenda for this week is the first and final reading of an ordinance establishing a $30,999,358 Consolidated Local Improvement District (CLID) Bond Issue to provide long-term financing for six LID projects associated with the Point Ruston Project. The City will issue bonds to cover the cost of improvements in the six individual Point Ruston LIDs for sewer, water, street lighting, electrical/power, and street/storm sewer.

Purchase Resolution
Two items on this week’s purchase resolution:

1. $469,757, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Communications System Fund, for telephone maintenance and support services, for an initial three-year term with the option to renew for two additional one-year terms, for a projected contract total of $799,650; and
2. $2,889,102 for a cumulative total of $3,435,102, budgeted from the Streets Special Revenue and Capital Project REET Funds, to increase the contract for the operation and maintenance of the Hylebos and Murray Morgan Bridges.

Item 1 would fund “telephony” maintenance and support services relating to the City’s voice communications network and centralized voice messaging system. (Telephony: n: the working or use of telephones.”) The winning contract will give the City an overall cost savings of 12.5% over the existing contract, with annual maintenance costs approximately 27% lower than the next lowest bidder.

Item 2 would fund operation of the Murray Morgan and Hylebos bridges. The existing contract was for a lower amount, based on the assumption that the City would be successful in petitioning the Coast Guard for a reduced operating schedule for the Hylebos Bridge. That petition was not successful, based on the number and timing of openings in the first six months of the contract, so that contract is being amended to reflect the cost of 24/7 operation of the Hylebos Bridge, and to add on-call operation of the now open Murray Morgan Bridge.

Other Items
Also on this week’s study session agenda is a legislative update.