Tacoma City Business Preview - Week of November 27, 2012

Budget
With national news full of talk of the so-called “Fiscal Cliff,” the City of Tacoma is in the final weeks of adopting a new budget to address our own financial… situation. The City Council will once again spend study session time discussing the proposed 2013-2014 Biennial Budget.

Also of note on the budget front are the first readings for a pair of ordinances that would address the City budget for both the current and impending bienniums.

Ordinance 28113 would amend the 2011-2012 budget to appropriate funds for contractual obligations, an interfund loan, transfers, and other budget adjustments, and it would appropriate miscellaneous donations, contributions, and fees. These adjustments would address unexpected expenses and otherwise align the expected budget with reality.

Ordinance 28114 would adopt the 2013-2014 Biennial Budget for the City of Tacoma, and would restructure the remaining balance of a line of credit note related to the Tacoma Dome through December 31, 2018. This is the big one. If this passes at its final reading next week, we’ve got ourselves a budget. If not …

State and Federal Legislative and Policy Priorities
Also on the agenda for this week’s City Council study session is a conversation about Tacoma’s priorities around issues at the state and federal level. The City does this every year. If you’re curious about last year’s priorities, you can find them on the City’s website under Legislation Passed January 17, 2012 (pdf). This is always an interesting conversation in defining City priorities, and we usually see a fair number of amendments and additions proposed.

Every-Other-Week Garbage
If a resolution on this week’s City Council agenda passes, we could be seeing a trial period of every-other-week garbage pick-up in Tacoma. Resolution 38575 would make changes to support the “limited duration” change to every-other-week pick up starting January 2013, through March 2014.

There will be added costs in container purchases, but that spending up front would reduce container purchases in following budget cycles. The other costs of the project come from the extra (temporary) employees that will need to be hired for the duration of the project period. The last we heard, the Environment and Public Works Committee had asked Public Works staff to work with HR to align the hiring timeline with impending layoffs to allow those employees a chance at the new positions.

Read more on the proposed switch to every-other-week garbage collection previously from Exit133.

Final Readings
Council is scheduled to hear final readings of and make decisions on the eight ordinances we heard first readings of at last week’s City Council meeting.

Departmental Changes
The eight final readings of ordinances on this week’s agenda are followed by eight more first readings of ordinances. Three of these new ordinances are related to departmental changes proposed by City Manager Broadnax as a part of his budget for the rapidly approaching next biennium.

Ordinance 28108 would eliminate the Human Rights and Human Services Department, and outline the scope of duties and authority for the new Community Services Department, which would replace it. New responsibilities/authorities would include enforcement of codes and ordinances regulating commercial, industrial, and residential building and housing; and administration and enforcement of the City’s noise enforcement ordinances – both tasks previously assigned to Public Works.

Ordinance 28109 would make organizational changes and align the scope of duties and authorities for the Planning and Development Services and Public Works departments. Among other changes, Planning and Development Services will take over permitting, fee collection, administration of codes and ordinances, and historic preservation permit reviews from Public Works and Community and Economic Development, respectively. Responsibility for maintaining Tacoma’s Comprehensive Plan will also shift from Community and Economic Development to Planning and Development Services.

Ordinance 28110 would make organizational changes and align the scope of duties and responsibilities and authorities for the Community and Economic Development Department. Some of those changes would be the addition of responsibility for oversight of the Historically Underutilized Business Program and Local Employment and Apprenticeship Training Program.

Minors and Liquor
Ordinance 28111, scheduled for a first reading this week, would address problems with the way the Tacoma Municipal Code deals with minors consuming alcohol. The current TMC has a lesser provision than the State statute, which preempts local law on the issue. The proposed ordinance would fix that, by eliminating the section of the TMC on the issue, and replacing it with a single sentence adopting the RCW on the matter.

Capital Facilities
Ordinance No. 28112, also scheduled for its first reading this week would adopt the 2013-2018 Capital Facilities Program. The CFP identifies existing and proposed capital facilities projects throughout Tacoma, providing the City with a comprehensive overview and guide for policy decisions. We heard a public hearing on the CFP earlier this month. According to a presentation at that hearing, this latest list of projects adds 18 new projects, and removes 67 from the previous list. The plan would replace the existing 2011-2016 plan concurrent with the new biennium budget.

Other Items
The final ordinance up for a first reading this week would amend rates of pay and compensation and make changes in classification for a couple classes of City employees. Ordinance 28115 reflects the outcome of negotiations between the City and United Transportation Union bargaining units, affecting 32 FTEs.

Also on the agenda, Resolution 38574 would authorize the execution of a 12-year limited property tax exemption agreement for a six-unit housing development at South 45th and Puget Sound, near the mall.

Transportation
This week we’ll see the first ever meeting of the Governing Board of Tacoma’s newly created Transportation Benefit District, scheduled for 5:30-ish p.m. in Council chambers. On the agenda is the first ever TBD resolution: Resolution TBD 001 would impose a $20 vehicle fee for Tacoma’s TBD, and identifying a lengthy list of projects to be funded. The fee would go into effect in six months. See if your favorite project is included in the TBD project list (pdf).

Other news on the transportation scene includes the public hearing for Tacoma’s proposed Six-Year Comprehensive Transportation Improvement Program for amended year 2012 and 2013-2018. With the near defeat of Prop 1 and Tacoma’s newly formed TBD, you might just have an opinion or two on transportation plans for the next six years…

We hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. It’s time to get back to work …