Tacoma City Business Preview - Week of September 25, 2012

Pierce Transit
The first item on this week’s City Council study session agenda is a presentation from Pierce Transit on the potential impacts of Proposition One. That’s the proposition that would fund bus service and paratransit service with a three tenths of one percent sales tax increase in Pierce county.

MLK Subarea Plan
In a response to a request from Councilmember Fey, an update on the MLK Subarea Plan also shows up on the agenda for this week’s City Council study session. The update will include the Environmental Impact Statement and neighborhood input.

Neighborhood Councils & Innovative Grants
A resolution on this week’s City Council meeting agenda would approve the recommendations of the Neighborhood Councils for the awarding of the 2012 Innovative Grant Program. Those funds total $218,889.45 from the Real Estate Excise Tax Capital Projects Fund and the community Development Block Grant Fund, and would pay for 36 neighborhood improvement projects. These are citizen-initiated small-scale physical improvements

In honor of the 20th year of the Neighborhood Councils program, we will also hear a proclamation declaring this week (the week of September 24th) as Neighborhood Council Week. The celebration will be this Thursday, September 27, 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, at 4851 South Tacoma Way.

Final Readings
The four ordinances that got a first reading at last week’s meeting are back for their respective final readings this week. This includes amendments to the traffic code, the Transfer of Development Rights amendment, and streamlining changes to the City’s building and environmental review processes and off-site development requirements, both aimed at reducing barriers to infill development and the reuse of existing buildings.

Purchase Resolution
One item shows up for a purchase resolution this week: $67,000, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Communications System Fund, for a cumulative total of $869,500, to increase and extend the contract for local dial tone, long distance, point-to-point circuits, and other voice and data communications through December 31, 2012. The City is in the process of contract negotiations for Telecommunications Carrier Services, RFP evaluation & vendor selection. The increase and date extension will cover continued services while that process wraps up, including transition of services.

City-Owned Property
Also on the agenda is a resolution that would declare surplus, and authorize the conveyance of just under 20,000 square feet of City-owned property near South 16th and Crystal Springs Road for to Robert and Sandra Olson for $33,375.