Tacoma City Business Preview - Week of September 9, 2014

Legislative Policy Statement

At this week's Tacoma City Council study session, the Council will hear a presentation from staff on the City's proposed Legislative Policy Statement for 2015 through 2016. The policy statement outlines issues of interest to Tacoma that may come up in state legislative sessions. 

The draft proposed for the next two years describes a legislative philosophy that puts an emphasis on "fiscal home rule" for Tacoma - the broad ability to make local decisions, particularly as they relate to local control over raising revenue. That theme runs throughout the document, in areas as diverse as support for "fair share" arrangements in which individuals released from state correctional and civil commitment facilities are returned to the county in which they entered the system, and local control over incentive programs like those that currently support state designated enterprise, empowerment, and innovation zones. The latest draft of the policy statement also cleans up sections that are no longer relevant, such as Tacoma's support for healthcare benefits for domestic partners (no longer an issue with the legalization of gay marriage).

The document covers eight categories: administration; economic and community development; the environment; human rights and at-risk populations; revenue, budget, and finance; public safety; transportation and public works; and utilities. It's worth at least skimming, if you're interested in knowing what kind of policies the City advocates for at the state level. Download the current 72-page draft in last week's City Manager's report to Council.

Tacoma Link Expansion Station Location

Sound Transit and the City continue to work on plans for the future expansion of Tacoma’s Link light rail, with Sound Transit preparing to submit an application for Federal Transit Administration Small Starts Program funding for the project. In order to submit that grant, plans need to identify specific station locations for the extended line.

With input from the public, the planning team has identified seven locations recommended for inclusion in the environmental review of the project.

• Martin Luther King Jr Way (“MLK”)/ South 19th Street
• MLK/South 11th Street
• MLK/6th Avenue
• Stadium District
• Stadium Way/South 4th Street
• Old City Hall, as an alternative to the existing Theater District Station
• Division Avenue

At this week’s study session the Council will hear more about those locations. Then, at this week’s regular meeting, the City Council will consider a resolution recommending that those station locations be included in the environmental review of the project. Read more about the proposed stops, including a summary of public feedback, from Sound Transit.

North Downtown Subarea Plan

This Tuesday’s Council meeting is the date set for a public hearing by the City Council on the draft North Downtown Subarea Plan and related proposed amendments to the Tacoma Municipal Code. The City and stakeholders have been working for a while now on plans for the subarea plan, which along with two already finished for South Downtown and the Hilltop will guide development in downtown Tacoma for years to come. Find more information, including the draft subarea plan on the City's project page.

Pantages

A resolution on this week's agenda relating to the Pantages would authorize the early termination of various subleases with tax credit investors, along with associated early termination fees. This is the first we're hearing of this, so we're still a little fuzzy on the details, but as we understand it, in 1983, in order to fund improvements to the Pantages, the City entered into a complex series of transactions that resulted in what is essentially a 65-year lease, set to expire in 2048. 

The lease can be terminated in 2018 or 2028 without penalties, but the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts has requested that the City help with funding a new round of physical and programming improvements. The Broadway Center is in the process of fundraising through its Centennial Campaign, with a goal of $45 million. As a part of that fundraising, they have asked that the City help with $15 million.

The request is that the City donate $8 million, and explore the possibility of structuring and issuing new market tax credit financing of $7 million. As a part of that process, the City would terminate the existing lease, and pay the early termination fees, totaling $3.3 million, out of funds reserved from the original lease. The City has warned the Broadway Center that, in light of current budget shortfalls, it may not be able to come up with that $8 million donation, but it is proceeding with the other parts of the request.

Purchase Resolutions

A purchase resolution on this week's City Council meeting agenda would authorize $1.2 million in funding for snow and ice removal materials. The resolution includes two contracts - $808,515 for solid deicer (road salt), and $415, 800 for brine salt. 

A second purchase resolution on this week's agenda would authorize a $50,000 increase in the contract for changes to the Pacific Avenue crossing at South 17th, bringing that contract to a total of $245,413. The City is putting in a dark concrete crossing that will tie in with the dark concrete sidewalk Tacoma Art Museum will install as a part of the revamp of the front of the museum's interface with Pacific. The $50,000 increase is needed to pay for replacement of curbing that sustained damage after the completion of the design phase of the project, and to cover additional costs due to the existing concrete  being thicker than anticipated. 

A final purchase resolution on this week's agenda would authorize a $1.55 million contract for improving two alleys and one residential street in three north Tacoma Local Improvement Districts. The work will include pavement for the alleys and street, as well as construction of sewers, water, and stormwater systems.

Citizens’ Forum

It’s that time again – your chance to stand before the Tacoma City Council and the vast at-home viewing audience tuning in to the Council meeting via TV Tacoma, and share your thoughts on any issue over which the Council has jurisdiction. This week we’re expecting a pretty strong turnout to talk about paid sick leave. You can join them, or speak on something else.

Other Items

A resolution on this week's consent agenda would set Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at approximately 5:30 p.m., as the date for a public hearing by the City Council to declare surplus and approve the negotiated sale of approximately 0.85 of an acre of surplus land located near the intersection of Canyon Road and 172nd Street East in Pierce County to Fretoc, LLC for $50,000. The piece of property in question was part of a larger 73 acre site acquired by the City of Tacoma in 1893. Canyon Road cuts the larger piece off from this smaller piece, which is significantly encumbered by Bonneville Power Administration power line, and has little value for the City. Fretoc would like to purchase the property to facilitate development of its abutting property.

A second resolution on this week’s consent agenda would authorize an amendment to Tacoma’s federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant award, which allows Tacoma Fire to retain staff through budget cuts. This amendment to the original grant received earlier this year, would accept an additional $575,380, for a total grant award of $4,021,560 to pay the salary and benefit costs of five firefighters for one additional year. The original grant paid for 20 firefighter positions, this amendment adds additional funding available for positions filled by military veterans, covering five of those 20 positions for an additional year. The grant comes with the requirement that the City not lay off any firefighters during the period of the grant, protecting staffing levels through the next round of budget cuts.

A final item on this week’s Council meeting consent agenda is the first reading of an ordinance that would reclassify 2.23 acres of land at 620 and 630 South Pearl Street from an “R-2” Single-Family Dwelling District to an “R-4-L” Low-Density Multiple-Family Dwelling District to allow for the construction of a 60-bed extended care facility. The proposed 60-bed facility would replace an existing non-conforming 120-bed facility that is currently being demolished. The lower number of beds is due to a shift from double-occupancy rooms, to single-occupancy rooms with private baths. The site is located just north of the Pearl Street YMCA, with commercial property to the north, and low-density multi-family residential to the west. 

The Mayor will proclaim September 9, 2014 as United Way Day of Caring Day in Tacoma.

A pair of resolutions on this week’s regular Council meeting agenda would reappoint one citizen to the Board of Building Appeals, and two to the Planning Commission.

A resolution on this week's regular Council meeting agenda would modify existing boundaries for Local Improvement District numbers 3967, 5728, 6980, 7726, and 8656, in the Point Ruston neighborhood. Point Ruston has asked for a division of the assessments of the LIDs to allow assessments to be charged to homeowners rather than builders as the now developed properties are sold.

Looking Ahead

The City will be holding three Community Visioning Sessions between September 22 and October 1 (dates will be finalized early next week). At these sessions citizens will have the opportunity to give their input on six of the seven key focus areas recently addressed at the Tacoma 2025 community visioning event. The focus areas will be grouped as follows: 

• Economic Vibrancy & Employment / Education & Learning 
• Human & Social Services / Health & Safety 
• Arts, Culture & Neighborhood Vitality / Built & Natural Environment 

No word on why the seventh focus area, Government Performance, won't be up for discussion.