Tacoma City Business Sneak Peek - Week of July 16, 2012

City Council Study Session

Although the City has announced that it will not pursue a levy lid lift to finance street improvements, the Citizens Neighborhood Street and Safety Improvement Task Force findings will still report its findings, which last week’s City Manager’s report to Council calls “valuable for setting criteria for street maintenance” going forward with existing maintenance funds and other future funding options. At this week’s study session Council will hear a briefing on next steps.

This week’s City Council study session will also include a presentation from Human Rights and Human Services staff on recommended revisions to the 2010 – 2014 Human Services Strategic Plan.

Fire Department Grant
On the consent agenda this week is an item officially accepting the $7,737,255 SAFER Grant that will save up to 37 Tacoma firefighter jobs for the next two years.

Changes to City Personnel Rules
We see a communication item on this week’s agenda noting that the Civil Service Board has filed proposed revisions to the Municipal Code Personnel Rules.

• Removing applicants who are “addicted to the excessive use of drugs or intoxicating beverages which has or will affect job performance” from the list of individuals whose applications the Personnel Director may reject, in order to better align with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Adjusting language limiting scoring advantages given to veterans in hiring and promotion opportunities per changes in state law.
• Removing affirmative action language per changes in State law.

Medical Cannabis Zoning
Up for a first reading this week is the ordinance amending the Tacoma Municipal Code Land Use Regulatory Code regarding medical cannabis and its associated distribution
centers and collective gardens, as recommended by the Planning Commission. If the changes pass at a second reading next week, they would go into effect July 30, 2012, just in time to beat the August 1 expiration of the current moratorium. Last month we reviewed the findings of the task force formed to explore the topic. A couple weeks ago we heard quite a bit of public comment on those findings at the public hearing on the topic, and last week we got a look at where the facilities would likely be allowed based on zoning and sensitive uses restrictions.

Purchase Resolution

1. $1,550,409.30, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, for three screw presses and ancillary equipment to be used in the Central Treatment Plant Dewatering Facility Upgrade project.
2. $1,601,683.20, budgeted from the Wastewater, Surface Water, and Tacoma Water Bond Funds, for the replacement of 4,200 linear feet of existing wastewater, surfacewater, and water pipe.
3. $516,500.00 to provide insurance brokerage and consulting services for employee benefits for an initial five-year term, with the option to renew for two additional one-year terms.

Item one would replace unreliable and under capacity 20+ year old equipment used to “dewater” biosolids (that’s pretty much what it sounds like) at the Central Treatment Plant in the process of producing TAGRO. Item two would replace some of the wastewater collection pipes in downtown Tacoma that are in the poorest condition, as determined by video inspection technology implemented as part of the Wastewater Utility Asset Management Program. Item three would select the broker of record for Employee Benefits to represent the City in the marketing of employee benefitinsurance and provide consulting services in selected areas where the City does not provide such services internally.

Other Items
Also on this week’s agenda, we see a couple resolutions. The first would designate the Ella and John Snyder House at 612 North 4th Street as a city landmark on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places. The second would authorize a $24,000 a year lease with KAG Logistics Inc. for the use of 2.4 acres of currently vacant Tacoma Rail Mountain Division (TRMW) property in Fredrickson for an “ethanol and other liquid commodities rail-to-truck transloading facility.” The resolution background information also contains a note that “In lieu of paying the Base Rent, KAG may elect to meet the consideration requirement by transporting a minimum of twenty revenue rail carloads per month to or from the leased site on TRMW rail cars; in which case TRMW’s expected monthly gross revenue from the transloading facility will exceed the Base Rent due.”

Council will also hear the final reading the ordinance on employee paid time off that got its first hearing at last week’s City Council meeting.

Planning Commission Public Hearing
This Wednesday, July 18 has been set as the date for the Planning Commission public hearing on proposed Zoning Code changes intended to reduce barriers to infill development and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. The proposed changes include increased thresholds for environmental review, expanded allowances for “live-work” and “work-live” uses in the Downtown and Mixed-Use Districts, and the addition of a parking exemption for existing buildings in Commercial Districts. Learn more at www.CityOfTacoma.org/Planning.

Budget Meetings
… and last, but certainly not least, don’t forget this week’s community budget input workshop opportunities.

• Monday, July 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Snake Lake Nature Center
• Wednesday, July 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Stadium High School
• Thursday, July 19 at 6:00 p.m. at Lincoln High School

After this week you only have one more chance to attend one of the meetings, but you can still complete the online budget input forms through late August.