Tacoma City Business Sneak Peek - Week of June 25, 2012

Overview of City Owned Property
On the agenda for this week’s City Council study session is an overview of City-owned property. This sounds like the continuation of an interesting discussion begun as a part of recent budget conversations, that could end with the selling, renting, or otherwise off-loading of various un- or under-used pieces of City property. We’ve heard a lot of talk about creative problem solving when it comes to the budget; this sounds like an excellent opportunity to see it in action.

Update on Foss Waterway Stormwater Monitoring Results
Also on the study session agenda this week is an update on Foss Waterway stormwater monitoring results.

Medical Cannabis
The City of Tacoma’s proposed medical cannabis land use regulatory code amendment is up for a public hearing at this week’s City Council meeting. On August 1, 2011 the City Council adopted a six-month (later extended to 12 months) emergency moratorium on issuing permits and business licenses for medical cannabis facilities. The moratorium, which will expire on August 1 of this year was designed to allow time for the City to develop zoning regulations relating to medical cannabis facilities. A citizen task force formed for the purpose shared its findings on questions relating to medical cannabis facilities in Tacoma with the Planning Commission last month, and the Commission is now passing its own recommendations on for input from Council and the public.

Community Budget Input Meetings
This week we have three chances to attend one of the scheduled meetings for public input on Tacoma’s budget. The meetings will be opportunities for the public to learn more about the City’s budget and budgeting process, to ask questions of City staff and council members, and to provide input on budget priorities.

• June 25, 6:00 p.m., Main Library (Council Member Walker)
• June 27, 5:30 p.m., Wheelock Library (Council Member Ibsen)
• June 28, 6:00 p.m., St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (Council Member Ibsen)

Pierce County
We see a pair of unrelated resolutions to authorize agreements with Pierce County; one relating to Port security, and one relating to open spaces.

The Port received a federal Homeland Security grant, which it distributed a part to the Tacoma Police Department. TPD will now use a portion that money to fund training exercises specifically related to port security. Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM) will schedule, register, and facilitate those trainings.

The second resolution deals with the acquisition of a site to be maintained as open space as part of the South Tacoma Wetlands Conservation Area. The resolution would authorize the execution of a Stewardship Agreement and Restrictive Covenant, a Statutory Warranty Deed, and an Assignment of Contract Rights and Agreement with Pierce County, in the amount of $13,030, budgeted from the Community and Economic Development Special Revenue Fund, for the acquisition of a 5.87-acre site.

MLK Library
A potential buyer, a local doctor with a focus on diabetic limb loss and prosthetics, has made an offer of $700,000 on the old MLK Library building. The deal awaits an okay from Council.

The big question on the sale of these properties has been where the money will go; we have a partial answer. Community Development Block Grant Funds were invested in the MLK Library, so a 6.64% return will be required from any sale proceeds, working out to $46,474. The remainder of the sale proceeds, ($653,526) will be deposited in the City’s General Fund. The Library Board has requested that this money be allocated for the maintenance of Library facilities. We’ll have to wait to see whether that happens.

City Employee PTO
Only one ordinance up this week: a first reading of an ordinance relating to employee compensation. The ordinance would allow employees to take personal time-off in tenth-of-an-hour increments, and the adjusting of some language related to PTO payouts, including clarification that one of the conditions required for the PTO cash-out is a full year (January 1 to December 31) of enrollment in the PTO plan. The switch to the tenth-of-an-hour increments, designed to allow for greater flexibility in time-usage for employees, is a change from the existing language that requires full hour increments of time off.

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

1. Gunarama Wholesale, Inc., on its bid of $227,072.28, including sales tax,
   less a trade-in amount of $227,072.28, for a zero net cost, for the purchase
   and trade of duty handguns and magazines used by Tacoma Police officers.
2. Miles Resources LLC, on its bid of $1,573,294.05, sales tax not included, plus a
   15 percent contingency, for a cumulative total of $1,809,288.16, budgeted from
   the Surface Water 2006 Bond Construction Fund and the Wastewater Fund, to
   pave Wapato Lake Drive and Asotin Court.

Item one is a trade in of old police firearms that have reached the end of their life-expectancy in terms of reliability, for new ones. Item two would fund a project to turn a combined 2,000 feet of “failed street” into new pervious asphalt. The recommended contract amount, which is 20% less than pre-bid estimate, will be funded by a $1 million state grant, with remaining funds coming from the Tacoma’s Surface Water 2006 Bond Construction Fund. The City is pursuing Greenroads certification for this project.

City Council Meeting Cancelled
No surprises here; there will be no City Council meeting, study session, or Committee of the Whole meeting next Tuesday, July 3, due to the 4th of July holiday. Happy Independence Day everyone.