Tacoma City Business Sneak Peek - Week of June 3, 2012

Budget
This week’s City Council study session has a couple items on the agenda that will be worth paying attention to. First and foremost, Council will hear a five-year General Fund forecast for 2012 – 2016. That should be interesting, and hopefully informative.

Secondly, as a promised part of this year’s City budget process, staff will share a document designed to help Council identify priorities. This rating of City services to set policy direction is a part of the City Manager’s new collaborative budget process. Council will be asked to complete and return the document and return it by Friday, June 15. At the following study session, on June 19, staff will return tabulated ratings, along with an additional discussion of priorities.

Comprehensive Plan Changes
The two ordinances up for first readings this week would adopt Planning Commission recommendations for the 2012 annual amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Regulatory Code as discussed at City Council study session and the public hearing on May 22.

Purchase Resolutions
We have four items up on this week’s purchase resolution.

1. $424,000.00, plus sales tax for four open flight Archimedes screw pumps with self-supporting troughs for the Flett Creek Surface Water Pump Station.
2. $45,000.00, excluding sales tax for a cumulative total of $271,628.60, to increase the contract for additional work necessary to complete the 2011 (B) Wastewater Spot Repair Project.
3. $90,000.00, excluding sales tax for a cumulative total of $714,418.73, to increase the contract for additional work necessary to complete the 2011 Wastewater Main Replacements and Extensions Project.
4. $180,000.00, including sales tax for a cumulative total of $3,196,499.76, to increase the contract for additional work for the Eductor Decant Facility.

These requests would fund upgrades and additional costs associated with wastewater and surface water management projects. The funds for all four requests come from the City’s Surface Water and/or Wastewater funds.

Tacoma Rail Mountain Division
A resolution on this week’s consent agenda requests the approval of a deal for Tacoma Rail to install railroad track in Fredrickson to provide service to Carlisle Construction. The deal between the state, Tacoma Rail, and Randles Gravel would facilitate rail service to the new Carlisle Construction materials plant in Frederickson, and is expected to bring in $85,000 annually once it’s up and running by the end of the year.

Other Items of Interest
A resolution appointing John Wallace to serve on the Tacoma Public Library Board of Trustees is on the agenda this week.

Also among the items filed with the Office of the City Clerk on this week’s agenda is one that may be of interest: the Tacoma Medical Cannabis Task Force Report lists the findings of the TMCTF, along with a letter of recommendation from the Planning Commission. An item on next week’s pending agenda sets Tuesday, June 26 as the date for a public hearing on the proposed Medical Cannabis Regulatory Code Amendment.