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April 29, 2015 · Exit133

Tacoma City Council Meeting - April 28, 2015

PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/PRESENTATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mayor Strickland proclaimed April 2015 as Vietnamese Journey to Freedom Month in the City of Tacoma, and encouraged all citizens to honor the Vietnamese residents of our state.

REGULAR AGENDA

PURCHASE RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 39178 A resolution awarding a contract to N C Machinery Co, in the amount of $344,834, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Solid Waste Fund, to purchase one 2015 Caterpillar Wheel Loader to be used at the Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center - Washington State Contract No. 16904.

Resolution No. 39179 A resolution awarding a contract to Business Interiors Northwest, in the amount of $2,000,000, plus sales tax, budgeted from various departmental funds, for Herman Miller furniture and services as needed, for a term of five years.

Deputy Mayor Boe recused himself from discussing or voting on the resolution to avoid any potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest. Both purchase resolutions passed without further comment.

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 39180 A resolution authorizing the execution of a Multi-Family Housing 12-Year Limited Property Tax Exemption Agreement with North Prospect Properties, LLC, for the development of four multi-family market-rate and affordable rental housing units located at 636 North Prospect Street in the 6th Avenue Mixed-Use Center.

The 12-year tax break will go to a new four-unit building on a lot that is currently vacant, which meets the 12-year tax break criteria by renting at least 20% of its units at affordable housing rates. Two of the units will be one-bedroom, one-bath units, renting at $700 a month, the other two will be two-bedroom, two bathroom units renting at around $1,600 per month. The project includes three on-site parking spaces. Completion is forecast for January 2016.

For both this and the following item, the land will continue to pay property taxes for the life of the exemption. At the end of 12 years, the full value of the property, including the building will be on the tax rolls.

Resolution No. 39181 A resolution authorizing the execution of a Multi-Family Housing 12-Year Limited Property Tax Exemption Agreement with Family Living, LLC, for the development of six multi-family market-rate and affordable rental housing units located at 4518 South Junett Street in the Tacoma Mall Mixed-Use Center.

This 12-year tax break goes to a new six-unit residential building which also meets the 20% affordable criteria. This building will have two 2-bedroom, 2.5 bath units renting for $1,000 per month; and four 3-bedroom, 2.5 bath units renting for $1,200 per month. The project includes six on-site parking spaces, and is forecast to be complete this November.

Councilmember Walker noted that after many years of not seeing any projects qualifying for the 12-year property tax exemption, we’re seeing quite a few come through. Staff responded that work has been done to educate developers on what needs to be done to qualify for the 12-year, and what happens if they aren’t able to meet those criteria after they’ve received approval for the tax break. Mayor Strickland noted that in Tacoma, “market rate isn’t that far off from affordable,” and that developers were learning that, and discovering it was easier than they thought to take advantage of the affordable housing tax break.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES 

Ordinance No. 28298 An ordinance amending the 2015-2016 Biennial Budget to appropriate funds from the 2013-2014 Biennial Budget to cover current contract obligations, transfers, and other budget adjustments.

Preliminary year-end numbers show the City budget for the 2013 to 2014 biennium coming in with a General Fund balance $3.5 million on the favorable side of what was forecast. That favorable balance breaks down to $3 million more in revenues, and $500,000 less in expenditures.

Additional revenues came from several sources.

  • $1.2 million in utility taxes
  • $0.7 million in charges for services
  • $0.7 million in property taxes
  • $0.4 million in business taxes

City staff is recommending that $1.34 million of the General Fund balance be re-appropriated into the 2015 to 2016 budget to cover items the City had committed to paying for, but has not yet done so. The re-appropriations would cover the following:

  • $340,000 for fire department emergency response equipment and expenses
  • $330,000 for Peoples Pool and a pension study
  • $170,000 for Neighborhoods and Community Services programs
  • $110,000 for Planning and Development Services work on the Comprehensive Plan update
  • $110,000 million for human resources training and development
  • $80,000 for a debt service module
  • $60,000 for work on the Transportation master Plan
  • $140,000 for external services and contracts

In addition to that list of re-appropriations, staff is recommending that $1.28 million of the General Fund balance be put toward several unforeseen 2015-2016 expenditures not yet included in this biennium’s budget.

  • $350,000 for a pavement condition survey to better understand the condition of Tacoma’s streets – and their level of deterioration
  • $100,000 for outreach related to an anticipated street funding ballot measure to put more funds toward Tacoma’s Transportation Benefit District
  • $300,000 for paid leave program administration – an education campaign and enforcement
  • $220,000 for old debt owed to Tacoma Rail related to street vacation in the Port area
  • $130,000 to replace failed equipment at the library main branch
  • $90,000 to enhance business development, including funding a private business survey, and a redesign of Tacoma Means Business to expand it from a small business program, to covering all businesses, a website redesign, and City-hosted events
  • $20,000 in additional support for the Welcoming Cities Initiative
  • $70,000 in other program support, including additional pension study costs, an innovation grant match, an EBT farmers’ market program match for the Fresh Bucks food program

The remaining $900,000 is being recommended to go to General Fund reserves, bringing them up over 15% of General Fund expenditures. Other City funds also look like they’re going to end the 2013-2014 biennium with positive balances that will be re-appropriated into their 2015-2016 budgets. These numbers are just preliminary until the biennial budget is finalized in May, but the budget office doesn’t expect the numbers to change much.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee – Councilmember Mello shared recent topics discussed by the committee.

  • 2015 Comprehensive Plan amendment process relating to land use designations – making them simpler and easier to understand
  • Electric vehicle charging infrastructure – outreach, plans for a symposium on the topic this June in Tacoma
  • Sound Transit initial findings of the environmental analysis for the Tacoma Link expansion project
  • The evolving plan to restructure residential parking program to maximize parking opportunities in Tacoma’s right-of-ways
  • The feasibility of a bike share program in Tacoma
  • 2015 Comprehensive Plan update relating to environmental policy updates
  • Threats facing bee and pollinator colonies and ideas for raising awareness of best practices to help protect pollinator populations
  • At its next meeting the committee will interview candidates for the Sustainable Tacoma Commission.

Deputy Mayor Boe reminded us that Bike Month in the Year of the Bike is almost here, with events starting this week.

Boe reminded us that May is also Historic Preservation Month 

And not to be forgotten, the Deputy Mayor shared a few Tacoma arts events as well.

  • See Evita at Tacoma Musical Playhouse Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
  • Puget Sound Revels hosts a May Day celebration at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 1 – complete with maypole, the chance to make floral arrangements, and lots of fun
  • The Second City Chamber has evening performances
  • Tacoma Concert Band performs Souza
  • Fort Nisqually Foundation hosts Crafts of the Past

Councilmember Lonergan announced a Community Cleanup in his district this Saturday. Residents of the area can bring trash and other unwanted items to Larchmont Elementary School.

Councilmember Walker announced the TacHOMEa walking tours that will be going on this weekend at four different locations around Tacoma.

Councilmember Campbell announced a kick-off event for Tacoma’s new poet laureate on May 1. It will be an evening of poetry and music.

Councilmember Woodards was absent from this week's meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

For more on the items on this agenda, see our City Business Preview for the week.

Filed under: City Council, Legislation, City Government