Tacoma City Council Meeting - April 9, 2013

CONSENT AGENDA

There were no consent agenda items.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

No proclamations, recognitions, presentations, or announcements.

PUBLIC COMMENT

No comment.

REGULAR AGENDA

APPOINTMENTS

Resolution No. 38653 Appointing and reappointing individuals to the Citizen Review Panel and the Human Rights Commission. [Mayor Marilyn Strickland]

The mayor thanked the citizens who volunteer to serve on the City’s various commissions and panels for their hard work and dedication in advising the City.

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38654 Awarding a contract to: BNSF Railway Company, in the amount of $50,000, sales tax not applicable, plus a $10,000 contingency, to increase the contract for temporary construction easement, flagging, and inspection services for the Murray Morgan Bridge Rehabilitation Design-Build Project, for a cumulative total of $310,000, budgeted from the Streets Special Revenue Fund – Direct Negotiation. [Tom Rutherford, Professional Engineer; Kurtis Kingsolver, Interim Director, Public Works]

The purchase resolution passed without comment.

Resolution No. 38655 Authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, covering 19 budgeted, full-time positions assigned to Tacoma Public Utilities, Tacoma Rail Division,retroactive to July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2017. [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

The resolution was continued to the April 30th Council meeting at request of staff.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28144 Amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to implement rates of pay and compensation for employees represented by the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, covering 19 budgeted, full-time positions assigned to Tacoma Public Utilities, Tacoma Rail Division. [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

The ordinance was also continued to the Council meeting of April 30 at the request of staff.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

CITIZENS’ FORUM

Mayor Strickland reminded us that Citizens’ Forum is specifically for matters over which the Council actually has jurisdiction. Most of the speakers did a good rule of sticking with that.

We heard again from our most regular Citizens’ Forum commenter, who shared another chapter from the ongoing saga of his complaints against the Ladenburg family. This month’s installment included an episode in which David Ladenburg followed the commenter from City Council chambers into Safeway to intimidate him.

The other speakers for the evening were a little more on topic. We heard from three commenters requesting that the City consider instituting a ban on disposable plastic bags. We heard that very few of the single-use bags get recycled, and many end up ingested by seabirds and aquatic animals. The commenters, including a representative from the Surfrider Foundation, argued that the decision to ban the bags would have a positive impact on Tacoma’s image as a forward-looking and environmentally aware city. Olympia passed a plastic bag ban earlier this year, but the matter hasn’t been raised in any official capacity in Tacoma. Until now…

Another speaker, who served on the Tacoma streetcar feasibility committee, shared some of his thoughts about the Link expansion conversation. He reminded the Council to keep parking needs in mind as commuter options are invested in. He suggested that if the Stadium Way route is selected a parking garage at that end could offer expanded parking options for downtown workers, and even possibly for regional bus service.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

City Manager Broadnax had two reports this week:

• The Annual Fair Housing Conference will be held at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center next Thursday, April 18. The Human Rights Division of the City of Tacoma Neighborhood and Community Services Department is partnering with the Fair Housing Partners of Washington to host the event, which will bring people from all over the region together to discuss issues related to fair housing and fulfilling the intent of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
• The Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation recently recognized the City of Tacoma for its outstanding rehabilitation of the Murray Morgan Bridge. The City was one of 10 honorees this year to receive the State Historic Preservation Officer’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Councilmember Boe brought us another Pacific Avenue Streetscape Update:

• The street will be ready for the Daffodil Parade this Saturday.
• A special stakeholder meeting this Thursday, April 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber offices at 950 Pacific to discuss progress and delays, and the potential for changes to project phasing and sequencing to compensate for those delays.

Councilmember Ibsen announced upcoming Department of Ecology workshops for homeowners affected by arsenic from the Asarco smelter plume. This Thursday, April 11, at Wilson High School, the Department will host two sessions. The first, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. will be a workshop offering technical assistance for affected homeowners. The second will be a more general information session with details on who qualifies for free assistance and how not to get sick from arsenic poisoning.

Mayor Strickland encouraged everyone to attend the Daffodil Parade this Saturday. The Mayor also gave a weather report: it will be rainy, so bring your hat or umbrella. If you can’t take the rain, the parade will also be broadcast on channel 6.

Councilmember Walker was absent from this week’s meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

26 minutes, even with Citizens’ Forum. That’s got to be a new record.

For more on any of the items on this week’s agenda, check out our City business preview for the week.