Tacoma City Council Meeting - Aug 25th, 2009
The City Council meetings seem so anticlimactic after we finished all those mixed use center hearings, public comment, and subsequent votes. Tonight’s agenda included appointments, the regular agenda type items and a public hearing – to which nobody from the public showed up. Here are our notes:
R E G U L A R A G E N D A
APPOINTMENTS
Resolution No. 37856 appoints Michael West and MacKenzie Allen to serve on the Citizen Review Panel, for terms expiring on December 31, 2011.
FIRST READING
Resolution No. 37855 authorized the execution of an interlocal agreement with Metro Parks Tacoma and Tacoma School District No. 10, allowing for the creation and operation of Tacoma 360. This item has been moved to the City Council meeting of September 1st, 2009.
Resolution No. 37857 authorizes the acceptance of a State Drinking Water Revolving Fund American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 loan, in the amount of $6,060,000; and authorizing the execution of a loan agreement with the Washington State Public Works Board for the McMillin Reservoir Replacement Project. This loan will result in a savings of about $2.9 million over 20 years.
Resolution No. 37858 authorizes the execution of a collective bargaining agreement with the United Transportation Union, Yardmasters Unit, which consists of four budgeted, full-time positions, effective July 1, 2007 through December 31, 2011. The contract negotations began last fall and cover 5 years.
Resolution No. 37859 approves the Human Services Commission’s recommendations for allocation of the 2009-2012 Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program funds, in the amount of $1,182,824, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Councilmember Lonergan did not support the resolution as he believes the delayed use of the rapid re-housing funds is not in the spirit of the funds. The delay is intended to allow the money be used as matching funds for an opportunity via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. With the Mayor recusing himself, the resolution passed 5 to 1.
FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27827 designates the Revenue Development Area created by Ordinance No. 27724, which was established to apply for the Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT).
Amended Ordinance No. 27828 designates approximately 658.6 acres in downtown Tacoma as a revitalization area to be called The Link; and authorizing the submittal of a Local Revitalization Financing application to the Washington State Department of Revenue by September 1, 2009.
Ordinance No. 27829 amends Chapter 11.05 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Model Traffic Ordinance, by adding a new section entitled “Human Habitation of Vehicles,” to prohibit human habitation of vehicles, establish a permit process to allow visitors to use recreational vehicles, and provide penalties for violations.
FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27831 authorizes Tacoma Rail to issue a new switching tariff to cover freight rates on the Mountain Division, effective September 1, 2009.
Ordinance No. 27832 amends Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to implement rates of pay and compensation negotiated with the United Transportation Union, Yardmasters Unit, which consists of four budgeted, full-time positions, effective July 1, 2007 through December 31, 2011.
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPEALS
There was a public hearing tonight on the proposed surplus and dedication of a tract of land to Pierce County for a 10-foot-wide right-of-way located along 180th Street East as a predevelopment condition for approval of a necessary building permit. The property is part of the Canyon Substation Project. The property will go before Council on September 1st to approve the sale. There was no public comment.
That’s it for this week. Any thoughts?
Filed under: City-Council, City-Council
6 comments
M Morgan August 26, 2009
Wowsers! The regular agenda is a yawner after the Mixed-Use Update!
What ever happened to the update to the Downtown Plan? Wasn’t that supposed to occur after the Mixed-Use Update was wrapped up?
N Nick August 26, 2009
“Amended Ordinance No. 27828 designates approximately 658.6 acres in downtown Tacoma as a revitalization area to be called The Link; and authorizing the submittal of a Local Revitalization Financing application to the Washington State Department of Revenue by September 1, 2009.”
That looks interesting – can anyone explain exactly what this means? Are we just trying to get state funding or incentives for continuing to redevelop downtown?
B broadweezy August 26, 2009
Same Question as Nick’s. What is “the Link?” Sounds creepy and mysterious – 658.6 acres sounds like a pretty specific site to me.
B broadweezy August 26, 2009
Nevermind, found it on the City’s website: “The revitalization area would be bounded by South 4th St. to the north; South 28th St., Interstate 705, State Route 7 northbound, Wiley Avenue and Interstate 5 to the south; Dock Street, Puyallup Avenue and L Street to the east; and Tacoma Avenue to the west.”
Sounds like the Urban Waters site (or general area).
T tressie August 26, 2009
I’m going to start living in my car full-time now:RE:Ordinance No. 27829 amends Chapter 11.05 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Model Traffic Ordinance, by adding a new section entitled “Human Habitation of Vehicles,” to prohibit human habitation of vehicles, establish a permit process to allow visitors to use recreational vehicles, and provide penalties for violations.
E Eric August 26, 2009
The Link is the new designation for what was formerly the Lift. That was the grant that Tacoma applied for last year for the IFS area and didn’t make the cut. The state has renamed it and has made Tacoma a pilot city.