Tacoma City Council Meeting - August 21, 2012

CONSENT AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38527 Authorizing the execution of Amendment No. 1 to the Interlocal Agreement for Communication Services establishing the South Sound 9-1-1 Agency with Pierce County, City of Lakewood, and Pierce County Fire Protection District No. 3 (West Pierce Fire & Rescue), to include the City of Fife as a Member Agency, and modify the composition of the governance board by adding a permanent seat for the City of Fife and a rotational seat for a city or town within Pierce County with a population under 50,000 that contracts with the Agency. [Tansy Hayward, Assistant City Manager; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

These changes will make the Agency more inclusive, bringing in Fife in and adding a position for smaller city.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
2 proclamations, 1 recognition, 1 presentation:

• Mayor Strickland proclaimed August 27, 2012 to be Billy Ray Shirley Day in the City of Tacoma in honor of the 17-year old Eastside community volunteer who was also the victim of homicide.
• The Mayor also proclaimed August 20 through 26, 2012 to be Commencement Bay Maritime Fest Week in the City of Tacoma. You can celebrate Tacoma’s working waterfront this weekend (August 25 and 26) at the Maritime Fest on the Thea Foss waterfront.
• Following on the Maritime Fest proclamation, Mayor Strickland also recognized Claire Petrich for her devotion to the City of Tacoma and our working waterfront. A plaque will be hung in her honor on the railing overlooking Thea Foss Park.
• We also heard a presentation from Public Works Environmental Services on two more awards that Tacoma’s wastewater and storm water management system received this year. The City was one of five in the nation to be awarded the Platinum Award for Excellence in Utility Management for best management practices in a number of utility metrics such as operations, finance, safety, and sustainability that determine the effectiveness of a utility. The Northend Ruston Wastewater Treatment Plant also received a Platinum Peak Performance Award, having operated for 14 years without a single violation of its permit. Great work.

PUBLIC COMMENT
None.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38528 Awarding contracts to:

1. Northwest Cascade, Inc., on its bid of $1,599,382.00, excluding sales tax, plus a 20 percent contingency, for a cumulative total of $1,919,258.40, budgeted from the Wastewater and Tacoma Water Bond Funds, for the replacement of 2,800 linear feet of wastewater and 1,400 linear feet of water pipes as part of the Wastewater and Water Main Replacement Project in the downtown area – Specification No. PW12-0003F; [John O’Loughlin, Science and Engineering Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works] and
   Staff responded to a question from Councilmember Ibsen that the 20% contingency is higher than the normal 10% due to the unpredictability of conditions downtown.
2. Quigg Bros., Inc., on its bid of $1,518,651.00, plus sales tax, plus a 12 percent contingency, for a cumulative total $1,700,889.12, budgeted from the 2009 LTGO Bond Series B and E Funds, and the Capital Projects REET Fund, for Old Town Dock repairs – Specification No. PW12-0325F. [Chris Larson, Engineering Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

Councilmember Boe recused himself due to the potential for an appearance of conflict with item number two.

In answer to questions from Councilmember Mello, staff explained that the project bid was nearly 13% over the pre-bid estimate due to the timing of the bid in mid-construction season. The timing was delayed due to the late arrival of permits. The window for construction is constrained due environmental considerations. The over-budget amount will be made up with reallocated REET funds from the Nisqually project, which received FEMA funding to cover costs. The current project will include new handrails, benches, grating to increase light penetration for fish species, and finger piers that will allow kayakers to launch from the dock. This portion of the project is expected to be completed by June of 2013. The City is in the process of selecting a design engineer for the bathroom project. That project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Resolution No. 38529 Adopting the Policy for the Sale/Disposition of City-owned General Government Real Property. [Conor McCarthy, Assistant Facilities Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

The policy is meant to establish a framework for transparency, clarity, and fairness in the process of deciding which City-owned properties to sell, and how to go about selling them. The City has identified about a dozen Tier One properties (those identified as having high value and high potential for development). The next step will be to confirm those properties, and develop site-specific development criteria. Nearly 60 Tier Two and Three properties were identified in a recent inventory. Councilmember Mello recommended that as TPU considers its properties that it use the same or similar processes in evaluating them, particularly those within the City of Tacoma.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28085 Amending Chapter 5.30 of the Municipal Code, relating to domestic fowl, to rename the Chapter as “Poultry and Pigeons”, set limits on poultry and pigeons per parcel, establish setbacks for enclosures, provide for penalties for noncompliance, and offer a right to appeal; and amending Chapter 1.23 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Hearing Examiner, to establish jurisdiction over hearings and appeals for said Chapter. [Kristin Lynett, Office of Sustainability Manager; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

The proposed changes to the code dealing with poultry keeping within Tacoma are aimed at achieving sustainability goals by allowing more residents the option of keeping poultry for food, while also providing neighbors with a way to resolve complaints. The feeling is that current codes inhibit residents from keeping poultry, and this would be an improvement. A question arose over the keeping of male poultry aside from roosters. The proposed changes ban roosters, but do not include language regarding toms, drakes, and ganders. Councilmember Campbell suggested that a little more research be done into the noisiness of tom turkeys and other male poultry.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Government Performance and Finance Committee – Deputy Mayor Lonergan reported on the recent meetings, with topics including an overview of the Tacoma Employees Retirement System (TERS), and a discussion of how that program is funded, and how other municipalities have reviewed public employee benefit plans.
Other topics included the disposition of City-owned property, historically under-represented population businesses, and more. The next meeting will include a discussion of the implementation of the City’s sustainable purchasing program.

Councilmember Campbell asked for applause for the work done by Team Billy Ray Shirley.

Councilmember Boe gave some details on Maritime Fest and other transportation-related goings-on this weekend around town.

• Tacoma’s 20th Annual Maritime Fest will be this Saturday and Sunday at the Foss Waterway Seaport and Thea’s Park.
• Tacoma Rail will be offering free train rides and an open house this Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 at Tacoma Rail headquarters.
• The Port of Tacoma will be offering free boat tours on Suday from 10:00 to 4:00.

Councilmember Walker reminded us of the upcoming Sound Transit public meetings on the Tacoma Link expansion alternatives.

Deputy Mayor Lonergan reminded us of this Saturday’s community clean-up at Mount Tahoma High School.

ADJOURNMENT