Tacoma City Council Meeting - Dec. 15th, 2009

The topic that dominated today’s Committee of the Whole, and that reappeared this evening, is the development agreement between Pacific Plaza LLC and the City of Tacoma. Should the City allow the change in use for the ground floor to allow the Attorney General to move in as we’ve been discussing here?

Dan Putnam from Pacific Plaza outlined a scenario in which they’d be able to attract a grocer to the location should the AG change be approved. He acknowledged that they’ve been working with Supervalu and that they had completed a retail study for the site. That study indicated that downtown could support one grocer. When Councilmember Fey stated that he believes this will be a twenty year decision and that it would be irresponsible for them to pit project versus project. In response, Tom Absher stated that “the Elks isn’t even a project yet” and that that their’s could be in by July.

One contingency for this grocer would be the need for an additional Link stop. Since additional Link stops would need to be funded locally, the developers offered that the City could pay for it using the City’s portion of the income from the AG lease.

It was also stated that the AG will attract approximately 100 people to downtown Tacoma as “feet on the street.”

The response from Council was varied, but skepticism seemed to be growing as the meeting continued and as Councilmember Fey asked for more time.

So, back to our regular meeting … Here are our notes:

R E G U L A R A G E N D A

APPOINTMENTS
Resolution No. 37949 reappointing Barbara Mead and appointing Larry Anderson and Joseph Zawacki to serve on the Foss Waterway Development Authority Board of Directors for terms through September 23, 2012.

Resolution No. 37960 was introduced via suspension of the rules and appoints City Councilmembers to various national, state, regional, and local committees, boards, and commissions for the year 2010.

Resolution No. 37950 approves the Retirement Board’s appointment of Monica Butler to the position of Retirement System Director, beginning January 5, 2010.

RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution No. 37951 awards contracts to:

1. Milliman, Inc., in the amount of $423,840.00 for actuarial consulting and audit services, for an initial three-year period beginning January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012, plus the option to extend for two additional one-year periods, for a projected contract total of $691,000.00.; and
2. Northwest Cascade, Inc., in the amount of $20,000.00 for a cumulative total of $1,264,035.50 to increase the contract for additional work on the extension and/or replacement of existing sanitary sewer and water mains on Adams Street from South 23rd to South 19th Streets; and on North 1st Street between Yakima and Tacoma Avenues.

Resolution No. 37952 authorizes the execution of a three-year lease agreement with Global Locomotive LLC, in the amount of $234,225, with options for three additional one-year extensions, for the existing vacant locomotive and rail car repair facility located on the Western Junction property, at 5915 Waldrick Road Southeast, Tenino, Thurston County.

Resolution No. 37953 authorizes the execution of an agreement with the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society, in the amount of $526,000, for animal shelter services for the year 2010.

Resolution No. 37954 authorizes the execution of Special Valuation Tax Agreements for the rehabilitation of the historic properties located at 702 North I Street and 1910-1912 South G Street. This allows the the County Assessor to subtract the renovation costs from their tax assessments for ten years.

Resolution No. 37955 designates the Highlands Golf Course as open space under the City’s and Pierce County’s Open Space Current Use Assessment Program for property tax purposes and recommending that it be granted a 60 percent open space property tax discount as recommended by the Planning Commission; and appointing Council Members Fey, Manthou, and Walker to serve on a Joint Determining Authority with three Pierce County Council Members.

Resolution No. 37956 repeals Resolution No. 32989 and Substitute Resolution No. 35757; and amending the Local Improvement District Policy. The new policy clearly identifies the LID formation policy. Councilmember Lonergan offered an amendment that changed the language to require a majority of owners support the LID process for it to pass.

Resolution No. 37957 authorizes the execution of an interagency agreement with the Washington State Patrol (WSP), in the amount of $150,000, budgeted from the General Fund, to fund the modifications necessary for the City’s use of the WSP communications tower and equipment building, and, in exchange, allowing the WSP to utilize one of the City’s radio sites, including building and tower.

Resolution No. 37958 approves the Administrative Procedures of the Board of Ethics.

Resolution No. 37959 authorizes the execution of the third amendment to the Development, Sale Back, and Lease Agreement for South Park Plaza Public Parking Garage with Pacific Plaza Development, LLC, to provide for the use of approximately 14,000 square feet for non-retail purposes, for a lease with the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. A proposal from Pacific Plaza LLC became the basis for an amendment that changed the calculation of base rent and a few other details. A number of people came forward during public comment to speak for and against the resolution. Everybody on the dais spoke on the issue. In the end, the vote came in as follows – in order of when they spoke:

Talbert: No
Strickland: Yes
Lonergan: Yes
Fey: No
Ladenburg: Yes
Walker: No
Manthou: Yes
Baarsma: Yes

The resolution passed 5 to 3.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27859 extends the final due date for the Limited Tax General Obligation Line of Credit Note, 2005 Pantages Theater, in the principal amount of $2,500,000, from December 26, 2009 to December 26, 2011.

Ordinance No. 27860 authorizes the execution of a Water Wheeling Agreement between Tacoma Water, Rainier View Water Company Inc., and Lakewood Water District, to deliver up to two million gallons of water per day from the Lakewood Water system to the Rainier View system.

Ordinance No. 27862 amends Chapter 6A.30 of the Municipal Code, relating to the business and occupation tax, to change the requirements for paying back the tax credit received for prior periods due to a recognized general recession or a declared natural disaster.

Ordinance No. 27863 amends Chapter 6B.220 of the Municipal Code, relating to taxicab regulations, to require taxicab drivers to submit a medical certification, attend a training program, and pass a written exam prior to license approval; and setting penalties for classes of violations and standards for the denial of taxicab licenses.

Ordinance No. 27864 amends the Capital Facilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan, and adopting the 2010-2015 Capital Facilities Program.

Ordinance No. 27865 adopts the Six-Year Comprehensive Transportation Program for amended year 2009 and 2010-2015.

Ordinance No. 27866 accepts a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, in the amount of $1,947,300; creating a new special fund to be known and designated as the CMO Special Revenue Fund; depositing in and appropriating said sum from the newly created fund to implement the Climate Action Plan.

Ordinance No. 27867 amends Title 10 of the Municipal Code, entitled “Public Works,” by repealing Chapter 10.26 in its entirety, and amending Title 1 of the Municipal Code, entitled “Administration and Personnel,” by creating a new Chapter 1.07 to be known as “Historically Underutilized Businesses.”

Ordinance No. 27868 amends Chapter 10.27 of the Municipal Code, relating to small public works contracts, by repealing and reenacting Sections 10.27.030, 10.27.040, and 10.27.080, and directing the City Manager to review the implementation of said chapter on a continuing basis and to report on the impact of this program on a quarterly basis.

The meeting ended with some reminiscing and humor aimed squarely at the departing City Councilmembers and the Mayor.

That’s the last City Council meeting for the year. Now go have a grand holiday season!

Now about those City Council appointment presentations … ten more to go.