Tacoma City Council Meeting - February 12, 2013

CONSENT AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38620 Setting Thursday, April 4, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. as the date for a hearing by the Hearing Examiner to vacate the west 200 feet of the alley right-of-way lying south of Puyallup Avenue and east of East L Street for a commercial fueling facility. (Red Bull, LLC; File No. 124.1335)  [Troy Stevens, Senior Real Estate Specialist; Kurtis Kingsolver, Interim Director, Public Works]

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28130 Vacating a 4,700 square-foot portion of East Q Street, lying northwest of the Burlington Northern Rail right-of-way, to construct a section of the floodwall proposed under the Central Treatment Plant Flood Protection Project. (City of Tacoma; File No. 124.1329)  [Troy Stevens, Senior Real Estate Specialist; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

The second reading of the ordinance will be at a date to be determined.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

There were no proclamations, recognitions, presentations, or announcements.

PUBLIC COMMENT

No public comment this week.

REGULAR AGENDA

APPOINTMENTS

Resolution No. 38621 Appointing and reappointing individuals to the Human Services Commission, Planning Commission, Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities, and Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority.  [Mayor Marilyn Strickland]

Passed.

Resolution No. 38622 Appointing Council Members to various local, state, regional, and national committees, boards, and commissions.  [Mayor Marilyn Strickland]

Passed.

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38623 Awarding a contract to:

CH2M HILL Engineers, Inc., in the amount of $526,867.65, sales tax not applicable, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, for consultant engineering services associated with the design and construction of flood protection improvements at the Central Treatment Plant – Specification No. CT12-0001F.  [John O’Loughlin, Science and Engineering Division Manager; Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]

Councilmember Boe recused himself to avoid any potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Resolution No. 38624 Authorizing the execution of an amendment to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Loan Agreement with the Washington State Public Works Board, in the amount of $762,872.43, for a cumulative total of $7,341,757.91, for the McMillin Reservoir Replacement Project.[Michael Washington, Principal Engineer; Linda McCrea, Superintendent, Tacoma Water]

Tacoma was selected for the low interest loan from the state in 2009 for the McMillan Reservoir replacement project.  In 2010 Tacoma was offered an increase in the loan when more funds became available.  This resolution is for a second increase in the loan amount.  At 1% interest over 20 years, the loan will save money over other possible funding sources for the project to cover the drinking water reservoir.

Resolution No. 38625 Approving revisions to the City’s Compensation Philosophy to maintain fiscal responsibility and reflect changing economic conditions and budget impacts.  [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

In light of the financial challenges facing Tacoma, the City is revising its statement on the goals of the employee compensation system.  The statement adopted in 2008 targeted compensation to be within the 65th to 75th percentile for pay.  This change brings the target amount down to the 60th percentile.  The goal has been and remains to attract the best and brightest employees to the City, but these changes reflect the reality of the cuts that have already been made, and those still needed going forward into the 2015-2016 biennium budget.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28128 Amending Chapter 12.08 of the Municipal Code, relating to wastewater and surface water management, to adjust rates and charges for services provided by the Wastewater and Surface Water Utilities for the years 2013 and 2014.  [Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28129 Amending Chapter 12.09 of the Municipal Code, relating to solid waste management, to adjust rates and charges for services provided by the Solid Waste Utility for the years 2013 and 2014.  [Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]

Councilmember Lonergan asked a question about the “tipping point” for sustainability of Tacoma’s solid waste management program as Tacoma transitions to every-other-week garbage pick-up.  The “tipping point” at which the program is sustainable for weekly pick-up has been the 30-gallon can – meaning that if every customer in Tacoma had a 30-gallon can, the program would break even.  Those with bigger cans subsidize the cost of smaller cans, as the City works to reduce the amount of solid waste routed into the landfills.  In the transition to less frequent service, the 60-gallon can becomes that tipping point, essentially remaining the same.  The pricing model takes into account that about 12% of customers will be able to reduce their can size for every-other-week pick-up from the 60-gallon to the 45-gallon can.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28131 Amending Ordinance No. 28012, which established a non-revolving line of credit for the payment of the costs of improvements relating to the Point Ruston local improvement districts, to extend the maturity date of the Local Improvement District Bond Anticipation Note and provide for a replacement of said note effective immediately upon publication.  [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The ordinance was considered for a first _and final reading.  The ordinance extends the current line of credit financing the Point Ruston LIDs for an additional 90 days, during which time the bonds will be sold._

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None this week.

CITIZENS’ FORUM

This week we heard from two younger Tacomans.  A fifth grader at Manitou Park Elementary School spoke about her concerns relating to water pollution, asking the Council to consider increased protection at street drains.  An eight-year old from Fawcett Elementary expressed his interest in the Middle Ages, and encouraged the Council to consider supporting a medieval-themed festival or park, where you could have a snack bar.  We also heard from two older Tacomans.  The first expressed concerns over the treatment of African Americans by the Tacoma Police Department.  The second speaker returned to continue his ongoing Citizens’ Forum complaint, begun several months ago, about concerns over the justice system, legalism, John Ladenburg, access to public accommodations, judges and the courts, his eighth amendment rights, and being terrorized by the military.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

The City has been awarded two grants:

• An assistance to firefighters grant for $742,000 to purchase self-contained breathing apparatus for use in situations where firefighters need respiratory protection.
• 3 quick response safety grants totaling $1.98 million from WSDOT as a part of a program to reduce serious and fatal collisions.  The three grants will make improvements to intersections at South 25th Street, Mildred Street, and throughout Tacoma.

The City has also been connecting with property owners across the 15 neighborhood business districts to identify and preemptively address code violations and share information on City resources to help promote safe, clean, and attractive neighborhoods.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Councilmember Boe reminded us that the Sister Cities International Film Festival is in its second week at the Blue Mouse theater.  This Thursday’s film, Off-White Lies, is from Tacoma’s sister city of Kiryat-Motzkin.  Doors open at 6:00, cultural programming starts at 6:15, and the movie starts at 7:00.  Tickets are $10.

Mayor Strickland reminded everyone that it is an election day, and there is still time to get your Tacoma Schools Prop 1 ballot post marked or into a drop box.

ADJOURNMENT