Tacoma City Council Meeting - February 17, 2015

Mayor Strickland opened the meeting with a clarification that it’s the County Council who would be voting on the new County services building, not the City Council, as you might have read somewhere. The City Council meeting was quite quick, compared to a few we've sat through in the last few months, with no public comment, and most items passing with little discussion.

REGULAR AGENDA

PURCHASE RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 39115 A resolution awarding a contract to Fire Training Structures, LLC, in the amount of $409,995, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Fire Grant Fund, to supply, deliver, and assemble one Live-Fire Training Simulator at the Tacoma Fire Training.

The resolution was adopted without comment.

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 39116 A resolution authorizing the City’s membership in the Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative, which encourages communities to create more welcoming, immigrant-friendly environments that maximize opportunities for economic growth and cultural vitality.

The Council’s adoption of this resolution officially authorizes the City of Tacoma to join the initiative, which connects Tacoma to a network of other municipalities across the country who are prioritizing making their communities more welcoming to immigrants. The City will take actions to open doors, and work strategically to ensure inclusion and to remove barriers to participation for immigrant populations, including those who don’t speak English as a first language. The City sees the move as carrying on the tradition of the Puyallups, who welcomed the first European settlers to what ultimately became Tacoma, and made it possible for them to thrive here. 13.4% of Tacoma's population is foreign born, according to the most recent census.

The move is in keeping with both the City’s Equity and Empowerment Initiative, and the Mayor’s Commission on International Relations. Mayor Strickland also mentioned that she had recently raised the issue of the immigrant detention center in Tacoma with officials from Homeland Security and the Obama Administration. The response was an assurance that people would not spend an unnecessary amount of time in the dentention center.

Resolution No. 39117 A resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement with Pierce Transit, in the amount of $384,976.20, budgeted from the General Fund, for the purchase of One Regional Card for All (ORCA) business cards, and other ORCA services as part of the Commute Trip Reduction Program for 2015.

The agreement with Pierce Transit covers costs associated with the City’s Commute Trip Reduction program for 2015. This year’s contract actually reflects a decrease in costs over the 2014 contract, due in large part to a decrease in overall transit and vanpool deposit costs. About one-third of City employees participate in the program.

Resolution No. 39118 A resolution authorizing the execution of a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Water Pollution Control Unit, which consists of 57 full-time equivalent positions, and provides for a wage increase of 2.2 percent, effective retroactive to January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2017.

The resolution provides for negotiated adjustments to wages, timelines, and processes for the group of represented employees.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28280 An ordinance 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 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Clerical and Supervisors’ Units.

The ordinance was adopted without comment.

Ordinance No. 28281 An ordinance amending Title 13 of the Municipal Code, entitled “Land Use Regulatory Code,” to establish permanent land use regulations concerning the production, processing, and retail sale of recreational marijuana; superseding interim regulations enacted pursuant to Substitute Ordinance No. 28182.

This amended ordinance was also adopted without comment.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28282 An ordinance amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to implement changes negotiated with the Tacoma Joint Labor Committee regarding vacation leave and holiday pay, and rates of pay and compensation for employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Water Pollution Control Unit.

The ordinance provides for the implementation of the resolution adopted earlier in the meeting, and for changes needed as part of the negotiated agreement. It will get a final reading next week.

Ordinance No. 28283 An ordinance amending Chapter 1.24 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Personnel Rules, to incorporate gender-neutral terminology and update City titles, policies, practices, and procedures, as approved by the Civil Service Board.

The ordinance would amend personnel rules, making changes to more inclusive, gender-neutral language, in keeping with the City’s Equity and Empowerment Initiative and an amendment to Tacoma’s Charter passed by voters last fall. Changes also align the section with current practices, including changing “personnel” to “human resources.”

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

City Manager Broadnax announced that the Department of Ecology’s Water Quality program has announced a draft funding list for public comment that includes $5 million for Tacoma. The draft list describes how Ecology intends to use funds to improve water quality, and Tacoma’s inclusion is at the maximum allowed per municipality. Six projects in Tacoma were listed for funding, including the South Tacoma Way Business District, which is the current focus of the Tacoma Green Infrastructure Design Competition; a Tacoma-Ruston partnership on improvements to their shared business district; the 40th Street green infrastructure project; the Madison and Monroe permeable neighborhood project; the Bennett Street pervious project; and the Prairie Line Trail treatment retrofit project.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Economic Development Committee – Councilmember Campbell reported on recent topics addressed by the committee.

• Received an update on the Urban Waters Innovation Zone from partners.
• Heard an update on disposition of the City’s “Tier 1” properties
• Tacoma Dome staff showed results of material testing for the Warhol Flower
• Reviewed the committee’s end of year report for 2014
• Received a proposal for a new Croatian sister city, and voted in support of the relationship.

At its next meeting the committee will hear an update from the Foss Waterway Development Authority and a report on key economic indicators for Q4 2014.

Deputy Mayor Boe had several arts events to share for the week.

• Tacoma Musical Plahouse kicks off Seussical the Musical this Saturday at its location in the Tacoma Narrows neighborhood at the west end of 6th Avenue.
• Tacoma Youth Symphony will be performing at Urban Grace Church downtown this Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Also on Saturday Northwest Sinfonietta will be presenting the Three Divas at the Rialto Theater at 7:30 p.m.
• On Sunday the Grand Cinema hosts its annual Academy Awards party. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
• Also on Sunday Tacoma Symphony will play a concert of Brahms and Dvořák at the Rialto at 2:30 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT

Councilmember Mellow was absent from this week’s meeting, and Councilmember Walker participated telephonically. For more on the items on the agenda see our City Business Preview for the week.