Tacoma City Council Meeting for February 15th, 2011
So, after a few weeks off, we’re back with a bit of City Council coverage. Last night’s meeting was a fairly quick event with just one issue drawing most of the public comment. Here’s our summary:
SUMMARY OF COUNCIL AND PUBLIC COMMENTS
CONSENT AGENDA
FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27916 amends Chapter 13.06 of the Municipal Code to reclassify the property located at 3602 North Narrows Drive from an “R-1 VSD” Single-Family Dwelling View-Sensitive District to an “R-2 PRO VSD” Single-Family Dwelling Planned Residential Development View-Sensitive District, for the development of “Narrows Vassault Overlook”, a 62-unit residential retirement community. (Vassault Overlook, LLC; File No. REZ2010-40000141405)
PROCLAMATIONS
- Mayor Strickland proclaimed February 17th, 2011 as Tacoma Council of Parent Teacher Association Day in the City of Tacoma.
PUBLIC COMMENT
- Alan Douglas came forward to speak in support of Resolution No. 38199.
- Keith Stone came forward to speak on Resolution No. 38198. He opposes the idea of taking funds that had been set aside for slip ramps from 509 for use on the Chinese Pavilion.
- Jim Merritt came forward to speak on Purchase Resolution No. 38198. While he fully endorses the Chinese Reconciliation Park project, he opposes where the City is getting the funds. He stated that taking money from the 509 slip ramps sends a negative economic development message.
- Darrell Bowman echoed the same thoughts as the previous two speakers – he fully endorses the Park, but is concerned about the money.
- Stan Selden, the president of the Tacoma Waterfront Association, also echoed the previous comments.
REGULAR AGENDA
RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution No. 38198 awards contracts to:
- Clements Brothers, Inc., in the amount of $250,000.00, plus sales tax, for a cumulative total of $1,256,862.09, budgeted from the Capital Projects Fund, to increase the contract to complete the construction of the Chinese Pavilion “Fuzhou Ting”
- Quigg Bros., Inc., on its bid of $2,580,830.00, sales tax not applicable, plus a 10 percent contingency, for a cumulative total of $2,838,913.00, budgeted from the Streets Special Revenue Fund, for the Lincoln Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation and Painting project; and
- Aspen Equipment Company, on its bid of $257,609.00, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Public Works Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Fund, for a track maintenance vehicle with high rail gear, crane, and flatbed to conduct maintenance and repairs on the Tacoma Mountain Rail Line.
Councilmember Boe thanked staff for answering his questions. He acknowledged the importance of the slip ramps, but called the park extraordinarily important too.
Councilmember Walker reminded us that the park has been in the works for twenty years. The slip ramps are an $8 million project and the park just needs this little bit more …
Mayor Strickland stated that she appreciated the testimony during public comment and that she’s committed to both the Ting and the slip ramps.
Resolution No. 38199 authorizes the execution of an agreement with Pierce Transit, in the amount of $359,329.10, budgeted from the General Fund, for the purchase of the One Regional Card for All business cards, passports, and other products that will be part of the City’s Commute Trip Reduction Program for the year 2011.
The City first began giving bus passes to employees in 1996 and issued 800 passes last year.
Resolution No. 38200 authorizes the execution of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Professional Public Safety Managers Association to delay implementation of a portion of the 2009-2011 collective bargaining agreement until May 1, 2011.
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPEALS
This date was set for a public hearing by the City Council to consider the submittal of an application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for a $3,904,000 Section 108 loan to Horizon Holdings I, LLC, to assist with tenant improvements for Total Renal Care, Inc., dba DaVita; and amending the 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development to include this activity.
This loan is intended for work at Davita’s building at 1441 Court A. This building is Davita’s technology office and upgrades are needed to support the business needs of the company. The project qualifies with HUD as an economic development project as it creates jobs and the company is expected to create 200 FTE by 2014.
A resolution approving the loan will come before council next week.
- Eric Cederstrand came before council representing Horizon Holdings, the ownership group, to reiterate that this is an important tool for development and that the technology center is a very “positive mark” for the city.
So when do we get to talk about 509 slip ramps again?
Filed under: City-Council, City-Council
25 comments
R RR Anderson February 16, 2011
my god and infographic even! YES!!!
M Marty February 16, 2011
Are you going to use the graphic in the future? I like it.
M Mofo from the Hood February 17, 2011
I know what a roadway on ramp is, and what an off ramp is; but what is a slip ramp?
Signed,
Ramp Rat
L low bar February 17, 2011
x=public comment support, y=chinese reconciliation park funds
M Mofo from the Hood February 17, 2011
So a slip ramp is an economic device used by public officials to divert monies to support their agenda?
R RR Anderson February 17, 2011
Chinese Reconciliation is worth a thousand slip ramps.
M Mofo from the Hood February 17, 2011
I endorse funding a slip ramp park built with Chinese labor.
L low bar February 17, 2011
its all smoke and mirrors man…THE GUBMENTS GONA GIT ME. dude, the government is filled with the most incompetent souls ever to walk the face of the planet. how would key stone cops spying on you mean anything in this day an age. if egypt can over throw the government on twitter, then us law abiding citizens have ZERO to fear. i am so done with the fear mongering in the country. the military or law enforcement will NEVER fire on its own citizens. NEVER. the country has become too full of carebears for that. why is it news that we are being spied on. sasquatch spys on tacomans on a daily basis from an observation tower on the northwest face of mount rainier. why isn’t that a story here?
S Stanley Cross February 18, 2011
@low bar, you should read some real news. True, many government law enforcement and security agencies are incompetent and wasteful, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. There were at least four incidents of non-threatening citizens who were shot and killed unnecessarily last year by various Puget Sound area police. One was a man at a bus stop on 6th Ave. in Tacoma… his crime? Behaving “strangely” and not responding the way the copy wanted (though witnesses said no one near had feared or felt threatened by him). TPD has also fired rubber bullets and tear gas on non-violent demonstrators, and repeatedly tazed unresisting activists. The Towery Dossier doesn’t refer to fantasy, it is indisputable proof that the Tacoma PD is spying on residents without appropriate cause. But, you go ahead and be blissful in your ignorance, dude. Just don’t display your personality too much at any 6th Ave. bus stops…
B Bongo February 18, 2011
Really, it is strange that this topic isn’t being covered here. There’s a Senate Bill (5048) being considered in Judiciary Committee right now addressing the fact that WA State currently has no laws regarding infiltrating, spying and sharing collected/concocted info, even when nothing illegal was being done by the people being spied on. There are Federal laws against that, though, so our local cops are putting their Homeland Security money in jeopardy by continuing such practices.
D Daniel February 18, 2011
The problem with people is that they’ve always been resistant to subjugation by global elites. We can take control of you politely and suavely (i.e.: via Exit133 mind games) or by force. We don’t like to use force, but if the system is going to be maintained, we cannot take certain risks. By deliberately suppressing the publication of the Council Meeting events, I protected the citizenry from thoughts which may lead to unpredictable results. Such information is simply too much for the minds of the non-elite to grapple with.
L low bar February 18, 2011
well i’m concerned about both sides: the weirdo anti-war demonstrator spies and the facist evergreeners who dabble in mythology and antisemitism. but i don’t see the links between cops shooting someone at a bus stop on 6th ave in tacoma wa and rubber bullets being shot at demonstrators. but i think we all know that this dialectic is ancient and getting old. the trends show that people are no longer being crucified and yes, maybe you’ll get a ‘rubber’ bullet fired at you in this century, but in the next you only may get slapped with a fine. then a century later a cataclysmic event will take place and the whole thing starts over again. i for one am ready to get my tail back. and stick it in a flying dragon. and shoot bows and arrows at the TPD for spying on my unobtainium
R RR Anderson February 18, 2011
why does everything have to be about sticking things into stuff with you?
D Daniel February 18, 2011
RR – this is a line of inquiry that can only lead down devious trails.
L low bar February 18, 2011
@15 like a parking meter?
L low bar February 18, 2011
yeah but is there a product that can sing like DB?
L low bar February 21, 2011
well for anyone who doesn’t know about the battle in seattle, before you wanna sling poo at the powers that be, hire a damn good lawyer and all will be well. i wonder what a catchy title for a battle in tacoma would be, hmmm, mad mccarver’s screaming babies beyond the tacoma dome? act one and two could play like mad max, but then in act three during the final crisis and climax the people of the puyallup tribe can suddenly appear like the ewoks from jedi to help push the action towards a resolution for the heros. well, maybe not. i need to go take a level three event. brb.
R RR Anderson February 21, 2011
The day TPD gets to use scoop vehicles to suppress an angry mob is the day Trig Palin becomes president. Talk about wishful thinking… wish we had that kind of density! Who is afraid of mass riots in a ghost town?
A Altered-Chords February 22, 2011
oh there are angry mobs alright. They’re facebooking, waiting for someone fined for not turning their wheels the right way to douse themselves w/ gasoline and light themselves on fire.
D Daniel February 22, 2011
@23
I am tempted to bring back the “comment of the day” just for that remark.
O ohhh my eyes!!! February 22, 2011
RR,
I am actually disappointed by this one. It’s both needlessly crass and a simple recycling of old material.
You have reached a new low and not in a good way.
Eye Bleach please.
I I, Cartoonist RR Anderson February 22, 2011
hooray a new plateau! Tacomic is at your cervix !
I I, Cartoonist RR Anderson February 22, 2011
my other idea was Eric Anderson spending his 35K a year raise on an expanded driveway/parking strip on his house. You know parking on the front yard HillTop style.
L low bar February 22, 2011
i think the dune/mentat references are cool. lenny bruce pretty much destroyed all ‘don’ts’ in the 60’s so i’d say crass away RR. oh and by setting a new one, welcome to the low bar. and if we are going to be playing favorites with comment of the day, i’ve got a favorite, and its what ever picks a fight and subverts the hypocrisy of the status quo: which is is the true perversion within the human agency.
I I, Cartoonist RR Anderson February 22, 2011
Mentat Lummox
Mind blowing contradiction!
Heroic scheming calculations, not to fold space or conquer a planet… but to create parking lots.