Tacoma City Council Meeting - January 15, 2013

This week’s City Council meeting had a bit of a waterfront theme.  The LIDs for Point Ruston were finally approved, along with a pair of resolutions relating to the Foss Waterway.  The big ticket item, of course, was the question of selecting a replacement for Jake Fey’s vacant District 2 seat.

CONSENT AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38603 Accepting grants from the Federal Highway Administration, in the amount of $2,194,196, and the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board, in the amount of $1,495,500, for a cumulative total of $3,689,696; accepting and depositing said sum into the Streets Special Revenue Fund for asphalt overlay and other improvements on South Tacoma Way from South 43rd to South 47th Streets, and from South 56th to South 66th Streets; and authorizing the execution of the necessary documents with the Washington State Department of Transportation for the administration of the funding. [Said Seddiki, Senior Engineer; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28116 (First and Final Reading)  (Continued from the meeting of January 8, 2013) Approving and confirming the Assessment Roll for LID No. 3967 for the construction of sanitary sewer mains located within the Town of Ruston and the City of Tacoma to serve the Point Ruston development.  [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

Ordinance No. 28117 (First and Final Reading)  (Continued from the meeting of January 8, 2013) Approving and confirming the Assessment Roll for LID No. 5728 for the construction of 12-inch water mains located within the Town of Ruston and the City of Tacoma to serve the Point Ruston development.  [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

Ordinance No. 28118 (First and Final Reading)  (Continued from the meeting of January 8, 2013) Approving and confirming the Assessment Roll for LID No. 6980 for the installation of street lighting located within the Town of Ruston and the City of Tacoma to serve the Point Ruston development.  [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

Ordinance No. 28119 (First and Final Reading)  (Continued from the meeting of January 8, 2013) Approving and confirming the Assessment Roll for LID No. 7726 for the installation of underground primary electrical distribution, utilities, telephone, and cable TV lines located within the City of Tacoma to serve the Point Ruston development.  [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

Ordinance No. 28120 (First and Final Reading)  (Continued from the meeting of January 8, 2013) Approving and confirming the Assessment Roll for LID No. 7727 for the installation of underground primary electrical and distribution feeder systems located within the Town of Ruston in the Point Ruston neighborhood.  [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

Ordinance No. 28121 (First and Final Reading)  (Continued from the meeting of January 8, 2013) Approving and confirming the Assessment Roll for LID No. 8656 for the installation of concrete curbs and gutters, storm drain lines and stormwater catch basins, sidewalks, and a multiuse path and landscaping located within the Town of Ruston and the City of Tacoma in the Point Ruston neighborhood.  [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Phyllis Macleod, Hearing Examiner]

After some unexplained modifications to language, percentages, etc, the Point Ruston LID ordinances moved out of pending agenda purgatory where they’ve been living for several weeks, and passed without further comment.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mayor Strickland declared Monday, January 21, 2013 to be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the City of Tacoma, and encouraged all citizens to honor the national holiday and day of service, and to attend the City’s MLK Day celebration from 11:00 to 1:00 on Monday at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. 

PUBLIC COMMENT

Four speakers spoke in support of the Foss Waterway Development Authority’s larger redevelopment plan and specifically the sale of City-owned, FWDA-managed property to Pacific Seafood.  One speaker said the work of the FWDA shows that Tacoma is open for business.  A representative from Pacific Seafood said he looks forward to purchasing the property, making improvements, and expanding business in Tacoma.  On the subject of when the fish throwing will begin so Tacoma can compete with Seattle, he said for now they’re just throwing ideas, but soon…

REGULAR AGENDA

COMMUNICATIONS City Clerk advising that the Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities has filed their 2012 accomplishments. 

No action required from Council, and no comment on this one.

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38604 Awarding a contract to: Western Peterbilt, Inc., on its bid of $395,321, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Solid Waste Fund, for a hybrid-automated side-loader collection truck – Specification No. ES12-0698F. [Gary Kato, Acting Solid Waste Management Division Manager; Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]

The purchase resolution was adopted without comment.

Resolution No. 38605 Declaring surplus approximately 28,000-square-feet of City-owned property located at 1199 Dock Street, currently occupied by Johnny’s Seafood; authorizing the conveyance of said property, pursuant to the Third Operating Agreement with the Foss Waterway Development Authority (FWDA), to the FWDA; and authorizing the FWDA to execute the proper documents to convey said property to Pacific Seafood Washington Acquisition Co., Inc., for the amount of $700,000. [Martha Anderson, Assistant Director; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The resolution will allow the City to sell the upland property of site 6, where Johnny’s Seafood is located, to the Johnny’s parent company Pacific Seafood.  The 28,000 square foot property and cinder block building have been city-owned and FWDA managed, with the property rented to the seafood business for more than 30 years.  The portion of the property adjacent to the water will remain city-owned and accessible to the public.  Pacific Seafood will invest at least $1.3 million in improvements to the property, and upgrades to the public esplanade.  Improvements, including the remodel of the building with the addition of a bistro cafe, will be subject to design review.  Construction is planned to begin within 45 days of the August 20, 2013 closing date for the sale.  Councilmember Boe noted that the sale moves the property from untaxed public ownership, back to the tax rolls.

Resolution No. 38606 Approving the Foss Waterway Development Authority Master Redevelopment Strategy. [Martha Anderson, Assistant Director; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

It’s been a while since the FWDA master strategy document was updated.  The renewed Master Redevelopment Strategy includes re-examined preferred uses and development plans, development objectives, and a plan for the FWDA goal of self-sufficiency.  The review process included numerous workshops over the last year.  Three primary objectives of private investment, public access, and environmental stewardship, as well as a desire for mixed-use development.  The public identified priorities around organizing waterfront development by use, completing the esplanade, improving wayfinding and connections between the Foss waterfront and downtown Tacoma, activating the waterfront with events, identifying parking alternatives, partnering with the private sector on environmental remediation, and (our favorite), finishing what is started.

Resolution No. 38607 Authorizing the execution of an agreement with the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society, in the amount of $463,750, budgeted from the General Fund, for animal shelter, licensing, and related services for the year 2013.  [Mike Ake, Assistant Chief; Don Ramsdell, Chief, Tacoma Police]

The resolution renews the agreement with the Humane Society for animal shelter and licensing at a reduced cost, attributable, at least in part, to increased spay and neuter efforts and services.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28125  Amending Chapter 6B.165 of the Municipal Code, relating to provisional rental licenses, to require a provisional rental license for derelict buildings, align the rights of appeal with Titles 2 and 6 of the Municipal Code, remove the word “substantially” from determining when a property meets the conditions of a license, require completion of the City’s Crime Free Housing Landlord training, reflect organizational changes in the City, and allow for a Certificate of Complaint to be filed; and adding Section 6B.165.085 to address first-time offenders. [Danielle Larson, Tax and License Division Manager; Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The ordinance passed without comment.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28126 Providing for the issuance of Limited Tax General Obligation (LTGO) Refunding Bonds, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $45,630,000, to refund or defease certain outstanding LTGO bonds and to pay costs of issuing the bonds. [Teresa Sedmak, City Treasurer; Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

In undertaking this re-funding of debt, the City will realize a significant savings over the life of the debt.  The money saved will be directed back to the City’s unrestricted fund, to be available for unforeseen circumstances.  The savings will run throughout the term of the bonds, but has been structured to be concentrated on the front end.  If passed, we would start seeing those savings in the next biennium.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Just some clarification and rewording.  Apparently our new Deputy Mayor Campbell said “and” where he should have said “through.”  A motion was made to clarify that we do indeed want to pass ordinances 28116 through 28121, and not just 28116 and 28121.  Details.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

• A Tacoma Police chaplain was awarded an award for long-term excellence in chaplaincy.
• City Manager Broadnax also acknowledged Lonergan’s birthday coming up on January 17, saying he wanted to make sure Lonergan gets a cupcake in celebration of being one year older.  Happy birthday Joe.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Economic Development Committee – Councilmember Boe reported on the work of the committee.

• A do pass for contracts with economic development organizations for both competitive and noncompetitive funding.  This was the first time around on the competitive funding process for this committee.
• A do pass for the Pacific Seafood purchase agreement.
• Meeting with stakeholder groups to discuss ways for the City to support (or alternatively get out of the way of) business development in Tacoma.
• Receiving presentations on Destination Point Defiance, industrial districts, small business incubator, the LeMay’s first year of operation, and more.
• The next meeting will include a discussion of the City’s economic development framework.

Discussion of Council District 2 Candidates

Added to the agenda was a discussion, and ultimately a nomination of candidates for the vacant District 2 council seat.

The Council listed their top picks, giving various reasons for each.  We heard Patricia Lecy-Davis, Phillip Cowan, and Robert Thom’s names from several council members, as well as a mention for Monica Alexander and Carolyn Edmonds.  Councilmember Campbell made a motion to nominate Lecy-Davis, which failed.  Campbell then nominated Thoms, and the rest of the council fell in line, unanimously nominating Thoms to take the District 2 seat. 

ADJOURNMENT

So there you have it, a full council again for Tacoma.  If you were hoping for a little more back-and-forth on the candidates, you would have had to be a fly on the wall in the council’s closed session.

For more on the items on this week’s agenda, see our City business preview for the week.