Tacoma City Council Meeting - January 22, 2013

The evening began with the swearing in of newly appointed city council member, Robert Thoms.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mayor Strickland proclaimed January 2013 as Mentoring Month in the City of Tacoma in recognition of the difference caring adults can make in the success of young people.

PUBLIC COMMENT
No comment this week.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38608 Awarding contracts to:

1. Repipe California LP, on its bid of $401,506.00, sales tax not included, plus a 10 percent contingency, for a cumulative total of $441,656.60, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, for rehabilitation of 11,000 linear feet of 8- and 10-inch diameter wastewater sewer pipes using Cured-In-Place Pipe technology – Specification No. PW12-0530F [John O’Loughlin, Science and Engineering Division Manager; Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services];
2. Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, in the amount of $450,816.00, sales tax not applicable, budgeted from the Convention Center Operating Fund, for sales and promotion services to support the sales program at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, for an initial one-year term, with the option to renew for one additional one-year terms for a projected contract total of $901,632.00 – Direct Negotiation [Jon Houg, Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center; Kim Bedier, Director, Public Assembly Facilities];
3. General Chemical Performance Products, LLC, in the amount of $250,000.00, sales tax not applicable, for a cumulative total of $1,154,860.00, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, to increase and extend the contract for liquid aluminum sulfate for wastewater treatment through January 31, 2014 –Specification No. PW08-0638F [Dan Thompson, Wastewater Management Operations Division Manager; Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]; and
4. Goodfellow Bros. Inc., in the amount of $300,000.00, sales tax not included, for a cumulative total of $648,150.00, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, to increase the contract for additional project work resulting from unanticipated field conditions for modifications and construction at three wastewater pump stations in the vicinity of Northeast Tacoma and the Tideflats – Specification No. PW12-0350F. [John O’Loughlin, Science and Engineering Division Manager; Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]

The purchase resolution passed.

Resolution No. 38609  Authorizing the execution of a 20-year lease agreement, with up to three, 5-year extensions, with Stiebrs Farms, Inc., for the use of approximately 1.2 acres of vacant Tacoma Rail Mountain Division property located in Yelm, for loading and unloading grain and agricultural products. [Dylan Harrison, Senior Real Estate Specialist; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

The base rent on the property will be waived if a minimum number of cars are moved per year, the cost of which would take the place of the rent.  The deal is expected to generate at least $185,00 annually.

Resolution No. 38610 Authorizing the execution and conveyance of a non-exclusive perpetual easement to Pierce County for a sewer pipeline under and across the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division right-of-way located in Frederickson, for the amount of $10,000. [Dylan Harrison, Senior Real Estate Specialist; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

The pipeline in question already exist to serve the Country Heights development.  The decision was made to make a perpetual easement to Pierce County.

Resolution No. 38611 Affirming the execution of Memoranda of Understanding negotiated with the Tacoma Joint Labor Committee, Professional Public Safety Management Association, Tacoma Police Management Association, Local 26, and Tacoma Police Union, Local 6, regarding elimination of the City’s $30 per month, per employee, contribution to the Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan; and ratifying the one-time taxable payment of $360 to eligible City employees in January 2013. [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

This resolution affirms negotiated agreements to discontinue the City’s monthly contribution to the benefit plan, and to pay eligible employees a one-time pay-out of $360.

Resolution No. 38612 Authorizing the execution of a Fourth Amendment to the Agreement for Improvements with Point Ruston, LLC, for reimbursement for certain improvements within the ASARCO Tacoma Smelter Superfund site. [Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

The resolution passed without comment.

FINAL 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]

The ordinance passed without comment.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28127 Amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to implement a change in the Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan and approve a one-time payment to eligible employees; and to implement a Letter of Agreement negotiated with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Customer and Field Services Unit. [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

This ordinance would implement the agreement affirmed in resolution 38611, plus a change in pay rate to a subcategory of IBEU employees.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Mayor Strickland and the Council wished City Manager Broadnax a happy birthday celebrated.  He got oatmeal cookies.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER
The City Manager thanked all the volunteers and employees who made Tacoma’s 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration a success this Monday.

The City Manager also reported on two ratings reports on Tacoma’s LTGO bond ratings.  Standard and Poor’s reaffirmed the City’s AA rating, and Moody’s revised its rating from Aa3 to A1.  Both listed a positive outlook for Tacoma.  Both reports cite the City’s work to stabilize its finances as contributing to the positive outlook for Tacoma.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Environment and Public Works Committee – Councilmember Mello reported that the committee received reports on a variety of topics:

• Design work on the South 21st street bicycle and pedestrian crossing of the Prairie Line Trail, including the phased implementation plan discussed at this week’s study session.
• Progress on the Shoreline Master Program update.  Final adoption is expected by June of this year.
• Updates to the urban forestry code.
• Progress on the Pacific Avenue Streetscape, eastbound Nalley Valley Viaduct, and other projects.
  At the next meeting the committee will hear an update on the Wapato Lake Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Homes initiative.

Councilmember Boe reported on welcoming representatives of Tacoma’s Sister City, Fuzhou, China, and reminded us that the Tacoma’s Sister Cities International Film Festival will kick off in two short weeks.  You can get your tickets for $10 per show, or see all nine movies with an $80 pass.  Boe also reminded us to support businesses affected by the construction on the Pacific Avenue Streetscape project, and noted that there’s an opportunity to do that coming up at the next Tacoma Green Drinks event at the Office on Thursday, February 7.

Councilmember Campbell reported on the South Sound Sports Commission’s Let’s Play event at the Tacoma Dome last weekend.  5,000 people showed up to the free expo to learn about and even experience a variety of different sports and other activities.

Councilmember Ibsen reported that he will be attending the ribbon cutting for a new Merrill Gardens senior independent and assisted living facility opening in his district, which has the largest number of such facilities in the city. 

Mayor Strickland joined the City Manager in thanking everyone who made Tacoma’s 25th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration a success.  The Mayor also announced that next Monday, January 28 she will give her State of the City address at Shift Happens, the annual celebration of local independent businesses.

ADJOURNMENT

Welcome to the dais, Councilmember Thoms.

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