Tacoma City Council Meeting - June 18, 2013

CONSENT AGENDA

ASSESSMENT ROLLS

The Director of Public Works presents the Assessment Rolls for the following:

LID No. 5729 for the installation of a 12-inch water main and related appurtenances crossing East D Street to serve the Harold E. LeMay Museum development.

LID No. 7729 for the installation of underground primary electrical distribution, utilities, telephone, and cable TV lines within a utility easement to serve the Harold E. LeMay Museum development.

Setting Thursday, July 11, 2013, at 9:00 a.m., as the date for a hearing by the Hearing Examiner. [Ralph Rodriguez, L.I.D. Administrator; Kurtis Kingsolver, Interim Director, Public Works]

The consent agenda was adopted without comment.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mayor Strickland proclaimed Wednesday, June 19, 2013, as Walk Tacoma Day in the City of Tacoma in recognition of the success of the Walk Tacoma program, the importance of a walkable city, and the expansion of the downtown walking map series. The Mayor invited everyone to join her in celebrating Walk Tacoma Day with Walk Tacoma’s Museum Walk on Wednesday, June 19 from 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. Meet at 5 p.m. at the Children’s Museum.

The American Public Works Professionals Washington Chapter VP presented Tacoma with an American Public Works Association 2013 Public Works Project of the Year Award for the Solid Waste Management and Recovery Center project, which improved safety and environmental practices at the facility, separating the public from work vehicles, and changing the process so the public can dump onto the flat floor of a building, rather than having to throw trash over a chain into a hole (although there was something strangely satisfying about that old set up...). The project has been awarded both the state level and national award for the use of good construction management techniques, safety, community and environmental awareness, among other criteria. The project is LEED Gold certified, and was one of 12 projects selected out of the nearly 200 submitted for the award.

PUBLIC COMMENT

A representative from the Master Builders Association spoke to the ordinance pertaining to Comprehensive Plan amendments, requesting again that the City reconsider its public notification requirements for subdivision developments.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38682 Awarding contracts to:

1. Lincoln Construction, Inc., on its bid of $895,771.00, plus sales tax, plus an 18 percent contingency, for a cumulativetotal of $1,057,009.78, budgeted from the 2010 LTGO Bond Series D Fund, for parapet bracing and repairs to the 12th floor roof of the Tacoma Municipal Complex – Specification No. PW13-0227F; and [Jeffrey Jenkins, Facilities Management Division Manager; Kurtis Kingsolver, Interim Director, Public Works]
2. Right! Systems, Inc., in the amount of $305,000.00, including sales tax, budgeted from the Information Services Fund, for the annual renewal of the hardware and software maintenance support of the Cisco computer data network through August 10, 2014 – Washington State Contract No. T06-MST-001. [Johnny Rivera, Information Technology Manager; Jack Kelanic, Interim Director, Information Technology]

Councilmember Boe recused himself from voting on the resolution due to the potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest on item 1. The purchase resolution was adopted without further council comment.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28157 Amending Chapters 1.37, 10.14, 13.02, 13.04, 13.05, 13.06, and 13.06A of the Municipal Code, relating to the 2013 Annual Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, by revising regulations pertaining to drive-through facilities, platting and subdivisions, signs, adoption and amendment procedures; correcting minor errors; and addressing inconsistencies and enhancing clarity of the Code, effective August 1, 2013. [Brian Boudet, Planning Division Manager; Peter Huffman, Interim Director, Planning and Development Services]

Key changes covered by the proposed amendments include updates to drive-through standards to ensure limited impact on pedestrian-oriented environments; updates to amendment procedures including moratoria processes, platting regulations, etc; new regulations to address digital signage; and annual clean ups of minor language and other tweaks to improve the effectiveness and efficiencies of the code, including a one year, one time allowance for extensions to land use permits, a new smaller process for minor variance requests, and a change to allow for variances to downtown standards. 

Councilmember Boe introduced a substitute ordinance, which would add a fifth criteria under which a variance could be considered. The four existing conditions for variances are generally things like lot size/shape over which the applicant has no control; this fifth would add a design criteria, which allows the applicant to find a design that is superior to the requirements, to allow for more interesting and innovative solutions to design challenges than what regulations envision. It would allow a developer to apply for a variance to build a better mousetrap downtown, even if it doesn’t look like what we expect a mousetrap to look like. Other changes in the substitute ordinance would include two additional modifications: one to clarify pedestrian-oriented streetlighting requirements in platting, and one to simplify the language around appeal procedures to defer to the overarching appeals section. The Council isn’t making the requested changes to the public notification process, choosing to opt in favor of more, rather than less. The substitution was accepted.

Deputy Mayor Campbell brought forward an amendment to the substitute ordinance, which would make amendments to regulations of A-board signs, allowing for the signs to be located off site for businesses in mixed-use centers, to allow businesses not directly on the main thoroughfare to attract attention and customers. The amendment was adopted, and the substitute ordinance will go to a vote next week.

Ordinance No. 28158  Amending the Comprehensive Plan by modifying the land use designation systems, incorporating “Environmental Justice,” updating unfunded transportation projects, establishing a new land use designation framework, and endorsing review of the Countywide Planning Policies for Pierce County, effective August 1, 2013. [Brian Boudet, Planning Division Manager; Peter Huffman, Interim Director, Planning and Development Services]

There are three areas of amendment covered by this ordinance. The first relates to countywide planning policies that the City regularly reviews to ensure consistency.  Tacoma is generally consistent with the policies, but a few issues were highlighted that will be looked at moving forward. The second relates to the transportation element, with mostly minor changes, including the removal of completed projects from the plan lists and the addition of a few new items, and the addition of language highlighting environmental justice as a priority. The final change has to do with the land use designations system, as the City moved from a system of four intensity classifications to a new system of 13 classifications based on use types intended to be more easily understood by the public.

Ordinance No. 28159 Amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to implement rates of pay and compensation for approximately 32 budgeted, full-time positions, represented by the United Transportation Union, Switch Crew Unit, effective July 1, 2013. [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

The changes covered here relate to pay rate increases based on cost of living adjustments and/or the Consumer Price Index.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None this week.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

City Manager Broadnax had two items to report.

• The US Environmental Protection Agency selected Tacoma’s LEAP (a job training and apprenticeship program) for a $200,000 grant to support work to recruit, place, and train residents in jobs that address local environmental challenges. 
• Tacoma’s Public Works fleet division was selected as one of the 100 best fleets by Government Fleet Magazine at the Government Fleet Expo based on a number of criteria including accountability, technology, implementation, collaboration, creativity, doing it right the first time, and quick and efficient service turnaround.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Economic Development Committee – Deputy Mayor Campbell shared the recent work of the committee.

• Received a presentation from Tacoma South Sound Sports on the role of amateur sporting events in bringing more tourism to Tacoma.
  
• Heard a presentation from the Foss Waterway Development authority on the Henry Group’s plans for a mixed-use development on Site 1.
• Received a briefing from World Trade Center Tacoma staff on the EB-5 foreign investment program as it relates to Tacoma’s economic development plan.
• Heard a briefing about the relocation of the Amtrak terminal to Freight House Square 
• Heard an overview of restaurant industry in Tacoma and another presentation on the Free Range Kitchen culinary incubator on 6th Avenue.

Councilmember Ibsen reported on upcoming work to clean up arsenic in the soil of Tacoma’s parks, including Point Defiance. Work is wrapping up at Titlow, and Jane Clark Park is next up on the list, with plans for the removal and replacement of 12 inches of contaminated soil. There will be a public meeting Wednesday evening from 6 to 7 at the park.

Deputy Mayor Campbell reported on the recent program displaying the art of City employees and their families. Best in show went to Noah Johnson for his series of six panels illustrations of Tacoma, which is on display on the 9th floor.

Councilmember Woodards announced that Connie Ladenburg will be holding a District 4 meeting next Thursday at the Environmental Services Building in University Place, covering topics including an update on the US Open and related local impacts.

Councilmember Lonergan reminded us that neighborhood clean-ups continue this weekend with Stafford, East Stafford, and Shaska.

Councilmember Mello was absent.

ADJOURNMENT