Tacoma City Council Meeting - June 19, 2012

After a fairly grueling afternoon of budget presentations and discussion, this week’s City Council meeting was one of the shorter, more rapid-fire meetings we’ve seen in a while. 

CONSENT AGENDA
No Consent Agenda items.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mayor Strickland recognized the students of Trinity Elementary who were present for the meeting.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Two of the visiting elementary school students came forward and stated their names.  Just to get a feel for it.  Maybe we’ll see them back up there in a few years.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38500 Awards a contract to: GeoDesign, Inc., in the amount of $243,213.83, sales tax not applicable, budgeted from federal grants, the Streets Special Revenue Fund, the Capital Projects REET Fund, and various utility funds, for a cumulative total of $741,630.84, to increase and extend the contract for geotechnical and structural work on the hillside below Stadium Way at Schuster Parkway through December 31, 2013 –  Specification No. PW09-0075F. [Chris Larson, Engineering Division Manager;  Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]
Passed without comment.

Resolution No. 38501 Authorizes increased participation in a Tacoma Public Utilities, Water Division, contract with Pape & Sons Construction, Inc., in the amount of $340,164.62, including sales tax, budgeted from the Wastewater Fund, for a cumulative total of $1,620,635.98, for additional work to replace underground wastewater and water pipes in the vicinity of South 12th Street to 6th Avenue from MacArthur to Hawthorne Streets. [John O’Loughlin, Science and Engineering Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

Resolution No. 38502 Authorizes increased participation in a Tacoma Public Utilities, Water Division, contract with WM. Dickson Co., in the amount of $60,000.00, including sales tax, budgeted from the Wastewater and Surface Water Funds, for a cumulative total of $669,814.85, for additional work to remove subsurface utility conflicts beneath and additional surface restoration upon Jefferson Avenue from South 23rd to South 27th Streets. [John O’Loughlin, Science and Engineering Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28078 Amends Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to provide for a wage increase of 3.3 percent for employees represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, which covers 20 budgeted, full-time positions, effective July 1, 2012. [Mike Brock, Labor Negotiator; Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]
Funding for this comes from TPU, not from the general fund.

Ordinance No. 28079 Amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to provide for a wage increase of 2.5 percent for employees represented by the United Transportation Union, Switch Crew Unit, which covers 28 budgeted, full-time positions, effective July 1, 2012. [Mike Brock, Labor Negotiator; Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]
Again, funding comes from TPU, not the general fund.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER
City Manager Broadnax introduced Tacoma’s new city treasurer, who comes to us from Denver, Colorado.  Welcome Theresa.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Environment and Public Works Committee – Councilmember Mello reported on the four meetings since the last report.  Topics covered included a presentation on ecosystem services from Earth Economics, work to develop a municipal green building policy, the work of the Sustainable Tacoma Commission, the six-year comprehensive transportation program process, phone book reduction policies implemented by other municipalities, and updates on the Urban Forestry Code, for which further outreach will be done this summer and fall, and staff will return with revised policy proposals later this year.

Councilmember Walker referenced the Council budget meeting earlier in the day, where Council reviewed the questionnaire they completed earlier this month, heard presentations from staff on key topics, and discussed possible solutions.  Walker reminded us of the next phase, which will include getting citizen input at community budget meetings throughout Tacoma.  The first meeting will be next monday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the main branch of the Tacoma Public Library.  She encouraged everyone to come learn more about the discussion and challenges, and to add input.

Mayor Strickland mentioned a $6 million federal grant awarded for workforce development.

ADJOURNMENT

Fastest meeting ever.  Ever.