Tacoma City Council Meeting - March 5, 2013

Despite (or maybe because of) a fairly full agenda, the theme of this week’s City Council meeting must have been “keep it brief.” Because that’s what they did.

CONSENT AGENDA

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

No proclamations, recognitions, presentations, or announcements this week.

PUBLIC COMMENT

No comment.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38635 Awarding contracts to:

1. Office Max, Inc., in the amount of $175,000.00, plus sales tax, budgeted from various departmental funds, for a cumulative total of $776,403.96, toincrease the contract for office supplies on an as-needed basis – Specification No. CT11-0159F; and [Kathy Katterhagen, Procurement and Payables Manager; Andrew Cherullo, Director, Finance]
2. Helm Manufacturing, LLC, in the amount of $875,000.00, plus sales tax, and Handan Container and Trailer Repair, in the amount $375,000.00, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Solid Waste Fund, for a combined total of $1,250,000.00, for repair and maintenance of the Solid Waste transfer trailer fleet, both contracts for an initial three-year term with the option to renew for two additional one-year terms – Specification No. GF12-0694F. [Jeff Jenkins, Facilities Division Manager; Kurtis Kingsolver, Interim Director, Public Works]

Adopted without comment.

Resolution No. 38636 Authorizing the execution of a Multi-family Housing Eight-Year Limited Property Tax Exemption Agreement with Cedar Hill Homes, LLC, for the development of five market-rate multi-family rental housing units located at 1427 East 35th Street in the Portland Avenue Mixed-Use Center. [James Colburn, Associate Planner; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The developer is proposing to develop five two-bedroom rental units with garages, with completion expected by the end of 2013. The project on currently undeveloped property will continue to generate property taxes on the unimproved value of the property for the eight years during which the housing will be exempt.

Resolution No. 38637 Authorizing the execution of a Multi-family Housing Eight-Year Limited Property Tax Exemption Agreement with Kahne & Kahne Properties LLC, for the development of 16 market-rate multi-family for sale housing units located at 2117-2125 South Yakima Avenue in the Downtown Mixed-Use Center. [James Colburn, Associate Planner; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The developer proposes to develop 16 new market rate for sale housing units with garages in the downtown mixed use center, to be completed by fall 2015. As with the above rental units, the land will continue to produce property tax revenues during the tax exemption for the developed housing, which will expire after eight years.

Resolution No. 38638 Authorizing the execution of two agreements with BNSF Railway Company: a Real Estate Donation Agreement for an approximately 20-foot-wide strip of property located within the Prairie Line Trail right-of-way between South 15th and South 26th Streets, and an 80-foot-wide right-of-way between South 23rd and South 25th Streets; and an Exchange Agreement to permanently close the street crossing on A Street in the vicinity of East 22nd and Dock Streets. [Martha Anderson, Assistant Director; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The resolution authorizes two agreements: a donation agreement, which specifies areas along the Prairie Line to be transferred to the City, and an exchange agreement, which specifies the closure of an at-grade rail crossing to traffic and allows for future construction of a pedestrian overpass. The donation agreement includes land on either side of UWT, generally 20-feet wide, other than a couple 80-foot wide sections that run between other City-owned property. The donation is “as-is,” faults and all, and cannot be transferred to another party without an okay from BNSF. Under the exchange agreement, the City vacates a portion of A Street for closure where it crosses the BNSF rails. The exchange agreement also allows for the future construction of a pedestrian overpass over the rail line, in about the vicinity of South 23rd Street.

The deal, which took more than a decade to work out, establishes City ownership of the property needed to connect uphill portions of the Prairie Line Trail, through UWT, to the water. Now that the deal is being finalized, the City can move on to design and funding processes.

Resolution No. 38639 Authorizing the execution of the North Access Road Development Agreement and the Donation Agreement with BNSF Railway Company, to construct a public road in South Tacoma; and a Letter of Understanding between Public Works and Tacoma Public Utilities. [Martha Anderson, Assistant Director; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The resolution includes three agreements relating to providing BNSF secondary access to its site across property currently owned by Tacoma Water; a development agreement addressing the development of the access road, a donation agreement describing the donation of BNSF property to the City, and a letter of understanding between TPU and the City, addressing roles and responsibilities for each party in the deal.

According to the development agreement, the access road will be constructed at BNSF’s expense, up to heavy haul standards, on 1.3 acres of Tacoma Water property, and will include a traffic signal at South 35th. The City and TPU will retain access and utility rights, and the road will have City street status, in which the City assumes responsibility for for environmental clean up and future maintenance. The donation agreement identifies approximately six acres of BNSF land between South 35th and 37th, which will be donated to the City when the road is completed.

The area is mostly grassy open fields, and hasn’t been used since 1970. Prior to that the area was used for rail car repair and manufacturing, and is a former Superfund site. The road will be constructed when BNSF locates interested tenants or buyers for the property, which already has a primary access point, but which requires a secondary access to be developed.

Resolution No. 38640 Approving the five-year Economic Development Strategic Framework and two-year Economic Development Action Plan. [Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

We were treated to the most worthless briefest presentation on record. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but we’re not sure it does much for the soul of government. That complaint notwithstanding, the resolution passed.

Resolution No. 38641 Authorizing the extension of the Tacoma Fire Department’s Emergency Management Planning Performance Program, a special project of limited duration, through December 31, 2016. [Tory Green, Deputy Chief; James Duggan, Chief, Tacoma Fire]

This resolution reestablishes a special project position originally established in 2009, and fully funded by an emergency management performance grant.

Resolution No. 38642 Approving revisions to the 2010-2014 Human Services Strategic Plan relating to human services strategic priorities and funding policies. [Kim Dodds, Contract and Program Auditor; Tansy Hayward, Director, Neighborhood and Community Services]

The revisions here come from recommendations from the Health Department review of mental health and chemical dependency services, and include establishing a reserve for the mental health and chemical dependency plan, and establishing criteria for distributing funds collected through the 0.1% sales tax.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28136 Amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to implement the rates of pay and compensation for employees represented by the following unions:

• Teamsters Local Union No. 117, Public Assembly Facilities Unit;
• Tacoma Police Union, Local No. 6;
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Customer and Field Services, Supervisors, Tacoma Water, and Water Pollution Control Units; and
• District Lodge No. 160, on behalf of Local Lodge No. 297, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Rail Mechanics and Track Workers Units.

[Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

The ordinance passed without comment.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28137 Providing for the issuance and sale of the City’s Regional Water Supply System Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2013, not to exceed $83,000,000, to provide funds to refund or defease all or a portion of the Regional Water Supply System Revenue Bonds, 2002; appointing the City’s designated representative to approve the final terms of the sale of the bonds; and authorizing an amendment to the Repayment Agreement dated August 24, 2010. [Sean Senescall, Rates & Financial Planning Assistant Division Manager; Linda McCrea, Superintendent, Tacoma Water]

This item, along with the following ordinance, represent Tacoma Water’s financing plan for 2013. This ordinance would refund existing bonds at current low rates, yielding a savings for Tacoma and its partners.

Ordinance No. 28138 Providing for the issuance and sale of water system revenue bonds, not to exceed $87,000,000, to provide funds to finance or refinance costs of capital improvements to the water system and to refund or defease all or a portion of the Water System Revenue Bonds, 2003; and appointing the City’s designated representative to approve the final terms of the sale of the bonds. [Sean Senescall, Rates & Financial Planning Assistant Division Manager; Linda McCrea, Superintendent, Tacoma Water]

This ordinance would provide refunding for existing Tacoma Water bonds, along with new funding for projects contained in the 2013 Tacoma Water budget. Tacoma Water will be financing projects with debt this year instead of increases for rate payers, in order to take advantage of historically low interest rates.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER

• Representatives from the Urban Land Institute are in town this week, along with other experts and representatives from other cities. The Institute seeks to provide leadership in sustainable use of land worldwide. Mayor Strickland was selected to participate in a ULI fellowship, which brings the representatives here this week. They will be touring the MLK corridor, and presenting recommendations to the Council this Thursday, March 7.
• The City Manager also acknowledged Councilmember Thoms’ upcoming birthday, and presented him with the notorious cupcake.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Environment and Public Works Committee – Councilmember Mello reported on topics covered by the committee.

• The Narrows Marina interlocal agreement with University Place, which will allow staff to conduct cooperative processes, to streamline the permitting process for the developer.
• The Healthy Homes, Health Neighborhoods Initiative pilot project includes door-knocking, distribution of CFL lightbulbs, and information about garbage disposals, tree planting, rain gardens and other topics in the Wapato Lake area.
• The six-year utility rate plan as approved by Council February 12.
• The Tacoma Avenue South Bridge Rehab project, on which the Committee provided feedback.

Councilmember Boe had a couple items to report on – briefly.

• Tacoma Opera will be doing La Traviata March 15 and 17
• The Pacific Avenue Streetscape is moving along – sidewalks are in place along the east side of Pacific between 11th and 13th. Come on down and check out the construction – and support the businesses.

Councilmember Thoms announced the Sister Cities International Film Festival for the next two weeks. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. at the Blue Mouse Theater in Proctor, cultural programming starts at 6:15, and the movies start at 7:00.

• March 7 – Secret Sunshine from Gunsan, South Korea
• March 14 – O’Horten from Alesund, Norway
  film fest – this thurs 7th and 14th – doors open at 6,

Mayor Strickland announced that there will be no Council meetings next week. The next City Council meeting (including this month’s Citizens’ Forum) will be Tuesday, March 19. See you then.

ADJOURNMENT

And in keeping with the theme, the meeting squeaked in just a few minutes short of an hour, leaving us all plenty of time to hurry off to wherever we needed to be.