Tacoma City Council Meeting - May 12, 2015

A resolution was added to the agenda increasing the number of Tacoma Minimum Wage Task Force members from 13 to 15, and adding two alternates, and listing the appointed members.

CONSENT AGENDA

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES (First and Final Reading)

Ordinance No. 28299 An ordinance approving and confirming a recalculated Final Assessment Roll for Local Improvement District No. 6979, for the cost of installing street lights along South 69th Street, from South Durango Street to South Madison Street; and along Proctor Street, from South 69th Street north approximately 225 feet.

The consent agenda was adopted without comment.

PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/PRESENTATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

May 17-23, 2015 was proclaimed as National Public Works Week.in recognition of the integral role public works employees play in the quality of citizens’ everyday lives, providing the services that support the health, safety, and comfort of the community, doing their best work quietly and efficiently, without lights and sirens, handling issues before they become a problem.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Public comment this week included thank yous for the council – for the Prairie Line Trail and the creation of George H. Weyerhaeuser Park on the Foss Waterway. Some commenters thanked the council for recognizing Weyerhaeuser’s contributions to Tacoma with the naming of the waterfront park, which will continue to grow as an asset for Tacoma as the Foss continues to develop.

We also heard about the importance of the Prairie Line Trail as a connector to the waterfront, and the value of improving it with this additional land – possibly for the addition of an art park. The Prairie Line Trail follows the historic rail line to the waterfront, and with the eventual connection via the Downtown to Defiance trail on one end, and the Water Flume Line Trail and other regional trails on the other, will be an important part of a trails system that will connect Point Defiance to the rest of Pierce County and even Mount Rainier. We also heard something about a 9-hole mini golf course planned for along the trail the week of the US Open. Sounds like fun.

Then there were several comments relating to the formation of the minimum wage task force. These comments were less glowing, with commenters voicing concerns about the composition of the task force, asking the council to be aware of the balance, and not to allow for any one interest group to make up the majority. One speaker with the 15 Now movement warned the council that he and his friends and the citizens of Tacoma would be closely watching the process to see that their interests are listened to.

REGULAR AGENDA

APPOINTMENTS

Resolution No. 39188 A resolution appointing and reappointing individuals to the Human Rights Commission and the Human Services Commission.

The resolution appoints individuals to fill five openings on each of the commissions. Councilmember Woodards described a highly qualified applicant pool. Thanks everyone for serving.

Resolution No. 39194 A resolution increasing the number of Tacoma Minimum Wage Task Force members from 13 to 15 by adding two additional members representing business and citizen groups, and adding two alternates; and appointing individuals to said Task Force.

This resolution was a late addition to the agenda. Additional members were added to the task force to account for the fact that not all members will be able to make all of the meetings.

Names:

Reggie Frederick – Owner, Chalet Bowl
Brenda Wiest – Legal Affairs Coordinator, Teamsters 117
Dennis Farrow – Advanced Technology Construction
Kelly Chambers – Visiting Angels
Sarah Cherin – Political and Public Policy Director, UFCW 21
Eric Hahn
David Strong – Executive Director, AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma and Pastor, Greater Christ Community Church
Pastor Gregory Christopher
Dr. Ali Modarres – Director, Urban Studies, UW Tacoma
Liz Dunbar – Executive Director, Tacoma Community House
Michelle Douglas – Executive Director, Rainbow Center
Odette D’Aniello – Owner, Celebrity Cake Studio
Abranna Romero Rocha – Lincoln High School Student
Jason Kinlow, Owner, A Taste of Philly
Elizabeth Lewis – Minimum Wage Worker, Staff Pro
Robert Taylor (alternate) – Member Field Director, SEIU 1199 NW
Russ Heaton (alternate), Owner, Doyle’s

Mayor Strickland acknowledged the short timeline for the task force’s work, but said she wwas confident that these smart and committed people will rise to the occasion. 

PURCHASE RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 39189 A resolution authorizing an increase to the contract with Northwest Cascade, Inc., in the amount of $50,000.00, plus sales tax, for a cumulative total of $562,912.40, budgeted from the Transportation Capital Fund, for additional local improvement district enhancements requested by property owners and additional construction work required to complete roadway improvements.

The purchase resolution was adopted without comment.

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 39190 A resolution authorizing the purchase of a parcel of land from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, in the amount of $302,400, for future development of the Prairie Line Trail.

The land acquired in this deal will allow the City to build the trail as envisioned between the UW Tacoma campus and the Foss Waterway. Though the property is appraised at more than one million dollars, BNSF will be donating $757,700 of the value to the City, and the City will pay $302,400 out of 2015-16 REET funds.

Calling the trail an “amazing, amazing connection” for Tacoma, Councilmember Boe thanked everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen, particularly Michael Sullivan, who rallied the charge against losing the additional parcel. Boe also thanked United Way for changing their plans to acquire the property for a parking lot, and Peter Callaghan for making everyone aware of the importance of the trail. 

Resolution No. 39191 A resolution naming the park located at 1955, 2101, and 2119 Dock Street as “George H. Weyerhaeuser Jr. Park.” 

The existing park was unnamed up to this point, and will be named after the late George H. Weyerhaeuser Jr. in recognition of his civic leadership and contributions to Tacoma. Weyerhaeuser was instrumental in the redevelopment of the Foss Waterway as a founding member of the Museum of Glass, Foss Waterway Development Authority Board President, and Chairman of the Building Design Review Committee. Councilmember Campbell said he didn’t think the Foss would look the way it does without Weyerhaeuser’s contributions.

 

Resolution No. 39192 A resolution authorizing the use of $30,000 of Council Contingency Funds to secure the services of a facilitator for the Tacoma Minimum Wage Task Force. 

This resolution funds the facilitator who will support the work of the task force. Because it authorizes the use of Council Contingency Funds, it needed a supermajority, which it got.

Resolution No. 39193 This is the first reading of a resolution amending the Rules of Procedure of the Council of the City of Tacoma to change the time for the Study Session from noon to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday of each week, effective June 2, 2015; and to remove language related to consulting with the Committee of the Whole in various sections. 

Mayor Strickland described the proposed changes as allowing for better use of staff and council time. City Manager Broadnax said the change in time for the study session would allow council members more opportunity to meet with constituents and to attend events that occur during the lunch hour on Tuesdays. Committee of the Whole meetings were frequently being canceled, and the consensus was that items on those agendas could be handled at study session. The change leaves room for the scheduling of future Committee of the Whole meetings if needed.

Because the resolution makes changes to council procedures, it requires a second reading, which it will get next week. Additional changes to council procedures will be considered by the Government Performance and Finance Committee.

CITIZENS’ FORUM

The majority of Citizens’ Forum this month was on the future of the Click! network. Nine commenters spoke to the topic, all of them asking the council to keep Click! as a public utility. The commenters called Click! an asset to the people of Tacoma. They challenged claims that Click! is doing as poorly as has been claimed, and criticized the way push polling was used to gather public comment.  One commenter, who grew up in Tacoma, graduated from UWT, works for a tech company, and has purchased a house in Tacoma, said that “for us to give up this utility would be insane.”

Three commenters asked the council to avoid entering into a contract for jail services with a private company. All three cited problems with level of service provided by for-profit prison companies.

We also heard a request that the City focus on reinvesting in light industrial manufacturing, shipping, and arts and crafts businesses to generate jobs and economic growth; criticism of the minimum wage task force from a 15 Now representative; a thank you for the Prairie Line Trail investment from Tacoma Wheelman’s and local historian Michael Sullivan; and one commenter with large cue cards sharing an interesting string of comments that sounded more like a spoken word performance than what we’re used to hearing as public comment. We can't possibly do it justice in a summary. 

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Mayor Strickland commented in response to the concerns over Click, noting that at the end of the month there will be a presentation to the Community Council – the group of leaders from all the neighborhood councils – the Community Council will give feedback on the desire for public open houses, and at some point there will be a joint session of the city council and the utility board, which the mayor pointed out is made up of citizens. At some point, Strickland said, a survey will go out to the public, asking about what people want, and what they’re willing to pay for it – what the vision is for Click!.

Strickland said that she and some of the board at TPU have asked TPU Director Bill Gaines to look into what it would take for Click! to become an ISP itself.

The mayor also defended the recent ad in the San Jose Mercury News, saying that although it might not have been everyone’s favorite, it did work in getting people’s attention, and bringing calls in to the City.

ADJOURNMENT

Council members Mello and Thoms were absent from this week’s meeting.

For more on items on this week’s agenda, see our City Business Preview.