Tacoma City Council Meeting - May 15, 2012

This week’s Council meeting comes with a fair number of resolutions, mostly on affordable housing, and purchase resolutions.  We’ve also got pretty diverse public representation between Public Comment and Citizens’ Forum…

CONSENT AGENDA

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Two proclamations and a presentation today:

• Mayor Strickland proclaims May 4, 2012 to be Walk a Mile In Her Shoes Day in the City of Tacoma in honor of efforts to eliminate sexual violence.
• Mark McIntire, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, made the Commission’s annual address to Council, including a summary of accomplishments in the last year and current and upcoming initiatives.  Mayor Strickland presented McIntire with a proclamation.

PUBLIC COMMENT
We heard comment on three topics today.  One commenter was interested in seeing a map for the manufacturing center proposed in Resolution 38486, and expressed the importance of being sure that the interests of those already in that area are taken into consideration.  The same commenter expressed support for the completion of Fire Station No. 5, but wishes to know where the money came from.  We heard support for the passage of the resolution on additional regional centers from for-profit and nonprofit representatives of Tacoma’s Affordable Housing Committee, as well as a speaker from the City of University Place. 

REGULAR AGENDA

A motion passed to authorize the City’s full and final settlement of all claims against the City in the claim of Patricia Ortiz, Claim No. L-002-12, upon payment by the City in the amount of $51,052.80.

APPOINTMENTS

Resolution No. 38484 Appoints and reappoints individuals to the Planning Commission, the Human Services Commission, and the Board of Building Appeals. [Cindy DeGrosse, Executive Secretary; Mayor Marilyn Strickland]

RESOLUTIONS

Purchase Resolution No. 38485 Awards contracts to:

1. Republic Parking Northwest, Inc., in the amount of $1,490,600.00, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Parking Garages Fund, for a cumulative total of $6,908,400.00, to increase and extend the contract for the operation and maintenance of City-owned parking facilities through April 30, 2013 –  Specification No. PW08-0113F [Chris Larson, Engineering Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works];
2. Tri-State Construction, in the amount of $600,000.00, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Fund, for a cumulative total of $1,892,511.50, to increase the contract for additional construction services requested by the City for the reconfiguration of the railroad tracks at Blakeslee Junction near Centralia – Specification No. PW11-0038F [Chris Larson, Engineering Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works];
3. Reid Middleton, in the amount of $57,374.00, sales tax not applicable, budgeted from the 2009 LTGO Bond Series E Fund, for a cumulative total of $468,479.00, to increase the contract for additional design, permitting services, and bid support services for improvements to Fire Station No. 5, located at 3301 Ruston Way – Specification No. PW10-0748F [Jeffrey Jenkins, Facilities Division Manager; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]; and
4. H&W Emergency Vehicles/Crimson Fire, dba H&W Pacific Emergency Vehicle Group, in the amount of $563,094.00, plus sales tax, budgeted from the Equipment Rental Fund, for a cumulative total of $1,126,188.00, to increase the contract for one additional Triple Combination Pumper engine for the Fire Department – Specification No. FD11-0121F. [Mike Fitzgerald, Fire Department Manager; Jim Duggan, Interim Chief, Fire Department].

Councilmember Ibsen raised a question about item number two, and received clarification that the City has an agreement with the State that this project is fully reimbursable up to $2.25 million.  The repayments will be made monthly, and the project will have no impact on the general fund.

Resolution No. 38486 Authorizes the execution of three interlocal agreements with Pierce County to ratify and approve amendments to the Countywide Planning Policies for Pierce County; designating three new candidate regional centers in University Place, Sumner/Pacific, and South Tacoma; and allowing the submittal of applications to the Puget Sound Regional Council for official designations in VISION 2040 to be eligible for funding. [Ian Munce, Long Range Planning Division Manager; Ryan Petty, Director, Community and Economic Development]

Council passed the resolution supporting the creation of the three new regional centers.  The next stop for the issue is ratification by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) representing King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties.  The designation of growth centers is an important part of the PSRC’s Vision 2040 efforts to accomodate the growth anticipated in the region in coming decades.  The designation of regional centers focuses public and private investment in those areas, and encourages growth to happen in a coherent and compact way that will allow them to become hubs for regional transportation, public services, and amenities.

Resolution No. 38487 Accepts and refers recommendations of the Affordable Housing Policy Advisory Group related to planning, trusts, and loans to the Neighborhoods and Housing Committee for further review; and accepting the endorsement from the Advisory Group to continue legislative efforts to secure Tax Increment Financing authority and develop a Transfer Development Rights program. [Tansy Hayward, Assistant City Manager; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

The recommendations of this advisory group are intended to provide incentives or reduce costs of affordable housing through both specific and general policies.  This particular resolution refers three such policy matters back to the Neighborhoods and Housing Committee for further discussions, and expresses support for work already being done by the City.

Resolution No. 38488  Directs the City Manager to evaluate and implement, as appropriate, recommendations of the Affordable Housing Policy Advisory Group related to code enforcement, transferring surplus properties, and the preservation, acquisition, conversion, and rehabilitation of existing homes; and provide a report to the Neighborhoods and Housing Committee no later than December 1, 2012. [Tansy Hayward, Assistant City Manager; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

This resolution refers more administrative matters relating to provision of affordable housing to the City Manager’s office, asking him to consider opportunities to enhance affordable housing policy relating to code enforcement, plans for surplus properties, and ways to continue affordable housing projects.  The resolution requests that he report back by year end on what actions have been possible.

Councilmember Boe raised a question regarding ways of encouraging in-fill to increase housing density, while also supporting affordable housing (i.e. the costs of upgrades to spaces to bring them up to code can be prohibitively expensive for would-be affordable housing).  Staff response was that a recommendation relating to such concerns will be included in the next resolution.

Resolution No. 38489 Adopts the Affordable Housing Planning Work Program; refers recommendations of the Affordable Housing Policy Advisory Group to the Planning Commission for the development of affordable housing regulations; and extends the term of the Affordable Housing Policy Advisory Group through June 30, 2015. [Tansy Hayward, Assistant City Manager; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

This resolution refers issues to the Planning Commission for further work, breaking those issues down further into four categories of Comprehensive Plan amendments beginning with the 2012, continuing through 2013 and 2014.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28071 Revises and ratifies rates charged for wholesale transmission and ancillary services provided pursuant to Tacoma Power’s Open Access Transmission Tariff. [Travis Metcalfe, Senior Power Analyst; Ted Coates, Superintendent, Tacoma Power]

Passed without further comment.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None.

CITIZENS’ FORUM
Two commenters spoke to express concerns about Phase 2 of the Waterditch Trail specifically their concerns centered on public safety in the area, and general opposition to the project.

Several commenters voiced concerns relating to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, voicing a number of concerns around conditions for prisoners and use of tax payer dollars.  Commenters requested that the City look at possible ways of challenging the center’s activities. The comments appear to be prompted by the appearance on today’s Government Performance and Finance Committee agenda of “Licensing for Private for-Profit Prisons.”  This is a follow-up on a presentation to the GPFC back in January of this year around taxation and regulatory license authority for the City over private prisons. 

North Tacoma resident and past Planning Commission member Carl Teitge voiced his concerns over recently discussed plans to increase tree cover in Tacoma  Mr. Teitge expressed concerns that the proposed changes do not fit with past planning decisions regarding trees, view-blocking, and solar access; and that questions of future maintenance have not been taken into account. 

CORRECTED: ADDITION:  We also heard from a gentleman who voiced concerns about Tacoma’s processes for permitting and inspecting plumbing-related projects.  His rather animated concerns centered around the lack and/or insufficiency of both any sort of plumbing guidebook and the competency of department staff.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER
City Manager Broadnax announced the launch of the City’s new Public Works website, which provides a new way for the public to find out about street and utility construction in Tacoma.  The website is now live at www.CityofTacoma.org/CityProjects.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Councilmember Walker shared a report on the work of the Neighborhoods and Housing Committee. 

Councilmember Woodards encouraged everyone to attend the free grand opening of the new Metro Parks STAR Center in South Tacoma this Saturday, May 19, beginning with a fun run at 9:00 a.m., and Center open house from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Councilmember Ibsen invited everyone to the Orchard and Vine bake sale and plant sale this Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. at North 45th and Orchard.

Councilmember Walker encouraged everyone to read Shoeless Joe, the 2012 Tacoma Reads Together book.

Councilmember Boe made the weekly plug for Bike Month (this week being Bike Week), and noted that Councilmember Mello took him up on the challenge and biked to work, and that Councilmembers Woodards and Fey have plans to do the same.  For those of you keeping score, Boe is now at 64.2% bike commutes for the month.  This Thursday, for the Third Thursday of Bike Month, Tacoma Art Museum is hosting Zeitbike, and May 31 Bike Month in Tacoma wraps up with an event at the Redhot starting at 6:00 p.m. to celebrate Tacoma’s first bike corral and enjoy a little beer and hotdogs. 

Councilmember Boe also reminded us that while Tacoma’s crime rate is down there has been a rise in car prowling, both locally and nationally, and let us know that the City’s Safe and Clean program has car mirror hangtags that inform car prowlers that you don’t have any valuables in your car. 

Councilmember Lonergan was at the South End community clean-up last weekend, and reports that attendance was good.  He suggests that to beat the rush at future clean-ups, you might want to show up a little after the even starts to let the crowds thin.  This Saturday, May 19th’s community cleanup will be in the Larchmont, Fern Hill, PacWest, Blueberry Park East and South at 9202 Pacific Avenue from 10:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

ADJOURNMENT

So that’s that.  We always enjoy Citizens’ Forum meetings because we invariably end up with at least one new thought, and often many.  This week we’ve got more to think about in terms of the trees conversation, and we’ll be waiting to hear what comes out of the private prisons conversation as well as the Waterditch Trail plans.