Tacoma City Council Meeting - Oct. 20th, 2009

Tonight was a long City Council meeting. There were several big issues that resulted in many comments from the dais. Referendum 71. Sound Transit designs. Smoking in parks. There’s a lot here for one meeting. We will note that Councilmember Talbert was said to have the H1N1 virus. Council suspended their regular rules to allow Talbert “telephonic participation” so that he could be part of the discussion. We need to use “telephonic” more often in our daily conversations. So, here are our notes:

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution No. 37889 Awards a contract to:
Goodyear Tire and Rubber, d.b.a. Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems, LLC, in the amount of $180,000, plus sales tax, for a cumulative total of $380,000, budgeted from various departmental funds, to increase the contract for new tires on an as-needed basis, for the current contract period through February 28, 2010, and the two remaining one-year renewal options ending February 28, 2012.

Resolution No. 37890 approves the sale of tax-exempt Water System Revenue Bonds 2009 Series A and taxable Build America Bonds Series B, in a principal amount not to exceed $82,000,000, to provide funds to finance or refinance costs of capital improvements to the water system. There was a substitute resolution provided that adds the name of the bond purchaser.

Resolution No. 37891 approves the 2010-2011 biennial Funding Priorities Statement for the Annual Action Plan of the City’s Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development.

Resolution No. 37892 authorizes the execution of an amendment to the Agreement for Improvements Within the ASARCO Tacoma Smelter Superfund Site Area Operable Unit 2 with Point Ruston, LLC, for certain improvements within the ASARCO Tacoma Smelter Superfund Site. This resolution amends the existing LID agreement by raising $11 million to $15.5 million. The cost increases are due to the addition of the water and power utilities to the LID and additional financing costs. Finally, it adjusts the LID maps to keep them in alignment with the scope changes.

Resolution No. 37893 authorizes the sale of the former pole and storage yard property located on South 74th Street, west of South Tacoma Way, to Michael Rigney.

Resolution No. 37894 expresses support for the continuation of the Employee Wellness Program for City employees and their families.

Resolution No. 37895 expresses support for retaining the domestic partnership law and urging Tacoma voters to vote “Approved” on Referendum 71 on the November 3, 2009, General Election ballot, which reads as follows:

REFERENDUM 71

The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill. This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.

Several members made very positive comments about this resolution including Councilmembers Strickland, Fey, and Anderson. Councilmember Lonergan stated that he feels that he wasn’t elected to tell people how to vote. Therefore, he chose to abstain. He says that, choosing words of someone during public comment, “If that makes me a bigot, then so be it.”

Resolution No. 37896 declares the City Council’s intent to include $2.5 million in the 2009 Limited Tax General Obligation Bonds for Area 2B infrastructure for the Salishan Redevelopment Project.

Resolution No. 37897 authorizes the execution of the Master Utilities License Agreement with Sound Transit relating to the City’s use of Sound Transit property. This resolution provides the rights and responsibilities of the City when it’s in Sound Transit’s right of way. It’s the mirror image of Ordinance No. 27833 (further down).

Resolution No. 37898 authorizes the execution of the Development Agreement with Sound Transit for the Lakewood to Tacoma commuter rail project. Substitute resolution No. 37898 included two general changes. The first one specifically addresses the appearance of the bridge as it passes over Pacific Avenue and it requires Sound Transit to come back before the City for review prior to issuing the building permit. The second one calls for the City and Sound Transit to jointly hire a firm(s) to 1) design the habitat improvements for the gulch 2) design the landscape plan for the D to M section of the project, and 3) set a contract to maintain these places.

The pictures you saw earlier this week were shown to Council to give them some context for the discussion.

Councilmembers were overwhelming in favor of moving the project forward. Several acknowledged that this would anger some people. The resolution passed unanimously.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27833 authorizes the execution of a Right of Use Agreement with Sound Transit for its nonexclusive use of specific City rights-of-way in relation to the development of the Lakewood to Tacoma commuter rail project, located from East D Street to South M Street, within the Tacoma City limits.

Ordinance No. 27841 amends Chapter 8.27 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Park Code, by prohibiting smoking in all city parks. Many of the Councilmembers provided the very personal stories that directed their votes this evening. Councilmember Manthou doesn’t think this ban will have any impact and voted against it. Councilmember Lonergan and Anderson also voted against it. Lonergan stated many reasons. But, in closing while acknowledging that the ban would pass, he said that it doesn’t make sense to him that a legal product can’t be used in a park. The other Councilmembers voted in favor of the prohibition. The ordinance was adopted on a 6 to 3 vote.

Ordinance No. 27842 amends various chapters of Title 8 of the Municipal Code, relating to public safety and morals, by updating and prescribing penalties, and updating and reorganizing theft and theft-related offenses, and offenses against property, to be consistent with state law.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27839 (Continued from the meeting of October 13, 2009) amending Chapter 11.05 of the Municipal Code, relating to parking restrictions, by repealing and reenacting Sections 11.05.240 and 11.05.250, granting the City Manager, or his or her designee, the authority to establish school zones and on-street parking restrictions within the city.

Ordinance No. 27840 (Continued from the meeting of October 13, 2009) amending Chapter 11.05 of the Municipal Code, relating to the implementation of parking pay stations, by reenacting Section 11.05.260, establishing parking rates for parking pay stations based on market rates; incorporating revenues into the Parking Enterprise Fund; and authorizing the City Manager to manage the parking system with the assistance of a citizen advisory committee.

Tonight was a pretty epic meeting spanning nearly four hours. Are you ready for smoke free parks and a new downtown bridge?