Tacoma City Council Meeting - Sept. 15th, 2009
We thought tonight’s City Council meeting was going to be quick and easy. While it wasn’t exactly epic, one of the detours that appeared was a bit unexpected … Here are our notes:
CONSENT AGENDA
RESOLUTIONS
Resolution No. 37865 sets Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at approximately 5:30 p.m., as the date for a public hearing by the City Council regarding 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. 37866 sets Tuesday, October 6, 2009, at approximately 5:30 p.m. as the date for a public hearing by the City Council regarding the proposed development agreement with Sound Transit relating to the development of the Lakewood to Tacoma commuter rail project.
Resolution No. 37871 authorizes the execution of the Oversight Remedial Action Grant Agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology, in the amount of up to $1.35 million, to clean up the former Sauro Cleanarama property in downtown Tacoma.
REGULAR AGENDA
APPOINTMENTS
Resolution No. 37867 reappoints Aaron Blaisdell, Gloria Morehouse, and Sharon Wilhelm to the Human Services Commission, for terms to expire on April 30, 2012.
RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution No. 37868 awards contracts to:
- R. L. Alia Company, on its bid of $1,940,661.40, including sales tax, budgeted from the Streets Special Revenue Fund, to repair or replace various sections of the structural sidewalks associated with the Broadway Local Improvement District, LID;
- Wm. Dickson Co., in the amount of $1,300,000.00, plus sales tax, for a cumulative total of $12,285,807.85, budgeted from various funds, to increase the contract for additional work related to the Broadway Local Improvement District, LID;
- Wilshire Associates Incorporated, in the amount of $182,000.00, sales tax not applicable, for a cumulative total of $942,000.00, budgeted from the Tacoma Employes Retirement System Operations Fund, to increase and extend the contract for pension consultant services through September 30, 2010; and
- Scarsella Brothers, Inc., in the amount of $36,400.00, plus sales tax, for a cumulative total of $5,086,158.35, budgeted from the Surface Water Utility Fund, for additional work related to the Nalley Valley Surface Water System Improvements project.
Resolution No. 37869 designates the Fire Department’s Emergency Management Planning Performance Program as a Special Project of Limited Duration and authorizing the hiring of project employees for a three-year period.
Resolution No. 37870 would have authorized the execution of a Hazardous Substances Indemnification Agreement with the Foss Waterway Development Authority, and Hollander Investments, LLC, for property located at 1543 Dock Street. The developer will continue to be responsible for any hazards created by their actions.
Councilmember Ladenburg made a motion to delay the resolution “indefinitely.” She stated that the Council would then have more time to study the proposal and the ability to provide input on development along the Foss. The urgency to move forward is being driven by the expiration of the shoreline permit in March, 2010. There are also deadlines with the Foss Waterway Development Authority to close by the end of the month. Council used the excuse of Councilmember Fey’s absence to support their reason for a delay while indicating that it would probably come back “in a week or two.”
Previously discussed here on August 25th
FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27833 authorizing 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. This would be an agreement about how the two organizations will work together. It does not indicate a propensity for berms, beams, or anything else design related. The mayor took this opportunity to release some pent up feelings about the feedback Council has received regarding this project.
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPEALS
This is the date set for a public hearing by the City Council to consider the acceptance of a Community Development Block Grant Section 108 Guarantee Loan, in the amount of $3.6 million, from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, to assist with the development of Phase 1 of the Harold E. LeMay Museum. This the collector car building built on Dome Lot B that will ultimately be able to display 600 cars. This is just the beginning of a long development process and the associated agreements that will come before the City. The LeMay organization has raised 90% of its funds and is ready to get moving. If all goes as planned, they expect to close on the land by Oct. 30th and may be able to break ground this year.
So, do you think we’ll see a hotel on the Thea Foss anytime soon?
Filed under: City-Council, City-Council
12 comments
R RR Anderson September 16, 2009
any good public comment?
D Derek staff September 16, 2009
any good public comment?
Alan Douglas. A couple of union reps in matching shirts that were opposed to the Thea Foss project because it created “low paying” service industry jobs. That was about it.
N NSHDscott September 16, 2009
Do tell more!
E Erik B. September 16, 2009
So, do you think we’ll see a hotel on the Thea Foss anytime soon?
What a strange and potentially destructive action the council took to delay the hotel project.
I do not understand why the Tacoma City Council would thwart the interest on of the few parcels downtown where there is any interest in private development.
What a bad week for downtown Tacoma: first the loss of Russell, then the imminent razing the the Luzon and now apparently a lock down on development on the Foss Waterway.
There has been a hotel planned here for years. Now finally a developer might be able to pull it off and the council has stopped it.
Hopefully, the council will allow the project to move forward when councilmember Fey returns.
J Jesse September 16, 2009
I can’t believe they’d stall a hotel on this site considering how long they’ve been waiting for a developer to actually be able to build said hotel there. Insane.
Do some city council members require kickbacks they’re not currently recieving or something? Again, insane.
N Nick September 16, 2009
Yeah, why is it the council takes a “beggars can’t be choosers” mentality when it hurts us most (thinking the whole ST berm debate) and turns around and throws its weight around when it should be doing the opposite.
Is 2009 “opposite year” for Tacoma – did I miss that announcement?
Maybe we don’t know the whole story (I can only hope)?
J jamie from thriceallamerican September 16, 2009
Let’s remember here that Hollander is the company that built the Courtyard by Marriott, and we all know how lovely of a building that is, with it’s cookie-cutter architecture blocking sightlines from and to the convention center.
It might actually be worth giving the council the benefit of the doubt that they’re hoping to prevent another stinker, this time on the waterfront…
R RR Anderson September 16, 2009
I wish you’d time stamp things. I want to fast forward to the wordy luzon mayor bit.
S Squid September 17, 2009
Hotel on the Foss? Easy. Sell the Esplanade to Embassy Suites.
T tressie September 17, 2009
# R. L. Alia Company, on its bid of $1,940,661.40, including sales tax, budgeted from the Streets Special Revenue Fund, to repair or replace various sections of the structural sidewalks associated with the Broadway Local Improvement District, LID; # Wm. Dickson Co., in the amount of $1,300,000.00, plus sales tax, for a cumulative total of $12,285,807.85, budgeted from various funds, to increase the contract for additional work related to the Broadway Local Improvement District, LID; ************************
OH Sweet ! another 3 1/4 mill. sunk into the Broadway LID ! Wow. I left the construction biz waaaay too soon. They’re the only ones making money down here in the Broadway LID! More construction to come on the vaulted sidewalks…. ***********************
and no Derek, you ain’t baiting me with that Mayor stuff. Uh uh.
T Tacoma1 September 18, 2009
I watched the Council Meeting, and the Mayor’s rant. You can read into it that he was attacking the crediblilty of citizens if you want, but I think his point was not about credibility, but more about the late arrival of all the opinions. What I think his point was, and he said it a couple of times during his little speech, was that this is the final stages of planning for this project. That many many changes have been made to accomodate the public imput that had been received since 1995. And he also made the point that even at this meeting, anyone that wanted to speak could have. The only private citizen that spoke regarding the D to M line was the man from Lakewood who expressed that he would like to have the additional transit rail service.
T Tacoma1 September 18, 2009
errr, I meant 2005, not 1995, just a decade off.