Tacoma City Council Meeting - Sept. 22nd, 2009

Last night’s Tacoma City Council meeting was quite notable as it saw the first significant resolutions related to the proposed Elks Building redevelopment.

The Elks Temple would be purchased by Elks Temple Properties, LLC owned by Michael McMenamin.

“On the first level they will swim. On the second level they will dance. On the third level they will eat. On the fourth level they will sleep.”

Then there will be $9 million 300 stall parking garage financed by the City. This will provide the podium for a 22,500 square foot retail space with 68 apartment units on top owned by Elks on Broadway, LLC.

Of course there were other things on the agenda, but it was the Elks that dominated the public and council comments. Here are our notes:

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution No. 37872 awards contracts to:

1. Petrocard Systems, Inc., in the amount of $1,110,000, including sales tax, budgeted from various departmental funds, for a cumulative total of $6,510,000, to increase the contract for vehicle fuel through February 21, 2010 – Specification No. GF06-0589F; and
2. Wright Asphalt Products Company, LLC, in the amount of $250,000, plus sales tax, budgeted from the General Fund, for a cumulative total of $450,000, to increase the contract for rubber modified hot liquid asphalt on an as-needed basis for the remainder of the 2009 chip seal season.

Resolution No. 37873 approves the recommendations of the Neighborhood Councils for the 2009 Innovative Grant Program; and authorizing the allocation and expenditure of $145,462, from the Community and Economic Development Special Revenue Fund, for neighborhood improvement projects.

Resolution No. 37874 authorizes the execution of a nonstatutory Development Agreement with Elks on Broadway, LLC, and Elks Temple Properties LLC, for the Elks Building renovation and Mixed-Used Development project. The agreement is still quite similar to that noted several weeks ago. The one significant change seems to be that the City will now purchase the north lot for $900k – a price determined to be significantly less than the appraised value of the land.

Resolution No. 37875 authorizes the execution of an Assignment Agreement with Elks on Broadway, LLC, for the purchase of real property to be used in the Elks Building/Mixed-Use Development project. There was an amendment added to increase the possible reimbursement amount for due diligence by a few thousand dollars.

Resolution No. 37876 authorizes the execution of an Option Agreement with Elks on Broadway, LLC, for the purchase of real property to be used in the Elks Building/Mixed-Use Development project. This would provide Elks on Broadway the ability to purchase the north lot of the project being purchased by the City for $900k plus applicable expenses once their financing package is complete.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES
Amended Ordinance No. 27834 amends Title 10 of the Municipal Code by repealing and reenacting Chapter 10.22, relating to rights-of-way.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27835 amends Title 1 of the Municipal Code by repealing and reenacting Chapter1.28, relating to the Tacoma Arts Commission, and creating new subchapters to be known as Subchapter 1.28A “Tacoma Arts Commission” and Subchapter 1.28B “Municipal Art Program.” The number of changes, according to the Mayor, “is huge.” The biggest changes are primarily structural and seek to define the Arts Commission’s role and the 1% for Art Program. The major goal of the Arts Commission was to define and state their powers and duties. It should allow the commission to do their business more efficiently and effectively.

Ordinance No. 27836 accepts a Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Brownfields Job Training Grant, in the amount of $500,000; depositing in, and appropriating said sum from the LEAP Grant Fund; authorizing the execution of an agreement with Clover Park Technical College, in the amount of $223,547, to provide training and employment support for the Brownfields Job Training Program for the period of October 1, 2009 through September 12, 2012; and declaring an emergency making necessary the passage of this ordinance and its taking effect immediately upon publication.

This week is quite a roller coaster …