Tacoma City Council Meeting - September 18, 2012

CONSENT AGENDA

ASSESSMENT ROLLS

The Director of Public Works presents the following assessment rolls for the Point Ruston Development:

LID No. 3967 for the relocation and construction of sanitary sewer mains within the City of Tacoma and the Town of Ruston.

LID No. 5728 for the relocation and construction of 12-inch water mains within the City of Tacoma and the Town of Ruston.

LID No. 6980 for the installation of ornamental street lighting on 28-foot standards at approximately 150-foot intervals along Ruston Way from North 49th to North 51st Streets within the City of Tacoma and the Town of Ruston.

LID No. 7726 for the installation of underground primary electrical distribution feeder system, telephone, and cable TV lines within the City of Tacoma.

LID No. 7727 for the installation of underground primary electrical distribution feeder system, telephone, and cable TV lines within the Town of Ruston.

LID No. 8656 for the installation of permanent pavement, concrete curbs and gutters, storm drain lines and catch basins, sidewalks, a multi-use path, and fencing, landscaping, and a waterfront waterwalk within the City of Tacoma and the Town of Ruston.

Setting Thursday, October 18, 2012, at 1:30 p.m., as the date for a hearing by the Hearing Examiner. 

That’s a lot of LIDs for one little piece of land.

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38536 Authorizing the execution of an interlocal agreement with Pierce County to implement a Transfer of Development Rights Program within the City. [Ian Munce, Long Range Planning Division Manager; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

This resolution was moved to the regular agenda for consideration.  The TDR conversation got a lot of people excited.  It’s a pretty forward-looking piece of policy that has been in the works for a while now.  It’s basically about shuffling and reorganizing the pieces of land where we want to see development occur, and those we’d like to see protected from development.  The main focus of the inter-local agreement is to protect rural agricultural lands while encouraging development of urban centers.  A property owner with a piece of land in a low-density rural area can sell his right to develop that land to a developer wanting to do higher density development in an urban center.  The passage of the three pieces of TDR-related legislation considered this week does not commit the City to any deals, but it opens the door for that sort of business, should it come our way.  Mayor Strickland, recused herself due to the potential appearance of a conflict of interest in matters relating to Forterra.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

None this evening.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Public comment was dominated by the TDR agreement, with several speakers voicing support on behalf of a variety of organizations. 

REGULAR AGENDA

APPOINTMENTS

Resolution No. 38537 Appointing and reappointing individuals to the Human Rights Commission, the Human Services Commission, and the Sustainable Tacoma Commission. [Mayor Marilyn Strickland]

Councilmember Walker recused herself due to the potential appearance of conflict of interest with matters relating to the human rights commission.

Resolution No. 38538 Appointing Mayor Marilyn Strickland and Council Member Ryan Mello to the Joint Shoreline Public Access Committee to discuss policies regarding public access to shorelines. [Mayor Marilyn Strickland]

The Joint Shoreline Public Access Committee was created to help ensure alignment between the Port of Tacoma and the City in goals and policies relating to shoreline access.

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38539 Adopting by reference the Washington State Department of Commerce interlocal terms and conditions for transferring development rights from counties to cities under the regional Transfer of Development Rights program for the central Puget Sound region, thereby allowing such transactions between the City and King and Snohomish Counties. [Ian Munce, Long Range Planning Division Manager; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

This second piece of TDR-related business sets the stage for transferring development rights between cities and counties.  The idea of these interlocal agreements is that all three counties will be able to act as one entity when it comes to TDRs.  In response to a question from Councilmember Boe, staff answered that TDR agreements could go both ways – that Tacoma could be both a sender and a receiver of rights.

Resolution No. 38540 Shifting $500,000 in Point Ruston Waterwalk project costs from the taxable Series 2009F LTGO Bonds to the tax-exempt Series 2010E LTGO Bonds; and allocating $500,000 liberated by the shift of project costs, plus an additional $100,000 in interest earnings, for a total amount of $600,000, from the taxable Series 2009F LTGO Bonds for Brownfield remediation projects on the Foss Waterway and at South 21st Street and South Jefferson Avenue. [Teresa Sedmak, Treasurer; Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

City staff described this move as “housekeeping” that shifts money between existing bond funds.

Resolution No. 38541 Adopting the 2011-2012 Budget Reduction Strategy; and directing the City Manager to implement the Strategy in the final budget modification ordinance to include transfers from the IT Radio Fund and Third Party Liability Claim Fund to the General Fund. [T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

This resolution adopts the City Manager’s plan for addressing Tacoma’s budget gap, as discussed at last week’s study session.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28086 Amending Chapter 11.05 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Model Traffic Ordinance, to establish consistency with the Washington Administrative Code and the Revised Code of Washington. [Kurtis Kingsolver, Assistant Director/ City Engineer; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

This ordinance would align the part of the TMC that deals with vehicles with the RCW, which changed recently.  The major change would be dealing with front license plate exemptions that would be allowed for out of state vehicles, as well as collector cars, motorcycles, and, of course, horseless carriages.  For those of you interested in learning more about horseless carriages, Councilmember Campbell shared that there is a special rear plate offered by the State of Washington specifically for horseless carriages.  Who knew?

Ordinance No. 28087 Amending Title 1 of the Municipal Code, entitled “Administration and Personnel”, to add Chapter 1.37 entitled “Transfer of Development Rights Administrative Code”, to implement a Transfer of Development Rights Program. [Ian Munce, Long Range Planning Division Manager; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

This is the third piece of TDR business.  This ordinance would establish the administrative requirements to enable TDR agreements to go forward.  Another interesting piece of the TDR idea is that it could also be applied to the preservation of historic properties and open spaces within urban areas.  No one’s expecting a huge rush to take advantage of the TDR process with the market in its current state, but the ground work is done, and it seems we’re seeing some pro-active, rather than re-active planning.

Ordinance No. 28088 Amending Chapters 13.06, 13.06A, and 13.12 of the Municipal Code, to allow greater flexibility for infill development and the reuse of existing buildings, and to streamline the City’s building and environmental review processes, as recommended by the Planning Commission. [Ian Munce, Long Range Planning Division Manager; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

This ordinance is a step towards streamlining processes and requirements to encourage development in Tacoma.  These changes are aimed at extending incentives for reuse beyond downtown.  By raising the levels at which SEPA reviews are triggered, waiving parking requirements, and allowing adaptive reuse, the City hopes to encourage use and redevelopment of historic and other vacant buildings.  As Councilmember Boe pointed out, parking shouldn’t define a city’s development.

Ordinance No. 28089 Amending Title 2 of the Municipal Code, entitled “Buildings”, to add Chapter 2.19 entitled “Site Development and Off-Site Improvements”, to allow greater flexibility in off-site improvement requirements for existing buildings. [Charles Solverson, Planning Manager; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The proposed amendment would allow greater flexibility in street improvement requirements for existing buildings.  As another step in streamlining Tacoma’s codes to encourage development, these changes would allow for redevelopment to occur in spaces under 12,000 square feet without triggering requirements for off-site improvements.  There are more such changes coming in the future, as City staff review code requirements and make suggestions.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Purchase Resolution 38534 part one (relating to asphalt patching for 200 sidewalk locations), originally considered on the September 11 agenda came back this week.  It turns out that Councilmember Mello didn’t realize at the time of the original vote that his property was affected by the decision, and so needed to recuse himself.  The Council voted, minus Mello, and the item passed.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER
City Manager Broadnax introduced Tacoma’s new Budget Officer, Tad Wille, who comes to us from San Antonio.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Public Safety, Human Services, and Education Committee Councilmember Woodards reported on the topics of the committee’s most recent meetings, including an update from the fire department on services, a joint presentation from police and fire on Fourth of July services, an update on competitive funding changes, and other topics.  The next meeting will be October 4, when the committee will discuss metal scrapping, pawn shop regulations, and the Eastside Community Center.

Councilmember Boe had four items to report:

• This Friday, September 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is Park(ing) Day in Tacoma.  Parking spaces in downtown Tacoma will be turned into mini parks.  Come on down and check out the spectacle.
• Also this Friday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. the Puget Sound Revels will host a choral concert on bridge of glass in celebration of the autumnal equinox.  The public is invited to come and sing across the bridge, ending at the Washington State History Museum amphitheater.  You are encouraged to come and sing, and bring a lantern, as the days are getting shorter.
• This weekend is the Fall Free For All, Saturday noon to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Broadway Center.  This will be the third annual celebration of this free community arts festival.  To learn more and register for wristband access, visit www.BroadwayCenter.org.
• And last, but certainly not least, it’s not too late to sign up to volunteer with this year’s bike count at multiple Tacoma locations.  For more information or to sign up, visit www.WSDOT.wa.gov/bike.

Councilmember Woodards invited members of the community to attend Wake Up for Wapato this Saturday, September 22, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to kick off the Wapato Sustainability Project, which will over the next 10 months. 

Councilmember Campbell added a note to Boe’s plug for the Fall Free For All, noting that Vicci Martinez will be returning for a live accoustic performance as a part of this year’s event.  Campbell also (strongly) encouraged everyone to not only attend this Friday night’s Lincoln High School football home season opener, but also to vote for that game online to be the King 5 Game of the Week.  You can vote at www.King5.com/sports.

Councilmember Ibsen announced that Geiger Montessori will be holding an open house this Friday at 6:00 p.m. This is the second free montessori school in the Tacoma Public Schools, and this is your opportunity to check out their just completed new space. 

Mayor Strickland closed with a couple items:

• There will be open houses held by Pierce Transit across the county with information for the public on Proposition 1.  The first of two Tacoma meetings will be this Thursday, September 20, at the Tacoma Municipal Building.
• Tacoma is one of four cities selected to participate in an Urban Land Institute fellowship program for land use.
• Oh, and in case you missed that link to vote for Lincoln High School to be the game of the week, that’s www.King5.com/sports.

ADJOURNMENT