Exit133.com: Tacoma City Council Meeting - November 27, 2012

By Exit133 at 28. November 2012, 15:00 :

CONSENT AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38573 Approving the final plat of ?La Terra?, a 51-lot and five-tract single-family residential subdivision located at 4001, 4007, and 4025 49th Avenue Northeast. (CES NW, Inc.; File No. PLT2012-40000186527) [Cheri Gibbons, Associate Planner; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The consent agenda passed without comment.

PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Mayor Strickland proclaimed December 2012 to be Zoolights Month in the City of Tacoma, in honor of the 25th year of Zoolights as a holiday institution in the city.
• City Manager Broadnax recognized Linda Bremmer for her recent years of service to the City as head of the Human Rights and Human Services Department. Bremmer will be retiring after leading the department through significant changes over the last two years.

PUBLIC COMMENT
Despite the lengthy agenda, there was no comment this week.

REGULAR AGENDA

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution No. 38574 Authorizing the execution of a Multi-Family Housing 12-Year Limited Property Tax Exemption Agreement with SNR Northwest Properties, LLC, for the development of six market-rate multi-family rental housing units, located at 4549 South Puget Sound Avenue in the Tacoma Mall Mixed-Use Center. [James Colburn, Associate Planner; Ricardo Noguera, Director, Community and Economic Development]

The resolution passed without comment.

Resolution No. 38575 Designating the Every-Other-Week Garbage Collection Project as a special project of limited duration; and designating general salary classifications and benefits for persons employed on the project. [Michael P. Slevin III, P.E., Interim Director, Environmental Services]

This resolution designates the every-other week transition as a special project of a limited duration. The changeover will require a large logistical effort, and rather than contracting out, the City has decided to use City employees or temporary employees. This decision will reduce turnover during the period of the project and allows those employees to get benefits like regular employees, which they would not get without the special project designation. Employees who are on the layoff list for this round of budget cuts will be the first to be contacted if they are eligible for the positions created for this project. All positions have been budgeted for in the 2013-2014 budget.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28100 Authorizing a zero percent increase in the 2013 general property tax revenue collection, in terms of both dollars and percentage, for the general property tax levy. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28101 Fixing the amount of the 2013 Ad Valorem property tax levies. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28102 Authorizing a decrease in the 2013 general property tax revenue collection, in terms of both dollars and percentage, for the Emergency Medical Services property tax levy. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28103 Fixing the amount of the 2013 Emergency Medical Services tax levies. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The amount of this revenue source will be going down in the next biennium due to declining property values. The State caps the percent at which the City can levy this tax.

Ordinance No. 28104 Amending Chapter 1.30 of the Municipal Code, relating to the joint City-County Law Enforcement Support Agency, to update the reference of Law Enforcement Support Agency to South Sound 9-1-1 Agency. [Tansy Hayward, Assistant City Manager; T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28105 Amending Chapter 8.109 of the Municipal Code, relating to public safety and juvenile curfew, to renew the Curfew Ordinance to make it non-expiring with a biennial review by the Public Safety, Human Services, and Education Committee. [Kelly Crouch, Contracting and Planning Auditor; Linda Villegas Bremer, Director, Human Rights and Human Services]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28106 Amending Chapter 6A.30 of the Municipal Code, relating to business and occupation tax, to revise the definition of engaging in business to clarify the nexus of board meetings; adopt changes which amend apportionment for digital goods; and update the deduction to refer to state-required tax treatment. [Danielle Larson, Tax and License Division Manager; Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The ordinance passed without comment.

Ordinance No. 28107 Amending Chapter 6A.30, relating to business and occupation tax, to add a new deduction for gross income received from public entities for health or social welfare services; and eliminate the partial exemption and deduction provided to non-profit healthcare providers whose annual gross income exceeds $30 million for gross income received from health care services. [Danielle Larson, Tax and License Division Manager; Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The infamous ordinance repealing the B&O tax exemption for large healthcare service providers passed without the sunset provision proposed at last week?s City Council meeting. As Councilmember Fey clarified, however, the lack of a sunset provision does not mean that the Council can not revisit the issue at a future date. In fact, we heard several comments from council members vowing to review Tacoma?s tax structure as a whole, including the way B&O taxes work.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES

Ordinance No. 28108 Amending various sections of the Municipal Code to reflect the elimination of the Human Rights and Human Services Department, align the scope of duties and authority for the new Neighborhood and Community Services Department; and repealing obsolete Chapter 5.20 in its entirety. [T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

This ordinance and the following two reflect changes covered during the budget process in an effort to streamline processes and improve efficiency. The City Manager expects to see about $750,000 in savings come out of these adjustments.

This first ordinance would consolidate what has been the Human Rights and Human Services, merging services of Code Compliance and Community Based Services into the new Neighborhood and Community Services Department. City Manager Broadnax explained that the departments already work closely together, and their alignment in one department adds value and links critical services.

Ordinance No. 28109 Amending various sections of the Municipal Code to reflect organizational changes and align the scope of duties and authority for the Planning and Development Services and Public Works Departments. [T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

This ordinance would address overlaps in existing departments, streamlining those services into the new Planning and Development Services and Public Works in ways Broadnax expects to provide more beneficial outcomes for customers and greater efficiencies for the City.

Ordinance No. 28110 Amending various sections of the Municipal Code to reflect organizational changes and align the scope of duties and authority for the Community and Economic Development Department, including the assignment of oversight of the Historically Underutilized Business Program and Local Employment and Apprenticeship Training Program. [T.C. Broadnax, City Manager]

This third ordinance would remove Planning and Building and Land Use Services from the Community and Economic Development Department, and add the HUB and LEAP programs to more closely align with the City?s goals of supporting small business efforts.

Ordinance No. 28111 Amending Chapter 8.20 of the Municipal Code, relating to minors and alcohol, by repealing Section 8.20.070 in its entirety and enacting a new Section 8.20.071, entitled ?Minors and Liquor ? Prohibited Acts,? to allow for effective and efficient prosecution consistent with state law. [Keith Echterling, Prosecuting City Attorney; Elizabeth Pauli, City Attorney]

These changes would bring the TMC up to date on this issue, which has not been addressed since 1988. The changes would bring Tacoma in line with the State code, allowing the City office to prosecute this kind of offense in alignment with the State law.

Ordinance No. 28112 Adopting the 2013-2018 Capital Facilities Program. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

The proposed 2013-2018 CFP was heard by the Planning Commission in October, and has been presented as a part of the budget process. The list of capital facilities projects included in Tacoma?s comprehensive plan is a planning document that complements the budget, and includes the whole range of projects for the City. New projects are identified for the list based on public input, recognized needs within the city, alignment with City goals and objectives, and availability (or potential availability) of funding. Completed projects are removed from the list. This year 18 projects have been recommended to be added, and 67 will be removed from the list. Among the projects listed are work to upgrade Puyallup Avenue with complete streets mobility improvements, upgrades to Dock Street, design work to prepare 56th Street for grant money when that becomes available, sidewalk and wetlands conservation projects, ramp improvements at 72nd and I-5, Tacoma Dome improvements, and others. The list aligns with other City planning documents like the Six-Year Transportation plan. Inclusion on the list doesn?t guarantee the project will get funding, but makes it a possibility. If the ordinance passes at its final reading next week, it will be enacted along with the budget for the next biennium.

Ordinance No. 28113 Amending the 2011-2012 Biennial Budget to appropriate funds for contractual obligations, an interfund loan, transfers, and other budget adjustments; and appropriating miscellaneous donations, contributions, and/or fees. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

This ordinance would authorize transactions within certain operating budgets, capital and grant funds to comply with generally accepted processes.

Ordinance No. 28114 Adopting the 2013-2014 Biennial Budget for the City of Tacoma; and restructuring the remaining balance of a line of credit note through December 31, 2018. [Steve Call, Interim Director, Finance]

We?ve heard a lot about the budget in recent days, weeks, and months, and it hasn?t changed much other than a few minor revisions. One new change is an additional $200,000 associated with Tacoma?s new Transportation Benefit District going into effect a month sooner than expected. We also see an additional $3.5 million associated with the elimination of the B&O tax break for nonprofit healthcare providers. That isn?t a huge number in the grand scheme of things, but it will allow the City to invest some money back into things like our libraries, improvements to Ruston Way and Old Town Dock, and a reduction of the impacts when the SAFER and COPS grants for Tacoma Fire and Police jobs expire. Most of the programs this money will go to are one-time expenditures. We also see a slight adjustment upward of the City?s reserve balance, but it still falls short of the 12% of the total budget recommended for the City to keep on hand.

Another component of this ordinance is the restructuring of a line of credit for the City. Without restructuring, the Tacoma Dome loan would come due as a lump sum in 2013. The restructuring allows the loan to be spread out over the next six years.

We also heard a couple changes that will be coming to TPU billing practices. TPU will be extending its grace period for payment of utility bills from the current 10 days to 15 days, and will be increasing the amount of assistance for low-income households at a level greater than the increase in rates. Those changes will go into effect early next year.

Ordinance No. 28115 Amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to create six unclassified titles to implement the reorganization of departments; and to implement wage provisions for employees represented by the United Transportation Union, Switch Crew Unit and Yardmasters Unit, which covers approximately 32 full-time positions. [Joy St. Germain, Director, Human Resources]

This ordinance contains three items: it amends the TMC to implement 2013 wage increases for two groups of employees arrived at through represented bargaining, it corrects a clerical error that mis-states a wage step increase by three cents, and it creates the positions associated with the implementation of the departmental organizations proposed in ordinances 28108, 28109 and 28110.

PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPEALS

This is the date set for a public hearing by the City Council on the proposed Six-Year Comprehensive Transportation Improvement Program for amended year 2012, and 2013-2018. [Jennifer Kammerzell, Associate Engineer; Dick McKinley, Director, Public Works]

The RCW requires that the Six-Year plan be updated annually. The plan lists the planned construction projects for the remainder of the six years, and guides project priorities for the City. Four additional projects were added that were not included in materials advertising the public hearing. Those projects were the Pierce Transit Authority project, McKinley Avenue Streetscape, and two bridge maintenance projects: the Union Avenue viaduct and the Schuster Parkway bridge. Those last two projects are fully funded at this point, and will require no local match. As with the CFP, inclusion in the Six-Year Program does not guarantee funding for any projects, but it does open the door. After the hearing today, staff will ask for guidance for Council, and we?ll see a finalized draft at some point in the near future.

We heard comment from one speaker on the topic of adding transit to the Six-Year plan. In light of the service cuts coming on the heels of the defeat of Pierce Transit Prop 1, the commeter asked that the Council consider providing funds to support the transit services that a significant portion of Tacoma residents rely on.

TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD

The first meeting of the governing board of Tacoma?s new Transportation Benefit District (a.k.a. Tacoma City Council) was scheduled to coincide with this week?s City Council meeting. The board will meet regularly to direct funds, and meetings will be open to the public. Citizens will have input on the actions of the TBD both through input on the Six-Year Transportation plan, and at these TBD meetings.

AGENDA

Public Comment

One commenter spoke to applaud the Council for the creation of the TBD and to ask for investment in public transportation.

Resolutions

Resolution No. TBD 001 Imposing a vehicle fee of $20 for the Tacoma Transportation Benefit District to commence in six months and identifying projects to be funded.

A citizen advisory group worked for months on assessing Tacoma?s streets and other transportation issues, and possible fixes. The report from the Mobility Stakeholder Funding Task Force found a lot of problems in need of funding ? about $800 million worth ? and made some recommendations for addressing those issues. Among those suggestions was the formation of a Transportation Benefit District for the purpose of raising funds specifically for transportation-related issues, including the levying of a license fee.

The fee proposed here would take effect six months after passage of the resolution, so beginning next May it?s going to cost an extra $20 to renew your car tabs. Campers, mopeds, and some other vehicles will be exempt. The City expects to raise just over $4 million in the next biennium.

Projects will be selected for a piece of that $4 million by the Council TBD Governing Board. Those projects will come from the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program. Staff will take direction from the board on which projects to pursue, and will make regular progress reports back. Projects would not be required to be funded in full by TBD dollars, which could be used in combination with other funding sources. The State Department of Licensing will collect the fee, and remit the money to the City. Mayor Strickland reminded the audience that this is only $4 million every two years ? not much compared to the cost of possible projects ? and suggested that the money be used to focus on neighborhood streets to spread the money as far as possible.

Comments of the Tacoma Transportation Benefit District Governing Board

Deputy Mayor Lonergan asked about the procedure for scheduling future meetings. Staff responded that a schedule will be forthcoming for Council input, which they will try to make consistent with resolutions that need to be adopted. Lonergan recommended that meetings happen on a regular schedule to maximize public input._

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
None.

REPORTS BY THE CITY MANAGER
None.

COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Government Performance and Finance Committee ? Deputy Mayor Lonergan reported on topics discussed by the committee:

At the next meeting the committee will hear updates on State Auditor and Moss Adams audit reports, Tacoma Power bond defeasance, Tacoma Rail Mountain Division , and other topics. Deputy Mayor Lonergan also promised that in the coming year he and other council members would be looking closely at Tacoma?s tax structure, including the administration of the B&O tax, as well as other taxes.

Councilmember Ibsen reminded us of the upcoming discussion of live/work spaces in Tacoma this Wednesday, November 28, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the New Frontier Lounge. Ibsen also suggested the Bethany Presbyterian Church?s 25th Annual fair trade market this Sunday, December 2 for your holiday shopping.

Councilmember Campbell recommended that everyone take advantage of Zoolights in its 25th year ? check out the giant octopus. Campbell also asked us all to make our holiday spending with the local economy in mind; continue to shop local at locally owned businesses.

Deputy Mayor Lonergan thanked to Mike Slevin, Principal Mary Chapman, and others (especially Al the janitor) for their work on Fawcet Elementary School?s pilot program to teach kids the about food waste recycling ? particularly the connection between the little brown bin at your house and the amount of stuff that goes into our landfills.

Councilmember Woodards congratulated everyone at the City who has or will take an early retirement as a part of the City?s budget cutting measures.

ADJOURNMENT

Commenting Is Open

Comments are allowed for two weeks from the posted date. If you have something to say, say it now!

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