Dear Council Members:


 ACTION REQUESTED

1. The updated Public Policy Calendar is attached for your information.  My intent in providing this is to give you a longer-range “heads up” on policy issues you may be considering.  I welcome your questions or feedback.

 TOPICS OF INTEREST

2. Please see the attached memorandum regarding the Council standing committee process and topics taken up at the committee level that have an overlapping nature: 1) Residential Zoning Code update; 2) Cascade Agenda Cities; and 3) Open Space Habitat Management Plan and “Green Tacoma Partnership.” Unfortunately, the current process for committee assignments provides little direction for topics that span several committees, although it does reference planning as a preferred Committee of the Whole issue.  Therefore, I’d like to request that Council discuss these assignment issues at your next Committee of the Whole meeting on October 17th. 

3. Tacoma Fire Department will host open houses in eight neighborhood fire stations on Saturday, October 14th, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., for residents of Tacoma, Fife and Fircrest in recognition of Fire Prevention Week.  This year’s theme, “Watch What You Heat – Preventing Cooking Fires,” encourages everyone to team up and spread the message that fire safety saves lives.  Stations will be open and firefighting equipment will be on display with each station hosting a different safety activity.  Firefighters will answer questions about escape planning, disaster preparedness and fire safety, and refreshments will be served at all open house stations.  For more information on the activities hosted at each station, call the Tacoma Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau at 591-5740.                                                   

The following eight stations will host open houses:

• Station 3 – 206 Browns Point Blvd., Northeast Tacoma
• Station 4 – 1453 S. 12th Street, Hilltop
• Station 8 – 4911 S. Alaska Street, South Tacoma
• Station 11 – 3802 McKinley Avenue, McKinley Hill
• Station 12 – 2015 54th Avenue East, Fife
• Station 13 – 3825 North 25th Street, Proctor
• Station 16 – 7217 6th Avenue, Skyline/West End District
• Station 17 – 302 Regents Blvd., Fircrest

4. You are invited to the 4th Annual Tour of Urban Living this weekend,    October 14th and 15th, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  A free self-guided tour of up to 25 new market-rate residential developments in downtown.  New this year, a beautiful 40-page advertorial magazine to promote downtown Tacoma, with 55,000 distributed on via The News Tribune and an additional 10,000 distributed through local merchants, properties, and other methods.  Community and Economic Development (CED) staff coordinate the event, which is sponsored by participating properties and Click!, with in-kind donations from the Business Improvement Area and The News Tribune.  For questions or comments, contact Shari Hart, 591-5208.

5. Finance Director Steve Marcotte provides the attached memorandum that summarizes events concerning the City's Capital Facilities Program (CFP) for 2007-2012.  The Tacoma Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the CFP for Wednesday, October 18th.  A copy of the public hearing notice is attached to Steve's memorandum for your reference.  The Council is scheduled to consider the City's CFP on November 28th.  The City's "Draft" Capital Facilities Program is available at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=3939.

 COUNCIL AGENDA

6. CED Director Ryan Petty provides some additional information regarding the Council’s upcoming public hearing at Tuesday’s Council meeting.  The purpose of the hearing is to accept public testimony on the Planning Commission’s final recommendations regarding proposed revisions to the Land Use Regulatory Code concerning special needs housing.

 STUDY SESSION/WORK SESSION

7. The City Council/Joint Municipal Action Committee Study Session of Tuesday, October 17, 2006, will be held in Room 16 of the Tacoma Municipal Building North.  Discussion item will be: (1) Community Summit.

At Tuesday’s Study Session, the policy-makers from the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, and Pierce County will receive an update on the 2007 Community Summit:  Community Vision 2025—Learning for Tomorrow.  The update will include a description of a three stage process which will help Tacoma define itself as a learning community.  The process involves: 1) Engaging a wide range of citizens to determine what future they perceive and what knowledge they believe is required; 2) Bringing leaders together in a collaborative summit to distill the community’s knowledge and set a foundation for action; and 3) Developing and implementing a plan to put the vision into action.

The City Council Study Session will immediately follow the Joint Municipal Action Committee session.  Discussion items will be: (1) Sound Transit Pacific Avenue Overpass Feasibility Study; (2) Other Items of Interest – Setting Dates for Additional Budget Workshops; (3) Agenda Review; and (4) Executive Session – Pending Litigation.

At Tuesday’s Council Study Session, staff from Sound Transit will share the preliminary findings in the ongoing Sound Transit D-M Street Overpass Feasibility Study, which will include an overview of the project, description of project status and issues, and the initial results of our traffic and environmental reviews.  In addition, they share input received at the October 5th Design Workshop and Community Open House and seek Council input for the Sound Transit Board meeting on October 26th. 

Please don’t forget to mark your calendars for the October 31st Budget Workshop at 3:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers.  Attached for your review, is the 2007-2008 Biennial Budget schedule for public hearings, meetings and resolutions/ordinances.  In addition at Tuesday’s Study Session, under Other Items of Interest, I would like to suggest we set some dates for additional Council Budget Workshops.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s Study Session, I am requesting an Executive Session to discuss pending litigation.

8. The updated Tentative Council Study Session, Workshop, and Town Hall Meeting Calendar is attached for your information.

 COUNCIL REQUESTS

9. At the last Study Session, Council Member Fey requested additional information during Tacoma Power’s preliminary budget presentation: Energy Services changes; increase of the interfund services line item; and position itemization.  Director of Utilities Mark Crisson provides the attached memorandum from Interim Power Superintendent Gary Armfield which responds to the request.

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS

10. You have been invited to the following events:

• Building for the Future: The Campaign for the Renovation of the Pantages Theater on Friday, October 13th, 5:30 p.m., at the new Pantages Grand Lobby.
• Raise the Roof Auction & Dinner sponsored by the Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, October 14th, 6:30 p.m., at St. Charles Borromeo School, 7112 S. 12th Street.
• Cross District Auction presented by the University of Puget Sound on Saturday, October 14th, 5:30 p.m., at the Wheelock Student Center Rotunda, North 15th & Lawrence.
• Pantages Theater 60th Anniversary Celebration, Opening Night Concert and Private Reception on Saturday, October 14th, 7:30 p.m., at the Pantages Theater Rehearsal Hall (Broadway side of the building).
• Eleventh Annual Safe Streets Campaign Luncheon on Wednesday, October 18th, from Noon to 1:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Tacoma Bicentennial Pavilion.
• Pierce County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Meet and Greet Networking Breakfast on Thursday, October 19th, 7:30-9:00 a.m., at the Tacoma Club, 1201 Pacific Avenue, 16th floor.
• Citizens for a Healthy Bay, 10th Annual Auction & Bay Hero Awards on Saturday, October 21st, 5:00 p.m., at Temple Theatre Ballroom, Landmark Convention Center, 47 Saint Helens Avenue.
• Cascade Land Conservancy 2006 Pierce County Conservation Awards Luncheon on Monday, October 23rd, Noon-1:30 p.m., at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.
• Communities in Schools of Tacoma, 6th Annual Charity Auction on Friday, October 27th, 6:00 p.m., at the Tacoma Sheraton Hotel, Pavilion; 1320 Broadway Plaza.
• Association of Washington Cities Regional Meeting on Wednesday, October 25th, 6:00-8:30 p.m., La Quinta Inn, 1425 East 27th Street.

Sincerely,

ERIC A. ANDERSON
City Manager