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. Acting Fire Chief Jeff Jensen provides the attached 2010 Fireworks After Action Report for Tacoma Fire.

3. The agenda for the Public Utility Board meeting of July 14, 2010, is attached for your information.  Please note the following items, which will be on the July 27th Council agenda for your consideration:

• U-10399 – Authorize execution of a proposed Addendum Number One to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Tacoma and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Supervisors’ Unit. 

• U-10400 – Authorize execution of a proposed Addendum Number Four to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Tacoma and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 483, Water Unit.

4. The City Council/Neighborhood Council Events Calendar for July 2010 is attached for your information. 

 COUNCIL AGENDA

5. On Tuesday’s Council agenda, there will be a first reading of Ordinances No. 27902 and No. 27903, related to the sale of Water System 2010 and Regional Water Supply System Revenue Bond Series A and Series B to fund Phase 1 of the Water Filtration Project and a portion of Tacoma Water’s underlying capital program for the 2011-2012 biennium.  Director of Utilities Bill Gaines provides the attached memorandum for your review.

 STUDY SESSION/WORK SESSION

6. The Joint City Council/Metropolitan Park Board Commissioners Study Session of Tuesday, July 13, 2010, will be held in Room 16 in the Tacoma Municipal Building North.  Discussion items will be: (1) Update on Transition Plan.  Following the Joint Study Session, there will be a regular Study Session to discuss: (1) Other Items of Interest; (2) Agenda Review; and (3) Executive Session – Pending Litigation and Performance Evaluation.
 
The Metro Parks Transition Plan Policy Team, which consists of representatives from both the City and Metro Parks, has been working on the transition of City property to Metro Parks to centralize all park facilities, operations, and maintenance with Metro Parks as the provider, whenever possible, where it is to the mutual benefit of both parties and the citizens.  The Team will be providing an update on the Transition Plan at Tuesday’s Study Session.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s Study Session, Council will have an Executive Session to discuss pending litigation and my performance evaluation.

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

 COUNCIL REQUESTS/INQUIRIES

8. I am providing the following responses to some of the questions/requests that were raised at the June 3rd Special Joint City Council/Tacoma Library Board meeting.

Question:  If Council restores the Library budget, how will this impact other City services?  City Manager should present 2 options:  1) funding $588K with partial Council contingency use; and 2) funding $588K with no Council contingency use.

Response:  At the June 3rd Joint City Council/Tacoma Library Board meeting, the Library Board indicated their budget need for 2009-2010 was $22,817,686.  This represented a $439,957 budget increase from the proposed amount provided to Council on April 27th.  If a transfer from Council Contingency provides for 50% of this amount, the remaining $219,979 would come from the Police department without reducing the number of officers or creating additional vacancies.  Reductions will be made from line items for fuel, training, professional and external contracts, operating supplies, and computers.   

I do not recommend that the General Fund be reduced any further in order to support the request from the Library Board.  To do so at this time endangers our ability to complete the biennium with a balanced budget. 

Request:  Provide a formalized communication plan for communicating with the Library about their budget. 
 
Response:  Staff will work with the Mayor and Library Board Chair to establish a regular meeting time for the Council and the Library Board.  Budget adjustment requests will be transmitted simultaneously to the Library Board and the Council by memorandum from the City Manager.  The Library Board or the City Council may request a special joint meeting to discuss the requests.  Since Library Board budget appropriations are unique within the General Fund, final decisions about adjustment thereto will be memorialized in a resolution by the City Council.

9. Community and Economic Development Director Ryan Petty provides the attached memorandum in response to the Council’s questions from the June 29th Study Session regarding the Planning Commission’s recommendations for master planning in the Mixed-Use Centers.  Of note, staff will be following up with the Council in late September on the status of an initial assessment of the centers, as discussed at the Study Session.

10. Ryan Petty reports that the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) has released the Year 2010 population estimate for the City of Tacoma. The official 2010 population estimate for Tacoma is 204,200, an increase of 10,644 persons or 5.5 % above the 2000 Federal Census count.  Attached is a memorandum with a chart showing population estimates for various Washington State jurisdictions, including Tacoma.  OFM’s 2010 estimates are interim numbers and will be replaced by the 2010 Census counts when they become available.  Census Bureau population figures down to the block level will be available no later than March 31, 2011, but could be available earlier.  A report of the released Tacoma data will be produced at that time.

11. At the June 15th Committee of the Whole meeting during the janitorial services discussion, Deputy Mayor Fey inquired if someone making $10 per hour would be considered at poverty level.  Human Resources Director Joy St. Germain provides the attached memorandum in response.

12. At the request of Council Member Woodards, Community and Economic Development staff provide the following update on the Hollander site.  The closing on the sale of the Foss Waterway Site 4 property to Hollander has been delayed due to the filing of a petition by the KS Tacoma Holdings LLC (the Murano) for reconsideration of the decision of the Shorelines Hearings Board in the appeal of Hollander’s amendment to the current shoreline permit.  It could take up to another 15 days to get a ruling.  If reconsideration is denied KS Tacoma has 30 more days to appeal the denial of reconsideration and dismissal of the appeal. 

 GRANT APPLICATIONS

13. For your information, the City submitted the following grant applications:

• Washington State Department of Commerce Application for the Sauro Site Restoration to Assist DaVita Expansion – Funding to restore three parcels for immediate productive reuse and future private redevelopment.  In addition, condemned structural sidewalks on Pacific Avenue, South 14th Street and Court A will be brought to grade and replaced.  Landscaping, fencing, lighting improvements and street paving will also be completed.

• Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program 2010 – Funding will be used for Domestic Violence Victim Advocate, support services to youth contacted by Police, and overtime for Police’s Special Emphasis Team Missions regarding youth crime and violence issues.

• 2010 Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program/Pierce County-Tacoma Bicycle Facilities and Education Grant – Funding for  end-of-trip bicycle facilities (racks, lockers, and shelters) at major destinations and employment sites; bicycle safety and education programs, and Bike Month activities.  The City is a co-sponsor with Pierce County.

• 2010 Urban Initiative Grant – Funding to conduct urban forest resource assessment in all 15 business districts and develop individual management plans for each.  Both aspects of this project are part of developing Tacoma’s Urban Forestry Program and are supported by the recently adopted Urban Forest Element of the Comprehensive Plan.

• Municipal Stormwater Capacity Grants – Funding to implement and manage stormwater activities required by the City’s NPDES Phase I permit.  Covered activities can include implementation of permit requirements through purchase of equipment, service contracts, funding staff for planning, design and construction of stormwater retrofit, and/ or local improvement districts projects.

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS

14. You have been invited to the following events:

• Community Party hosted by the Puyallup Tribe’s Community Alliance Committee on Saturday, July 10th, 3:00 p.m., at the Portland Avenue Park located at 3513 Portland Avenue.
• Reception celebrating the hiring of John Wolfe as Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Tacoma on Tuesday, July 13th, 4:30 p.m., at the Tacoma Art Museum located at 1701 Pacific Avenue.
• Zoobilee 2010 on Friday, July 16th, 7:30 p.m., at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium located at 5400 North Pearl Street.
• Ethnic Fest 2010 “Celebration of Cultures” on Saturday, July 24th and Sunday, July 25th, Noon to 7:00 p.m., at Wright Park, 501 South I Street.
• Spaceworks Tacoma kick-off celebration on Thursday, July 29th, 4:30 p.m., at South 9th Street and Broadway. 
• Washington Policy Center’s 8th Annual Environmental Policy Conference and Luncheon on Thursday, July 29th, 8:00 a.m., at The Westin Seattle hotel located at 1900 5th Avenue; Seattle.
• Commencement Bay Maritime Festival 2010 Celebrating Tacoma's Working Waterfront on Saturday August 28th and Sunday August 29th, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., at Dock Street, Thea Foss Waterway and the Port of Tacoma (schedule of events available at http://maritimefest.org/).

Sincerely,

ERIC A. ANDERSON 
City Manager