FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS
Gwen Schuler, Media and Communications, gschuler@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5152
Stacy Ellifritt, Media and Communications, stacy.ellifritt@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2005
Construction Date Set for City Council Chambers Improvement Project
--City Council Meetings Moved to Tacoma Public Utilities Auditorium During Construction --
The City Council Chambers Improvement Project is expected to begin construction on Wednesday, June 29, with an estimated completion date of Friday, Sept. 30. The chamber has not undergone any aesthetic updates since it first opened in 1979 and audio visual updates have not occurred since 2007.
During the construction timeline Council meetings will be temporarily moved to the Tacoma Public Utilities Auditorium (3628 S. 35th St., in Tacoma). The first meeting held in the auditorium will be on Tuesday, July 12, at 5 p.m. All Council meetings will continue to be held on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., at this facility until the project is completed.
“For the first time in forty years, the Council Chambers will be completely updated. The aesthetic improvements and retrofit of the audio and video equipment will be a noticeable upgrade for those who attend meetings and those who watch from home, ” said Mayor Marilyn Strickland. “In December 2014, the City Council approved the 2015-2016 budget to make one-time expenditures of $198,000 from the general fund for physical improvements and $400,000 in Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) funds for audio and visual upgrades. Federal law prohibits use of PEG funds for other purposes."
Aesthetic enhancements include updated wall finishes, resurfaced dais, presentation desks and podium as well as new carpeting. Audio visual improvements include adding new monitors, improved microphone and speaker systems and upgraded cameras. The City of Tacoma’s Council Chambers serves as the main meeting facility where City elected officials, City staff and the public meet to conduct official City business. These upgrades will also serve to provide for a secondary use of the room as additional meeting space.
“The Council Chambers is an important meeting space for citizens to engage with City elected officials and City staff on issues that impact the Tacoma community,” said City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “These renovations will serve to improve the civic engagement experience and give citizens an enhanced platform to see their City government in action.”
For more information contact the Customer Support Center by dialing 311 within Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else.
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