"City of Tacoma News – City Council Agenda Items for Tuesday, November 9, 1999"

“City Council Study SessionTuesday, November 9, noonTacoma Municipal Bldg. N.,Room 16, 728 St. Helens Ave.Performance & CompensationThe Council will hear proposals on performance audits and compensation for unrepresented employees from Human Resources Director Phillip Knudsen and Performance Project Administrator Donna Hanson.City Council MeetingTuesday, November 9, 5 p.m.City Council ChambersFirst floor, Municipal Bldg.747 Market StreetNeighborhood-driven ProjectsNeighbors in Tacoma have assembled a list of projects that include everything from adding sidewalks to improving storm drainage. Council members will vote whether to officially accept the neighborhood action strategies for South Tacoma, the South End, North End and Northeast Tacoma neighborhoods. Once accepted, the projects have a chance at garnering City funding.Changes requested by the neighborhood councils have already begun making their way through the adoption process as part of the annual Comprehensive Plan update. By the end of this year, the City hopes to have those changes put into place.Wapato Hills FundingThe City and Metro Parks Tacoma are ready to buy 37 acres at Wapato Hills. The Council will vote on a proposal to accept a $900,000 grant and use it to help purchase a portion of the property.Bingo & Raffle TaxA new state law effective January 1, 2000, lowers the ceiling for local taxation of bingo games and raffles from 10 to 5 percent. The Council will take public testimony on putting that change into effect in Tacoma.City tax officials expect the decreased tax rate to reduce the City General Fund revenues approximately $110,000 annually, beginning in 2000.The Council will vote on the ordinance at a later meeting.Click! Works With ISPsTacoma’s Click! Network may offer cable modem Internet service by the end of the year. Tacoma Power will propose adding a wholesale transport rate for Internet service providers to its Click! Network pricing card.The Council will take testimony on the proposal, and plans to vote on the change at a later meeting. If approved, network officials will solicit for qualified Internet service providers to offer Internet service over Click! Network’s cable lines. ISPs will set their own retail rates for consumer services.Mixed-Use ZoningTacoma is working to clarify and update zoning regulations for mixed-use centers. The public can comment on mixed-use centers throughout the city.The City adopted the current zoning regulations in 1996 as part of the City’s overall development plan. The Planning Commission recently reviewed the regulations and found a number of ways the City could make them clearer and more consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan.”