Tacoma City Council to discuss charter review, Link light rail expansion

Tacoma residents will have plenty of opportunities next week to learn more about what’s going on in city government.

Tacoma City Council will hold its regular weekly study session and council meeting on Tuesday. In addition, Tacoma City Council’s Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss streets that could potentially be used for the expansion of Tacoma’s Link light rail system, traffic signal timing and synchronization, and the Solid Waste Management Division’s voluntary oil collection and recycle program.

Here is a look ahead at some other notable meetings and discussions planned for next week at City Hall.

CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE

Tacoma City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would create a 15-member committee to review the city’s charter. The committee will be tasked with making recommendations for changes to the charter and submitting those recommendations to Tacoma City Council by May 6, 2014. If this week’s resolution is adopted, committee members will be appointed in January. Councilmembers were briefed on the plan during a study session in August.

According to City of Tacoma staff, the existing city charter was adopted in 1953 and comprehensive reviews must be conducted at least once every 10 years. The charter was last reviewed in 2004.

Tacoma City Council is scheduled to vote on the issue during its regular weekly meeting on Tues., Nov. 12, at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building, located at 747 Market St. The meeting will be broadcast live on TV Tacoma and online at tvtacoma.com. Copies of the agenda and meeting materials are available online here.

SIX-YEAR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Tacoma City Council will meet Tuesday at City Hall to discuss amendments to the city’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program.

According to City of Tacoma staff, Washington State law requires each city and town to annually update their comprehensive transportation program for the ensuing six calendar years and hold a public hearing. The program allows the City of Tacoma to compete for and obtain State and Federal grant funding.

On Tuesday, City of Tacoma Public Works staff will present to councilmembers proposed amendments to the program. A public hearing on the amendments is tentatively scheduled to take place on Tues., Nov. 26.

Councilmembers will discuss the issue during a study session, which will be held on Tues., Nov. 12 at 12 p.m. in Room 16 of Tacoma Municipal Building North, 733 Market St. Audio from the meeting will be broadcast live on TV Tacoma and online at tvtacoma.com. On-demand audio archives are available on the Web within 24 hours of the meeting online at tvtacoma.com. A copy of the agenda is available online here.

FOSS WATERWAY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY APPOINTMENTS

Tacoma City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would appoint four people to serve as members of the Foss Waterway Development Authority.

If the resolution is adopted by councilmembers, William Driscoll and John “Jay” Jetter will serve terms that expire on Dec. 31, 2014. Michael Miller will be re-appointed to serve a two-year term beginning on Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2015. Finally, Gary Pedersen will be re-appointed to serve a three-year term that would expire on Dec. 31, 2016.

Tacoma City Council’s Economic Development Committee conducted interviews on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, and forwarded its recommendations to the full council. In total, eight candidates (Victoria Cantore, Driscoll, David Graybill, Phillip Hill, Jetter, Miller, Pedersen, and Stan Sidor) applied for the positions.

Tacoma City Council is scheduled to vote on the issue during its regular weekly meeting on Tues., Nov. 12, at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building, located at 747 Market St. The meeting will be broadcast live on TV Tacoma and online at tvtacoma.com. Copies of the agenda and meeting materials are available online here.

Tacoma City Hall. (FILE PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)
Tacoma City Hall. (FILE PHOTO BY TODD MATTHEWS)