Tacoma City Council
Study Session
Noon, Tuesday, April 16, 2002
Tacoma Municipal Building North
Room 16
728 St. Helens Ave.
Tacoma Power projects
Tacoma is truly “America’s #1 Wired City” not only because of the availability of fiber-optic infrastructure and choices in broadband service, but because Tacoma Power is poised to serve the specific power needs of the evolving microprocessor-based society. In a joint session with the City Council and the Utility Board, Tacoma Power Superintendent Steve Klein will describe how the utility’s state-of-the-art technology integrates telecom-munications and energy. His presentation will provide insights into the future possibilities that will continue to make Tacoma the location of choice for economic development and quality of life. Klein will also provide a status report on Tacoma Power’s EverGreen Options green power program. In April 2000, Tacoma Power began offering customers EverGreen Options, which supports the development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. In addition, Director of Utilities Mark Crisson will review the proposed scope of work for the city charter-mandated 10-year management review for Tacoma Public Utilities. The public may attend the study session, but the council will not take any comments.
Tacoma City Council
Regular Meeting
5 p.m., Tuesday, April 16, 2002
Tacoma Municipal Building
City Council Chambers
747 Market St.
Anti-discrimination ordinance review
The City Council will take public comment on a proposed ordinance change that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s existing anti-discrimination law. The City Council expects to vote on the proposal April 23.
Demolition of eyesores
Tacoma may move closer to cleaning up a Central Tacoma neighborhood if the City Council approves partial funding to get rid of unsafe city-owned buildings. Three years ago, the city purchased 15 buildings and land between Tacoma Avenue South, Jefferson Avenue, South 21st and South 23rd streets. at the time, plans called for a police headquarters there. But the council decided to house the police elsewhere. The city boarded up the unoccupied buildings, cut off the utilities and periodically collects trash and cuts back weeds, but those measures haven’t kept the vacant buildings from becoming a magnet for trespassers and illegal dumpers. The council will take public comment on a proposed $130,000 loan from existing city funds to help pay for the first phase of demolition. Then the Tacoma Fire Department may use some of the buildings for training burns. But buildings won’t come down until the city comes up with the balance of the estimated $200,000 expense. Tenants of the only two occupied buildings plan to move in May. The council expects to vote on the measure April 23.
Police honor citizens
Tacoma Police Chief David Brame will award nine citizens with the department’s Certificate of Merit. Each of the citizens – and eight more who can’t attend the council meeting – have helped the police department with extraordinary actions. Recipients include a citizen who assisted with CPR at an accident scene and two University of Washington security guards who helped police capture an armed robbery suspect. The awards are given annually.