Tacoma City Council
Study Session
Noon, Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Room 16
Tacoma Municipal Bldg. North
733 Market St.
I-776 impact, community services
Public Works staff will present possible cuts and impacts to the 2003-2004 Biennial Budget associated with the passage of Initiative 776. The passage of this initiative by the states voters eliminates funding used to support traffic safety and rights-of-way enhancement and maintenance projects. The balance of annual license fee revenues directly supports the citys Street Fund.
Human Rights and Human Services staff and Urban Policy Committee members will outline the process used to fund approximately $4.4 million worth of human service programs and present the recommendations for funding. The public is invited to attend, but the council will not take public comment.
Tacoma City Council
Regular Meeting
5 p.m., Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Council Chambers
Tacoma Municipal Building
747 Market St.
B&O tax
Paying Business & Occupation (B&O) tax to the City of Tacoma may soon get easier, with the council voting on a new ordinance. The ordinance, a statewide model jointly developed by all 38 Washington cities levying the tax, Association of Washington Cities, the business community and the state, would provide guidelines consistent with other B&O tax cities, making it easier to comply with tax regulations in all cities. Among other things, registered businesses whose gross income falls below $10,000 would not have to file a tax return or obtain a City of Tacoma business license. If the businesses gross income falls below $20,000, the business would still need to obtain a license but would pay no tax. All 38 cities may eventually adopt the model, which will streamline the tax compliance process for businesses paying taxes in more than one city with consistent reporting periods, penalties and interest. The ordinance allows for cities to retain the authority to set and change tax rates and exemptions to reflect local business circumstances. The Council took public comment Nov. 12.
Public Works fees
Will public works fees go up? The council will vote on proposed increases to construction-related permits at its Nov. 19 meeting. The proposed increases would help the city recover more of the costs associated with building code enforcement and permit processing. The ordinance proposes the following approximate permit adjustments:
– Building – 5 percent;
– Plumbing and Mechanical – 24 percent;
– Public Works (sidewalks, curbs, gutters and other right-of-way work) – 45 percent;
– Sign – 50 percent; and
– Land Use – 15 percent.
The increases would generate approximately $795,000 more in revenue each two-year budget period and provide about a 68 percent cost recovery rate for Building and Land Use Services (BLUS). BLUS worked with the Tacoma/Pierce County Master Builders Association to gather input on the revised fees. The council took public testimony Nov. 12.
Comprehensive plan, land use code
The City Council will consider proposed amendments to the comprehensive plan and a proposed area-wide zoning reclassification.
This is an incomplete agenda. The Index prints as much as space allows
