Tacoma City Council
Study Session
Noon, Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Room 16
Tacoma Municipal Bldg. North
733 Market St.
Nuisance code update
The City Council will review a draft of the updated nuisance code at its study session. The city has not substantially updated the code since 1966. The purpose of this update is to provide new tools to address neighborhood issues and to eliminate redundancies with other codes. Staff has met with members of the Community Council to gather their input. Major proposed changes include the imposition of fines for violations of the code, a streamlined abatement process and the addition of parking standards for vehicles on single-family residential lots.
Tacoma City Council
Regular Meeting
5 p.m., Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Council Chambers
Tacoma Municipal Building
747 Market St.
Lease of aquatic portion of Foss
The council will take public testimony and vote on an agreement that proposes the city lease from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the aquatic portion of the Foss Waterway adjacent to City-owned property. Under the agreement, the Foss Waterway Development Authority would implement the 30-year lease. Leasing the land from DNR allows the City to complete its cleanup of the in-water portion of the Foss as well as use the aquatic lands consistent with the development of the esplanade and upland properties and also facilitates recreational and commercial uses including public and private moorage of watercraft. The city will sub-lease some of the areas primarily for marina use. The lease stipulates that rent won’t be charged for public recreation uses.
Public hearing on work release regs
Will Tacoma’s work release regulations change? At its Aug. 6 meeting, the City Council sent Tacoma’s work release ordinance to the Tacoma Planning Commission to review proposed amendments that came out of negotiations between the City and the Washington State Department of Corrections. Citizens can voice their opinions about the proposed changes at a commission public hearing Aug. 21. The proposed amendments would limit the state to constructing work release facilities in the same zones in which they are now allowed (UCX, CIX, M1, M2, & M3). But work facilities in the UCX zone would have a resident cap increase from 15 to 30 persons. The proposal also includes reducing the distance between work release facilities from three-quarters to one-half of a mile wherever it currently applies. The Council will vote on the amended ordinance at a later date.
Budget workshop
The council will continue to review potential revenue increase options and take a look at the rising costs of medical benefits at an Aug. 22 workshop on the 2003-2004 budget. The public may attend the workshop in room 16 of the Tacoma Municipal Building North, 733 Market St., but will not have an opportunity to comment. Citizens may comment via e-mail to gkopetzk@cityoftacoma.org or by calling the VisionLine at 591-2020 with answers to the following budget questions: Are there revenue sources/options you would support? What are your top three City of Tacoma program or service priorities? What are your top three suggestions for City of Tacoma program or service elimination? What other comments or suggestions do you have on the City of Tacoma’s 2003-2004 General Fund budget? Your input will be shared with the City Manager and Tacoma City Council.