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Record of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Meeting - June 18, 2024: Proclamations, Retirements, and Fire Levy Ballot Measure

City Council — Tuesday, June 18, 2024
BodyTacoma, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 18, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of June 18th, 2024.

0:10

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

0:12

Councilmember Bushnell.

0:14

Present.

0:14

Councilmember Daniels.

0:16

Absent Councilmember Diaz.

0:18

Here.

0:19

Deputy Mayor Hines.

0:20

Here.

0:22

Councilmember Rumba.

0:23

Here.

0:24

Councilmember Scott?

0:25

Here.

0:26

Councilmember Walker.

0:27

Here.

0:28

Mayor Woodards.

0:29

Here.

0:34

Did you forget Deputy Mayor Hines?

0:37

Oh, oh, did you?

0:38

I didn't even, I saw him come on the screen.

0:40

I didn't hear you call his name.

0:41

I didn't hear him say here.

0:42

Sorry.

0:43

Thank you very much.

0:45

Um Clerk.

0:46

Um please join me listening to the land acknowledgement and the flag salute led by Councilmember Scott, followed by a moment of silence.

0:54

We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Puala people where they make their home and speak the Lachute seed language.

1:02

Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence.

2:15

Seeing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda.

2:18

I move to adopt the consent agenda, including resolutions number 41450 through 41452.

2:26

Second.

2:27

Are there any questions, comments, or corrections?

2:30

All right.

2:30

All those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, please signify by saying aye.

2:35

Aye.

2:36

All those opposed.

2:38

The ayes have it.

2:39

The consent agenda is adopted.

2:40

Moving on to proclamations, recognitions, and presentations.

2:57

Everybody is here.

3:16

And so I'm going to ask for Josh Brown, the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, to come to the podium.

3:24

And I would like to call on Josh to present this award.

3:26

Thank you, Josh.

3:27

So good to see you.

3:28

Thanks for being here this evening.

3:54

I'm here today to recognize the city and your effort pulling together the Tacoma Green Economic Development Strategy with a Vision 2050 award.

4:05

So what's a Vision 2050 award?

4:07

Well, Vision 2050 is our regional plan of how we're going to accommodate growth in the region over the next uh couple decades.

4:13

And our awards are a way of recognizing our partners for their amazing work helping to implement those plans.

4:24

The long-range plans, but it's up to our partners to implement those plans.

4:29

And your strategy being recognized today is appropriately so uh being recognized in our planning ahead category and is an outstanding example of the forethought needed to bring real life goals to life.

4:43

Not only is this a well-thought-out example of good planning, we love seeing the partnerships and community organizing behind this work.

4:51

This is something people are getting behind, bringing businesses to life and making our lives more sustainable and more uh within reach.

5:00

So a big congratulations to the city for your leadership, job well done.

5:05

Josh, thank you so much, and thank you for the honor of the award.

5:10

Um I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge um some of the people who have worked on that, one being um Jeff Robinson, who is online with us this evening and our CED department, but also our partnership with TPU that has really outlined this strategy.

5:26

So while we are accepting the award on behalf of the entire city of Tacoma, I do want to recognize um those two departments who really work tirelessly to make sure that this green economic strategy was done.

5:39

Um and now I am happy to report that we are moving forward with being able to implement that strategy.

5:45

So thank you so much for the honor.

5:47

And I guess should I come down there to get the award or meet you in the middle?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters██████████████████████████████30%
Public Works████████████12%
Human Rights███████████11%
Procedural████████8%
Economic Development██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Immigration Detention Oversight█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Public Comment█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Meeting - June 18, 2024: Proclamations, Retirements, and Fire Levy Ballot Measure

The Tacoma City Council met on June 18, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Tacoma Public Utilities Auditorium. The meeting featured proclamations celebrating Juneteenth and World Refugee Day, recognition of five retiring city directors, a public hearing on a fire levy lid lift ballot measure, and approval of settlements and appointments. Councilmember Daniels was absent.

Consent Calendar

  • Adopted resolutions 41450–41452: awarding a $1,000,000 contract to Consor North America, Inc. for intelligent transportation system design; authorizing a $445,001 increase (cumulative $1,286,934) to Carollo Engineers, Inc. for South Tacoma Pump Station Phase 2 Rehabilitation; and setting July 2, 2024 for a public hearing on proposed City Charter amendments.

Proclamations and Recognitions

  • Vision 2050 Award: Josh Brown, Executive Director of Puget Sound Regional Council, presented the award to the City for its Tacoma Green Economic Development Strategy. Mayor Woodards acknowledged the Community and Economic Development (CED) department and Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) for their work.
  • World Refugee Day (June 20, 2024): Proclamation read by Mayor Woodards. Mary Chris Valdez Castro and Yulia (Commissioners on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs) spoke about welcoming refugees, noting over 1,000 new Ukrainian neighbors in Tacoma. They encouraged continued efforts for citizenship access and economic equity.
  • Juneteenth (June 19, 2024): Proclamation read by Mayor Woodards. Amanda Scott Thomas (Community Aunties), Jade Little (inaugural Miss Pierce County Juneteenth), and C. Ivan Johnson (Human Rights Commission) spoke. The pageant raised $10,000 in scholarships for young women of color. Juneteenth celebration at Stewart Heights Park on June 19 from 11 AM to 5 PM.
  • Recognition of Retiring Directors: Mayor Woodards and council members paid tribute to five directors with a combined 114 years of service: Curtis King-Solver (Deputy City Manager, 34 years, former Public Works director), Tory Green (Fire Chief, 31 years), Jeff Robinson (CED Director, 6 years), Mike Slevin (Environmental Services Director, 29 years), and Tim Allen (Tacoma Employees Retirement System Director, 14 years). Each director gave brief remarks thanking staff and leadership, particularly City Manager Elizabeth Pauli.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Sally Perkins: Expressed gratitude to retiring directors Jeff Robinson and Chief Tory Green, noting their collaborative leadership, especially in the Intentional Response Coalition for mental health crisis response.
  • Esther Day: Spoke on Resolution 41454, urging the Council to consider developer impact fees instead of a property tax increase for the fire department. Also thanked retiring directors, noting prior work with Jeff Robinson.

Discussion Items

  • Settlements: Two claims were approved unanimously:
    • Claim No. W-094-23: $33,872.04 for damage from a leaking Tacoma Water side service line at 5009 96th Avenue West, University Place.
    • Miriam Barnett v. City of Tacoma, et al.: $35,000 settlement for a sidewalk trip and fall on November 24, 2021.
  • Appointments: Resolution 41453 was adopted, appointing/reappointing Peyton Swinford, Morgan Dorner, and Rob Crable to the Planning Commission, following interviews by the Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability (IPS) Committee on May 22, 2024.
  • Resolution 41454 – Fire Levy Lid Lift Ballot Measure: Teresa Green (Senior Business Services Manager) presented the measure for the November 5, 2024 general election. The proposition would increase the property tax levy by $0.65 per $1,000 of assessed value (to a maximum of $2.52/$1,000) in 2025, with an annual increase of up to 6% for 2026–2030 on the additional portion. The additional funding would be dedicated to Tacoma Fire Department facilities, fleet, and staffing. The existing $1.87 levy remains in the general fund. Exemptions for seniors, veterans, and others. Expected increase of ~$25/month for the average homeowner. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
  • First Reading of Ordinance 28971 – Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (2024-2030): Jennifer Kammerzell (Assistant Division Manager) presented the annual update. The program adds 6 new projects (~$20 million) and removes 6 projects (~$34 million), including completed items and one no longer prioritized. A public hearing on May 21, 2024 included testimony on pedestrian safety, tree protection, and private development. Staff noted that the Bridge Industrial improvements include pedestrian and bike elements. The ordinance was set for final reading next week.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda adopted.
  • Proclamations issued for Juneteenth and World Refugee Day.
  • Five retiring directors formally recognized with proclamations and tributes.
  • Two claim settlements approved.
  • Planning Commission appointments approved.
  • Resolution 41454 adopted, sending the fire levy lid lift to the November 2024 ballot.
  • Ordinance 28971 introduced for final reading.
  • City Manager reported on Freedom Fair cleanup efforts (June 24–July 3, 2024) coordinated with WSDOT and Environmental Services.
  • Deputy Mayor Hines reported on duckling rescue by Environmental Services staff and offered Father's Day reflections.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of June 18th, 2024. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Councilmember Bushnell. Present. Councilmember Daniels. Absent Councilmember Diaz. Here. Deputy Mayor Hines. Here. Councilmember Rumba. Here. Councilmember Scott? Here. Councilmember Walker. Here. Mayor Woodards. Here. Did you forget Deputy Mayor Hines? Oh, oh, did you? I didn't even, I saw him come on the screen. I didn't hear you call his name. I didn't hear him say here. Sorry. Thank you very much. Um Clerk. Um please join me listening to the land acknowledgement and the flag salute led by Councilmember Scott, followed by a moment of silence. We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Puala people where they make their home and speak the Lachute seed language. Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence. Seeing none, we'll move on to the consent agenda. I move to adopt the consent agenda, including resolutions number 41450 through 41452. Second. Are there any questions, comments, or corrections? All right. All those in favor of adopting the consent agenda, please signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed. The ayes have it. The consent agenda is adopted. Moving on to proclamations, recognitions, and presentations. Everybody is here. And so I'm going to ask for Josh Brown, the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, to come to the podium. And I would like to call on Josh to present this award. Thank you, Josh. So good to see you. Thanks for being here this evening. I'm here today to recognize the city and your effort pulling together the Tacoma Green Economic Development Strategy with a Vision 2050 award. So what's a Vision 2050 award? Well, Vision 2050 is our regional plan of how we're going to accommodate growth in the region over the next uh couple decades. And our awards are a way of recognizing our partners for their amazing work helping to implement those plans. The long-range plans, but it's up to our partners to implement those plans.

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