The Tacoma City Council convened at 5:00 PM on October 1, 2024, in Council Chambers. The meeting included four proclamations, public comment on a multifamily tax exemption resolution, approval of several resolutions and an ordinance, and recognition of outgoing staff member Melanie Harding.
Three in-person speakers and one online commenter addressed Resolution 41531 (multifamily tax exemption):
I would like to call to order the city council meeting of October 1st, 2024. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Councilmember Bushnell. Councilmember Bushnell? Are you present? Thank you. Councilmember Daniels. Councilmember Diaz. Deputy Mayor Hines. Councilmember Rumba here. Councilmember Sidalgay? Councilmember Scott? Councilmember Walker? Here. Mayor Woodards? Here. Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgement and flag salute led by Councilmember Walker, followed by a moment of silence in honor of Margie McGrody. Today, our moment of silence honors a remarkable individual whose impact on our city is both profound and enduring. Whether you have heard Margaret Margie, whether you've heard of Margaret Margie McGrotory or not, if you lived in Tacoma, you have undoubtedly benefited from her tireless work and deep passion for our community. Margie was a proud resident of Tacoma for 48 years. And throughout her life, she dedicated herself to making our city a better place for all. Let me now turn this over to Councilmember Walker. We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Puala people where they make their home and speak the Leshutsi language. Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence. Are there any modifications to this evening's agenda? Seeing none, we will now move on to the consent agenda. There are no consent agenda items today. We have four ceremonials tonight. Are they here? Okay. And whereas manufacturing is a major employer and job creator in Washington state, with over 275,000 workers responsible for more than 8% of the gross state product, and 17,000 individuals working in the manufacturing sector right here in Pierce County. And whereas manufacturing in Tacoma produces such varied products as aircraft components, precision robotics, batteries, components for maritime industry, and craft beverages. And whereas local manufacturing businesses lead the way in sustainable efforts to reduce energy and carbon emissions, such as the Port of Tacoma's clean air strategy to reach zero emissions by 2040. And whereas manufacturers continually strengthen their workforce through skills-based training and education, make significant contributions to the national, regional and local economy, and are foundational to Tacoma's growth and vibrancy. Now, therefore, I, Victoria R. Worders, mayor of the City of Tacoma, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim Friday, October 4th, 2024, as Manufacturing Day in the City of Tacoma, and invite our community to celebrate and engage with our manufacturing partners all month long, and extend our deepest appreciation to our Tacoma Pierce County manufacturers and to the Manufacturing Industrial Council for their vital services they perform and their essential support of service in our community. Please join me in a round of applause. All right, Raleigh Riley and Mike, I'll turn it over to you to say a few words. I'm Riley Hume, the lead research and development engineer for Homeostasis. We're a Tacoma based startup and leaders in CO2 conversion technology. What we're developing right next to the 11th Street Bridge is a technology for converting carbon dioxide, either from emission sources or directly from the air into critical materials for our electrified world. Joining the ranks of Group 14, Ebb Carbon, Banu Carbon, and Avalanche, we're working to make Washington State a hub for climate tech and the security of our clean energy value chain. On behalf of Team Homeostasis, thank you again for this recognition. Thank you, Mayor and Council for acknowledging our local manufacturers. I think it's vital in our communities that we create products and fulfill a local ecosystem of manufacturing and goods that can be there for us when we need. So thank you for making that recognition. Thank you both. Please come forward to accept your proclamations. And we're going to take a picture. Spread on out.