Tacoma City Council Meeting – March 18, 2025

The Tacoma City Council met on March 18, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Deputy Mayor Daniels presided in the absence of Mayor Woodards. The council adopted a consent agenda, heard public comments, approved appointments, purchase resolutions, housing tax exemptions, and a new commemorative flag policy, and passed three ordinances on final reading. First readings on utility fee updates were set for final reading next week. The meeting included proclamations for Women's History Month and recognition of the Daffodil Royal Court.

Consent Calendar

• Adopted unanimously: Resolutions 41633 (Cerium Networks VXRail systems upgrade, $693,410 plus 10% contingency), 41634 (General Mechanical on-call facility services increase to $1,350,000), and 41635 (McKinstry Co. on-call facility services increase to $1,800,000).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Oliver Webb (Operations Director, Diversity Alliance of the Puget Sound) spoke in support of Resolution 41642, the commemorative flag policy, stating it signals the city’s commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and that he feels proud to be a Tacoman.
• Michelle Rice commented on Women’s History Month, noting that no nation has achieved full gender equality and discussed women’s roles in the military.
• Larry Vigarie urged the council to reduce spending and taxes, referencing a property tax relief bill in Idaho.
• Kit Burns raised concerns about the multifamily tax exemption program, calculating that developers receive a tax break of about $3,000 per month while only providing a $1,000 per month benefit in rent savings. He also noted that one project (7433 D Street) lacks sidewalks and nearby play areas.

Discussion Items

• Proclamations & Recognitions:
  • March 2025 proclaimed as Women’s History Month. Haley Falk (Chair, Women’s Link affinity group) accepted the proclamation.
  • Recognized the 2025 Daffodil Royal Court, including Queen Harmony Jones (Silas High School) and 21 princesses, who introduced themselves and their future plans.
• Appointments (Resolution 41636): Approved appointments and reappointments to the Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs: Hugo Cruz Morrow, Isabel Hernandez, Hugo Nicholas, and Terry Rubinica.
• Purchase Resolutions:
  • Resolution 41637: Awarded contract to Combined Construction, Inc. for I-705 ramp upgrades (Stadium Way/Commerce Street) for $2,948,498 plus 10% contingency ($3,243,347 total). Adopted.
  • Resolution 41638: Awarded contract to IMCO General Construction for Phase 1 of Puyallup Avenue Sewer Utility Replacement for $7,096,420.60. Adopted.
• Resolutions:
  • Resolution 41639: Amended the agreement with the Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority (TCRA) to increase compensation for administering the Affordable Housing Fund by $6.9 million, bringing the total to $27,274,997.77. The increase supports three projects (including Mercy of Eva Crossing under construction) and retroactively sets aside 7% for administrative costs. Adopted unanimously.
  • Resolutions 41640 & 41641: Authorized 12-year limited property tax exemptions for two multifamily developments:
    • 7433 D Street LLC (20 units): $3.02 million construction cost; net positive city tax benefit of $186,200 over 12 years.
    • Kissler Management, Inc. (12 units at 4312 Lawrence Street): $2.6 million construction cost; net positive city tax benefit of $103,000 over 12 years. Both adopted.
  • Resolution 41642: Adopted a policy designating four commemorative flags to be raised at the Tacoma Municipal Building, Dome, Police and Fire headquarters: Pride flag (July), Trans Pride flag (March 31 & November 20), Juneteenth flag (June 19), and an orange flag for Gun Violence Awareness Day (first Friday/weekend of June). Flags will be provided by community partners at no cost to the city. Councilmember Diaz sponsored the resolution, with co-sponsors Mayor Woodards and Councilmember Bushnell. Adopted.
• Final Reading of Ordinances:
  • Ordinance 29023: Renamed the Citizen Commission on Elected Salaries to Commission on Elected Salaries per Charter Amendment No. 1 (passed Nov. 5, 2024). Passed 8‑0 (Rumbaugh absent).
  • Ordinance 29024: Authorized two wholesale water supply agreements with Cascade Water Alliance, including market-based rates. Passed 8‑0 (Rumbaugh absent). Councilmembers Walker and Bushnell praised the resilience benefits.
  • Ordinance 29025: Established expenditure targets and reporting requirements for Proposition 1 transportation sales tax (0.1%) revenues. Passed 8‑0 (Rumbaugh absent). Councilmembers Hines, Walker, and Bushnell emphasized transparency and accountability.
• First Reading of Ordinances (set over for final reading next week):
  • Ordinance 29026: Revised electrical inspection, disconnection, and reconnection fees to recover $650,000 in annual operating costs.
  • Ordinance 29027: Updated water fees and charges to recover increased operating costs, effective April 7, 2025.

Community Forum

• Sally Perkins criticized the city’s homeless encampment sweeps, stating there are not enough shelter beds and that police actions harm vulnerable populations.
• Michelle Reich urged the council to allow police to target and deport gang members, citing national security.
• Kit Burns presented alternative station location proposals for the Tacoma Dome Link extension, arguing the proposed East 25th Street station would require two rail crossings and negatively impact Freight House Square.
• Travis Pope, Stephanie Reeser, and Christian (Connect Across Tacoma) promoted their workforce development program and invited the council to a “Disco Tech” technology fair on March 28–29 at 1102 A Street.
• Mira (student at Science and Math Institute) thanked the council for their work.

Key Outcomes

• All consent, appointment, purchase, and policy items were approved unanimously with no recorded opposition.
• Final reading ordinances passed 8‑0; Councilmember Rumbaugh was absent for those votes (but was present during roll call earlier in the meeting – a minor discrepancy in attendance for later items).
• Two first-reading ordinances were set for final approval at the next city council meeting.
• The commemorative flag policy will be implemented later in 2025.
• The meeting adjourned shortly after 7:00 PM.