Dear Council Members:                        


 ACTION REQUESTED

1. If you are not already registered to attend the upcoming Association of Washington Cities Conference in Tacoma, there are some events you might be interested in attending even if you can’t attend the conference:

• Welcoming Reception – Tuesday, June 12th, 6:30-8:00 p.m., at the top floor of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.
• Dinner – Wednesday, June 13th, 6:00-9:00 p.m., at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.
• Governor’s Lunch – Thursday, June 14th, 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.

If you would like to attend any of these, please let Dio Neris know so you can be registered.

 TOPICS OF INTEREST

2. Assistant City Manager Bill Pugh provides the attached update to the City’s Residential Street program.

3. In addition, Bill Pugh provides the following report on the status of billboards within the City of Tacoma.  In 1997 the City Council adopted TMC 13.06.524 requiring all legal nonconforming billboard signs to be discontinued and removed, or made conforming within ten years from the effective date of the new regulations.  The end of the ten-year amortization period will occur on August 1, 2007.  In December 2005, City staff advised Clear Channel of the upcoming compliance date; and, the Council was subsequently briefed at a July 2006 Study Session.

Our records indicate that 76% of the 193 billboards are nonconforming and Clear Channel is the owner of all billboard signs within the City at this time.  Next week the Building and Land Use Services Division will send letters to Clear Channel and owners of the property where signs are located, requesting a schedule that addresses the removal of billboard structures, or how they will be brought into compliance with the code by August 1, 2007.  Should property owners fail to comply, Tacoma Municipal Code Section 13.06.610 provides for fines and penalties that address code violations.

4. For your review, I am providing the attached Information Technology Department Activity Report for the month of May 2007.

5. The agenda for the Public Utility Board meeting of June 13, 2007, is attached for your information. 

 COUNCIL AGENDA

6. On Tuesday’s Council agenda, the Council will consider Resolutions No. 37203 and No. 37204 related to building of offices and lab facilities for Public Works Environmental Services using a project delivery method known as       63-20.  Bill Pugh provides the attached documents related to the proposed delivery method:

• Power Point presentation made at the May 23rd Environment and Public Works Committee meeting
• Letter from Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc., to the City Manager reviewing the 63-20 delivery method for this project
• Business Journal article and benefits sheet prepared by Bill Angle of King County
• Letter to the State Treasurer from the Legislative Advisory Committee regarding the Treasurer’s 2006 report with attached benefits sheet
• State Treasurer’s 2006 report
• 2002 letter from the City of Redmond Finance Director


 STUDY SESSION/WORK SESSION

7. The City Council Study Session of Tuesday, June 12, 2007, will be held in  Room 16 of the Tacoma Municipal Building North.  Discussion items will be:     (1) Agenda Review; (2) Executive Session – Personnel Matters.

The first item on the agenda at Tuesday’s Study Session, will be the Agenda Review for Tuesday’s Council meeting.  Immediately following the review, there will be an Executive Session to discuss personnel matters.

8. The updated Tentative Council Study Session, Workshop, and Town Hall Meeting Calendar is attached for your information.

 COUNCIL REQUESTS / INQUIRIES

9. Bill Pugh provides the attached memorandum in response to comments made during Citizens’ Forum on June 5th, regarding the use of Environmental Services utility funds to purchase property and construct a facility. 

10. In response to questions raised and comments made at the June 5th Council meeting regarding “Payday Loan” businesses, Tax and License Division Manager Jodie Trueblood provides the following information.  Tacoma receives business and occupation tax on the gross income of these businesses under the service classification.  The revenue the City receives is approximately $20,000 annually. 

Presently payday loan businesses are regulated by the State under RCW 31.45 Check Cashers and Sellers.  Cities are preempted by the State from regulating “Payday Loan” types of businesses.  Any regulatory requirements to protect consumers would need to come from State legislation.  A number of bills were introduced in both the 2005 and 2006 sessions that would have placed interest limits and other actions to try and stop the consumer debt cycle; however, these bills did not become law.  If you have any further questions please contact Jodie at 591-5251.
 
11. In response to a request by Council Member Evans regarding the number of sidewalks constructed in the City and what percentage of that total was constructed under the Sidewalk Maintenance program, Bill Pugh provides the following:

Program Linear Feet
2002 Linear Feet
2003 Linear Feet
2004 Linear Feet
2005 Linear Feet
2006 Total by Program Linear Feet
Permits 17,293 18,827 18,124 16,563 24,934 95,741
Arterial Street program 20,300 21,928 1,488 19,415 9,414 72,545
Local Improvement District  920 709 317 125 1,884 3,955
Private Development 14,452 14,297 32,200 27,520 11,300 99,769
Sidewalk program 5,493 7,833 5,933 7,362 6,635 33,256
Total 58,458 63,594 58,062 70,985 54,167 305,266

Since 2002 the Sidewalk Maintenance program has constructed approximately 11% of the sidewalks. 

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS

12. You have been invited to the following events:

• The Right Start: A Forum on Early Learning on Wednesday, June 13th, 4:00 p.m., at Russell Investment Group, 909 A Street.
• Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau’s Annual Networking
Event on Wednesday, June 13th, 4:30 p.m., at Chambers Bay Golf Course, 6320 Grandview Drive West, University Place.
• South Tacoma Business District Association Annual Social on Thursday,
June 14th, 6:00 p.m., at “The Factory”, 5602 South Washington Street.
• The Prosperity Partnership Roundtable Field Meeting on Friday, June 15th, 8:45 a.m., the tour of Pierce County will start at the Tacoma Dome parking lot,
2727 East D Street.
• Eleventh Annual Sexual Assault Awareness Luncheon on Friday,
June 15th, 11:45 a.m., at LaQuinta Inn, 1425 East 27th Street.
• A Closer Look sponsored by the Women’s Funding Alliance on Tuesday,
June 19th, 10:00 a.m., at Yesler Community Center, 917 East Yesler Way,  Seattle.
• VIP Media Preview of Chambers Bay – Pure Links Golf on Thursday,
June 21st, 9:30 a.m., at 6320 Grandview Drive West, University Place.
• National Field Day 24 hours of operation under simulated emergency conditions sponsored by the Radio Club of Tacoma on Saturday,
June 23rd, 11:00 a.m., at Western State Hospital in Steilacoom.
• A gala evening of tasting wines, dinner, auction and dancing proceeds to benefit Children’s Therapy Unit at Good Samaritan Hospital on Saturday,
June 23rd, 5:30 p.m., at ShowPlex in the Puyallup Fair & Events Center,
110 - 9th Avenue SW, Puyallup.
• A place to play: dinner and playhouses under the stars sponsored by
the Children’s Museum of Tacoma on Saturday, June 23rd, 6:00 p.m., in the park
across from the Children’s Museum, 936 Broadway.
• Washington State Department of Transportation has set the New Narrows      Bridge Opening Public Celebration on Sunday, July 15th, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.  The bridge deck will be open to the public and there will be free bus service via Pierce Transit to both sides of the bridge.  For the most up-to-date event information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr16narrowsbridge/opening/
Sincerely,

REY ARELLANO 
Acting City Manager
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Attachments