Latest / The City of Tacoma Podcast Network / Tacoma City Council Meeting - March 24, 2026

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Tacoma City Council Meeting - March 24, 2026 · The City of Tacoma Podcast Network

2:07
I'd like to call to order the City Council meeting of March 24th,
2:11
2026. Clerk, please call the roll. Deputy Mayor Bushnell. Present.
2:15
Council Member Diaz. Council Member Hines.
2:21
You could try again, Council Member Hines. Council Member Hines appears to be
2:26
here virtually, just having some microphone issues.
2:28
There we go. I'm here. All right. Thank you, Council Member Hines.
2:32
Council Member Palmer. Council Member Rumba. Here. Council Member Sedolgay.
2:38
Absent Councilmember Scott? Here. Councilmember Walker? Here. Mayor Ibsen? Here.
2:43
Please join me in listening to the land acknowledgement and flag salute led
2:46
by Councilmember Scott, followed by a moment of silence.
2:48
We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of
2:52
the Puyallup people, where they make their home and speak the Lashute Seed language.
2:55
Please stand for the flag salute and remain standing for a moment of silence.
3:26
We have one modification to the agenda tonight to add a letter in support of
3:30
Thrive International under the Consent Agenda as item 4A.
3:33
We now have a motion before us for consideration. I move to suspend Rule 4A
3:38
of the Rules of Procedure of the Council of the City of Tacoma to amend the
3:41
agenda to add a letter from the city in support of Thrive International on the
3:44
consent agenda as item 4A. Second.
3:47
Moved in second. Are there any council comments?
3:51
Say none. All's in favor of adding this modification to tonight's agenda signify by saying aye. Aye.
3:56
All's opposed to say nay. Motion is declared adopted. Anyone wishing to comment
4:00
on this motion may do so during public comment. Are there any additional modifications
4:05
to the agenda this evening?
4:07
Seeing none, we will move on to the consent agenda. Is there a motion?
4:11
I move to adopt the consent agenda, including resolutions number 41870 and 41871. Second.
4:18
Moving second. Are there any questions, comments, or corrections?
4:21
Seeing none, all is in favor of adopting the consent agenda.
4:24
Please signify by saying aye. Aye. Those who say nay, consent agenda is declared adopted.
4:29
There are no proclamations, recognitions, presentations, or announcements.
4:33
Moving on to public comment. On tonight's agenda, there are two opportunities for people to comment.
4:38
Under public comment, you can speak about motions, resolutions,
4:41
and ordinances on tonight's agenda.
4:43
Anyone wishing to speak on item 6, resolution number 41872, may do so later
4:48
on the agenda after the item is presented.
4:51
This forum is intended to give speakers the opportunity to share their viewpoints
4:54
and feedback with the City Council to aid in our decision-making and is not
4:58
meant to be a back-and-forth dialogue.
5:00
Your remarks should be directed to the City Council and not at individual staff members.
5:04
If you wish to speak under the public comment period, press the raise head button
5:08
near the bottom of your Zoom window or star 9 on your phone now so we can see
5:12
the number of people wishing to testify this evening.
5:14
If you're speaking in person, please sign up at the back of the room if you've not done so already.
5:18
Your name or the last four digits of your phone number will be called out when
5:21
it's your turn to speak. Clerk, please read.
5:24
This is the time set aside for public comment. Speakers are asked to identify
5:27
the specific legislation they wish to address.
5:29
All right. If you cannot remain on topic, you'll be given two warnings.
6:02
If you remain off topic, we will have to move on and we'll end your time.
6:06
We have one in-person speaker, Michelle Reich.
6:14
Michelle Braish, I was speaking to you about resolutions on 873.
6:25
Yeah, limited family tax exemption.
6:31
First of all, I don't think there should be any exemptions because that leads
6:39
to revenue that the city would get to fund other projects.
6:42
That people would build houses without the exemption.
6:46
And that's what I believe the market would allow to take place.
6:53
I know, and another issue is the growth there.
6:59
I know the city likes high-density growth, and that should be against the environment, high-density growth.
7:09
I believe that encouraged high density is against the environment,
7:17
and it should be curtailed.
7:20
And so, in relation to that speaking here, in psyops,
7:31
a person that doesn't speak has no advantage of a person that can't speak. I close with that.
7:41
Thank you, Michelle. We have one online speaker, Dylan Roof.
7:51
Followed by two others but hello mr what i wanted to basically talk about was basically,
7:58
um the godfather of the european union richard kudenhoff kalergi basically talked
8:05
about impractical idealism he is plans for the ethno side of the european peoples
8:11
but sir are you speaking to an item on tonight's on tonight's published i'm a segregation nation.
8:16
This is the biggest genocide in human history. Sir, are you speaking to a motion
8:20
or an agenda item on tonight's agenda?
8:24
Since it appears you are not speaking on something relating to tonight's agenda,
8:28
this is not germane to public comment. We are going to move on to the next speaker.
8:31
Our next speaker is Ed Snow, followed by Bill Johnson.
8:47
Ed Snow.
8:57
Going once.
9:02
Okay, well, it appears we're not able to connect with Ed Snow,
9:05
so we're going to move on to our last virtual speaker, and that is Bill Johnson,
9:10
and there's a new in-person speaker. Bill, go ahead.
9:16
Yeah, hello, counsel. What I was hoping to address today involves the fact that
9:21
the entire community has been overrun by retarded niggers and third world apes.
9:25
All right, sir, are you speaking to any items on tonight's agenda?
9:29
The white people decided to destroy our nice. Sir, I'm going to ask you one more time.
9:36
Are you speaking to any agenda items on tonight's meeting?
9:39
Stupid. it. Seeing none, we're going to close public comment virtually,
9:42
and we have one more speaker in person, Ms. Marilyn Kimmeling.
9:45
Why don't you please come on up?
9:51
Good evening, Council. I had to search really hard to find something on the
9:55
agenda that was even tangentially related to what I'm interested in.
9:59
But I want to speak tonight to the first resolution, Resolution S41870,
10:06
a resolution of budgeting for the stormwater, which I think is a wonderful idea.
10:12
But I wonder where the money is to protect all of our wetlands and to protect
10:18
land from being paved over and warehouses and parking lots put on it.
10:23
I want to remind you that we are creatures of earth too, and all of the living forms on this planet,
10:33
the frogs, the salamanders, we need to do more to protect our wetlands and all
10:39
of our open spaces, and to protect our planet from climate chaos.
10:46
And so I just want to bring your attention to money going for this,
10:51
which is a good start so that I'm on topic.
10:54
But please remember that the planet needs your love, and we can do our part
11:00
in Tacoma too. Thank you.
11:02
Thank you, Ms. Kilming. And with that, we have no other speakers signed up.
11:06
So we're going to close public comment and move on to our regular agenda.
11:09
Item number six, this item will have a PowerPoint presentation. Clerk, please read.
11:14
Resolution 41872, a resolution expressing support for the passage of Proposition No.
11:18
1 submitted by Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma at the April 28,
11:22
2026 special election, which reads as follows.
11:25
The Board of Park Commissioners of the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma adopted Resolution No.
11:31
RR426 concerning safety and improvement bonds for neighborhood parks and recreation facilities.
11:36
This proposition authorizes the district to improve, construct,
11:39
and or expand parks, trails, community centers, playgrounds,
11:42
water play areas, restrooms, ball fields, sports courts,
11:46
skate parks, and zoologic facilities, expand access to parks and open spaces,
11:51
acquire new park property, update deteriorating infrastructure,
11:54
fund sustainability projects to protect Puget Sound,
11:58
issue $155 million of general bonds maturing within a maximum term of 21 years,
12:04
and levy annual excess property taxes to repay the bonds as provided in Resolution R.R. 426.
12:12
I move to adopt resolution number 41872.
12:17
Moving seconded, I'd like to call on Park Board President Matt Maurer and Terry
12:21
Youngman, District-wide Capital Improvement Program Manager, Parks Tacoma. Welcome.
12:25
Awesome. Thank you, Mayor Ibsen, Deputy Mayor Bushnell, Councilmembers.
12:29
My name is Matt Maurer. As the mayor said, I am the president of the Parks Board
12:33
or Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners.
12:35
And I'm here today to talk to you all about our park bond that's coming before
12:39
the voters on April 28th. I'm going to go ahead next.
12:43
Really quick, this is a $155 million bond.
12:48
This will be over 100 projects and 40 parks, community centers,
12:53
and zoos that will be impacted by this bond. It's a six-year bond.
12:58
And one of the really cool things that we're excited is that this will also
13:02
not be raising taxes at this time.
13:05
And so we've got some bonds that are expiring. The 2014 bonds are expiring.
13:10
And so what we plan to do is to extend the current rate that people are paying
13:16
to keep the rate exactly the same, but fund these projects for the next six years.
13:23
Really cool, exciting projects on there. I'm excited by quite a few of them.
13:27
We're going to do some renovation on Peck Field, the new People's Center.
13:30
We've got some design money for a new center in the South Tacoma neighborhood,
13:35
and quite a few parks in and around all of the neighborhoods within the city of Tacoma.
13:43
We made it a really big effort for us to ensure that every neighborhood is touched
13:47
by this, and so we're really looking forward to what we can accomplish with this vote.
13:55
I'm going to right now take it over and hand it over to my colleague Terry Youngman.
13:59
He is our Capital Programs Director for Parks Tacoma, and he's going to go a
14:02
little bit more in-depth for it. Go ahead.
14:07
Thanks, President Maurer, and good evening, Mayor and Councilmembers.
14:10
Thanks for having me here tonight. Terry Youngman, Districtwide Capital Improvement Program Manager.
14:14
So we'll go to the next slide. So capital bonds, what are they?
14:18
You all probably know this already, but just to capture it really quickly,
14:21
these are large, long-term capital bond projects that are going to be funded
14:26
through the bond program. So this is the 26 bond program.
14:29
They have about a 20-year repayment period that supports those bonds.
14:32
It's funding a multitude of projects, high diversity of projects all over the city.
14:37
So these are hundreds of projects that are generally covered by these types of bond programs.
14:41
We have a high degree of leveraging within our capital program.
14:45
With the 2014 bond program, we were able to leverage an additional 40% of funding
14:50
within that program. So we're bringing a lot of different funding sources to
14:52
the table to help support the bond funding.
14:55
The reason we go out for these capital bonds is because our operating budget
14:58
is not sufficient to be able to cover such large-scale capital investments.
15:02
So we go out for capital bonds to help support our capital program.
15:05
And that tax amount is based on evaluation of your property value.
15:10
So the last time we went out for a bond program was back in 2014.
15:13
This was the Neighborhood Parks
15:15
and Zoo Improvements and Safety Upgrades bond. It was for $198 million.
15:19
That was an investment over 10 years. And when compared to this current bond
15:22
program that we're going out for, it's $155 million over six years.
15:26
So that explains the difference between the two dollar amounts.
15:28
This one is less, but because it has a shorter time horizon for implementation.
15:33
Through the course of that bond program, we're actually, so I was stating a
15:38
number from the last slide that we had the last time we did this.
15:40
It's actually $79 million that we leveraged in additional funding through the 2014 bond.
15:45
So we implemented hundreds of capital projects within that bond program.
15:49
If you want to know more about that, go to parkstacoma.gov slash 2014 bond update
15:53
for all the information about that package.
15:57
Some highlights of the 2014 bond. I won't go through every single one on this
16:01
list, but to identify some of the ones that have an overlap and coordination
16:04
with the city of Tacoma, the People Center Pool was a major investment in the
16:08
2014 bond program, bringing a new facility online for the hilltop community.
16:12
We built a new community center on the east side, another major partnership with the city of Tacoma.
16:17
We built a lot of signature facilities within our system as well.
16:22
Dune Peninsula, Melanie's Park down on the waterfront.
16:26
These were major investments that we made in expanding our park system.
16:30
And that's something I would note as a major difference between the 2014 bond
16:33
program and what we're putting forth in the 26 bond is the 2014 bond built a
16:38
lot of signature projects, big regional destinations, attractions.
16:41
And the 26 bond is a bit of a pivot from that. We are looking to also make investments
16:46
in places like Point Defiance Park and the Reston Way waterfront.
16:49
But we heard very clearly through the community that there's a desire to see
16:51
a more local investment, something close to home in their neighborhoods,
16:55
their community parks, their community centers. And so we'll see that shift.
16:58
So rounding out some of the projects that we have in the 2014 bond,
17:01
we also see point-defined sloop trail phase two. That's work that's under construction right now.
17:05
And then we've been doing a lot of playground upgrades all across the city.
17:09
We just opened a park out at Oakland Madrona, which is a great representation
17:12
of the type of work we're doing right now where we're taking these playgrounds
17:15
and upgrading them to current day standards.
17:17
In the development of the 26 bond, we conducted a community advisory group process.
17:23
We called it the Parks Bond Advisory Committee.
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And before we got to that Parks Bond advisory process, we conducted about six
17:31
months of internal analysis that helped support the baseline package that went
17:36
forward to the advisory group.
17:39
But this process was informed by our long-range strategic plan,
17:43
which included a very deep public engagement process where we went out to communities
17:47
that did statistically valid surveys to help support that package being developed.
17:52
And all those priorities are rolling into the development of this 26 bond program.
17:56
The Parks Bond Advisory Committee consisted of 28 members from the community.
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These are folks representing various interests and geographic areas of the city,
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people from advisory councils, local government, nonprofits,
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businesses, and user groups.
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So it was really a diverse group of people who came to this setting and helped
18:14
us build a package that was represented of the broader community.
18:19
I also wanted to know, we used a lot of geospatial tools in the building of this 26 bond package.
18:24
The map that you see up here right now is the City of Tacoma Equity Index is
18:29
something that we overlaid with
18:30
our project distribution to see how the projects that we had identified,
18:34
both through our internal staff prioritization process and those that came through
18:38
the Parks Bond Advisory Committee,
18:39
to see how they were connecting with neighborhoods that have a high degree of
18:43
opportunity, or rather those that have a low opportunity,
18:47
and seeing how we can serve those communities better with our park systems.
18:52
So, the Parks Bond Advisory Committee gave some really key recommendations.
18:57
The most important one that we heard from that group was that this is not the time for tax increases.
19:02
And as you heard President Maurer say, this is a package that does not increase
19:05
the property taxes with this new bond package.
19:09
So, with all the economic uncertainty and looking at gas prices and spending
19:14
time at a grocery store, there's not a lot of disposable income to be increasing
19:17
taxes. And so it was really important that we put a package out that is thoughtful
19:21
and considerate of where people are right now.
19:24
They wanted to see an equitable investment across Tacoma. So every neighborhood
19:27
needed to feel an investment.
19:29
They needed to point at something in this package and be able to say,
19:32
that's the project that's in my neighborhood. It's something that I will benefit
19:35
from because of this package.
19:37
They also looked at some really key categories within the package.
19:41
As I said, neighborhood identity, local park investment was very key.
19:44
Yes, we will make investments in our signature parks, but also people want that
19:47
close to home, 10-minute walk type of a park investment so that they don't have
19:51
to travel all across the city to get their outdoor recreational needs met.
19:55
But connections to parks was important. It's not just about the experience you
19:59
have when you are in the park, but also that experience as you get to the park.
20:02
It's the right-of-way experience.
20:03
And so the package carries a considerable amount of money for us to be able
20:06
to partner with the city of Tacoma on greenway connections, using the right-of-way,
20:10
building sidewalks, bringing in street trees, investing in placemaking along these corridors.
20:15
So as people are moving towards the park, they are having a safe and a pleasant
20:19
experience as they get there.
20:21
We also heard through that group really quickly. One last note.
20:24
We also heard through that group that land acquisition was important.
20:27
This is very much a take care of what you have type of a MON program,
20:30
not a big expansion system that we're proposing here.
20:35
Because of that, we needed to invest in land acquisition to capture some additional
20:40
open space before it turns to private development.
20:43
And so we actually increased the amount we had for land acquisition through
20:46
the Parks-Mon Advisory Committee process so that we can seize those opportunities
20:50
now rather than lose out on them in the future.
20:54
This is a map that shows the work that we're proposing under the 26 bond.
20:58
All of this is online. So if you want to see it a little bit better and not
21:01
squint your eyes at the image that you see up on the screen,
21:03
you can go to parkstacoma.gov slash vote, and it has all this information there.
21:07
But it shows the distribution of projects that are all across the city.
21:11
We've really tried to thread the needle on showing a high degree of detail on
21:15
the types of investments that the public would see while still retaining some
21:18
level of flexibility on the package such that we can adapt to a dynamic system
21:22
through the course of the next six years.
21:26
As far as the financial details, the ballot measure would invest $155 million
21:31
in over 40 parks and community centers with no increase to current taxes.
21:36
That bond-supported projects would cost property owners the same $0.45 per $1,000
21:42
in assessed home value that they're paying now, and that translates to roughly
21:45
$249 per year based on Tacoma's average home value of $553,000.
21:51
So I'm going to pass it back to President Mauer here to close this out,
21:54
and then I'll be available for any questions. Thanks, Terry.
21:58
All right, next slide. Now that Terry has done all the work,
22:03
I'm going to close this up here and let you guys know on April 28th,
22:08
we do need a 60 plus 1% majority because it is a bond.
22:13
And the validation will be the 40% of the previous general election.
22:17
And so we are here. Obviously, this was a facts and information request to give
22:21
you guys an information on what we're doing with the bond.
22:24
And so I'm happy to answer any questions you have about what's in the bond moving forward.
22:32
Thank you, President Mauer. Are there any counsel, questions or comments?
22:39
All right. Deputy Mayor, follow-up by Council Member Palmer.
22:43
Thank you, Mayor. I just want to say thank you for the presentation.
22:46
And I really appreciate all the facts and information. I'm really,
22:50
really excited to see this.
22:51
And I'm hoping the community also sees the benefit and the equitable distribution
22:56
of resourcing and support across.
22:59
And I'm particularly looking forward to work in the south end around a potential
23:03
community center as well.
23:04
So I'm just really excited about all this. And I'm really looking forward to
23:08
supporting us in the near future.
23:09
Thank you. All right, Council Member Palmer.
23:12
I also have no questions, but wanted to express how excited I am for this as well.
23:18
I think you guys have done an amazing job listening to all of the community
23:23
around Tacoma and listening to the needs.
23:26
And I really am also listening to the fact that everything's a little too expensive right now.
23:31
And so a tax raise would be a lot, but you're able to do so much in what we're
23:36
already using. So I really hope community as well sees the benefit and pushes this forward.
23:42
Something to remember, you know, parks can seem maybe a little lighthearted
23:47
or maybe unnecessary to some, but I think we have to look at them as public safety mechanisms.
23:55
And so an investment in our parks is an investment in our public safety.
24:01
So please consider thinking about it like that when you're voting. Thank you.
24:06
Thank you, Councilmember Palmer, Councilmember Rumbaugh, followed by Councilmember Walker.
24:10
Thank you, Mayor. And I just wanted to say, I already said during study session
24:15
that I really support this.
24:16
And I want to thank Matt Maurer, because I know that he's the reason that we're
24:19
going to get a dog park in Northeast Tacoma.
24:21
I want to take all the credit. Yeah. I just want to say it was at the last CoCreate to Recreate.
24:26
It was really incredible to see so much of Northeast Tacoma out there.
24:30
And if you want to talk about more conservative parts of town,
24:34
I would say that some of my neighbors are. and they are really supportive.
24:37
They see the benefit because we've been really conscientious about what's going to benefit them.
24:42
And looking at North Point Community Center, which is, I think,
24:45
over 30 years old, for some improvements is fabulous.
24:48
And I just want to give a call out and shout out to Parks Tacoma because you're
24:52
not just within the city boundaries. You do have some areas that you have control
24:57
of and one of them is Dashpoint City Park.
25:00
And they're going to get their dock fixed and it's been like five or six years
25:04
and they're really excited about having that fixed.
25:07
So I wanna just thank you so much. It's exciting that with not changing anything
25:12
about the cost, it's gonna be, we're able to just go ahead and do this.
25:16
And so thank you, Matt, for all of your service on the Parks Commission and thank you for staff.
25:22
I've heard this now three times and I really appreciate every time I hear it.
25:26
I think that we have a lot of support in this room and in this city for what
25:30
parks mean to our community.
25:32
So thank you. Thank you. Yeah, the dog park constituency is a very persistent constituency.
25:38
But there was actually a gap. There was a gap in northeast Tacoma.
25:41
So we're happy to be able to provide the service over there that wasn't there before.
25:45
They want their off-leash area. So thank you.
25:48
Thank you. Cusper Walker. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you both for presenting. This is great.
25:53
And can you remind us and the public how to get to that map so they can look at their neighborhood?
26:01
That's parkstacoma.gov slash vote. Okay, great.
26:04
Love that tool. I think that we love that you're using our equity index to look
26:11
at the distribution of projects, too.
26:13
So I don't have questions for you, but I am going to speak briefly,
26:17
Mayor, if it's okay, to the resolution.
26:19
So we have a resolution before us that is in support of the proposition.
26:23
And Councilmember Sedalge, Councilmember Bushnell, Deputy Mayor Bushnell,
26:27
sorry, I didn't update my talking points, and Mayor Ibsen are bringing that forward tonight.
26:32
I gave a lot of comments today at study session, but just wanted to note again,
26:37
Councilmember Sedalge and I serve on the Parks Policy Board and we're really
26:40
grateful for the partnership.
26:41
And that's part of why I'm really supportive of the work here,
26:45
because so much of it is in partnership between the parks and the city.
26:50
And we also highlighted earlier today, too, and I saw that it was on your slide,
26:55
Catherine Ushka's Gas Station Park, which we're particularly proud of.
26:59
And just thank you for continuing to bring things like that forward to the community
27:02
that not only serve a neighborhood, but also honor people throughout the city.
27:07
So appreciate the work on this.
27:10
And I think we answered all the questions we had about the resolution earlier.
27:15
So excited to support that and move that forward.
27:18
Thank you, Councilmember Walker. And just a bit of a question myself, too.
27:22
So, one of the favorite things that I love and that's near and dear to me about
27:26
Tacoma is that we really play well with others when it comes to smart partnerships,
27:29
especially when it comes to stretching scarce dollars.
27:32
And a certain brilliant local government person once talked to me about the
27:36
notion of safe routes to parks.
27:38
We have such a great track record working with our school partners and keeping
27:41
our kids and families safe.
27:43
Something that would be really of interest to a lot of people in the community
27:47
is that as the city has a conversation and fleshes out where our infrastructure
27:51
dollars go in areas that might be co-located, like between a park and a school.
27:56
Can you tell me, President Maurer, if this were to pass and the parks has additional
28:01
capital dollars, what might that mean for collaboration opportunities for keeping
28:05
young people and their families safe as they try to enjoy our parks more?
28:09
Yeah, thank you for that. That actually is one of the most exciting aspects
28:12
of this bond measure is our ability.
28:15
It's called Parks Greenways or Greenways. And the idea is that we'll have a
28:19
pot of money that we can hopefully be a value add to any kind of city infrastructure
28:25
projects that either coincide with work that we're doing at the parks or are
28:30
tangential or adjacent to some of our parks.
28:33
So we can improve that city infrastructure so people have a safer environment.
28:38
Route to our parks. And so we have this goal of everyone being within a 10-minute
28:42
walk of a park, but that's kind of silent on, yeah, you can be 10 minutes from
28:46
a park, but still that 10-minute walk could be a little hairy depending on where you live, right?
28:50
And so the idea is that having this pot of money to be that value add,
28:55
to be that matching dollars for the city infrastructure improvements,
28:58
to add those bike lanes, add those crosswalks where they intersect with our
29:03
walks to our parks to make it safer for folks to get there. And so very excited about that.
29:08
There's no like particular projects that are identified. It's more of a pot of money.
29:11
And so as things happen, as grants become available, as the city decides to
29:15
expand our Vision Zero program to different parts of the city,
29:19
we're hoping to be a partner in that to ensure that, hey, if you need a few extra dollars here,
29:24
we can get this to park X or park Y, right?
29:27
And so we can improve that infrastructure for folks walking.
29:31
So you're basically saying we could potentially do more to keep pedestrians,
29:35
young people, and their families safer without raising taxes.
29:38
Correct. All right, wonderful.
29:39
And my own comments before we open up public comment for general members of
29:43
the community is just be informed if your voter's watching this on April 28th.
29:48
That's the last time to get your ballot mailed out. Be informed and do your
29:51
diligence about this measure.
29:52
I certainly second Councilmember Palmer's remark that parks are not just simply
29:57
nice to haves, but public infrastructure, just like our streets.
30:01
They're just a vital component of public safety and infrastructure.
30:04
And as a proud member of the Dog Park Caucus by Councilman Burumbaugh,
30:08
whatever we can do to advance that, I'm definitely a fan of.
30:10
So thank you so much, President Maurer. Thank you for all that you and Parks
30:13
Tacoma do. With that, we are going to open up public comments on this one item.
30:17
If you wish to speak virtually under the public comment period just on this
30:20
resolution, press the raise hand button near the bottom of your Zoom window
30:23
or star nine on your phone now so we can see the number of people wishing to
30:26
testify this evening. If you're speaking in person, please sign up at the back
30:30
of the room if you have not done so already.
30:32
Your name or the last four digits
30:33
of your phone number will be called out when it's your turn to speak.
30:36
So we have two in-person speakers, Michelle Reich, followed by Helen Harlow.
30:45
Michelle Reich, I'm speaking on Proposition 1 for the parks.
30:53
A lot of nice things on this list here for the parks here.
31:00
General obligations bonds, that's almost like a loan type. and it's closing
31:07
in this and levy annual excess property taxes to repay the bonds.
31:14
That has some concern to me there since they already are taking $250 in taxes
31:21
from the Parks Department.
31:24
Another issue with all these nice things is, as the mayor touched in,
31:31
the security of the parks and for people access to that.
31:34
And because of the problem with the unhoused population using the parks as their camping ground,
31:45
that is an issue to me and a lot of citizens of Tacoma.
31:50
And it precludes a lot of people from enjoying the parks because of the safety issue.
31:58
And even though we touched on some of the safety issues, I think there should
32:04
be a greater emphasis on the safety for the park's usage for people there.
32:10
And as former Deputy Mayor Daniels mentioned, $11 million would have been,
32:16
and the real cost was $50 million.
32:20
And you're welcome to submit the rest of your remarks in writing,
32:22
too. Thank you so much for speaking. I appreciate it. Next speaker is Helen Harlow.
32:29
Hi, I'm Helen Harlow, and I'm here primarily regarding Bryan's Park,
32:34
which is in the south end of Tacoma.
32:37
It is a park that was developed out of a, hard for me to say,
32:45
my son's incident with the Shriner attack, etc., etc.
32:52
This park was developed right out of nothing with the neighborhood.
32:58
And at this point, it has really become quite the spectacular place to come to.
33:05
It is lacking one thing. There is a creek, and it needs a bridge across it.
33:11
The Parks Department has set aside funds for this for some time, but COVID delayed.
33:17
I'd like you to consider going back to that, getting this bridge in,
33:22
and finalizing the safer entrance from Park Avenue down.
33:30
This park is accessed by four different angles, which makes it a wide range for a neighborhood.
33:39
Please, get on it. Thank you, Helen.
33:43
We have one speaker who signed up online, April.
33:51
Thank you. April Smith, District 5. I just want to say that I appreciate the
33:58
parks in the city of Tacoma so much.
34:00
And so far this year have been to at least 20 of them and looking forward to
34:06
experiencing some more.
34:10
There have been some unhoused in some of the parks, but I've never felt unsafe
34:15
in them whenever I have been there.
34:17
So that has been great. And I really appreciate that the Parks Board has decided
34:23
to not raise taxes to cover this because it is awfully difficult out here.
34:30
So thank you for all that you do for the parks.
34:33
Thank you. With that, there is no other speaker signed in, so we're going to close public comment.
34:39
And now we are going to have the actual vote on the resolution.
34:43
So we have resolution number 41872 before us, all those in favor of adopting.
34:49
Resolution number 41872, please signify by saying aye. Aye. As opposed to saying
34:53
nay, resolution is declared adopted. Make sure and vote, everyone.
34:58
All right, item number seven. This item will have a PowerPoint presentation. Clerk, please read.
35:03
Resolution 41873, a resolution authorizing the execution of a multifamily housing
35:07
12-year limited property tax exemption agreement with South L Street Tacoma
35:11
LLC for the development of seven multifamily market and regulated rate rental
35:15
housing units located at 1701 South L Street.
35:17
I move to adopt resolution number 41873.
35:20
Second. Moving second, I'd like to call on Paul Bakker.
35:25
Good evening, Mayor Ibsen and City Council. I'm Paul Bakker with the Community
35:30
and Economic Development Department.
35:31
I'll be presenting on resolution 41873.
35:35
We have the next slide, Allison.
35:40
So for this project, South L Street, Tacoma LLC is proposing to develop seven
35:45
new market rate and affordable rental units in the UR3 expansion area.
35:50
And the project will also have two parking spaces. Next slide, please.
35:56
You can see here a breakdown of the seven two-bedroom units with five market
36:02
rate and two affordable units. Next slide, please.
36:09
These images show the location of the project. Since this project is in an expansion
36:13
area and not a typical mixed-use center, the map on the left provides a little
36:17
more context for the location.
36:20
Project costs are estimated at $1.1 million, and it's estimated to provide 5,000
36:26
labor hours of employment. Next slide, please.
36:31
This table shows the tax implications. The total taxes to be generated for the
36:37
city over the life of this project is estimated at $88,000.
36:41
Projected property taxes to be exempted by the city are estimated at $24,000,
36:47
leaving this project to provide a net positive impact to the city of $64,000.
36:52
And of course, when the exemption is over, full property taxes will be assessed annually.
37:00
That concludes the presentation, and I am happy to answer any questions.
37:04
Thank you. Are there any counsel, questions, or comments?
37:07
Seeing none, all is in favor of adopting Resolution No. 41873.
37:10
Please signify by saying aye. Aye.
37:12
As opposed to saying nay, Resolution 41873 is declared passed.
37:17
Item No. 8, clerk, please read.
37:20
Resolution 41874, a resolution authorizing the execution of a letter of agreement
37:24
with the Smart TD conductor unit regarding a new classification of railway conductor trainee.
37:30
I move to adopt resolution number 41874. Second. Moving second,
37:35
I'd like to call on Alan Matheson.
37:37
Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, I'm Alan Matheson. I'm superintendent for Tacoma Rail.
37:42
As the clerk stated, this resolution seeks authorization of a letter of agreement
37:46
negotiated with Smart TD Labor Union.
37:50
Historically, rail has relied on lateral recruitment of certified conductors from other railroads.
37:56
Given the job specification has a one-year prior experience provision and requires
38:01
candidates to possess a Federal Railroad Administration conductor certification
38:06
as a baseline for employment.
38:10
REL staff have identified the one-year prior experience requirement as a false
38:14
barrier, impeding our ability to recruit and train Tacoma residents to perform this work.
38:20
SMART TD members have engaged with Tacoma Rail Management on the development
38:24
of an in-house training program to allow candidates with no railroad experience
38:29
an opportunity to become a journey-level railway conductor,
38:34
and both parties have agreed to establish a new classification titled Railway Conductor Trainee,
38:40
recognizing SMART TD as the exclusive bargaining representative.
38:45
These positions will be classified as Category B, overtime eligible,
38:50
with four-step pay range at 70, 75,
38:55
80, and 85% of journey-level hourly wage for railway conductors.
39:02
Progression through the pay range will be based on a trainee's successful completion
39:06
through four stages of training curriculum,
39:09
consisting of both classroom and infilled on-the-job training designed to demonstrate
39:15
understanding and provide an opportunity to hone skills with peer mentors.
39:20
Following completion of the nine-month training cycle, conductor trainees will
39:25
be eligible to compete for promotion to a vacant railway conductor position.
39:30
The promotion for this is not guaranteed and will be determined by rail management
39:35
in a manner that's consistent with civil service rules, the collective bargaining
39:39
agreement, and based on business needs at the time.
39:44
With that, I'd be happy to answer any questions council members may have.
39:47
Thank you. Are there any council questions or comments?
39:52
All right. Seeing none, all those in favor of adopting Resolution 41874,
39:56
please signify by saying aye. Aye.
39:58
All opposed to say nay. Resolution is declared passed. Thank you.
40:01
Moving on to final reading of ordinances. Item 9, clerk, please read.
40:05
Ordinance 29097, an ordinance amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code relating
40:09
to the compensation plan to implement rates of pay and compensation for employees
40:12
represented by IBEW Local 483 Customer and Field Services and Human Resources Units.
40:17
This item was presented on March 10th, 2026.
40:20
Are there any additional council questions or comments?
40:24
Seeing none, clerk, please call the roll. Deputy Mayor Bushnell?
40:27
Aye. Council Member Diaz? Aye. Council Member Hines?
40:31
Aye. Council Member Palmer? Aye. Council Member Rumba? Aye.
40:35
Council Member Sedalgate-Absent? Council Member Scott? Aye. Council Member Walker? Aye. Mayor Ibsen? Aye.
40:41
The ordinance is declared passed. Moving on to item number 10,
40:44
this presentation will also cover item 11. Clerk, please read.
40:48
Ordinance 29098, an ordinance amending Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code relating
40:52
to the compensation plan to implement rates of pay and compensation for employees
40:55
represented by Smart TD Conductor Unit.
40:59
I'd like to call on Carrie Louie.
41:02
Good evening, Mayor Ibsen and members of the City Council. I'm Carrie Louie,
41:05
Assistant Human Resources Director.
41:08
I have two ordinances to present this evening.
41:11
Ordinance 29098 provides for the implementation of provisions of the letter
41:16
of agreement as negotiated with the Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation
41:20
Division Smart TD Conductors Unit presented earlier this evening.
41:25
The ordinance provides for the creation of the classification of railway conductor trainee.
41:30
The classifications will be classified over time Category B with a four-step
41:34
pay range set at 70, 75, 80, 85% of the journey level hourly rate for railway conductor.
41:42
Railway conductor trainees will serve a nine-month probationary period and upon
41:46
completion will be eligible to compete for a promotion to a vacant permanent
41:51
railway conductor position.
41:55
Ordinance 29099 provides for the implementation of amendments to the Tacoma
41:59
Municipal Code, Personnel Rules Section 1.24971,
42:04
1.24974, 1.24976, and 1.24977.
42:12
The Civil Service Board has reviewed and approved support of these recommended
42:15
changes at the Civil Service Board meeting on March 5, 2026 and transmitted them to the City Clerk.
42:21
The changes being made include revisions to job titles currently in use for
42:26
classified positions within Tacoma Rail and to add language to provide for a
42:30
nine-month probationary period for the new classification of railway conductor trainee.
42:34
And I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you,
42:37
Carrie. Are there any counsel questions or comments?
42:40
Seeing none, this ordinance will be set over for final reading next week.
42:44
Thank you. Item 11, clerk, please read. Ordinance 29099,
42:48
an ordinance amending Chapter 1.24 of the Municipal Code relating to the personnel
42:52
rules by amending various sections to reflect current city policies,
42:55
practices, and procedures and provide a probationary period for the classification
42:58
railway conductor trainee as approved by the Civil Service Board.
43:01
Thank you. This item was just presented. Are there any additional counsel,
43:04
questions, or comments?
43:06
Seeing none, this ordinance will be set over for final reading next week.
43:10
Is there any unfinished business?
43:13
Seeing none. City Manager, do you have a report? Thank you, Mayor Ibsen,
43:17
members of Council, Deputy Mayor. Just two brief reports related to TPD.
43:21
I would like to just preliminary give you some information that I received as of today.
43:26
The Tacoma Police Department has received notice of their award for their annual,
43:30
actually, it's not annual, on a five-year basis, their CLEA accreditation for
43:35
police standards. So I prospect we will probably bring this back to you all.
43:40
I want to acknowledge the team at TPD that has worked through many years to
43:45
get us back to reaccreditation with CLIA.
43:48
And I want to start with Erica Hagan, our past police administration support
43:53
specialist, Sergeant Kelly Costas, our accreditation manager who has been...
44:00
Shepherding this effort, Lieutenant Jeff Katz, Captain Pat Patterson.
44:04
AC Chief Carl, as well as Patty Jackson, our Chief of Police,
44:09
and their efforts on this end.
44:11
Additionally, Mayor, as you are aware, and I'm hoping that council will become
44:16
aware, we've also received a grant award related to DUI emphasis.
44:23
So starting on Monday, we have noticed the public at this point that we will
44:27
be looking to have emphasis patrols, increased patrols to reduce impaired driving
44:33
related crashes through proactive data-driven enforcement and community engagement.
44:38
We will have actual emphasis patrols related to DUI.
44:42
This is made possible with a high-visibility saturation patrol grant from the
44:47
Washington Traffic Safety Commission, and the City of Tacoma is hopeful that
44:52
with these emphasis patrols, we will be able to prevent fatal and severe crashes across the city.
44:58
Pursuant to the City Council's Resolution 40559, the city has an admirable goal
45:04
to eliminate, through Vision Zero, severe and fatal crashes across the city.
45:10
And so with that, more information will be coming out. A press release has gone out as of today.
45:14
And that's my report. Thank you very much.
45:17
Thank you, City Manager. Moving on to comments and community reports of the
45:20
City Council, I'd like to first call on Chair Rumbaugh from the Community Vitality
45:24
and Safety Committee. Thank you, Mayor.
45:27
The CVS Committee has convened twice since the last report, and that's Community
45:32
Vitality and Safety Committee.
45:33
The committee met on February 12th with an agenda featuring the review of City
45:37
of Tacoma Five-Year Homeless Strategy.
45:39
At this meeting, CVS also interviewed interested parties to fill seats on the
45:42
Human Rights Commission and the Human Services Commission.
45:45
The February 26th meeting was canceled. The CVS committee met on March 12th,
45:50
2026 with the International Property Maintenance Code Implementation Update.
45:54
Neighborhood and Community Services Systems and Strategy Issue Statement,
45:58
and Building Resilience Against Youth Violence and Exploitation Update.
46:02
Our next meeting will be this Thursday, March 26th. The committee plans to interview
46:06
interested parties to fill seats on the Human Services Commission and to review
46:09
the 2026 Annual Action Plan for Housing and Urban Development Grant Programs.
46:13
That meeting will occur in Room 243 of the Tacoma Municipal Building.
46:18
Virtual attendance options will be available for the public.
46:20
Mayor Ebsen, that concludes my report.
46:22
Thank you, Chair Rumbaugh. Are there any additional council questions or comments? Deputy Mayor.
46:26
Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to take a moment of this time to really just
46:31
talk about what we heard about earlier during public comment.
46:35
I really think it's reprehensible that we are hearing racist language in that way.
46:39
I know we do have First Amendment rights to say what we want to say in this
46:44
country, but at least for me and for these chambers and who we represent,
46:48
that's not what I want to hear in these council chambers, and I did not want
46:52
to let that go untalked about.
46:55
So I'm just very angry about it. So thank you.
47:01
You're not the only one who feels that way, Deputy Mayor. Thank you.
47:04
Any additional council comments?
47:08
All right, well, seeing none, is there a motion to adjourn? Well,
47:12
I move to excuse Councilmember Sedolga from the meeting tonight.
47:15
Second. Move in second. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.
47:19
Aye. Aye. As opposed to say nay, Councilmember Sedolga is excused. I move to adjourn.
47:24
Second. Move in second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. As opposed to say nay, we are adjourned.