Tacoma residents will have plenty of opportunities next week to learn more about what’s happening in city government.

Tacoma’s Charter Review Committee will hold a public hearing on Mon., Feb. 10, at 5:30 p.m.  to gather public comments and recommendations from residents regarding changes to the Tacoma City Charter.

Tacoma City Council’s Economic Development Committee will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to receive an update on Tacoma’s “One Stop Permit Center,” which aims to improve customer service and the delivery of permitting services to the community.

Later that day, Tacoma City Council will hold its regular weekly study session at noon to hear from City of Tacoma Planning and Development Services staff on progress related to the development of the “Container Port Element” of the City of Tacoma’s Comprehensive Plan. According to City of Tacoma staff, the Growth Management Act requires that the City of Tacoma and the Port of Tacoma partner to develop the new element in order to define and protect the core areas of port and Port-related industrial uses within the City of Tacoma; provide reasonably efficient access to the core area through freight corridors within the City limits; and resolve key land use conflicts and minimize incompatible uses along the edge of the core area. The draft Container Port Element is available online at cityoftacoma.org/Planning.

Finally, at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Tacoma City Council will hold its regular weekly meeting to vote on a variety of resolutions, including a contract extension for Tacoma City Manager T. C. Broadnax, as well as a $3.4 million grant to help fund Tacoma Fire Department operations.

On Wednesday, Tacoma City Council’s Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee is tentatively scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss a range of Environmental Services Division activities, such as construction and demolition waste services, environmental sustainability management, as well as Tacoma Planning Commission’s 2013 accomplishments and work plan for 2014.

Finally, Tacoma City Council’s Public Safety, Human Services, and Education Committee will meet on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. to hear from Tacoma Public Library Director Susan Odencrantz on progress related to the library’s strategic plan, including adjustments, challenges, opportunities, and general trends in library services related to the plan. Also on the agenda, the committee will discuss proposed updates to appointment terms for the Tacoma Area Commission on Disabilities, which advises Tacoma City Council in policy-making, and partners with the community to bring awareness of issues that affect individuals with disabilities. Commission members also participate on committees, help educate the public about disability issues, and serve as a resource for City of Tacoma staff. Following that discussion, council committee members are scheduled to interview six candidates who have applied to serve on the commission: Luke Byram, Anna Cavanaugh, Sheryl Ellis, Todd Holloway, Krystal Monteros, and Eric Vlasak.

Three members need to be appointed to the 11-member volunteer commission, which meets at 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Commission members serve three-year appointments. Following the interviews, the council committee’s appointment recommendations will be forwarded to the full city council, which is expected to formally vote on the issue during its meeting on Tues, Feb. 25.

Here is a more detailed look ahead at some notable meetings, events, and issues on deck next week at Tacoma City Hall.

ONE STOP PERMIT CENTER UPDATE

Tacoma City Council’s Economic Development Committee will meet Tuesday morning to receive an update on the creation of Tacoma’s “One Stop Permit Center,” which aims to improve customer service and the delivery of permitting services to the community.

In January 2013, Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services Department created the permit center, which is located on the third floor of Tacoma City Hall, in an effort to fully integrate permitting functions in a centralized location in order to improve the customer service experience, as well as improve the effectiveness, timeliness, and efficiency of permit intakes, reviews, and inspections.

The council committee will discuss the topic during a meeting on Tues., Feb. 11, at 10 a.m., at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Conference Room 248, in downtown Tacoma. More information is available online here.

$3.4M SAFER GRANT APPROVAL

Councilmembers are expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would formally accept a $3.4 million grant awarded to the Tacoma Fire Department from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to fund up to 20 front-line firefighter positions for two years. The SAFER grant is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Councilmembers are scheduled to vote on the resolution during its meeting on Tues., Feb. 11, at 5 p.m. at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., City Council Chambers, in downtown Tacoma. More information is available online here and here and here.

CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

Councilmembers are expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would reconfirm the appointment of T.C. Broadnax as Tacoma’s City Manager and authorize the execution of a two-year employment agreement that would expire on Feb., 12, 2016. Broadnax was hired as Tacoma City Manager two years ago after working for nearly 20 years in local governments in San Antonio, Texas, and Pompano Beach, Fla. Councilmembers are scheduled to vote on the resolution during its meeting on Tues., Feb. 11, at 5 p.m. at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., City Council Chambers, in downtown Tacoma. More information is available online here and here.