Tacoma City Council

Study Session

Noon, Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Tacoma Municipal Building North

Room 16

728 St. Helens Ave.

Housing Trust Fund, Protected Class Amendment

The City Council will learn about the proposed Housing Trust Fund and receive an update on the Protected Class Amendment.

Of Tacoma’s approximately 75,000 households, nearly half have incomes that are less than 80 percent of the median income for the area. Establishing a local Housing Trust Fund (HTF) would help to create more affordable housing opportunities in Tacoma. In the study session, city staff, affordable housing developers and funding consultants will discuss how the public could support such a fund through an affordable housing levy. The City of Tacoma attempted to fund the HTF through a $5 million bond offering in 2001. The bond for housing was one piece of a four-bond package, all of which failed. The city hired Pacific Development Concepts in late 2000 to review options and develop a plan to provide ongoing funding for the HTF. the plan concludes that an affordable housing property tax levy is the most likely means of creating an annually renewable resource to fund local housing. In addition to creating affordable housing units, the HTF would also help to create construction related jobs.

Director of Human Rights/Human Services (HR/HS) John Briehl will update City Council members on the proposed amendment to the city’s Protected Class ordinance. In March, HR/HS conducted a series of public meetings to gather citizen input on the proposed changes to the Municipal Code to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. From 20 to 50 people attended each of the six sessions with more than 80 percent of those testifying in support of the proposed changes that would provide discrimination protection for homosexuals. Briehl will brief the City Council on the public outreach and some potential changes to the ordinance, which is scheduled to come up for council consideration April 16. The public may attend the study session, but the council will not take comment.

Tacoma City Council

Regular Meeting

5 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Tacoma Municipal Building

Council Chambers

747 Market Street

Link-related street closures

Starting at 6 a.m. today and lasting approximately six weeks, the Sound Transit Link light rail project will create the following road closures and traffic revisions:

– East 25th Street between C and D streets will be closed to through traffic with emergency and local access on C Street only.

– East 25th Street between D and G streets will be open for eastbound traffic only.

– The Intersection of East 25th and D streets will be closed except to allow northbound traffic on D Street to make right turns to go east on East 25th Street.

Recycle gas mowers for free

Tacoma and Pierce County residents can recycle their old gas-powered lawn mowers for free at the City of Tacoma Landfill on Saturday, April 13. The mower turn-in event – scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the landfill, 3510 S. Mullen St. – is part of a month-long Northwest Natural Yard Days promotion sponsored by City of Tacoma Environmental Services and 35 other local government agencies.