Tacoma City Council
Study Session
Noon, Tuesday, March 4, 2003
Room 16
Tacoma Municipal Building North
733 Market St.
Property acquisition, disposal
What process does the City of Tacoma use for buying and selling property? The council will take an in-depth look at that topic and more. General Services Department staff members, who oversee the citys land deals, will present draft recommendations to the current administrative policy, including the procedure for involving the City Council in acquiring and getting rid of property. The public mat attend, but the council will not take any comments.
Tacoma City Council
Regular Meeting
5 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, 2003
Council Chambers
Tacoma Municipal Building
747 Market St.
Tacoma Dome needs facelift
The City Council will consider a resolution to hire a consultant Ellerbe Becket to assess needed upgrades to the 20-year-old dome and provide renovation recommendations. The company provided the city with a similar assessment in 2000, but its redesign recommendation eliminated the football events from the facility. The new study will include football in its recommendations. Without upgrades, the dome faces the possibility of losing event contracts to newer facilities that offer more amenities for big name acts. Recently, country singer Tim McGraw chose to book his concert at a Seattle venue with a more intimate setting-even though he would have made more money in Tacoma. Part of his decision had to do with the lack of state-of-the-art dressing facilities, press rooms, meet-and-greet rooms and hospitality areas at the Tacoma Dome. The dome budget includes money for the Ellerbe Becket study, plus some short-term improvements such as a new sound system, lighting improvements and possibly a new Interstate 5 marquee. The dome has not secured funding for any recommendations that come out of the study but may look at rolling over its bond, which is set to expire in 2005. A bond option would require a public vote. The Council will take public comment before voting on the resolution.
City property may go on market
Property at 2520 S. Jefferson Ave. may go on the market if the City Council approves the request on March 4 to surplus the land. The City purchased the .22-acre property in 1986 and used it as a City vehicle fueling station for 11 years. In 1998, a private company removed the fuel tanks and underground pipes. The city ran soil tests, which passed state Department of Ecology standards. One year ago, the property appraised at $62,000. If the Council surpluses the property, the City plans to obtain an appraisal update before selling the land, which sits near the site of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. The Council will take public comment before voting.
Treatment plant upgrade loan
If the City Council approves a request at its March 4 meeting, Public Works Wastewater Management will apply for a $47 million low-interest loan to help pay for the estimated $60 million upgrade of the Central Treatment Plant. The upgrade will virtually eliminate raw sewage overflows that occur during extreme rains. The City Council will take public testimony and vote at the meeting.
This is an incomplete agenda of the March 4, 2003, City Council meeting. The Index prints as much as space allows.
