Tacoma City Council
Study Session
Noon, Tuesday, December 3, 2002
Room 16
Tacoma Municipal Bldg. North
733 Market St.

Water rates
Tacoma Water is proposing a rate increase that, if approved, would go into effect January 2003 through December 2004. The City Council will learn details of the proposal at a joint study session with the Public Utility Board. The proposed rate increase is part of Tacoma Water’s normal biennial rate review process. Staff will review both the revenue requirements – how much money the utility needs to raise – as well as how much each customer group should pay. The council will hear the first reading of the ordinance that would raise rates. The public may attend, but the council will not take comment.

Tacoma City Council
Regular Meeting
5 p.m., Tuesday, December 3, 2002
Council Chambers
Tacoma Municipal Building
747 Market St.

Higher parking fines proposed
Tacoma’s Public Works Department has proposed higher-priced penalties for parking violators. The City Council will consider the parking fine increases. Public Works has proposed the following increases (infraction, existing fee, proposed fine):
– Overtime parking, $15, $25;
– Continuous parking, $30, $40;
– Chain parking, $50, $100;
– Load zone (over 15 minutes), $25, $40;
– Truck load zone (over 30 minutes), $25, $40;
– Passenger vehicle in truck zone, $25, $40;
– Parking for extended periods, $35, $40;
– No parking anytime, $25, $40;
– No parking (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), $25, $40;and
– Parked within two feet of another vehicle, $25, $40.

If the council approves the measure, the higher fees could bring in a minimum additional $350,000 to the general fund in the next biennium. The City of Tacoma has not increased parking fines since December 1998. The council will take public comment on the proposed ordinance and will vote at a later date.

Group Care Homes ordinance
The City Council will vote on a proposed resolution to send the Group Care Homes ordinance back to the Planning Commission for more work. Options under reconsideration relate exclusively to juvenile offender housing. After the council passed the ordinance in July, the Department of Social and Health Services appealed it and entered into mediation with the City of Tacoma. The mediation directed the city to revise the juvenile offender housing language to meet the requirements of the Growth Management Act. If the council approves the resolution, the Planning Commission will review the proposed ordinance changes, hold a public hearing and provide a recommendation to the council no later than February.

Enhanced 911 system
Pierce County is upgrading its 911 emergency communications system, and Tacoma may help. The City Council will take public testimony and vote on a proposed payment to the county of $89,825 for help with the upgrade. The money would replace the outdated 911 controller – the telecommunications equipment that displays the caller’s name, phone number and address to the Fire Department dispatcher.

This is an incomplete agenda. The Index prints as much as space allows.