Tacoma City Council
Study Session
Noon, Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Tacoma Municipal Bldg. North
733 Market St.

2003-2004 budget proposal

Office of Management, Budget and Analysis Director Diane Supler and City Manager Ray Corpuz will present a preliminary budget to the City Council. The law requires the city manager to present a draft-balanced budget by the end of October. The council will approve a final budget by the end of the year. The public may attend, but the council will not take comment.

Tacoma City Council
Regular Meeting
5 p.m., Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Council Chambers
Tacoma Municipal Building
747 Market St.

Final 2003-2004 budget adjustments

The council will vote on final adjustments to the 2001-2002 budget. If approved, the amended budget will reflect additional contractual obligations, transfers and other budget adjustments, including approximately $81 million in appropriations that come from outside funds. Most of the appropriations come from City functions such as Fleet Services, Graphics Services, the Asphalt Plant, Parking Fund, and others receiving more money from their customers than anticipated. It also includes donations and other miscellaneous revenue. Among other things, it creates the Public Facility District Fund, combines the Stadium & Convention Center Trust Fund and the Visitor & Convention Center fund into the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund, and combines and eliminates other funds. The council took comment Oct. 22.

Steele Street boundary assessment

The council will consider establishing a developer reimbursement assessment agreement – or latecomers’ agreements – for construction of South Steele Street between South 35th and Idaho streets. A boundary assessment reimbursement area would allow developers—in this case, Costco—to make street improvements and have a means to recoup costs from other businesses that benefit from those improvements. Costco could recover costs from other developers who contribute to traffic congestion over a 15-year period. The project includes construction of a 40-foot wide asphalt street with cement concrete curb, gutters and sidewalks. In September, the City Council approved an ordinance that requires commercial developers of projects that would increase traffic above the current level to make road improvements, such as adding a traffic signal, improving or adding a road or making sidewalk improvements. The latecomers’ agreement would require developers to provide similar street improvements as they would in other areas in accordance with City ordinances. The Council conducted a public hearing Oct. 22 and also will take comment Oct. 29. The Council expects to vote on the measure Nov. 5.

Second Supply Project financing

Tacoma Water wants the City Council to approve issuing up to $100 million in bonds during the next four years to help pay for Tacoma’s second water source – the Second Supply Project. The council will take public testimony on the measure and expects to vote on Nov. 5.

Foss cleanup proposals

City staff will bring two proposals related to the pending cleanup of the Thea Foss and Wheeler Osgood waterways before the council. The council will take public testimony on both, voting on one at a later date and voting on the other during the meeting.