402 Tacoma Avenue S., Suite 200 TACOMA, WA 98402 PHONE (253) 627-4853 FAX (253) 627-2253
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012
Vol. CXXIII, No. 200
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Since 1890
Visit our Web site at www.tacomadailyindex.com
INSIDE:
LEGAL NOTICES BANKRUPTCIES LIENS ORDERS FEDERAL COURT AUDITORS OFFICE NEW BUSINESSES editor@tacomadailyindex.com
$1.4M stormwater upgrades on deck for Cheney Stadium parking lot
Tacoma Rail seeks $6.2M to balance budget
Posted online Fri., Oct. 12 Article By Todd Matthews, Editor Photo Courtesy Tacoma Rail Tacoma City Hall isn't the only local municipality struggling to balance its budget. Tacoma Rail is expected to ask for an additional $6.2 million from its operating fund to balance its budget by the end of this fiscal year. In an interesting twist, however, the need for more money isn't due to a drop in activity or the economic downturn. Instead, Tacoma Rail officials say it's the cost of doing business at a time when business is booming. "We are requesting additional appropriations . . . to meet the anticipated operating requirements through year-end due to the increased volumes at the Port of Tacoma and other business opportunities," wrote Jim Sant, Deputy Director for Administration at Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU), in a Sept. 28 memo to TPU Director and CEO William A. Gaines. According to Sant, Tacoma Rail saw an increase in intermodal traffic in July and August as a result of the opening of the Grand Alliance, a consortium of shippers that includes Hapag-Lloyd, Orient Overseas Container Line, NYK Line, and ZIM Integrated Shipping that began operating on July 2 at the Port of Tacoma's Washington United Terminal. The result? A spike in expenses related to personnel, fuel, and operating supplies put Tacoma Rail 29 per cent over budget. Similarly, commercial freight rail volumes are on pace to exceed the biennium budget by 17 per cent, according to Sant. In August, Port officials reported a 20 percent increase
in container volume activity compared to the same month last year. Last month, Port officials reported a 14.5 per cent year to date gain in international container volumes. Sant also pointed to Tacoma Rail's increased involvement with construction at Union Pacific's service facility and a track expansion project at Targa Sound Refining as other reasons for the budget adjustment. "The additional anticipated expenditures are expected to be compensated for with additional revenues related to increased rail activities," added Sant. TPU's Board of Directors reviewed the issue during its meeting Oct. 10. Tacoma City Council's government performance and finance committee is scheduled to discuss the issue during its meeting on Weds., Oct. 17 at 4:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market Street, Conference Room 248. A copy of the agenda and meeting materials are available online at cms.cityoftacoma.org/cityclerk/Files/CouncilCommittees/Agendas/2012/ GPFAgenda/GPF_20121017.pdf. The ordinance amending Tacoma Rail's budget is tentatively scheduled to be presented before the full city council for its first reading on Tues., Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building, located 747 Market Street. A draft copy of the agenda and meeting materials is available online at cms.cityoftacoma.org/cityclerk/Files/ CityCouncil/Pendings/2012/Pd20121023.pdf. Meetings are streamed live online at tvtacoma. com and broadcast live on TV Tacoma.
Posted online Fri., Oct. 12 Tacoma City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a resolution to formally accept a $1 million grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to help pay for a stormwater improvement project at Cheney Stadium. According to documents prepared by city staff, the project will retrofit approximately two acres of an existing parking lot with porous asphalt and landscaping improvements. Cheney Stadium is located at the headwaters of Leach Creek and Chambers Creek, and the area has been selected by the city to be a demonstration site for stormwater management and sustainable design. In addition, the city hopes Cheney Stadium will provide a great opportunity to spread the water quality message to thousands of fans baseball fans each year. The nearly $1.5-million project is scheduled to begin before the end of this year and be completed by then end of 2014. If councilmembers approve the resolution, the city will contribute $487,000 in matching funds from the city's surface water fund. The parking lot at Cheney Stadium has recently undergone major infrastructure improvements. Tacoma's Clay Huntington Way, the north entrance of Cheney Stadium formerly known as Cheyenne Street, was the focus of a low-impact development project that used porous asphalt to reduce the amount of runoff pollution by allowing rainwater to soak into the ground naturally. In addition, a portion of the south parking lot was also upgraded with porous asphalt and landscaping islands. Two rain gardens, low-maintenance plants and more than 100 new trees also help filter rainwater and keep it from carrying polluted runoff downstream. The project also added 10-foot-wide sidewalk and energy-efficient LED streetlights from 19th Street to the north ticket entrance at the ballpark to increase pedestrian safety, widened the roadway to include shared bicycle lane markings, installed bicycle racks at the north ticket entrance, and installed electric vehicle charging stations in the north parking lot. City Council is scheduled to vote on the resolution to formally accept the $1 million grant during its meeting on Tues., Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers on the first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building, located 747 Market Street. A copy of the agenda and meeting materials is available online at cms.cityoftacoma.org/cityclerk/Files/CityCouncil/Agendas/2012-FullAgendas/Full20121016. pdf. Meetings are streamed live online at tvtacoma. com and broadcast live on TV Tacoma.