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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
Vol. CXXIII, No. 212
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Since 1890
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11 Tacoma, Pierce County groups awarded $54K for historic preservation projects
Posted online Tues., Oct. 30 Article and File Photo By Todd Matthews, Editor Eleven local organizations with stakes in historic preservation received a financial boost Tuesday when Pierce County Council approved nearly $54,000 in grant funding to help pay for a variety of historic projects and programming. The funding is part of the Pierce The BroadCounty Landmarks and Historic way Center Preservation Commission's presfor the Perervation grant program, which forming Arts aims to fund preservation efforts will receive countywide by encouraging non$5,000 to elprofit organizations, public agen- evator safety cies, and owners of properties and access listed on local historic registers to improvements request grants of up to $5,000 for at the Pantaghistoric preservation or history- es Theater in related project proposals. Match- downtown Taing funds must be provided by the coma. Pierce applicants. County CounFunding for the grant program cil approved is provided by state legislation en- nearly $54,000 acted in 2005 that directs $1 of a in grant fund$5 filing fee toward historic pres- ing to help 11 ervation and historical program- organizations ming. The commission identified pay for a vari$60,000 in filing fees directed to ety of historic Pierce County to fund this year's projects and grant program. programming. For this round of grant funding, applications were accepted through July 2. The commission held public meetings on July 10 and Aug. 14 to evaluate 14 grant applications in detail and unanimously recommended funding the following 11 grant proposals: Preservation Project — Bonney Lake Historical Society $5,000; Pantages Theater Elevator Safety & Access Improvements — Broadway Center for the Performing Arts $5,000; Meeker Mansion Exterior Window Sill Replacement — Ezra Meeker Society $5,000; Granary Stabilization-Living History Museum — Fort Nisqually Foundation $5,000; Maritime Interactive Program — Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society $5,000; Wagner House Roof Maintenance — Friends of Lakewood $3,770; Electrical Service Replacement-Historic Dash Point School — Northpoint Co-operative Pre-school $5,000; Tacoma Historic Collection Preservation — Ta-
City Council approves $6.2M Tacoma Rail budget increase
coma Historical Society $4,670.68; Historic Architectural Plans & Drawings Preservation Supplies — Tacoma Public Library $5,000; Steilacoom Historic District Digitized Walking Tour — Town of Steilacoom $5,000; Morse Wildlife Preserve Barn Roof Repair — Forterra NW $5,000. In total, $53,440.68 was awarded to the organizations. Sean Gaffney, a supervisor in Pierce County's planning and land services department, told councilmembers the landmarks commission "truly appreciates the funding they receive each year and they are really excited to get this money back out into the community." He also noted the amount of funding is less than it was four years ago, which was the last time funding was awarded through the program. At that time, the county awarded $194,162.68 to 15 organizations. "The amount may be small, but we're trying to disburse it throughout the county. I think people look forward to [the funding] and they look for ways to get the money back into the projects and hopefully get more projects on the historical register."
Article By Todd Matthews, Editor Photo courtesy Tacoma Rail Tacoma City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday that directs an additional $6.2 million from Tacoma Rail's operating fund to balance its budget by the end of this fiscal year. Instead of a drop in activity or the economic downturn, Tacoma Rail officials say increased volumes at the Port of Tacoma and other business opportunities have forced the budget increase. Tacoma Rail saw a rise 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 Tacoma Rail officials. 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. Officials also point 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. TPU's Board of Directors reviewed the issue during its meeting Oct. 10. Tacoma City Council's government performance and finance committee discussed the issue earlier this month. The ordinance had its first reading at the council meeting last week. "This is definitely good news for Tacoma Rail as we have been able to take advantage of business opportunities for traffic growth beyond that budgeted two years ago," said Tacoma Rail finance and technology manager Dan McCabe last week at City Hall. "Although Tacoma Rail expenses are expected to be over budget, so are the revenues."