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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014
Vol. CXXIV, No. 5
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Published Since Since 1890 1890
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Tacoma City Council OKs charter review committee appointments By Todd Matthews, Editor Tacoma City Council Tuesday appointed 15 people to serve on a committee that will review the city's charter and make recommendations for changes this spring. The 61-year-old charter serves as Tacoma's governing document and is reviewed every 10 years by a citizens committee. Any proposed changes are then reviewed by councilmembers before they are approved or rejected by Tacoma voters. Ten years ago, the committee recommended nearly two-dozen charter changes. Councilmembers pared that list down to 11 proposed changes, and voters approved all the changes. More than 50 people submitted applications last year to serve on the committee. Last month, Tacoma City Council's Government Performance and Finance Committee interviewed 14 candidates and made the following recommendations for appointments: Bill Baarsma, Theresa Baker, Gary Brackett, Mabel Edmonds, Tim Farrell, Eric Hahn, Charles Horne, Justin Leighton, Mark Martinez, James Merritt, John Messina, Kenneth Miller, Patricia Talton, Catherine Ushka, and Justin Van Dyk. Councilmembers formally approved the recommendations on Tuesday. "There's going to be a lot of work involved in this," said Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland during the council meeting this week. "The reason we embark on this is that every few years we take a look at our constitution, our city charter, and make sure that we have a structure of government that's going to ensure Tacoma is the best city it can possibly be." "We'll certainly welcome citizens to weigh in and participate in this process," said former Tacoma Mayor Baarsma, who served on charter review committees in 1973 and 1983, and will chair the new committee. "There are two things that are important to me. First, no hidden agendas. We want to be open and transparent. Secondly, we want to give everybody the opportunity who wishes to comment to give them that chance." Baarsma noted Horne served on the charter review committee in 2004, and Messina served on the charter review committee in 1973. "So we have some members with seasoned backgrounds," said Baarsma, who added that all committee members have a "keen interest in the city and in the charter." The charter review committee's first meeting will be held on Mon., Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. at Tacoma City Hall. Charter change recommendations will be submitted to councilmembers by Tues., May 6. "We are very excited about the caliber of people," said Mayor Strickland.
Tacoma to host 26th Annual MLK Birthday Celebration Posted online Mon., Jan. 6 Image Courtesy City of Tacoma The City of Tacoma will host the 26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration this month to recognize and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At this event, Human Rights Champion Award recipients Mark Martinez, Tom McCarthy, Laurie Davenport and Stella Haioulani will be recognized for their public service. Eric Boles will be this year's keynote speaker. Boles, a Tacoma resident and former National Football League player with the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers, is president of The Gamechangers, Inc. a training and consulting company whose leadership, team and personal development processes are used by a number of globally recognized companies. The South Sound MLK Mass Choir will feature a youth component this year and perform under the direction of Tacoma City Councilmember Victoria Woodards. There will also be performances by Bob Williams of Living Voices, who will take event attendees through the experienc-
es of a student activist from Mississippi joining the struggle for civil rights; Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo; Pacific Lutheran University's step team, Lute Nation; and Lincoln High School's drumline. "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the age of 35, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his nonviolent, lifelong campaign for civil rights and social justice," said Committee Chairwoman Roslyn Smith. "And Tacoma's signature event this year, 'Youth Continuing the Legacy,' seeks to build upon his legacy of hope." The 26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration will be held on Mon., Jan. 20 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, located at 1500 Broadway, in downtown Tacoma. Doors will open at 10 a.m. and the event will start at 11 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food items for the MLK Food Drive benefitting the Allen AME Church. More information is available online at cityoftacoma.org/mlk.
To read the Tacoma Daily Index's complete and comprehensive coverage of Tacoma's charter review, visit our Web site for the following articles: City Hall News: Charter Review appointments, Hilltop development discussion and Deputy Mayor Woodards (Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 3, 2014); 14 candidates apply to serve on Tacoma's Charter Review Committee (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 16, 2013); Tacoma City Council to discuss District 1 candidate interviews, Jefferson Avenue alignment (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 13, 2013); Tacoma City Council OKs Foss Waterway Development Authority appointments, charter review process (Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 13, 2013); Tacoma City Council to discuss charter review, Link light rail expansion (Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 8, 2013); Tacoma City Council to discuss City Charter review process (Tacoma Daily Index, Aug. 19, 2013); Council calls for the election of Charter Re-
view commissioners (Tacoma Daily Index, May 18, 2005); Vote 'No' on Proposition 2 (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 26, 2004); My Two Cents: Full printing of ordinances in city's best interests (Tacoma Daily Index, May 3, 2004); Recommendations from Charter Review Committee at tonight's public hearing (Tacoma Daily Index, April 29, 2004); Charter Review Committee on track (Tacoma Daily Index, March 24, 2004); Group again pushing for city government change (Tacoma Daily Index, Feb. 26, 2004); Charter Review Committee seeks public input (Tacoma Daily Index, Feb. 25, 2004); Citizens wanted for Charter Review Committee (Tacoma Daily Index, Aug. 15, 2003); Council to consider city charter review (Tacoma Daily Index, Aug. 8, 2003).