City Council approves budget, economic development initiatives
Several economic development initiatives were approved in this week’s City Council meeting. They include:
• The 2007-2008 biennial budget appropriation, which among other things, created funding within the Community and Economic Development Department for a project manager within the Private Capital Division, a historic preservation contract, the Neighborhood Council Innovative Grant program, a special events office coordinator, the Municipal Arts program, Art at Work month, and the Commute Trip Reduction program.
• Other budget appropriations created funding to support farmers markets in Tacoma, expansion of the Community Based Services program, and expansion of the City’s nuisance abatement program citywide.
• A memorandum of agreement with the City of Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma and the City of Fuzhou, China, for the implementation of a Trade Representation Pilot Program.
• A project lease agreement with TES Properties for the Center for Urban Waters, a new development that will house the Environmental Services lab, office facilities and the Puget Sound Partnership on the East side of the Thea Foss Waterway.
• A professional services agreement with Angelou Economics to complete an economic impact study, market assessment, target industry identification, and economic development strategic plan for downtown Tacoma.
For more information on this City Council meeting, visit the Public Information section of the City’s Web site. For more information on the budget, visit the 2007-2008 biennial budget Web site. For more information on the Community and Economic Development Department and its initiatives, contact Roxanne Murphy, roxanne.murphy@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-2054.
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Tacoma in the News: Post office property
• “Lift a glass of cheer to CEO of post office,” News Tribune
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New Business Update: CH2M Hill, Neighborhood Coffee House and Espresso, Pinwheel Catering’s Herban Café
• CH2M Hill, an architecture, engineering and construction company, will open at 917 Pacific Ave., Suite 600.
• Neighborhood Coffee House and Espresso has opened at East 34th Street and McKinley Avenue.
• Pinwheel Catering’s Herban Cafe will open its doors in January 2008 at 2602 6th Ave. Suite A, in the former Ezell’s Chicken site.
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Diamond Parking looks to attract viable business to problem location
D-Town Market, which has been the focus of community concerns relating to criminal activity, located at South 9th Street and Commerce Street, was closed this week.
Diamond Parking, owners of the building, are hoping to bring a viable business to this space to attract end-of-the-line Tacoma Link light rail riders in the morning and evening.
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Pierce Transit approves budget to provide congestion relief, grow ridership
The Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners has approved the annual budget for 2008. Priorities in the $196 million budget include investments in public safety, congestion relief and service improvements for a growing ridership. For more information, visit the Pierce Transit Web site.
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Volunteer for the Tacoma Arts Commission
The Tacoma City Council is inviting qualified individuals to provide leadership in supporting and enhancing the arts in Tacoma by applying to serve on the Tacoma Arts Commission. For more information, visit the City of Tacoma’s news release.
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Green Report: Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force
The City of Tacoma’s Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force was established to develop recommendations for actions the City should take to reduce greenhouse gases and curb global warming in accordance with the Kyoto Protocols and develop specific community and government greenhouse gas reduction measures by June 2008.
The 26 members of the task force were appointed by the Tacoma City Council and they represent a diverse set of interests and community groups, including government agencies, environmental groups, business and trade groups, higher education and the health community. The task force will soon report their findings and recommendations to the community, offering the public an opportunity to provide input. After considering the community’s response, the task force will present their recommendations to the City of Tacoma’s Environment and Public Works Committee and then the full City Council.
For more information, visit the Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force Web site.
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Welcome the new year with Tacoma’s First Night
First Night, Tacoma's New Year's Eve celebration, is an opportunity for friends and families to say farewell to the old year and hello to the new. First Night is a family-friendly, alcohol-free, and a fabulously fun celebration that will draw thousands to downtown Tacoma. This year's theme is "The Year of the Pirate." Come downtown for a fantastic day and night of exciting events, including free museum admissions, crafts for the kids, a parade, live entertainment, a fireworks show, and more. For more information, visit the First Night Web site.
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City Services Spotlight: MyTacoma Web site
In an effort to help residents connect with resources in their neighborhoods, the City of Tacoma created a new service on its Web site called MyTacoma.
MyTacoma is a self-help page that provides easy access to a wide variety of information and services available in our city and neighborhoods. Users search for information based on an address or parcel number and receive a menu of information including, but not limited to: neighborhood crime statistics, parcel code violations and history, nearest fire station, park or library as well as a variety of mapping tools that geographically display the property or parcel using information on the govME Web site.
For more information, visit the MyTacoma Web site.
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Happy holidays from the Community and Economic Development Department
The Community and Economic Development Department would like to wish you all a happy holiday season and a festive new year. Forward Tacoma will be back in 2008 with even more news about the positive growth and development of our fine city.
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