Posted By peter callaghan on November 20, 2009 at 4:35 pm Share this

Sometime next month three design-build teams including the nation's primary stadium design firms will submit proposals for a renovated Cheney Stadium.

While those teams will come up with their proposals, the winner is expected to meet a detailed list of requirements drawn up by the city and the Rainiers – all for less than $30 million.

Construction would start in March and run through the 2010 season. Completion is set for the start of the 2011 season.

Based on that Project Summary, here's what the new ballpark will offer fans: (more...)

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Posted By peter callaghan on November 20, 2009 at 3:16 pm Share this

I was pouring through the files to figure out the plan for Cheney Stadium and came across this bombshell. In the program summary, the city has asked prospective stadium architects to include "sloped grass seating areas down foul lines and in outfield."

This feature is defined in the specs as "Seating - Berm."

Outfield berm seating

A berm? After all the effort some city residents have gone through fighting Sound Transit's plan to use an earthen berm to elevate Sounder tracks south of the Tacoma Dome? Now the city suggests using this same discredited method at Cheney Stadium.

Forget the City of Destiny. Tacoma apparently strives to be the City of Berms.

Later in the project summary the city suggests that if there is money available it would like a picnic plaza to replace the berm. There was no information as to whether the picnic plaza would have to be built using post and beam construction.

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Posted By Lewis Kamb on November 20, 2009 at 11:38 am Share this

Interested in applying for the appointments to either of the two soon-to-be vacant city council seats? Get those applications into the city. Here's how:

News Release
From the City of Tacoma, Washington
www.cityoftacoma.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 19, 2009

MEDIA CONTACTS

Doris Sorum, City Clerk’s Office, dsorum@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5361
Karrie Spitzer, Community Relations, karrie.spitzer@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5790

Applications for two Tacoma City Council positions now being accepted
The City is now accepting applications for two City Council positions that represent the entire City of Tacoma: At-Large Position No. 7 and At-Large Position No. 8. Citizens seeking appointment to the City Council must be qualified electors and City residents for two years immediately preceding the time of appointment.

The Council is responsible for enacting all legislation, developing policies, and making general decisions for governing the City. Council duties include adopting and amending City laws; approving the budget; establishing City policies and standards; approving contracts and agreements; and representing the City.
(more...)

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Tags: Tacoma City Council
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Posted By peter callaghan on November 20, 2009 at 9:39 am Share this

I ran into Michael Mirra, executive director of the Tacoma Housing Authority, at the Tacoma city council study session this week. That reminded me that THA had been exploring a purchase of the Winthrop Hotel from Prium.

I asked Michael to send me an update.

No Winthrop news, at least from our end.

We have told the city that we remain interested in purchasing it and, if so, we remain interested in our vision for a mixed-use tower (rental units, both market rate and affordable, commercial space, retail and the public ballroom).

We have also told the city that to do it we would need help from the city and others. I think the city still needs to decide what use it favors for the building, i.e. is it ready to move past the disappointed hopes that someone somewhere can turn the building back into a first rate hotel. Such a hotel conversion does have its appeal and if someone can get it done THA has no interest in standing in the way. It does seem unlikely however.

Perhaps the next council will be able to decide what it would favor. In the meantime, THA has stopped its due diligence review of the building, and we are standing by. With Salishan and other sundry projects, we do have other things to keep us busy.

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Posted By David Wickert on November 20, 2009 at 8:39 am Share this

Pierce County has won a $4.4 million federal grant to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The money from the U.S. Department of Energy will cover everything from a new heating system at the jail to installing heat pumps in old houses.

It also will be used to hire Ryan Dicks – son of U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Balfair – to be the county’s “sustainability manager.”

In announcing the grant, County Executive Pat McCarthy said it “provides an excellent opportunity to find efficiencies, reduce energy costs and improve air quality.”

“It is fundamentally important to me that we leave a legacy of clean air and clean water for our children,” McCarthy said.

The Department of Energy grant is the latest example of federal economic stimulus money flowing to Pierce County.

State figures show $239 million worth of stimulus grants have come to the county through the state. That doesn’t include other grants that came straight from the federal government.

The latest grant will be used for a series of projects:

(more...)

Categories: Congress & Federal Government, Pierce County
Tags: stimulus
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Posted By David Wickert on November 20, 2009 at 7:30 am Share this

Updated with Pat McCarthy's comments below.

The Pierce County Council may have a novel response to a veto by County Executive Pat McCarthy: Veto? What veto?

On Monday McCarthy announced she had vetoed a council ordinance eliminating the Superior Court seat held by Judge Michael Hecht. But council Chairman Roger Bush said Thursday the executive did not sign the vetoed ordinance when she returned it to the council. He said that makes it invalid.

The county charter states that every ordinance approved by the council must be presented to the executive. "If approved by the executive, the ordinance shall be signed by the executive and become law..." If the county executive does not approve an ordinance passed by the council “the entire ordinance shall be vetoed and returned with the executive’s written objections, which shall be entered in the journal of council proceedings.”

Roger Bush

Bush acknowledged the charter does not specifically require the executive to sign vetoed ordinances. But he said that has been the practice of county executives, including McCarthy. He said practices like signing and time-stamping ordinances establish a paper trail “to accomplish clarity of the law.”

McCarthy has vetoed two other ordinances this year: one involving a proposed E-Verify program and one involving the county’s comprehensive land-use plan. Records show she returned those ordinances signed, dated and marked “vetoed.”

But records show she did not sign the latest vetoed ordinance involving the Superior Court seat. Here’s a PDF file showing the signature pages of the three vetoed ordinances. The first page is for the E-Verify ordinance, the second page is for the comprehensive plan ordinance and the third is for the Superior Court ordinance.

Bush said the missing signature makes the veto invalid. He said the 10 days given the executive to veto an ordinance has already expired, so she can’t simply sign it now. He said there’s no need for a council vote on whether to override the veto. In his mind, the ordinance stands and Hecht’s seat has been eliminated.

Nonetheless, Bush said the council likely will discuss its response to the veto at its noon study session Tuesday.

(more...)

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Posted By Lewis Kamb on November 19, 2009 at 4:18 pm Share this

Stealing a page from the Tacoma mayoral campaign of runner-up candidate Jim Merritt, local cartoonist R.R. Anderson has crafted his own Venn diagram for stating his positions on local issues.

As I noted in this recent post, both Merritt and Anderson are among several Tacoma residents who now have Facebook pages campaigning for the appointments to fill two coming vacancies on the Tacoma City Council. Although the appointment process still remains murky as I reported this week, the city has begun accepting applications for candidates seeking to fill the soon-to-be vacant seats of Council members Julie Anderson and Marilyn Strickland.

Merritt's Venn

During his unsuccessful campaign for mayor, Merritt, an architect for more than 30 years, used the Venn diagram in campaign literature, business cards and mailers as a way to capture the essence of his platform and at the same time give a wink-and-nod to his own wonky draftsmanship.

Meanwhile, Anderson, whose Twitter bio describes himself as "UFO hunter, political cartoonist, inventor, and ideaman for hire," riffed on the Merritt Venn to conceptualize his own platform.

Anderson's Venn

(If you can't see the details of these Venn thumbnails, find bigger versions of Merritt's Venn here and Anderson's Venn here.)

Categories: General Politics
Tags: Tacoma City Council
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Posted By peter callaghan on November 19, 2009 at 1:46 pm Share this

Since taking over the job as the state's chief economist, Arun Raha has developed a reputation as a humorist.

OK, as much as an economist can be a humorist.

Today, when he released a rather ugly state revenue forecast, Raha did not disappoint.

"I have good news and I have bad news," Raha said. "The good news is the Mariners have re-signed Ken Griffey, Jr. The bad news is that he batted just .214."

The weaker than expected forecast was blamed on the unique nature of this recession and a computer model that didn't accurately predict the future, Raha said.

"I should have been wary of our model," he said. "This is not the first time I have been led astray by a model. But that had nothing to do with economics. In my defense, I was younger then and unmarried."

Later, after Raha said that he had gone back and revised his numbers from the September forecast, he said: "Economists, unlike accountants, regularly go back and change our numbers without going to prison."

Raha tried to explain the paradox of the state's economic situation. Personal income is starting to recover. But because they lack confidence in the economy, people are not spending their money.

"Of course it really doesn't matter to me if people don't spend this income. So I guess I don't even know why I'm telling you this. Just out of habit, I suppose."

After dumping the horrible news on the members of the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, Raha tried to leave them with a ray of sunshine.

"It could have been worse. Griffey could have hit .200."

Remember, he's here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

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Posted By peter callaghan on November 19, 2009 at 1:00 pm Share this

It seems the September state revenue forecast that showed some hope for a recovery in state tax collections was a fake. In a revenue update approved today, state economist Arun Raha said the recession is over but state revenue continues to decline.

He dubbed it a "revenue-less recovery."

As a result, tax increases are no longer being whispered about in Olympia, they're "on the table."

The November forecast that will be used to make adjustments to the state budget came in much-lower than anticipated. With the $760 million reduction in estimates for tax collections during this two-year budget period, the state now faces a $2.6 billion budget hole.

That's on a $31 billion, two-year budget that will only have 18 months left to run by the time session begins. That makes cuts even harder to make. And the fact that legislative leaders and Gov. Chris Gregoire have said they think it will be difficult – legally and politically – to resolve the shortage with cuts alone, taxes will be considered.

Large areas of the budget are off limits to cuts due to federal and state laws and the state constitution. Also, by accepting big chunks of federal stimulus money for higher education and public schools, the state agreed not to cut those areas below 2008 levels.

"I have said that everything is on the table," said state budget director Victor Moore. "I just need a bigger table."

Sen. Rodney Tom, the Bellevue Democrat who is No. 2 on the budget-writing committee, said the big three taxes would be looked at last. Those are the sales tax, property tax and the business and occupation tax. That leaves so-called sin taxes and yet another look into closing tax loopholes as the first places Democrats will look.

House Finance Committee Chairman Ross Hunter, D-Medina, said the solution will be both taxes and cuts.

"We're not going to raise $2.6 billion in taxes," Hunter said. "You'll see deep, pervasive cuts. But if we cut $2.6 billion, we're not going to be making government better."

Minority Republicans were clear in their attitude toward any tax increases.

"Absolutely not," said Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama.

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Posted By Lewis Kamb on November 19, 2009 at 12:21 pm Share this

Marilyn Strickland

Weeks after a planned interview with her was abruptly canceled by the Tacoma public television station,  City Councilwoman Marilyn Strickland will be the featured guest tonight at 7:30 p.m. on KBTC's new community issues show, Northwest Now.

David Hinman, the station's general manager, will interview Strickland about her coming agenda for the city when she moves to the mayor's office in January. The public is encouraged to call or email the show with any questions (phone: 253.680.7777;  email: Northwestnow@KBTC.org).

The KBTC interview tonight with Strickland comes after the station last month nixed a planned interview of Tacoma's mayoral candidates.  Hinman told me then that KBTC's move to cancel the show was an independent decision made by station management to alleviate any potential perceptions of journalistic bias, which we wrote about here.

The campaign of Strickland's challenger, Jim Merritt, had complained that the station's interview process was tainted because then interviewer, Stan Rumbaugh, had endorsed Strickland and given her campaign money.  Rumbaugh's wife also worked as a fundraiser for Strickland's campaign.

Categories: Tacoma
Tags: Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma Mayor
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