Council Legislation

Proposed Resolution No. R2016-79s

Title: A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Related to Comprehensive Plan Certification by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC); Expressing County Intent and Deadlines Regarding Efforts to Encourage Annexation and Incorporation of Unincorporated Urban Areas; and Finding Pierce County has Satisfied a Condition of PSRC Certification.

Status: Passed

Sponsors: Councilmembers Derek Young

Final votes

June 28, 2016
Nay Nay Nay Aye Aye Aye Aye


Documents
Additional legislative records are available below Collapse All  Expand All
 

Public Comments

Name Date Comment
Carol Hendershot 6/18/16 12:27 PM Re: Proposed Resolution R2016-79 Dear Sir, I am opposed to this change for the larger rural community. It may bring more infrastructure, but with more of that comes more people, traffic, building of homes (already too close together) and higher taxes to support the infrastructure of building new schools, etc. This is NOT what I wish for my community. I moved to this area because it LACKED those amenities. Please also give more notice to the community before making any decisions. Respectfully, Carol Hendershot
Debra Dearinger 6/28/16 12:31 PM If there is a plan for future annexation of JBLM, it needs to be equitably split among all jurisdictions adjacent to JBLM, according to the degree of impact upon the community relative to the community's resources.
Jim Akers 6/28/16 1:15 PM 6/28/16 Pierce County Council 930 Tacoma Avenue South Tacoma, WA. 98402 RE: 2016-79 and Full Council meeting 6/28/16 This letter to the Pierce County Council is not intended as a letter of criticism of the current council. In regards to resolution R-2016-79, it appears that the primary issue and its roots are about transportation and certification by the PSRC located in Seattle WA. The PSRC certification processes now has added land use, zoning, annexation by cities, incorporation of rural suburban area issues, which are not an authorized intended duty of the PSRC. Our Pierce County Executive branch and County Council have been operating in a reactive government mode for several decades. It has become the blue print that has been without change because of “That’s always the way it has been done” approach. The process has been to maximize the current and immediate need for new tax based business. The get taxes now planning, has led us to today’s reactive need to not lose the $2.3 million or $3.6 million (there are two figure being bandied about) transportation related funding grants. We as a county have not kept pace with the needs of transportation and now face a reactive process just to save a few million dollars that will create even more negative reactive processes going forward. We need the County Council and the County Executive to have a major meeting, followed by a meeting with our WA State, and Federal Representatives, that is a proactive planning strategy that is equivalent to re-planning a cities and county master transportation system that is both business and industry friendly as well as public and housing friendly. We can be a national leader in how to re-shape a mature cities, towns and county, for smart future growth that has a strong quality of life back bone that supports modern industry and businesses. Smart planning does start with transportation to eliminate future bottle necks by fixing current bottle necks. Smart planning includes planning that has a 50 year blue print. Smart planning includes community cooperation. An example is a master plan for transportation where communities assist where rapid transit and light rail can be best used. It would be similar to saying a port city like Moses Lake or Tri Cities are far different than Tacoma Port. They all must operate differently, but also all have something in Page 2, R2016-79 common, and that is the transportation connectivity. A port must offer a way for the transportation to connect or the port cannot operate. By proactively presenting a master plan for transportation for reshaping a region that includes a major port, an important military complex base, an inland salt water way resource of major importance, we could get an extra ordinary funding grant package from the federal government. Multiple Federal funding resources could be grouped together for a phased program spread over 20 years. A proactive approach to transportation would be strongly supported by the public voting blocks, especially so if they were involved in the planning strategies and build outs. Our County neighbors to the south and west would see the value of a smart plan that ultimately eliminates or cuts down on a Tacoma traffic bottle neck. The cross base highway a major freeway south of the JBLM reservation to the east, a major light rail system that eliminate the Orting, Bonny Lake and Lake Tapps , Sumner, fife , Frederickson and Graham traffic congestions, can result in major industrial expansions that are friendly to industry, business and quality of like living spaces. I beg the Council to delay the R2016-79 even at the risk of losing $2.3 or $3.6 million today in exchange for a few billion dollars saved in the future. A proactive smart planning and process will ultimately save millions and possibly billions of dollars in future expansion needs of Pierce County and surrounding counties, and a much higher quality of life and livable wages. We need our County and Sate Representatives to think and act proactively going forward. Step one is master planning done by pierce County representatives not King County representatives Respectfully, Jim Akers 3404-84th St. E. Tacoma, WA 98446 1-253-535-9256 <jammc@harbornet.co