[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6746364,"mediaKeyId","2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8","parentId",2135648,"title","Tacoma committee advances broad animal-control changes after neighbors urge clearer rules on pigs","audioSeconds",3674,"startMs",97000,"endMs",3771000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8&start=97&end=3771","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8/thumbnail_97000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6746364/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Tacoma-committee-advances-broad-animal-control-changes-after-neighbors-urge-clearer-rules-on-pigs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746364-b41c718ebd33ddb1ffd4d7d6c75a2c80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136754&Signature=eXy~vRmcDEV8~plgwOZg3ewFS1fhtVEvAum4VHTbDCmVThVKRM8VoDGXaPiuzDaAsOP3RccUvA57wcBXC-iN3V-fR0paJ7p0pEsovVVWbAMLM-GZTSU67lwOYWvrak0n09xrSoTBVBDFrgOyu9-kdtOHOtLZ5XwrWERvxWrIGf-CAlUMIipaJDC9azDcLCONOrf8QfACrwyhmj84LwiuJy8w5uLJfR9gg1QT2CnwiAggHsEhdT5w0hv3OiOjs2nM8tRPDdo-XtT6dxXcKE9Kvnd9uRgMAokO190B4TXafiOU9RXA7XOxGjpiV6z4pK~hL2RkkrDhCVFpmL-A0KTr0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tacoma","date","2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","article","Neighbors shared accounts of disrupted sleep, increased flies and a pig pen built along a shared boundary during the Government Performance & Finance Committee meeting on Jan. 21, 2025, prompting the committee to consider updates to the city’s animal-control code.

Maureen Wells, who said she lives in District 1, described a pig kept in a front-yard pen that “runs the length of our shared property line” and said it grunted loudly starting as early as 4:30 a.m. She told the committee the pen “was built using our shared fence as one of its sides” and that she and other neighbors experienced flies and odors. Her husband, Ed Wells, said he was “shocked to learn that this law could be interpreted to mean that pigs are legal while hogs are not,” and asked that the ordinance be rewritten so “all members of the swine family…need to be identified in the law to avoid the current situation in the future.”

Those public comments tied directly to a staff-led briefing later in the meeting on proposed updates to Title 17 (animal control). Chair Council Member Hines framed the problem as animal overpopulation that is straining shelter and patrol resources and outlined several proposals to reduce unowned or unmanaged animals in the community.

Olga Darlington of Moss Adams and other presenters were not part of the animal-code discussion; city staff described the Title 17 package as including: a requirement that animals impounded more than once within 12 months be spayed or neutered before redemption; higher license fees for unaltered dogs and cats to incentivize alteration (examples discussed included raising unaltered-cat licenses from $65 to $175 and unaltered-dog licenses from $65 to $175); a reduced fee for seniors and households that qualify for the city’s utility bill assistance program; and a new licensing category for pigs.

The code draft would also restrict the number of unaltered animals a household may keep (the draft retains a cap on total animals while making clear the city expects most animals to be altered), and would prohibit commercial breeding and sale of puppies and other companion animals except in narrowly defined, exemption cases (for example, accidental litters or rehoming). The proposal includes formal recognition of “community cats” and allows trap-neuter-return (TNR) approaches for feral or unowned cats so they may be altered and returned to the community instead of being treated as stray intake for the shelter.

Council members pressed staff on capacity and enforcement. Several members said they want more information from the Humane Society and from animal-control staff about intake and where animals originate, noting the shelter serves Pierce County as well as the city. Council Member Rumbaugh said she was concerned that the humane-society facility is “overburdened,” pointed to staffing and kennel-limit issues, and warned against measures that effectively require the humane society to hold more animals without additional resources. Others asked how license fee revenue could be used to expand low-cost spay/neuter programs and whether there should be special verification or reduced rates for people who are unhoused.

Chair Hines said he intends to take constituent feedback and committee suggestions back to staff for follow-up and signaled a future study-session return; he did not move the ordinance for final approval at the Jan. 21 meeting.

Community members and committee members identified next steps including: (1) receiving written responses from the Humane Society on intake sources and holding times; (2) staff analysis of how increased license revenue might scale up low-cost spay/neuter programs; and (3) continued discussion of pig rules, including distinctions between outdoor and indoor pigs, minimum lot/yard requirements for outdoor swine, and whether indoor pigs should be limited to one animal or two and require microchipping and leash rules when off-property.

The committee did not adopt an ordinance on Jan. 21; members asked staff for follow-up information and signaled further deliberation at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tacoma - 20250121 Government Performance and Finance Committee - Jan 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Neighbors told the Government Performance & Finance Committee on Jan. 21 that a pig kept next door caused noise, flies and safety concerns, prompting staff to propose a package of Title 17 changes — including mandatory spay/neuter for repeatedly impounded animals, higher fees for unaltered pets and a new pig license — to address animal overpopulation.","taxTitle","Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",2675,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6746361,"Tacoma committee reopens MFTE questions: unit size, AMI levels and extensions under review",3900,2398000,6298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8&start=2398&end=6298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8/thumbnail_2398000.jpg","/articles/6746361/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Tacoma-committee-reopens-MFTE-questions-unit-size-AMI-levels-and-extensions-under-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746361-e620b0a233542ec8092f38662c5a44cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136754&Signature=hmTR45zXHkpsD75hplRckWTUZW7fujV1P0QF6aVE7YCkRhIAtOWdsQUx9XYIYlIVVqT3sQfxuRhG--tgYg81YSMnchRD0pT6Zc2PnuHoHJaVJo7LSPLK9rx1-iXkOrHb0eMusjHEIEDMawod9HsBFgKmvC-OlvKMKCkdc8gkpDISlIS0QBM-gjOP~XTpQxg82mjSL00WkGSHONgFpl76X2iV3uUUBL63GyQ1IbM1fT8qA2Zag8VkfVaW1FK64dlkqq6SR9VOByxI-lJ66XiEmKRJ-M-elpyhfWZhM0d-bjf-6Md7k~9zw0iFamygp3sMeFtV4z~P8yvCd6UsFLQ75g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff briefed the Government Performance & Finance Committee on Jan. 21 about the history and use of Tacoma’s multifamily tax-exemption program and the interaction between MFTE and recent land-use incentives in the homeinTacoma package.

Council Member Hines recapped changes adopted in 2021 and told the committee the city included a three-year study clause to measure results. Debbie Bingham (Community & Economic Development) and Ted Richardson (Office of Strategy) reviewed feasibility analysis and benchmarking with regional cities. Richardson explained that staff and consultants held the years of affordability and the percent of units affordable constant in order to test different Area Median Income (AMI) targets. He said two tested scenarios performed best in modeling: 20% of units at 70% AMI (the option planning staff recommended to the Planning Commission and the council) and a split scenario with 15% at 70% AMI and 5% at 50% AMI for deeper affordability in larger projects.

Committee members raised multiple concerns and policy questions: whether MFTE is producing mostly studio and one-bedroom units (and how to encourage more family-sized two- and three-bedroom units), whether the city should remove or limit 8-year exemptions in gentrifying neighborhoods, and what a reasonable required discount below market rate should be for projects seeking extensions of existing exemptions. Data presented to the committee showed current projects under construction included a high share of studio and one-bedroom market-rate units (the committee noted far fewer two- and three-bedroom units in the pipeline), and members discussed square-footage or bedroom-count approaches as possible ways to incentivize family-size units.

Deputy Mayor Daniels and others asked for clearer, neighborhood-level data. Committee members requested additional analysis linking MFTE use to neighborhood displacement risk and asked staff to prepare stakeholder outreach on candidate policy changes. Several members emphasized the risk that adding more requirements could reduce the number of developments that pencil financially.

Staff described next steps: prepare additional feasibility and neighborhood analyses, conduct targeted stakeholder outreach and return with options for the committee roughly one month after Jan. 21 so the committee can refine policy choices prior to broader citywide engagement. Council Member Hines said the city will monitor projects using the 12-year MFTE and report back, using the three-year study clause required by the homeinTacoma ordinance to assess real-world take-up and impacts.","Committee members and staff examined the city’s multifamily tax-exemption (MFTE) program, discussed benchmarking and feasibility work that supported selecting 70% AMI with 20% of units as the preferred affordability target, and debated whether to limit 8-year exemptions, require larger unit sizes for family housing, or change extension standards.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6746357,"Committee recommends members for Proposition 2 For and Against committees; sends names to full council",795,844000,1639000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8&start=844&end=1639","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8/thumbnail_844000.jpg","/articles/6746357/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Committee-recommends-members-for-Proposition-2-For-and-Against-committees-sends-names-to-full-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746357-1aba3343035e754b3b41b3a382bbb209/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136754&Signature=VTbLu~krakvhfugRVZcm9IHKgetqD3vWUx3I0jDHCiONF7CnvnSyw3ZhpS94YNlEVZ~JQYmV94aK3KySOCHC8CyOKAyz55SoQHd7Nh8qoe3KRQiQCVcrAIhv9usOS7UghGvKUUp3FTfaOocdhBTEzqfszypONsxLqEncv5HUoKFi0Xtee3hatKw7VPopyw1wJajnwsg~1IjFlNtysfNem2qXR0wVE3-WzE4oXEFWnxG5aAxO7fZ81SBtJqavd07SZTYhkrzYU-PtnMF1dSIGYzrhxFuRT4TowHljrl-qZdhJNU~tdoqkxgUl7W8nA8Cpgxl~niqHlGu0Lf9HTUAsmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deborah Kasparian of the City Attorney’s Office told the Government Performance & Finance Committee on Jan. 21 that the council adopted Resolution 41588 on Dec. 17, 2024, placing Proposition 2 on the April 22, 2025 ballot and that state law requires the city to formally appoint members to the statutory For and Against committees.

Kasparian said the clerk’s office received six letters of interest by the solicitation deadline: three applicants for the For Committee and three for the Against Committee. State law allows jurisdictions to appoint up to three people to each statutory committee; if a jurisdiction does not appoint members the county auditor may solicit volunteers. Kasparian explained the deadline for the county auditor to receive the committee names is Feb. 21.

After discussion about whether to nominate fewer than three members for each side, the committee moved to recommend three names to the full council. The committee voted by voice to recommend the following appointments for the Proposition 2 For Committee: Mary Chris Castro, Nate Lauver and Anthony Johnson. The committee recommended the following appointments to the Against Committee: Steven Cook, Delisa Ovato and Larry Viguery. The committee chair said the recommended names will go to full council on Feb. 4, 2025, where the council will consider formal appointment; the clerk’s office will then provide the names to the county auditor.

Committee members asked procedural clarifications — including whether committee members must be residents (Kasparian said residency within the city is now required by law) and whether committee members must be registered voters (Kasparian said she would confirm but stated residency is required). Kasparian also noted that committees may consult with others when drafting the statutory statements and that county formatting requirements apply to the ballot statements. Kasparian told the committee the clerk’s office advertised to neighborhood councils and business groups and accepted public letters of interest via the city website and a press release.

The committee’s recommendations will be transmitted to the full council for action on Feb. 4, 2025; Kasparian said the county auditor requires the official committee list by Feb. 21.","The committee reviewed letters of interest and sent recommendations for the For and Against committees for Proposition 2 (a levy/lid-lift and utility tax measure) to the full council for confirmation; appointments will be transmitted to the county auditor by Feb. 21.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6746352,"Moss Adams outlines 2024 audit focus for Tacoma: capital projects, internal controls and environmental assurances",705,1667000,2372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8&start=1667&end=2372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2135648-c20214ab64d3bc7dbbd601ac0552c1b8/thumbnail_1667000.jpg","/articles/6746352/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Moss-Adams-outlines-2024-audit-focus-for-Tacoma-capital-projects-internal-controls-and-environmental-assurances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746352-a0ae8cd822e1f8b8ac59f41070037ec7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136755&Signature=b2-7t3FKscp28aGZFLkXbS4x9FkUWBgrs3nJ~e~QoWblJUGISUv~KAVcYp8a8D466uA-4290EkNOBqREmKojOccuyz~MS2RTqg6YV4qmLJo5MOhelM-D5vUP-e~-0hhyf5o2qgyWu5DTBQLdSjAdb7y3xHIzxE0~BNpBrPLjqe2VGwMRP~qeFVDKrm5xjlk2r7-WwbhwkHdU4jBf1RNc7R~5UFoR24UUVLuZHzvaOTunnRWgB4hRSYlx83cJBPXPv3YUYB5Y2US1A4JG504eSL0EQ2Zrk874ey6QK4MBe-f2SZtOh5PC~Kg4DlXyj6LzF2a-MuoIvqjvhrL-3sW78g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Olga Darlington, the Moss Adams engagement partner, briefed the Government Performance & Finance Committee on Jan. 21 about the firm’s 2024 year-end audit work for the city, Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) and several city funds.

Darlington said Moss Adams’ work will cover the city’s five audited funds plus TPU’s electric, water and rail funds and the city’s environmental-services funds. The audit will include financial statements, required supplementary information and the agreed-upon procedures engagement associated with Department of Ecology or environmental agreements. She emphasized auditor independence and said auditors “perform the audit based on the information that’s provided to us by management,” while management remains responsible for the financial records and for internal controls.

Significant audit areas highlighted included internal controls around cash receipts/disbursements, billings and receivables, payroll, controls over project accounting and construction-in-progress, and capital assets. Moss Adams said it will select a sample of capital projects to test capitalization of costs, speak with project managers and review project accounting. Darlington said the firm coordinates with the state auditor’s office on shared systems (for example, treasury) and will rely in part on their work.

The audit timeline: planning began in fall 2024; internal-controls testing performed in November; final field work is scheduled for late February and March (approximately six weeks); draft and final reports are expected in late April to early May with final reports delivered by June. Moss Adams also noted two GASB pronouncements that will be reviewed during the audit: GASB 100 (accounting changes and error corrections) and GASB 101 (compensated absences). The audit fee for the five funds and TPU work was described as roughly $250,000–$260,000 for the year.

Committee members asked about Moss Adams’ history auditing the city and asked for clarification about the environmental financial-assurance letter required by a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Darlington said Moss Adams has audited the utilities in Tacoma for roughly 15 years and that the financial-assurance letter documents the city’s long-term ability to meet environmental cleanup responsibilities.

Moss Adams will return during the exit conference to present audit results later in the audit schedule; committee members were given the firm’s planned timeline and were invited to participate in the exit call in June.","Moss Adams presented its 2024 audit entrance plan to the committee, highlighting focus areas (internal controls, construction-in-progress/capitalization, payroll, treasury), the agreed-upon procedures for environmental reporting and a final-report timeline that runs through late April–June 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tacoma committee advances broad animal-control changes after neighbors urge clearer rules on pigs

Tacoma committee reopens MFTE questions: unit size, AMI levels and extensions under review

Committee recommends members for Proposition 2 For and Against committees; sends names to full council

Moss Adams outlines 2024 audit focus for Tacoma: capital projects, internal controls and environmental assurances