[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6677070,"mediaKeyId","2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e","parentId",2303401,"title","Committee approves minutes from Aug. 28, 2024, and adjourns Feb. 12 meeting","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",269000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e&start=269&end=269","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e/thumbnail_269000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6677070/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Committee-approves-minutes-from-Aug-28-2024-and-adjourns-Feb-12-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677070-27b08b47f23c791f1ec02e0a5748eccb/orig.mp4?Expires=1775915661&Signature=gH4O5SBMRFwedubXYW44ZdjUCT6zxBhM-Bn3aDCcW6ZwCW0Ms1osNuKdCxPDzR1KVyurOgWEEQohz0WII3B1adpVA6xDuVVbIPBuLEkUgb--B7G2bPIucgy8GmbHBF8K8BJi4oE2F48zXait0~XyNAVjIo4q7uw7vHriLfjqXuNWYlJ8~YgVXtEfG-e20NXjN-FeYGHPnHFtmHXOGFlUFl-nGExMqOf7eCGNQ7~UQuFtGs2mS~e37ZgcDuvVr3ormmB-SpGMBzDP2nPTzDmHdrswZFYV3Ke~zSZnW0a34U1MUwABMyDrF7kVhSqE~XyzgzDJTPFcs4ogjdXRBcxeYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tacoma","date","2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","article","At the Feb. 12 Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee meeting, a motion to approve the minutes of the Aug. 28, 2024 meeting was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. Later, the committee moved and seconded the motion to adjourn and declared the motion adopted.

Details: The transcript records the motion, a second and an \"Aye\" response; no individual roll-call vote tallies were captured for the minutes approval in the transcript. The committee then proceeded to scheduled briefings and adjourned at the meeting's close.

No further formal actions were recorded on ordinances, resolutions or contracts during the session; the two substantive briefings (urban forestry and proposed wholesale water contracts with Cascade Water Alliance) were informational and scheduled for follow-up committee and council steps.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tacoma - 20250212 Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability - Feb 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee approved minutes of its Aug. 28, 2024 meeting and adjourned after brief business on Feb. 12. Both motions were moved, seconded, and carried by voice vote; no recorded roll-call tallies were provided in the transcript.","taxTitle","Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",2675,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6677073,"Tacoma Water presents proposed wholesale contracts with Cascade Water Alliance; committee hears infrastructure and revenue details",3525,3268000,6793000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e&start=3268&end=6793","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e/thumbnail_3268000.jpg","/articles/6677073/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Tacoma-Water-presents-proposed-wholesale-contracts-with-Cascade-Water-Alliance-committee-hears-infrastructure-and-revenue-details","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677073-1ac02ea302c44c32191fff669aaddb85/orig.mp4?Expires=1775915661&Signature=CgRdUN515UwrLks3C-MtjwMQHyPH6jRh-piuo7kjI5nCa3K~BuXu1uyzV0NaEVmURTKWEwYZXADbIRS2vECmnPmrgczE8fCgO-gHxL~ZEcZ2i4ET9y2sbtcKac1-PrLsa9NrfYNTN4K35oO3wGkpzaXMB0z7utzaLxRjHNBhcp0dgNwFabLdnb5t8K6bx6Hwz7eiXEbcS4~NEKxfgfOHpSYtvlqhvjcD3KPrgUoq5qDx52AHc31AuV8PYfsk8PRfnL-Oo3Z1ZxGvKJeEG9UgQ9M5qqmz~1lbUnJEmKDE8OJvm4QFRiWhb6HHd5a1fqcUQkmc~aFpshUcftVswQfWjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tacoma Water staff told the Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee on Feb. 12 that proposed wholesale agreements with the Cascade Water Alliance would supply northern utilities beginning in the early 2040s, would shift the city's future resource mix toward more groundwater use in high-demand years, and would require coordinated infrastructure and capital planning.

Deputy Superintendent Jessica Knickerbocker described the proposals as a long-term regional partnership. She introduced senior staff to explain system impacts; Sean (last name recorded in the briefing materials) and Mark Powell led the technical and revenue discussion.

What was proposed: staff described two complementary agreements under negotiation. One agreement would reserve 12 million gallons per day (mgd) average with a 15 mgd peak allocation; a second would reserve a 12 mgd average with a 17.5 mgd peak. Tacoma's system-wide peak day demand in 2024 was about 73 mgd. Staff said Cascade does not need deliveries until the early 2040s and is responsible for constructing pipeline connections to the north; Cascade will also contribute to the corridor pump-station costs associated with pipeline intertie work.

System and operational implications
Sean summarized modeling that projects Tacoma's historical average-day demand has declined in recent years (in part because a large industrial customer, the WestRock pulp mill, closed in late 2023), and that Cascade's phased demand would ramp in through the 2040s and 2050s. The presentation modeled a range of futures and used Tacoma's resource adequacy standard (a planning metric staff described as targeting mandatory curtailments less than 4% of years).

Staff described multiple mitigation options to preserve the standard: additional water storage behind Howard Hansen Dam (a large federal project the Corps is managing), forecast-informed reservoir operations (adjusting Corps operations to optimize yield), and accelerated well-field projects to bring dormant wells back online. Sean said the additional Corps storage project and reservoir operation changes largely offset the projected impacts of Cascade's demands in staff modeling.

Longer-term operations would likely include a greater share of groundwater in some high-demand years; staff estimated that at Cascade's peak modeled demand the system could be roughly two-thirds surface water and one-third groundwater in the downtown supply mix. Knickerbocker and Sean emphasized that Tacoma would retain operational control of its assets and that Cascade would share capital costs proportionate to its reserved capacity.

Revenue and timing
Mark Powell summarized expected revenue components: payment streams from a prior agreement (about $47 million remaining on an earlier payment stream), a system-development charge (staff estimated roughly $50 million, with Cascade able to pay a lump sum or finance over time), a capacity reservation fee (modeled near $3 million), monthly fixed charges beginning in the late 2020s, volumetric charges once deliveries begin, and associated gross-earnings tax for the city. Staff noted some amounts are variable and depend on future demand schedules; others are fixed or contractually defined.

Infrastructure and governance
Staff presented a proposed north pipeline alignment and said Cascade has purchased easements on a central segment; the most capital-intensive parts of the concept are the pipeline corridor, a pump station near the north end and, eventually, the potential development of Lake Tapps as a regional source (which would require filtration and lake-level management in coordination with local stakeholders). Staff also discussed hazard- and resilience-related benefits from system intertie, including the ability to redirect flows following major events.

Committee members asked detailed operational and financial questions, including the timing and scale of PFAS/PFOS treatment related to expanded well use, the schedule for updated modeling and lidar-informed planning, options for demand management and pricing to address peak irrigation loads, and how cascade membership changes would be handled contractually. Staff said the contracts incorporaate five-year connection planning steps and that both agreements must be executed together to take effect.

Next steps and public engagement
Tacoma Water said it will brief the General Purpose Finance Committee, return to the board for approval in late February, then go to the city council for consideration; staff aim to execute the agreements shortly after council approval. Staff also described ongoing customer and stakeholder outreach and said more detailed rate and capital planning will be part of subsequent briefings.","Tacoma Water staff briefed the Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee on Feb. 12 on proposed wholesale agreements with the Cascade Water Alliance, including delivery schedules, system impacts, revenue components and infrastructure needs such as a north pipeline and additional storage projects.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6677077,"Tacoma staff outline steps to boost tree canopy, cite funding and regulatory gaps",2983,283000,3266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e&start=283&end=3266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2303401-3243f6208a44295158ded019ea6f361e/thumbnail_283000.jpg","/articles/6677077/Tacoma/Pierce-County/Washington/Tacoma-staff-outline-steps-to-boost-tree-canopy-cite-funding-and-regulatory-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677077-2002b6fc8fb663c5482470900ffa5dd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775915661&Signature=ZE54V2n-6pFoWPkT8scgf5IZzuwvjz~I2mnhXFQ0~pU15Xz~~gJ1EjqdDliQKEpO9RNi6JekqiDkxrcg35Yks8H9x3JSsWjjZVHbnqe5X~1Deoq0d61IxuuWPrfTtuyUV4ZtzYZOffsA5qSD9COLBz21hGfRqHnI06tYh~m2QIlt5B4uJ9SXdNSIQECPyW0vmyDr2mQSkRumK4H9-o8f9NSx1FEiWwhXNHOFuRIDxm4XQmkLFBcDWxt95ntNeV0Yaly7yjaE6jLlnc-DHVBsXc2c9b-qiMIXoRoxVvN4d-sVfLa66k2616rlR3SKHf2hw0nZ4lugWtgfIgEvQjojpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tacoma urban forestry staff told the Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee on Feb. 12 that the city must scale planting, maintenance and regulatory tools to reach a 30% tree-canopy goal and that work will continue at a policy-focused committee meeting in two weeks.

The briefing set current program baselines and next steps. Urban Forest Program Manager Mike Carey said the presentation was intended \"to kick off a series of presentations focused on improving the urban forestry level of service for our community.\" He told the committee staff are starting from a shared premise that trees provide public benefits including air-quality improvement, stormwater management and urban heat reduction and that the discussion should align with the Home in Tacoma amendment the council previously adopted.

Why the briefing matters: staff said Tacoma's right-of-way (public streets and sidewalks) accounts for about 26% of the city's land area but has only about 9.2% canopy cover, well below the citywide target. Carey noted that meeting canopy goals in each land-use category would collectively achieve the city's 30% target; the question is how to close the gaps through incentives, city responsibility, regulations or partnerships.

Program details and recent work
Lisa Kenny, community tree program coordinator, reviewed Tacoma's planting programs and a new prioritization map that combines canopy deficiency, heat exposure and equity to target limited resources. She said the city and partners planted nearly 2,000 trees in 2024 across programs including Grit City Trees, Tree Coupon, Green Blocks and Branch Out. Kenny also summarized program barriers: many residents must commit to three years of watering and care for new trees, some are renters who need landlord permission, and private-property trees are largely outside existing incentive structures.

Ryan Hebert, an urban forestry analyst, described hazardous-tree assistance and pilot maintenance work. Hebert said the Hazardous Tree Assistance Program (established with council funding in 2023) \"includes a tree risk assessment\" by a third-party contractor, and—if needed—contracted pruning or removal, stump grinding, wood disposal, replanting and three seasons of establishment watering. Qualification is automatic for residents who live in very low, low or moderate opportunity areas in the city's equity index; others can qualify by income using existing utility-assistance eligibility.

Maintenance pilots have been limited but informative. A 2022 US Forest Service-funded pilot pruned about 318 trees in the Tacoma Mall neighborhood. Using hazardous-tree funds, staff later pruned another priority corridor (McKinley Ave) and, after a contracting gap in 2024, completed a Lincoln District corridor pruning project tied to Green Blocks outreach.

Staff said preventive maintenance is constrained by authority and staffing: the city generally needs adjacent property-owner permission to work on right-of-way trees and currently lacks a proactive, citywide right-of-way maintenance crew. The two-person arborist crew funded in the most recent budget, staff said, will focus on city-owned property and will not by itself fill the preventive-maintenance gap affecting private-adjacent right-of-way trees.

Data and next steps
Carey said the city expects an updated lidar (light detection and ranging) dataset from consultants in roughly a month that will provide a new canopy analysis, updated impervious-surface and building layers, and a near-complete inventory of trees with height and health indicators. He noted the city's most recent canopy analysis was from 2018 and that the new lidar will let staff compare land-cover change across zones and better target interventions.

Staff asked the committee to prepare for a policy discussion at the committee's next meeting (Feb. 26) that will focus on which \"dials\" to turn: stronger incentives, greater direct city responsibility for planting/maintenance, regulatory changes, or strategic partnerships. Carey said the anticipated outcome of that meeting is policy direction for staff research on costs, benchmarks and options to return with concrete proposals.

Committee reaction and follow-up
Council members thanked staff for the update and requested additional detail for the next meeting, including legal guidance from the city attorney on property-owner authority, more examples of how other cities incentivize private-property tree retention, and a full accounting of program costs and responsibilities. Council Member Prince asked about the cost of the Tacoma Mall grant that financed the 318-tree pilot; staff said the multi-year grant totaled about $240,000 over five years and included outreach and maintenance support.

Staff emphasized equity and \"tree trauma\" (residents' reluctance to plant or accept trees because of past liability or maintenance experiences) as a policy consideration: many successful programs, they said, explicitly address homeowner concerns about future removal, root damage and cost to increase participation.

The committee scheduled a deeper, policy-level session on Feb. 26; staff asked council members to submit any policy ideas in writing in advance so staff can prepare comparative research and cost estimates.","City urban-forest staff briefed the Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee on Feb. 12 on programs and data for meeting Tacoma's 30% tree-canopy goal, highlighting right-of-way shortfalls, maintenance pilots, an equity-focused planting prioritization tool and upcoming lidar data.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves minutes from Aug. 28, 2024, and adjourns Feb. 12 meeting

Tacoma Water presents proposed wholesale contracts with Cascade Water Alliance; committee hears infrastructure and revenue details

Tacoma staff outline steps to boost tree canopy, cite funding and regulatory gaps