Background:  The County Council Rules and Operations Committee heard this proposal Monday, April 8. The 2.15 million dollar bond will be to build the Parkland Precinct. In early 2013, R2012-142S the council expressed it’s intent to issue the general obligation bonds to pay for the purchase of the property and the renovation of the property. In this ordinance they will approve the issuance of the bonds. There is no voter approval required.

Proposal No. 2013-14, An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Relating to Contracting Indebtedness; Providing for the Issuance of Not To Exceed $2,150,000 Aggregate Principal Amount of Limited Tax General Obligation Bonds, 2013, Series B, of the County for the Purpose of Providing Funds to Pay the Cost of Purchasing Land and Buildings and Renovating the Buildings to Serve as the Sheriff Precinct in Parkland and Pay the Costs of Issuance and Sale of Such Bonds; Establishing a Bond Redemption Fund and Project Fund; Fixing or Setting Parameters With Respect to Certain Terms and Covenants of the Bonds; Appointing the Director of the Budget and Finance Department as the County’s Designated Representative to Approve the Final Terms of the Sale and Issuance of the Bonds and to Take Certain Other Actions with Respect to the Issuance of the Bonds; and Setting an Effective Date.

Sponsored by:  Council members Douglas G. Richardson and Rick Talbert

Department contact person:  Gary Robinson, Budget and Finance, (253) 798-7450   Council contact person:  Paul Bocchi, (253) 798-7304

Date of final Council hearing:  April 23, 2013

This is the link to the meeting on video: http://online.co.pierce.wa.us/cfapps/council/iview/committeeMeeting.cfm?meeting_dt=4/8/2013%2010:00AM&committee_cd=r

Time on the video of the this item:  18:47 to 43:34 minutes, you can jump easily to the latter part of the tape.

Notes from the meeting:

Gary Robinson, Budget and Finance spoke on the bond issuance followed by Chief of ervices, Rob Maasco from the Sheriff’s Department, who made the following remarks…

“$220,00 in debt service payments for 20 years.”

“Our response in the Parkland Spanaway area which is 80,000 people, needs to improve. ”

“It represents the highest crime area in …unincorporated Pierce County… If you look at a crime map of Pacific Avenue from where parkland starts out to the Roy-Y… you’ll see a dark purple line of crime.”

“We  have got to make a difference.”

“The precinct at 141st and Pacific is at the epicenter of the area.”

“…fuel savings of at least 25,o000/year.” (a reference to the drive from the South Hill Precinct)

(It will give us) “…Improved community presence, improved sense of safety. Burglary, residential burglary are one of the main crimes in that area…Burglers don’t like law enforcement being in the area. Particularly, in the commercial area that goes up and down that corridor.”

(referring to the small  office at Sprinker) “That component will come out of Sprinker and will be accessible for the public to come in and do business.”

“We will be able to do community meetings in this facility as well.”

It’s a win all the way around.

“Two buildings. One of the 2 buildings is completely Sheriff’s operations.”

“The second building is going to be split. There’s going to be an animal control component… we’ll also have the community support team there as well. ”

“…There’s a community room that will house 50 people comfortably.”

From Paul Bocci on council staff: “We are actively engaged in the planning process. Thursday, the design team, including folks from the Sheriff,  is going to be out at the site… The current schedule has us going into construction at the end of July, occupy in the 4th quarter of this year.