City of University Place

Municipal Government Servicescityofup.com

The City of University Place is the incorporated municipal government of a ~8.5 square mile city in Pierce County, Washington, serving roughly 34,000 residents with public safety, permitting, parks, transportation, and senior services delivered through a City Council-led, contracted-services model and a CivicPlus-based digital platform.

Company typePublic
Founded1995
HeadquartersUniversity Place, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What City of University Place does

The City of University Place is the incorporated municipal government of University Place, a ~8.5 square mile city in Pierce County, Washington, serving approximately 34,000 residents. Incorporated in 1995, it delivers core municipal services — public safety (contracted to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department), fire and EMS (West Pierce Fire & Rescue), public works, planning and development, parks and recreation, stormwater management, and senior services — through a City Council / City Manager governance structure. Ancillary revenue is generated via fees and taxes, including parking meters at the Village at Chambers Bay ($1.00/hr, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. weekdays/Saturdays) and the Transportation Benefit District vehicle license fee ($20 annually in 2025, stepping to $30 in 2027 and $40 in 2029 under Resolution 1054); the city does not publicly disclose total revenue or budget figures.

Its service-delivery platform is built on CivicPlus CMS, integrating Notify Me (email/SMS subscription alerts), UPTV Online (council and community programming), U.P. Alert (emergency communications via CodeRED and Pierce County Alert), SeeClickFix (citizen issue reporting on iOS/Android/web), PayByPhone (cashless parking), Microsoft Teams (virtual council and commission meetings), and RSS for content syndication. Online self-service is provided for permits (building, plumbing, mechanical, fire alarm/fire suppression, site development, right-of-way, security alarm, special event), business licensing, public records requests under the Washington Open Records Act, and facility reservations. Accessibility commitments to WCAG 2.0 AA and Section 508 are stated.

Distribution and partnerships fall into three layers: in-person service at City Hall (3609 Market Place West) and the Senior Center (2534 Grandview Drive West); contracted safety service via Pierce County Sheriff and West Pierce Fire & Rescue; and complementary partnerships with YMCA (youth recreation), Tahoma Audubon Society (wetland park stewardship), the Curran Apple Orchard volunteer group, the Playground by the Sound Committee, and regional economic development bodies (Economic Development Board of Tacoma/Pierce County, Pierce County Economic Development, Prosperity Partnership, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce). Marketing and engagement reach residents through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, the city website, Notify Me alerts, UPTV (Comcast Channel 21), and recurring community events such as Duck Daze, Music on the Square, Concerts in the Orchard, Movie in the Park, and National Night Out. The customer base comprises City Residents (primary), Local Businesses, and Visitors, with no commercial sales motion in place.

City of University Place firmographics

Firmographics

Name: City of University Place
Legal name: City of University Place
Website: https://cityofup.com
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1995
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The City of University Place is the incorporated municipal government of a ~8.5 square mile city in Pierce County, Washington, serving roughly 34,000 residents with public safety, permitting, parks, transportation, and senior services delivered through a City Council-led, contracted-services model and a CivicPlus-based digital platform.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

City of University Place industry classification

Industry

Product category: Municipal Government Services
NAICS: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Executive Offices (921110), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)
SIC: Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Transportation Services (4700)
akta.pro primary industry: Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK)

Keywords

Municipal government services
Public safety services
Parks and recreation
Permitting and licensing
Community engagement

Where City of University Place is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: University Place
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

City of University Place business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Parking at Village at Chambers Bay
Subscription	Annual	Transportation Benefit District Vehicle License Fee

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

City of University Place product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The City of University Place delivers core municipal government services to its residents and businesses, including public safety (contracted through Pierce County Sheriff and West Pierce Fire & Rescue), public works, planning and development, parks and recreation, senior services, stormwater management, permitting, and business licensing. It operates a CivicPlus-powered digital services portal enabling online permits, licensing, parking meter payments, public records requests, citizen issue reporting, and emergency notifications, alongside in-person services at City Hall and the Senior Center. Revenue is generated through taxes, fees, and charges for specific municipal services such as parking, permits, and the Transportation Benefit District vehicle license fee.

Product overview

City of University Place operates a comprehensive digital services platform built on the CivicPlus Content Management System, offering residents access to government services through an integrated web portal. The platform consists of core citizen-facing services including the Notify Me notification subscription system, U.P. Alert emergency communications, UPTV Online video programming, online permit processing, parking meter payments via PayByPhone integration, Transportation Benefit District management, public records requests, and SeeClickFix issue reporting. The city also provides an event calendar system and business licensing portal. The architecture is primarily a content management and service delivery platform rather than a traditional software product, with integrations to third-party services like PayByPhone for parking payments, Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings, and CodeRED for emergency alerts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Notify Me

Companies that use City of University Place

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

City of University Place technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

City of University Place partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Pierce County Sheriff's DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995City has contracted with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department for police services since incorporation in 1995. The U.P. Police Department operates under this partnership.
YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity Place has partnered with the YMCA for summer mini-camps offering volleyball, soccer, and flag football programs for youth athletes, providing affordable family recreation options
West Pierce Fire & RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFire protection and emergency services provided through West Pierce Fire & Rescue, serving University Place and surrounding areas
Tahoma Audubon SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner that co-manages Adriana Hess Wetland Park. Their office is located at the park site, partnering with the City for wildlife habitat preservation
Curran Apple Orchard (Volunteer Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer group maintains and operates the 200-apple tree orchard, providing educational programs, summer concerts, and annual Cider Squeeze event
Playground by the Sound CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommittee designed, funded, and managed the volunteer-built Playground by the Sound located in the North Meadow of Chambers Creek Properties overlooking Puget Sound
Economic Development Board of Tacoma/Pierce CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional economic development partnership supporting business attraction and workforce development
Pierce County Economic DevelopmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCounty-level economic development partner for business support and regional growth initiatives
Prosperity PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional economic development organization focused on business growth and prosperity in the region
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber partnership supporting business community and economic vitality

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

City of University Place competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

City of Steilacoom, WA: Small historic Pierce County municipality with similar governance (mayor/council), contracted police services, and focus on parks, planning, and community events.
City of Edgewood, WA: Pierce County city incorporated around the same era as University Place; comparable reliance on contracted sheriff and fire services, parks and recreation focus, and small administrative staff.
City of Bonney Lake, WA: Pierce County city of comparable size offering planning, permitting, parks, public safety, and business licensing; similar use of CivicPlus-style online services and county sheriff contracts.
City of Tumwater, WA: Comparable Washington municipal corporation providing police (via contracted sheriff), fire, planning, parks, and permitting to a similar population base.
City of Gig Harbor, WA: Pierce County waterfront city of similar size and tourism orientation (waterfront recreation, special events) with the same municipal services portfolio and contracted public safety model.
City of Federal Way, WA: Comparable mid-sized South Puget Sound suburb delivering the full municipal services stack to a similar resident population; uses CivicPlus-style digital tools and contracts with county sheriff for police.
City of Puyallup, WA: Pierce County city providing parallel municipal services including parks, planning, business licensing, and transportation benefit district; comparable tax-base profile and economic-development orientation.
City of Lacey, WA: Mid-sized Thurston County municipality delivering the same core services — public safety, public works, planning, parks, and digital citizen engagement — with similar governance structure.
City of Lakewood, WA: Adjacent Pierce County city of similar size and incorporation era; provides the same basket of municipal services (police, fire, public works, planning, parks) and competes for the same regional growth and economic development opportunities.

Others

CivicPlus: Government website and engagement platform vendor underlying the City's digital service stack (Notify Me, UPTV, online permits, business licensing portal); an enabling technology peer rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

City of University Place compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance3 records

City of University Place financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

City of University Place leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

City of University Place funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

City of University Place M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of University Place

What does City of University Place do?

Is City of University Place a public or private company?

City of University Place is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was City of University Place founded?

City of University Place was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is City of University Place based?

City of University Place is headquartered in University Place, United States, in the North America region.

Who are City of University Place's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are City of Steilacoom, WA, City of Edgewood, WA, City of Bonney Lake, WA, City of Tumwater, WA, City of Gig Harbor, WA, City of Federal Way, WA, City of Puyallup, WA, City of Lacey, WA and City of Lakewood, WA. CivicPlus is listed as an others.

Does City of University Place have an API?

No public API is recorded for City of University Place.

What industry is City of University Place in?

City of University Place's product category is Municipal Government Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAA, Mayor/City Manager & General Administration, with a secondary code of BPAIACAF, Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities). Its NAICS code is 921 and its SIC code is 8744.