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Good Morning,
Like many of you, I have been enjoying our beautiful summer weather. While I am finding time to be outdoors with my family, I am also working with my City Council colleagues to keep everyone in our community safe and healthy!
Throughout the summer, we are continuing to address the impacts of COVID-19, examining how we transform policing and public safety in Tacoma and working on our biennial budget for 2021-2022. These are important conversations for our future in the City of Destiny. I invite you to learn more by tuning in to our Study Session or Council meetings on Tuesdays via TV Tacoma, Facebook Live, or Zoom.
With the weather getting nicer, my family and I have been enjoying getting out to some of Tacoma’s special places. One of our favorites is Titlow Beach. We have spent many mornings looking for interesting rocks and sea life. Garyn and Lauryn can spend hours exploring the tide pools and, if you are looking for a place nearby that feels far away, Titlow Beach is perfect.
As we are out, we remain very conscious of the measures we need to take to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We all wear our face coverings and practice physical distancing around others who aren’t in our immediate family. Be sure to get out and enjoy Tacoma, but remember to stay safe and keep others safe too! We got this, Tacoma!
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At our Study Session on July 28, the Council discussed the work plan for transformation of the police department. With the pending retirement of our current chief of police, Don Ramsdell, we will need your ongoing input as we fill this very important position. This is a pivotal time in Tacoma’s history, and I am eager to work with you as we move forward.
In Council discussions, and in engaging with the residents of District 1 over the last year and a half, public safety was determined to be a key priority and we must continue working to ensure our community feels safe. From street lights and sidewalks, to speeding cars and blight, what makes a neighborhood safe can take many forms. While the police department has a critical role in shaping the safety of our neighborhoods, I am eager to begin thinking more broadly about safety in Tacoma.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on this, and other topics you feel are important, so please reach out to me at john.hines@cityoftacoma.org. We have received many inquiries on this topic and, while I may not be able to respond to each person individually, know that what you share with me will be taken under thoughtful consideration and help inform the policy decisions I make.
Every year, I look forward to National Night Out the first Tuesday in August. My earliest community involvement was with Safe Streets and Youth Leading Change back when I was in high school before the turn of the century. This past summer, I hosted a block party with my neighbors and even had the Tacoma Fire Department come out! The kids in the neighborhood loved it!
This year, as part of our community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, National Night Out is now projected to take place on October 6. Although the date for National Night Out has changed, it is always a good time to check in on your neighbors. Even during this time of physical distancing and the need for face coverings to help prevent the spread of this virus, letting your neighbors know you care and making sure they are staying healthy and safe continues to be important!
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The 2021-2022 Biennial Budget development process is underway, and our City Council is prioritizing racial equity throughout.
Throughout this summer, the Office of Management & Budget is conducting outreach to gather information on community priorities, as well as the impacts of the City’s COVID-19 emergency response on City services and the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget. In October 2020, the City Manager will propose a budget to the City Council for their review and adoption before the end of the year. We want to hear from you on which budget priorities are most important. Let your voice be heard here. Surveys are being offered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Khmer.
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The challenges we are facing in Tacoma with COVID-19 are unprecedented, but I want to let you know that we are taking important steps to address it in our community. We are working hard to support residents, families and businesses as we continue to address this public health and economic crisis.
Make It Tacoma: makeittacoma.com
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department: tpchd.org
TPU Bill Assistance: mytpu.org/payment-billing/payment-information/payment-assistance
Washington State/Governor Jay Inslee COVID-19 Response: coronavirus.wa.gov
Please be sure to check out cityoftacoma.org for updates and further resources and, as always, please email me at john.hines@cityoftacoma.org or call me at (253) 312-5620 if you have questions.
Thank you!
 John Hines
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