|
Good Morning,
Fall is always my favorite season. Back to school, the return of football season, and pumpkin scones back at Starbucks! This fall has been a little different to say the least. My son is adjusting to online school and my daughter is disappointed that Proctor Treats will not be happening. While we have been very lucky over the last few months, I know that many in our community have not. With all of the uncertainty right now, I hope you find time to connect with the people you care about, do some of the things you enjoy, and help those in need where you can. Stay strong Tacoma – we got this!
One thing I have been hearing from many residents is that they want to know more about what the City Council is doing. My hope is that my monthly newsletters can help fill in some of the gaps. There are important conversations for the future of the City of Destiny happening in the weeks ahead, and I invite you to tune in on Tuesdays to the Council study sessions at noon and Council meetings at 5 PM via TV Tacoma, Facebook Live or Zoom.
This past month, my family and I joined the West End Neighborhood Council for the litter clean-up. This group has been very passionate about keeping our community beautiful and we were happy to join them. Keeping our community clean has always been a shared endeavor and I look forward to supporting other residents and groups in the future.
Over the past few months, I have been meeting with staff from multiple departments to talk about addressing litter concerns across our city. I am eager to see how we can further support our community as they work to keep our public spaces clean and beautiful. If you are interested in this topic, check out some of the links below.
|
Along with At-Large Council Member Lillian Hunter, I was happy to sponsor Resolution No. 40658 and support the responsible use of recreational drones. As drones grow in popularity and more people, like my son, want to get out into our parks and open spaces, it is critical that they have easy access to accurate information about what is expected. You can read my statement on this topic, as well as Council Member Hunter's, here. Please be sure to stay tuned for our updated website. Safe flying!
The City is currently working to authorize a Temporary Emergency Micro-Shelter (TEMS) site on the property of the First Church of Christ at 602 N. Orchard. I have heard many questions from my neighbors about this site and I wanted to share some important information with you. The City Council was briefed on the site at our September 29 study session. The recording and the presentation can be found here. Many of the questions I have been hearing from residents were addressed during this session.
There will also be a Town Hall to discuss the site on Wednesday, October 7 from 6-7:30 PM. Questions can be submitted ahead of time at shelters@cityoftacoma.org.
A similar site currently exists on East 60th and McKinley, and I encourage you to check out the recording of the Town Hall (English and Spanish) for more information on that site, including the questions that were asked and answered.
Over the past 18 months, I have heard from many residents that homelessness is the most important issue for them. This project is a clear step that our community can take to address this. Since I live a block away from the site, I have had many questions, just like my neighbors, and I want to make sure they are answered.
Please be sure to submit your comments and participate in the Town Hall. Feel free to reach out to me as well. I am happy to talk further.
At our study session on September 22, the Council received an update on policies for body worn cameras proposed by the Community Police Advisory Committee (CPAC). The video to the session can be found here and the presentation can be found here. For updates, visit our Transformation website.
Transforming Tacoma – Police Reform
As always, I would also be interested to hear your thoughts on this process, so please reach out to me as well. 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.
On October 6, 2020, at the City Council Study Session, we will see the City Manager's proposed 2021-2022 biennial budget for the first time. You can watch this in real time on TV Tacoma, tvtacoma.com and Facebook at facebook.com/cityoftacoma. Over the month of October, you will also have the chance to engage Council and give your feedback on the proposed budget before it is finalized and adopted. You can always reach out to me directly as well to share your feedback.
Learn more about the City's budget development process online on the City's website.
|
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
|
