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Good Morning,
Those with young children were likely compelled to observe Halloween, even when one is not a fan of costumes (like me) and even during a pandemic. Though our family did not do our usual visit to Proctor Treats followed by trick or treating in our neighborhood, we still got dressed up and did some socially distant visits to select homes! During these challenging times, I am so proud of the ways our community has come together to observe the measures that have become necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19, and the creative and fun ways we safely observed Halloween across Tacoma is one reminder of that.
This past month, I have heard from many of you about your experiences during the current public health and economic crisis and I am thankful that you have taken your time to share your thoughts with me on a topic that has been top of mind for our community - the City of Tacoma's proposed budget for 2021-2022.
One area that has received many comments has been the Tacoma Public Library. As a former library trustee and life-long library patron, I know the valuable role our library serves in our community. I continue to be committed to ensuring that Tacoma residents get the services they need from their city and a vibrant public library system is one of them.
At this point in time, the budget is still a proposal and it can still be adjusted. Please continue to stay engaged and share your thoughts with me about the essential services you want to see from your city. I also invite you to tune in to the City Council’s Study Session or Council meetings on Tuesdays via TV Tacoma, Facebook Live, or Zoom.
6th and Orchard TEMS Site
Construction is currently underway at the Tacoma Emergency Micro-Shelter (TEMS) site on the property of the First Church of Christ at 602 N Orchard. I have been watching the construction progress each day from my front porch. Site construction should be completed by the end of November with the first residents arriving in December. If you have questions about the TEMS site, I would encourage you to check out the frequently asked questions from the Town Hall here.
 Looking ahead, there will be opportunities for neighbors to help in the construction of the site and more information on how to participate will be posted here.
The first meeting of the Community Advisory Council (CAC) for the 6th and Orchard site will be on December 10, 2020 from 6 – 7 PM. If you are interested in serving on the CAC, application for initial formation are accepted until November 9, 2020. You can complete the online application here.
I have heard many questions from my neighbors about this site and I wanted to share some important information with you. My City Council colleagues and I were briefed on the site at our September 29, 2020 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.
Please feel free to reach out to me and I am happy to talk further about this site. I continue to be proud to support this project and I am optimistic that it will serve a need for families in our community.
2020 Annual Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan
The Planning Commission is currently discussing the annual amendments to the City of Tacoma’s Comprehensive Plan. Part of that is the height change to the View Sensitive Overlay District that was put forth by the West Slope Neighborhood Coalition. I have heard from many of you about this so I wanted to be sure to share some important dates.
- November 4 – The Planning Commission will be finalizing their recommendations to the City Council.
- November 24 - The City Council Study Session will look at the Planning Commission recommendations and a City Council Public Hearing will be held on annual amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.
- December 1 - A City Council first reading is scheduled to take place on annual amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.
- December 8 - A City Council final reading is scheduled to take place on annual amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.
If you would like to participate and provide public comment, you can engage on November 4 with the Planning Commission by following the guidance here. You can also speak to the Planning Commission's recommendations during the November 24, December 1 and December 8 Council meetings. Please be sure to share your thoughts!
Drone Education
This past month, Council Member Lillian Hunter and I were recognized for our work on safe drone ownership by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The article written by the CEO, Brian Wynne recognized “the leadership shown by Council Members John Hines and Lillian Hunter, [and] should be used as a model for other cities and localities in preserving the safety of their communities." Read the full article here.
I agree completely with the view of the AUVSI that “safety will always be at the foundation of our innovation, and it is important that recreational drone users remain safe.” This month, Council Member Hunter and I are participating in AUVSI events around the second National Drone Safety Awareness Week which will take place November 16 - 22, 2020. For more information, check out our new drone safety webpage here.
Police Transformation and Reformation
On October 29, 2020, there was a Community Conversation to gain community input on the City of Tacoma's recruitment of our next Police Chief. If you were unable to attend, you can take the recruitment survey here. You can also learn more about the recruitment process and timeline here.
The Tacoma City Council is looking for applicants to fill the following four positions on the Community’s Police Advisory Committee: one youth position (age 16-18) and two at-large positions.
The Community’s Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) is an advisory panel to the City Council as it pertains to Tacoma Police Department policy. The Committee is responsible for conducting policy review, reviewing trends in complaint investigation and statistical reports, and engaging in community outreach.
You can apply online on the Community’s Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) website here.
Please continue to follow all updates on public safety transformation here:
Transforming Tacoma – Police Reform
As always, I would also be interested to hear your thoughts on this process, 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.
2021-2022 Budget Development
As I mentioned earlier, the City of Tacoma is currently working on its budget for the next biennium and we continue to welcome your feedback. You can give your feedback on the proposed budget through the following methods.
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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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