City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 08/31/2021 10:30 AM PDT
Introduction
Good Morning,
This past month has been a bit of a roller coaster for us on the City Council, as it is with many in our community. This month I started out excited about a return to in-person conversations and getting out and meeting with residents in the community. Now, as we see the positive COVID-19 cases increasing, we have returned to masks, digital Council meetings, and social distancing.
Like many of you, I am disappointed that we are facing this setback. More than almost any other time, I believe elected officials need to be accessible to our residents. At the same time, I recognize that we need to take necessary precautions to keep our residents and staff safe. While I may not be on the dais, I pride myself on always being accessible and responsive to the residents of District 1, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can be of service!
Also, let’s continue to raise vaccination rates across our community and make it a great summer together. For the latest information on vaccines, current public health guidance and data, please go to tpchd.org. We got this, Tacoma!
Catching Up With Council Member Hines
Public Safety
This past week, the Council continued the discussion on public safety in Tacoma. At our August 24 Study Session, we heard a presentation from the Police Chief on the current crime statistics and police department staffing levels. I have heard from many of you about this topic in the past few months and, as I said during the Study Session, we need to have a conversation about what safety in Tacoma means for the community.
I believe keeping our entire community safe is the most important responsibility of our municipal government. As I said in my Citizen Tacoma podcast earlier this year, we need to make sure the Police Department has the necessary resources and that the Council is putting policies in place for accountability, de-escalation and community engagement. I also believe it is important that we recruit and retain the best people to our Police Department. Along with other Council Members and Mayors from across the country, my work on the National League of Cities’ Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee is helping inform how to accomplish this.
I have worked closely with many of our police officers and I am deeply impressed with their commitment to service and our community. In speaking with many of them and hearing from you, I think there is broad agreement that the issues of safety in our community will require more than just the Police Department. Investing in shelter and housing to address homelessness, providing resources for addiction and mental illness, and working with residents to address youth and gang violence are common themes that I hear from police officers and constituents. In the months ahead, these areas and many more are ones I am committed to working on to ensure that Tacoma is a safe place for everyone.
Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021
Along with the Mayor, I have been working to find resources to do a post-COVID clean-up of the City of Destiny. After over a year of getting takeout and using plastic bags, disposable cups, utensils, and food containers, a clean-up in Tacoma is needed. While details are still being finalized, I am happy to share that Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021 will be launching this fall in many of our Neighborhood Business Districts. Clean-up efforts are anticipated to include minor landscaping, litter removal, and graffiti removal. We are also working on engaging residents and providing resources for broader neighborhood clean-ups throughout the fall. Additionally, we are working with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to support this work on the highways in our city.
More information will be presented at today’s Study Session. The City of Tacoma offers a variety of programs and services to keep our homes, neighborhoods, and environment clean and healthy. For more information on Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021, visit cityoftacoma.org/tidyup.
With the Mayor’s Emergency Rule No. 4 requiring City Council Study Sessions and business meetings to be held exclusively virtual, GPFC was directed to develop proposed guidelines to potentially allow certain Study Sessions to be done in hybrid format. There are many important conversations like Home in Tacoma, Tideflats non-interim regulations and our mid-biennium budget modification that would ideally be addressed in-person. GPFC will be working on these guidelines at our September 21 meeting and plan to present the guidelines to Council by the end of next month.
Multi-Family Property Tax Exemptions
Also at our September 21 meeting, we will begin discussing Tacoma’s Multi-Family Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) and how to further use it for the development of affordable housing that we want in Tacoma. Council Member Walker and I sponsored an ordinance to change the Multi-Family Property Tax Exemption in parts of District 1, and at the June 29 Council meeting, the proposal was sent to GPFC.
This will be an ongoing conversation including a discussion with developers at GPFC’s October 5 meeting and a discussion of potential policy changes at the October 19 meeting. The goal is that potential changes to our MFTE policy will return to the full Council in early November. As many of you know, housing is one of my biggest priorities and I am eager to see policy in place that ensures not only more housing is built, but more housing is built that is available to everyone in our community.
Scenes From the City of Destiny
Visit to the Zoo
This past month, Council Member Walker and I toured the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium with our families. Together we serve on the Zoo Trek Authority and it has been a great experience learning about how the Zoo does so much for our community. From the partnership with Tacoma Public Schools to efforts to support conservation and education, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is a wonderful asset for our residents.
This past year, I have been very impressed with the innovation at the Zoo and Northwest Trek to ensure that the public could enjoy their visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. My family has been members for years and I am excited that I can continue to serve in a leadership role that supports an institution that brings so much joy to our city. Please check out their website to learn how you can do the Zoo this fall!
Resources for Utility Assistance
If you or someone you know is struggling to pay rent or afford utilities, Pierce County Human Services and the City of Tacoma have teamed up to provide financial assistance for tenants impacted by COVID-19. These funds apply to both past due rent and past due utilities, and will be distributed to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
More information on housing assistance can be found here and information on utility assistance can be found here.
Resources for COVID-19
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 crisis.
Rental and Utility Assistance: Pierce County and City of Tacoma residents struggling to pay rent or utilities due to impacts of COVID-19, can apply for assistance PierceCountyWA.gov/housinghelp
Washington State/Governor Jay Inslee COVID-19 Response: coronavirus.wa.gov
Please be sure to check out cityoftacoma.org for City updates and resources and, as always, please email me directly at john.hines@cityoftacoma.org and do not reply to this email. You can also call me at (253) 312-5620 if you have questions.
