City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 09/30/2021 09:25 AM PDT
Introduction
Good morning and happy fall!
As many of you know, fall is my favorite season. As a former high school teacher and football coach, I always look forward to back-to-school, the return of Seahawks football, and everything pumpkin flavored. Like many of you, my family is hopeful to return to our favorite fall traditions in some of our favorite local places.
Along with the beginning of a new season, the City Council is working on some important topics. There are crucial conversations happening in the weeks ahead for the future of our City of Destiny. These topics include Home in Tacoma, Tideflats Non-Interim Regulations, and the upcoming budget modification discussion to name just a few.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me at john.hines@cityoftacoma.org to share your thoughts and concerns. I also invite you to tune in to the Council’s noon Study Sessions or 5 PM Meetings on Tuesdays via TV Tacoma, Facebook LIVE or Zoom.
Also, let’s continue to raise vaccination rates across our community and make it a great fall season 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
Tidy-Up Tacoma
Litter and trash pick-up have been a frequently mentioned topic of this newsletter, so I was happy that the City began Tidy-Up Tacoma this past month. My family has participated in many clean-ups this year, and I look forward to what the City will be able to do in our business districts. After months of limited shopping, disposable cups and utensils, and few chances to gather, I am hopeful for the impact Tidy-Up Tacoma will have. Be on the lookout in November as the clean-up comes to District 1!
At the same time, my Council colleagues and I recognize that keeping Tacoma litter-free will require an ongoing effort. I am committed to delivering on the high-quality City services you expect, and in my mind, clean streets are a big part of that. I am looking forward to working with the Mayor, the Council, and our community to find a way to make sure Tidy-Up Tacoma is not the end, but the beginning of an effort to Keep Tacoma Beautiful!
Home in Tacoma
In the past few weeks, I have had conversations with many of you about Home in Tacoma and where we are with the proposal. This past weekend I met with some residents in the Proctor neighborhood on Saturday and the Geiger Circle Neighborhood on Sunday. These were great conversations and reminded me of how much I enjoy getting out into District 1 and talking to residents in their homes. Right now, Home in Tacoma is being examined by the Infrastructure, Planning and Sustainability (IPS) Committee of the City Council. On September 22, the Committee discussed potential changes to the proposed Home in Tacoma map. You can listen to that conversation here.
On October 5 at 3 PM, Home in Tacoma will return to the City Council Committee of the Whole for further discussion and you can listen in here. Also, there is a discussion outline of Home in Tacoma that you can find here, and I encourage you to keep track of where the proposal is in the process and proposed amendments as it returns to Council.
Tacoma Arts Month
As many of you know, October is Tacoma Arts Month. As the Council representative on the Tacoma Arts Commission, I look forward to celebrating the arts and artists that make our community such a special place.
The month is full of arts and culture programs, and there is something for everyone to enjoy: music, dance and theater performances; visual art exhibits; literary readings; lectures; workshops; film screenings; and cultural events. Events are taking place virtually and in-person. All you have to do is choose what you want to enjoy.
Hopefully, you will join me and my family as we get out and see the arts opportunities in our City of Destiny not only in October, but all year long! You can learn more at TacomaArtsMonth.org.
With the Mayor’s Emergency Rule No. 4 requiring Council Study Sessions and business meetings to be held in virtual format only, GPFC was directed to develop proposed guidelines to potentially allow certain Study Sessions to be done in hybrid format. The Committee met September 21 and discussed proposed guidelines to return to in-person meetings. After discussion, the Committee agreed to return on October 5 to finalize metrics and bring them back to the full Council early next month.
Multifamily Property Tax Exemptions
Also at the September 21 GPFC meeting, we began discussing Tacoma’s Multifamily Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) and how to further use it for the development of affordable housing that we want in Tacoma. This will be an ongoing conversation with a discussion with developers at the October 5 GPFC meeting and a discussion of potential policy changes at our October 19 meeting.
We project that potential changes to the City’s MFTE policy will return to the entire Council in early November. After our initial discussion on September 21, I am eager to begin looking closer at the purpose of the MFTE and its alignment to other policies in Tacoma like our Affordable Housing Action Strategy (AHAS). As many of you know, housing is one of my biggest priorities and I am eager to see policies in place to make sure we not only get more housing, but more housing that is available to everyone in our community.
Scenes From the City of Destiny
Touring Commencement Bay
This past month, my kids and I toured Commencement Bay and the Port of Tacoma with Citizens for a Healthy Bay (CHB). Garyn and Lauryn had a great time as we saw seals, picked up litter and learned about the work of CHB. They cannot wait to go out again!
Coming up in November, the Council will be discussing Non-Interim Regulations for the Tideflats. The Infrastructure, Planning and Sustainability (IPS) Committee just spent the past few months working on potential amendments to the Planning Commission’s proposal. That IPS discussion is available here and the proposed amendments can be found here.
The Council will hold a public hearing on the proposal on October 5, so I encourage you to share your thoughts that evening or in writing to the City Clerk beforehand at cityclerk@cityoftacoma.org.
Resources for Rental and Utility Assistance
Pierce County Human Services and the City of Tacoma received funding for rental and utility assistance for tenants impacted by COVID-19 and behind on rent or utilities. These funds apply to both past-due rent and past-due utilities and will be distributed by Pierce County on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers can apply online at PierceCountyWA/HousingHelp or call 2-1-1.
Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) offers several residential options for payment assistance and will work with you to develop payment arrangements. In addition, they’ve extended their due date from 15 days to 12 weeks and can waive late fees. TPU customers who are having trouble paying their bills should contact Customer Service at 253-502-8600 or 800-752-6745 and ask about extended payment plans. The Department is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If you do not qualify for TPU’s programs or would like to explore other options, visit WashingtonConnection.org.
We know this has also been a tough time for our small business community. Business customers can qualify for extended payment plans and waived late fees. Here are more resources available to help.
Additionally, the U.S. federal government offers assistance through its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It is designed to help qualifying, low-income households meet their immediate home energy needs. If you are a City of Tacoma resident, you can learn more on the Metropolitan Development Council’s website. If you live outside Tacoma but in Pierce County, you can learn more on thePierce County Human Services website. Additional funding may be available due to COVID-19. If you have already received LIHEAP funding this year, you could still be eligible for the additional funds.
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.
