City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 02/25/2022 10:57 AM PST
Introduction
Good Morning,
I am looking forward to the end of winter and the return of spring in our city. While there is something I enjoy in every season in Tacoma, I look forward to springtime with its longer days, warmer weather and the return of Rainiers baseball. Now with the return of more in-person meetings (see more below) and maybe a few more events with you all to enjoy, I am excited for the change of seasons.
There are many things happening in our city and I am happy to share a few of them with you this month. As always, please feel free to reach out to me to share your thoughts and concerns. I invite you to also tune in to City Council’s noon Study Sessions or 5 PM Council Meetings on Tuesdays via TV Tacoma, Facebook LIVE, or ZOOM. Access details are available at cityoftacoma.org/councilmeetings.
Also, if you enjoy getting this newsletter and regular updates from me, please feel free to share it with others who you think might find it valuable and encourage them to subscribe.
Catching Up With Council Member Hines
Public Safety
This past month, I have heard from many of you about your concerns regarding safety in our community. From the recent arsons, to the increase in crime, safety is something I am thinking about constantly. Public safety remains the most important responsibility of our municipal government, and while we have work to do, I am confident we have the right people serving Tacoma and making it safe.
Addressing safety will require having a plan that will address short term issues with current crime and a longer-term vision to keep our community safe. Our new police chief began earlier this month. I am eager for him to work with the Council to address the concerns I have heard from many of you. He has recently given interviewsdescribing his approach. I have the utmost confidence that he will help us get back on track in Tacoma.
Additionally, we know we need to hire more police officers and fill the currently vacant positions we have. In the last budget update, we added funding to support police officer recruitment and retention. The City Council is continuing to work with Chief Moore to make sure he has the resources to support our officers and attract the high quality public servants our community expects. This is further supported by our transformation efforts in collaboration with our police department and 21st Century Policing.
I recognize the need to move our city forward. We need to be a city where people feel safe opening a business, visiting a restaurant or a museum, or raising a family. The future of Tacoma depends on providing safety right now.
Pedestrian Safety
As many of you know, as an avid runner and walker with young children, pedestrian safety is a high priority for me. After talking with many of you, I worked to include the expanded use of automated speed enforcement as part of our City’s legislative agenda. This year, Representative (and former Tacoma City Council Member) Jake Fey proposed HB 1969, and last month I testified in support of the bill.
We have many arterials in our city that are heavily used by cars, cyclists and pedestrians. When drivers do not follow the posted speed limits, this can pose a real threat for our residents. Studies show that automated speed cameras reduce rates of speeding. HB 1969 would allow us to look at some of these arterials in sensitive areas near hospitals or parks where we see excessive speed and potentially address it with automated enforcement. Any revenue collected from automated speed enforcement will be put towards supporting safety functions like traffic enforcement patrols and engineering services. This is just one of the tools the City is planning to use to improve traffic safety as part of Tacoma's Vision Zero efforts. A similar bill to watch, SB 5687, would authorize the use of automated traffic safety cameras to detect speed violations in school zones among other changes.
If you have not yet completed the Vision Zero Survey, you can do so here by March 4. We want to hear from you as we outline the Action Plan for how we will reach our goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2035.
Return to In-Person Meetings
When the Council returned to virtual meetings in August 2021, the Government Performance and Finance Committee (GPFC) was charged with developing metrics for the return of in-person Council meetings. With the recent decline in cases, GPFC re-examined the return to in person meetings at our February 15 meeting.
At that meeting, we recommended to return to a hybrid meeting structure (allowing both in-person and virtual attendance) beginning February 23. This recommendation was accepted by the Mayor and the Council confirmed that change at our February 22 meeting through the adoption of a Proclamation of Emergency Rule No. 5. This change will continue to allow the public the option to join us virtually or in-person at our Council Meetings, Study Sessions, and our Tacoma Public Utility Board Meetings. The press release can be read here.
While virtual meetings provide a great forum for communication they are not great for dialogue. As we move forward with policy conversations regarding housing, safety, and the environment this year, it is critical for us to have opportunities to engage with each other and the public face to face.
Our first hybrid Council meeting will be March 1.
Scenes From the City of Destiny
Pierce Transit Visit
As I told many of you last month, I was recently appointed to the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners. This month I stopped by Pierce Transit headquarters for my orientation and tour. I learned all about what is required to keep our buses rolling.
Education, housing and jobs are passions of mine and Pierce Transit is a key piece connecting all of them together. It ensures all our residents can get from home to school and to work safely, reliably, and sustainably. In our growing region, now more than ever, a robust public transit system is critical to connect our communities.
Home in Tacoma Phase 2
At our Study Session on February 22, we heard an update from the Planning and Development Services Department about the strategies to structure the analysis and community engagement efforts for Home In Tacoma Phase 2. After talking with many of you during Phase 1, I discussed that the Council would address many of the issues raised in Phase 2 before any zoning changes took place. I am still committed to Phase 2 being a public process that brings our community together (in-person) to have this important conversation. Some of the topics that will be addressed in Phase 2 include:
Strengthened design and development standards (including height, size, yards, etc.)
Enhancement and expansion of affordable housing tools and homeownership opportunities
Ensuring that infrastructure and services are adequate to support growth
Avoiding the potential demolition of viable structures
Encouraging green, sustainable and climate-resilient housing Preserving tree cover and access to green space
This conversation was Council’s first chance to begin fleshing out that robust public outreach process. I will continue to add more details and will be certain to share opportunities to learn more and get involved. I am confident we have the time and space to get these proposed changes right and ensure we build the best City of Tacoma for all of our residents. For more information, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/homeintacoma.
Redistricting 2022
As many of you know, our Council is made up of both citywide and district representatives (like your own District 1 Council Member). Every ten years, the Council goes through the redistricting process (like the state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives). At our February 22 Study Session, we also got an update on that process that outlined the City’s redistricting responsibilities as well as the process and methodology for Council feedback on potential district changes. In years past this has been run through GPFC, so I will make sure to have regular updates as we move closer to this once-in-a-decade change.
Resources for COVID-19
Although COVID-19 has exacerbated many of the challenges we face in Tacoma, I want to let you know that we are taking important steps to address them. 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.
