City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 03/31/2022 09:34 AM PDT
Introduction
Good Morning,
Before I go into the usual updates, I wanted to take a moment and discuss the issue of public safety and crime, which I have heard from many of you about over the past few weeks. As I said last month, from the recent arsons, to the increase in crime, safety is something I am thinking about constantly. I have been meeting with residents and business owners, people who have committed their lives to Tacoma, who are scared to leave their homes or go to work, and who question if they will remain in our community.
The most important priority of our local government is to ensure our community is safe for everyone. My first experience in community engagement was years ago with Safe Streets as a high school freshman. Though many things have changed in Tacoma since then, one thing has not - everyone in our city wants to have a safe place to call home.
In the past few months, I have been working with my colleagues to put policy and funding in place, to ensure we have the resources to help make Tacoma safe. Along with my service on the Safe Streets Board and the Pierce County Opioid Task Force on behalf of the City of Tacoma, I am deeply engaged in many ways to keep our residents safe. More work will be required, but I understand that this is the most pressing priority facing the City Council.
On April 19, Police Chief Avery Moore will present his plan to address violent crime in Tacoma at the noon Study Session. I have confidence he will provide a clear path to put us back on track in Tacoma that many of you have been asking for.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me to share your thoughts and concerns. I invite you to 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
Litter Free 253 and the South Sound Sustainability Expo
In 2021, my family and I were very excited to participate in Litter Free 253 with Oscar’s Enemies in cleaning up the area around Jefferson Park. We helped pickup 10,000 bags of litter with 550 volunteers across Tacoma. On Saturday, April 16 from 9 AM to 11 AM, Litter Free 253 is back! Even though my children never pick up after themselves at home, they are excited to join our neighbors in picking up litter around our community. We hope to see you with us again! Sign-up to volunteer here.
This past Tuesday, I was happy to sponsor a Council Contingency Fund request, along with Deputy Mayor Ushka and Council Member Bushnell, to provide an additional $2,500 to support Litter Free 253. This will go to providing approximately 350 litter grabbers to distribute to volunteers at the April 16 event and in street cleaning events beyond. Along with the work of Tidy Up Tacoma, community-led efforts like Litter Free 253 are critical to keeping Tacoma beautiful, and I am looking forward to finding more ways to support our anti-litter efforts.
After you have taken the time to join your neighbors picking up litter, I would also encourage you to check out the 2022 South Sound Sustainability Expo at UW Tacoma. This free event is back in person and open to the public to connect with regional environmental experts and organizations, explore family-friendly activities, and discover local resources to help make your life more environmentally sustainable.
Home in Tacoma - Phase 2
Home in Tacoma was a big topic of discussion last year. With Phase 1 completed at the end of 2021, Phase 2 is beginning this year. I wanted to make sure you know how to get involved from the beginning of Phase 2.
This work begins with Tacoma’s Planning Commission. Community members are invited to provide input on the proposed process, timeline and engagement strategies for Home in Tacoma Phase 2. In many of our conversations, we discussed the need for more community involvement in discussing the scope, scale, and speed of Home in Tacoma. Now is your chance to weigh in at the beginning of Phase 2 and help shape how Home in Tacoma moves forward.
You can review the draft Home in Tacoma – Phase 2 Scoping and Assessment Report at cityoftacoma.org/homeintacoma. The report summarizes the project background, schedule, outcomes and engagement strategies.
You can also provide your input by writing to homeintacoma@cityoftacoma.org through April 30, 2022 or you can also provide oral comments to the Commission at the Public Hearing on April 20, 2022. Please visit the Planning Commission webpage to learn how to join the meeting.
National League of Cities
As many of you know, I serve on the National League of Cities’ Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations (FAIR) Federal Advocacy Committee. Earlier this month, I was in Washington DC to attend the Congressional City Conference. This conference was a great opportunity to meet with our congressional delegation to talk about how they can better support and fund the needs for the City of Tacoma.
While we discussed funding for public safety, infrastructure, and other municipal needs, one issue I have been working on with the FAIR Committee is advocating for the Safe Banking Act. As many of you know, we have seen an increase in armed robberies and marijuana dispensaries have been a frequent target. Because they cannot access the banking system, these businesses have large amounts of cash on-site which makes safety and security a real issue for our residents that are employees and customers.
Whatever your thoughts on marijuana legalization and dispensaries, I think we can all agree that we do not want them to continue to be a target for armed robbery. I am hopeful that through the work of the FAIR Committee, we will see this potential legislation move forward.
Scenes From the City of Destiny
Tacoma Reads
As a teacher, book lover and former library trustee, I am always excited for Tacoma Reads. This year, I was happy to co-sponsor Mayor Woodards’ Council Contingency Fund request to support this important program. There is something special about reading a book together, to enter into a conversation, not only with the author, but with each other.
Tacoma Reads 2022 will focus on the themes of hope, resilience, and community. Check out the library’s website to learn more about the three books chosen and about the events that are being planned. I look forward to talk about these books with you all in the year ahead!
Tacoma Pierce County Opioid Summit
This past month, it was my pleasure to participate in the annual Tacoma-Pierce County Opioid Summit hosted by the Pierce County Opioid Task Force. The Tacoma-Pierce County Opioid Task Force (OTF), a joint effort between Pierce County, the City of Tacoma, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, is a regional response to the opioid crisis. I recently joined OTF as an executive sponsor, taking over for Council Member McCarthy after his years of hard work on the issue.
This year’s theme was “Rooting Our Response to the Opioid Crisis in Racial Equity.” We spent the day discussing how to raise awareness of the issues around opioid use, identify gaps and remove barriers in our treatment system, and to take action to address this growing problem in our region.
Opioid use and addiction in the United States have reached crisis levels. With fentanyl becoming more prevalent in our community, a regional effort is critical to protect and save lives. Substance abuse disorder not only impacts the user, but ripples through families and communities. I am eager to continue to be involved with the task force and support efforts in prevention and education, access to treatment, and offering individuals the right services at the right time.
Utility Disconnection Moratorium Ending and Funding Assistance
On March 22, at the joint Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) Board and Council Study Session, we received an update on utility account recovery. On February 8, the Council approved the expiration of the Utility Disconnection Moratorium, effective March 31. To support our residents impacted by the end of the moratorium, TPU has been working diligently to set up payment plans and connecting residents to currently available utility assistance.
This has included mailing residential letters with assistance forms included, follow up emails and invoice messaging to each customer (when possible), and door to door canvasing to provide information regarding the end of the moratorium and to offer assistance options to delinquent residents.
Residents that are behind on their bills will automatically be placed on a 24-month repayment plan for any outstanding charges from March 17, 2020 through March 31, 2021 and late fees will not be applied. Moving forward, utility customers must keep their current bills up to date or they will face late fees and potential shut off.
Rental and utility assistance is also available for Pierce County and City of Tacoma residents struggling to pay rent and utilities due to impacts of COVID-19 can apply for assistance here.
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.
