City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 06/30/2022 09:30 AM PDT
Introduction
Good morning,
Like many of you, I’m pleased to see that summer has finally arrived. So far, we’ve already had one great night at Cheney Stadium and I’m ready for more sunny days to play outside with my children and barbeque with my neighbors.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me to share your thoughts and concerns. I also invite you to tune in to the 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.
Fireworks in Tacoma
As you are celebrating your start to summer and the Fourth of July, I would like to encourage you to do so without fireworks in your neighborhood. Every year, people in our region are harmed and property is damaged from the illegal use of fireworks and I have heard from many of you asking for the City to step up enforcement. This is the reason the City Council increased the fine for illegal fireworks last year from $125 to $250, before additional assessments. With assessments, the fine now totals $513.
To report fireworks use online, please visit FireworksReport.com from July 1 at 6 PM to July 5 at 6 AM. Outside of those times, Tacoma residents can report fireworks by calling South Sound 911’s non-emergency line at (253) 287-4455.
The increase in fines is one of the reasons I am excited that the Tacoma Summer Blast is back after a two-year absence. Now, you can get your fireworks fix with the rest of our community on our beautiful waterfront.
As many of you have already heard, At-Large Council Member Conor McCarthy resigned from the City Council effective June 22. Having worked closely with Council Member McCarthy since I joined the Council, I have enjoyed working with him on topics like public safety, homelessness, and funding the Proctor Neighborhood Planning Project. I wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors!
With his resignation, the Council has begun the process to appoint a replacement that will serve out the remainder of Council Member McCarthy’s term.
Applications for the position were posted on June 22, with an application deadline of July 7.
On July 19, final candidates are expected to address the Council during the noon Study Session. During the 5 PM Council Meeting, the Council will consider a motion (or motions) to appoint an individual to fill the position. A new At-Large Council Member is expected to be sworn in on July 26 and serve until December 31, 2023. You can review the timeline of the appointment process here.
If you or someone you know is interested in applying and serving our city, the application and instructions can be found, in English and five other languages, at cityoftacoma.org/councilmeetings.
Like many of you, I have been concerned with the increase in crime we have been seeing in our community. As we discussed at the Council priorities retreat in May, our highest priority is to ensure fewer of our residents are victims of crime. The Tacoma Police Department has continued to be a visible presence in our community, especially those most impacted by violent crime.
At our July 12 Study Session, Chief Moore will return to provide an update on the Crime Reduction Plan and I would encourage you to listen in. I am deeply impressed by the men and women that continue to serve our community in the Tacoma Police Department and I look forward to working with them as we strive to make Tacoma safer for all residents.
Additionally, in response to community members’ concerns for more police visibility in areas experiencing high rates of crime, the Tacoma Police Department is holding shift changes outside for the next eight weeks. The three shift changes will be held in different locations each day and for each shift in high-crime areas. Shift changes are held at the beginning of each shift and are used to assign work locations and disseminate information.
Street Racing Update
As we continue this work, I wanted to take a moment to highlight a recent safety success story in our city. Earlier this year, street racing and intersection take-overs were issues brought up at almost every community meeting I attended. With the City Council passing an update to theUnlawful Exhibition of Speed ordinance on April 19, I have been pleased that we have seen fewer examples of this across our city.
While there were many factors that may have led to this, I think it is a good example of how Council policy combined with the efforts of our police department helped to address an important problem that has become a real quality of life issue for many of our neighborhoods. This gives me confidence that we can continue to address issues like this as they arise.
Housing and Homelessness
On June 28, the City Council received an update on homelessness from the City’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department. At that meeting, we announced that we had found an operator for a new temporary emergency shelter site on South 35th Street and Pacific Avenue. This adds to the already authorized sites here in Tacoma, and supports our continued efforts to provide shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community. This site is expected to serve up to 50 individuals and is anticipated to open later this summer.
As I wrote in previous months, I think that as we set up safe places for people experiencing homelessness – whether a tiny home village (like the one by my house), or a hotel, or a safe camp site – we do our best to ensure that the negative impacts of encampments don’t follow these individuals. In the weeks ahead, I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to partner new shelter with the removal of encampments near those sites and helping facilitate next steps for Tacoma’s most vulnerable residents.
Catching Up With Council Member Hines
Vision Zero
On June 18, my son and I joined the Vision Zero Open House at the STAR Center to learn more about the driver safety campaign, “Show Some Love. Check Your Speed.” The City of Tacoma's Safe Routes to School team won a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to create this Driver Safety Campaign. The focus of this campaign is to encourage slowing down and driving the speed limit.
One item the Council is discussing right now as part of this is lowering residential speed limits from 25 MPH to 20 MPH and speed limits in business districts (6th Avenue, Old Town, Lincoln, and McKinley) from 30 MPH to 25 MPH (Proctor is already set at 25 MPH). Lower vehicle speeds can prevent many crashes from occurring and reduce the severity of crashes that do occur. The biggest concern in the recent Vision Zero Community Survey was people driving too fast.
I would encourage you to check out the Vision Zero website and read the Vision Zero Community Survey and the Vision Zero Crash Safety Analysis. I have heard from many of you about pedestrian safety all across the district and addressing it is a high priority for me. As I see more people in our business districts and more families out on walks, I am committed to doing all we can to keep them safe.
City of Destiny Awards
In another sign that we are returning to something resembling normal, I was excited to take part in the annual City of Destiny Awards at the Pantages Theater. For over 30 years, the City of Tacoma has honored more than 300 outstanding local volunteers through its City of Destiny Awards program and this year was another great group of recipients.
This year it was my pleasure to present the Youth Development Award to Robert Joyce and the Adult Leadership Award to Virginia Basher. Both of them, whether Robert’s lifelong commitment helping children reach their highest potential or Virginia’s service to those experiencing homelessness, are examples of the special types of residents that make Tacoma the City of Destiny.
The Re-Opening of Owen Beach
While I was disappointed with the permanent closure of the Five Mile Drive this past month, I was very excited for the return of one of my favorite places in Tacoma. As I said last month, I have many memories of childhood birthday parties, barbeques, and walks along Owen Beach.
My children and I spent time this month checking out the new and improved beach facilities, especially the playground. We even got to see a few seals and a pod of whales! If you have not visited yet, I would encourage you to head down there this summer.
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.
