Tacoma,
Summer is finally here! In June, for the first time, the City formally celebrated the now federally-recognized holiday Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. I am thrilled to support this work to honor and pay recognition to how far we have come as a nation and how much work we have yet to accomplish in regards to racial equity. Learn more about the City’s anti-racist transformation efforts by visiting our website.
We are beginning the 2023-2024 biennial budget process. The City’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been out at the Eastside and Broadway Farmer’s Markets this past month engaging with the community. OMB staff will be at additional community events this summer and host online opportunities for you to engage in the budget development process in the coming months. You can find the latest updates here. I would also encourage you to check out the City Council’s June 7 Study Session to learn more about the City’s six-year financial forecast.
As you’ve likely heard, we are appointing a new City Council colleague as At-Large Council Member Conor McCarthy resigned from his position on June 22, 2022. The process has been posted on the City’s website. I encourage those who are interested in serving to apply. If you’re interested in hearing what life as a Council Member looks like, I’d be happy to chat.
July 2022 is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in the City of Tacoma. I am looking forward to the festivities that celebrate diversity and the LGBTQIA+ communities’ contributions to our rich diversity, economic vitality, and quality of life. This is the eighth year the City is sponsoring the month-long, community-wide Tacoma Pride Festival where we celebrate the history and culture of the LGBTQIA+ community in Tacoma-Pierce County with an awards ceremony, a film series, interfaith events, and much more. Check out tacomapride.org to learn more and get involved.
I’ve included updates on a number of items below that I’ve been working on. If you have questions about these projects, or others you’d like to see, feel free to reach out anytime at kristina.walker@cityoftacoma.org.
-Kristina
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Affordable Housing
In March 2021, Council adopted Ordinance 28747 which allowed us to collect 1/10 of 1 percent sales tax specifically for affordable housing. We have collected nearly $5 million so far and are already putting those dollars to work to leverage projects all over the city. View the update on the spending plan at our City Council Study Session of May 24, 2022 beginning at minute 49.
Transit & Transportation
June was Ride Transit Month, an opportunity to celebrate our transit agencies and partnerships, as well as encourage more people to try public transit. This year, the Washington State Legislature funded public transit at a higher level than ever before including supporting statewide free fares for riders 18 years of age and younger. On both the Sound Transit and Pierce Transit boards, we are moving as quickly as possible to implement this action before school starts in September.
In May, the Puget Sound Regional Council approved the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan. I have had the honor of serving on the Transportation Policy Board since 2020 and working through the details of this plan, which included updating the policies to support safety and equity, and pushing our region to fund projects that help us meet our climate goals. This important long-range plan sets the stage for funding more multi-modal projects in our region.
Show Some Love. Check Your Speed.
The City of Tacoma, as part of Vision Zero, recently released the “Show Some Love Campaign,” an effort to encourage drivers to drive 20 miles per hour or less near schools and in neighborhoods across Tacoma. Almost 80 people are killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes each year in Tacoma—that’s one person every five days. That’s why I’m so passionate about the work of Vision Zero and our efforts to reduce speed limits across Tacoma. An ordinance will be before Council on July 26, 2022 with final reading on August 2, 2022.
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Participatory Budgeting
The votes are in! Through a participatory budgeting process led by the Public Health Centers for Excellence at Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in partnership with Tacoma Creates, 5,166 community members of all ages across the Eastside and South Tacoma have selected the cultural projects they most want to see in their neighborhoods – a Multicultural Festival Series in the Eastside and a South Tacoma Heritage Festival. The Eastside and South Tacoma are among Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Communities of Focus. Each of the two selected projects will be supported with $100,000 in Tacoma Creates funding and implemented in late 2022 or in 2023.
This is not the only participatory budgeting process the City is working on. In 2021, the Council dedicated $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for participatory budgeting projects in Districts 4 and 2. Community members must turn those ideas into proposals to be voted on by those in their respective district. One or more of these proposals could be selected by those in their respective district. The City will fund and implement the proposal(s) selected by a given district. This initiative is an exciting opportunity for community members in Tacoma to connect with neighbors across the city, and within districts, as Tacoma works to recover from the challenges of the past couple of years. The District 4 Community Leadership Team assembled and completed an outreach manual, and plan to begin idea collection and the proposal phase in August of this year. Follow our official social media channels for updates as they become available. Updates will also be posted on the City’s website. To learn more, visit the Participatory Budgeting website here and to get involved, email kcoble@cityoftacoma.org.
Upgrade to Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center System Now Complete
Work on a major upgrade to the Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center's system that customers and community members have been using to report non-emergency issues to the City of Tacoma from computers or mobile devices is now complete.
Powered by SeeClickFix, this upgrade includes improved functionality when accessing the system from a computer. It also includes a new mobile app, available for download on the Apple and Android app stores. Community members should now find it easier to:
- Notify the City of Tacoma of requests for non-emergency City services.
- Tag locations using enhanced mapping features.
- Attach photos of specific problems/requests.
- Receive timely responses from the City of Tacoma.
- Be notified of specific requests and general City of Tacoma updates.
Android users will need to manually remove the old Tacoma FIRST 311 mobile app and install the new one. This requirement does not apply to Apple users.
As it has since its inception in 2013, the Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center also continues to provide 311 telephone support and in-person assistance. They are located on the second floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market Street, Room 220).
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Addressing Gun Violence in Tacoma
Community safety continues to be a focus for the Tacoma City Council. Working with Police Chief Avery Moore, we have implemented a “hot spots” approach to addressing violent crime. We received a Study Session presentation on April 19, 2022 that outlines the Chief’s approach. In addition, the Tacoma Police Department launched reflectandprotect.org, a recruitment tool to address the City’s ~15% officer vacancy rate. As we continue to respond to the immediate needs of our police department, one of my priorities is working to implement an alternate approach to 911 calls (inspired by the Report on the Alternative Response Study), and advocating for funding to advance this important work in the 2023-24 budget.
In addition, our Council continues to be deeply concerned by the increase of gun violence in Tacoma and across the nation. This is why we proclaimed June National Gun Violence Awareness Month on June 7, 2022 and honored Wear Orange and Moms Demand Action. Thank you to the many organizations that continue to do the work of gun violence prevention in our community.
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Infant Formula
In June, I sponsored a resolution to support getting much-needed infant formula to people in Tacoma who need it most. Working with partners at the Multicultural Child & Family Hope Center and MultiCare, we are working to address the national shortage locally through an infant formula drive.
COVID-19 Resources
We continue to work with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to support Tacoma residents and businesses in their ongoing efforts to recover from the pandemic. For more information about COVID-19, please visit https://www.tpchd.org/healthy-people/human-coronavirus.
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