City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 01/31/2023 10:02 AM PST
I hope this edition of the newsletter finds your new year off to a great start. We began the year with the in-person return of one of my favorite events, Tacoma’s Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, and it was wonderful to connect with so many others across our community that day. If you weren’t able to make it, you can watch a recording here. We also found time to welcome the year of the rabbit at the Lincoln District Lunar New Year Celebration. As a proud Lincoln Abe, it was great to be back celebrating in a place where I spent my youth. I hope to see you out and about in District 1 or anywhere in our city in 2023, a year full of possibilities!
Easy Access to City Services
Our Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center is located in the second-floor lobby of the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market Street) and you can visit them in person Monday – Friday from 8 AM – 5 PM. They also offer a plethora of resources at cityoftacoma.org/tacomafirst311. If you’re always on the go, you can reach them by dialing 311 within Tacoma city limits, (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else, or via mobile app. Updated less than a year ago, and powered by SeeClickFix, the mobile app is free to download for Apple and Android devices. With the mobile app, you should find it easier and more convenient 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.
As many of you have noticed, we have entered pothole season. Whenever you see (or feel) a pothole, I would encourage you to report it to our team at the Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center through any one of the ways I described above. The City has many of miles of roads to maintain, and 311 reporting is the best way to alert us of potholes or other non-emergency issues. For emergencies, please dial 911.
Catching Up With Council Member Hines
Committee Assignments
At the start of every year, Council Members are appointed to various local, regional, state and national committees. Since we did not add any new Council Members, there were few changes, but I am moving into some new roles.
On the national level, I will continue to serve on the National League of Cities’ Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. With my experience as chair of our City Council’s Government Performance and Finance Committee, on which I will continue serving, this national role aligns with the budget and finance work I am already doing in Tacoma. This past year, my work on ensuring the City of Tacoma continues to be a fiscally responsible organization included fully funding our reserve fund to help ensure we are able to weather any economic headwinds that come our way and provide the critical City services you rely on.
This past year, I was appointed to serve on the Large City Committee and will continue that service into this next year. Along with serving on the Housing Solutions Group, I enjoy being able to influence the conversations happening in cities across the state with what I am hearing from the residents of Tacoma.
On a regional level, I will continue to serve on the board of Pierce Transit and Safe Streets. Additionally, I will continue to represent Tacoma on the Pierce County Regional Council and the Zoo Trek Authority.
New this year, I will begin serving on the Board of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center. The mission of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center is to provide survivors of domestic violence with the opportunity to create safer, more stability in their lives and children by providing in-depth, professionally supported, and comprehensive services. Prior to joining the City Council, I served on the board of the YWCA of Pierce County and addressed domestic violence in our community. The safety of domestic violence survivors continues to be a priority for me.
As many of you know, public safety is one of my highest priorities and our Fire Department is critical to ensuring that our residents get the help they need when they need it. This past year, the Tacoma Fire Department responded to almost 50,000 calls. Most of those calls – about 80 percent in fact – were for Emergency Medical Service (EMS).
Tacoma residents and businesses pay taxes to the City for a number of services, including fire suppression and life safety programs. EMS is funded separately through a voter-approved levy capped at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Sometime in 2023, the Council will be considering an EMS levy lid lift, and this would be the first levy lid lift we have asked for in 17 years. Lid lifts help us keep up with higher call volumes and costs to provide service. EMS call volumes increase an average 3.1 percent per year - 14 percent in the last year alone. However, the number of Fire Department first response resources, such as fire engines and ladder trucks, has not increased in the last 30 years.
This past month, I participated in the Archiving North End Communities event at the Wheelock Branch of the Tacoma Public Library. As a lifelong Tacoma resident and a former social studies teacher, I love learning about the history of our city. While engaging with community members at the event, I learned about a lumber mill at Jefferson Park, a horse racing course near 26th and Proctor, and what the street I live on looked like back in the day.
There are more opportunities for sharing your story with the Community Archives Center and you can learn more here. Help us make sure your voice will become part of Tacoma's collective memory!
Home in Tacoma – Phase 2
If you are like me, you got a large flyer in your mail letting you know that Home in Tacoma – Phase 2 is getting underway. At the December 6, 2022 Study Session, the City Council discussed the next round of public engagement opportunities. I stated this would be an important conversation. We need everyone in our city to participate.
In talking with many of you, I have heard your thoughts about important issues including housing, City services, impacts on infrastructure, and being good stewards of the environment. These are all considerations the City Council is working to address as part of the Home in Tacoma – Phase 2 process.
Some of the ways you can get involved and share your voice, beyond reaching out to me, are:
I hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to make sure your voice is part of the conversation.
As always, I invite you to reach out to me to share your general thoughts and concerns. You can also watch the City Council’s noon Study Sessions or 5 PM Council Meetings on Tuesdays in person at the Tacoma Municipal Building Council Chambers (747 Market Street, 1st Floor), on TV Tacoma, Facebook Live, or Zoom. Access details are available at cityoftacoma.org/councilmeetings.
Furthermore, if you enjoy getting this newsletter and regular updates from me, feel free to share it with others who you think might find it valuable and encourage them to subscribe.
