February Update from Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh
City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 02/13/2024 01:25 PM PST
Dear District 2,
I hope you are enjoying the new year. It has been a few months since I provided an update, so the first thing I want to do is introduce you to our exchange student, Raul! As a member of Rotary 8, I was asked if I could be a host to a student this year. Raul comes to us from Chile. He is 16 and attending Stadium High School. Raul likes rugby, travel, helping people and having a good time with family and friends. Raul loves hamburgers and is a meat eater. What I know about Raul is that he is a good communicator, funny, has done a great job mastering English, stays active, and is someone who helps out around the house. We are very happy to have Raul staying with us.
Sincerely,
Sarah Rumbaugh Tacoma City Council Member, District 2
I have been following the Tideflats Subarea Plan since I got on council. The Tideflats Steering Committee includes two elected leaders from the City of Tacoma, the City of Fife, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Port of Tacoma, and Pierce County. What happens in the Tideflats impacts much of District 2 because the Port of Tacoma and Tideflats area is in the middle of the district. Residents of Northeast Tacoma, where I live, regularly drive through this area to get to North Tacoma and other parts of Tacoma and the county. Here is a brief update on where we are with the plan, and when the next meetings for the Tideflats Steering Committee will take place.
The Draft EIS is anticipated to be prepared and released for public review in early March with a 45-day public comment period. City staff and the consultant team will be leading briefings for the Steering Committee and Tideflats Advisory Group as well as holding a public comment meeting to accept oral comments on the draft EIS. Please stay tuned for the dates for these outreach events and expect to see communications coming out via hardcopy mailers, email, and social media when the Draft EIS is released.
The following background reports that will be used for the EIS and Plan development are available on the website and are linked here for your convenience:
Over the next few months, the Tideflats Steering Committee will be developing a draft Subarea Plan for recommendation to the City of Tacoma. Draft policies and actions will be reviewed on a topical basis on the following tentative schedule:
February 8 @ 3:00 PM: Sea Level Rise March 14 @ 3:00 PM: Draft Environmental Impact Statement Review April 11 @ 3:00 PM: Environment, Health and Tribal Assets May 9 @ 3:00 PM: Land Use and Economic Development June 13 @ 3:00 PM: Transportation July 11 @ 3:00 PM: Draft Plan Review and Recommendation
I participated in my first Point in Time count this year. The Point in Time (PIT) Count helps us understand why people are homeless. I joined Sue and Tim, pictured here, to count individuals experiencing homelessness at the Freedom River Outreach Church. Through a brief survey, we are able to better understand why people are living unhoused, how long they have been unhoused, if they have a substance abuse or mental health issues, and if they have had shelter at any time during the year. PIT is required by Housing and Urban Development, in order to be eligible for Federal funds to address homelessness, and is organized and paid for by Pierce County. In support of this effort, the City of Tacoma provided blankets to many of the unhoused this year. Thank you to Pierce County for funding this very important survey. My experience was both emotional and very authentic. Meeting with people who are living on the streets provided me a chance to listen to the stories of our community and understand where we need to lean in and do more. With a shortage of housing, it is important that we find more temporary shelter options to meet people where they are. It is not a perfect science, and some may disagree on what first steps should be for helping those who are living unhoused.
I believe there are a lot of people in our community doing good work, and having this data will help us apply for more funding as well as work as a county, every city included, to find better solutions to our homeless issue. Deputy Mayor Hines and I, on behalf of the City of Tacoma, participate in the Pierce County Select Committee on Homelessness, which is a collaborative effort to create recommendations for the County on how to address issues related to homelessness.
Many constituents have reached out to me with questions about the proposed Amici House at 2213 N Warner Street. If you’re interested in learning more about this project, I encourage you to attend the upcoming Public Meeting on February 22 at 5:30 pm. The purpose of the public meeting is to provide information to and obtain feedback from the public about the proposal to assist the Director in making a decision on the conditional use permit to convert a church building into group housing for the current proposal of up to 51 residents. The public meeting is not a formal public hearing.
Time: Thursday, February 22 at 5:30 pm Location: City Council Chambers, 747 Market Street, Tacoma WA 98402 Zoom option:
Comments on this proposal are due: March 4, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be sent to the assigned Planner, Kristina Haycock, at khaycock@cityoftacoma.org.
For further information regarding the proposal, log on to the website at tacomapermits.org and select "Public Notices". The case file may be viewed in Planning and Development Services, 747 Market Street, Rm 345 and may be requested in alternative formats from Kristina Haycock, Associate Planner, 747 Market St, Room 345, 253-244-1930, khaycock@cityoftacoma.org.
We just had our yearly Council Workshop. This is a great time for us to come together and talk with city leadership. I think this is the first time I have learned that we have city staff who are in a band. I also learned that our staff is very compassionate and care about our city as much as our citizens. Sometimes we forget as a Council that our staff are also constituents and have concerns that mirror those of others we hear from in our districts. In case you are a staff person who subscribes to my newsletter, I appreciate hearing from you, however you do that, and believe your voice is important.
I serve as the chair for the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center (CJFJC), and this year we will hold our first board retreat since I joined the board. We will take a tour of the CJFJC and then have a discussion with Pierce County Superior Court staff on domestic violence support in the courts. Deputy Mayor John Hines kindly stepped down so that our newest Council Member, Council Member Jamika Scott, could join the CJFJC board.
The CJFJC is now running the Pierce County Commission Against Domestic Violence. We meet the first Thursday of every month at noon. If you are interested in attending these meetings, please follow this link to join.
The new year always means the start of a legislative session in Olympia. This year I have stepped up to testify on numerous bills and topics that serve our community.
I had the opportunity to virtually testify on House Bill 2470. This bill allows counties to legislatively impose a 0.1 percent sales and use tax as a credit against state sales and use taxes, and requires revenue from the tax to be used to address gender-based violence. I spoke in support of this bill because I feel strongly that funds are essential to stopping domestic violence and providing better outcomes for victims.
The CJFC operates under an interlocal agreement between Pierce County and the City of Tacoma, serving the needs of intimate partner violence victims and their children by providing comprehensive services in one, central, safe location downtown. Comprehensive services include everything from access to victim advocates to the ability to meet with representatives from the prosecutor’s office to help with transportation, getting pets to safety, and emergency diaper supplies.
The need for our services continues to grow, and our budget has grown 20 percent since 2016. Since the pandemic, we have been getting more calls from law enforcement to help with domestic violence cases.
I’d like to thank the bill’s sponsors, who understand that funding for domestic violence services involves funding a whole range of activities, from ensuring courts have the resources to manage increased civil protection order filings, weapons surrender, and court advocates, to funding advocacy programs to provide free legal assistance and help with protection orders, to funding housing, treatment, and community non-profits.
Many of you have asked about Home in Tacoma. After several years of community-wide discussions, the City of Tacoma is seeking input on the proposed Home In Tacoma zoning and standards changes, as well as on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Tacoma Planning Commission is seeking input through March 8, 2024, in order to finalize recommendations to the City Council.
Citywide notices, including mailed postcards, emails, social media, a press release, and more, are being shared to encourage review and comments on the Proposal. Draft materials, including draft code, summary sheets, online engagement forums, and interactive maps are available online at Home In Tacoma Project: AHAS Planning Actions - City of Tacoma.
The Home In Tacoma online engagement forum is also available for community members to leave comments on topics including zoning, parking, housing types, and tree requirements. Home in Tacoma | Social Pinpoint (mysocialpinpoint.com)
PUBLIC HEARING DATE - MARCH 6, 2024 at 5:30 PM
In person at City Council Chambers, 747 Market St.
Thursday, February 22, 6 – 7:30 PM at Bates Technical College South Campus, 2201 South 78th Street, 98409
Wednesday, February 28, 6 – 7:30 PM at University of Puget Sound Upper Marshall Hall, 1500 North Warner Street, 98416
Saturday, March 2, 2 – 4 PM at Eastside Community Center Social Hall, 1721 East 56thStreet, 98404
Home in Tacoma public meetings are family friendly with a child’s table and light refreshments provided at in-person events. I will be attending the February 28th event so I hope to see many of you there!
Tree canopies and Home in Tacoma
As we are working on Home in Tacoma, the conversation of tree canopy becomes a very real discussion. Our city has a tree canopy of 20% and with added development, we must do whatever we can to preserve the trees we have as well as add more. One thing I think is important is that the city look at the lands it owns and make sure we are planting those places with native trees. While District 2 has many areas that are dense with trees, other parts, such as downtown and the Port of Tacoma, are very low in percentage of trees. Where do you think we could plant more trees in District 2? Please share with me your ideas on how we can create more tree canopy in Tacoma.
Tacoma Creates is now accepting applications for its fifth year of funding, supporting programs and events to be presented between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 by non-profit organizations whose primary purpose is to advance and/or preserve arts, culture, heritage, and/or science. There are two funding categories – Comprehensive Organizational Support and Impact Funding. Funding is determined through a competitive application process.
Tacoma Creates is a voter-approved initiative to increase access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout Tacoma by reducing barriers to access and expanding offerings, particularly for underserved youth. Learn about the impacts of the $4.5 million in funding to cultural organizations last year in the Tacoma Creates 2022-2023 Annual Report. Tacoma Creates is part of the Arts & Cultural Vitality Division in the City of Tacoma’s Community and Economic Development Department.
Our community chose to invest in the cultural sector, and the return on this investment over the past several years has been terrific. With Tacoma Creates funding, our local cultural organizations are better able to develop new programs, expand access to experiences, create amazing learning opportunities for young people, and attract visitors to our vibrant city.
Detailed eligibility criteria, application guidelines, and access to the online application form are available on the Tacoma Creates website. Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend a free workshop explaining the application process and how to develop a strong proposal. There will be one workshop on Zoom and two workshops in-person. Dates and locations are available online, along with information about how to schedule individual meetings with staff and other resources to support the application process.
The Neighborhood Council Program engages neighbors on issues and concerns that directly affect them, help craft solutions to mutual problems, and build a sense of pride and personal responsibility for their neighborhoods. The program is committed to racial equity in all operations and at this time is focused on increasing board representation of underrepresented communities.
I joined the New Tacoma Neighborhood Council for their holiday get together in December. There was a great turnout from other neighborhood council leadership who wanted to help New Tacoma with ideas for getting more participants to their monthly meetings.
The Northeast Tacoma Neighborhood Council has been led for seven years by the passionate and dedicated Yvonne McCarty. This January, the Mayor honored Yvonne with a Compassionate Tacoma recognition for her years of dedicated service to her neighborhood.
Port Commissioner Kristin Ang and I at North End Tacoma Neighborhood Council meeting where she updated attendees on the Darling Ingredient lease with Port of Tacoma.
This January, the Port of Tacoma partnered with the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Tree Foundation to plant around 50 trees on city right of way in the Tacoma Tideflats next to Auto Warehousing on Marshall Avenue. Here I am lending a hand to this work.
Tacoma Refugee Choir performing during Temple Beth El’s Refugee Shabbat.
Here I am standing with Natalie Ghayoumi, Maurice Lekea, and Maricres Valdez Castro, members of the Refugee Choir who serve on our city’s Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.
Pierce County Councilmember Robyn Denson and I attending the Tacoma Community House Birthday party. We heard stories from many people who have received services from TCH.
I attended the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber holiday party and am pictured here with other community leaders.
I was excited to pick Rebecca Stith to serve on the City of Tacoma Charter Review Committee.
I was excited to attend the Beacon Senior Center’s holiday program. Here I am with Lynn Fillmore, Site Supervisor for Beacon Center.
I visited the Capitol in Olympia during the Association of Washington City’s City Action Days conference to connect with Tacoma’s legislators and keep the needs of our residents top of mind. Here I am with Representatives Jake Fey and Sharlett Mena.
