CM Sadalge Updates on Neighborhood and Community Programs
City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 10/02/2025 08:31 AM PDT
Hello District 4,
As we step into fall, I join my neighbors in thinking about families and the start of the school year. Some of my motivation stems from the fact that my wife and I just welcomed our first child in August, but also because last spring, I visited several elementary schools to talk with principals about what I could do as a City Council member to support their students. I’ve carried those conversations with me in my work towards creating safe communities. In June, I also received about a dozen personalized letters from Lincoln High School students. These letters highlighted the impact of civic engagement. Students shared their vision for what I should be doing as a City Council Member – tackling issues from gun violence, housing insecurity, and immigration. It’s powerful to hear how much of an impact these issues have on their lives.
This e-newsletter digs into work underway at the City to support students, families, and healthy neighborhoods.
School is back in session, which means busy mornings, excited kids, and lots of movement around school zones. Let’s all do our part to keep students safe by slowing down, staying alert, and following posted speed limits.
Quick reminder: Traffic tickets are larger in school zones, ranging from $223 - $817 per ticket — another great reason to take it slow!
My last e-newsletter was all about the City’s investment in infrastructure – and I’m excited to announce the latest investment in District 4! The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded Tacoma $2.04 million, with an additional $443,000 City match, to support Safe Routes to School (SRTS) improvements around Stewart Middle School.
Stewart Middle School was prioritized for Safe Routes to School improvements based on crash data and measures of student vulnerability such as chronic absenteeism. Students helped identify safety concerns and even worked with a local artist to paint intersection murals as a temporary measure—improvements that will now become permanent with this grant. Planned upgrades include safer intersections, a new pedestrian signal at South 52nd Street and Pacific Avenue, sidewalk connections, traffic calming, and a neighborhood greenway. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.
Our partners at Tacoma Public School are leading on two projects that will have a huge impact here in District 4.
Tacoma’s School of Industrial Design, Engineering and Art (idea) will be moving to the former Gault site. As part of district’s efforts to both right-size and improve its facilities for students and the community, Tacoma Public Schools plans to relocate the bond-supported rebuild of IDEA high school at the former Gault Middle School site and sell the current Park Avenue location. Students would remain at Park Avenue until the new building opens, expected in Fall 2028.
This relocation saves this school district money by not having to move staff and students twice during demolition and rebuild, provides a central location for IDEA students and families, and increases access to shared partner educational resources (Maritime 253, SOTA and SAMI, etc.). It also will bring new energy to the McKinley neighborhood and offer access to an amazing educational opportunity for our children.
Another exciting project is kicking off just across I5. Easier this year, the Tacoma City Council took action to clear the way for the Lemay Car Museum to partner with Tacoma Public Schools to develop a state-of-the-art robotics lab adjacent to the current museum. The lab would continue, enhance, and expand the Museum’s collaboration with the Tacoma School District with robotics classes to be held on site. This is directly adjacent to the Museum’s show field and would allow outdoor and aerial robotics experiences. The site also directly connects to East, South and Central Tacoma for convenient access for students from those communities. The lab would make Tacoma a regional hub for primary and secondary robotics education.
The red arrow marks the site where Tacoma Public Schools and LeMay — America's Car Museum are partnering to build a regional hub for immersive, real-world learning in fields that include robotics, e-sports, design, and technology amplification. The museum, with its silver roof, is at left, and a portion of the Tacoma Dome can be seen at right. Photo courtesy of LeMay – America’s Car Museum
Every life impacted by violence and exploitation is devastating to our community. I have been steadfast in my commitment to support work to address youth violence in Tacoma.
The City takes a comprehensive approach to youth violence reduction and broadens the focus of violence reduction to include prevention measures in addition to intervention services. This approach emphasizes the value of prevention, such as youth development opportunities and access to educational supports like mentoring, along with intervention strategies, as an effective strategy in reducing youth violence.
This spring, the City opened up a funding opportunity for programs that provide intervention services for youth and young adults who are involved or directly impacted by the court system, directly impacted by gun violence, or at highest risk of perpetrating or being impacted by violence. Funding available was a combination of the General Fund, Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder sales tax funds, and Criminal Justice sales tax funds. The Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) included Human Services Commissioners, community members with expertise in youth and young adult violence prevention and reduction, and staff from both the City’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department and the Tacoma Police Department. Their funding recommendations will result in $828,854.82 being awarded to these vital programs. I sincerely hope this investment saves and improves lives.
I want to take a moment to recognize the Tacoma Police Department’s 3rd Annual Kids Health & Safety Fair, held at the Eastside Community Center. Thanks to the incredible support of our community partners, volunteers, and donors, hundreds of children were able to start the school year truly “School Ready on Day 1.” From backpacks and coats to free vaccines, dental cleanings, haircuts and vision screenings, this event brought vital resources and joy to families across Tacoma. Over 5,000 people attended throughout the event. I want to share my gratitude with everyone who gave their time, energy, and generosity to make this year’s fair another tremendous success.
One of the most frequent requests I hear from constituents is the need for the City to do more to address litter and trash in our neighborhoods. We all hate seeing litter along our streets and in parks. It’s more than unsightly, it’s bad for the environment.
At the City, we’re tackling litter. The City runs the EnviroChallenger program that provides free lessons to students kindergarten through 12th grade public schools and alternate learning programs and teaches about the impact of littering and inspires students to help keep their neighborhoods clean.
We also have our Tidy-Up Tacoma program. This was an initiative started during COVID, with one-time money from the American Rescue Plan Act and other City funds, to address the increase in trash and dumping we were seeing across the City. The City Council wanted to find a permanent funding source and approved a 6% local excise tax on solid waste services. This allows us to run our graffiti removal program to provide some assistance to property owners that deal with graffiti, increased litter and debris clean-up in public spaces, and support neighborhood clean up programs. Using this program, we will be deploying an additional 75 decorative litter cans for replacement and expansion to places like our neighborhood business districts that get a lot of foot traffic to help address litter.
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians and City of Tacoma have worked together to add the Twulshootseed language to existing street signs in Tacoma. These signs can be found on roads within the Puyallup Reservation.
There are 27 honorary names being used. Six names will run north and south along Portland Avenue, Grandview Avenue and Pioneer Way. The other 21 names will run East/West starting at 28th Street and going up to 38th Street including Roosevelt Avenue, T Street and Browning Street.
I joined my Council Colleagues in celebrating the unveiling of the multilingual Puyallup language signage in east Tacoma. This provides cultural acknowledgment and raise public awareness of the Puyallup Tribe and their ancestral lands. The honorary street names were developed in collaboration with the Puyallup Tribe and reflect stories of creation and cultural identity in the Tribe’s traditional Twulshootseed language. This project is the result of a multi-year collaboration between City and Tribal staff, which informed recent updates to the City’s Place Naming Policy. These updates now allow for multilingual honorary street naming as a way to recognize and celebrate cultural heritage.
Over 12,000 residents voted in District Four’s Participatory Budgeting to support Community-Led Youth and Cultural Programming Initiative. This process gives voice to what our community wants. Voters in District 4 want home-grown and local organizations to showcase their work and add to the vibrancy of the eastside. I am so happy to see this investment in an area of Tacoma that has been generationally under-resourced and hope to see the community continue to engage with government and help shape the future.
It is heartwarming to see these programs come to life! One I’ll be attending is the Festival of Light event this Saturday, October 4, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Eastside Community Center. Learn more about where your funds allocated money on our Participatory Budget webpage.
One way you can make an impact in your neighborhood is to volunteer. The Tacoma City Council is currently seeking applicants to fill six positions on the Community’s Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) to represent Council District Nos. 1, 4, and 5; a youth position, ages 16-18; and two at-large positions.
CPAC is an advisory panel to the City Council as it pertains to Tacoma Police Department (TPD) policy. CPAC is responsible for:
Reviewing police policy, procedures, rules, training, completed investigations, and programs at the request of the City Council or City Manager.
Promoting awareness of the public complaint process, and receiving and reviewing policy complaints by members of the public.
Providing advice to the City Council, the City Manager, and the Chief of Police on police policy, procedures, rules, training, and programs.
Fostering understanding between TPD and the community, and promoting TPD services and resources.
Convening community conversations on services, programs, policy, procedures, rules, training, and issues of public safety.
The City is committed to fostering an equitable and anti-racist organization and wants its committees, boards, and commissions to reflect Tacoma’s diverse community. For these vacancies, all individuals, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, seniors, youth, immigrants, and refugees are encouraged to apply.
Applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by noon on October 13, 2025, at tacoma.gov/cbcapplication. Questions about the application process, requests for the application in an alternate format, or requests to submit additional documents may be directed to Elizabeth Wing in the City Clerk’s Office at servetacoma@tacoma.gov or (253) 591-5178.
The City is tackling a vital initiative to update and unify several property-related codes into one comprehensive framework called the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). Currently, the city enforces multiple separate codes including minimum building and structures standards and public nuisance regulations. The proposal seeks to consolidate approximately 95 percent of these codes, creating a streamlined and efficient enforcement system while maintaining local policy control.
Adopting the IPMC aligns our city with neighboring municipalities, bringing consistency and improving the overall effectiveness of code enforcement. The new unified code will help ensure that every neighborhood remains safe, healthy, and visually appealing by setting clear standards for property maintenance and cleanliness.
This policy is currently under review by the Council Community, Vitality, and Safety Committee with a full Council vote anticipated between January and March 2026. While it’s developed, the City is working on numerous process improvements to streamline our existing system. This includes software enhancement to provide instant access to records, photos, and other compliance related information, modifying business processes to streamline enforcement pathways, and launching a pilot program for City-funded abatement for chronic neighborhood issues. Stay tuned as we work toward healthier, safer, and more vibrant neighborhoods for all residents.
Our neighborhoods are richer because of investments in vibrant and meaningful art across the South End and Eastside. October 2025 marks the 24th anniversary of Tacoma Arts Month, a community celebration of the arts that includes many community-hosted arts and culture events, exhibits, and workshops for all ages taking place throughout the month. Programming includes music and dance performances, interactive experiences, visual art exhibits, film screenings, literary readings, lectures, cultural events, and workshops. All events are open to the public, and many activities are free.
Join Tacoma in celebrating local artists by participating in the Tacoma Studio Tour. The community is invited inside the working studios of over 100 local artists to learn about the artistic process, ask questions, and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. All studios will feature demonstrations or will have interactive activities for visitors. This free, family-friendly, self-guided tour will run October 11 and October 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and covers 71 locations around Tacoma – including in our neighborhoods.
Studio Tour attendees are encouraged to pick up a Tacoma Studio Tour bingo sheet and have it stamped at each studio location once they complete a challenge listed on the sheet. Once at least seven stamps have been collected, the passport can be submitted for a chance to win one of several prize packages containing artwork handcrafted by a selection of artists on the tour.
I appreciate everyone in community who has contacted me to share their concerns about the 72nd Fred Meyer closing in Tacoma. This grocery store has served much of the South End and Eastside, and its closure will impact all of us.
The City of Tacoma is taking multi-faceted action to address the upcoming closure of the Fred Meyer on Pacific Avenue. Our approach is centered on support for the community, support to the property owner for the property's future, and collaboration with our government and community partners. The closure of a major retailer is a challenge, but we are actively working on multiple fronts to address site safety, support affected businesses and develop creative solutions to present to the property owner.
Beyond Fred Meyer, this is an opportunity to highlight the need for every person in Tacoma to have access to fresh, healthy food. I serve on the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health, and am tracking the Health Department’s work to find neighborhood-appropriate grant and community funding opportunities to combat the USDA-defined food deserts that near the closed Fred Meyer location. Be it recruiting a new grocery store to our neighborhood, increasing food delivery options, or more mobile food markets across the South End and East Tacoma, now is the time to look for solutions on how our neighbors have access to food.
Thank you to all the staff at the Tacoma Community House who visited with me and showed me more about the work they do. Tacoma Community House is a community-based service center for immigrants, refugees, and long-time South Sound residents seeking enrichment and pathways to self-sufficiency.
Speaking of schools, I love to stop by and visit schools in District 4. This is from last July, when I attended Our Global Citizen night at Jennie Reed Elementary.
It was an honor to be the commencement speaker at the UEI College Tacoma’s Class of 2025 graduation. UEI’s first campus is Washington State is right here in East Tacoma. The vast majority of their students live within ten miles of the campus and will enter vital workforce pipelines that will booster economic development in our district. Congratulations, graduates!
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. It was so great to meet with neighbors at different events this year, here I am with neighbors who organized the event near East Q St and East 66th St.
I joined the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) for an event celebrating another significant milestone for our gateway. Husky shore power was completed June 15th, making it the third NWSA terminal shore power capable, and the first international terminal in Tacoma to boast this infrastructure.
Tacoma hosts the largest Juneteenth event in the state – right in East Tacoma!
One of the best parts of summer is all the ways neighbors come together and build community. Thank you to Parks Tacoma for organizing the Summer Block Party!
