City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 02/27/2026 10:21 AM PST
Happy Spring, Tacoma!
February has been a fun one in the Hines household, especially for those of us who are diehard Seahawks fans. From raising the 12 flag over the Tacoma Dome to celebrating a big win in Santa Clara (which helped wash away some of the lingering memories of 2015), it’s been an exciting month to cheer on our team.
At City Hall, it’s also been a very busy month as the City Council moves forward with the recruitment of a permanent City Manager. The City Manager is the chief executive of our city, similar to a school superintendent or a CEO, and is hired and overseen by the City Council. It is the one major hiring decision that rests solely with the City Council, and I take that responsibility seriously.
This past week, we conducted interviews and held a public meeting with our two finalists. You can find more information about both candidates online, and I encourage you to take a look and share any thoughts or questions with me.
As I’ve said before, my priorities for a City Manager are straightforward: someone who can work closely with City Council to implement our vision, strengthen the delivery of core services, and keep customer service at the center of how our city operates. Tacoma deserves a leader who can support staff, engage the community, and make sure our residents feel the impact of good service in their daily lives.
I look forward to hearing your feedback as we move toward this important decision.
Scenes from the City of Destiny
Council Retreat
This past month, the City Council held our annual retreat at the University of Puget Sound (Go Loggers!). This retreat gives us the time and space to step back from day-to-day work and focus on the big picture: what we want to accomplish this year and how we can best serve Tacoma together. It was helpful to hear where my colleagues are focusing their energy and where we have clear alignment for the work ahead.
As I shared during the retreat, my priorities continue to be shaped by what I hear from many of you. Public safety, housing and homelessness, and the condition of our streets, sidewalks, and public spaces remain top of mind. People want a city that feels safe, clean, healthy, and welcoming and that is the lens I use when thinking about the years ahead.
Beyond those core areas, many of you know the issues I continue to champion: reducing litter, trash, and graffiti; improving animal welfare; supporting libraries; and investing in youth, active lifestyles, and recreation. This year, I’m also focused on waste diversion and circular economy efforts, as well as expanding access to sports and recreation opportunities across the city.
As I think about the next few years, my goal is simple: set Tacoma up for long-term success by addressing the issues people bring to me every day. How do we make the city safer? How do we make it more welcoming for everyone? How do we build a community that is healthy, vibrant, and ready for the future?
If you have priorities or issues that you want me to work on, please reach out. I have my own perspectives on where Tacoma should be headed, but my job is to listen, learn, and reflect the needs of the community we serve.
Trees, Wood Waste, and the Future of Tacoma’s Urban Forest
At our January 28 Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability (IPS) Committee meeting, we focused on two topics many residents care deeply about: Tacoma’s urban forest and how we manage our wood waste. Council Member Kristina Walker shared what she heard from Neighborhood Councils across the city: people love their trees, value the shade and beauty they bring, and want to see a more equitable tree canopy across Tacoma. At the same time, residents raised thoughtful concerns about the cost of caring for trees, the impact on sidewalks and property, and how to balance public benefits with private property rights.
We also talked about what the City’s role should be going forward. Many community members support expanding tree maintenance in the public right of way, especially in areas with low canopy coverage, and want more volunteer opportunities, education, and support for seniors. Others stressed the importance of keeping costs reasonable and being careful with potential regulations on private property. This feedback will help guide the next phases of the Urban Forest Priority Action Plan as we look at funding options, pilot programs, and early ideas for land use updates later this year. If you are interested, you can read the report here.
The meeting also included an update on something I’ve been passionate about for a long time: improving how Tacoma handles wood waste. A new study by Cambium Carbon showed that tens of thousands of tons of recoverable wood pass through our system each year, but most of it is chipped or landfilled instead of being reused. The report outlines several promising steps, including better tracking, updating our codes, and creating a centralized “sort yard” that could help turn tree removals into local economic opportunities, support green jobs, and reduce waste. Many of my colleagues were excited about this work, and I believe it’s an area where Tacoma can lead in the years ahead.
Trash Talk
Expanding Tidy-Up Tacoma: More Trash Cans, Cleaner Streets
One of the programs I’m most proud to have championed on the City Council is Tidy-Up Tacoma. When we first started talking about this back in 2021, our goal was simple: make Tacoma a cleaner, more walkable, and more welcoming place by taking on litter, graffiti, and blight in a focused, citywide way. I’m thrilled to share that the program continues to grow, and the City is now expanding public garbage cans across more neighborhoods. Clean streets don’t just look better, but they also help people feel safer and more connected to their community. Plus, giving people more places to throw their trash away is a practical way to reduce litter before it hits the ground.
Our current expansion adds 120 new public cans, bringing the total to 360 across Tacoma. The locations were chosen using data from Tacoma FIRST 311, litter hotspot information, foot traffic patterns, and equity considerations. The new cans will mainly be placed in business districts, busy commercial areas, and high use arterials which are the places where litter and illegal dumping tend to happen most often. The program is fully funded through the existing Solid Waste Excise Tax with no new fees or rate increases, and it also includes two new full-time staff dedicated to installing, maintaining, and cleaning the cans.
I’m excited to see these iconic Tidy-Up Tacoma cans showing up in more neighborhoods, and I truly believe this work makes a meaningful difference in how people experience their city. If you see a spot that could benefit from a new garbage can, or if one needs repair, you can request it through Tacoma FIRST 311.
Catching up with Council Member Hines
At the Legislature: Advocating for Tacoma
This year’s legislative session has been especially busy, and like many local leaders across Washington, I’ve spent a good amount of time in Olympia. As a board member for the Association of Washington Cities, I’ve been meeting with legislators, testifying on bills, and making sure Tacoma’s needs are well represented. These sessions move quickly, and they have major impacts on cities, so it’s important we show up, speak up, and stay engaged.
One issue I’ve been proud to testify on is the statewide effort to ban nontherapeutic cat declawing. Tacoma became the first city in Washington to pass this restriction, and now the Legislature is considering making it a statewide standard. I shared Tacoma’s experience and urged lawmakers to protect animal welfare and choose cats, not couches, and end this practice for good.
I’ve also been working on two transportation topics that matter for Tacoma’s budget and long-term planning. The first is the process for transferring state routes to cities. Tacoma has experienced firsthand how costly these transfers can be, especially with the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge and the Murray Morgan Bridge, and I testified in support of a bill that creates a clearer, more collaborative process going forward. The second issue involves updating the weight limits for vehicles that pay Transportation Benefit District fees. As more electric vehicles and large SUVs exceed today’s outdated weight cap, they are no longer contributing to the local streets they rely on. I testified in support of modernizing the rules so that cities have the option to include heavier vehicles and maintain our roads more fairly.
It’s a tight budget year in Olympia, but I’m glad to be there advocating for Tacoma whether it’s on transportation, animal welfare, or the many other issues that shape daily life in our community. If there are state level issues you’re following closely, I’m always happy to hear from you.
Celebrating the Humane Society’s New Welcome Center
The new lobby and pet pantry are more than just a building update. They create a warm, welcoming space for families looking to adopt, community members seeking support, and pets who are waiting for new homes. I was honored to speak at the event and celebrate the staff, volunteers, and supporters who made this improvement possible.
A First Look at Maritime253
This past month, I had the chance to tour the new Maritime253 building on the Tacoma waterfront, and it was an inspiring visit. Maritime253 is a regional Career and Technical Education center created through a partnership between Tacoma Public Schools and the Port of Tacoma. When it opens in fall 2026, it will offer juniors and seniors hands on, industry-focused training for high demand maritime careers--all at no cost to students. Enrollment is already open! As a former educator, I’m always excited to see new pathways that help young people discover their strengths, build real world skills, and step into jobs that will shape our region’s future.
Touring the building made it clear how much opportunity this center will open up for students, from marine science and logistics to trades and port operations. It’s a great example of the creativity and collaboration that make Tacoma such a strong place for education and workforce development. I’m looking forward to the ribbon cutting and seeing the first cohort of students walk through the doors next year.
Please be sure to check out tacoma.gov for City updates and resources and, as always, please feel free to share your thoughts and concerns with me directly at john.hines@tacoma.gov. You can also call me at (253) 312-5620 if you have questions.
I invite you to tune in to the City Council’s Study Session or Council meetings every week on Tuesdays via TV Tacoma or Zoom. Access information is available at City Council Meetings | City of Tacoma.
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