City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 04/03/2026 10:00 AM PDT
Happy Spring, Tacoma!
My mood always lifts as we get closer to warmer weather and I hope you are all feeling the excitement of spring too. I truly enjoy this time of year in Tacoma when the daffodils are in bloom, the trees are flowering, and our city feels especially vibrant. It is also great to have the Rainiers back in season at Cheney Stadium.It’s been a busy month for the Hines family as well. Between Sparta and Nortac soccer, Hunt football, and many other activities in between, our schedule has been full. While it is not my first favorite season (which as many of you know is football season), with each longer day and more sunlight, I do love spring!
I’m looking forward to sharing more about the work I’ve been doing over the past month, but I also want to invite you to an upcoming opportunity to connect. I’ll be hosting my next quarterly coffee chat on Saturday, April 25 at the Wheelock Library from 10-11:30am. These gatherings are a chance for me to provide updates, hear what’s on your mind, and answer questions directly in a more informal setting. If you’re not able to attend this one, I plan to continue hosting these each quarter, so there will be more opportunities ahead.
Scenes from the City of Destiny
Hiring the City Manager
This past month, the City Council made an important decision to appoint our interim City Manager Hyun Kim, as Tacoma’s permanent City Manager. After a competitive national search and the opportunity to meet with strong finalists here in our community, I feel confident that we have the right person to lead our city forward. I was genuinely impressed by the level of talent and experience among the applicants, which speaks to the strength and potential of Tacoma.
Ultimately, I believe we are in very good hands. Our new City Manager has already been deeply involved in the work happening across the city. From hiring a new Police Chief and increasing the number of officers, to taking on difficult budget decisions and helping guide our response to ongoing challenges, City Manager Kim has demonstrated steady leadership during an important time for Tacoma. I have especially appreciated our working relationship and his willingness to get creative, try new things and discuss multiple perspectives for how we address the issues facing our city.
As we look ahead, I feel encouraged knowing we have someone who brings both local knowledge and broader experience. His time serving in Tacoma, along with his leadership as City Manager in Fife and other roles in public service, gives him a strong understanding of the issues our region faces. Most importantly, he has shown a clear commitment to making communities better. I look forward to continuing our work together and to the progress we can make for Tacoma in the years ahead.
Summer Block Party
This past month, I brought forward a City Council contingency fund request to support the 5th Annual Citywide Block Party in partnership with True Vine Community Church. This is an event that has already made a meaningful impact in our community, and I’m excited that the City is stepping in to help take it to the next level. With this support, the event will be held at Cheney Stadium this August, creating an opportunity to welcome even more families from across Tacoma.
This block party is about more than just a celebration. It’s about connection and support. The event is expected to serve thousands of residents by providing access to important resources like healthcare enrollment, housing assistance, job opportunities, and educational support. It will also include free school supplies and backpacks for local youth, along with family-friendly activities, entertainment, and opportunities for neighbors to come together in a safe and welcoming space.
I’ve had the chance to spend time with True Vine Community Church, including attending their Civic Leaders Day earlier this year, and I’ve seen firsthand their deep commitment to serving our community. Partnerships like this are incredibly important. They allow us to reach more people, strengthen trust, and create meaningful opportunities for residents to connect with services and with one another. I’m proud of the City’s role in supporting this effort and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have this summer.
Taking It to the Streets
This past month, I had the opportunity to take part in a new City video series highlighting the impact of Tacoma’s Streets Initiative. This five-part series shares the story of the work we’ve been doing since 2015 to improve safety, accessibility, and infrastructure across our city. As part of Episode 2, focused on creating safer streets for everyone, I visited North 48th and Mullen Street to see a recently completed project and the improvements made in that neighborhood.
It was a great chance to be out in the community and see firsthand how these investments are making a difference. One of the things I’m especially proud of is the partnership between the City and local residents. In this case, neighbors came together through a Local Improvement District (LID), and the City matched those investments through our Streets Initiative funding. Together, we were able to deliver meaningful upgrades, including new roads, sidewalks, and stormwater improvements in order to create safer, more complete streets for everyone who lives there.
This kind of collaboration is something I would like to see more of in the future. When residents are ready and willing to invest in their neighborhoods, the City should be there to support and amplify that work. I encourage you to check out the Streets Initiative video series online and see the progress happening across Tacoma.
I was thrilled to join our Public Works Director and about 90 community members last night at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center to talk about the importance of transportation investments. I shared that during my Walk Across Tacoma, I heard from people across the city that they want their streets to be safe, no matter how they choose to get around. Our Streets Initiative investments have been vital for improving safety for everyone who is walking, biking, rolling, and driving in Tacoma. In addition, keeping up with street maintenance saves taxpayer dollars over time and helps to strengthen our economy by improving access to jobs and investing in our local workers. Thank you to everyone who came out to the event and shared your perspective! As we look ahead, I will continue to support more transportation investments to connect Tacoma for all of our residents.
Trash Talk
Beyond the Bin is Back!
This month, I want to highlight the return of the Beyond the Bin program at the Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center. This is one of my favorite initiatives because it focuses on something I care deeply about: keeping usable items out of the landfill. Too often, we see furniture, household goods, and other items that could still serve a purpose being thrown away. Beyond the Bin creates an easy way for residents to make a different choice.
Through this program, Tacoma residents can drop off gently used household items at free weekly events from April through September. These items are then collected by local nonprofit partners, like Habitat for Humanity and the Northwest Furniture Bank, and then redistributed or repurposed within our community. It’s a simple but powerful way to make sure items that still have value are put to good use, helping families in need while also reducing waste. Last year alone, this program kept thousands of pounds of reusable materials out of the landfill, and I’m excited to see even more participation this year.
As many of you know, I’m passionate about keeping litter off our streets, but even more than that, I care about reducing waste in the first place. Tacoma generates a significant amount of waste each year, and programs like Beyond the Bin help us move in the right direction. I encourage you to take advantage of these events if you have items to donate. It’s an easy way to give back, support local organizations, and help build a more sustainable Tacoma.
National League of Cities - Congressional City Summit
This past month, I traveled to Washington, D.C. with my City Council colleagues to attend the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference. This is an annual opportunity for us to connect with leaders from across the country, share ideas, and advocate for the issues that matter most to Tacoma. It’s also an important time for us to meet directly with our federal delegation, our Senators and members of Congress, to ensure they are hearing directly from us about our community’s needs.
This year, much of our focus was on infrastructure investments, including continued support for key projects like the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge. We also took time to thank our federal partners for their ongoing support and to advocate for additional resources that will help us maintain and improve critical infrastructure across our city. Just as importantly, we brought forward the concerns we hear from residents, especially those issues that fall under federal responsibility but still have a real impact on daily life here in Tacoma.
While in D.C., I also participated in discussions around opioid settlement funding. Like many communities across the country, Tacoma has received funding as part of a national settlement with opioid manufacturers. I’ve been working closely with partners across Pierce County, including through the Pierce County Opioid Task Force, to determine how we can best use these resources to support those impacted by the opioid crisis. It was valuable to learn from other cities and counties about what’s working in their communities and to think about how we can apply those lessons here at home.
Overall, it was a productive trip and an important opportunity to elevate Tacoma’s priorities on a national stage. I remain committed to making sure your voice is represented not just locally, but wherever decisions are being made that affect our community.
State of the City
Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues in attending Tacoma’s State of the City address. This event is a valuable opportunity to hear directly from Mayor Anders Ibsen about his vision for the future of our city and the priorities he sees ahead. It also gives us a chance to reflect on how we can work together to continue moving Tacoma forward.
What stood out to me this year was the strong alignment between Mayor Ibsen’s vision and the conversations we had as a City Council during our recent retreat. We are all focused on many of the same key issues: addressing housing and homelessness, improving public safety, and supporting the growth of good-paying jobs in our community. That shared focus is important, because it allows us to work collaboratively and make meaningful progress in the areas that matter most to residents.
The State of the City reinforced for me that we have a real opportunity to build on this alignment in the years ahead. By working together and staying focused on these priorities, I believe we can continue making steady progress and create a stronger, more connected Tacoma for everyone.
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.
Also, if you enjoy getting this newsletter and regular updates from me, please feel free to share it with others who you think might find it valuable and encourage them to subscribe.
