Mayor’s Newsletter: Streets, Homelessness, and the First In-District Council Meeting
City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 09/04/2026 02:26 PM PDT
Connect Tacoma Passes!
Thank you, Tacoma voters! With over 58% of the vote, Proposition 1 – which will fund ten years of improvements to Tacoma’s streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and intersections – is now passed. We are immensely grateful to the coalition of business, labor, neighborhood associations, and transit advocates who made this possible and helped shape a terrific policy.
Expect to see projects across Tacoma that make it safer for children to walk and bike to school, new and improved trails connecting different parts of Tacoma together, and ADA accessibility upgrades. And yes – we will keep filling potholes!
Accountability will be a centerpiece to this. We will work closely with community stakeholders to be as savvy, equitable, and effective as possible with how we spend these dollars to better your neighborhoods.
For more info on our progress, check out Connect Tacoma’s page here.
Pothole Palooza Repair Work
Tacoma Joins the Unified Regional Approach to End Homelessness
In 2025, Pierce County’s Homeless Crisis Response System served 9,755 people while there were 5,689 students enrolled in Pierce County schools that identified as homeless. That is far too many. The URA envisions that homelessness is rare, brief, and one-time. And crucially: by having many neighboring jurisdictions at the table, it will no longer be Tacoma primarily bearing the burden of this regional problem.
The URA will coordinate communication across government agencies, provide technical assistance, track and report on data countywide, and provide additional resources. It will make the homelessness system less confusing for those in need trying to access it, minimize the inconsistent requirements asked by government funders of social service organizations, and dedicate staff for local governments to learn how to better collaborate.
There is a long path ahead of us and much work to do. It will take years, but it’s one of the defining issues of our era, so it demands the attention and dedication of us all.
In-District Meeting on September 30
The City Council is coming to South Tacoma! For our first in-district Council meeting, we will be moving the September 29 Council meeting to September 30 and hosting it at the STAR Center. All are welcome – there will be refreshments, childcare, and music! Besides hearing concerns from community members, relevant staff will be on hand to address issues then and there. Here are the details:
Location: STAR Center: 3873 S 66th St, Tacoma, WA 98409
Time: 6 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)
Who: Anyone who would like to attend and share their neighborhood concerns
Outside the STAR Center, where the In-District Council meeting will be held
Constituent Wins
Two different businesses reached out this month with permitting concerns. While government permitting processes exist for a reason, it can often be a confusing and bureaucratic labyrinth – and we don’t always get it right. Sometimes responsive communication and follow-through is all it takes.
Plunge + Restore recently opened in downtown Tacoma, a wellness studio offering a variety of healing and restorative services. It promises to be a great to new addition to our downtown core. Permitting processes are often difficult to navigate though, especially for new businesses, and in this case it was the cold plunges. Due to WA State pool codes, the cold plunge operations had to shut down until they could obtain the proper permit. Once the owners of Plunge + Restore reached out about this news, we were able to work in partnership with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to obtain a temporary permit to continue operating, which will allow their grand opening to progress seamlessly.
K Nails and Wax had to relocate their business after twenty years in the same location. After quickly establishing their business at a new location in South Tacoma, it was found that because of the newly selected location for the business, the owner had to reside on-site. This would have meant closing the location. The owner was able to work with our Tax & Licensing Office to resolve the violation promptly, and resume doing business with minimal disruption to their business or their client base.
September Office Hours and Locations
Each Wednesday, I hold office hours at different locations around Tacoma. It's a chance for residents to stop by, ask questions, share ideas, or talk about what's happening in their neighborhood. Meeting people where they are helps me stay connected to our community while supporting the local businesses and gathering places that make Tacoma unique. If you own or manage a location in Tacoma that would be a great spot for upcoming office hours, I invite you to share your suggestion using this form. I look forward to connecting with you!
September 2: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Secret Burger Kitchen Tacoma Smash Burger (8402 S Hosmer St, Tacoma, WA 98444)
September 9: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Ice Cream Social Proctor (2521 N Proctor St, Tacoma, WA 98406)
September 16: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Puget Sound Pizza (317 S 7th St, Tacoma, WA 98402)
September 23: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.at Fish House Café (1814 M.L.K. Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA 98405)
September 30: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at Buddy’s Chicken & Waffles (3709 S G St, Tacoma, WA 98419)
