Tacoma residents will have plenty of opportunities next week to learn more about what’s happening in city government.

On Monday, Tacoma City Council’s Neighborhoods and Housing Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the Community Based Services Speakers Bureau and the 2014 Community Cleanup Program.

On Tuesday, Tacoma City Council will hold its regular weekly study session at noon to discuss the Community Based Services Speakers Bureau and the 2014 Community Cleanup Program. Also on Tuesday, Tacoma City Council’s Committee of the Whole will meet at 3 p.m. to discuss proposed amendments to the City’s charter. Finally on Tuesday, Tacoma City Council will hold its regular weekly council meeting at 5 p.m. to vote on a range of issues.

On Wednesday, Tacoma City Council’s Government Performance and Finance Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss a range of issues.

On Thursday, Tacoma City Council’s Public Safety, Human Services and Sustainability Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss a range of issues.

Here is a look ahead at some notable meetings, events, and issues on deck next week at Tacoma City Hall.

CITY OF TACOMA SPEAKERS BUREAU

The City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department is developing a speakers bureau that will provide presentations to community groups on issues such as garbage collection, graffiti removal, and fire prevention. The program plans to send City staff “subject matter experts” out into the community to provide as many as 20 presentations per month beginning later this year. Proposed topics for the initial program roll-out include:

• Getting involved in the 2015/2016 budget process;
• How to access City services easily
• How can I deal with un-kept properties?
• Public Construction Projects: When and where do they happen?
• What can I do to help prevent crime?
• The City’s approach to building business and jobs in Tacoma
• What can I do to prevent fires and help out in a community emergency?
• Garbage Collection: It’s everyone’s business
• Getting rid of graffiti
• How can I address homelessness in my neighborhood?

Tacoma City Council’s Neighborhoods and Housing Committee is scheduled to be briefed on the plan during a meeting on Mon., May 19, at 4:30 p.m., at Tacoma Municipal Building North, 747 Market St., Conference Room 248, in downtown Tacoma. Copies of the agenda and meeting materials are available online here. Tacoma City Council is scheduled to be briefed on the plan during a study session on Tues., May 20, at 12 p.m., at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 733 Market St., Conference Room 16, in downtown Tacoma. A copy of the agenda is available online here.

UPDATE: 2 BUILDING DEMOLITION PROJECTS

Following up on two related items first reported here last month, the City of Tacoma received three bids from contractors for a project that would demolish a former restaurant building located at 722 S. 38th St. The contractors include Wm. Dickson Co. ($10,028.65 — Tacoma, Wash.); Woodland Industries General Contracting ($12,600 — Tacoma, Wash.); and Alpha & Omega General Contracting ($15,500 — Port Orchard, Wash. The project budget was originally estimated between $30,000 and $50,000. Similarly, bids on a project to demolish a former single-family home located at 6506 Tacoma Ave. S. (pictured below) are currently under review. The bid deadline expired at 11 a.m. on Weds., May 7. The project budget was originally estimated between $10,000 and $13,000.

CODE COMPLIANCE SURVEY UPDATE

City of Tacoma Neighborhood and Community Services Department staff will provide an update next week on the results of an annual visual survey of possible code violations related to properties along the city’s key corridors and 15 neighborhood business districts. The effort aims to help meet the City’s strategic goal of being a safe, clean and attractive community by identifying opportunities for individuals to improve their compliance with the City’s Nuisance and Minimum Building and Structures Code. The process began in February, and was completed at the end of march. Last year, code compliance inspectors focused on business districts. This year, all properties, businesses and residences along main arterials were included in the survey. Similarly, the City of Tacoma launched a graffiti removal program last year that aimed to remove graffiti from public property within 72 hours.

Tacoma City Council is scheduled to be briefed on the code compliance survey during a study session on Tues., May 20, at 12 p.m., at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 733 Market St., Conference Room 16, in downtown Tacoma. A copy of the agenda is available online here.

TACOMA ENVIRO VIDEOS

A series of videos showcasing Tacoma’s environmental efforts could soon be shown in classrooms, on the Internet, and to neighborhood community groups.

According to a legal notice published this week in the Tacoma Daily Index, the City of Tacoma is accepting bids from contractors to produce six short videos that appeal to children aged nine and older, as well as adults, and supplement Tacoma’s EnviroChallenger lessons; encourage personal actions to protect the environment; highlight Tacoma as a progressive, environmental leader; provide virtual tours for those not able to visit facilities; and demonstrate how utility funds are used.

The project budget is $25,000. The bid deadline expires at 11 a.m. on Tues., June 3. A contract is expected to be awarded by June 23. More information is available online here.

UPDATE: FOSS WATERWAY PARK GRANT

Following up on an item first reported on here last week, Tacoma City Council is expected to vote next month on a resolution to formally authorize City staff to submit a grant request to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office to help pay for a children’s play area at a park near 21st Street and Dock Street. According to City staff, the $60,000 funding request would be matched by The Henry Group, a private developer currently constructing a 161-unit, $32 million apartment building nearby. Although the park is City-owned, no capital, maintenance, or other City expenditures are being asked for the project. The Henry Group is providing half the cost of the project and the FWDA is contributing additional funds. There is no City match for the $60,000 grant request. Tacoma City Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on the resolution during a meeting on Tues., June 3, at 5 p.m., at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., First Floor, in downtown Tacoma.

CITY OF DESTINY AWARDS MAY 28

Looking ahead and following up on an item first reported on in the Tacoma Daily Index last month, the City of Tacoma will recognize Tacoma’s top volunteers this year during the 28th annual City of Destiny Awards ceremony on Weds., May 28, between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., at Cheney Stadium. The 2014 City of Destiny Award recipients are Joan Vo (Youth Leadership); Nina Thach (Youth Service); Mike Mowat (Adult Leadership); Cathy Barton (Adult Sustained Service); Tacoma Nature Center Park Stewards (Environmental Sustainability); Stadium High School Navy Junior ROTC (Youth Group); Tacoma First Nazarene Church (Community Partnership); Wilson High School Project Unify (Equity and Empowerment); Janet Runbeck (Community Health and Wellness); and Ron Rzewnicki (Youth Mentorship). Since 1987, the City of Destiny Awards program has honored more than 200 local volunteers. More information is available online at cityoftacoma.org/DestinyAwards.