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 is scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. to host a panel discuss on single-family affordable housing development efforts.
On Tuesday, Tacoma City Council is scheduled to hold its regular weekly study session at noon to discuss the Tacoma Community Survey, as well as P3 Partnerships. Also on Tuesday, Tacoma City Council is scheduled to hold its committee of the whole meeting at 3 p.m. to discuss a revision to Tacoma’s animal control code, as well as a donation to Associated Ministries of Tacoma as part of the organization’s capital campaign to renovate its Center for Direct Services and associated office space. Finally, Tacoma City Council is scheduled to hold its regular weekly meeting at 5 p.m. to vote on a range of issues.
On Wednesday, Tacoma City Council’s Government, Performance, and Finance Committee and the Audit Advisory Board are scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. to discuss Comprehensive Annual Financial Report results.
Here is a look ahead at some notable meetings, events, and issues on deck next week at Tacoma City Hall.
SINGLE-FAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PANEL DISCUSSION
Tacoma City Council’s Neighborhoods and Housing Committee is scheduled to meet with City of Tacoma staff and representatives of four affordable housing programs and organizations to learn more about local home-ownership programs.
The discussion will focus on factors that might help to assess the positive impact affordable housing investments have had on the quality of life in Tacoma neighborhoods. Representatives of Habitat for Humanity, Tacoma Housing Authority, Homeownership Center of Tacoma, and the City of Tacoma’s Down Payment Assistance Program will provide brief updates on their work, as well as their perspectives on the impacts their programs have on the families they serve and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The discussion will occur during a public meeting on Mon., Aug. 4, at 4:30 p.m., in Room 248 of the Tacoma Municipal Building, located at 747 Market St., in downtown Tacoma. A copy of the agenda is available online here.
TACOMA COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS
Tacoma City Council is scheduled to be briefed on the findings of a community survey conducted earlier this year.
The anonymous survey was designed to capture residents’ opinions in three areas—community characteristics; governance; and participation. In May and June, the City of Tacoma mailed questionnaires to 3,000 randomly selected Tacoma households in an effort to gather opinions on the quality of life and services in the city. The same survey was also available online to all residents. The survey aimed to assess the City of Tacoma’s performance in major service areas, help the City of Tacoma better understand residents’ perceptions of service areas, define the community’s current priorities, and aid the City of Tacoma’s ongoing operational planning and improvement processes.
On Tuesday, representatives of the National Community Survey—including National Research Center and the International City/County Management Association—will present survey results related to community livability issues such as public safety, the local economy, and area mobility, as well as information on geographic and demographic comparisons.
The presentation will occur during a public meeting on Tues., Aug. 5, at 12 p.m., in Room 16 of Tacoma Municipal Building North, located at 733 Market St., in downtown Tacoma. A copy of the agenda is available online here.
ASSOCIATED MINISTRIES BUILDING RENOVATION
The City of Tacoma could donate $65,000 to Associated Ministries of Tacoma as part of the organization’s $640,000 capital campaign to renovate its Center for Direct Services and associated office space.
According to a staff memo prepared by Tacoma City Councilmember Lauren Walker, Associated Ministries of Tacoma, which is located at 901 S. 13th St., in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, provides direct services and programs to over 2,000 households in Pierce County—which includes over 1,700 households in Tacoma—in the areas of homelessness and supportive housing services. More than 1,500 people come to the Associated Ministries of Tacoma’s Direct Service Center and offices for protective payee services, homeless mail services, assessments for people experiencing homelessness, and access to other community resources and services.
According to Councilmember Walker, Associated Ministries of Tacoma has raised $465,000 for the project. The City of Tacoma’s donation would kick off the next phase of Associated Ministries of Tacoma’s capital campaign; be contingent upon the organization’s ability to raise all the funds needed for the project; and would be deducted from Tacoma City Council’s Contingency Fund.
Tacoma City Council’s Committee of the Whole is scheduled to discuss the issue during a public meeting on Tues., Aug. 5, at 3 p.m., in the 9th Floor Visibility Center of the Tacoma Municipal Building, located at 747 Market St., in downtown Tacoma. Copies of the agenda and memo are available online here.
