Tacoma City Council Study Session - April 16, 2024
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Tacoma City Council Study Session - April 16, 2024
The Tacoma City Council held a special study session on April 16, 2024, beginning at 12:15 PM. The meeting featured three police department presentations on crime reduction, a proposal to submit public comment on a rendering plant permit, and annual council appointments to regional committees. Ceremonial proclamations were also announced.
Discussion Items
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Darling Ingredients Rendering Plant Letter Councilmember Ushka introduced a draft letter (co-sponsored with Councilmember Diaz) to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency regarding proposed Order No. 12348 for Darling Ingredients Inc. The letter urges the agency to use full regulatory authority to require maximum mitigation for odors and pollution at the rendering plant on the Tideflats, citing historic inequities affecting East Side and McKinley Hill residents. Councilmembers Rumba and Bushnell expressed strong support. Councilmember Walker requested adding "environmental benefits" to the letter. The council agreed to submit the letter as public comment on behalf of the full council.
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Crime Plan Quarterly Update Dr. Michael Smith, resource partner, presented mid-year results of the Tacoma Violent Crime Plan. In the last six months of 2023, violent crime citywide dropped 19% compared to the same period in 2022. Homicides were unchanged; aggravated assaults fell significantly. In hot-spot treatment areas, violent crime decreased 13%, and violence-related calls for service fell 15% citywide. Arrests increased 43% in treatment zones. Treatment fidelity (officer presence at designated times) averaged 97% over the plan's duration. Chief Moore reported 2024 year-to-date data: violent crime down 17.3%, homicides down 40%, property crime down 24.6%. The council discussed communicating successes to the community; the chief noted a new communications plan and a TV Tacoma appearance.
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Problem-Oriented Place-Based Policing Update Captain Gretchen Aguirre, Lieutenant Jeffery Katz, and Matt Janzow (Continuous Improvement) presented the midterm strategy. At the first treatment site (8810/8820 Hosmer Street), a three-month operation (Q4 2023) resulted in zero violent crimes or related calls for service. City partners (Neighborhood & Community Services, Environmental Services, Code Compliance) removed 83,000 lbs of trash, cleaned 26 illegal dump sites, and contacted 30 individuals (six accepted services). A community trunk-or-treat event drew 500 people. The next POP site is East 25th Street, with a collaborative working group already active. Councilmember Bushnell praised the community partnerships and property owner Sage Investments.
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Special Investigations Unit Update Captain Christopher Karl reported on first-quarter 2024 operations: 64 narcotics investigations, 20 arrests, 83 lbs of methamphetamine, 110,000 fentanyl pills, 33 firearms (including a live military grenade) seized. A multi-jurisdictional raid on illegal marijuana grow-ops yielded 3,500 plants and 78 lbs of processed cannabis from eight residences. The property crimes initiative assigned 661 cases, made 55 arrests. The Kia/Hyundai task force has 44 cases and issued 55 bulletins, resulting in 55 arrests (including juveniles as young as 11). Street racing emphasis led to 17 reckless driving arrests and 10 vehicle impounds. Councilmembers asked about property crime definitions, youth involvement, and street racing patterns.
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Council Appointments to Committees, Boards, and Commissions Presiding Officer Walker announced appointments to fill vacancies for 2024: Deputy Mayor Hines to the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Large Advisory Committee, Councilmember Daniels to the AWC Legislative Priority Committee, and Councilmember Rumba to the Pierce County Regional Council. The appointments were approved as part of the agenda.
Ceremonial Proclamations
City Manager Pauli noted three proclamations for the evening council meeting: April 10–17, 2024 as Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Week; April 15–19, 2024 as Black Wellness Week; and recognition of Tahoma Bird Alliance.
Key Outcomes
- The council approved and submitted a letter to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency urging maximum mitigation for the Darling Ingredients rendering plant.
- The police department will continue the three-phase crime plan and develop a communications strategy to share results with the community.
- The problem-oriented place-based policing effort will expand to East 25th Street, with a working group already engaged.
- Council appointments to AWC committees and the Pierce County Regional Council were finalized.
- The meeting adjourned at approximately 2:00 PM (after a recess), with a call to reconvene at 5:00 PM for the regular council meeting.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call the order of the city council study session special meeting of April 16th, 2024. And we'll start by calling on Councilmember Bushnell. I move to appoint Councilmember Christina Walker as presiding officer. Second. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. Clerk, will you please call the roll? Councilmember Bushnell. Present. Councilmember Daniels, absent. Councilmember Diaz, absent. Deputy Mayor Hines, absent. Councilmember Rumba here. Councilmember Scott. Here. Councilmember Ushka. Yeah. Councilmember Walker? Here. Mayor Woodards, absent. The study session material sent to you at 11. Great. Thank you, Clerk. And the mayor is on her way, so I'm just getting the meeting started because we have three presentations today. And we are going to start. Um we are changing the order and taking a brief um item number five on the agenda, and then we'll go back to item number one. But our first agenda item is a special letter of submission, the public comment on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's proposed order number one, two, three, four, eight relating to Darling Ingredients Incorporated. And I'd like to call on Councilmember Ushka to begin the presentation. Thank you, Councilmember Lockman. Um thank you for considering this draft letter, colleagues, to submit public comment on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's preliminary determination. I propose order numbered one, two, three, four, eight regarding the Darlington ingredients rendering clothes on the five flags. I am bringing this letter forward in partnership with Councilmember Diaz. Its permit for Darling Ingredients Incorporated is to replace rendering equipment that was previously destroyed in a fire. The Tacoma City Council has long heard from the community about air quality concerns related to the rendering plant, making its future operation practices of great interest to all of our constituents. Discussions with both the East Side and Northeast community members about the former plant will quickly quickly bring up memories of air pollution and pungent smells and lowered the quality of life of the nearby residents and lower the reputation of Tacoma overall. These air quality issues have historically been especially concerning to the McKinley Hill residents who live in low and very low equity areas of the city just south of Tacoma's black tide wise. Well, we understand the economic and environmental benefits of an accessible rendering plant near our commercial businesses. This is of special importance when those impacts could exacerbate historic inequities. Whatever is approved at this point in time will impact a generation of decommens, their health and their quality of life. This letter urges the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to be able to utilize all of the regulatory authority to require the maximum mitigation allowable under our state law when approving the redevelopment of this rendering plan. This is especially important to address the need to reduce the smells and the pollutions and the other practices that impact our air quality. I asked for your support of this letter so that we can submit the public comment to the entire uh city council. Thank you so much for your consideration. Thank you, Councilmember Ushka. Do folks have questions for Council Member Ushka? Councilmember Rumba. I don't really have a question for Councilmember Ushka.
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