I'd like to call to order the study session of April 29th, 2025.

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Councilmember Bushnell.

Present.

Deputy Mayor Daniels, absent.

Councilmember Diaz.

Absent.

Councilmember Hines.

Absent.

Councilmember Rumba here.

Councilmember Sidalgay.

Councilmember Scott.

Councilmember Walker.

Mayor Woodards.

Here.

The study session material is sent to you at 11.

All right.

We're gonna start with other items of interest today.

And so our first agenda item is Tacoma Porch Fest sponsorship, and I'm gonna call on Councilmember Scott to begin the presentation.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I am excited to bring forward a council contingency fund request for 10,000 to sponsor Tacoma Porch Fest, which is being produced in partnership with the Central Neighborhood Council, the North End Neighborhood Council and the Sixth Av Business District.

As many of you know, Porch Fest is one of the many great community festivals that happen here in Tacoma.

It's particularly unique because it embeds the festival experience right in our neighborhoods.

If you haven't been, there are bands from all genres that uh, and there's also stand-up comedians, there's poets, there and they're all kind of match with a porch or a driveway or a yard, and they create a walkable festival zone.

Uh people from across Tacoma as well as from outside of Tacoma can come and celebrate music and meet neighbors and have a very unique experience that doesn't happen anywhere else in the city.

Um I may I might argue it might not happen anywhere else in the region.

Um but uh this year it's going to be even more special because Porch Fest is expanding to two days and will happen both uh will happen in Central Tacoma both south of Sixth Ave and north of Sixth Ave this year.

Uh the expansion is due to the popularity of Porch Fest.

If you've been it is always packed.

There are people walking the festival zone.

Um and it, you know, I don't I don't know if they've even blocked off the roads, but people just kind of make make space for all of the foot traffic that happens in the area.

Um in 2024, the festival had more than 200 bands on 65 porch stages and had an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 attendees.

And the organizers expect it to be even bigger this year.

Uh the mission is to build community, the mission of Porch Fest, that is, is to build community, bring joy to Tacoma's neighborhoods, and connect neighbors through a free, walkable and accessible celebration of diverse live music and performances.

It also welcomes non-traditional, experimental and historically marginalized performers, and the festival has become known among the music community as being a safe space for BIPOC and queer performers and musicians.

Uh the mus the mission, this mission aligns well with our city goals, articulated in our artful Tacoma Strategic Plan, our economic develop economic and development economic development strategic plan and our Tacoma 2025 framework for enhancing livability and community building, uh in addition to advancing a number of strategic priorities.

Porchfest will also use the city logo on advertising and promotional uh materials in return for sponsorship.

Organizers have also offered the city a booth free of charge where the city staff will be able to share information and resources with thousands of festival attendees.

Uh I want to thank Councilmember Hines, Rumba, and Walker for co-sponsoring this with me.

And I also want to thank the festival organizers for all the hard work they put into making Porch Fest a joyful and special event for our community.

Uh we plan to bring this forward for a vote.

Originally it was May 6th, but I will be out of town uh traveling with Watawa.

And so it will be on the May 13th agenda, and I hope you all will join us in support.

And I'm happy to ask uh answering questions.

Oh, I didn't say it happens July 12th and 13th.

Thank you, Councilmember Scott.

Um, I just realized I don't think I've been able to attend Porch Fest, so I'm super excited.

Yes, you have to come to do this.

I'm like, let's get it expanded across the whole city.

So I can have so I can so I can do something on my porch.

I know my my porch is just outside of the festival boundaries, so I'm very sad that I cannot have a band on my porch, but sometimes I go out there and sing for my neighbors and they don't love it.

Look, I'll come to your porch if you come to mine.

Okay.

All right, are there any questions for um for council member Scott?

All right, I don't see any councilmember Scott.

Look forward to having you bring this forward.

All right.

Um I have um a couple of things to share with you all this morning.

Um, one is um a new committee.

I sent um I sent those of you who are on the committee an email last or last week.