Good afternoon, everyone.

I'd like to call to order the city council study session of March 10th, 2026.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Deputy Mayor Bushnell.

President.

Councilmember Diaz.

Councilmember Heinz.

Councilmember Palmer.

Councilmember Rumba.

Here.

Councilmember Sidalgay.

Councilmember Scott.

Here.

Councilmember Walker.

Here.

Mayor Ibsen.

Here.

Our first agenda item is our follow-up from the 2026 Council Retreat.

I'd like to call on Strategic Director Jacques Cologne to begin the presentation.

Thank you, Mayor Ibsen, Deputy Mayor Bushnell, members of Council for the record.

My name is Jacques Cologne.

I serve as the director of the Center for Strategic Priorities in the City Manager's Office.

And today I'll be presenting to you on the results of our 2026 City Council retreat, which we had on February 20th.

So for today, if you might recall, we started the day with uh disk assessments where we talked about working styles.

We are not going to go back and cover that portion of the agenda.

But after that, you all talked about a theory of action as a council.

We then transitioned into some priority setting exercises to help you identify some themes and prioritize, and then we identified some next steps at the retreat.

For today, we'll cover all of those and find and talk to you about next steps that you would like to see.

And specifically for today during this presentation, I'll be looking to council to help provide feedback on whether number one, these results accurately reflect and capture your priorities as well as desired next steps for you in translating these into action.

So a quick reminder.

And just a quick color reminder.

Red dots were to help identify issues that you felt like you could take ownership of.

Yellow dots indicated issues that you wanted to support owners of that issue.

Blue dots reflected things that you wanted to see reflected in the city manager's work plan.

And then green dots reflected high budget priorities.

So when we talk about the purpose of the results of the retreat, those are the three areas that we will talk about.

In the first area, creating clear pathways to action.

In the second area of the work plan, identifying what are those highest priority items for reporting back to you as council.

And then on the budget, identifying a small number of clear budget themes that allow us to move forward with some shared priorities.

During the council's theory of action discussion, a lot was talked about.

Before before we get into the results, I do want to remind you that when we talk about a theory of action, what we are talking about is how an organization intends to work to create the outcomes at once.

So the how of how you want to address your priorities.

One was identifying a clear vision for the city.

In some ways, this vision has already been articulated through Tacoma 2035, with you as council, of course, continuing to refine that vision over time to reflect the needs of the community and your priorities.

The second is a desire to use your platform to support positive narrative for Tacoma.

A lot of things were said at the retreat about reshaping the narrative around Tacoma.

As an example, I recall one of you talking about how the reputation of the Tacoma Aroma is something that we should directly address and retell that story about what Tacoma is now as opposed to what people think Tacoma is or was once upon a time.

And then finally, to be effective in advancing your priorities, there was discussion about the need for focus.

That came up in many different ways.

You can see underneath that bullet point, there are several direct quotes from you at the retreat, talking about things like the time span of a council term not being the same time span as the problems that you're trying to address.

The difficulties with having to take limited resources and invest them in places that are going to reap strategic results.

And then finally being clear about where council's role can help to advance those priorities most clearly.

And as a quick reminder, we use Tacoma 2035 as our structure and framework for these discussions.

What we will be discussing today will follow that same format as did the retreat.

I do want to offer council a quick reminder that as you see Tacoma 2035 with the goal areas here as well as all of the strategies and plans underneath it.

This is a living document.

And so council absolutely has the opportunity to reshape this as you decide.

And future discussions around what that looks like are ultimately up to council.

So I look forward to having that discussion when council is ready.

Last thing I will note on this slide is in addition to the six goal areas, we did discuss a seventh area at the retreat representing internal services.

We're calling that operational excellence, and that's being represented what you see in the bottom right hand corner of the screen with a key to the city.

So, quick reminder about what we actually did for the priority setting at the retreat.

We'll quickly review the process that we used, then talk about the results by both the budget priorities and the city manager work plan priorities.

You can see on this slide a quick reminder of what this looked like in practice, where we had different action items identified through multiple mechanisms, both through committee agendas as well as your ideas at the retreat, and then you were asked to go ahead and put those sticky dots up on the issues that you either wanted to have some role in owning, some role in supporting, wanted to see reflected in the budget, or wanted to make sure was reflected in the work plan.

Alright, so for our process, again, we started with the umbrella of Tacoma 2035.

Then for each of those goal areas, we split those into the four Ps.

As a reminder, those are program, policy, partnership, and platform.

From there, those ideas were then put on the walls.

You were each provided with sticky dots, which you can see here for each of those areas.

You were only given three sticky dots for budget and city manager, but you were given more for other issues that you wanted to take action on.

And then you were asked to go ahead and identify where your priorities sat with relation to all of those actions.

Through that process, we heard the following.

For the budget, you want to see investments into how we do media and communications work.

I do want to say as I began talking about these budget themes and the city manager work plan themes.

A lot of these need additional definition or detail.

So one of the things that I would ask of you as you provide your comments today is for issues that you did identify.

If there, if there's any additional detail that you can provide, for example, when we talk about media and communications, there are a lot of different ways that that can play out, right?

And so if we're talking about media, are you really looking for new ways of communicating with the public through different vehicles?

Are we talking about engagement where we're we're talking directly with the public and engaging with them in that way?

Additional detail to help us navigate kind of how to best accomplish what you are guiding us to would be greatly appreciated.

So, media and communications, you'll also see that addressing the regional and local causes and impacts of homelessness was a priority with the unified regional approach to homelessness coming up multiple times.

I should pause and mention that items that you see on this slide that are in bold received more than one sticky dot.

Items that are not in bold did receive a sticky dot, but only one.

Um is a compilation of different actions that council identified as ways to address community safety issues.

So building resilience against youth violence and exploitation was one of the things that received multiple dots, but so did improved code enforcement, as well as rebuilding hope, therapeutic courts, and domestic violence.

I do want to mention that one of the things that you did as part of your process was group sticky notes, and some of those groupings put like things together, but they are not the same things, and so I will call out for that last one that I just mentioned rebuilding hope, therapeutic courts, and domestic violence, those are not the same thing.

And so any guidance that can be provided about how those things relate to each other and where council intended for that priority to lay, that would be helpful as well.

I do want to mention that there was a theme that came out of Tacoma being the best place to do business in the Puget Sound.

I heard that come up multiple times and in multiple ways, and you'll see that reflected both in the budget themes as well as the city manager work plan themes.

And then finally, improving access to transportation and mobility with the Portland Av redesign project really being the lead in terms of the vote getters there.

There were some other items that did not necessarily fall into a clear grouping or categorization.

Those included trees and community spaces that are free.

All right, moving on to city manager work plan themes.

You will see a lot of similarities.

So a lot of these themes did carry over, but there are some nuanced differences between the two, so that's what I will walk you through right now.

Similarly to the past slide, there was uh a description, a described need for an improvement in the effectiveness of the way that we communicate with the public.

Alongside that, there was a description of measurable progress with the baseline.

So one question for you as a council is that measurable progress with relation specifically to communications, or are those two separate actions aimed at improving operational excellence.

In addition to those, fiscal sustainability and the structural deficit is something else that you want to hear back from the city manager regularly on.

Moving on to the next, again, the unified regional approach to homelessness, something that came up multiple times as a priority for getting um getting feedback and reporting back from the city manager.

And then moving to Tacoma is the best place to do business in the Puget Sound again.

What I will call out about this different than the last slide is that within this category for the city manager work plan, there was a lot more reference to ties to community safety, neighborhood cleanliness, economic confidence through safety, etc.

So that's one nuance that I did want to call out for how this was described and grouped during the retreat.

And then finally, you can see a cluster of addressing community safety issues, including the South Tacoma Way Vision Zero study and advancing right person right response models.

And then as and then finally preparing for our future climate and environment in the form of green jobs as well as deconstruction and decarbonization, and then not captured in any of these groupings is the potential streets levy.

So with those themes outlined, um, I would like to lay out some potential next steps for council with a reminder that again I am looking for your guidance and feedback about what would meet your needs for translating these into action moving forward.

So, with regards to future council action, a couple of next steps.

Committee chairs uh can work with staff to assess how your 2026 agenda aligns or does not with the results of this retreat.

So for committee chairs, um, you know, for example, seeing a particular goal area and each of the issues identified there, how are those reflected in the committee agenda for the year, and how would you like to address that?

Secondly, you were each asked to identify issues that you wanted to take some level of ownership or support with.

Moving forward, you have access to what you identified for those issues, and what our ask is is that you work with your colleagues on identifying how you would like to advance those in partnership with each other.

So specifically, action items that received multiple ownership dots or multiple support dots.

The request is that we navigate through those to figure out how you best work together to advance your shared priorities.

Moving into the city manager work plan, the city manager will use the results of the prioritization exercise to build the next iteration of his work plan.

Additional guidance from you about how you would like that best to happen is welcome, and we will do our best to, of course, accommodate that.

And then finally, looking to the 27-28 budget, the city manager in partnership with you will use these results to build budget themes.

Additionally, the city manager will be working with you to identify what is the venue that you would like to use for the next discussion in service to advancing these priorities.

To put a little bit more detail to that, um, if we were to take the themes as they were identified right now and try to translate those into budget proposals, we may get a lot of that right, but there may be some nuance to that that we don't get quite right.

And so any additional detail that you can provide either now or moving forward, I think we'll pay dividends in terms of us being able to hone in on precisely what it is that you're looking for in whatever that uh whatever form that takes.

So, with that, I look forward to any questions or comments that you have.

Mayor, thank you.

Thank you.

And uh very well facilitated at our um uh city council retreat as well.

Um so a couple of things.

First off, thank you again.

Um just um to reiterate the purpose of this and also to then seek um clarity from my council colleagues on this.

Um my understanding, and uh please uh correct me or or help focus me if I'm uh getting off the rails here, Jock, is that um a successful resolution to today's conversation is not setting the budget, it's it's not revising Tacoma 2020 2035, it's not coming up with specific uh metrics, it's giving broad direction to the city manager's office about um the council's prioritization for the budget and for the city manager's work plan.

So uh a focused, broad, like highest level strategic, um, these are the areas I'd like you to generally focus on.

That that is what you were seeking today, is that correct?

That is absolutely correct, Mayor.

Okay, just uh for everyone's uh edification there.

And secondly, uh Jacques, if we can just to to help us help you, uh if we can just light speed go through starting at the very tip top there, because it's it seemed like you had some areas of ambiguity, like you like for example um business friendliness, for example, meant different things in a council context versus a city manager work plan context.

So uh in the in the spirit of giving you guidance while we're we're telling you stuff, yes.

Um can you just very briefly I'll take notes here.

Uh, where where are the areas of ambiguity you'd like us to answer for you among our other things?

Sure.

Um they really would relate to some of the themes that came out as high priority.

So when we talk about improving the effectiveness of communications, I think that's one area where we do need some additional detail.

So, what is comms mean?

What is comms mean?

Exactly.

Well um the the business example that you gave uh is a good one.

What does that look like?

Is that uh continuing and building upon the the results of tidy up to coma?

Is it something more than that?

Um for the impacts of homelessness.

We know that the unified regional approach to homelessness was something that came out as a priority.

Um is that the way that you want that to play out, or are there other pieces to that that you want to happen in concert with the URA?

Um, and then finally, I would say for um for the community safety issues.

I called out the the grouping of therapeutic courts, domestic violence, etc.

That's one that that we need to tease out as well.

Okay, great.

I think those are the main ones, Mayor.

All right, very good.

So uh within those particular parameters, so I'm gonna open it up for broad council discussion, starting with council walker.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, and Jacques, thank you for sending out uh our personal pages too that have what we committed to for budget priority.

That's super helpful to remember, and um my notes were a little scribbly, so thank you.

Um but just in working to reconcile those pieces, and I think actually I'm gonna um answer your questions first.

Um, in terms of budget themes, um, it feels like this is on the right track in terms of big buckets, but then we're or I will speak for myself.

I'm gonna get into the weeds on certain ones.

So what I'm hearing is that that's okay that this is a starting point, but that now is the time to be digging in and putting those things forward.

Um I think the media and communications piece for me, both on the budget themes and the city manager's work plan is it both and in terms of sort of outward communication, but also you mentioned that community outreach piece and how we dialogue with the community, whether it's on a specific project or as a whole.

Um, and I think part of that dialogue is with us, and that's maybe somewhat part of the next conversation on this agenda.

But I think also um thing that I would love to see is some sort of coordination um or expectations throughout the city on different projects because I think we sometimes, and I know sometimes this is grant stuff and it's federal funding versus state funding, whether there's money for a public outreach process, but some projects do it really, really well, and they go door to door to every neighbor and say, here's what's coming, what would you like to see?

How can you get involved?

And then other ones just don't have the budget for it, so we just pave a street and people don't know when I I don't think we ever don't tell people, but um, there's not like a dialogue with the community.

So, what is the expectation?

I would love to say there's a there's a community outreach piece of every project the city does, and is there a level budget level to that, or I think that's the conversation I want to have with the city manager.

Um, so that we have an understanding of what level we're able to commit to the community.

Um, and then I think I've brought this up a number of times.

Um so I know MCO is aware of it.

I would love to see us do more um dialogue with the um media right after council meetings, kind of what happened, and just provide more availability there.

Um otherwise, I think I love having the quarterly reports, so I feel like we get plenty of time to dig in on the specifics, um, but want to make sure we're funded at a level that we can make some of those those changes.

Um, but want to make sure we're funded at a level that we can make some of those those changes.

So in terms of budget.

Um clarifying question on the city manager work plan.

My assumption, and sorry, Mayor, if you said this and I missed it, that again, this is a starting point.

The city manager is gonna draft it, and that's gonna come to OSAC for us to discuss.

Is that my understanding, but Mayor?

Uh I'm I'm here to learn as well.

Okay.

Um I'm very excited to dig into that.

I think we heard that a lot from the community over the last couple of weeks about you know what does the city manager do and how are you all holding them accountable?

And so figuring uh those measure measurable progress pieces, I think is I I don't have an answer for it today, but I think having something that we can show the public that you know, here's here's where we are holding the city manager accountable, I think is a really important part of that.

It seems to me, like I put a number of things in here that are very specific projects, and I don't think it's bad to have specific projects in there, but I don't think the city manager's work plan can or should be sort of micromanaged from the council in terms of very specific projects.

So I'd love to have a conversation with my colleagues about that too, sort of the level of of detail.

How do we elevate things because we are in the neighborhoods and we see an issue, you know, like a dangerous corner or um something transportation-wise, or uh, you know, we'd really like to dig into how people are accessing this park or the school, or you know, things that are very specific and we know because we're on the ground.

We want to be able to raise those things, but in terms of the city manager's daily work, if we get into that level of detail, then you know that that's way too much detail, in my opinion.

So um okay, so those I think answered the question somewhat.

And then my um follow-up question is about how it is sort of about next steps.

So I understand the assignment is to like connect with each other individually, connect with council committee chairs.

Is there going to be another group meeting where that's like the stuff in the style of the retreat that we come together?

Yes, thank you for that question.

Uh we are open to supporting you in whatever way is going to work for you and prioritizing.

So if that is the method that you as a council would like to take for a next step, happy to facilitate that.

Um so I would be one uh vote for having some space for that.

I don't think it needs to be super long.

I don't think it has to be super heavy in terms of facilitation and and dots in those things, but I think revisiting the specifics of my list with you all would be really helpful for me.

Um and I think maybe more importantly is what didn't make it onto anybody's list, because there were some important things on in the categories on the wall that had no dots on them.

Are they things that we no longer care about, or we just figured somebody else was picking that up?

That's the conversation that I think I haven't had yet with my colleagues that I'd like to have.

So thank you for this and really appreciate it coming back quickly when it was still all fresh in our minds.

Thank you.

And uh really good comments.

Thank you, Councilmember Walker.

Is it okay if I seek uh clarification on one of those things?

So, in terms of that follow-up meeting you were talking about, are you talking about in particular between committee chairs to see what fits where?

Um, I was thinking the whole group um that there's some space to sort of revisit the style of the retreat.

I think that the committee chairs probably has to happen too, but to me that's a little bit more logistical, like hey, do you have this on your calendar or not?

Got it.

Um, but more of that conversational that I thought was really valuable at the retreat was more what I'm hoping for.

And do you think that this would be because I'm assuming that there's a city manager work plan conversation happening as well, which uh what I've seen at least historically is sort of that next step of taking the the broad strokes, council priorities as a whole, and then interpreting them in the context of specific programs, specific ideas, specific measurements, and understandably there's going to be some give and take between the council and and the manager about what gets the full brunt.

Uh but do you feel that that would be an appropriate place to um efficiently and effectively have council um uh feedback on what that looks like, or we or or you'd envision this as something that's separate track from that.

No, I think that would work.

Okay, so very good.

And and I understand that's that's on the ways anyway, whether it's OSAC or otherwise, uh a great deal of flexibility, but um understandably, yes, there has to be a lot of good give and take, and the council has to sign off on this, obviously.

So uh I appreciate the feedback there.

Thank you.

Um this this was just since comms was was such a huge part of the feedback that that we got from the retreat.

Uh it makes me wonder that um we already do have uh the MCO department do a fair amount of of work, especially on signature issues, but uh it it just makes me wonder that if the focus is on you know ha having a step above, you know, a certain kind of series of signature issues that maybe there should be a corresponding prioritization of like a like a special media strategy for these specific things with you know attendant metrics of success, for instance.

Um just floating that idea out, but uh it seems that storytelling both outward facing to the community as well as um getting good input on the front end to make the the most advanced decisions that that maybe there needs to be a corresponding MCO strategy and and an attendant um funding for that in in the budget conversation that that might be something worth discussing, just thinking out loud.

Council Member Hines, you had a question.

Yeah, no, I I mean and this is probably I was not at the end of the conversation where I mean we've been talking, we've been talking about communication as like a focus for almost the entire time I've been on the council, right?

It's like something we want to do, and that's not to deny all the work the MCO's done.

I think my question would be rather why do we want to communicate?

You know, do we dive into that part of it, right?

Because there's a level of communication like, hey, we did this and we just want to let you know that we did it.

There's a communication that's like educational base, like, hey, this is why we're doing it this way.

There's communication that's like amplifying a message, or is it communication that's just you know, um, you know, I just when I see communication, I think something, and this is may not be the appropriate place to dive in on that, but my question is like why?

Right?

Because if we have if the goal is just to tell the public that what we're doing is good and they should just be cool with it, um, maybe that's not the most effective thing we should be doing.

Maybe there's education that's part of it, maybe there's engagement that's part of it.

Maybe it's a dialogue and not just broadcast.

Um, I think if we can get to that purpose, um, then we can work with the city manager and MCO about well, what are the best processes by which we achieve those goals when we understand why we're communicating.

And that's just something I've been thinking about for about six years now.

That's really good feedback.

Uh Deputy Mirror.

Thank you.

And I appreciate your comments, Councilmember Hines, on that.

Um just just to add on to that, it's not it wasn't too long ago that we had a a like a media communication strategy uh like work plan done.

Um and it has been a common theme for us to to want to have more communications, whatever that looks like.

Um, but then we're not necessarily backing up with the support that I think is necessary to fill out that plan.

Um so I'd really be curious of maybe it's been a few years now, so maybe there's an opportunity for a refresh um of that, but um I'd want to see what does it look like to make sure what does it look like to be fully funded and and support that plan to fruition.

Um and then I just want to also recognize that uh excuse me.

The the the Seattle metro media market and those realities and the kind of just the realities of uh of journalism in its current state, uh newspapers and and different types of media.

Um, you know, and I really think we have to kind of rethink uh what our communication strategy is and how we're telling that story, given the realities of of the media market we are in.

Um I think it's really easy for folks in this media market to um point the finger at other places outside their own city in order to uh make themselves look better.

Uh and you know, unfortunately I feel like Tacoma tends to get a brunt of that.

Um and so like how do we cut through that chaff and really tell our story and don't let others tell our story for us.

Um and there's ways that we can do it both internally, but then we also have great partners, organizations and people out in our community that can help tell that story as well, and how are we supporting them to tell that story?

So there's but to to Councilmember Hines' point, but what what are we trying to do or what are we trying to accomplish, I think is really an important question to ask.

Thank you, Councilmember Palmer.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um so yeah, I guess along those same lines when we're talking about media and communications.

Um I think there's some opportunity when it comes to social media and using those avenues.

Um and if we're thinking uh similar along the lines that uh council member Hines was talking about about what do we want this communication to do, I think back to the community survey that we did, and the results came back where there was a little bit of a lack of trust in uh in the local government.

And so I'm thinking that that is such a huge tool that we can use in order to build that trust, whether it's education or dialogue back and forth, or just being um available and accessible and letting people know what we're doing.

Um I think social media is maybe not utilized as much as it could be.

There was um the presentation from the media and communications department, and there were numbers of like, you know, we we have this many followers and this kind of thing.

And so when I'm thinking about like a baseline though, I don't know how what that means compared to like anything else.

Like is is having a hundred followers on this app good or is it could we be doing more there?

Um so that I'd like to see that in a more measurable way.

Um yeah, and then as far as you had mentioned the the best place to work part and having wanting some clarity there.

Um I wrote access under that because I think that that is a big part of um being able to do business here in Tacoma.

And I think that if I'm thinking about what can Tacoma do, like as a niche and you know, that brings folks here rather than other cities.

Um I think we can be we can be known as the most accessible city to start a business, whether that's with the permitting or whether we have uh the ability to support uh cooperatives or people can come in and into a business together to make it work.

Um I think that those are the avenues that I would like to explore.

Thank you, Councilmember Palmer, Councilmember Rumbach.

Um thank you, Mayor.

I'm not really sure based on what people have just said, what what we're doing right now because it seems like we got off topic about what you need from us, and I I thought it was more definition on certain things, and so I'm just trying to like refocus.

Um I don't need specifics, but you need to know is like um when we say um, for instance, rebuilding hope, therapeutic court, domestic violence, they sort of just got grouped together.

They're not meant to be together, domestic violence, and um I see rebuilding hope that's separate than the hope team, so I hope that that's not what you thought.

Um so those are like making sure that we're continuing to invest in those things, and that's an important part.

And then therapeutic court is different and that and what we're looking to do, so that should be put separate.

Um, and then um I'm gonna let other people talk about media and communications because I think that that's a hot mess right there to um figure out if there's a cut go back and forth, or is it just promoting?

So I felt like when we talked about media and communications from my perspective, was umplifying the good work that we've been doing, but also providing education.

So that's sort of my theory on that.

And then um that that's really all I want to talk about right now because I really feel like some of this has to happen in our committees to kind of go through, for instance, um, talking about code enforcement, that that's really important because it's tied to unified to their unified to the other side of unified regional approach to the homeless work that we've been doing and doing a better job of accountability in some ways.

Um, for instance, um, if there's parked cars on, I was talking to Councilmember Heinz this morning.

If there's parked cars on blocks in a residential area, then we can like remove that car.

But it's in a if it's in a commercial area, we can't.

And what does that do for businesses in the area if someone's putting cars on blocks?

So I think that there's specific things, but I'm not sure how specific to be though, to be helpful to the city manager.

So that's that's really I think what we need to kind of talk about.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Hines, uh, did you have something to say?

I just clarified question, Councilman Romba.

You said communication is a hot mess.

You're not referring to the media communications department.

You're just talking about like what our goals and strategies are that we have our.

Yeah, we're just all we've all just have different things we're saying, and I want to make sure that we're more clear to MCO because I think they do a fabulous job.

Um, but I'm not sure their job is to do the back and forth.

And I I have always been actually that's the site I'm worried about is the back and forth because that's where we get in trouble, and that's where we open ourselves up to lawsuits and say things we shouldn't, and that's why it's always been sort of my theory that I'm not gonna write back to things on social media because I don't have support from the city.

If I say something, it'll be on me to and I might get sued or say something that might be inflammatory.

So that's sort of been my lens, been I've been told to just like it's okay to put something out, but it's not necessarily okay to be responding back and forth.

And that's I just to council member Palmer who's newer here, that can be an issue where you get in trouble with possibly a lawsuit, and we're not covered for that as individuals who work here because we don't have staff who do that work for us.

Thank you.

And I think to because umbrellas are kind of the theme here for some of the powerpoints that we have about a strategic plan.

Uh I keep going back to Council Member Hines' question about to what end, you know, what is the why behind media strategy.

And the more I think about it, the the more it's it's just simple and elegant, and that is the end is our policies.

In particular, our strategic goals with Tacoma 2035 and what we determine are the the greatest sprunt of our prioritization.

Um I think to the extent media is a priority is is to me at least it's not necessarily that media is its own end, but maybe a heightened focus on media for the heightened focuses of the council, you know.

For example, with the community safety action strategy, uh trust building is a very important part of that, you know, in terms of answers on surveys, for example, or business friendliness, for example.

So to the extent that we're prioritizing media, maybe not necessarily as a separate bucket, but maybe an umbrella that goes over what the other main thrusts are of the strategy.

That's uh that's what I think might be the most graceful way to reconcile um those areas of prioritization.

That's that's just my two cents, but that that's what I seem to hear from this council is is not so much about going in a million directions, but supporting those those few very well done directions with really good public outreach and and really good trust building.

Deputy Mayor?

Or Jock Jacques, and then I would I if I may just quickly respond to Councilmember Rumbaugh.

Um just to reiterate what I'm looking for today.

Number one, does this reflect what your priorities were that you shared at the at the retreat?

Number two, are there additional details that you want, such as these two things should be split from each other?

And number three, what are your desired next steps?

Do you want to continue this conversation in a particular venue as council member walker described?

Do you feel like the committee chair's route is good enough?

I just want to make sure that before we leave this conversation, we have a good sense of what your needs are to move forward with this conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um, and thank you for realigning us here.

Uh we did get down into the rabbit hole with MCO, but you know, uh again, great team uh doing a lot of great work.

Um but I I did uh just uh further refine for clarification.

I I think it'd be really helpful to have like uh like a debrief with our staff, similar to how we kind of had a lead up into um the retreat, but then maybe kind of like a follow-up based on these budget themes and priorities to we could so we can dive into a little bit more detail, um maybe about specific projects, maybe about specific elements, and and I I bet you at the end of all of that we'll probably find some additional themes and clarification through those conversations.

So that's one way to do it.

Uh certainly I think a cow in the future, maybe around specific topics of interest uh might be beneficial or or things of that nature.

Um and then just uh yeah, so that that I think would just be helpful.

And then I just one further point of clarification, particularly because you had asked on these specific topic areas of media being one of them.

One of the other parts was like, and Tacoma is the best place to do business in the Puget Sound.

Um I think about how we respond to the our uh business climate survey uh that we did not too long ago, um, and how that can be incorporated into um that that feedback loop that we have with our businesses to be responsive and to make sure that we are uh having the you know living up to the best place uh in PG Sound to do business.

So um just it uh just as because I didn't necessarily see that specifically within this target area, but I think that is a really great uh avenue for like really positive trust building and feedback loop.

Yeah, thank you.

Uh Deputy Mayor, can I ask a clarifying question there?

Sure.

Do you recall having read the business climate survey what the most important questions were in that survey that came to mind?

Oh, I I can't recall off the top of my head, but it was a pretty extensive survey.

And we worked with the the chamber of commerce uh really extensively to to get that in.

Um I think we can get you a copy.

Greet straps was a big a big area of concern as well.

Yeah.

And whether it's specific programs like Grease Traps or whether it's um because again, just to reiterate, um it's it's kind of okay.

I mean, I I definitely feel the frustration of being omnidirectional at the same time um omnidirectional within a structure, right?

Because our our goal isn't to solve these things or necessarily prioritize individual programs so much as provide broad direction uh to staff about our areas of of focus that we want.

And then the next step is uh is City Manager Kim giving us his interpretation, and then that's where the the give and take can happen.

So so um I don't want us to feel disappointed or bent out of shape that we're we're not solving priest traps for homelessness in one study session, right?

But uh broad strategic, uh high-level direction is the name of the game, and I think we're doing okay in that respect.

So uh moving on, uh do you feel sufficiently guided about comms?

Absolutely, and and this, you know, when you say sufficiently guided, this is going to be an iterative conversation that continues.

So for the time being, absolutely thank you for the additional detail.

And I would say I you I would welcome the opportunity to continue the discussion.

Just a few other things here, since this is probably the most important thing we're talking about today.

It's literally our strategy.

Um business friendliness, it seems like the consensus of of a lot of the members of the councils, both both an inward-facing and an outward-facing uh presentation.

The inward facing, I would assume uh pertain to things like permitting, for example.

Uh that's probably the biggest uh the biggest indicator of of business friendliness that we keep hearing about.

I'm sure that there are others.

Um outward facing, it seems like the the biggest area of overlap would be just concerns about safety, cleanliness, things like that.

Is is that a is that a good interpretation of of what folks were saying?

Yes, and then that's part of why I brought up also the our climate survey, because that was outward facing, and so really I think um because cleanliness and safety is certainly a part of that, but there are multiple other things that the business community is like hey, these are things that we'd like to see the city work also work on.

And so maybe maybe as the city manager's office and the office of strategy put together the the next step, um, consult with the people who put on that survey, and you could use some qualitative input about uh what did people care the most about in that survey, and that can be part of that outward facing component, uh, whether it was safety or something else, and then that could be a measure of success.

Would that sound reasonable?

Yes, Mayor.

Awesome.

All right.

And um when it comes to homelessness, uh my question is we're largely internally already doing a lot.

I mean, that that's kind of the point of the URA is that we're we're doing a lot and we want other people to do more, basically, uh to put it crassly.

Um but there is a lot of of support for the aura in terms of the city's overall um approach to homelessness among other things.

Um can I ask um either from my colleagues who are on URA who who've been there longer than me or from people who aren't but are still involved in this, um, what that would look like for the city to take an active role supporting the URA priorities uh besides the things we're already doing, such as uh the the data collection, uh point of contact, um, inclement weather strategy and so forth, which are the immediate priorities for 2026.

Uh, is there feedback in that respect for members of the council?

Councilman Roma.

Yeah, thank you for that question.

Um the way I look at our um our participation, it would be to continue to have staff involved, because one of the best um the best things that we can bring forward is the experience our staff has with setting up shelter um and what it what makes good for good um good systems in that sense.

And the other side is supporting a step the staff people that they're asking for, and I think they gave us a number what that looked like, but those are the low bar of things that I think that we would be doing.

Um but also the the rest of it kind of lies on our side to do the work with the other cities to get the electeds on board to become a part of that.

So that's what I think.

And we're also using staff to do the ILA and things like that.

So that's my answer.

Yeah, and also, yeah, just to that point, the just the the passage of an interlocal agreement, for example.

I mean, that's that's a a one-time thing, but with a lot of uh fruits of that labor down the road.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Sidalga.

Um just to echo a lot of what Councilmember Rumba said, I think on um there's several things we can do on a policy and on an operational basis.

Uh on an operational basis, a lot of these jurisdictions really don't know how to operate, and we do, and that's where our expertise can come in uh with our partners.

Uh but to echo another point, Councilmember Rumba uh said it's also to assist some of these um uh council colleagues in other municipalities, they may not have as ubiquitous support on their councils in garnering that support uh by explaining our actual experience um in running these programs and the benefits of those programs.

And all of that is time and effort.

Um eventually a cost as well, several costs, but there's a lot of time and effort in getting that kind of work done.

Sure.

Okay, well, that makes a lot of sense.

Uh how do people feel about things that we don't necessarily directly control but are influenced by what we're doing?

So so for example, like the point in time count, which we don't directly control it to the same way that we directly control having our own in-house policies like um URA, for example, but things that we influence but not don't necessarily control being something that's aspirational, like something that we're really putting a lot of weight behind disproportionately.

I can't I don't know what what your point is to that.

I mean, I know what the point in talent time count is, but we count on that because that's how we get HUD dollars.

So it's part of the system of like the money that's passed through from Pierce County from um when we when there's like uh recordings that recording fees that happen, we get some of that money through Pierce County.

So I'm not sure that that I understand what you mean by us having like it's that we are just part of that because that's what what we do as a city because we're in Pierce County.

Sure.

And they're doing account.

It's not the boundaries necessarily, it's just Pierce County.

Sure.

Uh to be more plainly spoken, I'm talking about just from the perspective of John Q public, JQ public, leaving aside HUD funding and so forth.

Uh, your average person, just like a lot of correspondence we've had, uh the the biggest thing they just care about is people on the street.

It just metrics about that.

Um point in time is how we internally measure it for funding purposes, but I I'm and and that's what I mean, uh, because it is lofty and it's not something that we directly control.

We're we're subject to many things, but um I just wanted to lightly put that out there is is that is some kind of stretch goal worthy of consideration in these conversations.

And we can always revisit that later or we can talk with some.

I'm sorry, Mayor.

Was that question to your colleagues or to me?

To my colleagues, or or to yourself as well, if you have staff perspective.

Council Hines.

Okay, no problem.

Sure.

Yeah, we we can revisit that.

Um don't mean to put anyone in the hot seat.

Um just this is within the spirit of this conversation is is one step above spaghetti on the wall, but at the same time, we're not solving these problems with specifics.

We're we're setting broad strategic priorities.

So if I may respond since nobody else did, um that is the one of the primary challenges of performance management for a large organization like this is we know that the outcomes that are most important to people are not necessarily the outputs that we have control over, and that the relationship between those outputs that we do and the outcome that eventually is seen by the community, those are not always a straight line.

And so homelessness is a great example of that, um, knowing that the number of people that we see in the point in time count will have a relationship to a number of different things, including what percentage rent was raised in the previous 12 months, including how many uh shelters or stability programs were open in that region, so on and so forth.

Um so that's not to say that they um can be tossed out because those are again the most important thing to the community members that are feeling that ultimate outcome.

So I just I wanted to just mention that yes, and yes, um, we need to find a way to capture those outcomes that are most important and tie them to meaningful outputs that we have here at the at the organizational level.

And crucially, what I will say is in the context of the budget, too, because that's that's an absolutely accurate yes and that there are so many things directly outside Hispanic control.

We we we don't determine these factors.

Um at the same time, though, if if we are faced, for example, with budget decisions over scarce resources, and there is, for example, a program or an appropriation that uh would have direct influence on the number of people uh on the streets, say a sh a shelter expansion or a partner willing to do something or along those lines, then having a goal might make those budget decisions have a little bit more clarity, for instance.

Um, assuming that's something the council wants to do or along those lines.

But just clarifying that.

Uh Councilmember Hines, and then we can move on to the last topic here before we move on.

Yeah, no, I mean, I think the what is popped into my mind again, I think I said earlier is just kind of we probably need to have a further discussion of what our goals are and what we want to achieve around that sphere, and recognizing what Jack said, we can't control everything.

I think as we think about the URA, I think before entering into a uh the con before agreeing to just sign off on something like that.

I think we have to have really clear expectations of what we are feel comfortable doing as a council, what we feel comfortable spending money on, what we feel comfortable investing in, so that we go into that conversation and that relationship, understanding who we are as an individual, and then the relationship be more successful.

I I hate when we had this conversation at the county council a long time ago or with the county council, I said, you know, the URA is like getting married, right?

It's a there's a there's a relationship you're entering into.

And I said at the time, I wouldn't say get married and figure out who you married, you know, who the person you're marrying is, I'd say get to know the person first, understand who you are, and then get married.

Um I also think marriages are much more successful, not saying that uh relationships, I don't have to say marriage, relationships are more successful when people come into it understanding who they are, understanding what their values are, and being able to freely communicate them with their partners.

And so I think as part of this conversation with the URA, I would hope that we would spend a lot of time working with our staff, working with our among ourselves, understand who we are, what we want to do, and how we can show up as our best selves as part of this relationship that is the URA.

And I will stop my analogy at that point in time.

Thank you.

No, no one's gonna cancel you over the URA, John.

You're fine.

I I've uh I've said a lot along the same lines.

I'm I'm very much in alignment there.

Um it it does seem if I'm reading the room correctly, that um regardless of thoughts on other metrics of success that uh there does seem if if I'm correct in interpreting, that the overall mission of the relationship uh of the URA uh and our role in it is is something that um with proper staff input that we would like to prioritize.

Am I reading that correctly?

Whether it's the whether it's the local policies, um just the successful passage of an interlocal agreement that that ties other communities into doing the same thing and just the presence of that regional agreement, uh that is something that we can agree on is a council priority.

Okay, well that's that's a good good place to tie that second to last one in.

And then, of course, safety, uh, which is totally not nebulous at all.

Um safety sort of touches on the business friendliness side, but uh it seems like one of the things I read is that there's almost an embarrassment of riches.

Like there are a lot of things that are just really good programs that just kind of got lumped together in in that uh that sticky note pile.

Uh be they um youth violence, domestic violence, therapeutic court.

Um maybe why don't we start uh Jacques with the staff interpretation of whether you feel that that's a broad focus, or if you feel you need guidance from the council about how to flush those out, or what is too broad, what is too specific.

Yeah, thank you for that question.

So first off, there is a level of additional detail that's needed to help parse out exactly what is meant, you know, therapeutic courts, for example.

Um, you know, there are many different models for therapeutic court.

We have a model within the municipal court that's operating.

Is that about expansion and supporting what is happening in the municipal court?

Is that more about supporting partners in other parts of the judicial judicial system?

Um what what is specifically meant there?

Um and then in terms of the other components of that, let's take Brave for example.

Um we know that there's a lot of um uncertainty in what is captured in that one sticky note essentially.

Um but we also know that that's not necessarily something that we have to come to agreement on as a full counsel because that work is being brought forward both by staff and by certain uh executive sponsors at the council level.

So simply identifying that brave and youth violence is a priority in that case is enough for us to continue the conversation in a more specific way with that particular program and staff.

Yeah, it seems that the through line between all those things, whether we're focusing more specifically on on relationships, that's the word of the day, um, on youth investing in in our young people and in um uh I I would say the expansion of of what's a very successful model.

I I think our our therapeutic court is uh is marvelous, and I think more of that success is just what I personally would love to see.

Uh but uh but I I myself as one of nine would say that there does seem to be a through line, even though it does visually look like that's a lot of sticky notes in one place.

Uh for me that that seems to be a focus on root causes that um it which is it's a yes and to ensuring that TPD has adequate capacity uh along with you know TFD and our our public safety agencies, and on top of that, a focus on root causes to safety issues, whether it's um the environmental factors identified in the community safety acting strategy or those those three programs, uh, but an abundant focus on root cause, um, trust building, community building, and and things with the safety emphasis on the front end.

Uh would you say that that's an adequate fruit to guide staff there?

At first blush, that sounds accurate.

Um, but I um I think there's a lot of different ways to interpret that.

And so um for me, yes, and again, uh that makes sense, and I think there um, you know, I'll look to council member Heinz.

I think there's an aspect of right service for the right person at the right time that also is a theme of that.

Um so I would welcome the opportunity to talk more through again purpose, goals, and then specifically the details around how you would like us to help you get there.

And I think staff is is uh I think very much up to the task of doing that.

But so what I'm hearing is a more smart, efficient um right person for the right um right agency, right program for the right person, um, better aligned.

Um but yeah, certainly, and it looks like we have some additional council comments on this.

So uh councilman Rumbaugh and then Council Mr.

Hines.

So I I think therapeutic court is getting a lot of attention today because there's people who have ideas of how we might use it in a different way.

Um when I put therapeutic court down, I'm meaning to utilize it more.

How do we figure out how to um look at the structure we have and how do we help more people with community and therapeutic court?

That's the goal.

Is um the purpose in my purpose is to figure out how we take something that works well and use it more to get an impact over here, which means it's better for the community, there's less recidivism, um, we're reaching more people.

Um I I think that's important.

Um that's what I meant by therapeutic court.

Other people might mean other things, and so I just want to be really clear.

That's my point of putting it down.

Council Brahma.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Uh and I think Shaq, to your point, I you know, something I have um been thinking more and more about as we get to the safety, right?

You know, um the the why, how, what, or I mean, so one of the things I think would be good for us to understand express the kind of what do we want, right?

So it's like we want lower violent crime rates, we want lower people's victims of crime, we want fewer students running around the streets with no after school programs.

I mean, the what and then the why has already been established, right?

We all we want to save our community for everybody, and then I think the how would fall to you folks.

Because I would hate for us to get into a place where we would say, well, one thing we'd like to see is we'd like to see you know fewer um engagements between the youth in our community and the police department, and the police department has some really good ideas to try to limit the amount of engagement between youth and the police department.

They have really good things, but we would say, well, but you're the police department, you can't do that, so we're gonna tell you how to do it.

It has to involve somebody it's not them.

So I would say I would I'm hopeful I when I look at this, I think we've articulated the what, which is safer communities for all residents, no matter where you are, no matter who you are, um, and that that idea of like right person, right time, right service, and then the how is the where the staff makes the magic happen.

And I guess that would say the how would then fall into the city manager's work plan where we would say here's what we want, and then how are you, city manager, gonna do that with the staff you have.

Thank you.

Okay.

So just again, reading the tea leaves for the purpose of your homework assignment to Ushock, which is giving you a little bit more of a focused but still broad, high-level um direction so that um the city manager can take his next steps of having free and open creative control to dive a little bit deeper, and then we can have a more give and take on those.

Uh what I'm hearing in terms of the focus is it it really seems like what matters a lot to the council is um a focus on on homelessness and in particular the URA and a support for that that regionalized partnership, um business climate, both internal facing and outward facing, and just public safety in terms of people feeling safe, uh addressing um root causes both for youth and and just the the smartest application, and um not at the exclusion of other things, but but it seems like a lot of these priorities of importance that that have gotten more than one vote at the retreat seem to follow but to fall under those three umbrellas, all of which with um media that is deployed more forcefully in some way, as to be determined by staff recommendation.

But you know, media being the through line for those three larger buckets um seems to be what what my furious note taking would indicate.

Um I would welcome if that's consistent with your interpretation, Jacques.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

That that is consistent.

I would say, you know, a couple of the themes that got left out include transportation and mobility, for example, and the Portland Ave redesign project and the streets levy.

Um, but at the same time, we know that part of the community safety action strategy is making sure that our streets are safe.

So it's not at the exclusion of the other, and we know that these are not um siloed goal areas.

So, yes, your your interpretation sounds accurate to me, Mayor, and um I'll leave it at that.

Okay, Councilmember Palmer.

I think one of your asks was what do we do next?

And I think Councilmember Walker was touching on that.

I don't know.

Can we decide that now?

Can we decide that we're going to have another meeting with the council?

Uh certainly that's uh that's subject to council interpretation.

Um we could have another meeting of this.

Um we could have a meeting in response to a city manager work plan where the larger, broader discussions, um, since you know we're we're not staff members, right?

I mean, we could cook up all number of metrics, but um you know I'm not a department head, I'm I'm not a code enforcement person, right?

I mean, I'm I'm just a mayor, right?

Um what one option would be to get staff interpretation of these broader areas of emphasis and making them a little bit less broad in the sense of having a specific thrust, like okay, my interpretation of these buckets uh is this, and getting media to better build on them and get you more of what you want looks like this.

Here is my proposal, like a first draft basically.

Um, subject to then being sent to uh the OSAC committee or or another vehicle if council would prefer.

Uh and then that that would that could then potentially be the opportunity for greater dialogue is um not just kicking around the same broader work product, but having a little bit more refinement after staff has their creative control.

That that could be one option, uh, or if you think that we need further fleshing out of the very high-level broad stuff, uh, that could be too.

Um I I'm open to um to guidance on either.

It's uh it's our council.

Uh do you have any thoughts on that, Councilmember Palmer?

Yeah, I think this has been fleshed out pretty well, but I think Councilmember Walker was talking about kind of their individual ownership of the things that we were wanting to do.

And so understanding kind of where the overlap is and fleshing that out.

I think understanding that before we get into more of the budget conversation makes a lot of sense.

Sure.

Would um would there be openness uh from the council to having uh just to be sensitive to budget timelines because I know that the departments have their own timelines for making proposals and getting feedback from us as well as the committee chairs.

Do you think there'd be openness to having two parallel tracks?

Because what I'm hearing is uh is another yes and another uh area of importance, which is um who might want to take point on on you know owning a certain issue on taking the the vast brunt, you know, whether it's um trees, for example, or or code enforcement or therapeutic court or or um uh labor up uh upgrades or or jobs uh skill development, for example, uh which is a very valid conversation to have.

Um would it make sense perhaps to have these happen concurrently to have one track for uh determining who is best aligned or who who wants to take ownership of these things, along with giving staff enough time to not feel rushed going into the budget to flesh out the work plan from the city manager's office and then feed it to us and then for us to have a broader discussion, which we may then be able to supply with those ownership conversations.

Do you think that might be a graceful way of straddling both of those?

Okay, how do people feel about that?

Councilmember Hines?

Uh no, thank you for the option, Ms.

Mayor, uh Mayor.

I I think there's a couple a couple, I have a couple of thoughts about this.

So, number one, I agree with Councilmember Palmer, there's probably an opportunity for us to take this kind of broad direction and think about where who's gonna do the work on this.

I would think about breaking, I think we need to have another conversation about breaking things into two tracks, but some things are gonna be everyone on the council is going to be part of it, right?

So every like public safety is not a conversation where I think we can have one person take point on it and go.

Um, I think homelessness is probably not a conversation.

We can like one person take point on it and go, but I think there are smaller pieces that are that.

So I would say I'd like to have a conversation of what are the kind of things everybody wants to be part of, and then what are the pieces that we can break out that maybe could be worked on in committees or different people from that?

Uh I think just that might be the two different tracks we'd establish.

Uh the other thing I I would really want to come back to is that the P's to really have a conversation around like which of these is program, policy, partnership, or platform.

Um I'm getting there's I'm also seeing another set of tracks of tracks everywhere, uh, where we have a uh policy track, like here are the rules and laws we needed to put in place, and then there's a budget track that exists, and I think that's the nexus with the city manager, which is I want to do X, like this thing.

Let's work backwards.

Well, there's a there's policy that needs to be put in place, and there's a budget ass that needs to be put in place.

And I think that if we can work ourselves back to that and think about where we fit in as the policymakers, and then think about where the budget and administrative side fit together on those different issues could be very helpful.

So whole council, individuals, budget, policy, and then platform partnership, public.

I forget the fourth P Anyway, that's the public's not even one of them, but there you go.

Is everybody tracking anybody writing that down out in the ether, drawing that diagram?

So if I can clarify, Councilmember Hines, are you envisioning um like a committee of the whole, a separate study session for for that particular fleshing out of ownership, or how would you like to see that?

I'd probably think another committee of the whole would be a good conversation for us to sit down and Jacques could probably say, hey, here are the broad themes, and here's what we think they are, and kind of shake that out.

Because I I do know sometimes when I was new here, right, where like a policy we get shunted into a committee, and I would say, Well, I really want to be involved with that, and now it's gone, and I don't get any say.

Uh and so I hopeful that we could get a conversation around like this is something we all want to work on, or this is something I'm cool if um council deputy bushnell runs runs free on it.

All right, uh Councilmember Walker.

Thank you.

I just I think I I think if I tracking the tracks, uh I agree that all these things need to happen, and I think um just to say yes to what council member Palmer said that was the ownership piece was the piece that I was hoping to flesh out in study session committee of the whole, whatever that looks like, you know, get the dots out again and um see where we landed, because I agree there are some things that aren't gonna land with any one person, but again, I'm more worried about the ones that don't have any dots, and somebody's got to own them.

So I think that having these two conversations at once makes actually a lot of sense so that we have a council person on the work while the city manager does the internal stuff.

Okay, great.

So what what I'm hearing, if I'm reading the room correctly, and uh then we'll bounce it off staff to make sure that I'm I'm making sense, is uh two concurrent tracks, uh, one of which will be like a committee at the whole or sp or a study session topic to identify uh who would like to be points on the the general uh the specific programs or the broader programmatic focuses under each of those three buckets, and then we can just all determine in an open public meeting who would like to take point, um, maybe even talk since we'll have the committee chairs in the room about who'd like to take the brunt of the focus there.

Um concurrently with um empowering the city manager's office to start running with fleshing out a little bit more specifics, both budgetary and also uh more specific proposals, but still not so specific as as to be totally married to a direction.

Um to be sent to OSAC or another suitable committee to be fleshed out and have some give and take before being brought to the full council.

Am I uh Councilmember Walker or timed in there?

Yeah, just wanted to add, I it sounds good to me.

The conversation about ownership, we do have that list in our inbox from the work we did at the council retreat, so we don't have to start from scratch.

We can start with that document as a discussion.

So that could be supplied as part of the council materials prior to that other that other meeting.

Deputy Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um just trying to think logistically how this could potentially work out.

I you know, I I really believe in our committee process strongly, um, and there are things that um I'm very interested in personally, right?

Uh, and that I would love to take lead on, but I also really believe that uh the committees are a really great place for good policy discussion to happen, and it happens to be sometimes the things that are very high priority for me.

Um, and I would love to be a part of, I really trust the committee process and to go through its things.

So it's like I I think it's also really important to identify um like yes, you want to be a part of this process, but then like where in the process do you want to be engaged at?

Uh I I want to be engaged at the other side of the committee process, so something that's really fleshed out that I can react to and work through.

Um so that's that's I think uh a little piece or caveat there, because maybe there are certain things that are very important to you know all of us as a council or individual council members, but let's let's like let it go through its process and then you know reconnect on on a different way.

So that way we're not kind of like doubling up not necessarily on things or information.

So just the thought out there, thank you.

Okay.

So what I'm hearing, Deputy Mayor, is in that that other concurrent meeting that uh there would be an abundance of clarity on direction and where where something is going to live.

So a question of the who and the where is that what I'm hearing?

Okay, very good.

Well, that uh sounds reasonable.

Uh clear as much off, or do you feel you have uh enough direction on how to proceed to talk with the city manager's office?

Great guidance.

I appreciate all of the direction.

Thank you, Mayor.

Wonderful, and thank you guys.

All right, moving on to another uh more open-ended topic.

This one is about community forum.

So um I've received a lot of feedback from uh members of the public from uh from my other colleagues, and also we've had a great discussion on this in the OSAC committee.

So I don't have a script, so this is what I mean by very free form.

So what this means is um there's been a lot of of desire from members of the community from members of the council to do something.

It's it's clear there's a really big something capital S with community forum because there's there's mutual dissatisfaction from members of the public, uh, from members of the council about what is our why uh behind the community forum, um, why are we doing this?

Uh, what is it, what is a better way to let the public feel more satisfied about being heard, about having opportunities for engaging with us, and and from our ability as policymakers to be as best informed.

So, what I I have interpreted my marching orders from OSAC at least is that the purpose of this more open-ended conversation is is similar to our last conversation, not to create the solution, not to create a specific model, uh, but more to just inform me and my policy staff with what you think your biggest priorities are for uh reenvisioning what community forum should be.

So, not just um having community forum be just once per month, not not just the current interim stop gap, but if we were to reinvent community forum in a way that was just more satisfying to the community and to us, what are the big pieces for how you'd envision that, what you'd like to see?

And then our next step is going to be um my staff and I are going to cook up a first draft, which we will introduce to OSAC this Friday uh for interpretation for further fleshing out an open public meeting, and then based on that and based on public feedback, we'll then bring something to the council.

Uh, this will not be a rush process.

This will be something that's uh subject to a lot of of chewing and and back and forth and give to take.

Uh, but it is really high time to start the conversation with transparency with candor and just acknowledging what we need.

Um, so with that, uh, this is very much a friendly spaghetti on the wall conversation.

So I'm open to as much feedback as you'd like, and this will be interpreted and um brought forward on Friday.

So we'll start with Councilmember Rumba.

Yeah, I think this is a good place to start, and thank you so much.

Um, and I know we've been talking about this before new people got on council for a long time, and we just we're getting to it now.

Um, but really I think like the first thing to do is what's the purpose?

And like you mentioned that in your email and I was hoping that we could just talk a little bit about purpose because that will help guide as we then go back to what we decide to do.

Um so I'd really like to hear from people what the purpose is of redoing, what are we trying to do?

And so if we don't have a purpose for it, um why are we doing this?

So does that's the first question.

I just I'm gonna open it up.

I'm not gonna answer that.

Okay, that's a great question.

Council Member Palmer.

Yeah, if I can remember what the existing purpose says, it's something about um Do you want their reading?

Yeah, please.

Uh the mayor sent this out earlier.

The purpose of this forum is to assist the council in making policy decisions, therefore, items of discussion shall be limited to matters over which the council has jurisdiction.

That's the highlighted portion in there.

The purpose is to assist the council in making policy decisions.

Thank you.

Um and I think that that's still the purpose.

I think that you know, uh, when we're talking about the ultimate goal is to make good policy decisions, but it's what do we need to get there, right?

And I think that um community input is part of our making um the the good policy decisions.

Um so when we're talking uh about uh I know we've talked about dialogue a little bit of you know having the opportunity to um you know maybe ask further questions or clarify things if folks are asking things during during community forum, and I think that all goes to that purpose of of better policy making.

This is just my own two cents, but really pertinent after the last topic, which would be trust building.

Um that's something that just comes up time and again in in surveys that we do, whether it's the media, whether it's public forum, it's one of the biggest pain points with people's experiences of current community forum is you know, they uh a lot of people just interpret just a blank wall of the talk at and then seemingly you know what is the next step.

So there's a lot of ambiguity, so uh this is just my own interpretation, but adding something in there about building trust in the community or building trust in public processes, but just the word trust there.

Um but um so if I'm hearing your interpretation uh correct, Councilmember uh Palmer.

Um you're talking more about the input is still important, but fleshing it out in in more of a robust way.

Yeah, I think the ultimate goal, because that's what we do, right?

We make policy.

So I think that is still the goal, but we should ask ourselves what does that all entail?

Um does it entail you know, we we know it entails staff input on on what we're doing.

We know that it entails us working together as a group, um, but I think it also entails um getting as much information from the community as possible, especially members of our communities who are have these different um areas of expertise that we can draw on.

Um, and community form forum allows for that as well, and being able to go back and forth having that dialogue, so not just um folks coming up and and speaking for their time, but uh maybe there's a time for us to respond or to seek further clarity so that we get the all of the information that we need.

So before I call on Councilmember Walker, you said as much as so what I think that speaks to is inclusivity, like inclusivity and access, right?

Whether it's ease of access or whether it's being more proactive and seeking like more non-traditional audiences, for example, but yeah, um accessibility and inclusivity is what I'm hearing.

That's a great point.

I think you know, there's we need to make sure that that our conversations are happening in a way that we are getting multiple viewpoints on things and a diverse um clutter of ideas, absolutely, but not not um, and I think you know, we've also talked about the timing of everything and where the location, so those are things to consider too.

Are people fed, people gotta eat?

That's big intention.

Councilmember Walker, thanks for your patience.

Thank you.

Um, and I would agree with Councilmember Palmer.

I think the purpose is largely still the same to assist the council with making policy decisions.

I will add to that one thing that I think has been um good about public or community forum is that people bring forward issues that are very, very hyper-local and staff are able to help them, like a street light or a uh sewer pipe or things like that that aren't necessarily council policy decisions, but that they can't bring it to a regular meeting because it's not on our agenda, but we're able to have we have all the staff in the back that can help them immediately.

So I've seen that that actually be one of the things that we're we are able to respond to really quickly and help people out with, and I appreciate that.

So I think maybe in the purpose statement, something about um you know, assisting community members with individual issues, and I think that that doesn't have to happen in one place at one time because I think we're trying to do two different things.

I I also agree that some sort of back and forth is valuable.

I don't think community forum is the forum for back and forth, even if we are able to respond.

Um I know we don't want to get into too many details here, but I think we needing to figure out some place where we can dialogue.

Sure.

And now I remember that came up in the OSAC committee as well about someone's street light or someone's sewer, just quintessential local government stuff isn't really policy making, but people have come for those things before and gotten help.

And I I think where we might have arrived at that if we were wordsmithing in committee was instead of just policies over which the council has jurisdictions, you could say policies and services over which the city has jurisdiction, and then it would be germane if you know someone had you know you know something going on that they needed direct help with, even though we're not taking a vote, for example.

But uh very good points.

Uh deputy mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, and thank you for leading on this conversation.

Um, and just to Councilmember Walker's point, I I completely agree and uh trying to find a way to incorporate that uh feedback because um there have been a lot of uh folks that have come with very hyper-local concerns, and I think it's really important to be able to follow up on those things.

Uh, and especially if we're able to do it in real time, I think that's really great as well.

Um I I'd be curious um how we define what's um what's within our jurisdiction.

I I I really when I'm thinking about our policy making decisions, um uh what I'm thinking about is like what's something that the city could do that you're interested in potentially having them do uh in a policy way.

What are things that are um you know you know, things that are we are already working on as a city, especially through an alignment with our Tacoma 2035.

Uh, could we get like specific feedback on our strategies and like different like so that's what I'm when I'm when when I'm thinking about like what kind of policy feedback I hope to learn from from folks is like is like is like that.

So I I guess um it is that the kind of feedback we're looking for, and is that the kind of feedback we're receiving?

Because uh I have found that sometimes a lot of the things that I'm hearing, it doesn't necessarily align with things that the council may be currently working on, or we even have jurisdiction over.

So I'm just kind of curious of like how we how we kind of define that or narrow that down a little bit.

So again, this is me hunting for words, but in a way, I think what I'm hearing is education.

It's an opportunity, and and for me that falls under building trust.

But I mean, a lot of really well-intentioned civic-minded people, it's maybe their first ever public meeting, you know, want us to do things that we have zero legal authority to do, and it and it's not for any malice or anything, it it's just that's their first public meeting.

And so, in a way, education, trust building, and accessibility kind of speak to the same thing of demystifying government processes in general, right?

Because when when John or Jane Q public engage with the government, no one really makes a distinction between oh, that's city or that's county or that's the feds, whatever.

It's just the government, right?

And since we're the most local, we're easily the most accessible, we're the we're the most approachable generally, and so why not use this as an opportunity to educate in not just the form of saying no, we can't do that, but maybe a little you could call it civics education, uh, you could call it a helpful pivot.

We're not just being bureaucrats saying no, we're saying, hey, we can't, but okay, we'll even make an introductory phone call for you, just some good customer service along with it, you know.

Sure.

Um do you feel that's an accurate um Yeah, I think that's that's a really accurate way to say that.

Um you know that's just kind of what I've been thinking about is how to how do I make sure that we're honoring the public's time for coming to talk to us, right?

Um, because I don't want anybody wasting their time coming to us when they have genuine concerns and issues, yeah.

Um and how we can like really make sure that we're fully utilizing their feedback in order to create good policy and make good policy decisions.

Yeah, um, but then also being clear of like where our jurisdiction is and that that grand scheme of things.

And so I there's just something I've been grappling with.

Yeah, and that that's a really good point about customer service too, is that being helpful it is not the same thing as saying yes to everything.

In fact, you you can have astoundingly good customer service and and build confidence and trust by saying no.

You can just do something that's helpful in a different way or realistic.

Councilmember Rumbach.

Yeah, so I appreciate that we have this written purpose for this, but I think if I'm the public and I'm coming here, the purpose is different than what you say the purpose is.

So I really want to be specific on I'm thinking of community forum from the side of the community.

When they come, what's the purpose?

Their purpose is to can to come and tell us what a concern is to communicate a um something that's happening that they want more information on.

Maybe they've tried to reach one of us and they haven't.

I think that's the purpose is for them to have a stage to amplify a problem that they have, and that's what we hear as them come in, and that's what the issue is.

And when they don't get a response right there, knowing how they can get a response, even if it's a no, is really important.

And so I think each one of them deserves some type if it's all the same questions are coming about immigration.

We should have a response back to people that and I know this is more work.

That's why we won't do it very often.

But I I I think that's what the purpose is is for them and not looking at us.

It's not for us, it's for them.

It's for them to come here.

Um public comment is something that we're required to do as public comment for different things that happen.

Um that's from the city side that we have to do public comment and allow people to come in on different issues and have a chance to talk about like they support this or against that.

But the community forum is really the public having the opportunity.

So I really want to think about how we write it up because I think it's for them.

We if I I mean we could just get rid of it.

We don't need it.

We get I get plenty of comments in my email every day of things that are are a problem or that they want an answer to, and I try hard to get back to them.

But this is more to all of us to say, hey, I came in here and I thought this was important, and I want you to know.

And when they don't get an answer, which that's so hard when you sit there, it's like going to the doctor's office and they can't give you an answer, being you've had an issue with the bill, and the person you're talking to is not the right person to talk to.

So that's that's what I'm been thinking about, and that's why I really appreciate us talking about a more robust way to do this, so that more that that it's not done the way it is, where it seems like it's just a tack on on the end of one of our meetings when we've been here for two and a half hours.

I really want them to have the opportunity to share and feel like they're not getting cut off.

And I think that's part of it is when you get cut off, you feel even more disenfranchised.

So I just I I understand that, and I hear it from people, but I want to make sure we understand it's not about us, it's about them.

So thank you.

Understood.

Council Hines.

Uh question for you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, how long has community forum been part of the council?

Because I don't know if it's been with us since Tommy Time Memorial.

I think it probably came from when you were first initially on the council.

So do you want to speak to like where it came from?

Okay.

I'll try to do my best uh Mayor Barzman impression and talk about history for a second.

Um I I can't.

I'll do my best.

Um to my best understanding.

Uh sorry, Bill, if you're listening.

Uh to my my best understanding, it it did precede me.

I'm not sure for how long.

I want to I want to say mid-aughts, uh, but I I'm just I'm guessing really.

Um I I think those are really good points, Councilman Rumbo, about dialogue and back and forth and needing something.

Um thing that actually did come up in committee, which uh I think would be relatively simple, cost-free, largely, but but just setting the expectation is um one of the ideas was actually just adding to the agenda council response um to the community forum.

So so that people who come to the meeting um whether they are budgeting time or have to leave or they're they're just not sure what's going to happen next, they might have the clarity on the agenda that hey, okay, this this is the formal response time to themes that may come up, subject to um whether or not you want to respond to it or you think it's appropriate or you know, not being obligated to do so, but just setting the agenda, council response to community forum.

Um that was one idea that I heard.

How do people feel about that?

Uh I so if I was I'm gonna step back and then I'll answer your question.

Um what I am hearing when I hear so I'm gonna say this.

The goal of activism is to raise awareness on issues that you there's an issue that people aren't paying attention to, and then you're showing up to draw attention to it.

So when I think about people who come to community forum, they are often operating out of kind of an an activist in a positive sense mindset of we want to draw attention to an issue that we think the council is not paying attention to.

Like that's the purpose, right?

Like there's an issue we've identified that you all are not considering or paying attention to.

There's a part of it.

So I when I think about that, when I think about the purpose of community forum, in my mind, it comes back to a lot of folks use it as an opportunity, or most people to raise awareness on issues that we may not be paying attention to.

So I think that's really good.

One to your point about council comments.

Um I get concerned because just like the community is not united, the nine of us are not united either.

And I worry about an opportunity where there's a community forum, and then we spend 45 minutes because each one of us wants to respond in our own individual way to exactly what was said at the meeting.

And I may disagree with Council Bostalgay, Councilman Stalin might disagree with Council More Diaz, just Council Rodia's might disagree with Council Debrey Bush now, and then it actually instead of being more clear, it is less clear and opaque.

And I mean, maybe the public wants to see the messiness of the the thoughts that we have here.

I I don't know.

I mean, some do, I'm sure, but I think to step back, it might, in my mind, if we're gonna do a response, I might often say, let's hold that until next week, or and then we could do a broader response to the issues that were raised the week before, only because to be really clear, um, I would never tell my children, hey, that was a really an emotional thing you just did.

Now is the perfect time to respond.

Like that was really highly charged and emotional, and people are upset.

This is the best time to make decisions, right?

I think there's a power and reflection and ability to take the information and to kind of think through, okay, what is the best way to respond to this?

What is the kind of the most you know, the response that is the most accurate, that is the most transparent, that is the most clear that I think is is really important, and I worry that if we have a really intense community forum, and then we go straight to us, that um it will not kind of lower the temperature, it will raise the temperature and actually probably lead to the public being more frustrated, less frustrated, more confused, less transparent.

I just I think there's a value in kind of a space to process that I I worry about with a direct response.

Um absent with having like some kind of focus, like where we could like narrowly tailor what the topic is, or that could be helpful.

Yeah, and that actually is something that's come up too, and that is we we've talked a lot under the current rubric of community forum, which is just a totally open forum where anyone can talk about any one thing.

Um, but that's not necessarily how if if you go to different conferences or whatever, cities that have some equivalent of community forum, it's not always open-ended.

Sometimes it's often uh topical or has some sort of focus.

Um do you feel that community forum should continue being totally open-ended, subject to people just bringing in their things and and their activist energy, or or do you think there's more value to the community if we're really reinvinging this from the ground up and not taking anything for granted to have a little bit more guardrails in the form of things to talk about and ways to help people?

Are the thoughts?

Councilman Paul.

I I think I personally like it being open, um, mainly because as Councilman Baronva was mentioning, you know, this is a time for folks to come tell us things that they they don't feel or don't know how to how to tell us in other ways yet, or feel like they want to do it in this setting.

Um and so I like that, but I think it you know, maybe it's recognizing those themes that like immigration and there needs to be another talk about this in another maybe another setting.

So we're gonna take that and actually remove it from the community forum, remove it from the meeting and have like a town hall or something around that particular subject.

Um so I I think that's a way that maybe we can we can narrow it down to topic um at but not during that time.

Um and then about the I think it makes sense to have some kind of uh uh thinking time and you know, gather our thoughts and do our research to give right answers.

Um I think it's you know, it I think I was so that was my suggestion for the for the comment back period, and I think it's you know, if we have facts that can help somebody that in that moment of like, hey, this is how you contact that service, or what I know we have staff, I guess that could handle some of that, but um or this is was my experience, and you know, I I understand sometimes it just helps to say I understand.

Um I think that there's some value also in the you know folks understanding that there are different viewpoints between our uh council members, like you like you mentioned.

Um and so if we if we did take it back and and bring a comment back like the next week or something, I think it would still be good to um maybe have our individual comments so that they know it's not like everybody feels exactly the same, but um it's more thought out.

Sure.

Um so one other thing I've heard about is location, just to change the topic a little bit.

Um, and the clearest example of this would be the Pierce County Council, who under their charter, they have to have their regular meetings in the district, not just at um the county city building, for example.

So one of the other ideas I've heard is should a community forum always have to be at council chambers in in City Hall, or could it be maybe one in the five districts, for example, in a really accessible area, you know, that's you know, good parking, child care, food access, what have you, bus access.

Um, with keeping in mind the cost.

Yeah.

Um but uh the other concurrent thought that I've heard in relation to that is do you always have to have one every month?

Could you have more of a less is more approach where maybe it's not every single month, but you're really doing a very focused job on being inclusive and maybe one for each council district, for example.

That that's one other idea I've heard.

Uh Deputy Mayor, you're jumped in there.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

Um, this is something I've been thinking about quite a bit as well, because oftentimes, especially around community forums specifically, I'm always thinking about who's not here.

Um, it tends to be those that are most um paying attention to the you know, the council and and and very engaged individuals.

Um but there's so many more other folks that I've speak spoken to or talked to that um maybe maybe five o'clock on a Tuesday night's not the great or best time for them to be able to access us or talk about issues that they really care about.

And obviously, each of us in our own way do like coffee chats or walks in downtown or or ways to engage constituents and other folks in different ways, so that way we can capture more of those uh folks.

But I really believe in like meeting people where they're at, um, and as opposed to coming to downtown, there might be so many different ways.

Um, but I I also want to make honor the the time that people are are taking to come meet with us as well.

So I I think it about you know how do we how do we make sure that we're hearing from folks at different times of the day, like maybe it's like in an afternoon on a Saturday or like 10 at 10 in the morning for people that are on swing shift, yeah.

So I just I also think about the logistics, and I I I could see us maybe like doing something less often but more intentional in community.

Yeah, um, and then an opportunities for better dialogue, and especially if there are certain themes.

I also I also think it's a really great opportunity for us to receive feedback on specific policy issues, like so.

I understand trying to keep it open-ended for those things that you just that are emerging issues that might not be uh topical at the moment.

Um, but I also there are specific policy things that we are going through as a council that I think these could offer great opportunity for really good feedback on very real policy decisions that we're making as a city, um, especially in alignment with our strategic priorities and budget in the coming year.

So and that I think that's something separate than community forum, maybe.

And we do have our town halls, um, and we have each of us have a town hall budget, and you know, that's one of the ways in which I try to to engage folks.

Um, but are we just reinventing a town halls type situation also?

So that's something I I think about.

So I don't know where I was going with that, but that that's kind of a flush of thoughts on that specifically.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Council of Diaz Fellow Conservative.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I just want to almost meld the two.

Um I apologize if that hurts anybody's process and thinking, but I really do like this idea of moving the location around.

Um, I don't know what the cadence is.

I think one in each district a year sounds sufficient because there's five districts, and so then it would be essentially every other month.

Yeah-ish.

Um would assume we'd skip January or something and February, since those are the months that people new people are getting ramped up on the council.

But and then maybe December, November because of the holidays, so like maybe that leaves us with every other month in the middle of the year.

Um, and then I think over the long range, I think folks in the community could get used to every March the council's in district one.

Every um whatever the councils in district five.

Like I think there's a there's a cadence there that might make it more familiar for people longer term.

I think my biggest apprehension about leaving chambers and going out into communities is the load on our tech team on TV Tacoma folks.

Um, and so I almost wonder if it's something that we could notice, like we notice NLC or the legislative delegation dinner that these are the meetings that we're moving those to the community forum to those places on those specific dates and times, um, and not have it be attached to a council meeting so that we wouldn't require the same amount of broadcast and all the other recording and work.

But people could come, they could have community forum with us, it could be a moving, and we could actually potentially have a dialogue then if there's time permitting.

Yeah, I think that's a a different creative way to split the baby and be mindful of our resources because the thing that I don't want to do is create some huge new budget ask for the tech staff that has to be mindful of the live stream of the all the stuff that I don't know how it works, but half the time it feels like stuff doesn't even work in chambers sometimes.

So I don't I want to be really mindful of that, and uh I think getting out into districts would actually get us a little bit more of that folks showing up saying, Hey, these lights went out three weeks ago and no one's come by no matter how many 311s I put in, or I didn't know 311 existed.

I didn't know I could ask for a new stop site.

Just I think if we were in neighborhoods at community centers or at say VFW halls or wherever we were to go meet in the communities, I think we would get more organic in the neighborhood folks, and I think that would probably get to some of that piece of it too.

And I think I don't want to lose the thread that when folks, especially activists, want to come and organize around a topic that the city does have jurisdiction over, they can always do that on public comment when it's on our agenda.

And they will do that, I think, no matter what happens with community forum.

I I would I would think it would be weird if they wouldn't.

So and there's always usually if it's an ordinance two readings, there's several opportunities when something's on the agenda.

So I think that that is another element that I don't want to lose sight of as well.

For sure.

And I think also just the presence or absence of certain features itself sets the tone.

So, for example, to your point, Councilmember Diaz, if we're there in the district and there's maybe a greater preponderance of district-wide issues, just really local government service stuff, and say, in anticipation of that, we had um a CLO there, or we had a code enforcement person there, almost like a neighborhood council meeting, right?

Where we have people there who are ready to swoop in and deal with issues rather than just an email chain.

Um there's something to that to maybe lowering the temperature and getting a bit more business focused than just something that's really amorphous and subject to um to something that's a little bit less uh in scope, for instance.

It's following and that's another idea that I mean you just triggered for me is maybe if we were to do districts in Rome, we could do it at different neighborhood council meetings.

So then I don't have the dual ability of essentially we're noticing their meeting, all of those resources already exist in those meetings, and then more people would have eyes on the fact that their neighborhood council is there and is active and is doing things.

Okay, it could be a symbiotic thing if that's a direction we go into.

Okay, thank you for the industrial industrial symbiosis.

You heard it here first.

Council Russidalga.

Uh thank you.

This is a topic that's that's actually been the most important to me.

There's there's a number of things about community forums that put it diplomatically frustrate me.

But I understand why, right?

Um we are respecting the right that everyone has uh not only to free speech, but under the constitution to um petition your government for dress.

I've mentioned this before.

Um it does frustrate me, you know, that because we can't talk back and forth, there can be many statements that are made that are maybe not a hundred percent accurate um, and especially in a world in which we live and which we have all sorts of technologies, including AI technologies that just transcribe uh things set as fact that can lead things astray.

I don't know how to solve for that, but be that as it may, what is always frustrated me is that I don't see my community reflected regularly, and I do see certain people and certain individuals that come regularly, and then district four and members of my community that might be um engaged otherwise, do not feel that this is a forum or a location that they can access.

Having said that, though it is important to me that we think of and solution a way that we can get more district representation in district.

I think that is a necessary but not and not sufficient to be successful that has to be married with intentional work in making sure that that members that individuals that live in that district uh understand when, how, and in what manner they can come and speak, like there has to be intentional outreach, there has to be intentional uh work to to if we're gonna go this round of also having um set uh uh topics we'll talk to that might be more topical to one district than another, that we do work on that.

That is more work.

I think it is meaningful work.

Um because just putting it on, you know, in place X does not mean that those people are gonna show up.

And I think to me, in a community forum, I I like the idea of maybe half of them being here and half of them being in council.

Um but if we're not gonna have it here, we have to have some plan of how do we ensure and communicate and are intentional about getting people there.

Some of the the things that were mentioned are having it at different times, different days, those are all great, you know.

I don't know what the solution is, but I think we have to think about that as well.

You know, you're you're helping me get an aha moment, Councilminister Dogan, and that is the notion of should should this thing be totally open-ended or should it be more um have a little bit more guardrails and be more topical.

Maybe we can have our cake in 82, is especially if there if there's more of a neighborhood or a district focus, and uh to your point, and this would really I think serve the trust building aspect because it's not just about the one meeting, but it's about what happens after it's like therapy, right?

Like what happens in between the meetings, right?

And so for example, if if there's a district one meeting where people are really excitable about one particular issue, and then at the let's say the next year's there's like a progress report, like hey, you guys brought this up, and this is what we've done, and you start the meeting with um with not even the public comment, but maybe you start the meeting with a report from the city, like this is something you brought into us, this is what we've done, and then you start with more of that very local neighborhood focus, and then it's open-ended after the fact.

But but you're kind of leading with a little bit more intentionality uh as well as action, like a bias for having a plan for resolution.

Um maybe that might be a good way of threading the needle.

What do you think?

Uh I agree with with what you said.

Uh, my larger point was in a world in which we have districts that are literally three times more active in politics and other districts, it is really important that in those districts that have been historically underrepresented, historically you know, marginalized that we have an intentional plan on making sure we have participation.

Yes.

And also staff follow-up and resources too.

Absolutely.

Yes, because that is often something I hear in my community.

Is it worth even showing up?

And if we're gonna do this, we want to make sure we live up to the fact that it is worth showing up.

And if we do it right, it's gonna accomplish what we really want, which is to get the voice of all of our communities in.

Um I think it's important that we do have uh recordings.

I'm not sure if it's important to be live in that moment.

Um if that is a barrier to having a meeting.

Yeah.

So I would put that out there.

I think it's perfectly fine to record it and then uh publish it in in the near future if that still allows us to have these meetings.

In fact, some people may find that more comfortable.

Um I do know in forums where it's very formal in in this manner, for example, there have been people that have told me, oh, it seems really scary to go up there and hit a button and and and talk.

Not that we can completely get away with some sort of of actual, you know, I don't know, logistics and how people do that.

But um, as I said, changing the location is necessary, but it it you you could do that and still fail.

And I want to also work on what can we do to make sure we're still successful in these communities.

For sure.

Thank you.

Council Member Hines, all right.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh I'll make the I feel like I've been talking a lot at this meeting, so I'm gonna try to make this as brief as possible.

Um, I've heard a lot of really good things here.

I it it just I'm tend to be more of kind of just like a tactical application person, is that being a teacher?

I know I said it again, I'm sorry.

Um I think we need to pull community forum off of council meeting nights.

I think we already give up robust amount of comment for people to provide comment related to what's on the council agenda every Tuesday, and I we have multiple times where people will comment on council agenda items and we have to tell them redirect them, it's like that's actually for community forum.

I think we'd be much more effective if we had community forums a separate day away from the council meeting.

So then when you show off community forum, you can talk about anything the council has purview on.

We show up to council meetings, it's you're on the agenda.

I think it just makes it a lot cleaner for lots of folks.

Um, I don't think we need to not relearn the lessons we learned during COVID.

Why can't we just do community forum online?

We did multiple town halls and meetings online during COVID when we set up a tiny home village at Six and Orchard, we set up the we did the Northeast Tacoma, we let we had that as a North Point Community Center as a place for um people for homeless folks to stay overnight.

We did a lot during COVID where people we get online, we'd all sit there, have comment, people would come in, and actually, interestingly enough, we used to actually take questions in the chat.

Like someone would facilitate it and they'd say, okay, so we got this one question from a community member, can somebody answer it, and then we would answer those questions.

So I I think we could utilize an online forum specifically if we wanted to.

Um I think we need to have really clear time limits on that, because I think one thing the public understands, but also I don't know if they understand sometimes, which is like I get that you want 10 minutes to share your perspective, but if we allow everyone to have 10 minutes to share their perspective, and every council member gets five minutes respond to them, then we are gonna be like the state legislature who is still in session 12 out 25 hours later, right?

We will be here all day.

And I think there needs to be a kind of understanding of we are doing community forum for two hours.

And if 10 of you get to talk in two hours, then 10 of you get to talk in two hours.

And but that's and we have to trust the public to understand to kind of monitor airtime and make sure that's important.

Um I do like the idea of rotating council districts, the library board when I was on there, rotated during the summer months.

So May, June, July, August, September, because it's light outside, it's safer for people to get around, versus kind of being dark in the winter time, and there are five high schools in each one of the council districts.

So if we want to make it really simple, we could do the five high schools, and that would count every high school, that would do every council district, and we could do it with five, and we could do uh May, June, July, August, September, and we can be back in the chamber.

I I also would just reiterate uh the city can tell me I'm wrong, but our council meetings do not have to be on camera, do they?

Uh no, they do not.

They just have to have a record.

And also we don't need to take comment online.

So I would think that if we were to go out into community, I would bias people showing up in person.

Like we are in community.

So when we are at Silas High School in District One, I would say we don't take comment online.

We would just let if you want to come, you come in and speak for that period of time and we record it, but it's not on camera, and it's a community's opportunity to be with us in community.

Um for the ones that are online, like the Zoom versions, like, yeah, that's recorded, you can call in, everybody can call in.

Um, but I think that's it.

The other piece I would say if we move community forum off of council night, I hate to say this, but I will.

Uh not all of us need to be there.

A few of us could take turns going to community forum.

We could rotate it.

Five of us could show up.

I mean, I would volunteer the mayor, we'd be at all of them, but um beyond that, the rest of the council members could rotate as part of that conversation and and trust people to be sure to provide the information.

Because if the opportunity, if what we're looking for, if the purpose is an opportunity to raise the salience of an issue and have an audience with some of the council members, if not all of the council, um, I think we can look at creative ways to do that.

Thank you.

And I really like the idea of the school locations too.

That sends a good signal.

Um is there any other comment on this?

So uh you give me a lot of homework, speaking of education, but um to recap what I've had and and please someone chime in uh just to make sure I have a fully accurate understanding here.

Uh being abundantly clear about the purpose of community forum, which is not anathema to the current purpose of informing the council, but uh when it comes to policymaking, uh, but also ensuring that there's clarity that we're also receptive to people needing services as well from from the city.

Um being equitable in our focus of resources, and so it's not just a same peanut butter approach for every district, but ensuring that uh when it comes to staff time, availability of resources, uh follow-through, and so forth, that we're um we're being abundantly um equitable there too.

Um, using this to inform ourselves, but also to build trust, build community, educate people, uh, dispel misinformation, perhaps.

Um whether or not it's dialogue of of uh of back and forth, making sure there's some way to satisfy that without having anarchy, basically.

Um location in the council districts is what I hear.

Uh it seems to have a lot of demand.

Um, maybe just five of in the year scattered throughout the the near or or at the end of the school year in high schools or similar location.

Um times that are accessible for the broader public, so decoupling that from council chambers and actual council meetings, but maybe like a weekend or um one of the examples I've heard in committee, which I think was uh was interesting was viewing the the state legislature's town halls as a model that was fairly successful in terms of accessibility in terms of location, so perhaps along those lines.

Um I still like feeding people, so maybe highlighting local, like if we're in districts, you know, who are some you know good local food providers, restaurants, entrepreneurs, we could highlight and and uh feed people while they're there, for example.

That that's my little two cents there.

Um balance perhaps between topical and open-ended, so that we can be responsive to the things that are actually there in the district and just really serve people in a local government capacity, and at the same time have sufficient flexibility and open-endedness so that we're not putting too many guardrails in, but we're being open to ideas and ensuring that if there is staff response or plan for doing so, we're not treating all neighborhoods exactly the same, but we're we're being different mindfully with an equity lens, is um what I hear, and perhaps some opportunity for an overlap with the already um existent neighborhood council structure.

Let's say that all three times fast.

Um council member Palmer.

Great summary, Mayor.

Thank you.

Um I wanted to also you know add to your list.

Okay, sure.

Why not?

If uh maybe there's something where I I think we should maybe think about language interpretation, um, and if we know that one district has a high population of you know Spanish speakers or uh to make sure that we have uh somebody in the room to interpret.

Not a bad idea.

All right, anything else is good.

Council Murder Diaz.

I just want to clarify.

I don't know if Councilmember Palmer knows this, or I don't know if all of the call my colleagues know this.

Currently, for any public meeting, they are noticed so that people can request interpretation services.

So at any point, any time people can and have a civil right to be requesting that, or an ADA right.

So that is that is a standing thing.

Um now, if we wanted to be proactive and get an interpreter without a request and budget for that, that would be a different animal, which I think is probably more of what you're looking for.

But I I did just want to note that that is a big piece of why there's um notice requirements and timelines is because we do have to provide those services or do our best effort to provide them if they are requested.

Okay, Consumer Rambo.

Yeah, I just want to make sure that I didn't really hear what I said the purpose is really about the people and them coming.

Did you have that in there?

I dismissed it.

Uh yes.

Um, you put it in the top part.

Okay.

Just I was looking for it separate because you kept looking at Council Member Palmer, so maybe I didn't get it right.

Well, sure.

And to be clear, this is not anathema to the current purpose, which which certainly does mention that, but absolutely making sure that's reflected.

All right.

Uh thank you so much for uh your patience in two very robust open-ended conversations.

Now something a little bit more uh a little bit more reflective uh with the staff presentation.

Um, and to close this off in terms of next steps.

So I will be working with my staff to bring a first draft to the OSAC committee this Friday.

Um this will be uh I believe in the council packet uh prior.

So for for those who may not be able to attend, if you still have feedback, I'd love to hear it prior.

And um then we'll discuss this in committee, suss it out, take public feedback, and then bring it to the full council for further discussion.

And there will also be a motion on tonight's agenda to uh in the meantime streamline the current uh framework of uh reducing community forums just once per month, but also removing the one hour limit just to achieve an appropriate balance.

Um so with that, thank you everyone.

We're moving on to item number three.

Our third agenda item is an update on the East Portland Avenue project.

I'd like to call on public works real property manager Susie Rogers to begin the presentation.

Come on down.

You can come on down here, yeah.

We don't do these two.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Oh my own set there.

Okay.

Okay.

There you go.

Is that going?

Sorry.

Can everybody hear me?

Okay.

Um good afternoon, Mayor Ibsen and Council members.

I am Susie Rogers, Real Property Manager here on behalf of Real Property Services Public Works Department, to provide an update on City of Tacoma Public Works Project Number PWK-G0053, otherwise known as the East Portland Avenue, East 64th Street to East 72nd Street Road Improvement Project, and to provide a recommendation on the approval for the emergency authorization for the use of eminent domain at the city council meeting scheduled for tonight, March 10th, 2026.

The East Portland AV project is a road improvement project, approximately half mile long, consisting of the following work grind and overlay of the roadway surface with new asphalt, upgrades to curb ramps to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA requirements, construction of new traffic calming bulb outs, and installation of a new high-intensity activated crosswalk beacon or hawk beacon, signalized pedestrian crossing at the intersection of East 68th Street and Portland Avenue.

This project will benefit the community with a newly resurfaced roadway for better drivability, new ADA compliant curb ramps for better mobility, and traffic calming bulb-outs and a new signalized pedestrian crossing beacon that will facilitate safer crossing of an intersection connecting a densely populated mixed use and residential area.

Next slide.

As a recipient of state and federal monies for transportation projects, the city of Tacoma is obligated to comply with washdot local agency requirements for spend, which includes the requirement to acquire and assemble the necessary property rights to construct the project in a timely manner and to initiate and utilize eminent domain if necessary.

Otherwise, monies must be returned.

This is slide four.

Thank you.

Construction of the East Portland Av project requires property right acquisitions from eight total parcels.

Property right acquisitions comprise a mix of slivers of fee acquisitions and temporary easements or TEs.

Fee acquisitions are permanent property acquisitions that would carve out a sliver of property, which would be controlled and utilized by the city as public right of way permanently.

TEs are temporary easements are temporary in nature and are temporary property rights that allow the city allow the city to use the private property for a specified period of time.

All acquisitions were conducted in compliance with state and federal guidelines for acquisitions, namely the Washdot Local Agency Guidelines or the Lag Manual, and the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act, otherwise known as the Uniform Act.

All acquisitions, whether permanent, aka fee or temporary, are valued by a licensed appraiser, and property owners are compensated fair market value for the fee take or use of the area.

Out of the eight parcels, the city has acquired all the necessary property rights to construct the project with the exception of one remaining parcels.

Negotiation on the parcel holdout have been unsuccessful due to the non-responsiveness of the property owner.

The owners have been responsive to repeated the owners have not been responsive to repeated attempts at communication and contacts since September of 2025.

The last remaining parcel holdout for this project is located at 1609-1621, East 68th Street.

This site is an apartment complex known as the Tuscany Apartments.

The owners are a Washington limited liability company.

The existing conditions on the site is that it is located at the intersection of East 68th Street and Portland Ave, at which the construction of the new Hawk Beacon signalized pedestrian crossing is proposed to replace an existing dated crossing.

All work would be done at the perimeter of the property, and property access would not be impeded.

At this site, the city requires the fee acquisition of 204 square feet to accommodate the new Hawk signal control cabinet.

The work area would be returned to its original condition or better upon project completion.

The city has made over a dozen contacts, reached the property owner via phone, email, mailings, and in-person visits.

Offer packages were mailed both by regular mail and certified mail in English and with translation paperwork and personally delivered on site at the apartment complex business office.

This street view image shows the general location of the existing facilities that would be replaced and the new facilities proposed.

To date, we have not heard back from the property owner, and the project is in jeopardy of losing its funding for construction.

Thereby real property services is recommending and requests that the council approve the condemnation authorization ordinance authorizing the use of emergency eminent domain that will be presented before the council tonight in order to obtain the necessary property rights to construct this project for the community.

In order to move forward with constructing this project, real property services has submitted council action memo or CAM requesting from the City Council authorization for the use of eminent domain for the condemnation proceedings to commence, known as the final action ordinance or condemnation ordinance.

The final action ordinance reading will be the first and final reading.

As required per state statute, RCW 8.25.290.

Notice was given to the affected property owner at least 15 days before the final action ordinance, council hearing date, which has been scheduled for this evening.

The notice of the final action ordinance was made as required by law as follows.

Notice was delivered by certified mail to property owners address of record as fast as found in the Pierce County Assessors Records as required by state statute.

Notice was made by publication in the newspaper with the largest circulation in Tacoma, Tacoma News Tribune.

Notice was made by publication in local newspaper routinely used by the city for legal noticing, the Tacoma Daily Index.

Approval of the final action ordinance will allow the city's legal department to file a petition and summons for a condemnation action with Pierce County Superior Court.

If at any time during this process the property owners wish to contact the city to negotiate or settle the matter, the city will do so at any time up to and immediately prior to final determination at trial.

Thank you for your time.

And in consideration of this presentation, I can any I can answer any questions you may have at this time.

Thank you, Susie.

Appreciate the presentation.

We have a question from or comment from Councilmember Sidalga.

Thank you.

I actually requested information about this earlier since it is in my district.

Oh, okay.

Um I just want to do one clarification for anyone by um that's listening.

This is work from 64th down to 72nd, primarily uh resurfacing and adding ADA ramps.

This is not the pro the larger project we're working on design from I5 to 56.

No, yeah, that's correct.

Okay.

That's correct.

I just wanted to be very clear about this for those uh listening because um I did get an email that confused the two.

So I wanted to be very um cognizant.

Uh I understand we're using you know a term that is very charged, which is eminent domain here.

Uh I understand we're using you know a term that is very charged, which is eminent domain here, but I do recall we had a similar um uh thing, was it last year or the year before on Sheridan Avenue?

That's correct.

And if I recall, generally this is a a way to kind of wait people up and get them to kind of uh actually engage with us because I don't think we actually ended up using it, or did we in Unshared and on that project?

We we actually ended up settling and not going.

Yeah.

Um I I know eminent domain and condemnation is a scary term for a lot of people, but um it's it's really the it's really only a process that's used as a last resort by the city.

Um and quite frankly, it's the only tool in the toolkit, so to speak, for the city to help move forward public projects.

Um in addition, it's also an opportunity for the property owners if they contest fair market value presentation to bring their own appraisers and provide additional information so that we can address that at trial if need be.

Hopefully, usually we settle, but um if we can't, that's the appropriate venue for that.

And oftentimes we do end up settling.

Absolutely.

And I just want clarification if you go back to slide six.

The areas it looks like it's I'm sorry, can we sorry?

Is someone gonna think it was slide six.

The uh street view?

Yeah, the street view.

Oops.

There we go.

So the area we're looking at is actually kind of behind that box in the center.

I can't actually read what it says.

Yeah, there's it's basically between the two poles that you see there.

Yeah, so it's um some of the the grass and then the sidewalk.

Yes, 204 square feet for the case.

Roughly 10 by 20.

Yes.

So it's not a piece of property on anyone's a sliver.

You would consider okay.

And oftentimes these corridor projects just require slivers of property.

Okay.

This makes a lot of sense.

Thank you.

All right.

All right, thank you.

Consumer Palmer.

So I I heard there is is still a possibility of reimbursement rate in the in this process for the eminent domain.

So uh under the M eminent domain statute, property owners are afforded $750 max, and that's per statue for an offer review fee.

So when an offer is presented in our letter, we do let the property owners know that they can take advantage of that.

A $750 offer review fee.

They will get money.

Absolutely.

Yes.

Yes.

They will get money based on the fair market value of it says.

They have $750 to get someone else to reassess it for us.

Yes.

So $750 is actually in addition to the fair market value payment that the appraiser has determined for the taking.

Yes.

Appraisers.

Any other members of the council wishing to comment?

All right, thank you so much for your presentation.

All right, moving on to other items of interest.

We do have one item.

This is from uh Deputy City Manager Alison Griffith uh relating to the bill credit assistance program update.

Thank you, Mary, very much.

I appreciate it.

Today I come to you with some good news, but I need to adjust some of our operations.

So uh for several years the city has operated a utility assistance program or bill credit assistance, as you say, uh designed to support residents who are experiencing a financial hardship.

Um it's a result of a long-standing partnership between general government, specifically environmental services, and TPU.

Uh this program provides utility bill credits for both for not both, but all wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, water, and power.

So eligibility is determined based on established thresholds to ensure that assistance reaches residents who need it most.

Um basically we have made changes uh this past year to lower some of the thresholds or uh requirements for application and qualification.

So we have more folks qualifying.

That's the good news.

The not so great news is that that means that our funds are running out.

Um so we are anticipating being fully expended uh within the next three months for our ES funds.

Um so yes, and uh Director Chavez is here, but ES uh believes that this is a meaningful and necessary program to support members of our community, and so we will be utilizing operational savings within our utility funds to supplement the program through 2026 and coming back to you in our budget process to better adjust for 2728 when going forward.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm here for questions if needed.

All right.

Other questions pertaining to this topic?

Councilmember Palmer?

Did I sorry, Councilmember Hines?

Um, did I see uh that the state maybe just passed something to help with this?

Councilmember Palmer, I'm gonna have to phone my friend in the back, and I'm not seeing that Director Chavez has any additional information.

So we can find out and get back to you.

Council Mr Heinz.

Uh the uh thank you, Mayerson.

Alison, or maybe this is Ramiro.

Uh so the funds we set aside to pay for BCAP, Bill Critics program, those are not general fund dollars, right?

They're ratepayer dollars that are that are used to help address some of that.

Or I guess that would be my who where are they coming from?

Yeah, when we set aside is is we set aside um for each utility.

So you're right, is that rate payers who pay uh uh for the subsidy and is uh solid waste, wastewater, and storm water, and that's what we build that program, and we manage those um credits on each utility as we uh assess the needs of the residents.

Uh so my question, I guess, would be is the reason we're running short because uh you all are very good at like laying out your your financial needs for years and years in advance, right?

So the reason we're running short is because we expanded the threshold and didn't consider the fact that all those people would come and apply for credits, or is it because we just done a phenomenal job of making people aware that this exists?

I I think it's two is is we we eliminated some of the barriers as to how some of those households can qualify for this uh uh a credit, and as well as we have work very well with TPU in announcing this to the residents this available for those who qualified under the income threshold.

So it's a combination of both, and and I believe that is uh the success of the program itself.

Yeah, no, I think that's I I I think that's very good.

Uh is TPU in the same crunch as we are to water calling.

Yes, and I believe they're utilizing the same operating savings to supplement this.

So the program as a whole will not stop uh through this year.

Well, and that's great.

I mean, I think it was I've trying to remember five or six years ago really pushing to say, you know, here's the number of people that are utilizing BCAP, but here are the number of people that qualify, and what are we doing to move the needle on that?

I think Council Bush know it was uh Deputy Bushnell was on the utility board we did that.

So I'm very happy to see that we've really been pushing the needle on that and done a lot of work to get there.

It's uh it's a um both a good problem to have, but also uh one I guess we'll be navigating in the budget cycle.

So correct.

Thank you.

Councilmember Palmer, you have a follow up question.

Yeah, since you're up here, I'll ask a question.

Do we have it online where our customers I guess can pay can opt to pay into this fund if they wanted to?

Uh yes, and uh we have uh brochure as well, and you could probably get up to my tpu.org is assistance, and that will give uh the residents the opportunity to see if they qualify for this subsidy.

So, my my question was like when somebody's paying their bill, is there an option to say, hey, I'm gonna I want to round up or something to put towards this fund for another resident.

I am not sure if we can we have that option, but let me check on that.

Yeah.

Yeah, and why why don't we include uh director flowers in the conversation too and just see if that's something we can include?

So what I'm hearing is basically charitable giving, like roundup in your bill, you could set up on your your recurring payment perhaps, like pay an extra 50 cents or something.

And an additional, you know, uh contribution.

Oh, it's already there.

I do recall that there is like a I believe like a warm home fund or something like that that you can run, but I don't know if that's associated with this specifically.

Let me let me follow up.

It could be a different program, but I I'm just thinking the utility space and I've the bills that I've seen.

Okay.

Great thought.

And and so my understanding since TPU is in the same boat as is environmental services.

Um when I'm hearing taking a look at this in the budget process, what this effectively means is taking a look at our rate structure to account for sustainably funding this as part of the upcoming budget conversation.

Is that what I'm saying?

Yeah, it will be part of the budget conversation and and in part of the next biannual budget.

Uh the baseline will be based on what we have experienced in terms of the expenditures.

To make this permanent and sustainable uh as well as more available to people as we're currently doing.

Yeah.

Thank you for clarifying.

Thank you.

All right, any other items of interest.

Mayor, if I may, just really quickly uh Ramiro's got a phone friend in the background who let me know that yes, customers can donate.

So um just to confirm that that is an available option.

Very good.

All right, thank you.

So any other items of interest.

Seeing none, we're moving on to item number four, agenda review and the city manager's weekly report.

Thank you, Mayor.

That's me again.

Um just to go over this evening.

There is one ceremonial on tonight's agenda that's recognizing the girls' flag football teams from Stadium and Lincoln High Schools.

So I imagine if you want to wear your stadium or Lincoln gear, that's probably welcome.

Uh there are no modifications to tonight's agenda.

There are two opportunities for public comment this evening.

One is under the regular public comment regarding motions, resolutions, and ordinances on tonight's agenda.

The second opportunity is under community forum regarding items over which the city council has jurisdiction.

Please let us know if there's any questions related to tonight's agenda so that we can have staff prepared accordingly.

And for your review attached to the agenda was the weekly report to council.

Thank you.

Thank you, Allison.

All right, with that, there's nothing left on our agenda.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Move to adjourn.

Second.

Move and second.

Those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say nay, we are adjourned.