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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Study Session: Media Update, State/Federal Legislative Agendas, Weekly Report – 2026-09-22

City Council Study Session — Tuesday, September 22, 2026

BodyTacoma, Washington

SessionCity Council Study Session

DateTuesday, September 22, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:25:09

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

Hey, hello.

0:05

I'd like to call to order the City Council study session of September 22nd, 2026.

0:09

Clerk, please call the roll.

0:10

Deputy Mayor Bush now.

0:11

President.

0:12

Councilmember Diaz.

0:13

Councilmember Heinz.

0:14

Here.

0:15

Councilmember Palmer.

0:16

Councilmember Rumba.

0:18

Here.

0:18

Councilmember Sidalgay.

0:20

Here.

0:20

Councilmember Scott.

0:23

Absent.

0:24

Councilmember Walker.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Mayor Ibsen.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Welcome everyone.

0:28

Our first agenda item is an overview of the Media Communications Office quarterly update.

0:32

I'd like to call on Director of Media and Communications, Amy Clancy, along with Golden Dolas, Digital Media Manager for the presentation.

0:38

Welcome.

0:39

Thank you, Mayor.

0:40

Good afternoon, everybody.

0:41

Good to see you again.

0:42

Amy Clancy, Director of Media and Communications and Golden Doles, our digital manager.

0:47

Like to start off quarter three.

0:49

Oh, that's right, I'm the one that's controlling this with some very good news.

0:53

First and foremost, we'd like to introduce you to our new communications and marketing analyst, principal.

0:58

His name is Ian Couch.

1:00

He is currently Governor Ferguson's digital manager.

1:03

He worked for eight years for then Attorney General Ferguson in the AG's office.

1:10

He is a social and multimedia expert.

1:13

His degree is in videography, so he can shoot and images and video and communicate on behalf of a government very well.

1:21

We had over 110 applicants, all incredibly qualified.

1:26

And we're really excited to welcome him to the City of Tacoma, and he will start in early November.

1:32

So he's got a few things to wrap up.

1:34

But that is our new guy, and you'll be seeing a lot of them.

1:38

So one of the things I first wanted to start with is I noticed that you, Council members asked this question of people who are presenting at study session and council meetings a lot, so I wanted to answer the question.

1:48

One of the things you ask is how is this being communicated to the public?

1:53

It's a very good question.

1:54

It's very important.

1:55

And I want you to know that sometimes the people who are presenting to you don't really know the answer to that question, but MCO does.

2:02

MCO has been working on that very thing by the time somebody is presenting to you for weeks, if not months.

2:10

And most importantly, when something is being presented to the council, that's when it becomes public because you folks are the people who need to know first before anybody else what's happening at the City of Tacoma.

2:22

And so by the time something is presented to council, we've been working with through our MCO liaisons and the people in all the various departments on multiple things to share with the public as soon as the study session is over.

2:34

We hit live on many things.

2:36

The web pages have been updated.

2:38

A podcast might have been recorded, for example, with the public safety sales tax.

2:42

We recorded a podcast so that after study session, it could be uploaded.

2:47

We have social media created by Golden and her team ready to send.

2:50

We have news releases ready to send.

2:52

We have FAQs ready to post.

2:55

So we focus on mass communications.

2:57

We want to communicate as much information to the public as possible.

3:00

And anybody can then share that information via social, via newsletters, via email, anywhere that they want.

3:09

So another thing I wanted to explain is who does what?

3:12

How are the departments divided?

3:15

Um these are Stacy Minichello's departments.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement████████████████████████████████32%

Federal Funding███████████████████19%

State Legislative Agenda██████████10%

Public Health███████7%

Affordable Housing██████6%

Public Finance████4%

Infrastructure Planning████4%

Procedural███3%

Public Works███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Tacoma City Council Study Session – September 22, 2026

The Tacoma City Council met in study session on September 22, 2026, in Council Chambers. Councilmembers received the Media and Communications Office quarterly update and discussed first drafts of the city's 2027 state and federal legislative agendas. Councilmember Scott was absent; all other council members were present. No public testimony was taken during the study session.

Media and Communications Quarterly Update

Amy Clancy, Director of Media and Communications, and Digital Media Manager Golden Dolas presented Q3 2026 results.
New principal communications and marketing analyst Ian Couch, formerly Governor Ferguson's digital manager, was selected from more than 110 applicants and starts in early November.
Podcasting: 5,700 total downloads and 5,200 listeners; 56 podcasts published; the most-downloaded episode was the May 5 study session, and study sessions made up the top three downloaded episodes.
Website: tacoma.gov recorded 77,775,000 total page views, 302,000 unique users, and 3.8 million event counts between June 8 and September 7.
Facebook content was viewed 2.2 million times in Q3; top videos included a Connect Tacoma informational video with 319,000 views and Streets Initiative 10-year videos. Paid campaigns cost about $2,000 for the Connect Tacoma video and about $1,500 for each Streets Initiative celebration video.
Instagram views reached 487,000 and followers surpassed 21,000; YouTube subscribers exceeded 6,300 with 365,000 views; LinkedIn had 24,000 followers; Nextdoor and X saw lower engagement or follower declines.
Public Information Officer Maria Lee handled 207 media inquiries from June 10 to September 10; 2026 year-to-date inquiries reached 528, compared with 489 in 2025.
The podcast studio is under construction and will include cameras funded by PEG fees; content will also be shared on TV Tacoma. Council members are expected to be included in podcasts two to three times a year starting in January.
Councilmembers praised the team's work, raised concerns about staff workload, asked about visual podcasts and newsletter strategy, and suggested refreshing the 2022 J. Ray audit. Director Clancy said another audit would be welcome but emphasized that the team is very lean and needs additional capacity.

State and Federal Legislative Draft Agendas

Alex MacBain, Andrea Roper, Brianna Murray, and Jennifer Canino presented the first drafts of the city's 2027 state and federal legislative agendas.
Upcoming dates: Nov. 3, 2026 draft-priority update; Nov. 17, 2026 joint study session with Tacoma Public Utilities; Dec. 1, 2026 council consideration of the adoption resolution; Jan. 3, 2027 start of the 120th Congress; Jan. 11, 2027 start of the Washington State legislative session.

State preview and priorities

Brianna Murray said 2027 is the first year of a new biennium with a 105-day long session. The operating budget faces an estimated $2–$15 billion shortfall, and the local government fiscal health account is important because sales tax exemptions tied to the millionaires tax reduce city revenues.
State draft priorities include fiscal sustainability; reform of unfunded state highway transfers; continued shelter funding and right-of-way encampment cleanup; expansion of the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure program; parking-lot redevelopment incentive refinements; capital budget requests; wastewater nutrient regulation; sidewalk funding tools; extending the expenditure period for a $4.5 million public safety grant; and transportation investments including the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge replacement.

Federal preview and priorities

Jennifer Canino said historical midterm trends favor losses for the president's party and divided government is likely. She noted that the 119th Congress enacted 110 bills, the FY27 appropriations process faces a Dec. 11 continuing resolution deadline, and implementation of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act still needs appropriations.
Federal draft priorities include funding and implementation of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act; surface transportation reauthorization and bridge investment; emergency medical services reimbursement, including whole blood costs of about $1,500 per transfusion versus about $200 in reimbursement; and human rights and immigration detention oversight.

Council discussion

Councilmember Sidalgay supported the draft themes, highlighted a 1930s/40s bridge in his district with an estimated $70 million in deferred maintenance, and warned about local impacts of state policy and the disconnect between progressive state revenue and regressive local revenue tools.
Councilmember Walker asked that library ebook costs be added to the federal agenda; staff agreed to check and add language.
Councilmember Rumbaugh asked for continued 988 funding, opposed potential transfers of Marineview Drive and SR 509, requested sustainable funding language for the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, asked where PFAS funding fits federally, and expressed concern that the 21st Century Road to Housing Act creates unfunded local mandates. Staff noted PFAS language exists under water quality.
Councilmember Heinz asked about LIHTC reform and supported expanding CHIP to electrical infrastructure, sidewalk funding, animal control funding, and local road-usage charge authority.
Councilmember Palmer asked how the draft agenda becomes public and how lobbyists use it. Staff explained that the packet is public and that lobbyists use the agenda for daily advocacy with state and federal delegations.
Deputy Mayor Bush raised concerns about healthcare coverage losses and Medicaid work requirements, and supported restoring funding for local clean air agencies.
Mayor Ibsen called for state help with freeway trash and graffiti, praising weekend Tidy Up volunteers and calling for cleaner city gateways.

Weekly Report and Other Items

Deputy City Manager Alison Griffith presented the City Manager's weekly report.
Agenda materials and videos would be posted to the city website within 24 hours.
A ceremony will proclaim Oct. 1–8, 2026 as Week Without Driving.
The evening agenda was modified to amend Resolution No. 42030, item 12, to correct percentages.
An opportunity for public comment was noted for the evening regular meeting.

Key Outcomes

No formal votes were taken other than adjournment; the session was for discussion and direction.
Staff will incorporate council feedback into revised state and federal legislative drafts, with the next update on Nov. 3, 2026, a joint TPU study session on Nov. 17, 2026, and a possible adoption resolution on Dec. 1, 2026.
Staff will check or add requested items, including library ebook costs, Crystal Judson Family Justice Center sustainable funding, and continued 988 funding.
The council adjourned by voice vote after the weekly report.

Meeting Transcript

Hey, hello. I'd like to call to order the City Council study session of September 22nd, 2026. Clerk, please call the roll. Deputy Mayor Bush now. President. Councilmember Diaz. Councilmember Heinz. Here. Councilmember Palmer. Councilmember Rumba. Here. Councilmember Sidalgay. Here. Councilmember Scott. Absent. Councilmember Walker. Here. Mayor Ibsen. Here. Welcome everyone. Our first agenda item is an overview of the Media Communications Office quarterly update. I'd like to call on Director of Media and Communications, Amy Clancy, along with Golden Dolas, Digital Media Manager for the presentation. Welcome. Thank you, Mayor. Good afternoon, everybody. Good to see you again. Amy Clancy, Director of Media and Communications and Golden Doles, our digital manager. Like to start off quarter three. Oh, that's right, I'm the one that's controlling this with some very good news. First and foremost, we'd like to introduce you to our new communications and marketing analyst, principal. His name is Ian Couch. He is currently Governor Ferguson's digital manager. He worked for eight years for then Attorney General Ferguson in the AG's office. He is a social and multimedia expert. His degree is in videography, so he can shoot and images and video and communicate on behalf of a government very well. We had over 110 applicants, all incredibly qualified. And we're really excited to welcome him to the City of Tacoma, and he will start in early November. So he's got a few things to wrap up. But that is our new guy, and you'll be seeing a lot of them. So one of the things I first wanted to start with is I noticed that you, Council members asked this question of people who are presenting at study session and council meetings a lot, so I wanted to answer the question. One of the things you ask is how is this being communicated to the public? It's a very good question. It's very important. And I want you to know that sometimes the people who are presenting to you don't really know the answer to that question, but MCO does. MCO has been working on that very thing by the time somebody is presenting to you for weeks, if not months. And most importantly, when something is being presented to the council, that's when it becomes public because you folks are the people who need to know first before anybody else what's happening at the City of Tacoma. And so by the time something is presented to council, we've been working with through our MCO liaisons and the people in all the various departments on multiple things to share with the public as soon as the study session is over. We hit live on many things. The web pages have been updated. A podcast might have been recorded, for example, with the public safety sales tax.

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