Downtown Housing Discussion Needs Citizen Input
Rec’d via email:
Citizens from the New Tacoma and Central neighborhoods are invited to give input this week on ways to broaden the housing stock in the greater downtown area.
The Downtown Housing Task Force, a working group established by the Tacoma City Council, has been interviewing different stakeholder groups regarding how downtown housing might be more inclusive of all income levels. The task force includes representatives from neighborhood councils, business, the building industry and non-profit housing providers. This week, the task force wants to hear from residents in the neighborhoods now included in the larger boundaries for downtown:
Wednesday, June 27th
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Room 16, Tacoma Municipal Building North
7 comments
L Laura Hanan July 2, 2008
someone from the outside
J J. Cote July 2, 2008
This is just flat out, plain and simple, WRONG. I don’t always agree with Mayor Baarsma, but I will on this point. The Public has had no time to debate this issue (I was out of town on a College Campus Visit with my son) and here it’s on the Ballot in November.
The issue is in violation of the City Charter, self serving and just plain wrong. I wish that the person that posted the Council Minutes had told us who voted in which direction. It would save me from having to find out which self-serving asses to chew out. It won’t stop me from doing it though.
If Ladenburg can’t see an issue to fruition in two terms then maybe she should never have served in the first place. Getting your name on a plaque is a crappy reason to ask the citizens to change the charter arbitrarily. She should be ashamed of herself, but I doubt if she will be.
T tressie July 2, 2008
sooooo, what happened to Hill’s jumpsuit/pants? Was it orange? Did he re-don them to continue the Democracy Experiment? Voting citizens need to know.
E Eric C July 2, 2008
+1 JC@#3
H hammurabi July 2, 2008
regarding term limits (my comments are on the concept, not the means used to get it on the ballot in the fall):
personally, i think one of the major systemic flaws in tacoma governance is that the average employee works for 20+ years in the administration, whereas the elected officials are cycled on a much shorter basis.
add this to the fact that we have a council-manager government, and you have a significant imbalance in power and institutional knowledge. the fact of the matter is that there is no way for a council to affect long term, meaningful change or pursue long term initiatives – it is in the hands of staff.
one of two things needs to occur to balance the legislative branch with the city staff – either a strong mayor or removal of term limits.
i truly believe this is not about councilmembers seeking dynastic rule over the city, but rather that this is about increasing the effectiveness of council as a body.
in the past it appears that the senior management of the city has basically made most of the critical decisions, while “managing” the members of council. this is one reason why the city government has not, on the whole, been very responsive to the needs of its citizens.
M michael g. July 2, 2008
Charter issues aside, I’m not a fan of term limits. Accepting term limits is accepting the idea that we, as voters, are incapable of making good judgments about whatever field of candidates is before us. If voters are too ignorant or lack the judgment to vote out bad council members, they deserve the what they get. Most other cities in the Puget Sound area get this, and don’t impose artificial constraints on their election choices — why should Tacoma?
J J. Cote July 2, 2008
Morgan, et al. I agree that our temporary Council is at a disadvantage. But the Charter was changed for a reason. Councilmembers becoming implanted in a permanent job and citizens not being able to remove them. I agree that a change needs to be made, but this is NOT the way to make the change, The Charter should only be changed with adequate public input and response. You DON’T change the Constitution just by having a Council vote without the Public at the table.
Ladenburg’s methods are underhanded. Manthou and Fey should also know better. This is NOT the way to do things.