Present: Neal, Vince, Lisa, Patricia
Report from Vince about FUMCOT: Vince reported about recent encounters with a homeless person that has been frequenting FUMCOT’s doorstep. The congregation was ultimately forced to declare the area off limits for the homeless because of this person’s belligerent behavior. They also had discussions about the Baywatch Apartments and the intent of the managing agency to make it low-income housing. This will certainly have implications upon the homeless population of Tacoma. Whether this will be for good or ill cannot be said at this point.
Report from Bethlehem Lutheran: Neal and Lisa reported back about their meetings with Bethlehem Lutheran Church. These meetings were rather informal and went well, bringing up a few issues that needed to be addressed such as heath implications on the neighborhood and liability. Unfortunately, due to health issues, John was unable to contact the other church tenants, so they were not present. More meetings will be set up when John can get back on his feet or the church designates another person for this.
Report from City Council Meetings: Patricia reported that we were unable to be present at the first reading of the ordinances, due to an overrun in the pre-meeting discussions. This was a benefit, because we were enlightened about concerns that had not been raised regarding the legality of certain provisions. Patricia has since contacted the city attorney’s office. According to them, this code is completely legal and within the city’s scope of authority.
Preparation for Final Reading of the Ordinance: Our strategy for presenting at the final ordinance reading on April 22 was discussed. We ultimately decided to ask for a postponement to discuss this code with the city manager’s office. We also are going to question whether the codes actually address public health and safety, or whether these code provisions are there for some other reason.
Next Meeting: The next meeting is going to be on may 5, 2014 at 4:00 PM
Respectfully submitted: fixitstitch and Lisa